We arrived in Key West around noon to sunny 75 degree weather! Perfect! We shared a taxi with two other ladies and headed to our hotel, Southernmost on the beach. Luckily, check in was a breeze, and our room was ready! We stayed in room 559, which was on the second level near the stairwell.

Our room was a King size with a private balcony. It was decorated in a contemporary nautical style. We had a flat screen tv and fridge with 2 complementary bottles of water. The bathroom was large and spacious with an awesome shower.

We got changed into shorts and took a walk down Duvall in search of some lunch. We ate at a cute little sandwich shop called Panini! Panini! I had the Proscuitto and Goat Cheese panini which was delicious! It had a great balance of salty proscuitto and creamy goat cheese along with some peppery arugula and a tangy balsamic reduction. Justin had The Cuban, which was also delicious.

We headed back to the hotel after lunch and got into our bathing suits and enjoyed the sun. The nice thing about the hotel was that they had a variety of places to soak up the sun. There was a nice large pool area with a pool bar. Around back it was definitely more peaceful and quiet with a great view of the water. There were numerous hammocks and Adirondack chairs peppered around the property for maximum relaxation. There was also a private pier with access to the gulf.

After showering and getting ready, we headed out for dinner. We took a walk down to the Southermost Point and got a picture. There was actually a small group there taking pictures and enjoying the view. We ate dinner at Santiago's Bodega which is a tapas restaurant. It is located a bit off the beaten path in the Bahama Village area of Key West. We were lucky to get seated without a reservation since we came just before the rush. We ordered the following tapas:

Tuna Ceviche--Huge hunks of tuna with the usual ceviche ingredients and mango. Tangy and fresh.

Croquettas--These were fried perfectly with a hint of spice. So yummy!

Beef Tenderloin with Blue Cheese Butter--The blue cheese butter added that extra bit of richness to the melt in your mouth tenderloin.

Bruschetta--Nice addition of olive tapenade ensured that this was memorable.

Bacon Wrapped Mushrooms--Tasted strangely like hot dogs. This one I would pass on next time.

Dessert: Chocolate Lava Cake with White Chocolate Avocado Mousse--A perfect way to end the meal. There was just a hint of avocado, not intrusive at all. Unique flavors.

The place was definitely hopping about halfway through the meal with a mixture of parties with reservations, and those who were hoping to snag a table. After a lovely dinner, we walked around a bit. We stopped and had a frozen drink at Flying Monkey, and back to the hotel we went. What a great first day!