When Ashley turned 10 years old she was eligible to begin scuba diving lessons and get certified so she could dive with her Uncle Jay and I. Diving in the northern states leaves much to be desired once one has dove coral reefs and marine sanctuaries...so her birthday trip was to Islamorada, Florida so she could experience her first open ocean dive.
Photo credit: Michael Rosebrock – Shutterstock
Islamorada is an in-between place, a mix of high and low, American and Caribbean, both refined and edgy. Nestled squarely between booming Miami and rowdy Key West, Islamorada remains more hippy than its northern counterparts, yet more elegant than the infamous sprawl of Key West’s Duval Street.
Located in the Upper Keys, Islamorada is often called the Village of Islands and is made up of six small islands.
If you’re looking to travel up and down the Florida Keys from a central location, Islamorada is a pretty good base, just 20 minutes from Key Largo and an hour and 45 minutes from Key West.
If you're looking to get away from life on fast forward, Islamorada is the place to go. Life is laid back, or as they like to say in Hawaii "You're on island time now!" - which means in no rush to do anything except maybe get a nice sun tan on one of Islamorada's beautiful white sand beaches.
You don't need to be a scuba diver to enjoy this theme trip, I'll give you non-diving alternatives of things to see and do - although you might want to invest in snorkeling gear and bring it with you. All you and your kids need is an interest in our oceans and marine life, as that's largely what Islamorada is all about!
I should also mention that this area of Key West is a bit pricey to visit. Okay, it's more than a bit pricey to visit.
But I've tried to flesh out every deal and discount I could to pass on to you. The best time to visit Islamodara is during the summer months. Between August and September hurricane season peaks so you don't want to go during that time frame.
We booked to take advantage of a Black Friday deal - 50% off our stay at Sun Outdoors Islamorada.
The rate for the Standard Full Hookup Pull Through RV Site was normally $161.38 per night so we paid $80.69 per night.
Spacious Standard RV sites provide full hookups with 30- or 50-amp electric service for your comfort and convenience. These pull-through sites are pet-friendly and provide a full gravel pad that can accommodate 55 feet with room for slide-outs, which includes a concrete patio and parking area. Each site also comes with WiFi access, a table and chairs, and limited landscaping for your outdoor enjoyment.
You will find many options for places to stay in the Florida Keys. Here are some of my top recommendations for any budget (in and around Islamorada):
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The Islands of Islamorada (luxury complex with pool and free parking)
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Islander Resort (mid-range option; has 2 swimming pools)
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Sands of Islamorada (budget; has a pool and a hot tub)
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Fischer Inn Resort & Marina (3.5 star, free WiFi, boat parking & boat ramp< pet friendly)
Money $aving Tip: Currently Fisher Inn Resort & Marine shown above is offering: Unlock up to 35% off stays through 2026! Offer ends soon, don't miss out!
Top-Rated Luxury Hotel in Islamorada: Cheeca Lodge Spa. This tropical resort is a gorgeous getaway, tucked away near the water. Amenities include the best spa in the area, a private fishing pier, and a nine-hole golf course. Suites feature ocean views and modern decor.
Top Rated Mid-Range Hotel in Islamorada: Ragged Edge Resort & Marina. This waterfront resort has apartment-style accommodation, ideal for those who want to do a bit of self-catering during their trip. Decor is simple, and the waterfront location can’t be beat.
Budget Hotel in Islamorada: It’s hard to find low-budget accommodation in this part of the Keys, but The Breezy Palms Resort offers a lower-cost option for Islamorada with high value for money. This beachfront location features apartment-style accommodation with small rooms, but a lot of personality.
Before I get into the trip, for anyone interested in scuba diving Islamorada:
Full of striking marine life such as yellowhead jawfish, green sea turtles and squid, the dive site known as The Maze is great for beginners and advanced divers alike.
Due to the shallow 20' dive depth, it’s only necessary to have a certification (or equivalent) to explore this dive site. The water temperature can dip into the low 70s in the winter, so a wetsuit may be necessary.
Book a two-tank dive with Key Dives based at Bud n Mary’s Marina, a 15-minute drive from the Fiesta Key RV Resort, where you can camp out in a rental RV and pull right up to the edge of the marina for easy access to the dive boat.
Day 1
Arrive at Islamorada and get settled into your accommodations, then familiarize yourself with your surroundings.
Free self-guided walking tours of historic Key West
There are wonderful group tours of Key West, but the best ones cost $30 and up for adults. I'm going to offer you two alternatives:
OLD SCHOOL:
Print out the Pelican Path Self-Guided Tour of Key West, created by the Old Island Restoration Foundation, and wander on your own through Key West’s charming lanes. Here’s the map of the buildings on the tour. This tour provides the stories behind 51 historic buildings and you can break your explorations into smaller segments to go at your own pace.
Then, as you visit historic sites, look for the historic markers. Each has a number on it. You can use you a smart-phone app to hear more detailed historic narration of each site if you desire.
TO USE YOUR PHONE:
Download the Key West Historic Marker Tour wherever your get apps for your phone. It is free and offers a variety of narrated Key West walking tours plus a guide to 125 historic markers in Key West, which you see listed on the Key West historic-marker website. As you pass historic markers as your stroll, you can find them on this app and hear an interesting explanation and story about each one.
A shorter free walking tour is available via an app from the Florida Humanities Council. It has 12 key locations, which makes it easier to complete. (Look in the app store for Florida Stories.) Each of its stops includes entertaining stories of Key West’s people and past.
You can also elect to take the Key West Shore Excursion Hop On Hop Off Trolley - cost $55.60 per adult, ages 13 to 99. Kids under 13 cost $26.20.
The tour lasts 1.5 hours,
Explore the best this island city has to offer on an independent, narrated, hop-on hop-off trolley tour. Visit more than 100 points of interest among Key West’s top attractions—like Mallory Square, Southernmost Point, and Key West Aquarium, to name a few. With this 1-day pass, board at any of the conveniently located stops and get to know the city in customized fashion, with live onboard commentary from a professional tour conductor.
Admission to the Sails To Rails Museum included.
Money $aving Tip: Sign up at Old Town Trolley Tours to receive discounts by email!
We took the Key West Conch Train Tour. 303 Front Street, Key West
This train tour is a great way to go sightseeing around the city of Key West. The entire ride is less than an hour and a half or you have the option to get off and on at different stops.
It’s a good idea to grab one of these tours on the first day of your visit, if you can, just so you can have a better idea of the layout of the island.
It’s a great way to see the city and to learn about some of the rich history and unique, colorful culture of the island before you go exploring it further. The tours are available in one and two day passes and they range from $18 to $80. The Key West Conch Train Tour is open 7 days a week from 10:15am – 4:15pm.
Money $aving Tip: Currently Groupon is offering a deal on this tour.
Afternoon: Key West can get a bit expensive, so finding the best food trucks and quick bites is a great way to save a little money and time on your trip!
We stopped at Southernmost Beach Cafe food truck in order to eat on the beach.
1319 Duval St (at the Curry Mansion)
💲 Price Range: $15 – $30
Must-Try: Lobster Pizza, Mojitos, Honey Biscuit Lobster sandwich, Coconut Shrimp, Pina Colada Key Lime Pie
Enjoy fresh wood-fired pizzas and tropical drinks (including the best mojitos!) right by the beach, making it the perfect spot to relax after exploring Key West. They have also added a sky deck Patrón Tequila bar with great views!
After lunch we toured the History of Diving Museum, 82990 Overseas Hwy, Islamorada.
All three of us found this museum fascinating - and how far the diving industry has come since its inception and the first diving equipment used.
Admission Price
Adults: $15
Seniors (62+): $13
Children 6-11: $7
Children 5 and Under: FREE
US Veterans: $12
US Active Military: FREE
College Students w/ ID: $11
NARM Members: FREE
SNAP recipients: FREE
Money $aving Tip:
Try our FreeBeee App Deal - Click image for more information.
If you're not interest in the History of Diving Museum, here's an alternative:
Visit the Florida Keys History & Discovery Center, 82100 Overseas Hwy, Islamorada, FL.
A world class museum featuring interactive exhibits delving into Florida Keys history, aquariums exploring the Florida Reef, corals and the invasive Lionfish, a 35 seat movie theater and a library.
Admission
General admission = $15.00
55 yrs and 0ver admission = $12.50
Student admission = $6.00
Military = free admission.
Money $aving Tip: Islander Resorts guests will receive $2 off of general admission.
Evening: Have dinner at Morada Bay Beach Cafe, 81600 Overseas Hwy, Islamorada, FL
Inspired by the golden era of surf culture, The Beach Café captures the spirit of a coastal gathering place—where Hawaiian and Californian surfers and windsurfers once came together to unwind after a day on the water. The walls tell this story, adorned with vintage surfboards, kiteboards, longboards, and original 1960s surf posters collected over decades by the café’s original owner, a world-class windsurfer.
Fresh, local seafood and seasonal produce anchor an inventive and eclectic offering, while the bar features a well-curated wine list and craft cocktails.
Walk ins are welcome, but reservations are recommended, especially during peak times and Holidays.
Open daily until at least 11:30 pm.
Day 2
Morning: Breakfast at Blue Heaven, 729 Thomas Street, Key West.
Photo credit: Blue Heaven
Limited menu but what they do, they do very well. Pancakes, Benedicts, homemade Granola, omelets, breakfast sandwiches, a Rooster Special. Outdoor patio with live music in the evenings.
The restaurant is family owned and they actually bought two farms (South Florida grove and their Three Falls Farm in Central Tennessee) to grow and raise the fresh ingredients used in their food.
Did I mention they make the best Key Lime pie ever?
Open daily except on
Thanksgiving & Christmas Day
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8am – 2:30pm: Breakfast & Lunch
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3:30pm – 5pm: Happy Hour
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5pm – 10pm: Dinner
After breakfast we took a scuba diving trip to the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, including Alligator Reef.
If you're new to snorkeling, here's your chance to get your feet wet and try it out! The reef is shallow so perfect for novices and experienced snorkelers alike. If you've never snorkeled before or are relatively inexperienced, then I found an extremely reasonably priced guided tour to take.
Key West Reef Snorkel – Morning Mimosas or Afternoon Margaritas Currently starting at only $34.95 per adult for a half day, which is a good deal for the Key West area. Kids get discounted rates.
Photo credit: Key West Reef Snorkel
Oh, and Alligator Reef didn't get it's name because there are alligators there. LOL
It was the name of an 1820 U.S. Navy ship that chased down pirates and illegal slave traders.
The Alligator met many pirate ships in combat during the spring and summer of 1822. In November of that year it ran
aground while escorting a convoy of merchant ships. After unsuccessfully attempting to refloat the vessel, the crew set it afire to prevent pirates from salvaging the wreck. The USS Alligator wreck lies 200 ft. southwest of Alligator Reef lighthouse off of Islamorada.
Located in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, the wreck is submerged in 3-12 ft. of water. So...it's completely safe to snorkel there - no alligators. Lots of different species of fish, quite a few barracuda and the occasional sea turtle. But no alligators.
Explore the only living coral reef in North America during this snorkeling adventure from Key West. Sail toward the reef on a state-of-the-art catamaran. Receive snorkeling guidance from your crew—ideal for first-time snorkelers. Use of sanitized snorkel gear and reef-safe sunscreen means you don’t need to pack your own, plus cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks are provided after the snorkeling.
There is a restroom aboard.
(We did this in Hawaii and it was a blast!)
Money $aving Tip: We found we could rent a 20' boat for a fraction of the price a chartered dive boat would cost. The daily rate was $300 and most chartered snorkeling and dive boats were twice that amount per group of up to 4 people.
We rented from A1A Watersports & Boat Rentals.
However, don't rent your own boat unless you're experienced handling a boat and at snorkeling/diving, especially on and in the ocean.
Our rental boat
Afternoon: Islamorada Shrimp Shack is a long-standing, family-run restaurant that specializes in serving seafood classics and has a full bar. The owner reopened the restaurant with a focus on local Key West Pink Shrimp, which gained attention from the Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. The menu offers various shrimp dishes as well as other seafood options like conch, fritters, soup, sandwiches, tacos, salads, and burgers.
Oh...and fried FL alligator.
Jay: "I'll eat the fried gator if it 'll keep 'em off the damn golf courses!"
Visit the Key West Shipwreck Museum, 1 Whitehead Street, Key West.
This place is really fascinating!
This museum is a unique recreation of a 19th century warehouse that tells the fascinating story of Key West’s maritime heritage through acting, film and shipwreck artifacts.
Climb the 65’ lookout tower to see exactly how shipwrecks were once spotted along the reef and learn all about how lives and cargo aboard were protected during fierce storms at sea. Hear stories of shipwrecks, discover salvaged artifacts from them and immerse yourself in the education of how shipwrecks have influenced the island for hundreds of years.
With some of the most treacherous waters in the world, it’s no wonder that at least a wreck a week occurred in them. The museum is open daily from 9:30am – 5:30pm with the last show taking place at 4:40pm.
Tickets range from $9 to $19.
Money $aving Tips:
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Discount offered online and, if you’re a local resident, you can get in free with a paid adult by choosing their “hometown pass.”
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Shipwreck Museum, Aquarium & Trolley Bundled Tickets $87.93
Evening: Dinner at one of Key West's most popular restaurants - Latitudes at Sunset Key,
Photo credit: Latitudes
This is a fine dining restaurant located on the private island of Sunset Key that offers gourmet seafood cuisine and a top-notch view if you’re looking for a meal and a sunset. You must take a ferry ride to get there, your ferry ride being conveniently included in your reservation. (It’s required to make a reservation in advance no matter what time of day you visit due to this restaurant's popularity.)
The food itself is more than enough of a reason to come here. The best appetizers Latitudes offers are the lobster bisque and the seared scallops, which comes with a southwestern corn relish and grapefruit gel. Afterwards, an entrée that’ll blow you away is the crispy salmon, which is served with baby spinach, pickled red onion, house smoked salmon, boiled egg, and a warm bacon dressing.
Despite its heavy traffic, Latitudes is still able to make its guests feel at home by offering a warm and welcoming ambience.
Following dinner, take a one-of-a-kind trip on the glass bottom boat, Transparensea - the only glass bottomed boat that offers night tours of the reefs.
This one-of-a-kind experience lets you witness the vibrant marine world illuminated after dark, offering a breathtaking view of the underwater ecosystem. Perfect for nature lovers and adventure seekers alike, this night tour adds a magical twist to traditional glass-bottom boat tours in Key Largo. Tour lasts 2 hours.
COST
Adults: $75
Children (5-17) $60
Children (4 and under) FREE
Day 3
Tucked away in a charming Victorian house, The Café is a true hidden gem among the breakfast spots in Key West. This cozy restaurant is a favorite among locals who know where to find the best breakfast in town. The ambiance is warm and inviting, and the friendly staff makes you feel right at home.
But what really sets The Café apart is the menu. The dishes here are creative and full of flavor, with a mix of classic breakfast favorites and unique creations. One standout dish is the coconut cream stuffed French toast, which is a dreamy and decadent twist on the classic. The dish is made with thick slices of brioche bread stuffed with a rich and creamy coconut filling,
and it’s served with fresh berries and a dollop of whipped cream. If you’re a fan of sweet breakfast dishes, this is a must-try.
All 3 of us are big into protecting our dolphins given the military's ongoing weaponization of the oceans, which causes dolphins to become incapacitated and drown. So we wanted to visit the Dolphin Research Center, 58901 Overseas Highway, Grassy Key, FL.
Dolphin Research Center was founded as a nonprofit corporation in 1984 by Jayne Shannon-Rodriguez and Armando "Mandy" Rodriguez. Their goal was to ensure the dolphins had a home here for life, and in doing so to establish a unique education and research facility.
The bottlenose dolphins and California sea lions presently living here provide a range of personalities and backgrounds. Over half of our family was born at the Center, while the other members have either come from other facilities or were rescued, rehabilitated and deemed unreleasable back into the wild by the Government and now have a forever home at Dolphin Research Center.
Jay and I are members of Dolphin Society (as well as other such dolphin rehabilitation facilities/organizations) and membership is something you might want to consider. Membership starts at $40 and includes annual DRC admission, e-newsletters and other benefits. Your donations help provide the finest care and home for the dolphins and sea lions and support the research, education, manatee rescue and other aspects of protecting our marine life. Your membership is tax deductible.
Learn more about Dolphin Society Membership options.
Our admission to the center was free as Members but we did purchase a $250 dolphin experience for Ashley.
We wanted her to have that opportunity but only in a facility like the Dolphin Research Center.
From its website:
"Bring your family to meet our family of dolphins and sea lions, all of whom live in natural, seawater lagoons in the Gulf of Mexico. Spend a couple of hours or all day, experiencing their personalities in fun-filled, narrated behavior sessions. In between, watch educational presentations, visit the tropical birds, play in the Sprayground or simply enjoy the beautiful, outdoor Florida Keys setting.
The heart of our mission is the welfare of every animal in our family. Whether they are born here, or come from rescue/rehabilitation centers or other facilities, each receives the finest possible care and a safe, healthy, enriching home for life.
Dolphins and sea lions choose to participate in sessions, including interactive programs from the docks or in the water. None are ever forced. Therefore, on any given day, program availability and times may vary based on the needs of the animals."
Under general admission you can tour the facility, talk with the staff doing research with the dolphins, watch educational presentations about them (and the sea lions) and observe their social behavior and interaction with one another in order to learn about it.
General Admission does not include hands-on contact with any marine mammals.
Jay and I are members of Dolphin Society (as well as other such dolphin facilities/organizations) and membership is something you might want to consider. Membership starts at $40 and includes annual DRC admission, e-newsletters and other benefits. Your donations help provide the finest care and home for the dolphins and sea lions and support the research, education, manatee rescue and other aspects of protecting our marine life. Your membership is tax deductible.
GENERAL ADMISSION PRICE:
Adults: $36.00
Children ages 4-12: $25.00
Children ages 3 and under: FREE General Admission
US Military/Veteran Discount: $16 OFF (Discounted Price: $20.00) Must present US Military ID. Discounts/Coupons cannot be combined.
All guests under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a paying adult. Prices are per person.
As you can see, a $40 membership is nearly paid for with the cost of one adult General Admission, which is why you might want to consider membership.
The Research Center offers different types of interactive experiences but they are quite costly. See them here
Afternoon: Touring the research facility will likely take you into the afternoon of your itinerary.
For lunch, I suggest Fisherman's Cafe, 205 Elizabeth St Unit D, Key West, FL
Located in the Historic Seaport of Old Key West, Fisherman’s Cafe is all about the authentic island experience. Serving Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, this restaurant offers dishes made with only the freshest local ingredients including lobster, conch and a special catch of the day. (This cafe has been featured on The Cooking Channel.)
This little shack may not seem like much from the outside, but the service and food provided here is top-notch. Try their famous shrimp wrap!
This is an excellent spot if you’re looking for somewhere to get a quick bite to eat while you’re out and about in the town. Its hours are from 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM Monday –Saturday, 7:00 AM – 3:00 PM Sunday.
Incidentally, they gave Ashley $5 off the cost of her lunch as a birthday gift.
Aquarium Encounters Florida Keys: Voted Best Place To Take The Kids 5 Years In A Row!
11710 Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL (About a 40 minute drive from Islamorada)
What impressed me about this aquarium is that marine biologists give guided tours every hour that are included in the price of admission. Kids enjoy the 5 different interactive encounters like touch tanks, assisting with the training of baby stingrays, etc. all under the guidance of a marine biologist.
ADMISSION
Adults 13 & up: $30
Children ages 4-12: $20
HOURS
Open daily 9 am to 5 pm
Evening: Dinner at Loralei Restaurant & Cabana Bar, Mile Marker 82, Bayside (map) Islamorada, FL
Just look for the giant blue mermaid, you can't miss it.
One of the most famous restaurants in Islamorada this is the place to come for sunsets and cocktails. At happy hour this place is packed and when you visit you will see why.
As well as great food, you will find live music and live magicians, it’s a happening vibrant place. This restaurant is known as “The Pulse Of Islamorada”. It serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
The menu includes items such as Coconut Shrimp, Sunset Conch Fritters, Stone Crab Chowder, and Lorelei’s World Famous Fish Sandwich. They do also serve meat dishes and vegetarian dishes.
After dinner, stay and enjoy the live music...or magic show on Friday nights.
HOURS
Sunday - Thursday: 7 am to 9 pm
Friday & Saturday : 7 am to 10 pm
Return to your accommodations and relax or take a walk on the beach.
Day 4
Morning: Breakfast at Sandy’s Café, 026 White St., Key West
A no-frills breakfast experience at affordable prices, making it an ideal spot for budget-conscious travelers or anyone looking for a quick and tasty breakfast on the go.
The café’s menu is focused on classic breakfast staples, such as breakfast sandwiches and pastries, which are prepared with high-quality ingredients to ensure great taste. In addition to their food offerings, Sandy’s Café also has a variety of coffee drinks, including specialty options like lattes and cappuccinos, making it easy to grab a caffeine boost along with your breakfast.
While the atmosphere is simple and straightforward, the friendly service and delicious food make Sandy’s Café a great choice for breakfast in Key West.
After breakfast go to Robbie's Marina of Islamorada: 77522 Overseas Hwy, Islamorada, FL
Rent a one person or 2 person kayak, we're going to kayak to Indian Key State Park. If we're lucky, we may meet some manatees along the way.
From first timers to the experienced, the 'Kayak Shack' offers guided tours. For those who want to explore at their own pace, rentals are the way to go….quality Hobie, Perception and Brooklyn kayak and all the equipment needed.
Everyone receives pre-launch instruction on safety, the equipment and the environment.
Daily Rentals, Unlimited Time 9-4:30pm
Single kayak: $50
Double kayak $60
If you own your own snorkeling gear, bring it along! Indian Key has good snorkeling!
INDIAN KEY HISTORICAL STATE PARK
Pack your snorkel gear and cooler, and head for Indian Key State Park. Both first-time and experienced paddlers find the 20-minute paddle to the island very enjoyable and easy. Beach your kayak and explore the remnants of the old wrecking colony destroyed by a surprise Indian attack. Island visitors can enjoy a self guided walking tour and snorkeling.
State Park Fee $2.50 per person
Both swimming and snorkeling at the island require a Diver Down flag due to charters conducting eco tours around the island. All snorkeling must be conducted at least 100 feet from the nearest dock.
Visitors can access the island by canoe or kayak. Kayaks and canoes can float across most flats offering spectacular opportunities to see a variety of wildlife from dolphins and manatees to sharks and rays.
Explore the island and learn about its unique past by following the re-created street system. This interpretive trail takes you through the historic community of Indian Key, the first county seat of Dade County. You can take a ranger-led or self guided boat tour.
Afternoon: After you've visited Indian Key, return to Islamorada. Have lunch at Amigos Tortilla Bar, Located on Greene Street only a minute away from Duval Street.
Photo credit: Amigos Tortilla Bar/ Facebook
Amigos Tortilla Bar is one of the best cheap eating spots in all Key West, serving high quality Mexican food at a great value. Open 11:00 AM – 12:00 AM, this is a popular lunch eatery in town and offers its guests a nice view with traditional, authentic Mexican dishes.
What’s so special about the tacos at Amigos is that they’re shaped into squares, which they say is because square tacos can hold more filling. Whether that’s true or not, it’s certainly a fun experience and something that is worth checking out.
While the seating here is a bit more limited, this is a fun place to get a quick lunch.
For the rest of the afternoon spend your last day doing any last minute things you haven't done that you want to do. We spent our last afternoon getting our last dive in.
Evening: Have dinner at Seaside Café at the Mansion, 1400 Duval Street, Key West, FL.
#1 rated restaurant in Key West by Traveler’s Choice. Known for its incredible pizza, amazing hospitality and out-of-this world lobster rolls, Seaside Café needs to be on your itinerary. Located right on Duval Street, this restaurant provides its guests with an ocean view from every table.
Highly regarded for its mojitos, lobster rolls and lobster pizza, you are bound to be blown away by what this restaurant serves. The lobster pizza is served with a delicious cream sauce, fontina, fresh parsley and a garlic purée that is bound to make your taste buds explode.
If lobster isn’t your thing, Seaside Café also makes incredible sandwiches that anyone can enjoy. The building itself is picturesque; the architecture from the outside is remarkable and truly looks like a mansion in Key West. The ambience is relaxing and refreshing for a city that is so active. Open from 11:30 AM – 8:00 PM every day, this is a great spot if you are looking for something that offers impeccable value for such good food.
One of the best restaurants in Key West on the water.
Day 5
Regretfully, leave the sun and white sand beaches behind and return home.
Under the Sea Party
We threw Ashley's Under the Sea birthday party at home before we left. Her birthday present from her parents was scuba diving gear and we wanted her to have that before we left for Islamodara before we left on our trip.
DECORATIONS
I always did one venue focal wall when decorating for a theme party, most often starting with an inexpensive photo backdrop to cover the wall. I hadn't thrown out all my party supplies so used what I'd used for the parties I'd planned previously.
Then I'd make that photo backdrop as 3D looking as I could by adding elements I'd made myself - like the pool noodles at right in the photo above. I also made the diver silhouette out of corrugated cardboard and painted it black. The DIY jellyfish are made out of dollar store clear plastic salad bowls, sheer organza ribbon, and LED white minit lights, hung from the ceiling using monofilament fishing line.
Decorating for an Under the Sea party is easy and relatively inexpensive: twisted paper crepe streamers can be made into seaweed; a metallic fringe curtain can be used for a water backdrop; fishnet can be hung or draped; use mylar balloons of sea creatures like dolphins; scatter seashells around; pool noodles can be used to make coral; faux rocks can be made out of corrugated cardboard forms, crumpled kraft paper and even toilet paper.
Once you get your focal wall done, just scatter ocean/sea-themed pieces here and there around the room to hint at your ocean/sea theme.
TABLESCAPE
Above is how we decorated the tables. I made the centerpieces using materials I had on hand. The mermaid and anchor I cut from corrugated cardboard, then spray painted them with glitter spray. Once those pieces had dried, I hot glued
everything together.
FOOD
MERMAID FISH STICK SANDWICHES
CRAB SANDWICHES
A sliced croissant filled with sandwich spread of your choice - seafood salad, crab salad, tuna salad, ham salad, chicken salad.
CHICKEN TENDERS
CORAL REEF VEGGIE TRAY
Broccoli florets, halved radishes cut to look like flowers, carrot and celery sticks, red pepper sticks,
yellow pepper cut to look like a crab.
Serve with small cups of Ranch dressing on the side.
SHARK BAIT SNACK MIX
Popcorn, pretzels and gummy sharks.
WATERMELON FRUIT BOAT
We used watermelon and cantaloupe balls, green grapes and bananas for the dolphins.
PASTA SALAD
Using small shell pasta
SEAWEED BITES
Here's the recipe (It's spinach dip!)
SCUBA DIVER BIRTHDAY CAKE
PARTY ACTIVITIES & GAMES
FISHING POND
Create a “fishing pond” with a kiddie pool filled with water and floating toy fish. Give each child a fishing rod with a magnet at the end to “catch” the fish.
We used a magic marker to write numbers on the fish, each number corresponding to a different prize.
Prizes:
Go Fish card games
Dolphin cups with lids and straws
Mini Under the Sea activity books
Slap bracelets
Fish LED finger lights
Ocean animal wooden puzzles with gift bags
Shark candy bracelets
Marine animal keyrings
Shell necklaces
Handheld water ring toss games
JELLYFISH PINATA
JELLYFISH LIMBO
Set up a limbo game with a jellyfish theme. Use a limbo stick decorated with streamers to resemble jellyfish tentacles and see who can go the lowest without touching the tentacles!
We made it more difficult...the girls had to go under the limbo stick moving like their favorite sea creature.
HAVE A MERMAID
Ashley's family has a pool and I have a friend who works as a mermaid. Imagine the girls surprise when they went out to have their pool party and a mermaid was swimming around in their pool!
You don't have to have a pool to have a mermaid at your party! But what you do need is a gal who's a really good swimmer and a mermaid tail.
CAUTION: Don't let your mermaid try swimming in this tail alone the first few times! It's not anywhere as easy as it looks and you don't want her drowning!
TREASURE DIVE
We awarded an Oceans board game.
But award a prize appropriate to the age group of your party guests.
Drop plastic coins, seashells, or toys into the pool. (Make sure they're sinkable unless the players are very young)
Players dive to retrieve as many treasures as possible.
The player with the most treasures at the end wins a prize.
FOR GIRLS - NAIL POLISH GAME
This game puts a girly twist to the game of "Hot Potato". Sit in a circle and give a pretty bottle of nail polish to the birthday girl. While singing the Happy Birthday song the girls pass the bottle around the circle. When verse is over the girl holding the bottle opens it and paints one of her nails. Then start the song again and keep passing the nail polish and playing the game until someone has all of her fingernails painted. You can give the winner a prize if you wish.
We used L'Oreal Blue Marine nail polish.