I am planning a trip starting April 3rd .. yes , I know its the busiest time but the only time the whole family can go.
I am booking a townhouse on the bay for 7 days. First of all, is the bay a part of the gulf? I thought one side was the Atlantic and the other was the Gulf.
I am bringing my husband and 12 yr old daughter. Can a 12 year old go out deep-sea fishing on the charters? I am pretty sure she would enjoy it.How far is it to the Everglades? Is there enough to do there for a whole day? No hiking please!
Parisailing close by ?
Any suggestions for the whole 7 dasy will be very helpful! None of us scubba dive so that seems to count out a lot.
Thanks!

It's beautiful. It's been a while since I have been there but I'm pretty sure they haven't moved the Everglades and that is a LONG way away. I'd be pretty sure she can go on a charter.

The Florida Bay is the upper part of the Gulf of Mexico so yes, you are on the Gulf.

Deep sea fishing isn't 50 miles offshore like it is in the rest of the Southeast US so it is relatively painless. Only a mile or so offshore to get to the Gulf Stream.

No real hiking in the keys.

Plan on a snorkel trip. Feed the tarpon at Robbies. Take a day trip to Key West.

The Everglades are not that far away and it would be a nice day trip for you. Head back to Florida City on the mainland (about 1 hour away). You'll see signs for Everglades National Park at the intersection with the big Shell gas station. Turn left and follow the signs to the visitor center. Make a stop coming or going at Robert is Here fruit stand for fun fruits and great shakes. (Key Lime Strawberry is my favorite). Take a quick stop in the visitor center and then head to the Anhinga Trail. It's a boardwalk (maybe a mile long - not a hike). You'll see lots of wildlife. You'll spend about 3 hours in the Everglades with this plan. There's no food in the park so take a lunch or head back to Key Largo for a late lunch.
They have parasailing at the Sheraton (mm 97 or so). Call the watersports desk at Cheeca Lodge and see if they still have parasailing.
Take your daughter fishing (and good luck with that!). If you catch something, the local restaurants will cook it up for you for a nominal cost.

Have at least one dinner at Morada Bay (next to World Wide Sportsman) in Islamorada.

There is a bowling alley in Islamorada (the Fishbowl) that can be a fun family evening. There's a movie theater in Tavernier Town (mm 90 or so).
If you have a townhouse, I assume you have a kitchen. You'll go to the Winn Dixie in Tavernier Town for supplies. Be sure to get a Winn Dixie customer card if you don't have one.
Tav Town also has a book store/coffee place. I encourage you to buy a book from a local writer and have some coffee. I want to keep the book store open!
There is a great gym, Froggy's, in Tavernier. You can pay for one work-out or get a card for several days.
Ditto the tarpon feeding at Robbies.
Have a great trip!

Thanks for the replies everyone !
Keysmom, Can you recommend a condo or townhouse that is reasonable and clean ? I am afraid of the pictures on vrbo, sometimes they can be deceiving. I want a place with oceanfront that we won't be afraid to wade in or maybe walking distance to a public one..

Make sure the park (everglades) is open - due to damage from Hurricane Wilma still. Check out THE Tikki bar at Holiday Isle - around MM 84 (mile marker) - touristy, but exciting. they have charter boats there too.

Not condos or townhouse, but we love the "old Florida" look and feel of the White Gate Court Inn. www.whitegatecout.com. They must have been "discovered" because they are much pricier than they used to be - but it is a wonderful place to use as a base for a Keys vacation.

They are "bayside". Was confusing to me too. Bayside is facing west and Gulf is facing east. Go figure.

We enjoyed going out with Captain Ann Baxter from the marina behind the mammoth Sportsman complex. Great shopping. Good eats. Good place to pick up charters. Captain Ann took us to great snorkel spots. Also good for fishing and for sight-seeing.

No pool at White Gate Court Inn but the bay there is crystal clear (with a manatee hanging out a lot of the time) and great place to swim. They also have a small manmade sand beach.

A quiet, clean, relaxing option for families. We enjoyed grilling out in front of the cottage at night.

Technically, if you are standing in Islamorada, the Atlantic Ocean is due East, the Gulf of Mexico is due West and the Florida Bay is due North.

The Florida Bay is the body of water that is basically the run off of the Everglades into the Gulf of Mexico. It is the part of the Gulf from Lower Matacumbe to the Everglades.

The challenge will be finding a condo that can be rented weekly (vs. monthly. However, Ocean Pointe in Tavernier (on Key Largo- Ocean side; www.opsuites.com) may be the answer for you. You can rent from the rental manager, which is the site I gave you, or from individual owners from sites such as vrbo.com. You get an ocean view, huge pool, a little sandy beach and a good location for getting to other Keys activities.

I have heard several bad reviews about the Ocean Pointe in Tavernier . Has anyone actually stayed there?

We stayed at Hawks Cay in Duck Key. We loved itThere was everything we wanted to do right there. Fishing, Snorkling. Parasailing And you can snuba Dive. (not a typo). Snuba is when you dive down about 20feet and are attached to the boat with a breathing tube. My 13 year old did it and loved it. The condos were big and had water views. Definetly one of our best trips. have fun

sorry, one more thing. There are 3 pools a sandy beach and you can even swim with dolphins there.

Hawks Cay looks wonderful but the 300 a night price is way more than I want to spend. I am looking for something around 125 a night but am finding thats pushing it!

Your price point is making this tough. Check out Popps (Key Largo). It is in a good location. I have friends that stay there every year. Otherwise, you may just want to cross your fingers and take a chance on a vrbo.com unit.

Re: Ocean Point - we stayed there in Dec 2005 ("visiting" from Miami) - It was fine: roomy, clean, nice pool, continental breakfast, big place though - more like an apartment complex than a resort; But I'd have to say the "beach" wasn't good - wouldn't want to swim there - too seaweedy, too small. (but then again most "beaches" in the Upper Keys are that way)