Stops Through the Keys?

[davidswife]

This doesn't pertain directly to Key West, but I'm hoping you can help. My husband and I will be driving from Miami to Key West and back to Miami again the last week of September. So far, I've got the following places on our radar to stop at, but am hoping for a few more suggestions.

 

Everglades National Park - see alligators up close and other wildlife

Alabama Jacks - food and drinks

Islamorada Fish Company - food and drinks

Rain Barrel Artisan Village - shopping

Bohia State Park - walk out on the high bridge over the water

 

Can you recommend any other stops worthwhile along the way? Since we're driving it twice, we're hoping to see as much as possible.

 

Also, can anyone tell me if Everglades National Park and Alabama Jacks is really worth the extra time and drive off the beaten path?

 

Thanks so much!

[tunaman2011]

Greetings

 

The visitor's center for Everglades National Park is wayyyyy off the beaten path. For Alabama Jacks you just take the card sound route which in itself is a much prettier drive than the 18 mile stretch.

 

If you are there early morning or late afternoon, Big Pine has the little key deer. Many people enjoy seeing them. They are usually hidden away during the day. There you will also find No Name Pub, an interesting watering hole/restaurant.

 

As for Bahia Honda, I am not sure how much of the old bridge is still accessible. It's looking pretty bad.

 

Good Sailing

Tom

[Aquahound]

As for Bahia Honda, I am not sure how much of the old bridge is still accessible. It's looking pretty bad.

 

A portion of the bridge is maintained and you can walk out on it from the park. You walk on the old roadway, on top of the metal structure, 65 ft above the water.

[Capt_BJ]

For Alabama Jacks you just take the card sound route which in itself is a much prettier drive than the 18 mile stretch.

 

Concur - the Card Sound Rd route does not add significantly to the trip either direction miles wise. Stopping at AJ's will add time of course, but no significant addition of miles or time in that regard.

 

Lived in south Miami for quite a while and 2 weekends a month we typically were diving from Key Largo - Card Sound Road became our preferred route . . .

[davidswife]

Thanks so much, everyone! I think we'll skip Everglades National Park then and still do the Card Sound Rd route. We'll take our chances with the bridge too. I read that you can still walk out on it, but motor vehicles are prohibited.

[Capt_BJ]

Everglades National Park .... a story

 

preface: have you seen the movie African Queen?

 

As I mentioned above I/we lived in south Miami for a while and one day spousal unit and I decided to explore the Everglades National Park .. drove to Florida City, turned west, found the entr' and headed down the winding trail. No complaints ... if you want nature, there was plenty to see and with the top down in our convert' we were havin' fun.

 

We were heading for the Flamingo visitor center http://www.nps.gov/ever/planyourvisit/flamdirections.htm and when we arrived were surprised to find no cars in the parking lot.

 

Bait shop was open ... people at the desk but NO one else around. After walking around for a bit (no place to buy lunch) we headed back to the car which had been parked with the top down....

 

Along the way I kicked a pile of Pine Tree needles ... long needles often used as mulch in the south. There arose a BUZZ. Suddenly we were surrounded by skeeters - zillions of BIG BLACK skeeters .... We RAN to the car and I quickly put the top up and we raced out of the parking lot.

 

But the car was FULL of HUGE skeeters aka squitos' .... so we stopped and put the top DOWN and then sped to (the legal speed limit . . . ) to 'wash' the darn things out of the car!!!!!

 

We then recognized why NO ONE else was at the park . . .

 

BUT .. no matter ... I encourage you to visit one of the nations parks . . . lots of nature to be seen . . .

[emcee207]

LOL, good story, I am envisioning this and laughing!:D

 

Also agree about the Card Sound route, fun and easy and no extra time. AJ's is fun but not a big deal, IMHO

[cruzer0987]

If you're in the mood for food and drink in Islamorada I would recommend skipping Islamorada Fish Company and going to Lazy Days.

 

Stop at Robbies Marina just west of Islamorada to feed the tarpon:)

[davidswife]

Capt_BJ - great story! As someone who HATES bugs, I can't imagine getting that top down fast enough!! I've decided to skip Everglades and spend more time in Bahia State Park. Not because of your story, but it definitely seals the deal! :eek:

 

emcee - I'm glad to hear you say AJ's is no big deal because we've decided not to make it one our stops. We'll still be taking the Card Sound Rd route though. :)

 

cruzer - I JUST came across Lazy Days myself today online! We are definitely stopping here for lunch. The tables directly in the sand on the beach sound like such a fun experience! And not sure if we'll stop to feed the tarpons yet. They kind of give me the willies.

[Capt_BJ]

stop at AJ's for a cold drink and an order of fritters or fish dip just to say you've been there. Don't miss a piece of Florida history. I first went here in the 80's and it wasn't new then!

[bouhunter]

Alabama Jack's is OK, but I wouldn't bother eating there.

 

Robbie's Marina is a nice stop - the tarpon are HUGE, but safely below the dock in the water:D Also lots of pelican's there - good pictures of both the fish and the birds. There's also a small "flea market" there where you can buy paintings, etc. If you're in the mood for a quick shopping stop in Islamorada go to the Worldwide Sportsmans Store. Nice place, and there's a replica of Hemingway's fishing boat inside that you can explore.

 

I forget the name but you can google "lobster trap art florida keys" or something like that. It will get you a link to a place in Islamorada that sell's tile paintings framed in old lobster trap wood. Cool place, I'm guessing somewhere near MM83. Definitely worth a stop.

 

If you want to make a 1-2 hour stop, Theater of the Sea in Islamorada is nice - dolphin shows, sea lions, etc. It doesn't really look like much from outside, but is worth the time and money if you're interested in something like that.

 

Enjoy the Key's - take your time and go with the flow, the drive is beautiful! I've always said everyone should drive the Key's at least once in their life.

 

Oh Yeah, the destination Key West is pretty nice too :) We've been going there for years, for the first time we'll be there on New Years Eve in a few months :)

 

Coming or going, another meal stop I'd recommend is Sparky's Landing in Key Colony Beach - MM53 I think. About a mile south of US-1 on the water.

[Aquahound]

emcee - I'm glad to hear you say AJ's is no big deal because we've decided not to make it one our stops. We'll still be taking the Card Sound Rd route though. :)

 

I think this is a good idea because I don't think AJ is any big deal. In fact, I'll take it a step further and suggest skipping Card Sound Rd all together. Frankly, all that road does is prolong your trip and, other than when you go over 1 bridge, there aren't any views to take in. I recommend just staying on US1 and not wasting your time, especially if you don't plan on stopping at AJ.

[Hstergo]

If you are a Humphrey Bogart fan the African Queen is in Key Largo

[bouhunter]

I think this is a good idea because I don't think AJ is any big deal. In fact, I'll take it a step further and suggest skipping Card Sound Rd all together. Frankly, all that road does is prolong your trip and, other than when you go over 1 bridge, there aren't any views to take in. I recommend just staying on US1 and not wasting your time, especially if you don't plan on stopping at AJ.

 

I concur:D

[peter_krynicki]

This is pushing ten years old but it's fun to read through and to look at the photos. (PJ keeps threatening to update it)

 

http://www.chbi.com/keywestroadtrip/FL_Keys_Adventure_Guide.pdf

 

Pjk

[keywester33]

I think this is a good idea because I don't think AJ is any big deal. In fact, I'll take it a step further and suggest skipping Card Sound Rd all together. Frankly, all that road does is prolong your trip and, other than when you go over 1 bridge, there aren't any views to take in. I recommend just staying on US1 and not wasting your time, especially if you don't plan on stopping at AJ.

 

I agree as well. Ever since the construction on the Route 1 stretch was completed, i dont see any reason to use Card Sound Road, especially since I don't think AJs is all that great either.

[davidswife]

peter - that was great, thank you! I got quite a few more ideas!

 

keywester - After all the comments here, we're rethinking the card sound road route. Since we're doing the drive twice though, we might take it one of the ways just to say we did, but we'll see. Thanks!

[Capt_BJ]

we might take it one of the ways just to say we did

 

In the WORST case it will cost you 5 minutes and a couple of bucks IME

 

 

I'd still say stop at AJ's 'just to say you have been there'

 

""have a drink and a pee and be back for act three""

 

... but that's the way I gather points .... and the one with the most points wins!

[seacrystal]

This doesn't pertain directly to Key West, but I'm hoping you can help. My husband and I will be driving from Miami to Key West and back to Miami again the last week of September. So far, I've got the following places on our radar to stop at, but am hoping for a few more suggestions.

 

Everglades National Park - see alligators up close and other wildlife

Alabama Jacks - food and drinks

Islamorada Fish Company - food and drinks

Rain Barrel Artisan Village - shopping

Bohia State Park - walk out on the high bridge over the water

 

Can you recommend any other stops worthwhile along the way? Since we're driving it twice, we're hoping to see as much as possible.

 

Also, can anyone tell me if Everglades National Park and Alabama Jacks is really worth the extra time and drive off the beaten path?

 

Thanks so much!

 

We drove down to Key West after a cruise a few years ago and discovered Islamorada Fish Company and Bahia State Park and were really happy we did. The Fish Company is a really fun place to go and we thought the food was good. We also loved Bahia State Park. We walked all over and had a great time. We actually plan to stop at each after our cruise in November.

 

Everglades National Park .... a story

 

preface: have you seen the movie African Queen?

 

As I mentioned above I/we lived in south Miami for a while and one day spousal unit and I decided to explore the Everglades National Park .. drove to Florida City, turned west, found the entr' and headed down the winding trail. No complaints ... if you want nature, there was plenty to see and with the top down in our convert' we were havin' fun.

 

We were heading for the Flamingo visitor center http://www.nps.gov/ever/planyourvisit/flamdirections.htm and when we arrived were surprised to find no cars in the parking lot.

 

Bait shop was open ... people at the desk but NO one else around. After walking around for a bit (no place to buy lunch) we headed back to the car which had been parked with the top down....

 

Along the way I kicked a pile of Pine Tree needles ... long needles often used as mulch in the south. There arose a BUZZ. Suddenly we were surrounded by skeeters - zillions of BIG BLACK skeeters .... We RAN to the car and I quickly put the top up and we raced out of the parking lot.

 

But the car was FULL of HUGE skeeters aka squitos' .... so we stopped and put the top DOWN and then sped to (the legal speed limit . . . ) to 'wash' the darn things out of the car!!!!!

 

We then recognized why NO ONE else was at the park . . .

 

BUT .. no matter ... I encourage you to visit one of the nations parks . . . lots of nature to be seen . . .

 

This sounds like my kind of luck!:eek: Do you think the skeeters will still be around in November? I was hoping they would be gone by then:confused:

[Bocadude85]

I would go to Everglades National Park. The drive to Flamingo is beautiful and you get to see lots of wildlife. Also if your looking for some good food I would recommend a stop at the Cracked Conch in Marathon. You could also visit Pigeon Key which is in the middle of the 7 mile bridge and registered as a national historic site.

[davidswife]

Thanks, Bocadude85. I have The Cracked Conch on my list of potential stops, so I'm glad to hear you recommend it. And we also plan to check out pigeon key. Not sure about the Everglades yet. If we stop, it will be on the way back and will all depend on how good of time we're making.