Ah, to lay down in the sweet sun and enjoy a light breeze on the Keys.... time seems to pass at another rythm here. You have arrived: the Florida Keys!
But one Key is not like another... so here´s the lowdown.
a) Key largo: the first Key once you pass Homestead. There´s a very nice Marriot Hotel on your left. The big attraction here is John Pennecamp State Park, the only park that encompasses a coral reef! It really is a beautiful spot for a picnic, enjoying a nice beach, fishing or even a snorkeling cruise. They´ll take you out -supposedly to the reef- for 2 hours and then back. Now here´s my experience: I didn´t see many fish as the captain (probably because it was choppy) didn´t leave us directly on the reef but a few yeards from it, where the ocean is still very deep. I am not such a good swimmer as to swim over to the reef. Bummer. So choose a day when the ocean is not choppy!
b) Next is Islamorada. It is known for sport fishing, there are a lot of companies that´ll take you out on the ocean to fish. Never did it myself though. There´s also an amusement Park, a kind of Sea World but with a less expensive entrance fee. I thought this is going to be goofy and boring, but since I had 2 hours to kill... I was totally wrong! Don´t let yourself be disheartened by the tacky plastic dolpins at the entrance. The shows were practically the same as in Sea World, minus the crowds and at half the price. I got to pat a dolphin and a nice fishy kiss from a sealion. Excellent.
c) Marathon Key is the next key, it doesn´t have much more than hotels. Never stayed here.
d) Long Key: A beautiful State Park. It is totally awesome but also very lonely. It has a nature walk that leads you to white sandy beaches. But I´d take someone with me otherwise it can get... too lonely for my taste! But it´s beautiful. And you can fish and camp here too.
e) The Lower Keys: Big Pine Key, Sugarloaf Key etc, don´t have anything particularly attractive, until you reach the jewel of them all: Key West. After driving over the breathtaking 7 mile bridge spanned over a turquoise ocean, you will enter the home town of Ernest Hemingway. Called "Cayo Hueso" (Bone Key) by the spaniards, this is a laidback town where wild chicken roam the streets and descendants from Hemingway´s 6 toed cats can still be seen sunnying themselves on the porch of the houses. The southernmost point of the States is unmistakenly signaled (and eternally surrounded by tourists). The original Sloppy Joe is served daily at Sloppy Joe´s (although another place disputes the original claim), and at Margaritaville they serve drinks all day. There are lots of art galleries and a spectacuar sunset that you (and a million other tourists) have to watch from the pier. In my opinion Key West is slighty overpriced and I don´t like the atmosphere after dark (party town...) but it depends on your taste and there´s sure thousands of people who come to vacation here and are enchanted by everything. You won´t find a lot of sandy beaches here though, it´s mostly a rocky shore.
Welcome to Margaritaville... Enjoy your trip to the Keys!
3/15/2010
3/14/2010
What to do near Miami Beach
If you are looking to spend a lovely afternoon near Miami, head to Bayview. There is a open-air market with some interesting trinkets, which will take you about 1 to 2 hours to explore. Then from here you can board a 1 hour boat tour that takes you to see the houses of the rich and famous along Fisher Island, Star Island and many more that are closed to the traffic but not to the boats! :-)) The tour is fully narrated in english.
Coral Gables is also worth a visit. It´s a green, shady and majorly posh neighborhood, where grand houses stand amidst tall trees. You´ll find here the wonderful Fairchild Botanical Garden. Even if you´re not a fan of such gardens this one´s worth the while: expansive lawns, a beautiful tropical garden, even a lagoon in the middle (and if you look close you might see alligators too).
Another jewel is Vizcaya House and Gardens. Built by a Deering heir, it looks like a gothic Castle mixed with a fairy tale. It has a fabulous Art collection, including a marble table over 2000 years old. Deering evidently had the time and money to furnish his house with the best of the best. He even built a swimming pool filled with ocean water. As he never married or had any children, he put most of his efforts in this grand house, that at the time was located in an extremely lonely place. The gardens seem to be enchanted, with secret paths, fountains and amazing layouts. This is the only garden in USA that queen Elisabeth II from England visited. Plan to take a full afternoon or better yet, the whole day for your visit. There´s a small cafe that serves decent fare.
If you are more of a "true" nature lover, visit Deering Estate nearby. It is the house of the other Deering heir, and couldn´t be more different from Viozcaya. The character of the brothers was incredibly different. This is a big house, but not grand. The attraction here is the nature surrounding it. This Deering tried to leave the gardens as near to the original vegetation as possible. There is even a plank walk over the swamps. He excavated the bay to allow for his ships to be docked here, and nowadays the quiet waters attract lots of manatees (the near extinct "sea cows") that can be seen just feet away from the shore. It is usually a very quiet place, there are few persons who even know of this lovely spot. Unfortunately, the only restoration means is a vending machine. I´d just bring some discreet lunch with me, it is not allowed to picknick but no one will say anything if you take out a sandwich in the vending area.
Finally, one more option for people who like slightly strange places: Coral Castle. This big house (it isn´t really a "Castle") was built in the early years of the 20th century by one man alone, entirely out of Coquilla, the local stone mixed with the shells of thousands of mollusks. He built this house as a testament to an impossible love. Everything is made out of stone: the beds, the chairs, tables, etc. There are some fantastic features such as a massive stone door that moves easily on a hinge.... how did just one man manage to build this? Some people believe he had alien contacts. The mystery continues to this day.
So there are a lot of options out there... enjoy!
Coral Gables is also worth a visit. It´s a green, shady and majorly posh neighborhood, where grand houses stand amidst tall trees. You´ll find here the wonderful Fairchild Botanical Garden. Even if you´re not a fan of such gardens this one´s worth the while: expansive lawns, a beautiful tropical garden, even a lagoon in the middle (and if you look close you might see alligators too).
Another jewel is Vizcaya House and Gardens. Built by a Deering heir, it looks like a gothic Castle mixed with a fairy tale. It has a fabulous Art collection, including a marble table over 2000 years old. Deering evidently had the time and money to furnish his house with the best of the best. He even built a swimming pool filled with ocean water. As he never married or had any children, he put most of his efforts in this grand house, that at the time was located in an extremely lonely place. The gardens seem to be enchanted, with secret paths, fountains and amazing layouts. This is the only garden in USA that queen Elisabeth II from England visited. Plan to take a full afternoon or better yet, the whole day for your visit. There´s a small cafe that serves decent fare.
If you are more of a "true" nature lover, visit Deering Estate nearby. It is the house of the other Deering heir, and couldn´t be more different from Viozcaya. The character of the brothers was incredibly different. This is a big house, but not grand. The attraction here is the nature surrounding it. This Deering tried to leave the gardens as near to the original vegetation as possible. There is even a plank walk over the swamps. He excavated the bay to allow for his ships to be docked here, and nowadays the quiet waters attract lots of manatees (the near extinct "sea cows") that can be seen just feet away from the shore. It is usually a very quiet place, there are few persons who even know of this lovely spot. Unfortunately, the only restoration means is a vending machine. I´d just bring some discreet lunch with me, it is not allowed to picknick but no one will say anything if you take out a sandwich in the vending area.
Finally, one more option for people who like slightly strange places: Coral Castle. This big house (it isn´t really a "Castle") was built in the early years of the 20th century by one man alone, entirely out of Coquilla, the local stone mixed with the shells of thousands of mollusks. He built this house as a testament to an impossible love. Everything is made out of stone: the beds, the chairs, tables, etc. There are some fantastic features such as a massive stone door that moves easily on a hinge.... how did just one man manage to build this? Some people believe he had alien contacts. The mystery continues to this day.
So there are a lot of options out there... enjoy!
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