Living in the Northeast, you have the opportunity to experience all four seasons. Having the ability to see all the seasons has been great, as I can always converse with others about weather since I’ve experienced it all. I love spring, summer and fall. I don’t hate, but dislike winter. As I get older, I feel the cold weather in my bones and it’s not a good feeling. I love warm weather, so when deciding on vacation destinations, my family and I typically choose locations with warm weather.

Key West, Florida, is at the southernmost tip of the United States. In the summer, it’s extremely hot, but in the other three seasons, it’s as close to perfect as you can get. Recently, my wife and I took a quick getaway to Key West. We took a direct flight from Philadelphia, only about 3.5 hours. When we got off the plane, you had to walk down a ramp to reach the terminal. Immediately, we felt the warm air hit our faces, and instantly started to relax. The airport is small, but efficient. We were able to get a taxi within a few minutes, and we were off to our hotel.

We stayed at Southernmost Beach Resort, situated on the water and featuring a pool, as well as its own private beach. The check-in was quick and, as we headed to our room, the valet took our bags, placed them on a golf cart and drove us to our destination. We were fortunate as our room was upgraded, so we had an ocean view. The views were spectacular. The sky was a brilliant blue, and the ocean was pristine, like a sheet of glass. We decided to explore and see some sights.

When visiting Key West, it is essential to take a stroll down Duval Street. There is a little of everything there, from countless bars and restaurants to clothing stores and tchotchke shops. The street vendors are friendly and will make deals if you show any interest in what they are selling. One thing we noticed is many of the tourists had drinks in their hands as they walked around. We decided to partake, as well. Most of the bars are open-air, making it easy to grab a drink and go. We bought a few frozen drinks and continued our walk. The sights, sounds and smells are enough to make anyone slow down and enjoy the vibe.

Due to the travel day, we were tired, so we decided to have a light dinner. Since we were in Key West, we both wanted seafood, and we ended up at Fisherman’s Café. The service was great, and the ambiance was laid-back, as expected from an outdoor restaurant with palm trees all around. After dinner, we did a little bar hopping with a stop at Sloppy Joe’s, a mainstay in Key West.

After returning to the hotel for the night, I had one of the best nights’ sleep I’ve had in a long time. When I woke up, I was ready for the day. We did a little sightseeing in the morning. We stopped at the furthest south buoy, which represents the furthest point south in the United States. Once we got our pictures, we jumped on a trolley and made our way to Ernest Hemingway’s house. We took a tour of the house, and it was filled with interesting information about Hemingway’s life. Both my wife and I loved that there are cats living there that are direct descendants of the cats Hemingway owned. A cool fact about cats is they have an extra toe on each of their front paws. After we finished our tour around town, we went back and laid out on the beach. The sun was strong, but it felt so good. We soaked in every bit of the day before returning to the room, showering and heading out for dinner.

We made reservations at Louie’s Backyard for dinner. Friends told us about Louie’s and warned us it’s popular, so you’d better call ahead. I made our reservations about six weeks before our trip. The restaurant is tucked into a residential neighborhood and looks like a very old Southern house. Inside it was beautiful. I requested a water view, as we had heard it was one of the best places to watch the sunset. The views did not disappoint, and neither did the food. Everything was amazing. Again, we went out and enjoyed the nightlife before heading back for the night.

We packed a lot into a few days, but when we got home, we were both completely relaxed and ready to tackle the upcoming work week. I love where I live, but there is just something special about being in a place that oozes cool vibes that makes me smile.

— Sean Olin, director of sales