Day 9: To The Keys!
You really can’t find a better place to go in February than the Florida Keys. We decided to leave the van behind for a day and rented a car to drive down HWY 1. Great decision. To really do the keys justice you need to spend a week or more there, but we decided to cram in as much as we could in a day. Great food, sun, beautiful parks, boats, and even more great food.
Conch House - Key Largo
Another great food rec from our friend Colin. This adorable little restaurant is right off the main drag in Key Largo. The conch fritters were fantastic, try them. The lobster bisque soup was on point as was the chicken wrap. Sondra absolutely loved the watermelon feta salad, and of course we had to try out the key lime pie. You can read our review of key lime pies in our next post!
Bahai Honda State Park - Big Pine Key
This (somewhat) hidden gem is located just off Hwy 1 in Big Pine Key. There is an amazing stretch of beach that wasn’t too heavily populated when we were there. There’s a short hiking trail that leads to the top of the Old Bahia Honda Bridge that provides gorgeous views around the key.
There’s a ton more to do at Bahia Honda that we couldn’t get to, but strongly recommend a stop here on your way down the keys.
Ramrod Key
Of course, the best way to experience the keys is by boat. Big thank you to our friends Chelsea and Chris for providing said boating experience. The waters off of Ramrod Key were spectacular, as was the mid-February sunset.
Firefly - Key West
Our last stop of the day was Key West. First things first, we by no means had the full Key West experience. We spent all day traveling down the keys and certainly weren’t going to miss an opportunity to hit up the most famous of them. Key West deserves a week all to itself, and preferably one that doesn’t fall in the middle of a worldwide pandemic. All that being said, Key West’s atmosphere and charm are evident and it was a great way to cap off the trip.
Despite COVID, the streets were bustling and it was clear most of the people here had left the pandemic (and their masks) behind. We found a great little southern food restaurant called Firefly that wasn’t too packed and seemed to actually be observing smart COVID safety. The short rib and friend chicken were outstanding, as were the buttermilk biscuits and mac & cheese.
But what about Dry Tortugas?
Yes, there is an incredible National Park just off the the Florida Keys called Dry Tortugas National Park. It was one of the places we wanted to go most on our trip…but sadly both the ferry and seaplanes that take people to the islands were completely booked for weeks. Let that be a lesson to you friends, if you’re trying to get to a remote island national park, plan months ahead!
Someday…