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I was hesitant to make my first trip to Key West. Over the years I heard about the onslaught of cruise ships constantly docked at the tiny island letting millions of excited tourists loose on Duval street to buy yard long margaritas, three for $10 t-shirts, and henna tattoos. I will not deny that this picture of Key West certainly does exist, but my recent trip, as with the ones in years past, was a green adventure. In addition to being a tourist town, Key West is a Bohemian paradise filled with an eclectic mix of locals, interesting architecture, great food, and awesome weather. Try this eco-trip to Key West and I'm sure you'll agree that the city has much more to offer than hair braiding and grain alcohol:
Where to stay.
We stayed at Eden House, which is located right in downtown Key West. The vintage beach hotel uses low-flow showerheads, low-flow toilets, compact fluorescent bulbs, and photo sensors for outdoor lights. They also recycle paper, plastic, glass, batteries, cardboard, office paper, and toner cartridges amongst tons of other green practices. It's minimalist and fantastic and great for a quick romantic getaway.
Where to eat.
Try the Café. It's the downtown vegetarian restaurant where chef Keith St. Peter comes up with extraordinary vegetarian dishes. We started off with the hand cut fries with truffle oil, black pepper, and parmesan. Next we had the kung pao tofu loaded to the brim with perfectly cooked vegetables and flavorful tofu. For lunch hit Help Yourself, an organic restaurant with inspiring dishes like the Chipotle TLT with smoky tempeh, avocado, tomato, mixed greens, and chipotle mayonnaise and juices like the daily detox with carrot, beet, and lemon juice. For a snack grab an organic banana strawberry smoothie at Sugar Apple Health Foods.
Ditch the cars.
We rented scooters from Pirate Scooters and scooted around town when we weren't walking.
Don't miss.
Nancy's Secret Garden, an acre of lush garden in the heart of old Key West. Take a picnic, get married, or just lay in the shade. All this for just a $6 donation. (O.K. Wedding might set you back a few more $$)Be sure to drop by Besame Mucho for some unusual gifts.
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