Key West

This is a larger gay complex with high sexual energy (a 24-hour video room). This place is clothing optional, with a weight room, two hot tubs (one indoor, one outdoor), a steam room, a sauna, and Internet access. There is also on on-site restaurant, although we did not use it.

Upon arrival, we were warmly greeted and given a tour of the facilities. Our first night was in one room, but the rest of the stay was in a smaller room. Our rooms had private baths, but there were some with shared baths.

John was really great about recommending places to eat that night. We ended up taking his recommendation for a local, not touristy, grill.

While there, they were apparently filming for promotional advertising. It was a bit unnerving since I was not interested in being part of the video. As time went on, the staff was not quite as friendly. One morning, the cleaning person came into our room as we were still sleeping. Our second room had a shower that lacked water pressure. I ended up using the shared bath down the hall, which was actually a better shower.

As we were preparing to leave, we asked the desk staff about how much time we would need to allow at the airport. Knowing it was a smaller airport with limited flights, he was very short when we asked if we needed to be there more than 1 hour before our flight. What started out as a nice stay ended up being a disappointment in the end.

I could only somewhat recommend this property due to some of the unfortunate events that happened later in the week.

Key West is known for its beautiful sunsets. Most will view it from Mallory Square in the every evening. For a better way to experience the sunset, Blu Q is a great way to go.

Captain Steve and first mate John greeted us upon arrival. After removing and storing our shoes (which are not allowed on board), we were provided with soft drinks and wine. On this particular night (a Tuesday), it was an all-male cruise at a special rate of $35. We had a small group of 10 onboard.

The time aboard was very comfortable. We were able to meet people from around the country and share our experiences so far in the city. Captain Steve and John were the perfect hosts, exuding true Southern hospitality. The only downfall was after the sunset and the cruise were over. The excursion lasted over 2 hours and sure beat viewing the sunset from among the crowds in Mallory Square.

We met at the beginning of the tour at the La Conche Hotel. It was quite overwhelming to see the amount of people that had signed up for that evening's tour. I was relieved that there would be two different groups, but it still seemed to be a larger group (around 40 or so people) than what I was used to. (London Tours was closer to 15 people per tour.)

It was interesting to make stops at places we walked past several times during our stay. One stop was even at a guesthouse that we considered staying in. The final stop was at the Hard Rock Cafe, which was a former home of one of the city's historical figures.

It was always fun, but it was also informative, as we got a better sense of the history of this community and what makes it so unique.

Located off the beaten track near Mallory Square you will find the Key West Winery. This is not a winery, where you tour a facility to view how wines are made. This is more of a wine shop. But don't let that stop you from going.

While they do have a variety of merchandise, ranging from glasses and cocktail napkins to cookbooks and bamboo designer bowls, the highlight was truly the wine tasting itself. These are not the typical wines that you would see in the Napa Valley. These are more unique in their flavors.

They carry blueberry, and blackberry wines. Their "40 Karats" wine is made from carrots. Visitors must try their "Cocoa Beach" chocolate flavored wine, just for the experience. And what would a place called the Key West Winery be without having a Key Lime wine?

After enjoying all the different flavors, we settled on the Mango Mamma, Piña Colada, and the White Gold, made from white peaches. These were shipped to our home and arrived on the requested day so that we were home to receive our case.

The owners and staff were great to talk to and very personable. You can find them at .

Cheers!

Picture a huge greenhouse filled with a stream and lush foliage. Now picture that with thousands of butterflies of different species landing on your shoulder, viewing them up close on plants. There were also birds in a breeding program.

Not only was it awesome to walk on the path through the conservatory, it was also an educational experience. At the end of the path was a place to read more about the program there, with information about the butterflies.

This was a wonderful find. The staff was especially friendly and helpful. I highly recommend this to anyone going to Key West.

You can tag along with a guide or just wander by yourself. Learn about Hemingway and some of his quirkiness. Look for the penny by the pool. Of course, there are all those cats! I recommend taking the guided tour. It doesn't cost any more, and you can wander the grounds after the tour is over.