We're trying to squeeze in a few trips as a couple before we adopt our little ones. Mr. Ladd had a two-week work trip in the Miami area, so I met him there for the weekend, and we took off to Key West. The beauty of a "babymoon" when you're adopting is you can do all the things you would normally do on vacation, like stay up way too late and have one too many cocktails. It was amazing on all levels, and I would highly recommend it if you're looking for a tropical trip of your own.
First of all the drive! It's about 3 1/2 hours total from the mainland through all the little keys down to Key West. It's a stunning drive over the ocean with plenty of places to stop along the way for some Muddy Buddy's (our road trip snack of choice) and potty breaks. Bonus for a rental car with satellite radio and plenty of Jimmy Buffett and Bob Marley on the way down, to shamelessly embrace full-on island mode.
We stayed at Casa Marina Resort and splurged on an ocean view room. The resort was gorgeous and relaxing, with excellent service. It's on the quieter end of the island, so it was a great mix of relaxation and quiet with access to the livelier parts of Key West.
After the drive down, we were hungry and our number one priority was to plant it oceanside with food and drinks to watch the sun go down. We didn't miss a single sunset while we were in Key West, and dinner at Louie's Backyard was a great spot to watch the first one. It was only two blocks from our hotel, and like many other establishments in Key West, a renovated old mansion with little tables for two, each nestled between their own set of french doors, all along the upper deck.
After dinner we hit Duval Street, the main drag known for it's laid back party vibe, where we stumbled upon McConnell's Irish Pub to use the bathroom, and ended up staying for the great band and these authentic Irishmen.
We stopped at The Rum Bar for a Dark & Stormy (which Kelsey and I first tried on the podcast, and which I'm now officially declaring the drink of Summer 2014). We finally made our way back to the hotel, strolling through the old neighborhoods with tropical gardens and gorgeous Victorian houses turned inns and B&B's
The next morning consisted of Bloody Mary's, breakfast buffet at the hotel, wandering around town a bit, and a full afternoon at the oceanside pool. We took a cab to dinner down on the other end of the island, and started with happy hour on Sunset Pier followed by dinner upstairs at Hot Tin Roof, where I had one of the best appetizers of my life, the lobster cocktail, and a tasty pineapple-tini.
We had a front row seat from our balcony table overlooking Mallory Square, where everyone gathers every night to celebrate the sunset. It's worth celebrating here, let me tell you.
After dinner we meandered slowly back to our hotel via Duval Street again, stopping along the way for a walk through a few shops and a drink here or there. My favorite stop was 915, on the way back where I had the most delicious Moscow Mule made with homemade ginger beer, and Mr. Ladd had The Moneypenny, a crazy refreshing cucumber gin concoction.
The next morning was Sunday brunch at the cutest little spot with seriously fabulous eats and attention to detail, 2 Cents.
After brunch, we took our time on the way back to the mainland, stopping for occasional breaks and listening to our own special roadtrip soundtrack of Randy Hauser. We discovered him a couple summers ago on this epic roadtrip, and he's just kind of been one of our things ever since.
You know those special little things you have between you that seem to evoke a mood that nobody else necessarily gets, but it's just your thing? Randy Hauser is one of our things, and now so is Key West. Just absolutely lovely.
Any other recommendations for mini "babymoon" trips we can squeeze in before we are instantly a family of four?
