Fun in Key West Podcast

Spring Break in Key West: The Ultimate Guide to Choosing Your Perfect Stay In this episode of the Fun in Key West podcast, host Michele O'Connor provides a comprehensive guide to planning the perfect spring break in Key West. Michele discusses various accommodation options that suit different vibes, from relaxed boutique hotels to family-friendly resorts and places near the lively Duval Street. She highlights Key West's attractions, including water sports, historic sites, famous food spots, and nightlife. Additionally, Michele offers practical tips on booking, avoiding age restriction surprises, and making the most of your Key West experience. Listeners are invited to explore more information on FunInKeyWest.com and sign up for the newsletter and book club for exclusive updates. 00:00 Welcome to Fun in Key West Podcast 01:26 Choosing the Perfect Spring Break Stay 02:03 First Timer Friday: Key West Highlights 04:13 Spring Break Activities in Key West 07:30 Family-Friendly Key West 08:46 Booking Tips and Final Thoughts 15:01 Wrap-Up and Additional Resources Website: https://funinkeywest.com/ Book Club Sign up: https://from9tothrive.kit.com/114924dc7f Booking Resources: https://funinkeywest.com/resources/

Exploring the Best Cuban Coffee in Key West In this lively episode of the Fun in Key West podcast, your host Michele O'Connor takes you on a flavorful journey into the world of Cuban coffee in Key West. Learn the differences between Cuban coffee and Italian espresso, get insider tips on how to order like a local, and discover the best spots to enjoy this cultural delight, such as Cuban Coffee Queen, Sandy's Café, and more. Michele provides a detailed guide to Cuban coffee varieties, including Cuban espresso, colada, café con leche, and buchi, and offers pro tips on maximizing your coffee experience with authentic Cuban pastries and bread. Tune in to savor the rich heritage and robust flavors of Cuban coffee in Key West. 00:00 Welcome to Fun in Key West 01:26 Exploring Cuban Coffee 04:08 How to Order Cuban Coffee 11:32 Best Cuban Coffee Spots in Key West 15:31 Wrapping Up and Final Thoughts

Savoring the Best Stone Crabs in Key West In this episode of Fun in Key West, host Michele O'Connor takes listeners on a culinary journey focusing on the delicacy of stone crabs. Michele highlights the sustainability and unique qualities of stone crabs, shares fascinating facts about their harvesting, and offers recommendations for where to enjoy the best stone crabs in Key West, such as Eaton Street Seafood Market and Half Shell Raw Bar. Michele provides tips on how to best enjoy stone crabs and encourages listeners to share their own favorite spots. The episode also provides information on stone crab season and invites listeners to visit FunInKeyWest.com for more tips and guides on enjoying Key West. 00:00 Welcome to Fun in Key West 01:26 Tasty Tuesday: Discovering Stone Crab 02:37 Stone Crab Delicacies and Best Spots 06:41 Stone Crab Season and Harvesting Tips 09:00 Pro Tips and Fun Facts 10:31 Wrapping Up: Your Key West Guide

Unlocking the History of the William Wall Warehouse In this episode of the Fun in Key West podcast, Michele O'Connor takes you on a historic journey exploring the William Wall Warehouse. Learn about William Wall, a shipwreck victim turned cigar industry tycoon in Key West, and discover the Cuban heritage exhibits and Mario Sanchez dioramas housed in this fascinating building. Michele also highlights the Memorial Sculpture Garden featuring busts of Key West founders. Tune in for your insider's guide to this hidden gem and uncover more about Key West's rich history. 00:00 Welcome to Fun in Key West Podcast 01:26 Historic Marker Monday: Discovering William Wall Warehouse 02:49 The Legacy of William Wall and His Warehouse 04:52 Exploring the Cuban Heritage and Memorial Sculpture Garden 06:53 Wrapping Up and Further Exploration Tips

The Ultimate Guide to Getting to Key West In this episode of the Fun in Key West podcast, host Michele O'Connor provides an insider's guide on how to reach Key West, whether by air, road, ferry, or even cruise ship. Michele discusses the various travel options, including flying directly into Key West International Airport, driving down the scenic Overseas Highway, and taking the Key West Express ferry. Along the way, she shares tips on finding the best travel deals, navigating high-season prices, and enjoying the unique experiences each mode of travel offers. Plus, listeners are introduced to the new Fun in Key West Book Club and are invited to stay connected through newsletters and travel tips. Michele records this engaging travel guide while multitasking during her dog Mr. Coffee's grooming appointment, adding a personal touch of humor and relatability. 00:00 Welcome to Fun in Key West Podcast 01:26 Getting to Key West: Your Travel Options 02:19 First Timer Friday: Travel Tips 04:10 Flying to Key West: What You Need to Know 06:18 Driving to Key West: The Scenic Route 07:14 Ferry and Cruise Options 10:11 Key West Book Club and Final Thoughts Book Club Signup Form - here Sign up for our newsletter - here

Hey there, island dreamers, locals, and anyone craving a slice of paradise. Welcome back or welcome for the first time to the Fun in Key West podcast, where the vibe is always laid back, the stories are salty, and the drinks are definitely frozen. I'm your host, Michele O'Connor, your unofficial tour guide to the Conch Republic.

Whether you're planning your first trip, your fifth trip, or you're just daydreaming about trading the cubicle for the ocean breeze, You are in the right place. Here's the deal. This podcast is your insider's guide to all things Key West. We're talking where to eat. Hello, cog fritters and key lime pie.

Where to drink. Spoiler alert, there will be rum. Where to stay and all the quirky wonderful things that make Key West the one of a kind paradise we all love. Plus, I'll keep you up to date on the latest happenings and Festivals, events, maybe even the occasional Hemingway lookalike sighting. And just to keep things spicy, we'll be bringing on some amazing guests now and then.

Locals, business owners, and people who know the island like the back of their sandy hand. So grab your flip flops, pour yourself a cold one. And let's escape to the island state of mind together, whether you're tuning in from your hammock or your commute. You know, while wishing it was a hammock. We've got all the Key West goodness coming your way.

Thanks for being here. It's going to be a lot of fun in Key West. Let's dive in.

Hey there friends and welcome to the Fun in Key West podcast. Today's topic, the ultimate guide to actually getting to Key West. Because let's face it, paradise isn't just going to show up at your front door. Whether you're thinking about flying straight into the tiny but mighty airport, road tripping down the legendary overseas highway, snack stops included of course, hopping on a ferry for that mid ocean margarita vibe, or even cruising your way there.

I've got you all covered on the options available. Oh, and just a heads up. If this sounds a little chaotic, it's because I recorded this while waiting for Mr. Coffee to finish his grooming appointment. What can I say? Multitasking is my middle name, and my co pilot dog has priorities too. Anyway, buckle up and join me as we turn travel plans into travel goals, because Key West is calling and we've got to answer.

Good morning, everybody. This is Michele with Fun in Key West and it is first timer Friday. So I just dropped Mr. Coffee off to have his, you know, get his grooming. He's going to get his bath and his nails done. And I thought, you know what? I think I'll check in with you guys here from the car. Um, no, I'm not driving.

As you can see, I'm not driving, but, um, I just thought I'd check in. And I got to thinking, you know, I'm sitting on a little outside of Orlando and everybody. It doesn't matter where you are. How many of you have been thinking of how can I get to Key West? Well, um, first and foremost, you know, you have to have the vacation time yet, or, you know, have to have the ability to get there and all that.

But then I got to thinking about, there's a lot of people who have just basic questions of how do you get to Key West? And I thought, you know what? While I'm waiting for Mr. Coffee to get his bath and his nails done, I thought I'd pop in and talk to you about, let's cover how to get to Key West. So, um, it's, you know, it's a perfect time for first time visitors to, uh, get to Key West.

It's an easy trip. It's, there's, you know, obviously because of where it's located, there's limited options of how to get there. But, you know, this is the perfect time to start thinking about your next trip or your first trip to Key West. As, uh, there's, we've come through the holidays and now we're into that whole, you know, what are we going to do?

And as we start to settle into our routines and we want to escape the snow because there is, I think, a snowstorm coming through the north. Um, everybody wants to get south and the further south you get, i. e. Key West, the less likely you're going to see those little flurries out in, uh, the air. So, in case you didn't know this.

Key West has an air has an airport. So it's Key Western National Airport. It's over, it's undergoing, um, extensive renovations and they're going to expand it, make it much larger. It's, for those of us who have been in there and used it, it's small, it's quaint, it's tight. So I'm looking forward to that, that full renovation.

But there are several. Locations that fly directly into Key West. So it's a straight flight. There's no layovers or anything like that So when you go on to your booking Engine, you know, be sure to head over to funding Key West comm click Go all the way down to the bottom and look at our resource page.

There are several booking engines that we like, and we recommend that you use, but you're gonna look for the airport E. Y. E. So, uh, it gives you, um, a good location of whether or not there's a direct flight. There's lots of direct flights, you know, Miami, Lauderdale, Charlotte, uh, to explore and do all of, you know, if you're gonna have a layover, you know, we had this issue before.

We flew into Charlotte and we didn't have but maybe 40 minutes in between our connections and we barely made it. And I didn't book like one leg and then do with the other leg. Um, the airline was the auto. Um, what we ended up doing was we, we made it, but boy that was close. I would not recommend that.

That made my heart palpitate. I'll tell you what. Look for off You know, season deals, especially if you go during spring break, it's going to be high. Hotels are going to be high. It's going to be high right now because of snowbirds traveling. Hotels are going to be high because of snowbirds being in Key West.

Um, but look at be flexible, you know, going down for a weekend is going to be way more expensive than if you go midweek. So just the way that works. So look for off season deals. You know, if you go over a three day weekend, you're going to pay a premium price as we talk about. And I love, um, and I recommend everybody do this at least once.

You got to drive to get down to Key West so you could fly into Lauderdale. You could fly into Miami and then you can drive on down. Um, you know, you're going to take the overseas highway. It's about, uh, 113 ish miles, uh, from Miami down to Key West. Be sure to check out some of our other lives and All of the information that I have over on Finding Key West dot com about the drive and where you should stop and all those must these things, you know, because there's things to see in Key Largo and Island Morada and you can stop and see the seven mile bridge and you can do all of that.

Um, if you're renting a car, you know, think about this. You could fly into Miami and then drive down and fly out of Key West. Or you could fly into Key West and drive up and fly out of Miami. So, you know, be creative. Think about some of the other options that you could do. It's, it's a pretty cool Florida Keys road trip either direction.

You don't have to go all the way down. If you happen to be on the Gulf Coast and you're in the Fort Myers area or Marco Island, you know, there's the Key West Express. It's a ferry service from Fort Myers and Marco Island and you can take the ferry down. Um, Depending on time of year and time of and when they're running, sometimes you can just do a day trip.

That'd be a really long day trip. You can go down, um, stay the night, come back. Uh, they have, you know, you can basically take your carry on so you wouldn't need to worry about all your luggage. Uh, you know, you're going to want to bring early, you know, show up early, make sure that you truly are able to enjoy the uh, experience on the, on the ferry.

I have not yet done it. So if you have done the Key West Express, I want you to put down in the comments, Hey, Michele, this is what I loved about the Key West Express. This is what gave me the, Ooh, I don't, I don't know if I would do it again. I'd love to hear all your feedback. So it's, that's a really cool, um, way to get to Key West.

It's it, the party starts early and continues on then whenever you land there and, uh, and when you dock in Key West. Key West can be a stop along the way on maybe a cruise. So there was a lot of people I know who were first exposed to Key West because it was a port stop on a cruise that they took. And so you spend maybe anywhere from four to eight hours in town.

You can do excursions. You can do, you know, the whole Duval thing. Um, there's lots of cool things that you can do if you're just in town for a few hours. And so it's really cool to, to use that as part of a, a cruise itinerary and if that's a place that you want to go, maybe book your cruise if you love cruising.

Um, you come into Key West on your way and you plan a cruise because it's coming to Key West. Keep in mind, um, the moratorium on key on cruise ships has been lifted, but not the really large cruise ships are allowed to come back into Key West anymore. Stay tuned. I'm going to do the whole thing about the cruise ships and everything.

It's kind of a love hate relationship, honestly, that people have with the cruise ships in Key West. I, I love going down to Mallory Square and seeing them there. And I just think they're just awe impressive and just so cool to look at. But I also get the, uh, impact to the environment that they have there coming in and out of Key West and the waters around Key West.

But, so it's a love hate relationship, and we'll talk about that in, later on in 25. Um, you know, there, you know, you can always do a, a chartered, Private charter down. There's all kinds of things to do, but you know, you can take a seaplane to Key West. You can, uh, do a private charter. There's all kinds of things like that.

You can head over to finding key west.com for all kinds of Key West travel tips. We've got 'em all. Um, there's so much. The other thing I wanna remind you of is 2025. We launched a fun in Key West Book Club. I will put a link to the book club sign up there. We have officially started our first, um. book, which in January is, um, is already been announced and we have a private Facebook page where we can talk about it.

We're going to have a virtual book, um, club meeting. So we are truly, truly excited about that. So I will put the link into the, uh, comments here for the Fun in Key West book club. If you miss it or want to know more about the Fun in Key West book club, please, please just put down in the comments. Hey, Michele, I want to know more.

I want to know more. If you want to be in the know of what's happening with us, uh, Key West, everything that is the Florida Keys, be sure to head over to Fun in Key West. Sign up for our newsletter and you do that by grabbing our happy hour guide and um, that gets you our newsletter. And so we're so excited about 2025.

I hope you're feeling ready to book that flight, plan that drive, or claim the best seat on the ferry because paradise is waiting for you. Don't forget, whether you're a first timer or you've been there 10 times already, there's always a new adventure and maybe a new drink or two waiting in the quays.

If you want even more tips and tricks for planning your trip, head over to FunInKeyWest. com. It's your one stop shop for all things Key West minus the sunburns. Thank you so much for spending a slice of your day with me. You're the real MVPs and I can't wait to chat with you again soon. Until then, have an amazing day, travel safe, and remember, there's no wrong way to get to Key West as long as you actually get there.

Cheers.

Sipping Bourbon in Paradise: Key West Edition In this episode of the Fun in Key West podcast, host Michele O'Connor takes listeners on a laid-back journey through the unique bourbon scene in Key West. Whether you're a bourbon aficionado or just dipping your toes into the world of bourbon, Michele offers tips on how to enjoy bourbon like a pro. Learn the basics of bourbon, including what makes it distinct from other whiskeys, and discover some of the best spots in Key West to savor this American spirit. From understanding bourbon lingo to choosing your style and picking the perfect bourbon, this episode is packed with valuable insights and recommendations. Tune in for a blend of spirited education and Key West charm. 00:00 Welcome to Fun in Key West 01:26 All About Bourbon in Key West 03:46 Bourbon Basics and How to Order 10:02 Top Bourbon Spots in Key West 11:31 Conclusion and Key West Tips Sign up for our newsletter - here Transcript

Hey there, island dreamers, locals, and anyone craving a slice of paradise. Welcome back or welcome for the first time to the Fun in Key West podcast, where the vibe is always laid back, the stories are salty, and the drinks are definitely frozen. I'm your host, Michelle O'Connor, your unofficial tour guide to the Conch Republic.

Whether you're planning your first trip, your fifth trip, or you're just daydreaming about trading the cubicle for the ocean breeze, You are in the right place. Here's the deal. This podcast is your insider's guide to all things Key West. We're talking where to eat. Hello, cog fritters and key lime pie.

Where to drink. Spoiler alert, there will be rum. Where to stay and all the quirky wonderful things that make Key West the one of a kind paradise we all love. Plus, I'll keep you up to date on the latest happenings and Festivals, events, maybe even the occasional Hemingway lookalike sighting. And just to keep things spicy, we'll be bringing on some amazing guests now and then.

Locals, business owners, and people who know the island like the back of their sandy hand. So grab your flip flops, pour yourself a cold one. And let's escape to the island state of mind together, whether you're tuning in from your hammock or your commute. You know, while wishing it was a hammock. We've got all the Key West goodness coming your way.

Thanks for being here. It's going to be a lot of fun in Key West. Let's dive in.

Hey there, and welcome back to the Fun in Key West podcast. Today, we're talking all things bourbon, because who doesn't want to sip like a pro in paradise, right? And trust me, there's no better place to elevate your bourbon game than in Key West. Whether you're already a bourbon buff or just curious about how to order an old fashioned without looking, well, I got you covered.

We'll also chat about some amazing Key West spots for bourbon enthusiasts, whether you're into fancy cocktails, good vibes, or just a solid drink. There's a place for you there. And yes, um, while recording this, I was outside because, you know, I was in Orlando and I just had to have that outside vibe and all, but.

Mr. Coffee decided to say hi to the neighbor and well, it turns out she's not a fan of enthusiastic greetings from dogs. But hey, here at Fun in Key West, we just keep rolling dog barks and all. All right, grab a drink, bourbon or otherwise, and let's get started.

Everybody, this is Michele with Fun in Key West, and it is Happy thirsty Thursday. What a great way to start off the new year. And what I thought I'd talk about today is bourbon. Hear me out. There's, there's a couple of places in Key West that you can get, uh, whiskey and bourbons and, and do all of the cocktails.

But I thought, you know, whether or not you're sitting on a bourbon, need, uh, you know, a local dive bar, think, you know, maybe Green Parrot or you're ordering a fancy old fashioned. Um, Key West is the perfect spot to enjoy a great cocktail like bourbon. Now I'm not, Key West. long term, long time whiskey bourbon drinking girl.

Um, my husband, Gavin, he loves a great old fashioned. So, along the way, I have learned a little bit about bourbon and how to order one. And I thought, you know what? I might want to share some of my tips and some things that I've learned along the way so that when you go into, uh, one of these places I'm going to tell you about in Key West, um, you'll be able to actually maybe order something that you know.

So, um, first off, what is bourbon? So bourbon is a type of whiskey, but not all whiskeys are bourbons, right? You know, not to be confusing or anything, right? To be bourbon, it must be made in the U. S. and it comes mostly from Kentucky and it contains at least 51 percent corn and it's mash bill or grain mix of how it's made up.

What makes the alcohol in the bourbon must be at least 51 percent corn. And it must be aged in charred oak barrels, and distilled to no more than 160 proof, and entered into the barrels at no more than 125 proof. And it contains no additives, flavorings, or colorings. So, it's a pretty simple recipe. pure distinct, uh, spirit.

So it's going to have some really nice sweet caramel, um, notes of caramel and vanilla and oak and sometimes a spicer fruit because of the charred, um, barrels that they come out of. But by law, bourbon is America's only native spirit. Did you know that? I didn't know that until I started researching some of this.

And it was declared so by Congress in 1964. Pretty impressive, huh? So, when you walk into a place, you can order bourbon several ways. You can order it neat, which means it's served in a glass at room temperature. No ice or mixers. you know, poured into a glass on the rocks. It's served over ice, which chills it slightly.

And as the ice melts, it'll dilute it some. You can do it with a splash of water. So you can do neat with a splash of water, although I don't think that really makes it neat. Or you could do it over the rocks with a splash of water. and it supposedly that splash of water enhances and opens up the flavors of the bourbon or more popularly, you can put it into a cocktail so you can do an old fashioned Manhattan, a mint julep, um, whiskey sour.

So, you know, now, you know, kind of how that all comes together. Some of the times the bartenders will say, so what do you want and what are you thinking of? So there's some lingo You probably want to get your head around is a single barrel that's bourbon from one specific barrel, and that offers some unique flavor varieties.

Small batch. So this is made from a select number of barrels emphasizing quality. So think small batch distilleries. They're going to be a little more on the flavor side and have a higher cost than those mass produced places. and proof means how much of it is percentage of alcohol. So a 90 proof means it's 45 percent alcohol, just like any other spirit.

So usually what makes up the, the, um, the spirit is some sort of sugar that makes it turn into alcohol. So grains are usually used. So, you know, you have grains in beer, you have grains in vodka, you have grains in all your spirits. Um, so the common grains in bourbon can be corn and rye and barley and wheat.

And think about bread. And this is how I always relate to it. Each is going to have its own distinct flavor profile. Remember, 51 percent has to be corn. And so rye heaven, uh, rye heavy bourbons are spicier. Um, the weeder, the wheat heavy ones are softer and sweeter. So remember, think about your breads as you kind of look through and look at these bourbons.

So I'm going to get to the good place, places and some really cool places that you should try bourbon at in Key West here in a second. But first, like, let's, how do you order bourbon like a pro? So first and foremost, Choose your style. Step one, choose your style. How do you want to enjoy it? Do you want just the pure flavor?

So you're gonna go neat. You get chilled because you don't like your room temperature and you're gonna go on the rocks. You want to ease into bourbon? Then you're gonna try it in a cocktail like an old fashioned or a Manhattan. Step number two is you're gonna pick your bourbon. So what they say is there's like beginner friendly bourbons.

It's kind of like beginner friendly wines and beers. Um, makers mark. Um, it's smooth and sweet Buffalo trace. It's affordable and it has a nice well rounded flavor. Knob Creek has a slightly stronger flavor. Um, if you want to go a little higher up on the shelf and do a little premium, you can do Blanton.

So it's known for its collectible bottles. Woodward's Woodford Reserve. It's complex, it's balanced, it's, it's, you know, kind of the fancy one to get. Angel's Envy. This one is finished in port barrels for a unique twist. Can you imagine bourbon with a little bit of port on it? Um, some adventurous options include high rye bourbon such as bullet bourbon.

or cast strength bourbons, such as Elijah Craig barrel proof. So these are kind of like out there if you're really wanting to experiment. Step three, I want you to match your atmosphere to what you're drinking. So you're not really going to have an old fashioned sitting at the Green Parrot. You're probably going to have it on the rocks or neat.

So stick to, you know, if you're a casual Key West, you know, you're going to stick to the classic brands or just maybe a house cocktail. Um, You going upscale or someplace that's kind of known for their classy cocktails? Experiment, have something a little higher end or do an old fashioned or something along those lines.

So here's a little bit of fun facts about bourbon. Bourbon must be aged in new charred oak barrels which can only be used once for bourbon. Interesting, huh? And the name bourbon probably comes from Bourbon County, Kentucky. I don't know. Check me out. Let me know in the comments. Say, Hey, Michele, you're way off base.

That's not where it comes from. Um, so here's where I'm gonna highlight a few places for you to check out in Key West. If bourbon is your thing. So general horseplay head over there. I love this place. Got the 10 ceilings. Um, they do some really cool cocktails. So if you're not into bourbon like me, but you want to explore and do some different things with cocktails.

there. That's your place to go. But if you love an old fashioned, they do an old fashioned cocktail class. So check that out. See if it's available. Um, so you'll learn all of the tips and tricks of how to make the best old fashioned. Another place that offers kind of a unique twist on cocktails. And I kind of think this is just off the beaten path is the roost.

So it's over on Fleming and, um, they do old Forester old fashioned Wednesdays. So from 6 p. m. to close, uh, that's their special on Wednesdays is old Forester old fashions. Of course, you can hit, you know, the traditional spot. So if you're with people who just want to do other things than cocktails, there's usually some bourbon available at Sloppy's and at Irish Kevin's.

And last but not least, here's another place to check out. So Old Town Tavern on Wednesdays offers 50 percent off from nine p. m. to close on all of their whiskeys and bourbons. So not a bad place to check out.

And that's it for today's episode of Fun in Key West. I hope you feel ready to take on the world, or at least your next drink order, like a true bourbon connoisseur. Remember, if you're planning a trip to Key West or just dreaming about it, you have to check out some of the places we mentioned today.

Don't forget to visit FunInKeyWest. com, where I've packed in even more tips, ideas, and inspiration for your ultimate Key West adventure. Seriously, there's something for everyone, bourbon lovers included. And you know what? I truly appreciate you spending a few minutes with me today. It means the world.

Alright, go enjoy the rest of your day. Sip something delicious, and I'll catch you next time. Thanks for tuning in. You're the best.

Today we are talking with David Sloan. His is all things Key West. He has an interesting background. He was a manager on a cruise ship, a baker and today he is an author, artist, cook a true renaissance man.

He's been featured on the History Channel, Travel Channel, Discovery Channel, and even the Food Network.

I met with David and sat down with him to talk all about Haunted Key west a ghost tour/ghost hunt company he co-owns. We also talk about the Key Lime Festival and the origins of Key Lime Pie. Keep an ear out for a random rooster crow. You will definitely know we are sitting in Key West.

It is fascinating to hear how a random ghost tour in Scottland, led him on his journey to Key West and starting Haunted Key West. Plus he teases us with some of his upcoming projects.

Find more information about Haunted Key West here.

Sign up for our newsletter - here

So excited about this episode. Listen as I talk to Captain Howie of Make it So Charters. His charter service is unique to Key West. He lets you be in charge of the charter. As he says, "it's your day".

Find out how Captain Howie ended up in Key West. As we all know, everyone is from somewhere else. His road to Key West wasn't a straight path. He started in Rhode Island, then onto St. Thomas, then to Alaska, then to Mexico, then to... well you find that quite interesting.

He once even thought about moving from Key West (I know... why?) He had the for sale sign in the yard before heading to work and then throughout the day he truly remembers why he lives in Key West. The sign is pulled out of the yard when he gets home that night.

Make it So Charters offer half day, full day and sunset charters. On the charters, you can snorkel, light tackle fish and even chill on a sandbar. Captain Howie offers a great eco-tour through the Great White Heron National Refuge. Each trip out is filled with amazing views. You won't believe you are only 20 minutes off of Duval.

Want to do some grilling while out on the sandbar? He can make that happen. Bring something to grill, or ask Captain Howie to pick up something (for a small surcharge). If you are heading out for sunset, be prepared for his awesome cheese board. The baked brie...well it's the stuff dreams are made of. His boat is ready for any adventure. Just bring your towels, sunscreen, and a sense of adventure.

We also talk about how he came up with the name Make it So. Wait for the Star Trek reference. He has since upgraded his boat, but the charter remains the same. Bottom line, this is a charter you really don't want to miss. Imagine spending time out on a sandbar. You can be out with the locals on a festive sandbar, or you might choose to be in a more private place where it's just you and your group. Again, your choice.

You will hear me talk about being terrified of the water, and confession time, I am. I am ok being by and on the water... in the water not so much. I guess I saw Jaws too many times. But, I admit, I was never nervous about being in the water on the sandbars. The water is crystal clear and so warm, honestly, I never wanted to leave. So, if you have a bit of hesitation about being in the water, this is definitely the charter for you.

Sign up for our newsletter - here

Join us as we chat with Tonya, the General Manager of the Speakeasy Inn and Rum Bar. Learn how she ended up in Key West and all about the many, many rums served in the Rum Bar. Interested in a great place to stay? Check out the Inn!

Sign up for our newsletter - here

One of the best ways to experience Key West is on the water. Danger Charters offers not only day trips, but a fabulous sunset cruise. Haig Smith, of Danger Charters talks with me all about sunset cruises, how he ended up in Key West and, of course, awesome day trips his company offers.

Want to celebrate something extra special? They also offer private cruises. Imagine a wedding or birthday aboard Danger Charters.

Learn more by clicking here.

Sign up for our newsletter - here