Florida Keys revisited
So recently we were able to go to the Florida Keys again and it was just as enjoyable as before. I must say, if you have never been to the Florida Keys, or if your only experience was Key West, you really should try to make the trip. They're so unique. It just makes me happy to see the beautiful water in so many shades of blue when you cross over the bridge.
We didn't get a chance this time to try many new places but we enjoyed visiting the places we have been before.
Like Morada Bay Restaurant
and Islamorada Fish Company
(We've been here before and it can get crowded but it's a good family place and there's a lot you can do while waiting for a table)
and staying at Breezy Palms.
This time at Breezy Palms, we saw some manatees as well as some iguanas. Apparently iguanas aren't native to the keys and they want to get rid of them. But they are interesting to watch, wandering around. Also, I'm sure they don't want manatees hanging around too much, since they have a boat dock and they don't want them to get hurt.
We were able to take a day trip to Pigeon Key Historical Site. It took about an hour to drive there from Islamorada. Then we took the 10 a.m. ferry to the island, got a tour and had our lunch before heading back about 12:30 p.m.
It cost us $12 a person for the trip. You can also walk the 2 mile section of the bridge from Marathon but if you visit Pigeon Key, they still ask that you pay the fee (it's less for residents and children).
Pigeon Key was set up as a camp for the workers building the railroad in the Keys. Then it was also used when they changed the railroad into a road for cars. The original bridge has been taken out of service as they built new bridges some years ago. But here you can still see the original bridges that Flagler built and learn about how he was able to get a train all the way to Key West. The Florida Keys would be completely different today if the railroad was never built.
A neat thing about Pigeon Key is that you can actually stay on the island. They have a house that sleeps 10 with two bathrooms and a full kitchen. It's been recently updated and would have a great view of the sunset. I was told that you can rent a golf cart to get back and forth to the main land, or use the ferry and use their dock for your own boat. There are tours going on during the day but they're only for a few hours. And the snorkeling around the island looks really neat but I would watch out for the currents.
Another place we visited was Anne's Beach. It's a public park that is free and has a few places where you can sit on a small beach area or walk out and fish or snorkel. It's on the ocean side at mile marker 80. It can get crowded and when we were there it was high tide so it was difficult to find much of a beach area. But it's worth checking out, just plan ahead.
After this trip, I'm hoping to go back sometime in the late summer/early fall. That's their off season and rates are cheaper. Just make sure there aren't any hurricanes and drive down. Hopefully we can get in a good snorkeling trip this time.
I also want to check out the Turtle Hospital (you can 'adopt' a sea turtle!).
We didn't get a chance this time to try many new places but we enjoyed visiting the places we have been before.
Like Morada Bay Restaurant
 |
| The view from our table at Morada Bay. |
(We've been here before and it can get crowded but it's a good family place and there's a lot you can do while waiting for a table)
 |
| The sunset from the docks at Islamorada Fish Company |
This time at Breezy Palms, we saw some manatees as well as some iguanas. Apparently iguanas aren't native to the keys and they want to get rid of them. But they are interesting to watch, wandering around. Also, I'm sure they don't want manatees hanging around too much, since they have a boat dock and they don't want them to get hurt.
We were able to take a day trip to Pigeon Key Historical Site. It took about an hour to drive there from Islamorada. Then we took the 10 a.m. ferry to the island, got a tour and had our lunch before heading back about 12:30 p.m.
It cost us $12 a person for the trip. You can also walk the 2 mile section of the bridge from Marathon but if you visit Pigeon Key, they still ask that you pay the fee (it's less for residents and children).
Pigeon Key was set up as a camp for the workers building the railroad in the Keys. Then it was also used when they changed the railroad into a road for cars. The original bridge has been taken out of service as they built new bridges some years ago. But here you can still see the original bridges that Flagler built and learn about how he was able to get a train all the way to Key West. The Florida Keys would be completely different today if the railroad was never built.
A neat thing about Pigeon Key is that you can actually stay on the island. They have a house that sleeps 10 with two bathrooms and a full kitchen. It's been recently updated and would have a great view of the sunset. I was told that you can rent a golf cart to get back and forth to the main land, or use the ferry and use their dock for your own boat. There are tours going on during the day but they're only for a few hours. And the snorkeling around the island looks really neat but I would watch out for the currents.
Another place we visited was Anne's Beach. It's a public park that is free and has a few places where you can sit on a small beach area or walk out and fish or snorkel. It's on the ocean side at mile marker 80. It can get crowded and when we were there it was high tide so it was difficult to find much of a beach area. But it's worth checking out, just plan ahead.
After this trip, I'm hoping to go back sometime in the late summer/early fall. That's their off season and rates are cheaper. Just make sure there aren't any hurricanes and drive down. Hopefully we can get in a good snorkeling trip this time.
I also want to check out the Turtle Hospital (you can 'adopt' a sea turtle!).
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