Growing up, I never knew anyone who loved Jimmy Buffett more than my dad. All of the decor in his house was tropical, he faithfully attended his concerts annually, and Cheeseburger in Paradise was one of the earliest songs that I learned. It was no secret that his final wish in life was to have his ashes spread in Key West.
Five years ago, when my dad turned 65, I instantly started brainstorming ideas for his 70th birthday. He loved birthdays and thrived as the center of attention, so I knew I’d have to go big. Joys of being an only child 🙃 Well, I can confidently say that I think I fulfilled his last wish and celebrated his big day in the best way possible!
I knew that I wanted this trip to be a fun celebration of life, and the amount of God winks that were visible in both the planning and execution were undeniable. I invited my mom, and two of our dearest friends to come with me, and it just felt right to make the timing fit my dad’s birthday. Little did I know, it would fall at the tail end of a monumental summer, coincide with Jimmy Buffett’s death as well, and be the perfect conclusion to settling my dad’s estate.
As we flew down from Miami, I unexpectedly felt my dad’s presence as I was given a first class upgrade! Once we landed we hit the ground running for five days and packed in as much as possible!
We stayed at the https://www.margaritavilleresorts.com/margaritaville-beach-house-key-west/our-story It was perfect, with suite style rooms, allowing each of us to have our own bed and space! The resort provides airport and downtown transportation, which were an added bonus. During our visit, we ate at the following restaurants -
🏖️ Rams Head https://ramsheadsouthernmost.com/
🐟 Moondog Cafe - https://moondogcafe.com
🏖️ Margaritaville - https://www.margaritavillekeywest.com
🐟 Southernmost Beach Cafe - https://tinyurl.com/yckdzywd
🏖️Louie's Backyard http://www.louiesbackyard.com/
🐟 Mangoes - https://www.mangoeskeywest.com/
🏖️ Latitudes - https://tinyurl.com/re5jpbyb
We shopped until we dropped most days, in between delicious meals and other activities! A few of our favorite highlights were:
Butterfly Conservatory - https://keywestbutterfly.com/
Ernest Hemingway House - https://www.hemingwayhome.com/
Sunset Dinner Cruise - https://sunsetwatersportskeywest.com/cruises/sunset-dinner-cruise/
Trolley Tour - https://www.trolleytours.com/key-west
Another amazing aspect about Key West, is the amount of boat charters that they offer for a variety of reasons and occasions, including ash scattering. We used https://easydaycharters.com/ and they could not have been more kind and accommodating! My dad lived his life on the water and loved his boat almost more than me, so this was a non-negotiable in my mind! I felt so much peace leaving my dad in the place that would bring him the most final peace he could ever ask for!
Jimmy's studio covered in alllll the stickers you can imagine!
Latitudes - One of the nicest, most scenic and delicious breakfasts I've ever experienced!
My new friend, Margarita! He made me a true "Parrot Head" 😂
I wanted to bring this guy home with me sooo badly! The Hemingway cats are 1000% worth visiting!
It was truly a trip of a lifetime, having girl time, enjoying lots of laughs, hot sunshine, seeing endless wild chickens, six-toed cats, horse policeman, and making unforgettable memories!
Happy 70th Birthday Dad! 💙
P.S. - Have you been to Key West?! What was your favorite part? It's truly a paradise unlike any other and I can't wait to go back!
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