What's new in Key West?

It’s true… one of the reasons we love Key West so passionately is that it never changes....
it’s the same ole’ rebellious, slightly irreverent Conch Republic that’s welcomed us snow-weary and routine-ravaged travelers for decades.  While the rest of our everyday world flurries around us, we can always escape to Key West and sit on Louie’s Backyard deck with a mojito, and feel timeless… almost!  

But here are some new finds that I discovered this spring, that might just make Key West even better!  (Is that even possible? )

The Yebo Island Grill

This South-African owned and inspired food truck on the corner of Angela and Duval Streets took 1 ½ years of wrangling to secure permits in this restaurant-centric mecca.  The big sign for PeriPeri sauce initially caught my eye – that’s a spicy tomato-based South Africa sauce in which they stew everything from chicken livers to mopane worms.   But here in Key West, it’s only on the tacos (see photo, right)!  I ordered a quesadilla which came with their namesake sauce, Yebo, a tangy, peachy colored mayonnaise-based accent.   De-licious!   
And don't worry about the Yebo detracting from sit-down restaurant business.  There's no bar at Yebo's and the "dining room" is a gravel lot with wooden benches - perfect for a sidewalk snack or a to-go beach picnic!
This place is so new that Joel (the owner) and Grace (his baby sister) just got up their Facebook page: LIKE it here!

       

      Mikey-Mo’s wearable art

      This gallery of Hawaiian inspired colors and prints, selling everything from silky boxers to beach skirts, is a firm endorsement of bohemianism at 428 Petronia Street.  Mikey's background story involves Who's Line Is It Anyway's star, Wayne Brady (you can read about it here),  and many of his products are produced by local seamstresses.   Best of all, his passion is bottomless.   Meet the proud owner in his Mikey-Mo's boutique:
  
       

       
The Pig at Sunset Celebration:  

       We’ve known the CatMan for years - our tips have sent his kids to college! The handpainted tomato-cans-turned-lumineres are trusted souvenirs, and my own kids watched the sword-swallower, almost 2 decades ago.   But this year, I found a new cast member at Mallory Square:  a 50-ish-pound,  pale pink and black spotted baby potbelly pig, who dances and even kisses!

Honorable Mention goes to:

Ukelele Night at the Green Parrot!  This is not exactly brand new, but this 2-3 year tradition is a great monthly event, typically the second Wednesday of the month at 8pm at 601 Whitehead Street.  Bring your own ukelele and strum along from the bar, or just come to watch and sing!

I admit… there were a couple of new things that I did NOT particularly like in Key West this year, namely the 4-lane megaroad that leads onto the island and shoots past the once-sleepy yacht basin.    I also shook my head at the sadly generic lemon-colored condos across from Schooner’s Wharf and mourned the long-standing trailer court and panda colony that used to live there.

Even in Key West, we must treasure today because that's all we really have.

Melanie Tucker, head designer at Tough Love Travel, has been traveling to the Keys for more than 3 decades.  

Read her insider's scoop on the Overseas Highway here on her blog, 

or talk to her to plan your Key's ESCAPE!

Spring Break on the Yucatan!

Tough Love Travel specializes in unique trips for adventurous travelers.  Sound like you?  

Grab a complimentary phone call today to explore the options.

(unless you're a 20-something...) 

Get out of Cancun, via 20-minute ferry, to Isla Mujeres! 

 The waters are that iconic turquoise of the Caribbean, right at my favorite resort (read more below) but the entire island is surrounded by the loveliest beach scenes - check out Playa Norte!

This sleepy island has fancy resorts but the low profile Cabanas del Mar was perfect for this extended family!

They had breakfast on the beach every morning...

kitchens to cook for themselves, but also restaurants - a stroll down the sand -- for more celebratory dinners.


Their motel-style rooms were a real deal ($75-90/night for 2!) and they conveniently enclosed a pool area next door to a tiki bar.

Fishing is a popular pastime here on Isla Mujeres, but if you want to get off-island to do some exploring, the famous Tulum ruins are an easy 80-mile day trip to the south!

Thanks, Clara, for sharing your wonderful experience with me!

Need a vacation for your family (or yourself!)?  

Call Melanie Tucker, the head travel designer at Tough Love Travel, today:  (609) 923-0304

National Park AND beach: spring break on St Johns

Have questions?    Email Melanie Tucker, the head travel designer at Tough Love Travel!

I interviewed Bernie, a lifelong lover of national parks who recently found his perfect beach spot:   an island in the USVI (United States Virgin Islands) that's more than 7000 acres of parkland!

Bernie, you're an avid hiker! What's the trail situation like on St Johns?
"Some trails took us past sugar cane plantations that dated to the early 18th century (like the Josie Gut Trail).  The ruins are only about 1/2 mile from the trailhead but you can proceed further through pastoral lands that end up at the sea. 

Another trail offered petroglyphs that dated back to the earliest island inhabitants

And there's the famous Reef Bay Trail that's pretty steep, but- really - none of the trails were too arduous because you're not in Glacier National Park, after all.  These trails were pretty short.   The most important thing you need to remember is to take plenty of drinking water - the tropics get pretty hot!

For more details, click here. 

A special sunset hike is to Ram's Head.  You drive to Salt Pond beach and take the Ram's Head Trail out to the cliff. It's a little rocky but pretty flat, and only 1 mile long.  If you time your trip right, you can do this under a full moon and see the sun set in the west at the same time that the moon is rising in the east... very cool!"

2 GOOD TIPS: 

• Stop in the National Park office that's in Cruise Bay to pick up a map and "pick" the ranger's brain. 
• Bring a flashlight or headlamp!

So you can also hike on the beach?  Tell me more....
"Down by Water Lemon Caye - which is my favorite spot! - you can hike .8 miles around the bay and snorkel out to Water Lemon Island (or 'caye').  It's very scenic, with little sailboats bobbing in the bay, and the hike around the shore, though short, seems enough to deter many people.  The beach is a little rocky there too, but the snorkeling is the best.

Trump Bay is nice too, though very crowded.  Here you'll find the famous underwater trail.22"

An underwater trail?  How does that work?
In Trump Bay, buoys mark a swimming trail from the sandy beach out to a small offshore island (see small buoys on left of photo).  At each buoy, you'll find a small sign underwater, marking a certain plant or coral, as well as common fish that are likely to be swimming in the area." 
IMPORTANT NOTE: Get to Trunk Bay before 10am or the parking lot'll be full.

So how was the snorkeling overall?
"We saw parrot fish of all different colors, those little black and white striped jailbirds, and a small southern sting ray (the gray ones).  There were no sharks or octopus (that we saw) but, happily, no jellyfish either!"

So with all this national parkland, does St Johns still feel island-y?
"Sure!  Not only do you hear steel drums everywhere!  (from the airport to the ferry sidewalk, and spilling out of every bar)  

But here's the view from our house!" 

So what were some highlights of the week?
#1 was driving the 4-wheel jeep around the island's steep hills, on the left side of the road - what an adventure!  We learned pretty fast:  a Kia rental does NOT cut it on St Johns, losing traction on rough roads that we were trying to explore.

Bernie, how did you pick St Johns? 
"My wife found an incredible deal on flights through United - $235pp, roundtrip! So we jumped on it.
Also, the flight's less than 4 hours from NC, and no passport is required since it's a US territory"

And where did you stay? 
"At a house called Cocoa Reef that overlooks Fish Bay. 
It's really well laid-out for families - since it's built into the cliff, each or the 4 floors is small, creating different living spaces for different families or generations.
It was simple - no housekeeping or cook - but it's pool was a real treat, especially because we were off the beach!"

Final logistic:  how do you get to St Johns?
"Flights arrive into St Thomas, from where you taxi to Red Hook on the east side to catch a ferry (no reservations required) to boat over to St Johns. There's another ferry too, closer to the airport, but it's longer and more expensive." 
Ferry from Red Hook takes around 30 minutes and costs about $15pp.

Looking for a special vacation?  

I've got lots of unique ideas from places like St Johns and rare islands like Dominica, 

and even remote camps on common islands. 

Click here to schedule a complimentary phone call.