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. info@FreeSpiritGallery.ca
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