My Musings: Key West: Blue Heaven & Lighthouse Tour

Here it is, the last day of my first solo traveling experience. While I wanted this trip to be fun and relaxing, I also wanted to be intentional with this experience and use it as an opportunity to get to know myself better, and contemplate what I want out of the next chapter of life. So every morning I would pull an affirmation card as a way of setting some intentions and meditating on what was important for me to focus on during this amazing alone time. (I had come across this deck at the SLC airport when I was on my way to Key West and I thought it was so adorable and silly and I loved how it simplified the meanings and summed it all up in a positive affirmation. It was such a fun little addition to this soul searching trip)

My very first morning, I pulled the Hermit, and I just had to laugh at how perfect it was.

"This curious character is the universal mascot of me-time. Who knows what life has handed him- the important thing is, he knows that the best way to deal is to retreat to a place of quiet reflection and fly solo for a bit. The hermit encourages you to clear your social calendar and fill your time with meditation, walks through nature, and possibly some fervent journaling. A little chapter of solitude will reset your mind, open your heart and (if your anything like this old soul) lead to some life-altering wisdom. Dress code: long white beard and gnarled staff"

And how adorable is this silly little crab?? I love this deck so much.

The night I arrived, I pulled a card for kind of an over arching theme or thing that I should focus on during my time away, for that I pulled to two of swords. The description and affirmation didn't seem to give me much direction, so I looked up the meaning of the traditional card, and again, it seemed like I was on the right track with taking this solo trip which felt like some kind of pivotal moment for me.

I pulled some other fun cards that also really added to the purpose of this trip, these two were my favorite. It was a fun little thing to do every morning to give myself something to think about.

My last day started at one of, if not the, most famous restaurants on the island, Blue Heaven.

There is always a long wait to get a table for breakfast, no matter what day of the week or what time, it's always at least 45 minutes. I was expecting this and planned it into my morning. I checked in at the restaurant and then did a little shopping at the cute shops near by. They texted me when my table was ready and I was so excited to experience this one of kind, local Key West landmark.

The decor is whimsical, eclectic and both silly and beautiful.

I was seated on the porch and had a perfect view of the colorful umbrellas and the festive, live music.

This mama hen scurried passed by table with all her adorable little babies. Blue Heaven is just as famous for their chickens and cats, as they are for their amazing food.

I had read about how amazing their banana pancakes were and knew I needed to try them. I ordered a breakfast sandwich for some protein and got a side of the pancakes, which turned out to be the perfect size, just enough to try it out, but not an entire huge stack.

The banana pancakes 100% lived up to the hype. The bananas were caramelized to perfection and it was unbelievably delicious.

Even though my breakfast was huge, I HAD to try their version of key lime pie, it's one of the most talked about. They pile it high with a perfectly browned meringue work of art.

It's a beautiful piece of pie. Even though I'm not a huge fan of meringue, theirs was marshmallowy and delicious.

After my incredible meal, I wandered around making sure I got to see all the whimsical fun.

That day was actually mardi gras and there were tons of people all dressed up. This couple was my favorite, they went all out. I ran into them a couple of times throughout the day, we said hello each time, such a fun, small island.

My server saw me wandering around and said I could go upstairs and check it out if I wanted to. It was a brothel at some point, and there were a couple of little nods to that history.

On my way out, I glanced through the gift shop, there were fun murals in there as well.

After breakfast, I walked the 5 minutes to the lighthouse.

It was fun getting little glimpses of the view, and a nice cool breeze, during the climb up.

The top!

That little complex of white buildings was my hotel.

The Hemingway House.

I spent a long time on the observation deck. It was windy and it felt too good after climbing all the stairs to get up there. It was so fun to see the entire island from a birds eye view.