Florida Keys
The Florida Keys is one of my favorite places to visit. I was fortunate enough to visit there often while growing up and recently have been able to go down there a couple of times. I highly recommend for anyone to make the trip down there. It can actually be a fairly cheap trip, depending on your activities.
One thing I’ve learned about the Florida Keys is that it’s actually like visiting a small town, rural area. Everything is more laid back in the keys. Dressing up is wearing your good sandals and you need to expect to not get anywhere quickly. There’s only one main road connecting the Florida Peninsula to Key West, Hwy 1. The highest the speed limit goes on that road is 55 (I believe). And it’s not surprising to get stuck behind a RV or tractor trailer or someone just enjoying the view. But that’s what you need to learn to do while driving through the Keys, enjoy the view. The view of the Atlantic and “Bayside” (the Gulf of Mexico) is only occasionally interrupted. I love how it looks like the water could just run over the road at any minute. And you can see for miles in both directions when you go over some of the bridges.
With this small town living, you should know that not everything is nearby. Sometimes you have to drive 30 minutes or more to get to a grocery store or restaurant. Make sure you check out the area where you’re staying before you go. Just in case you need to take along provisions if there’s not a coffee shop near by or a restaurant is 2 hours away. But as long as you’re prepared, it’s fine. And as long as you are on “island time” you can just relax and enjoy the view.
One thing I’ve learned about the Florida Keys is that it’s actually like visiting a small town, rural area. Everything is more laid back in the keys. Dressing up is wearing your good sandals and you need to expect to not get anywhere quickly. There’s only one main road connecting the Florida Peninsula to Key West, Hwy 1. The highest the speed limit goes on that road is 55 (I believe). And it’s not surprising to get stuck behind a RV or tractor trailer or someone just enjoying the view. But that’s what you need to learn to do while driving through the Keys, enjoy the view. The view of the Atlantic and “Bayside” (the Gulf of Mexico) is only occasionally interrupted. I love how it looks like the water could just run over the road at any minute. And you can see for miles in both directions when you go over some of the bridges.
With this small town living, you should know that not everything is nearby. Sometimes you have to drive 30 minutes or more to get to a grocery store or restaurant. Make sure you check out the area where you’re staying before you go. Just in case you need to take along provisions if there’s not a coffee shop near by or a restaurant is 2 hours away. But as long as you’re prepared, it’s fine. And as long as you are on “island time” you can just relax and enjoy the view.
One other thing that might surprise you about the Keys is that there aren't many beaches. Most of the beach areas are on the Bay side and the "sand" is more coral rock than crushed shells. Key West is a little different but just be prepared that there isn't a lot of public beach access like most of the East Coast has.
*Note, the easiest way to know where things are in the Keys is by mile marker. Most major places are located on Hwy 1 and addresses can be mile marker instead of number and street. For example if you see “mm 78.4” then it’s at Mile 78 and .4 of a mile. It makes things easy to find. Just know where your hotel is and you know how far the other place is.*
Since before I was born, my family has been staying at the Breezy Palms Resort on Islamorada. http://www.breezypalms.com/ This motel has been in the Keys for decades and has probably made it through dozens of hurricanes. It’s one of the few resorts that has its own docks with deep water access. There is also a neat sandbar that goes out from the dock that is exposed during low tide. You can swim right off the dock. Breezy Palms also has a pool and beach area with grills, chairs and some umbrellas. They have a few different types of rooms, from motel rooms to two bedroom suites, and the prices go as low as $69 (during off season). I would highly recommend getting at least a small efficiency while there, so you can save money buy making your own breakfast and/or lunch. The people at Breezy Palms are nice and eager to help in any way they can.
Breezy Palms says that their off season is August 16 - December 19. We went once during Thanksgiving. It was a good trip. The weather was nice enough that we didn’t need the AC but it was a little cool for going in the ocean. I think the water wasn’t too cold but it was breezy. My family usually likes to go in April or May. The water is warm enough and so is the air temperatures but it also is a windy time of year so the water can be choppy, especially if you’re out in a boat. I hear that during the summer the water is pretty flat but the trade off is then it’s hotter and the bugs get to you more. Again, I think it depends on what you want to do while there. If you aren’t interested in going out on a boat then the wind isn’t as much of a factor. But if you want to go out and not deal with seasickness, I would call a local and see what they recommend. *Don’t forget, hurricane season is June - October. You might not want to be stuck there during an evacuation or run the risk of your vacation being cancelled.
The nice thing about Breezy Palms and Islamorada is that it’s not too far from the mainland and not too far from grocery stores or restaurants. Islamorada is a pretty popular island and is known as the “Sportfishing Capitol of the World”. You’re actually about walking distance from a few restaurants and a marina.
For any of your water sports/fishing needs, I would recommend Bud ‘n Mary’s Marina. http://www.budnmarys.com Here you can rent a variety of types of boats through www.keysboatrental.com. They also have a Scuba diving shop called Key Dives, http://www.keydives.com/. This diving group is great. They are nice and helpful and do snorkeling and diving trips. I was able to do their “Discover Diving” trip where you spend the morning learning about diving and then go out on a shallow dive in the afternoon. You don’t go through all the certification classes for diving but you’re able to try it out and see what it’s like. The water was rough but we were able to see lots of neat sea life, like a sea turtle, a few eels, a sting ray and some Florida lobster. It was fun and a great experience. Our guide was great and patient!
There are also a few places in the area you can rent kayaks or stand up paddle boards for the day. Off of Islamorada there’s a place called Indian Key State Park. It’s a deserted island that was once inhabited. There are still some foundations from the homes and other constructions. You can paddle the kayaks out there on a calm day or take a boat. There are also mangrove trees you can explore with kayaks.
A couple nearby rental companies are:
Backcountry Cowboy Outdoor shop: http://www.backcountrycowboy.com or
I believe Robbie’s Marina rents kayaks as well: http://www.robbies.com/.
Some of my favorite non-swimming activities to do:
Theater of the Sea (on Islamorada), http://theaterofthesea.com/index.html. It’s a marine zoo-type place. They have mostly marine exhibits in a natural habitat. I love what they do here. They rehabilitate some marine animals and take care of those who can’t return to the wild. The “theater” is made from an old limestone quarry from the Flagler railroad construction. During one of the hurricanes the quarry was filled with water and they converted it into the Theater of the Sea. It pumps water in and out of the ocean to keep things more natural for the animals. They have a dolphin show, a sea lion show, a parrot show and tours to show you the turtles, alligators, and other animals they take care of. They also have a swimming with dolphins/rays/sea lions program and a small beach area that you can snorkel in. It’s a great place to take kids.
Also, further down the Keys, is the Seven-mile bridge. The original bridge hasn’t been completely demolished (the bridge from the railroad) and you can get to Pigeon Key http://www.pigeonkey.net/ where there is a museum about the building of the railroad.
You can look for Key Deer on Big Pine Key. They’re like miniature deer. They’re cute and an endangered species.
One other quirky thing (the Keys, and Florida, is full of quirky attractions) I saw when watching the Amazing Race recently: Jules’ Undersea Lodge Key Largo Undersea Park. http://www.jul.com/ This place cracks me up. It’s like it hasn’t been changed in 20+ years. So fun. We might check it out next time we’re in the Keys.
A popular attraction is John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. http://www.pennekamppark.com/
Ok so one more thing, food! My favorite restaurants on Islamorada:
Morada Bay restaurant - awesome beachy place that is laid back and what you’d expect out of a beach restaurant. They have sand and sun and a view of the Bay. They give chips and mango salsa before the meal that is so good! I was impressed. But be prepared to sit outside. There’s not much indoor seating. http://moradabay-restaurant.com/
Zane Grey Lounge - http://restaurants.basspro.com/ZaneGreyLounge/ - probably one of the best places on the island to watch the sun set. Below is a picture of a sunset we were able to watch from their deck. They have some food there but I would go just for drinks and the sunset. Morada Bay isn’t too far from here. Oh and fun thing, over near the Bass Pro Shop (where the Lounge is a part of) when we were there, there was a guy doing a fire show. It was neat to watch.
Lazy Days - http://www.lazydaysrestaurant.com/ Not too far from Breezy Palms is Lazy Days Restaurant. It’s a neat place on the ocean side. They have some great seafood. My husband had a broiled seafood platter that was, I believe, under $20. I enjoyed their food and they had a nice patio outside. I would go here for a nicer Keys dinner.
*Note, the easiest way to know where things are in the Keys is by mile marker. Most major places are located on Hwy 1 and addresses can be mile marker instead of number and street. For example if you see “mm 78.4” then it’s at Mile 78 and .4 of a mile. It makes things easy to find. Just know where your hotel is and you know how far the other place is.*
Since before I was born, my family has been staying at the Breezy Palms Resort on Islamorada. http://www.breezypalms.com/ This motel has been in the Keys for decades and has probably made it through dozens of hurricanes. It’s one of the few resorts that has its own docks with deep water access. There is also a neat sandbar that goes out from the dock that is exposed during low tide. You can swim right off the dock. Breezy Palms also has a pool and beach area with grills, chairs and some umbrellas. They have a few different types of rooms, from motel rooms to two bedroom suites, and the prices go as low as $69 (during off season). I would highly recommend getting at least a small efficiency while there, so you can save money buy making your own breakfast and/or lunch. The people at Breezy Palms are nice and eager to help in any way they can.
Breezy Palms says that their off season is August 16 - December 19. We went once during Thanksgiving. It was a good trip. The weather was nice enough that we didn’t need the AC but it was a little cool for going in the ocean. I think the water wasn’t too cold but it was breezy. My family usually likes to go in April or May. The water is warm enough and so is the air temperatures but it also is a windy time of year so the water can be choppy, especially if you’re out in a boat. I hear that during the summer the water is pretty flat but the trade off is then it’s hotter and the bugs get to you more. Again, I think it depends on what you want to do while there. If you aren’t interested in going out on a boat then the wind isn’t as much of a factor. But if you want to go out and not deal with seasickness, I would call a local and see what they recommend. *Don’t forget, hurricane season is June - October. You might not want to be stuck there during an evacuation or run the risk of your vacation being cancelled.
The nice thing about Breezy Palms and Islamorada is that it’s not too far from the mainland and not too far from grocery stores or restaurants. Islamorada is a pretty popular island and is known as the “Sportfishing Capitol of the World”. You’re actually about walking distance from a few restaurants and a marina.
For any of your water sports/fishing needs, I would recommend Bud ‘n Mary’s Marina. http://www.budnmarys.com Here you can rent a variety of types of boats through www.keysboatrental.com. They also have a Scuba diving shop called Key Dives, http://www.keydives.com/. This diving group is great. They are nice and helpful and do snorkeling and diving trips. I was able to do their “Discover Diving” trip where you spend the morning learning about diving and then go out on a shallow dive in the afternoon. You don’t go through all the certification classes for diving but you’re able to try it out and see what it’s like. The water was rough but we were able to see lots of neat sea life, like a sea turtle, a few eels, a sting ray and some Florida lobster. It was fun and a great experience. Our guide was great and patient!
There are also a few places in the area you can rent kayaks or stand up paddle boards for the day. Off of Islamorada there’s a place called Indian Key State Park. It’s a deserted island that was once inhabited. There are still some foundations from the homes and other constructions. You can paddle the kayaks out there on a calm day or take a boat. There are also mangrove trees you can explore with kayaks.
A couple nearby rental companies are:
Backcountry Cowboy Outdoor shop: http://www.backcountrycowboy.com or
I believe Robbie’s Marina rents kayaks as well: http://www.robbies.com/.
Some of my favorite non-swimming activities to do:
Theater of the Sea (on Islamorada), http://theaterofthesea.com/index.html. It’s a marine zoo-type place. They have mostly marine exhibits in a natural habitat. I love what they do here. They rehabilitate some marine animals and take care of those who can’t return to the wild. The “theater” is made from an old limestone quarry from the Flagler railroad construction. During one of the hurricanes the quarry was filled with water and they converted it into the Theater of the Sea. It pumps water in and out of the ocean to keep things more natural for the animals. They have a dolphin show, a sea lion show, a parrot show and tours to show you the turtles, alligators, and other animals they take care of. They also have a swimming with dolphins/rays/sea lions program and a small beach area that you can snorkel in. It’s a great place to take kids.
Also, further down the Keys, is the Seven-mile bridge. The original bridge hasn’t been completely demolished (the bridge from the railroad) and you can get to Pigeon Key http://www.pigeonkey.net/ where there is a museum about the building of the railroad.
You can look for Key Deer on Big Pine Key. They’re like miniature deer. They’re cute and an endangered species.
One other quirky thing (the Keys, and Florida, is full of quirky attractions) I saw when watching the Amazing Race recently: Jules’ Undersea Lodge Key Largo Undersea Park. http://www.jul.com/ This place cracks me up. It’s like it hasn’t been changed in 20+ years. So fun. We might check it out next time we’re in the Keys.
A popular attraction is John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. http://www.pennekamppark.com/
Ok so one more thing, food! My favorite restaurants on Islamorada:
Morada Bay restaurant - awesome beachy place that is laid back and what you’d expect out of a beach restaurant. They have sand and sun and a view of the Bay. They give chips and mango salsa before the meal that is so good! I was impressed. But be prepared to sit outside. There’s not much indoor seating. http://moradabay-restaurant.com/
Zane Grey Lounge - http://restaurants.basspro.com/ZaneGreyLounge/ - probably one of the best places on the island to watch the sun set. Below is a picture of a sunset we were able to watch from their deck. They have some food there but I would go just for drinks and the sunset. Morada Bay isn’t too far from here. Oh and fun thing, over near the Bass Pro Shop (where the Lounge is a part of) when we were there, there was a guy doing a fire show. It was neat to watch.
Lazy Days - http://www.lazydaysrestaurant.com/ Not too far from Breezy Palms is Lazy Days Restaurant. It’s a neat place on the ocean side. They have some great seafood. My husband had a broiled seafood platter that was, I believe, under $20. I enjoyed their food and they had a nice patio outside. I would go here for a nicer Keys dinner.
I hope you enjoy your trip to the Florida Keys! Feel free to leave a comment about your favorite place in the Keys.
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