Vacation tips - what to do and see from Miami to Key West?

The wife and I are sneaking in a little R&R to attempt to avoid some of the holiday season stress. We need some time to ourselves so... Vacation!

The current plan is to fly down to Miami in a couple weeks and then drive down to Key West for a few days. Warmer weather coupled with the short, domestic flight make this appealing but we really do not have much of an itinerary at this point. We will probably be heading back north before Christmas eve but are seasoned travelers and tend to just go with however we are feeling at the moment.

I have not been through the Keys in many years and she has never been so any input or tips are greatly appreciated. We have a nice hotel to stay at in a great part of Key West but other than walking around seeing the sites, shopping a bit and eating way too much key lime pie... mostly just want to take in the local flavor and enjoy some time away from email and relatives. We will also have boat access to get to Sunset Key but are not looking for extended sailing trips.

I know it can be a long drive over the bridges and that there is a good mix of smaller and larger islands along the way, but am not really sure if there is much worth seeing or doing. Crappy roadside junk is not really our thing, but local foods, arts/crafts/antiques and simple pleasures are. Neither of us are in the proper condition for anything too active but we like nature stuff like plants and animals too.

Many advance thanks to the all knowing hive!

I have fond memories of stopping at marker 88 for a meal on the way down.

http://www.tripadvisor.ca/Restaurant_Review-g34346-d500191-Reviews-Marker_88_Restaurant-Islamorada_Florida_Keys_Florida.html

cuban food. this one was the best one we tried when we spent a few days in florida. we were around miami and pompano beach area... http://www.littlehavanarestaurant.com/

Good food, both fine dining and local hang-outs is a big thing for us; these tips are greatly appreciated!

We both love Cuban food and are definitely looking forward to it, thanks!

failboat wrote: cuban food. this one was the best one we tried when we spent a few days in florida. we were around miami and pompano beach area... http://www.littlehavanarestaurant.com/

I spent 9 years living in PR, and to this day am addicted to the traditional foods. Cuban food is quite similar and in my mind one of the few reasons to visit FL.

thanks for rubbing in the fact that the best Cuban place in the city closed less then a month ago :(

We JUST did this vacation in April/May, and it was so much awesome that I am doing it again this spring.

My personal favorites-

Pennekamp state park is WELL worth a day maybe 2 to loiter. Personally, I recommend kayaking the mangroves. so gorgeous. The glass bottom boat tour was also fairly cool, albeit a bit touristy.

Theater of the Sea was Meh, but not terrible for a tourist trap.

Cheeca Lodge and Resort- Go there, pay the $35 day fee, and sit on their beaches/use their grounds. Amazing place for quiet beach lounging and poolside drinking. Could not recommend more!

If you're into charter fishing, I had a berkeleying blast with Capt Ryan and Good Karma Sportfishing- http://www.goodkarmasportfishing.com/ Limited out on yellowfin snapper in a half-day cruise... amazing experience. Forgive his E36 M3ty website.

Fury sunset booze cruise in Key West- yes, it's a tourist trap, but for $25 and all you can eat/drink and some of the most beautiful sunset views (aside from below) I've ever seen, it was well worth it.

Day drink at Irish Kevins- the band is amazing.

Restaurants that you absolutely CANNOT drive by-

Marker 88- by far, hands down, far and away, the best sunset I've ever seen. Amazing food, outdoor dining, and just great great atmosphere. In a weeks vacation, we went 3x we liked it so much.

Key Largo Conch house- conch ceviche was the tits. Cheap lunch place, but definitely can't miss.

Mrs. Mac's for key lime pie only. Believe the hype, it's well worth it.

Banana cafe in Key West- amazing breakfast spot that you NEED to eat at. Crepes are delicious

Schooner Wharf in Key West- dive restaurant looks like a shanty town. But it's a local haunt and has the best shrimp and oyster bar of any place I tried down there. Really really awesome.

Santiago's Bodega in Key west- make reservations, but there isn't a better spot for an amazing romantic dinner in Key West, I promise. The food was outstanding.

Any other things, fire away. Those are the really good parts though.

tb wrote: Good food, both fine dining and local hang-outs is a big thing for us; these tips are greatly appreciated!

Our vacation rule is never eat anything that we can get back at home.

So much good info and insight here; I am loving it!

Keep it coming! SWMBO and I will be checking in regularly and planning accordingly.

Thanks!

You could fund your trip by accepting bribes of those you catch on beaches late at night.....Otherwise, I'd just enjoy the Conch Republic.

I'll be there next weekend so will report back what I find.

Nothing. That's What I plan do when I go next year. Last year I spent an entire day in Everglades National Park and could have spent another but the day I spent in Key West we took one of those trolley tours to get out of the rain which was fun but then we sat on a curb along the water for a few hours and watched the sunset which was surprisingly relaxing.

https://www.facebook.com/wally.m.9/media_set?set=a.10153941943920500.1073741834.898405499&type=3

Semi-native here (30 years) There is so much to do down here, but will give a few tips. I always suggest Alabama Jack's on Card Sound Road, just south of Florida City. Dive Bar, decent food, amazing ambiance. Used to be a hang out for smugglers, the real kind. The Hurricane Bar on Key Largo. A locals place, very friendly, beer is cold, interesting dock out back. Largo Lodge- my favorite motel in the Keys, hard to get reservations. The drive from Miami to Homestead is dreary and kind of dangerous. Drivers are not nice, be very careful and keep in mind that they are very well armed. I'll leave it at this, but will be happy to help when you get down here. Come on the forum, I check regularly. Make sure you bring a decent camera. Lot's to take pictures of. If you are into plants, Fairchild Gardens is huge, not commercial, and has exotic plants you won't see anywhere else. Just south of downtown Miami

If you can, skip US1 to go south. Go out west to Krome Ave (Rt 997) and then south. Will give you a much more pleasant drive through the farms of The Redland. Great roadside food stores with fresh fruits and veggies.

I will definitely be keeping track of all of this and making plans with the wife... there is some great info here and I appreciate it. We are masters at doing nothing and making the most of it; we will be sure to pencil in plenty of time to just be there and enjoy ourselves in the moment.

I appreciate the driving advice, getting off the beaten path and stopping for local produce is something we always do when out for a drive. Aggressive, well armed idiots are not really a new thing for me, but I will be sure to be extra careful... I sometimes forget that I like everything about the south except for southerners...

We probably will not be making any real plans until next week but this thread has a lot more useful insight than any travel book!

Did I offend with my friendly jab at those from the deep south? I forgot the smiley face and my sense of humor might not translate to the internet well, sorry!

The wife and I have been checking out the tips as time allows but have been majorly busy and will be until takeoff. We will mostly be traveling by the seat of our pants and finding fun where we can on this trip, no real time to plan ahead. This thread will remain open the whole time so that we can keep on top of the info, so please keep on going with the input!

Still have a week before we leave and I really appreciate everyone contributing.

Wife and her mom just did his trip. Made a B-Line from Fort Meyer to Marathon and have spend the last 4 days on the beach. In December.

We just got 2 days of rain and temps in the mid-30s.

Wife has got an interview for a job in Orlando. It would take a good offer to make the move to a flat state, but I could get used to that weather.

When you're in Miami, stop by at least one Cuban bakery. Get a Cuban sandwich, guava cheese pastry, and a cafe con leche.

On the balcony of my suite now; relaxing after breakfast.

Just wanted to say thanks again for all the tips and input. We stopped by a great bakery in a shady neighborhood of Miami (best areas for good local grub), had a sunset snack at marker 88 on the way down and are gonna head out for some shopping and key lime pie soon. It in the mid 60's and sunny... Not too shabby!