Bouncing Around Key West On Our Hog…Well Sort Of

Every time we visit Key West, we experience something new. On our latest adventure, not only did we tour the new Papa’s Pilar Rum Distillery (Story coming soon), we also experienced the thrill of taking a scooter around the ole Conch Republic. Personally, I think it’s the best way (and most fun) to travel on the island.

If you’ve been to Key West, you know a car is not ideal. The roads are tight and crowded and the price of parking is INSANE! RumShopRyan and I paid $25 for parking once. Never again! That’s perfectly good money for Irish Kevin’s going to waste.

Walking is ok if you want to stay on Duval. But if you want to explore or go from the Southernmost Point to Mallory Square, your feet and calves are going to be screaming. Proper shoes and hydration may help with this, but lets face it, no one is staying hydrated in Key West. Sorry guys, beer and rum punch does not equal hydration.

Bicycles are cheaper to rent and work great if you’re not a spaz like me. I’m good at riding a bike with no cars or people around. But put a few obstacles in my way and it’s not going to be pretty. The one and ONLY time RumShopRyan and I rented bikes together was a total fail. I crashed into his back tire more than once. By noon I was ready to take the bikes back to the rental shop and calm my nerves with a drink.

BUT SCOOTERS! Scooters are the best because they solve all the problems that the other means of travel create. Parking is a cinch, your feet won’t hurt, you’ll be able to see more in less time (We saw the Southernmost Point and Hemingway’s Home all before noon) and if you’re riding on the back, all responsibility is out of your hands!

Ahhhh, Castaway Crystal can relax and just let the wind blow through her hair. If we crash, it won’t be my fault and I’m perfectly ok with that.

Hemingway’s House

I’m very familiar with riding on the back of a motorcycle and I love it. A scooter is the next best thing! It’s been a long time since I’ve been on a hog, so when I hopped on the scooter it felt exhilarating and even a little badassish (Is that a word?). But once I saw my reflection in a store window, I was quickly reminded that I was on a scooter, not a Harley and should probably bring it down a notch.

(Scooter tip: Don’t try to do the “motorcycle wave” while on a scooter. Motorcyclists will not respond kindly.)

My brother and I cruising around Captiva Island, FL.

We rented our Harley wanna-be from Hydro-Thunder ($85 for 24 hours) and the two employees who helped us couldn’t have been any nicer. The girl who worked the front desk talked to us like she had known us for years and the gentleman who showed Ryan how to drive the scooter made us feel very comfortable.

Once Ryan did a test drive, we were ready to go!  I loved that the scooter had storage space underneath the seat big enough for my camera bag. It was a perfect fit!

Zipping around the island was a blast and to tell the truth, I was sad when we had to return our little red scooter. I now look forward to many more scooter adventures in Key West.

Never Stop Exploring

Castaway Crystal