During this past summer, in July of 2011, our family decided to have a small gathering in The Florida Keys. It was a place my father had always wanted to visit and it held a lot of allure for me and my family as well. There ended up being 10 people that ventured to the Islands. Of that there were 2 grandparents, 4 middle aged adults, 2 teenagers, a middle school child, and a toddler. We had to be sure that there was something to do for everyone, so planning was important. We really wanted a place that would fit all of us in one unit/home and not several different hotel rooms. We also wanted to be sure that there were good dining options and activities that everyone would enjoy. Being that I had over 15 years experience in the travel industry, I got the job of doing the leg work and I enjoyed it! If you are looking to vacation in The Florida Keys and you are going with several generations or even just you and the kids there are some details that I think are beneficial to consider. Read on for a few pointers and lots of information on The Keys!
Planning: We knew we wanted to rent a house and we knew the kids would love beach access. You may or may not know this, but The Florida Keys are not really known for their plethora of beaches. They exist, but you need to know where they are and what they are like before you go. For this reason, I really recommend the islands of Islamorada, Marathon, or Big Pine Key. You can find hundreds of home and condo rentals on sites such as vrbo.com, cyberrentals.com, and homeaway.com. Part of the reason we usually rent homes on vacation is that it is nice to have a full kitchen, the privacy of a home, individual bedrooms, and still all be in one place. Plus, many homes can be found if you must take along your pets as we do. We found a home in Key Colony Club on Marathon that had 3 bedrooms and was situated right on a canal. Part of the reason we opted for Marathon was it's centralized location among The Keys. The kids loved having the canal and kayaks to paddle around in. The Key Colony Club also had a community pool and a small beach area that were both within walking distance of the home. Living in Orlando, we had about a 7 hour drive. Those from "Up North" flew into Miami and drove the 1 1/2 hours to Marathon. It is an easy drive, but much of it is on a two lane road - one in each direction.
Activities: At first I was a bit concerned about finding activities that everyone, from a toddler to grandparents, would enjoy doing. But, we learned that there was more than enough to do. Our first full day in The Keys we drove about an hour south and ventured into Key West. We explored the shops on Duval Street, stopped for drinks(fresh coconut milk) at the Southern Most Point, had some Key Lime Pie, went by Hemingway's home, ate a lot, and finished the day in Mallorey Square watching the performers and the beautiful sunset.
The next day we had a leisurely morning then headed for a snorkeling trip to Sombrero Reef. Several of our group had never snorkeled before and were delighted by the fish and even saw a shark! Yes, we all lived to tell. My father, whom is in a wheelchair, was even helped onto the catamaran(along with his assistance dog) so that he could watch the grand kids snorkel and be with family. We went with Spirit Snorkel on Marathon. They provided our toddler aged daughter with a life vest and a small raft that had a pull string so that I could pull her around as I snorkeled. Now, our daughter has grown up seeing the big blue ocean, so for her seeing the expansive sea was not threatening. We were a few miles out in the ocean, she was happily(or as I thought) floating along on her raft when all of the sudden - plop! - she was in the water. I asked if she wanted help getting back on the raft and she looked at me and said...."NO! I want to swim with the fishies in the ocean ALL BY MYSELF!", and thus she did. The crew also gave her food to feed the fish and she loved them swimming all around her! The teenagers(as seen above) also had a great time exploring.
On another day we drove over 7 mile bridge to Bahia Honda State Park. There is another wonderful snorkeling trip available from the park and two of our group opted for that. The rest of us rented a few canoes, paddled around, and enjoyed a wonderful day at a beautiful beach. The park does offer rentals of beach wheelchairs as well and they will deliver them to whichever part of the park you will be at. Prices are all reasonable too. We played in the ocean and sat in the water for much of the day before we headed out to a unique dining experiences(see dining below).
Another great stop on Marathon is The Turtle Hospital. This facility rescues, rehabilitates, and returns sea turtles to the ocean(if/when possible). They have a few permanent residents, but most are released once better. The presentation at the beginning of the tour is a bit slow, but interesting. You get to view the hospital and operating rooms. But, the best part is when you get to go and visit the turtles and even feed them! Being as I love turtles(I even sport the "Save the Turtles" plate on my car), this was a great experience.
During our final day in The Keys, six of us opted to try out parasailing on Marathon while grandma and grandpa took the two youngest to a playground and historical home on Marathon. The company we went with offered tandem rides. It was amazing. I had been parasailing before, but it was a great experience to share with our teenage son. My youngest sister also got to share in it with her teenage daughter. People were hanging upside down in the harness, getting a little wet when dipped into the ocean, and simply enjoying the beauty one can only get when nearly 1000 feet in the air! Earlier that day we had also traveled to Islamorada to do a little shopping and to see Betty - a much larger than life lobster sculpture.
There really is a lot to do. There are dolphin swims, boat charters, fishing charters, jet ski rentals, museums, and more! We also simply enjoyed hanging out around the house, walking to the beach and club house pool, and playing Uno and Settlers of Catan.
Food: When we go on vacation we love to eat! The Keys have some amazing options to choose from that serve some simply delicious food. While on Key West we ate at Sloppy Joe's. Oh my! You simply must eat here and you must try either the Sloppy Joe's or their sloppy fries. To die for! After our day at Bahia Honda State Park, we went on a hunt to find "The No Name Pub". Their slogan is.....A great place to visit. If you can find us. When you walk through the doors, you are greeted by (literally) millions of dollars all hanging from the ceiling and walls. We pulled out some dollar bills, which we added our own artistic flair to and up on the wall they went. Finding a place to put them was the hardest part. While there we ordered three of their famed pizzas and they were gone quickly! Marathon also has several great dining options. One of our favorites was Porky's Bayside. It is a place that has been visited by such stars as Ernest Hemingway, Jimmy Hoffa, and Elizabeth Taylor. The seafood was amazing to say the least, as was the BBQ! Our son and his teenage cousin tried clams for the first time as well. One loved them, the other - well, not so much! Other great dining options we tried included The Keys Fisheries, The Island Fish Company, Castaways, and Sparky's Landing. All wonderful.
In a nutshell, The Florida Keys are a great location for a family vacation/gathering, you just need to do some homework to make sure that you find a location in the Keys that is great for your wants/needs. If interested, there are also boat rentals available on most islands and the world of SUP's(Stand Up Paddle boards) has also made its' way do the calmer waters of The Keys. A great place to start planning is at The Florida Keys official tourism web site at www.fla-keys.com. They provide links to activities, dining, lodging(hotels, home rentals, condos), and more. We spent one week in The Keys and we probably could have easily spent another week. The quiet mornings spent relaxing and looking out over the canal, the water sports, kayaking, shopping, dining, and evenings spent together as a family were memories that I will always cherish. I think I took nearly 400 photos(those are what I kept!). Below are a few other snapshots from our little expedition. I would definitely recommend The Keys as a family/generation friendly vacation destination!
The No Name Pub with just some of the (literally) thousands of dollars hanging on the walls and ceiling!
The view from Mallorey Square, on Key West, just moments before the sunset.
Time to enjoy some delicious food at Porky's Bayside! It is located on a marina and all seating is "outside" under a roof.
Food: When we go on vacation we love to eat! The Keys have some amazing options to choose from that serve some simply delicious food. While on Key West we ate at Sloppy Joe's. Oh my! You simply must eat here and you must try either the Sloppy Joe's or their sloppy fries. To die for! After our day at Bahia Honda State Park, we went on a hunt to find "The No Name Pub". Their slogan is.....A great place to visit. If you can find us. When you walk through the doors, you are greeted by (literally) millions of dollars all hanging from the ceiling and walls. We pulled out some dollar bills, which we added our own artistic flair to and up on the wall they went. Finding a place to put them was the hardest part. While there we ordered three of their famed pizzas and they were gone quickly! Marathon also has several great dining options. One of our favorites was Porky's Bayside. It is a place that has been visited by such stars as Ernest Hemingway, Jimmy Hoffa, and Elizabeth Taylor. The seafood was amazing to say the least, as was the BBQ! Our son and his teenage cousin tried clams for the first time as well. One loved them, the other - well, not so much! Other great dining options we tried included The Keys Fisheries, The Island Fish Company, Castaways, and Sparky's Landing. All wonderful.
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