It was the last few days of our trip. The wedding was getting near, and we were all full of excitement for the nuptials of our friends. Most everyone who would be traveling down for the event had arrived at this point. While the bride and groom were off busy entertaining their incoming guests we took off on our bikes and ventured out to a breakfast spot that we were told by many was a must-stop, Blue Heaven on Thomas Street.

Blue Heaven is a great spot for brunch, lunch or dinner. They have indoor seating, but the outdoor seating is where you want to sit, if possible. We arrived early enough that our wait was very short, and grabbing a Bloody Mary at their outdoor bar is a great option. I wanted to start with a coffee and was very delighted to find that they offered cappuccinos and espressos. I was also thrilled to see they had a vast selection of eggs Benedict, which is my absolute favorite thing to order for brunch.  I ordered the bacon Benedict while my husband ordered their specialty Benedict, the BLT (Bacon, Lobster, Tomato) Benedict, and he added avocado to it as well. I loved the lime hollandaise sauce they use. It was a nice twist on the lemon juice that is typically used to make a traditional hollandaise sauce. Everything we had was delicious and the service was superb. It was a great way to start the day.

After finishing up brunch, we biked a few more blocks down Whitehead Street to the Southernmost Point. This large concrete buoy marking the southernmost point of the United States is a great spot for the touristy required photos from your trip to Key West.  There was a little bit of a line when we arrived of other visitors waiting for their chance to take photos at the popular photo-op spot. The line moved quickly and we quickly took our chance at getting our photo made. Once we had checked this off our list, we headed back across town to our rental home to get ready for our afternoon boating/snorkeling adventure.

The bride and groom had arranged a snorkeling excursion for those that wanted to attend. Sebago Watersports curated the trip out to the reefs. We went on the afternoon snorkel trip they offer. It’s a great option for your group if you are wanting to get out on the water a bit, and see some of the beautiful reefs off the key.  We had a smooth trip out to the reef, and I enjoyed soaking up some sunshine off the back of the catamaran. After an hour or so out on the water, we returned to shore with hungry stomachs. We went back to the rental house and prepared ourselves for the rehearsal dinner that was held at the Waterfront Brewery.

After a delicious dinner at the brewery, we all wandered back down to Duval Street for the sights and libations of Key West nightlife. We popped in Dirty Harry’s and were immediately drawn to the live music surrounding us. I did not take long and I was making my way back to our rental house to rest up for the big wedding day. The group continued wandering down Duval, but I was happy to crawl into our comfy bed.

The morning of the wedding the bridal group all met at the Blue Macaw off Whitehead Street for brunch. They have a great shaded outdoor patio that you can sit on and watch the bikers and pedestrians pass by while you enjoy your brunch. I had one of their house Bloody Mary’s and it was absolutely perfect. It had the right amount of spice and flavor. For my breakfast, I again ordered by the suggestion of our waiter, the Blue Beni. Their version of the Benedict consisted of mini waffles versus English muffins and pulled pork instead of ham. It was absolutely scrumptious. After a delightful brunch, we headed back to the rental house to start getting ourselves ready for the wedding.

The wedding was held at the West Martello Tower. They had originally planned to get married under the massive banyan/strangler fig tree located in the botanical gardens, but Hurricane Irma ravaged the gardens and unfortunately, the tree was lost. The root alone was twenty-five tons! It must have been a breath-taking sight. They were able to move the wedding to a small spot inside the gardens, referred to as the Butterfly Garden. It was slightly cooler in this shaded spot, so everything worked out as it should have.

When the photographer, Rachel E. Ligon, arrived at the house, the festivities truly began! We started popping bottles of champagne and celebrating what is going to be a very memorable day for our friends. After taking a few photos at the house of the bride getting gussied up, we all made our way down to Atlantic Boulevard to watch our friendship vow their everlasting love to one another.

We cozily gathered inside the Butterfly Room at West Martello. There was a steel drum playing live some of the bride and grooms favorite songs. The sounds of the drum and the distance waves crashing on the beach just beyond the tower really set the mood for a magical ceremony. My husband was the officiant for the wedding and hearing him present the ceremony brought waves of tears to my eyes. It took me back to our wedding day and memories of us speaking similar vows to each other and made my heart fill with love and emotion.

After the ceremony, we all reconvened at Michael’s off Margaret Street. We were all grouped together and seated towards the rear of the restaurant in an outdoor patio style seating. The ambiance was cozy and tropical. The weather was warm, but I do not recall being hot or feeling uncomfortable sitting outside. We were severed several appetizers, to begin with, the coconut shrimp being one of my favorites. We had a choice of entree and followed dinner up with wedding cake for dessert. The groom, a certified sommelier, opened several magnum bottles of wine. We all had a bit of fun taking photos next to these larger-than-life bottles of wine.

After dinner, much of the wedding party made a last minute stop at Sloppy Joe’s just around the corner from our rental home. I could hear the groom telling everyone “You can’t come to Disney World and not go to the Magic Kingdom.”  Sloppy Joe’s has been an establishment in Key West since 1933.

The following morning, we all sadly had to start packing our bags and start making our way back to the airport to return home. I had gone to bed earlier than everyone the night before because I had a few more stops on my list of things to see in Key West before we headed out. (Plus I did not want to be hungover traveling home.)

I rode my bike for one last time down a few blocks to the Cuban Coffee Queen. They are a well-known location due to the large Key West mural on one side of the building. They have the most incredible cafe con leche, which was my sole mission during the early hours of the morning. They also had some breakfast items for sale, but I wanted to wait for my husband to join me for our final breakfast in the key. Once we were together, we decided to hit up Sandy’s Original Cuban Sandwich shop just down the road. We were told by a long-time Key West native that we had to go to the original Sandy’s on White Street. They have been operating out of here since 1984. They had an incredibly delicious Cuban sandwich, tostones, and croquetas de jamón, the latter of which made me very reminiscent of Puerto Rico.

We successfully saw everything and then some during our time in Key West. It truly was a magical and memorable extended weekend trip. We were so fortunate to have been introduced to this little slice of heaven by such dear friends, and lifelong visitors/residents of Key West. Even though we have been home for just a short while, we are already talking about going back again next year for a reunion. If you are looking for a laid-back place to vacation, put Key West on your radar!