Sometimes travel teaches you lessons you didn’t sign up for. Our summer 2024 trip was supposed to be all about Banff — two weeks of RV camping through the Canadian Rockies, exploring Jasper, and watching the kids experience their first international adventure (we’d finally gotten their passports!). We had everything booked: flights, campsites, the whole itinerary mapped out.
And then, about a week before departure, I saw a post from someone I follow on Instagram mentioning fires near Jasper. Within hours, cancellation notices started hitting my inbox.
The Audible
If you’ve ever lived through wildfire season (we experienced the California fires a few years back), you know these situations don’t resolve quickly. The fire was growing, and even if we weren’t directly in its path, we’d be dealing with dangerous air quality and smoke. Add to that the fact that Banff sits in a valley with essentially one way in and one way out, and the decision became clear: we needed to pivot.
The first thing I did was cancel everything — flights, RV rental, hotels, campsites. And here’s the silver lining: despite not having trip insurance, every single vendor gave us full refunds. The travel industry really came through when we explained the situation.
But now what? None of us wanted to sit at home for two weeks. We started throwing out ideas: Iceland? Costa Rica? Turns out, some work logistics meant we couldn’t leave the country on such short notice. Hawaii was too far and too expensive to book last-minute. The Southwest? It’s summer — hard pass on that heat.
So we went southeast. Way southeast. All the way to the end of the road: Key West.
Why Key West Was Actually Available
Here’s something I learned very quickly: Key West in the summer is not hard to book. Turns out there’s a reason for that. We essentially ran from a wildfire and straight into the arms of hurricane season. But hey, we were committed at that point.
We flew into Fort Lauderdale, rented a car, and made the iconic drive down through the Keys. If you’ve never done that drive, it’s something else — bridges stretching across impossibly blue water, tiny islands dotting the horizon, and that feeling of leaving the mainland behind.
Resort Life (A Departure from Our Usual Style)
Normally, we’re Airbnb people. We like having space, a kitchen, the feeling of actually living somewhere rather than just visiting. But booking last-minute in Key West meant resorts were our best option. We split the trip between two different properties on opposite sides of the island.
I won’t sugarcoat it: resort stays in summer Key West are pricey. But the pools became our salvation during the hottest parts of the day, and having someone else handle the logistics was actually a nice change of pace after the stress of cancelling our entire original trip.
Making the Most of the Heat
Key West in July and August is hot. Like, aggressively hot. We quickly learned to structure our days around the weather: early mornings for exploring, midday for pool time or air-conditioned attractions, and evenings for wandering Duval Street and catching those famous sunsets.
The kids were surprisingly good sports about the heat, especially once they realized how much pool time they’d be getting. And honestly? There’s something to be said for slowing down. This wasn’t the hiking-intensive trip we’d planned, but it became something different — more relaxed, more spontaneous.
The Key West Essentials
We hit the classics: the Southernmost Point buoy (obligatory photo, obviously), Mallory Square for sunset, and plenty of walking through the historic district with its gorgeous old homes and tropical gardens.
The Ernest Hemingway Home was a highlight — the six-toed cats wandering everywhere, the beautiful Spanish colonial architecture, and the stories of Hemingway’s life there. Even the kids found it interesting, though they were mostly there for the cats.
We also made time for the Key West Aquarium, which was a hit with everyone. Walking through the museum both to cool off and to learn more about the reefs and marine life around Key West.
Water Adventures
You can’t visit Key West without getting in the water. We did some snorkeling and spent time at the beaches, though I’ll be honest — the beaches here aren’t the white sand stretches you might picture. They’re smaller, rockier, and very Key West in their laid-back charm.
The snorkeling was decent, and just being out on the water helped beat the heat. The turquoise color of the water down here is no joke — it really does look like the postcards.
Sunsets and Evening Magic
If there’s one thing Key West does better than almost anywhere else, it’s sunsets. Every evening, people gather at Mallory Square for the sunset celebration — street performers, artists, food vendors, and everyone facing west to watch the sky turn orange and pink.
We never got tired of it. Even the kids would stop and watch, which tells you something.
The Food Scene
Key West has serious food. We ate our weight in fresh seafood, found some excellent Cuban food, and yes, had key lime pie at multiple establishments (for research purposes, obviously).
Tips & Info
- Best time to visit: Honestly? Not summer. Spring or fall will be cooler and less humid. But if you do visit in summer, embrace the slower pace and plan around the heat.
- Getting there: We flew into Fort Lauderdale and drove down. The drive is about 4 hours but it’s scenic and worth doing at least once.
- Booking last-minute: Summer is off-season, so you’ll find availability. Just be prepared for higher prices at resorts and keep an eye on weather forecasts.
- Beat the heat: Do outdoor activities early morning or evening. Midday is for pools, museums, and air conditioning.
- Sunset at Mallory Square: Get there early for a good spot. It’s touristy but genuinely worth it.
- Cancellation policies: If you ever need to cancel due to natural disasters, be honest with vendors. We were amazed at how accommodating everyone was.
- Hurricane season: Runs June through November. Keep an eye on forecasts and have a flexible mindset. Travel insurance isn’t a bad idea.