Need some Florida advice...
 

Planning spring break trip with the wife and we were thinking of going to Key West. Any suggestions on where to stay and what to do? Also, should we fly into Miami or Lauderdale?
Oh yeah...I told her if we were going to have to drive all the way to Key West, I wanted to rent a cool car...anyplace rent Vettes or Porsches?

Thanks for any info.

mike

there is a whole crew down there from Michigan this week.

A friend sent this link:

www.athomekeywest.com
click on nightly weekly rates
they still have some studios and condos left
were paying just under 200 a night!
Hotels down there are wayyyyyyyyyyyyy more than that
the only catch is there is a three minimum nights stay
we rented the one called spankys retreat

Also, a fun way to get there is by boat. I forget which city it leaves out of but is a way to get the party started before even reaching key west!!! And the drive outta there sucks during any event, spring break included. have a blast! it is one of my favorite places.

The exotic car rental places charge a fortune, and you pay $.50-$1.00 per mile after a 100 miles or so per day. Check out the FAQ here for info, and their showroom/prices:
http://www.autoboutiquerental.com/

Hertz or Budget might rent you a nice BMW or Jaguar, but it won't be cheap.

The drive from Miami is 3.5 hours or so (better than 4 from Fort Lauderdale depending on I-95 traffic). While its a nice drive, its easily a complete extended waste of time in inclement weather. I'd try to fly directly to Key West if possible. It will make better use of your time.

This place rents Harleys in Key West. Perhaps a 1 day rental or something would be nice for a jaunt when you are in Key West.
http://www.cyclease.com/

Mike, what's up buddy, I saw your question and contacted my good friend who is a district guy with Enterprise and he is checking to see how exotic they get with the local rental stores in miami and south beach area. I will let you know as soon as he calls me back, or call me because he will also need an idea of your dates. Hammer

Some of the Enterprise rental centers like the one in Coconut Grove rent the Lotus as well as H2s Ect they are not listed on there web site but are available and Hertz rents the Shelby Mustang/ jaguar ect... though unless you plan on spending some time in miami it would be better to get a flight to Key West and forget about the car it is definatly not needed once you get there

There used to be a fast cat out of Fort Myers that made daily runs to Key West, not sure if it is still running.
It used to run out of the Big M Marina.

Oh yeah - fast cat ferry boat, not a Nortech 3600 Superboat... :D

Depends on what your looking for and how much you want to spend. The Westin next to Mallory Square you could go either way. Sunset Key cottages on the small island across from the harbor is very quiet and away from the craziness of Duval. Or you can stay in a room right off Mallory square. Also Delta now flys from Atlanta to Marathon will save alot of driving time. From Key West to either airport figure leaving 5-6 hrs before your flight takes off.

Thanks for the feedback guys. We're probably going to go the week after Easter...probably just a 5 day trip. We've never been, so it'll be an adventure. I'm just looking for a place to have some beers in proximity to a beach...I'm not very good at relaxing...I've got to try pretty hard to sit still!

I've got the same problem, that's why boating is soooo good for people like you and me!:D Once out in the boat, I can't work on anything, except, well, the boat!?
Have a good time in Key west.
Dean

We rented a Mustang Convertible to drive to the Key West from Miami. It was fun to do once. Long, scenic, slow drive. We enjoyed it. Key West has the drinking but zero beaches. We only found one small made made beach that the homeless people use for sleeping. We stayed at a B&B and loved it. Close to the bars and walking distance to everything.

Hey I know a guy that works for Enterprise also...LOL...BZ

There is actually a great beach there...it think its a closed AF or Naval base turned park. Really nice with a rock cropping that makes somewhat of a lagoon. Great times in the lagoon...just ask the people watching from the beach!!! :D :evilb:

My directions leave a little to be desired...ask any of the locals, it's kinda a honeyhole off the beaten path but close.

Quit posting on OSO and get my Chili Pepper tickets!:D

If all goes well with my life I go to Key West monthly. Technically I live in KW but I earn my keep in Detroit. Lately direct fares into KW have been high. I would recommend flying to fll and rent a car one way for 1 day (35.00 avg.) Rent two scooters for your stay. I hate having a car on the island. And rent a one way for your return. The additional 25 miles to fll is offset by the speed of the new rental lot at the airport. Very easy, and in terminal. MIA is to be avoided. Dirty, slow off site rentals.
In reasonable traffic the trip is 4 hours 1.15 to mm115 (Florida City) and 2.45 for the last 115 miles (47mph avg).

If it's just the 2 of you, try a B&B in Old Town
I have personally stayed here
http://www.cocopluminn.com/home.html and the location cannot be beat (30 paces to the Green Parrot):). You may want to look here too.
http://www.vrbo.com/vacation-rentals...rida/keys#2706
I also have a 2b2b rental condo on KW if interested PM me.

As far as beaches fort Zach is a 10 min walk and is nice for KW. While drinking is a sport here, there is plenty to do and see. A couple of local favs are our local baseball team (the Fighting Conchs!!)are very good and the season just started. Show up hungry, the players moms make some of the best Pork, Black beans and rice on the island. Turtle races Monday and Friday at 6:00 PM are a must for us as well. It's hard to have a bad day in KW.

Good Luck

PS
For your return drive leave no less than 6 hours before your flight. If all goes well you will arrive in terminal 1:45 minutes early.

I hope your not referring to Fort Zachery. That a family beach not a family making beach:eek:

Haha! That is the beach. Agreed...except for this day. I was there with my g/f at the time and we were looking to get away from the bars and relax a bit. Except everyone there was partying/drinking. Very weird compared to how it normally is...may have been spring break or something. No families...then or 9 months later! :D

Mike - it's a cool place either way, well worth checking out.


Sidenote...has anyone flown usa3000 or something like that? VERY limited cities but some of the filghts are dirt cheap.

grow your pony tail back :evilb:

Marcy and I drove from the Miami show 4 years ago. We stayed the first night in Islamorada. I guess the keys were not what I expected. The drive was actually quite boring. I thought it was fun, but next time, its flying right into Key West, and get the party started!!! KS

Mike - great choice for a spring break destination.
We've only been there once, for the races in '04 and had a blast.
We stayed at one of B&B's right on Duvall, they had small rooms in an unattached building from the main house that opened right into a huge garden/pool area, so if you wanted to relax and get away from the party out front on the street, it was a good place to relax.

I was questioning driving down from Miami myself, and I'm glad I didn't. As stated, you won't need a car - matter of fact, it looked like finding parking would be a pain in the azz, or you may even have to pay for it in addition to your room. I didn't even rent a scooter there, just did a lot of walking. Not sure I would have been capable of operating the scooter anyway:drink:
Have a great time.

Probably right, when are we going snowmobiling up north? What does next weekend look like for you and your gang, I am trying to put together a group for the U.P. probably Houghton and maybe we will take this pony-tail-less guy with us too. I said something to Dennis and I do not think it would be hard to talk him into it. Hammer

We rented this place, absolutely the best place to stay in Key West.
http://www.vacationkeywest.com/southernmost.html

Just got back Sunday 02/18 from the UP, took a trip all the way up to Lake in th Clouds, it's wild to think I rode a sled on lake Superior..........BZ

P.S. we stayed at the Casino in watersmeet...BZ

when are you buying a sled.....
 

Or where you mooching again? And if you were mooching, why can't my husband get this mooching stuff figured out? I swear I will not kill myself....

we stayed at olivias by duval , great place , the drive is nice but is long , we noticed the law writing tickets everywhere going to and from key west , so a fast ,exotic car is a waste imo.. a scooter is the best mode of trasportation..

hers a link with some info..

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...s_Florida.html

Michelle really wants to go snowmobiling...:rolleyes: .

when????

Definitely fly into Key West. Scooters are the best way to get around. Try the Atlantic Shores resort if you are adventurous (only kidding, not that there's anything wrong with that). The best rates near the party are at the Truman annex (1-800-884-RENT). You can rent a small townhouse by the week. It works out to better rates than the hotels, is nicer and is near everything. I hope that your liver is in good shape!

Rene

I think a few of us are heading to the u.p. on Thursday next week. Any takers? Would be fun for everyone to give it a shot. For those without sleds, I just rented extra one for my middle son last time and it was an 07 Firecat, he loved it and not very expensive. MIke, BZ, let me know. I only will have access to 2 of my own and I have a 4 place enclosed trailer so i have room in the trailer and will be heading up in my Escalade ESV. Sorry to jack the thread Mike. hammer by the way, Dennis said he is in.

ya got me thinking!!

And you said I was drinking to many fruity drinks.