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Florida Keys
The Florida Keys
by Clint Leung
When people ask about the top sights to see in the south Florida
area including Fort Lauderdale and Miami, I always advise them to
try and make some time to go down to the Florida Keys. The
Florida Keys are the string of islands just south of the Florida
mainland and runs 120 miles from end to end. Fort Lauderdale and
Miami are fun but for a relaxing change of pace, the Florida Keys
is the place to be. For snorkellers and scuba divers going to
south Florida, I would consider Florida Keys a must. The waters
around Key Largo are a protected marine park with a very healthy
fish life and offer the best diving in the US. Key Largo is the
first town as you enter the Keys after crossing the bridge from
the mainland. It can be reached from Miami in an hour and from
Fort Lauderdale in an hour and 45 minutes. Once the bridge from
the mainland is crossed, the change in pace is noticed
immediately. There is much less traffic and people just seem more
relaxed in the Florida Keys compared to the mainland.
Key Largo is the main scuba diving town with many dive shops.
There is even an underwater hotel with two guestrooms for
adventurous types. This was a former marine research unit that
was converted to the hotel. Islamorada and Marathon located more
west are also top scuba dive locations. For those who are not
into diving, there are numerous shops with colorful local arts
and crafts. One collection of shops has a giant statue of a spiny
lobster out in front. For more fun, there are two dolphin
centers, one in Key Largo and another near Marathon where
visitors can interact with captive dolphins. Dolphin programs
should actually be booked well in advance since they are
extremely popular.
There are sign markers along the main US number 1 highway that
mark each mile along the 120 mile route. Most addresses in the
Florida Keys along the main highway will actually refer to which
mile marker they are located near. It's a very efficient way to
navigate. It takes about 3 hours to drive from Key Largo to the
far end at Key West but more than likely, visitors would want to
stop off at numerous locations along the way for shopping, photo
opportunities or just admiring the scenery. The scenery gets
better as one heads out more west, especially near the bridges
that connect the islands. A common sight to see are locals
fishing off the bridges and numerous pelicans standing on the
posts like permanent fixtures. One of the most spectacular sights
is the seven mile bridge which is the world's longest segmented
bridge.
The Florida Keys are not really known for its beaches with the
exception of Bahia Honda Park which is even further west in the
lower keys. The snorkeling in this area, especially Looe Key, is
among the top sites in North America. The city of Key West at the
far end of the Florida Keys is the largest community in the
islands and a stay here for a night or two is well worth it. The
downtown area full of restaurants, bars, boutiques and shops is a
funky, fun place to be. There are hotels along the water as well
as numerous B&Bs inland. We stayed at the Quality Inn near the
entrance of the city and had no problem getting downtown since
there is a very convenient bus system that runs throughout Key
West. We chose to leave our car at the hotel and use the buses
because parking can be limited in the downtown area. A very neat
way to tour the city is to rent scooters which are very common in
the streets here. With the scooters, we criss-crossed the city
and saw the wonderful colonial houses in the residential streets
including Ernest Hemmingway's house.
The seafood is predictably very fresh in restaurants everywhere
in the Florida Keys. Some local specialties not to be missed are
conch, local spiny lobster and a few varieties of the local fish
including snapper and grouper. Of course, one must try the real,
authentic key lime pie that originated in the area. Each
restaurant has a slightly different recipe but in general, the
authentic key lime pie here is not as sweet as the commercial
brands sometimes found in the rest of North America.
Hotel accommodations suit every budget in the Florida Keys from
simple motels to top notch resorts. The last town back in the US
mainland is Florida City and it has some very affordable hotel
accommodations with well known chains such as Comfort Inn,
Hampton Inn and Best Western. This is another option for some
travelers, especially those who are scuba diving in Key Largo as
Florida City is only about 20 minutes away if hotels in Key Largo
are fully booked or at high season rates.
The Florida Keys has a way of enticing visitors back during
return visits to south Florida. Its slower pace helps balance
things out against the crowded and crazier styles of Fort
Lauderdale and Miami. I have been to the Keys three times and
will definitely return there again.
About the Author:
Clint Leung is owner of Free Spirit Gallery
http://www.FreeSpiritGallery.ca , an online gallery specializing
in Inuit Eskimo and Northwest Native American art including
carvings, sculpture and prints. Free Spirit Gallery has numerous
information resource articles with photos of authentic Inuit and
Native Indian art as well as free eCards.
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