We'll be staying in Key West next month w/our 18 month old & though we are frequent visitors & she loves the water, I am looking for other activities. We don't typically venture far from Key West but this time will have a car so anything goes. Were thinking of Big Pine Key & Bahia for starters. Others ?

The Bahia Honda State Park has great nature programs. I'm not a camper and we camped there just fine. The campground had large tile showers and each campground had secluded shrubbery around it. The onsite nature guide gave tours.

I seem to remember the small deer unique to the island and also a special turtle program. You might want to check into them.

Key Largo, Pennekamp State Park. Take her out wading in the snorkeling area at the edge of the mangroves; she will absolutely adore watching the crabs scuttle around.

While the reef is beautiful, don't go out on the park's glass-bottom excursion unless it is a cool day with calm seas. Lots of people with no sea legs on that boat, and the sight and smell of constant retching tends to ruin the experience. Heat just makes it that much worse. (Just FYI, the environmental rules mean that they have to kill the engines and drift over the reef itself. The boat is about a 30 footer, and it does ride the swells with the engines off. Lots of folks on that trip find out the hard way that drifting is harder on the stomach than plowing along at full throttle.)

Thanks for the suggestions so far, I'm not sure I can keep her still long enough to see the crabs or anything else but I will certainly both parks.

Key Largo (Pennekamp) is a long way from Key West. While it's a great place, I would drive the 2 to 3 hours (each way) with an 18 mo old! Bahia Honda twice would be a better, more relaxing choice. If you decide to go to Marathon, the Dolphin Research Center would be a good choice. There's also a Natural History museum that has a dress-up center and a touch tank. (Of course, the Key West Aquarium has its own great touch tank).

Actually the trip would not be a problem for the toddler, she's already flown several times & car rides are not a problem (were 6 hours to the Grandparents). My wife however, has "bridge-a-phobia" so I'm pretty sure I'd have to sedate her to get her to Key Largo. Thanks for the advice though. Keep it coming.

If you do decide to take the trip to Key Largo, there is a great aquatic center with a pirate ship water playground for kids. It's behind the supermarket in the center of the Key Largo biz district. She will have a blast there. I can't think of the name of the supermarket - it's not a chain. Also, stop at Robbies at Mile Marker 77 or so to feed the tarpon.

That is a good suggestion, my daughter is a water nut. Thx, S.

Still looking...Others ?

ttt