A Marathon of Seafood, Sun, and Six-Toed Cats​

🦞🚗💨Welcome to the ultimate Key West "Special Ops" mission! 🪖 For this adventure, we opted for a high-intensity day trip instead of an overnight stay, which meant we had to maximize every single minute. The alarm clock screamed at an ungodly hour, but the promise of turquoise waters and conch fritters was all the motivation we needed. I stumbled into the passenger seat, and before we even hit the highway, I was already deep in a coma-like slumber. I was rudely awakened by my co-pilot (let's call him "Teammate") just as we arrived at our first strategic stop: Robbie's of Islamorada. My brain was still a foggy mess, but the salty air and the squawking of seagulls quickly jolted me back to reality. We headed straight for the main event: feeding the tarpon. For just $5, you get a small bucket containing maybe five or six tiny fish—hardly a feast, but the experience is priceless! 🐟 The place was buzzing with people, and the tarpon themselves were absolutely massive, looking well-fed and almost comically rotund. They swam lazily in the marina, their silver scales glinting in the sun, eagerly awaiting their next snack from tourists like us. It was a chaotic, smelly, and utterly delightful way to kick off the trip. Once the fish were fed, it was time to fuel the humans. We wandered over to the bar and ordered two drinks to officially inaugurate our road trip. I have to issue a serious warning: do not​ order the signature Bloody Mary. 🍸🚫 My Teammate took one bite of the "garnish" and instantly morphed into the "Pain Mask" meme. Yes, you read that correctly—it was a bite, not a sip. This monstrosity comes loaded with shrimp, bacon, and a whole circus of random toppings that belong on a plate, not in a drink. It was a culinary crime scene. Thankfully, their other cocktails were fantastic; we actually stopped by again on our way back for a second round. Robbie's is definitely a must-stop pit stop on the drive down to Key West! With our spirits lifted (and the Bloody Mary trauma behind us), we rolled into our second stop: 5 Brothers Two. 🦀 This unassuming spot is a hidden gem for stone crab enthusiasts. We went for the jumbo size, and let me tell you, these claws were as big as my palm! At around thirty-something dollars a pound, the price was reasonable for such a delicacy. The only minor drawback was that the crab was served quite chilled—almost too cold. My advice? If you're not in a rush, let it sit for a while to take the edge off the chill. The sweet, succulent meat is worth the wait. Finally, we breached the gates of Key West itself! 🎯 Our first order of business was a direct assault on DJ's Clam Shack​ for the legendary lobster roll. We executed a tactical split: I queued up for the lobster roll while Teammate braved the line at the adjacent mojito stand. After a day of snacking and drinking, we weren't starving, so we ordered one "overstuffed" lobster roll and two cups of clam chowder. The lobster roll was a behemoth, overflowing with cool, fresh lobster meat piled high on a buttery, toasted bun. Each bite was a perfect symphony of textures and flavors—creamy, crunchy, and utterly satisfying. 🦞🥖 But the real showstopper was the clam chowder. It was nothing short of spectacular—incredibly rich, creamy, and packed with flavor. The temperature had dipped to a surprisingly cool sub-20 degrees Celsius that day, and wrapping our hands around those warm cups of soup was pure, unadulterated bliss. ☕🤤 And a quick shout-out to the mojito stand: the lemongrass mojito was a refreshing, zesty masterpiece. Highly recommend! 🍹 With our stomachs full and happy, we made a cultural pilgrimage to the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum. 🐈🏠 The historic house was charming, but let's be real—we were there for the cats. And boy, did they deliver! The place was teeming with polydactyl (six-toed) felines, each one more photogenic than the last. Some of them, clearly exhausted by the constant adoration from hordes of visitors, had mastered the art of evasion, finding the most bizarre and creative hiding spots to catch some undisturbed Z's. 😴 We spotted them curled up in planters, draped over antique furniture, and tucked away in shadowy corners. The entire tour, including wandering the lush gardens, took us less than an hour—a perfectly efficient dose of literary history and cat content. And just like that, Day Trip was a resounding success. We ate, we drank, we fed giant fish, and we paid homage to literary legends and their furry descendants. The Key West Special Ops mission was accomplished! ✅ #US #Florida #Jacksonville #Key West