When to Keys?
 

Would it matter traffic wise to travel to Key West from Ft. Lauderdale on a Sat. early morn or a Sunday? We have reservations Sunday night but were thinking of stopping in Islamorada on Sat. night. Would it make more sense to stop on the way back to Lauderdale? Thanks I tend to beat everything to death but this is a first visit and I don't want traffic to spoil it,although I know anything can happen any day!

I believe that the traffic from the Metro-Dade area down to the Keys tends to be heavy during the weekend period. I think if you do drive this on a weekend day, it would be best to do it as early as possible.

I suggest Islamorada on Saturday. That way, in case traffic is heavy, you can get off of the Overseas Highway early and not having to worry about checking into the hotel in Key West later than you would prefer. You can enjoy your hotel in Islamorada and get your money's worth for your one night stay by checking in early and enjoying your hotel's amenities and/or those of Islamorada. I suggest the Whale Harbor buffet in Islamorada. Get up the next morning nice and fresh and enjoy the eighty mile scenery to Key West while traffic tends to head north towards Miami on Sunday while you head south.

The food at Whale Harbor is mediocre at best. There are better choices in the area, Islamorada Fish Company, Lorelei's. Do a text search above on Keys restaurants and you will come up with some other great choices.

Staying in Islamorada Saturday Night is a good plan but you are wise to consider traffic. If by "early Saturday" you mean leaving Ft Lauderdale by 7:00 am at the latest, you should be OK (at least in terms of traffic congestion, no one can predict accidents). But if you mean later than that-uuggh. Mid-day Saturday southbound traffic through the Keys can be a real bear; particularly if the weather is nice-half of South Florida will wake up and decide on coming down!

Also, agree with the above about Whale Harbor Buffet. If you want to eat unlimited quantities of mediocre seafood I guess go for it. But personally I'd rather take the $20 you spend on the buffet and have dinner at one of the quality restaurants in Islamorada.

I think that you guys are a bit hard on Whale Harbor. I am not saying it is fantastic, but with a seafood buffet with fresh shrimp, mussles and crabs, not to mention many many othe choices, it is worth it. I do agree though that Islamorada Fish Company probably has better food. Still, I like the historic aspect of Whale Harbor, like the story of residents climbing it's light house in 1960 to seek refuge from a hurricane, and the pictures on the wall of guests through the decades. But Islamorada Fish is a good choice too.

Have drinks on the deck at Whale Harbor. But eat at Islamorada Fish Co. Best of both worlds. Caught some fishing boats coming in at Whale Harbor, which was neat.

My comments on Whale Harbor apply ONLY to the all-you-can-eat seafood buffet; not the rest of the facility. And if the shrimp, mussels, crab, fish, etc. that they are mass producing in that buffet actually tastes "fresh" to you, then I guess the buffet is custom made for your palate. I'm telling you almost ALL that seafood in the buffet is previously-frozen stuff.

Here is another idea. For lunch, stop at Alabama Jack's on Card Sound Road. In Florida City veer left off of Highway One, following "Card Sound Road" sign. Alabama Jack's is about ten miles just before the toll bridge. Try their conch fritters. Continue on for another six or seven miles and you will end up back on Highway 1 just north of Key Largo.
The senery on Card Sound is great as it cuts through the mangrove and offers views of the Atlantic. One cannot go as fast as Highway 1, but sometimes it is actually faster if one does not stop at Alabam Jack's.