We are planning a trip to the key next spring and have never been there. We have a six year old and would like to snorkel, swim at a freshwater pool and have a room with a nice view. We would like to keep it under $350.00 per night. We looked into the Cheeca Lodge and there wasn't anything close during peak. Any ideas?

Have you considered Key West? There are lots of things to do there that would interest a 6 year old, and it has a wide variety of accommodations. My husband and I are very fond of the Galleon, which is a timeshare that rents to non-owners. They have one and two bedroom fully furnished (including washing machines and dryers) condos and are directly on the Gulf and in the thick of activity.

You might also want to check into other lodging in Marathon or Islamorada. Both are centrally located and you can get up and down the Keys easily from either location. There has been a thread in the last few weeks asking for information about several resorts in that area. I'm sure you'll find it if you do a search here. I find Key West to be a bit more geared to adults than family, but it certainly a fun place to spend some time.

Watch out for Spring Break in the keys, it may get pretty hectic and wild. We timed our vacation to Key West to miss it (one weekend too early) but still ended up sharing the place with the motorcyclists who came down from a weekend rally in Daytona (read LOUD BIKES).

Unless you plan on going to Key West or staying at Holiday Isle in Islamorada, I wouldn't worry about spring breakers. My parents visit Key Largo every year during prime spring break time, and never had a problem. Actually, from what I've seen personally and heard from those in the hospitality industry in Islamorada, spring break is really dying out there.