on our first full day in key west, i was really ready to relax. the forecast wasn’t awesome, but higgs beach was only about 4 blocks from our hotel. there was some sun happening, so jason and i suited up and headed out.

it was really windy, so when we got to the beach we took a couple extra steps to check out the pier.

and then we went for it. actually, i went for it. we both sat on the beach until we couldn’t take it, but i also waded into the water. the wind was really cold. we couldn’t take it for long, unfortunately.

we walked back to our hotel to change and figure out the events for the day. we also went to check out the rooftop deck — where the sun was beating down and the wind was no where to be found. we should have just sat there all morning!

after our lazy, weather-confused morning, we had to find some lunch. we wandered over to the southernmost cafe, which is entirely open-air. a novelty for minnesotans! we got a nice table with a decent view and wanted to spend the whole afternoon there.

“Tennesee Williams, who swam at this beach every morning, said, “I work everywhere, but I work best here.”

we did not stay all day, though i totally could have. after lunch we wandered up to the butterfly conservatory.

i’ve been to a couple other butterfly conservatories but this one also had birds! you know how much i love birds by now, right?

nothing landed on me during this trip, but jason made a friend for a few minutes… as he was pointing at the flamingos.

oh yeah — there were turtles, too!

but the birds were more exciting.

as you exit the conservatory into the gift shop, you are given a souvenir butterfly sticker. cute idea!

but on to the real point of visiting key west: the hemingway home.

shucks.

kitty followed along for the tour. (our guide had treats in his pocket!)

there were very clear “do not sit on the furniture” signs everywhere.

okay, the fan wasn’t authentic but check out that flooring tile. i dig it!

at the end of the tour, the guide could tell who the craziest cat people were and gave jason some treats to feed to the cats.

AND then this guy also jumped into jason’s lap. there was no picking up involved. this cat was a lover of skritches.

and then, in the gift shop: sitting on the shirt i was thinking about buying.

we probably could have stayed to hang out all day with the cats, but we were getting kind of sleepy. we decided to head back to the hotel for naps.

did you know there are wild roosters roaming all over the city? i didn’t. we stopped for some ice cream, where one rooster was hanging out and couldn’t decide what he was doing.

we also put the naps on hold to stop at the butterfly conservatory again. a hand stamp gets you in for the whole day! it was a little less crowded during the second visit.

we ended the day with a late dinner at deuce’s off the hook grill. it was a tiny place (maybe about 16 seats?) but it was worth the wait. it was also nice because it was little off of the beaten path, so a quieter walk to get there, too.