Philliver's Travels Archives - Philliver's Travels

America

Where Is The Best Key Lime Pie In Key West?

May 6, 2026 1 Comment

Pic respectfully borrowed from AllRecipes.com

That pic above is not the best Key Lime pie in Key West. I will get to that shortly. Last week, on a whim, I took a trip to Key West to try as many Key Lime pies as possible so that I can help YOU have the best Key Lime experience when you visit Key West. This article will also be followed with another on Thursday regarding the best way to visit Key West and what you can do aside from having nine pieces of Key Lime pie in three days.

Moon Dog Cafe, 823 Whitehead St., Key West,

4. The first I tried was an evening outing. You know, it’s the evening and you just want something sweet? I walked about a half mile to have this piece of pie and it did not disappoint. They make a pretty nice Sangria too. Look at the meringue! It must have been 3 inches high. This was seriously a really good Key Lime pie. Definitely better than what I can find in upstate NY. There’s actually two Moon Dog locations. This one is not my winner…

This was my breakfast dessert at Blue Heaven, 729 Thomas St, Key West, FL 33040

3. This Key Lime was truly one of the top three on the island. And yes, I had a great breakfast and followed it up with Key Lime pie at 8:30 in the morning. What was as good as the Key Lime pie was the breakfast and the restaurant itself. It has a fantastic laid back atmosphere. I ate in their outside area and loved it. It has a phenomenal relaxed tropical feel.

El Meson de Pepe, Mallory Square, Key West

2. Those two pics are from El Meson de Pepe, a great Cuban restaurant. I had an incredible Cubano sandwich for lunch, which was way better than the one I get at Cheesecake Factory at home. Then of course I had this truly delicious piece of Key Lime pie. You can find this place in the Mallory Square area of Key West.

I went to nine different restaurants for my Key Lime quest to find the best Key Lime, but I won’t make you read about all of them. The next piece of Key Lime is my winner for best Key Lime Pie in Key West!

This wonderful creation is from Kermit’s Key Lime that has three locations in Key West

1. I can hear you through the internet: “But Phil, that doesn’t look like Key Lime pie! It’s chocolate and on a stick!

You’re darn right that it’s on a stick and it’s covered in chocolate. The first three pieces of pie I documented here are all great, but this has the awesomeness of Key Lime pie but with chocolate added and you can eat it on a stick while walking around outdoors. How many things in life are made worse by adding chocolate? Definitely not Key Lime pie when you’re in Key West.

Here’s a Phil idea I came up with on my Key Lime quest. Look back at the title picture at the top. It’s of a piece of Key Lime pie with a little lime slice for decoration. When you get that, take that little decorative lime slice and squeeze it so that it oozes lime juice all over your piece of pie. The tart lime flavor goes through the roof! Enjoy!

Thanks for reading and stop back tomorrow for tips on how to truly maximize you Key West trip!

~Phil

Destinations

How to Do Rome in Two Days!

April 11, 2026 3 Comments

If you remember my”Ten best times to use finger guns” post from last year, you’ll see that I’m true to form here.

Yes, it is possible to “do” Rome in two days! When I say Rome, I’m referring to the one in Italy, and not the Rome in upstate New York. The key for me was the starting line for this race. Race? Yes, the word race was burned into my brain because the Rome Marathon was going on during my weekend there, so I wasn’t the only one rushing around Rome.

Step 1: Book an AirBNB: The hotels will be way too expensive. Book your AirBNB about two months ahead and in the middle of the city. Rome is a very walkable city, but not so much if you’re dragging your suitcase with you. If you can get into the AirBNB early you can drop your luggage. If not, there are several “Store Your Luggage” places. It’s usually a small unmanned shop with the front door unlocked during the day and you can rent a locker big enough for your luggage.

Step 2: Booking Flights: If you’re in the States or any country even further west, You’ll want to take an overnight flight and plan to land in the morning. If you’re coming from the States, you’ll probably be leaving from New York City, Boston, Washington, D.C., or Atlanta. The overnight flight gets you there in time to have a decent morning. The Rome airport is about 45 minutes from the actual city of Rome, so you might want to plan a car rental, or just schedule an airport bus pick-up that will drop you near your AirBNB. I would go with the bus from the airport because it’s going to be very difficult to find parking in Rome.

Step 3: GPSMyCity: This app will organize your list of attractions and help you create the most logical schedule. Despite Rome being a big, busy city, it’s surprisingly walkable. I realize that “walkable” is different for different people. In a day, I was getting about 25,000 steps. If it’s hot, or rainy, or you just don’t like walking that much, there are plenty of cabs and Ubers around. Nothing is too far away.

Step 4: Tour Guides: I know that we all hate paying for tour guides because we all know how to get to places on our own. There are, however, some times that I would recommend getting in a group tour. Why? 1. Because at many of the busiest attractions in Rome, such as the Vatican and Basilica, people line up early in the morning to get in and may wait a few hours. If you go there with a tour guide you get let in with very little wait and way earlier than the hordes of people that just show up on their own.

2. Tour guides know all kinds of details and stories about the place you are touring, and one of the most important things they know is where the restrooms are.

Step 5: Wander Rome on your own with no plans. Rome is a beautiful city with hundreds of surprising monuments and art works around every corner. Boy do they love sculptures! Also, stop for brunch, or lunch or dinner, wherever. There’s plenty of fantastic restaurants that have tables out on the sidewalk and into the street just about everywhere. The food is unbeliveably good.

The coffee is great, and the pizza is different and phenomanal at every restaurant.

Step 6: The Trevi Fountain: It’s believed that if you throw a coin into the Trevi Fountain, using your right hand to throw it over your left shoulder, you will return to the city. Apparently that’s accurate because this was my second trip to Rome. But the practice of going to the Trevi Fountain changed just a couple months ago when Rome announced that it will cost you two Euros between 9:00 a.m. and 10:00pm. On your second day in Rome and get up early and walk to the Trevi fountain before 9:00 a.m. then go to the Trevi Fountain McDonalds for coffee. I kid you not, there really is a McDonalds next to the fountain.

That’s how to do Rome and see everything you want in just two days. Next up, Tuscany wine country…

beaches

Visiting Santa Monica, California.

October 25, 2025 1 Comment

In the immortal words of Sheryl Crow, “All I want to do is have some fun until the sun comes up over Santa Monica Boulevard“. I recently did exactly that. I enjoyed nine days in Santa Monica, California. Sorry that I wasn’t up early enough to get a pic of the sun rising over Santa Monica Boulevard for you. What can make up for that would be you taking a vacation in Santa Monica. It’s basically a suburb of Los Angeles. But if you’re planning to go to Los Angeles, for your own happiness, stay in Santa Monica.

Santa Monica is many things and all of them good. The most epic and unmissable things in Santa Monica is the pier and Benny Blanco who walks around there incessantly.

When you get to the end of Santa Monica Boulevard, you’ll find Pallisades Park, where the ocean meets the land. If you like beaches, this is one to put on your bucket list.

The beach is fantastic, but it’s not the whole show. When you’re at the beach you can’t miss a stroll on the Santa Monica Pier. It’s got food and entertainment for everyone. There’s of course the iconic ferris wheel and the roller coaster.

For real travel buffs and thousands of people who like to traverse the country in cars or by motorcycle, the Santa Monica Pier is also the end of the world famous Route 66.

The Pallisade Park is great but if you keep walking south, you’ll run right into Venice Beach. It’s a blending of any and every type of person and everyone is proud to be showing off whether it be the skateboarders, artists, musicians, street corner evangelists, and weight lifters at the Venice Beach outdoor gym. Occasionally you might even find me there.

The great thing about Santa Monica is that you can enjoy it without going into the big city of Los Angeles. It’s near but not near enough that you ever feel like you’re in the city. For those of you who love shopping, Santa Monica has a couple nice malls and one street that is blocked off from traffic and you can spend a nice, warm evening with a drink in your hand walking, shopping, and eating. And apparently, if you’re in Santa Monica long enough you’ll probable run into Benny Blanco (music producer and Selena Gomez‘s husband) whom we saw twice in one day just strolling around talking on his phone. We were like, “Doesn’t this guy have something else to do? Isn’t Selena wondering where he is?”

If you’re visiting anywhere in Southern California, do yourself a favor and stay in Santa Monica while you take day trips to all the touristy stuff.

And where else in the world are you going to find a big, teal hotel that overlooks the ocean?

I didn’t stay here, but I vow to do so the next time I go back to Santa Monica. If you have any specific questions about Santa Monica, feel free to put them in the comments.

Thanks for reading! Have a great weekend! ~Phil

Airline flying

I LOVE AIRPORTS! (and which ones ranked the highest)

September 17, 2025 No Comments

Ok, to be fair, I don’t love all airports. My home airport, not great. It’s a small city airport with only 24 gates and one place to get coffee, so you can imagine what that line looks like at 7:00 in the morning.

But, even though my home airport isn’t a shopping mall like some airports, there’s one moment in every trip out of my home airport that makes me smile. That moment when I get through TSA and I’m in the terminal. It feels like all the worries of day to day life are gone. Getting through security means that I’m on vacation. My job doesn’t exist, the chores and work at home dissolve into fuzzy memories. At that moment it feels like the world is mine. Does anyone else have this feeling?

Portland International Airport Main terminal.

So, back to airports. Let’s talk about what makes then good.

1. Getting people on planes: For me, how efficiently I get through security is one of my pet peeves. Some airports are well staffed and move the line quickly while others seem as if they’re surprised all these people showed up first thing in the morning. In the 2025 Skytrax World Airport Awards, Copenhagen was number 1. If you’d liked to see the rest of Skytrax top ten list of World’s Best Security Screenings, click HERE.

2. Food and Drink choices: When you’ve got a 3 to 4 hour layover, you’re going to need to eat. Some airport options are dicey, or completely mid as the kids would say. When I’m on vacation and have to live in an airport like Tom Hanks for the next four hours, I don’t want to slug down another badly made fast food meal. Singapore’s Changi Airport was ranked N0. 1 by Skytrax in 2025. (Click the Skytrax link for the full list.) Some of their best restaurants are Jumbo Seafood for Chinese seafood, Kaveri Indian Vegetarian for fast Indian food, and Ya Kun Kaya for Singaporean breakfast.

3. The Washrooms (eye roll) How many times have you walked into an airport washroom, saw the lines and the place looks like that time you made your kids clean the bathroom, then you turn around and walk out, saying to yourself, “I’d rather wait and go on the plane.” The Skytrax Awards have thought of everything. And… toilet paper roll, the winner is Singapore Changi Airport. (click for the full list)

I live in the States and I often have to fly through New York City to get a flight to elsewhere and lately the Starbucks in the New York City airports (LaGuardia, JFK, & Newark) are offering mugs with an image depicting the flavor of each of the five boroughs. (Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx, Manhattan & Yonkers) For fun I’m getting a new mug with a different borough each time I go to or pass through New York City. My favorite NYC airport is LaGuardia for the three things I highlighted here. The last time I was there I had a great lunch at an Italian restaurant.

Those are my make or break choices for what makes an airport feel like home away from home. Which ones do you agree or disagree with? What are your pet peeve airport likes and dislikes? What about lounges?

Have a great day and travel safe!

Travel Tips

Be Kareful With Your Hotel Keurig

May 31, 2023 No Comments

I love my morning coffee as much as anyone else, and I love it brewed in about 30 seconds by a Keurig. In fact, I try not to stay in hotels that don’t have a Keurig in every room.

Keurig’s are great machines, and I have no problem with them. What I do have a problem with is looking into the water receptacle of a Keurig in my hotel room and seeing that it is full of black mold. That is not Keurig’s fault.

It’s the fault of the hotel and the housekeeping staff. I know the picture above isn’t very clear, but I’m sure that you can imagine the queasy feeling I had when I discovered that mold in the coffee maker that I had already used once.

A word of advice, look into the water receptacle of your hotel room Keurig before you use it.

Safe travels ~Phil

Destinations

Weird New Year’s Traditions From All Over The World

December 31, 2021 No Comments

As I’ve done with other Top Ten lists, one of these is fake and the first person to pick the right one can have a paperback or Kindle version of one of my books. (Yes, I realize that’s not a big incentive and might in fact scare some people away)

10. Wearing Colorful Underwear: In many Latin American Countries, as well as Spain and Italy, wearing different color underwear is supposed to bring different kinds of luck or prosperity in the new year. White is thought to bring peace and harmony, and red obviously is for love and romance. I wonder what purple does for you? (asking for a friend)

9. Plate smashing in Denmark? Apparently people in Denmark smash dishes and plates on their neighbors doors to bring good luck. Really? That sounds like vandalism to me. I wonder if I could get away with doing that here in the States. I’d just tell the police that I’m Danish.

8. Ecuador Effigies: In Ecuador they burn effigies, called año viejo, of public figures like actors, music stars or politicians at midnight in order to banish any bad luck or ill-will from the previous. I don’t know about you, but I don’t think that I’d love the idea of people burning a scarecrow of me. I’d be worrying what comes next.

Picture rights: Imaginative-Traveller.com

7. Beware Falling Furniture: At midnight in South Africa people throw their old appliances and furniture out the window. Man, what I wouldn’t give to be a furniture salesman on January 1st!

6. April New Year’s in Thailand? April 13th-15th is the start of the New Year in Thailand because that is the start of the New Year for their religion, Theravada Buddhism. They celebrate by having a big water fight, believing that symbolically throwing water on each others washes away bad luck. Now that’s a New Year’s tradition I’d enjoy! Where I live, if we threw water on each other on New Year’s Day, everyone would get frostbite.

5. In Bangladesh, Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is: The New Year is celebrated by everyone in the family eating a pastry, with wine, at midnight and if you find a coin in your pastry, you will have good fortune in the coming year. Yikes! That sounds dangerous. I hope they’re chocolate coins!

4. The Psychic Germans! In Germany they melt small pieces of lead in a spoon over a flame, then pour the melted metal into cold water. The shapes formed by the Bleigießen (lead pouring) reveal how good their coming year will be. If the lead forms a ball, luck is going to roll your way. If it’s the shape of a crown, that means good luck with money, while a star signifies happiness and a cross will bring death. Wow, that is kind of terrible isn’t it?

3. Travel Insurance in Colombia: In Colombia you might think that once the clock strikes midnight everyone is trying to flee the country because you’ll see many people running around their house or even their entire block with a suitcase. They believe that doing so will ensure good travels in the coming year.

2. All The Single Ladies in Ireland…are hoping he’ll put a ring on it. Apparently the single women in Ireland put mistletoe (which apparently wasn’t effective at Christmas) under their pillows and then burn it in a fire the next day hoping to lure the love of their life. Geez, I hope they take it out from under their pillow before setting it on fire. If I’m in Ireland and I meet a girl who likes to set things on fire, I am probably going to run the other direction.

1. Some people Like their grapes in wine…: This one was contributed by my friend, international travel writer Bel Woodhouse (follow her on IG @thetravelbag.guru) In Mexico they eat 12 grapes at midnight. Some eat them one with each toll of the bell to bring good luck in the coming year. What happens if you have a grape allergy? Are those people just out of luck? That doesn’t sound like a fair tradition. Personally, I’ll just drink enough wine to ensure that I’ve taken in 12 grapes. That’s at least one bottle, right?

Ok, remember that I said one of these was made up? The first person to guess it in the comments gets a free paperback or Kindle copy of one of my books. Happy New Year to each and every one of you. I’d better get going if I want to squeeze all ten of these traditions at midnight! ~Phil

America

50 States in 60 Days! We’re Not In Kansas Anymore!

December 23, 2021 No Comments

State Nickname: The Sunflower State.

Kansas Fun Facts: Kansas still has a law on the books that prohibits shooting at rabbits from a motorboat. Kansas shares their capital city, Kansas City with Missouri.

Best Thing About Kansas: BAR B QUE! If you love some pulled pork or beef brisket, Kansas is your state. Their barbecue sauce is world renown and with good reason. In Kansas when they baptize children, they dip them in barbecue sauce instead of holy water.

Worst Thing About Kansas: Like Iowa, Kansas has a lot of tornadoes. So many that Kansas’ unofficial nickname is “Tornado Alley.”

Best Movies Made in Kansas: Terms of Endearment (1983), Dances with Wolves (1990), Friday Night Lights (2004). That’s it. There was a list of about 25 movies made in Kansas, but these three were the only ones I recognized.

In my research I found that Kansas does have some beaches, but they’re not like a day staring at the ocean. Kansas is landlocked. It is smack dab in the middle of the country. I’ve never been there and don’t plan to go, unless a Super Bowl is held there and someone gives me free tickets. It’s a lot like Iowa. It’s identity is tied up with farming and college and pro sports.

Right now, I’m not seeing Kansas as much of a draw for tourism, unless you want to watch sports, dodge tornadoes and eat yourself sick on barbecue.

Safe travels! ~Phil

America

50 States in 60 Days: Iowa: The Hog Capital of The World

December 22, 2021 No Comments

“I come from Des Moines. Somebody had to.”~Bill Bryson. I guess that explains why author Bill Bryson now lives in England.

State Nickname: The Hawkeye State. This nickname for the state of Iowa is said to have come from the scout, Hawkeye, in James Fenimore Cooper’s The Last of the Mohicans published in 1826. Has anyone alive this century read that book?

Iowa Fun Fact: In Iowa, hogs outnumber people 4:1. If hogs ever get any smarter, they could probably take over the state. Who am I kidding? It’s possible the hogs are already smarter. If hogs outnumber people 4:1, that whole state must stink like hog crap. (Iowans are going to hate me)

Best Thing About Iowa: Iowa has the best literacy rate in the country. Iowans have to stay smart otherwise the hogs are going to take over. Also, Iowa is where Ozzy Osbourne bit the head off of a bat back in the 1980’s. There’s also the world renowned Iowa State Fair. I’m told that if you want to know what the mid-west is about, go to the Iowa State Fair.

Worst Thing About Iowa: The weather. According to native Iowans, in the summer it’s brutally hot and humid and in the winter it’s brutally cold, with temps often below zero. Lesson learned: Visit Iowa in the Spring and Fall.

FIELD OF DREAMS, Ray Liotta, Kevin Costner, 1989, (c) Universal/courtesy Everett Collection

Best Movies Made In Iowa: Twister (1996), I really enjoyed this movie. Field of Dreams (1989). Ghosts playing baseball?!!? It still gets me in the heart. Michael (1996) It’s got John Travolta & Andie MacDowell! How can you go wrong? It was actually a pretty decent movie. Children of The Corn (1984) I’ve never seen it. I think it’s a vegetarian movie.

My big question: Do they have a beach? The answer is yes! They have several beaches on freshwater rivers and lakes.

In summary, I’ve never been to Iowa, and I’m not likely to plan a vacation there, but if I find myself stranded at the Iowa State Fair or one of their beaches, I wouldn’t mind.

Safe travels! ~Phil

America

50 States in 60 Days: Indiana! (Not Jones)

December 21, 2021 No Comments

If you haven’t figured it out yet, when I travel, I’m going to be looking for beaches. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Indiana has a nice beachfront on Lake Michigan.

State Nickname: The Hoosier State. Hey Indianans, what’s a Hoosier? According to Wikipedia, no one is 100% sure where that word came from. It could be an ancient curse for all we know. That would explain why Indiana is the way it is.

Indiana Fun Fact: Elvis Presley’s last concert was in Indiana. Way to go Indy, you killed the King.

Best Thing About Indiana: You rarely have to walk outside in downtown Indianapolis. There’s an extensive system of skywalks all over the downtown area.

Worst Thing About Indiana: To be honest, the things I found online regarding the worsts things about Indiana were plentiful, such as they have lots of tornadoes and meth busts. More of both than almost all the states. Also, if you want to mitigate the stress from the meth and tornadoes, you can’t buy alcohol on Sundays in Indiana. Thanks Mike Pence.

Best Movies Made In Indiana: The Fault in Our Stars, Hoosiers, A Christmas Story, and Close Encounters. Footloose was actually a documentary about Indiana.

If you love basketball and conservatism, Indiana is definitely a state you should visit. I’ve driven through it on my way to Chicago, but I don’t think I’ve ever stopped the car and gotten out. It just seemed safer that way, with the tornadoes and meth labs everywhere. As a vacation spot, I don’t think I’d ever choose Indiana unless the Super Bowl was being played there and I won tickets. Then again, why would the National Football League have a Super Bowl on Sunday in a state where no one can buy a beer at the game?

America

What’s All The Illinoise About?

December 19, 2021 No Comments

I know I said I was going to write up 50 states in 50 days, but apparently fate doesn’t like when we make plans. I didn’t write yesterday because I was taking a short trip to visit some friends overnight. “No problem,” I figured, “I’ll just write about two states tomorrow.” Yesterday in Western New York, there was a tremendous windstorm. Certainly not of the magnitude of the tornadoes in other states, and my thoughts are with those impacted by that. In western New York the winds we got were enough to have widespread power outages and damages to trees and structures. I got home safely but had no power when I got there. I’m writing this on a word document with the last bit of charge my laptop has. Fingers crossed that I’ll get power back later today. So, let’s say I’ll get 50 states in 60 days written up.

Today I’m writing about the wonderful state of Illinois. My experience of Illinois is mainly with the Chicago area, but in my research, I’ll try to find highlights outside the Chicago metropolitan area.

Illinois state nickname: The Prairie State. Ironically the state best known for it’s one big city, is nicknamed after prairies. Apparently, the northern two thirds of Illinois is just prairies.

That’s not pollution. They dye the river green
for St. Patrick’s Day every year.

Illinois Fun Fact: Illinois is home to the only river that runs backwards. To combat the pollution of the Chicago River, around 1900 the Sanitary District of Chicago began implementing a system of locks and canals that reversed the flow of water from Lake Michigan, diverting the water to the newly constructed Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal.

Best Thing About Illinois: Chicago Deep Dish Pizza. You all know what a normal slice of pizza looks like. Chicago pizza is deep. It looks like a big, thick piece of pie filled with copious amounts of chunky sauce and cheese.

Worst Thing About Illinois: Although most Illinoians would tell you that the Chicago Bears are the worst thing about Illinois, I found many references online mentioning high taxes.

I did this when I went to the top of the Willis Tower

Best Movies Made in Illinois: The Blues Brothers (1980), The Breakfast Club (1985), Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986), Field of Dreams, (1989), Home Alone (1990) and Home Sweet Home Alone (2021), Gone Girl (2014). Those are just a handful. Chicago is a popular setting for movies.

As I said, my experience with Illinois is solely based on Chicago, and it’s a city I heartily recommend visiting, in the summer. In the winter it’s going to be windy and bitter cold most of the time. In the summer it’s a beautiful place with beaches and walkways along the river and Lake Michigan.

One of the most iconic stadiums in all of sports

(via Getty Images) I sat in the bleachers above the famous ivy covered outfield wall for a game.

There are ball games to be watched at two of the most revered baseball stadiums in the country. During other parts of the year there is professional football, basketball, and hockey. Those sports are also available at the college level as well. Chicago is also home to the Willis (formerly Sears) Tower that was part of a memorable scene in Ferris Bueller. You can take a heck of a long elevator ride to the observation deck for a spectacular view.

Chicago also has an airport that wants your marijuana. I’m betting that container is empty.

I did not put anything in this…or did I?

Suffice it to say, I like Chicago, but I have no idea why they like that big, silver bean in the top picture. It’s now been made a formal law that you have to take your picture with it if you visit Chicago. If you’re going to Illinois, go to visit Chicago in the summer. It’s a great city with a lot to do. Have a great weekend!

Safe travels! ~Phil