Stay in clean and spacious private or dorm-style rooms (generally six to a room), relax in indoor and outdoor quiet areas, watch videos or TV on a big screen, and take affordable airboat, hiking, biking, and sightseeing tours (the all-day Everglades Tour is one of the most complete and affordable tours in the area and includes canoeing and a wet-walk). This privately owned facility is in a minimally restored Art Deco building on a lush, private acre between Everglades and Biscayne national parks, 20 mi north of Key Largo. At mealtime, enjoy a free all-you-can-make pancake breakfast in the communal kitchen, pitch in for a communal dinner (if one of the on-site volunteers is cooking, $5 each), or walk to a nearby restaurant. Pets are welcome in private rooms with a $20 refundable deposit. You can make free domestic long-distance calls from the phone in the lobby. Pros: affordable; Everglades tours; free services. Cons: communal living; no elevator; old structure.
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