Miami/Key West Road Trip – April 2022
April 22 – 29, 2022
Day 0/1 – Miami & The Everglades – We flew into Miami last night on Frontier. Since they charge extra for everything, we each packed for the week in a small backpack (<18x14x8″ counts as a free personal item). We’ve never flown Frontier before, but it honestly wasn’t bad…the staff was friendly and we got placed in upgraded seats (no frills, just a little extra legroom).
We picked up our rental car (a Mustang convertible) and stayed near the airport because of the late flight. Our first wildlife spotting this AM was a couple of manatees in the river out the hotel window, very cool!
We grabbed breakfast and cafe con leche at Versailles Bakery in Little Havana (thanks to @robcowan13 for the recommendation!) before taking Hwy 41 across to Everglades City for an airboat tour. On the tour, we sped through the mangroves, spotted an osprey nest and several alligators. Afterward, we headed over to Triad Seafood for some stone crab (YUM!) before stopping to hold a little gator at a small zoo (included in the airboat admission $). A cool tidbit about stone crabs is they only harvest the claws and then the crab is released to grow more…so it’s sustainable!
A trip back across the park led through Big Cypress Nature Preserve (attached to the Everglades) to Shark Valley Visitors Center. We took a short walk and spotted lots of wildlife. My favorite was the Anhinga bird – he had some crazy dance moves.
Got smoothies and snacks for dinner at the Robert is Here fruit stand (+ petting zoo). It started in 1959 with a small boy selling vegetables under a sign his dad created to draw attention, proclaiming “Robert is Here”. Obviously it worked – it’s a popular place!
Day 2 – Key Largo – After a healthy application of sunscreen, we put the top down on the convertible and made a brief stop at Biscayne National Park (which is 95% under water)…before cruising on into the Keys on US 1. The road to Key West is known as the Overseas Highway and spans 113 miles over 44 islands with 42 bridges. There are 1700+ islands in the Keys, but most are uninhabited.
We download the GyPSy Guide app (~$12) for the audio driving tour from Miami to Key West. You just sit back and listen to history, fun facts and recommended stops – well worth the $! They have tours for many of the national parks too, highly recommend.
Our first stop in Key Largo was the local Chamber, and then on to John Pennekamp State Park. Due to high winds they didn’t have boat tours, but they still had a small aquarium, kayak rentals and beach area. The water was very clear and we enjoyed walking around the park for a while.
We grabbed lunch at The Fish House, from Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. One lb of medium sized stone crab (5-6 claws) was $51. We also got conch fritters which had a strange texture to me. Quoting Peter here, “they ruined a perfectly good hush puppy”.
After lunch, we headed a little south to Tavernier to grab our first taste of REAL key lime pie at the Blonde Giraffe Key Lime Pie Factory. We picked up a chocolate dipped pie slice on a stick and enjoyed their peaceful back garden area.
We’re staying in Key Largo for the night (around mile marker 100). Our room overlooks the pool and is on the little marina where the African Queen is docked (from the 1951 Humphrey Bogart movie). We had a chance sighting when it cruised by earlier, headed out on a tour.
After we checked in, we got some pool time in before cleaning up and heading to the Bayside Grill & Sunset Bar for dinner. We had a front-row table to watch the sunset, while enjoying ahi tuna nachos and clam chowder.
Day 3 – Key West – We grabbed a quick breakfast at a One Grind – a cute little food truck in Key Largo (mile marker 88) that donates to animal rescues.
Our first stop was at Robbie’s (mm 80) to feed the tarpon fish. We purchased a small bucket of fish and headed out back to the dock. You dangle the bait over the water and a huge tarpon jumps out to grab it! The coolest part was the pair of manatees that also came up to say hello.
We stopped off for a snack at Keys Fisheries (mm 49). We were hoping for stone crab, but ended up with Keys shrimp (they were waiting on the boat for the crabs).
We made another stop on Big Pine Key (mm 31) to search for key deer – a miniature version of the deer we are familiar with in GA. We saw a couple from the road, but no great photos.
This stop also led us to No Name Bar where we grabbed some smoked fish dip (aka fancy tuna salad ) and shrimp pizza. Customers have decorated the interior with $$$ – rumor is there’s ~$90k.
An hour later, we landed in Key West (mm 0!). We booked a little bed & breakfast on AirBNB. The room has a shared bathroom across the hall. I had to get Peter to OK this reservation after the “compost toilet” booking incident in Asheville a few years ago .
We walked all over Key west today, passing may of the main sights – Hemingway House, Truman’s Little While House, Southernmost Point (a huge line, so we skipped that photo-op), Duval St, Kermit’s for more pie, etc. The old conch-style architecture is beautiful (and colorful!). And lots of chickens…
Stopped for drinks at The Green Parrot and overheard that Taste of Key West was happening at the waterfront park, so we headed that way. Local restaurants were serving small dishes to raise money for a local charity. We tried mango scallop ceviche, chipotle miso black grouper and ahi tuna nachos….the theme of today has clearly been FOOD .
We wandered over to Mallory Square for the daily sunset celebration (and people watching) before heading back to the hotel for the night.
Day 4 – Marathon – Started the AM off early with sunrise yoga at Key West Yoga Sanctuary . A peaceful setting in a lush garden pavilion, only a short walk from our B&B. A nearby rooster started crowing near the final shavasana at 7:30 (for those that don’t yoga – this is the final relaxation pose in a class)
Breakfast at the B&B w/ fresh banana bread and yogurt with key lime granola (delish). Some AM storms rolled though, so we listened to the rain and read until it was time to check-out and hit the road.
Our first stop was about an hour north at Bahia Honda State Park (mile marker 37). This gorgeous little park has some great beach areas and views of the old Bahia Honda bridge. When they converted the old railway bridge to autos in 1938, they couldn’t figure out how to widen it for dual lanes, so they just ran the road over the top of the existing truss structure – unique architecture for sure. You can hike up a section of the bridge for a great view.
We rolled into Marathon in mid-afternoon and made a repeat stop at Keys Fisheries (mm 49) to get some stone crab from the “Gills Gone Wild” raw bar. The bar name changes each year with a naming contest as a fundraiser for local charities. We even found a @daltonbrewing sticker left by Andy @wolfyofthepine & @sloangiles!
We checked into our no-frills motel in Marathon, overlooking the 7 mile bridge. Did some sink laundry (our balcony currently looks like the redneck riviera with clothes drying everywhere) and rested for a bit before venturing back out. My skin is currently turning the color of cooked lobster (even with all the sunscreen), so I’m staying out of the sun for a bit.
A relaxing dinner at Burdine’s Waterfront. We bellied up to the bar and met another couple Matt & Lisa who are currently living full-time on a boat and starting a YouTube channel to chronicle their adventures – @sailingbyefelicia
After dinner we booked it over to the Old 7 Mile Bridge to see the last bit of the sunset. The old bridge runs alongside the modern bridge and portions have been restored for walking & biking.
Day 5 – Islamorada – A quick breakfast at La Nina, a tiny little Cuban joint that is popular with locals (mile marker 47.5). Chickens were just chilling on the tables, so it’s pretty laid back.
Next stop was The Turtle Hospital (mm 48.5). They’re a non-profit group that rescues and rehabs sea turtles. One of the 46 turtles on property was Pixel, a green turtle who was treated for tumors and is getting released back into the ocean tomorrow! One of the common injuries they see is “bubble butt” syndrome – where a shell injury causes a deformity and traps gas under the shell. Unfortunately this means they can’t dive for food as well (or at all), so the center fits them with small dive weights to help.
We arrived in Islamorada around lunch. The town is spread out across 5 islands (well, keys) and is the sport fishing capital of the world. A quick stop at the Rain Barrel Artist Village (mm 86) to browse and snap a photo with the giant lobster…named Betsy.
Continuing our Tour de Seafood, we had lunch at Lorelei Restaurant & Cantina Bar (mm 82). We enjoyed a grilled snapper sandwich and stone crab chowder at a table overlooking the water.
Tonight’s accommodations are unique….we have a cute little lime green trailer at the Drop Anchor Resort & Marina (mm 85). Our side deck overlooks the “beach” (fake but still awesome). The whole 18 room resort (+ 1 trailer) is painted in bright colors. We spent some time enjoying the pool before walking to dinner at the local dive bar – Hog Heaven.
Dessert at Mr C’s Homemade Ice Cream (mm 86) was a treat! They make all the ice cream in-house and the waffle cones are made-to-order – so they’re still warm when you get them. The key lime flavor was especially yummy.
Day 6 – Miami/Little Havana – Slept like a baby in the trailer! Woke up early and went out for breakfast at Mangrove Mike’s, Peter forced me to get some protein (eggs) with my massive cinnamon roll. Lots of locals and fishing talk overheard here.
We took our time getting out of town – spending some quality time at the hotel “fake beach” before checkout. First stop on the road was Cafe Moka for some caffeine (they make a killer chai latte, mile marker 91). Another stop at Blonde Giraffe Key Lime Pie Factory for some extra treats before leaving Key Largo.
When we reached Miami, we cruised along Ocean Ave in Miami Beach to see the historic art deco buildings, and the Wynwood area to admire all the colorful street art.
Our hotel is on the edge of Little Havana (I definitely wouldn’t walk the neighborhood after dark). It’s run by Life House – the group that recently took over operations for the Chattanooga Choo Choo. They focus on curating unique experiences. The whole hotel is themed like a tropical mansion – fitting for the Little Havana area. I’m impressed!
We walked down to Calle Ocho (8th street) to see the popular sights – Domino Park, Walk of Fame, all the Cuban influenced businesses, etc. We even saw them filming some sort of production with lots of dancers – not sure what it is though.
We enjoyed live music and very entertaining old men dancing at Ball & Chain – and the BEST mojito I have had since my trip to Cuba in 2014. Grabbed a small scoop of Cafe con Leche ice cream (with Oreos!) at Azucar. Stopped at La Trova – a popular Cuban-influenced hot spot co-owned by a James Beard awarded chef, before heading back to Terra – the rooftop bar at our hotel with beautiful views of the Miami skyline. Our own Little Havana food tour!
Anytime I am in an area where Spanish is the dominant language – I wish I was more fluent. I understand more than I can speak (a BIG thanks to my high school Spanish teachers) – but I really need to practice more. Spanish-speaking friends, please hold me accountable!
