The Keys...

We really wanted to get to Key West while we were here, but with Zoe only having Sundays off, it made for a quick trip. We picked her up from rehearsal late Saturday afternoon and hit the road!

 Once we got through Miami, we got on the two-lane Highway 1 to head to Key West.

We had some periods of heavy traffic, but the drive was beautiful...

There were interesting and funny landmarks along the way...

We made our first stop in Key Largo at the Visitors Center to stretch our legs and pick up some info.

We stopped in Islamorada for a delicious dinner.

Don't even ask about this one...it's a long story, but worthy of capturing a picture of me feeding my 13 year old!! :)

 
Mom and I decided to try a piece of Key Lime Pie since this is the place to get one. It was sooooo good...I didn't even know I liked it. What a waste of 40 years!

Love this girl...

 These boys crack me up...they love each other like brothers!

 Back on the road. Thankfully, the traffic was gone and we had a great rest of our drive. The skies were awesome as the sun was going down...

 An incredible sunset, surrounded by a lightning storm. What a fun way to enter into Key West!

We arrived at our beautiful hotel...

The kids still had some energy, so we went down to the pool for a night swim.

We were up early Sunday morning to check out of our hotel and start our day touring Key West!

We had a delicious breakfast at the well-known Pepe's.

We walked to Mallory Square to wait for our trolley tour.

So happy to spend precious time with my parents!

We took the trolley tour and loved seeing some of the sights around town. I love the old houses and historic buildings, and beautiful trees.

We hopped off at the Southernmost Point of the USA. There were a lot of people in line to take a photo...it's a must-do tourist stop I guess!

 We walked up and down Duvall St., going in and out of shops. We stopped at a great cafe for drinks.

 It was the best cafe con leche I've had yet!

 Zoe's been wanting her 2nd ear piercing for a while, so Mimi decided now was the perfect time...

I found one of many gorgeous churches...

We walked past some amazing bakeries...just look at these cookies!

This sign was meant for me. ;)

 

The local bars collect dollar bills on the walls and ceilings, and at the end of the year they get donated to the wounded warriors.

We walked past the marina and had a great lunch. We were hot and tired!

I love the vibe and cute streets around here.

 We had to get some more Key Lime Pie!

 I love all of the chickens that roam this little town!

We finished our day here touring the local pirate museum. It was interesting, and had tons of recovered treasures from sunken ships...

 as well as information about the slaves that were brought here.

Unfortunately, it was time to leave. I sure wish we could've spent more time here! I would love to come back and go into more of the museums and houses, as well as do a snorkeling and sailing trip. Maybe another year...

We enjoyed the drive back up through the Keys. So many beautiful little islands, and endless miles of ocean.

 One last pass through Key Largo...

We made it back to Miami Beach and had a quick, late dinner. The whole time we've been here, I've been faced with the fact that my daughter is growing up and catching the eye of lots of young men. Well at dinner, she was actually handed the phone number of the waiter under her dinner plate! Lord help me, I am not ready for this! Anyway, we said our goodbyes, and I was so sad. I loved having them here, and wasn't ready to say goodbye to Cooper again for another 2 weeks. I know he is having such a great time, but I miss him terribly! They dropped us off and headed to their hotel before leaving on an early morning flight.
Of course, they had to jump in the hotel pool for a late night swim after so many hours in the car!