KEY WEST VACATION

[navychop]

Input, please. We're finalizing now, will likely start making reservations tomorrow or early next week.

My wife and I will be traveling to Key West in early April for our 20th wedding anniversary. We plan to take the Auto Train and then drive the last 400 miles to KW. We'll probably stay at a B&B, quite likely at The Frances Street Bottle Inn. We'll see the Morse Museum in Winter Park on the way back. Arrive KW Monday, leave following Friday.

We plan to watch the sunset at Mallory Square, watch the entertainers there and along Duval street, and maybe eat once at Little Palm I$land. We'll visit the aquarium and the treasure museum. Also the Garden Club, Audubon, Fort East Martello, Fort Jefferson, and the Schooner Wharf. Then, on the second day,...

We are considering going to the Dry Tortugas to snorkel. We understand that "the" seaplane to go there is no longer available. Is there another seaplane that makes the trip? There are ferries to go there, something like 2-3 hours each way, but we've been advised not to take "the boring ferry." Anyone know anything about this?

We're compiling a list of places to eat/drink:
Shrimp Shack (lunch, watch boats)
Pepe's Cafe (breakfast, lunch, oldest eatery in town)
B.O.'s Fish Wagon
Nine One Five (tapas & wine)
Mangia Mangia (supper)
El Siboney (best Cuban sandwiches)
Half Shell (raw bar)
5 Brothers Grocery (also claiming the best Cuban sandwiches)
Ocean Key (sunset drink)
Louie's Backyard
Hog's Breath
Captain Tony's and NOT Sloppy Joe's
(Hemingway's spot was called the later, but the actual location is the former, renamed, facility)

We're open to all input and suggestions. We probably won't spend any time laying on the beach, and probably won't go fishing. Any knowledge of the places above, good or bad? Other ideas about places to see/visit/eat/drink at?

 

[bhelms]

Make sure you tour Mel Fisher's museum re: the Nuestra Senora de Atocha salvage... (Maybe that's what you mean by "treasure museum".)

Mel Fisher Maritime Museum and Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Society in Key West, Florida

I also didn't see any "Jimmy Buffet" in your plans:

http://www.margaritavillekeywest.com/

PS - I loved the Autotrain! If you haven't taken it before, you're in for a real treat! Even coach is "first class"...! (Here's an example of our tax dollars at work doing something meaningful. Enjoy it now, it will be on a shortlist for future cuts...)

 

[navychop]

Great! Did you get a roomette? I'm about to pull the trigger on that & would love input.

 

[bhelms]

I went solo, 1-way only, bringing an inherited car back from Pompano. Drove up to Orlando (Sanford) to board the train (~4 hrs) and got back in the car near DC. (Lorton, VA) for the 3 hrs final drive home. That was in Dec. '07 and since I was traveling "against the flow" for that time of year, the train was only about 1/3 full. Being cheap, I did not book a room. The alternative is seats in the upper deck, but with the train being almost empty I had a row to myself. Those coach seats are as large and comfortable as 1st class airline seats with almost full recline and footrests, trays, 120vac power, etc., so that's all I needed. They provided the blankets and pillows and I had no trouble sleeping in those seats. The trip is only about 17 hours total so having a room was not a priority for me. (No need to shower, etc.) The dining car serves 2 excellent meals and the lounge car provides all kinds of beverages (at cost), TV, other entertainment, etc. I ran out of time to do all I wanted to do on that trip! IIRC, that total cost was about $300 for me and the car - I'll have to check. You can bring your own food and beverages on board; I took a sub and a six-pack in a cooler.

[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auto_Train"]Auto Train - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia@@AMEPARAM@@/wiki/File:AutoTrain.jpg" class="image"><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/98/AutoTrain.jpg/300px-AutoTrain.jpg"@@AMEPARAM@@commons/thumb/9/98/AutoTrain.jpg/300px-AutoTrain.jpg[/ame]

I also stayed in a very quaint hotel in KW that was very reminiscent of New Orleans style. I can't remember the name but will try to find out. My daughter and I were there on a 5 day dive trip. Scuba is not the best, but still quite good...

 

[navychop]

Thank you.

 

[bhelms]

Thank you.

I forgot - I wrote-up my experience before...!

http://www.satelliteguys.us/chit-chat-club/116835-auto-train-anyone.html

 

[navychop]

Good info. Thanks.

I've booked the ride. Round trip, with roomette both ways, for max comfort with She Who Must Be Obeyed. Not going to spring for a full up bedroom with bath, though. Be interesting to see if we're on the top level. Any way to tell from the room #? We're in room #2.

BTW, did you leave stuff in your trunk while on the Auto Train? In our cars, there's no way to give someone a key without giving them access to the trunk. It sounds like they only allow small overnight bags on the train, not full up suitcases.

 

[bhelms]

You can ask Amtrack about the room - they should have details. I had the idea that all bi-level cars have the rooms/roomettes below and 2x2 seating above but there could be some cars that are all rooms, both levels. Perhaps the brochure you'll get with your tickets will explain the differences. (I'll look for mine this weekend.)

Once you leave your car you won't see it or have any access to it again until you reach the destination. I had a small carry-on plus the cooler. But what do you really need for 17 hrs? I suggest you pack accordingly. I don't think there are any security issues enroute, but you should probably have all valuables where you can keep an eye on them. (I leave true valuables, of which I have few, at home.)

One interesting tidbit - they caution you about car horns, as could be set-off by an anti-theft system that's triggered by a bump along the way. In all probability no one on the train would hear it sounding and there's no way to get to the car to reset it anyway, thus you could arrive with a dead battery. So they suggest you pull your horn relay (which I did for another reason). Of course, that defeats any on-board security you might be counting on! (My old car has no security system, but does have an uber-sensitive horn switch in the steering wheel, often triggered by temp. changes, so I pulled the relay.) Make sure all your accessories and dome lights are off, but you won't be the last one leaving your car so a lot is left to trust. Stash everything in your trunk and other lockable storage. If your car has a "vallet key" (I guess yours do not), this is when you would want to use it!

What is the overall cost, if you don't mind answering...?

 

[navychop]

$1,227 & some change. Plus another $15 to deliver the tickets. Different days are a bit cheaper. AAA discount. Military discount is for active duty only.

Valet key does not prevent access to trunk. Kinda think it's mis-named. It's just a manual key with no electronic unlock/lock/trunk open. But from inside, you can hit a switch to open the trunk. Maybe I could see if there's a fuse just for that. And the horn. No key lock on trunk.

It's not that we'd need anything en route, I just picture someone going thru the cars, esp on the return trip, figuring they'd find some gifts or other valuables.

 

[bhelms]

Tks. I missed the AAA discount as I booked the trip before I signed-up for AAA. Would have saved me about $35. Your trip is probably less than RT airfare plus a week's car rental.

The old Buick I transported still has the separate keys for ignition and locks, so I could have given them only the ignition key. The trunk open button is in the glovebox, which can be locked with the access key. But there was nothing worth taking so I didn't bother splitting them up. I really don't know how the cars are shipped - might be worth asking. I envision them unlocked with the keys in the ignition or on the dash, etc. The only security risk windows are at beginning and end, and perhaps during the brief overnight fueling stop in SC.

If you buy anything of value on your trip you could always ship it back. Have a good one...

 

[navychop]

Yes, it works out cheaper, figuring air fare (surprisingly cheap), rental car, and two extra hotel nights. But the tradeoff is less time "on site." But flying has become so unpleasant, and this train trip will be part of the adventure itself, so I think it's win-win. Except for the 2' wide, separate beds. Oh well, we'll sleep apart for one night each way. Haven't done that for many years.

 

[navychop]

And oh yes, thanks for the tip about Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville Key West.

 

[Van]

If you take a boat tour of the small islands around the keys be sure to bring along some industrial strength skeeter repellant, after watching a documentary about bird research in the keys I learned that the bugs can be so bad that they obscure the islands like a haze. Take a good sun block to and as always be vigilant with your wallet ect ect in a tourist town specialy with the bad economy.

 

[Paul Wozniak]

If you take a boat tour of the small islands around the keys be sure to bring along some industrial strength skeeter repellant, after watching a documentary about bird research in the keys I learned that the bugs can be so bad that they obscure the islands like a haze. Take a good sun block to and as always be vigilant with your wallet ect ect in a tourist town specialy with the bad economy.

If you drop it, don't bend over to pick it up. Just kick it all the way back to your hotel room.