Key West
 

What does Key West have to offer besides crowded bars?

Slims

dunno. I'd love to hear about the places there.

we have a timeshare there that I don't think we'll ever be back to. We've travelled around the world because of that timeshare. :) it's been awesome!

My favorite hotel in Florida is 28 miles north. Little Palm Key. It's worth the drive just to have dinner on the beach there.

My wife and I got engaged there.

As far as Key West proper, there are lots of little hole in the wall bars, but I've never found one I'd call "special".

I'll have to agree with The_Jazz, I lived in Deland when I was a kid (18-19), and would hit the road and drive to Miami, then down through the Keys. I checked out many bars, but cant recall any certain one that sticks out in my mind. Much of that time is a blur anyway, so I'm sure thats of little help to the OPer....

Very nice; we ate dinner there as well, and watched a couple get married at the tip of a spit of land. Very very costly place, I can't imagine actually staying the night there. (Check out their gorgeous web site.)

Yeah, there's a lot of great places in the rest of the Keys. I highly recommend the book Hidden Florida Keys and Everglades: Including Key Largo and Key West (Hidden Travel): Books: Candace Leslie. (We used a less-specific edition many years ago). In fact, anytime you travel, get a Hidden _____ travel book.

The views of the sunset down on the pier are amazing. There are these gorgeous pirate sailboat looking vessels that ferry around tourists that float right along with the sunsets. Make for great photo ops!

Apologies for the bad image composition, I really had no idea how to take pictures back when I was 17.. =p

Edit: Almost forgot! Find a charter service and go snorkling! There are several great spots, my favorite being the Sombrero Key Lightouse. Large schools of Barracuda up to 5 feet in length hang out all over and amazingly you can get pretty darn close! Tons of other creatures to see such as sharks, rays and of course loads of fish. Definately plan a snorkling trip somewhere!

http://img295.imageshack.us/img295/9844/1shipyl2.jpg

Take a high speed catamaran to Fort Jefferson on the Dry Tortugas http://www.drytortugasinfo.com/

I wouldn't go to Key West without going fishing and snorkeling. I think nurses make good bait and since I also love sushi, when I'm done fishing I almost always eat my leftover bait.