Vacationing in the Florida Keys
Aug 16th, 2015, 04:13 PM
#1
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Vacationing in the Florida Keys
We're planning a trip in November or December in the Florida Keys. Would like to fly to Key West since Miami would be a drive down. We'd like to stay 5 days.or so.Looking for places to stay with breakfast incl. and would love ideas for day trips. We like to snorkel but want to enjoy Hwy 1 drives. Thanks for any ideas!
Aug 16th, 2015, 06:53 PM
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You actually might want to fly into Miami or Ft. Lauderdale so that you can make the scenic drive down the Overseas Highway to Key West. We certainly enjoyed it!
The best snorkeling we found was in Bahia Hondo State Park (with John C. Pennecamp State Park running a close second). My adult children took the boat to the Dry Tortugas and snorkeled there. While they enjoyed the boat ride and touring the historic fort, they did not find the snorkeling all that good.
With 5 days for this trip, you might find spending it all in Key West too long. On our trip, we spent 3 nights in Key West and 2 nights in Key Largo.
The best snorkeling we found was in Bahia Hondo State Park (with John C. Pennecamp State Park running a close second). My adult children took the boat to the Dry Tortugas and snorkeled there. While they enjoyed the boat ride and touring the historic fort, they did not find the snorkeling all that good.
With 5 days for this trip, you might find spending it all in Key West too long. On our trip, we spent 3 nights in Key West and 2 nights in Key Largo.
Aug 17th, 2015, 03:53 AM
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Under the category of To Each His Own: I have found the drive from Miami to Key West to be a tedious and boring 3 hours. I wouldn't fly into Miami and drive to KW unless doing so resulted in a big saving on airfare.
Aug 17th, 2015, 05:17 AM
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I didn't mention where I stayed because you wanted breakfast included.
We stayed at the Parrot Key Resort, which is about a mile outside the main district. You can walk or bike into town, or there's a shuttle bus. The PKR is apartments and townhouses that's mostly good for multiple couples who want to share a place. We've stayed there with two other couples.
It's not the place to stay if you want to be in the center of the action.
We stayed at the Parrot Key Resort, which is about a mile outside the main district. You can walk or bike into town, or there's a shuttle bus. The PKR is apartments and townhouses that's mostly good for multiple couples who want to share a place. We've stayed there with two other couples.
It's not the place to stay if you want to be in the center of the action.
Aug 17th, 2015, 06:31 AM
#7
We used to go for a week and stayed in Islamorada. It was a perfect vacation for us. Flew into Fort Lauderdale (like the airport better) and used the mid-Keys location as a base for exploring. Only went to Key West as a day trip.
It depends on what you like to do.
If you like to snorkel, you must go to Pennekemp State Park.
http://pennekamppark.com/
Key Largo
We used to go out with Capt. Anne Baxter for a day on the water. She would take us snorkeling and on eco-tours. I think she's retired but another captain has taken over the business.
http://easyadventures.net/
Islamorada
Stop and feed the tarpons at Robbie's -
Islamorada
The keys aren't known for beaches, but Bahia Honda has a great beach -
http://bahiahondapark.com/
Our favorite sunset meal was at Zane Grey's, second floor of the Worldwide Sports store, overlooking the marina -
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...s_Florida.html
Just love the casual vibe of the lounge - and the smoked fish dip and shrimp entrees.
It depends on what you like to do.
If you like to snorkel, you must go to Pennekemp State Park.
http://pennekamppark.com/
Key Largo
We used to go out with Capt. Anne Baxter for a day on the water. She would take us snorkeling and on eco-tours. I think she's retired but another captain has taken over the business.
http://easyadventures.net/
Islamorada
Stop and feed the tarpons at Robbie's -
Islamorada
The keys aren't known for beaches, but Bahia Honda has a great beach -
http://bahiahondapark.com/
Our favorite sunset meal was at Zane Grey's, second floor of the Worldwide Sports store, overlooking the marina -
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...s_Florida.html
Just love the casual vibe of the lounge - and the smoked fish dip and shrimp entrees.
Aug 17th, 2015, 09:31 AM
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The drive down the Keys is one of the most scenic drives we have ever taken. If you like drives, I highly recommend it. We started off with visiting the Ahinga Trail: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anhinga_Trail and then continued on stopping at Bahia Honda and John Pennekemp. You could take a couple days at Islamorada or Key Largo and visit these areas and then on to Key West for a couple more days.
We stayed two days in Key West at a B&B with full breakfast in the morning and cocktails in the evening but I don't remember the name. There are many however, I would just recommend staying within walking distance to Mallory Square. https://www.mallorysquare.com/
We stayed two days in Key West at a B&B with full breakfast in the morning and cocktails in the evening but I don't remember the name. There are many however, I would just recommend staying within walking distance to Mallory Square. https://www.mallorysquare.com/
Aug 17th, 2015, 09:33 AM
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We stayed at the Heron House in Key West and truly enjoyed it. It's a B&B for adults only, located near Duval Street. Its location is convenient for walking everywhere. We did have a car but didn't use it much.
Aug 17th, 2015, 10:54 AM
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I like the Island City House, but they no longer serve breakfast. They do have kitchens, though.
www.islandcityhouse.com
www.islandcityhouse.com
Aug 17th, 2015, 04:06 PM
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http://www.compass-realty.com/ You could also think about renting and cook your own breakfast. Truman annex is a great area to stay at in Key West. I like the drive down, hate the drive home.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...s_Florida.html
Just had the best baguette and pastry from there. My husband knows to stop and bring me something. Great Cuban place beside it.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...s_Florida.html
Just had the best baguette and pastry from there. My husband knows to stop and bring me something. Great Cuban place beside it.
Aug 18th, 2015, 01:20 PM
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I thought the drive was pretty and fun to make stops along the way that interest you. We stayed 3 nights in Key West at the Artist House B&B and thought it was great and within walking distance of everything. The highlight of the trip for us was the seaplane trip to snorkel at Dry Tortugas NP. The views of ship wreaks, islands and ocean from above are not to be missed. If you have one splurge make it this. We also enjoyed the Truman Little White House and the Hemingway House tours.
We also spent a night in Key Largo at Dove Creek Lodge which was great. The Diving Museum nearby was worth a stop. The day we were going to go snorkeling at JPSP was too rough so we took the Glass Bottom boat tour which turned out to be a pleasant surprise.
Enjoy!
We also spent a night in Key Largo at Dove Creek Lodge which was great. The Diving Museum nearby was worth a stop. The day we were going to go snorkeling at JPSP was too rough so we took the Glass Bottom boat tour which turned out to be a pleasant surprise.
Enjoy!
