Culinary
Delights & Outdoor Adventures In The Florida Keys,
By Melody Schubert & Leroy Worley - Part 1:
Dining
in the Florida Keys is a
adventure in its self. In fact, you can map out the culinary delights all the
way to Key West, and try something
new each time. Then there is the Key Lime pie, which is as unique as the
restaurants along the Overseas Highway.
Sometimes it is a bit tart, other times a little sweeter, and some restaurants
use a creamy topping. Our suggestion is to buy as piece and let everyone with
you enjoy just a bite, so you experience the variety of sweet temptations
offered in the Keys. To start your trip it is easier to fly into the Miami International Airport that is surprisingly easy to get through for as big as it is and the
amount of flights that come in and depart daily.
We had no
problems finding our bags and everyone who worked at the
Miami International Airport was nice and helpful when we had questions. Yes,
you can fly into Key West and find
such a exciting mix of activities and attraction to
enjoy, but then you'll mix the opportunity to meet many of the other Characters
of the Keys. Once you're there, pack
your bags and friends and family in the car for a cruise through the Keys.
Bring along a cooler with some refreshments, a few snacks, and pop in a Howard
Livingston & the Mile Marker 24 Band's CD or Jimmy Buffet to set the
mood as you set off on your dining adventure.
Mile Marker 79.9 - 106.5 - As you begin your
journey through the Florida Keys you'll notice Mile
Maker's along the way. These are the easiest way to figure out where you are
and what you're looking for as you travel down the Overseas
Highway towards Key West.
This is also the best way to experience the Keys, and our first stop is around
Mile Marker 80 where you can check into the Pines and Palms Resort. Start your
trip by saying hi to Jim Bernardin when you check
into the lovely Pines and Palms Resort at
80401 Old Highway in Islamorada, FL.
It's a cozy place where the sunrises are sensational, and the hospitality is
always welcoming. Click here
to read our feature on the Pines and Palms Resort. (1-800-624-0964 - www.pinesandpalms.com)
After checking in at the Pines
and Palms Resort head over to the Lazy Days restaurant, which a friend
suggested. Located at Mile Marker 79.9,
Lazy Days offers spectacular oceanfront dinning and a tasty variety
of fresh local seafood. 305-664-5256 - www.lazydaysrestaurant.com.
It's a great place for a casual evening enjoying the company of friends and
family! Ask about the Happy Hour special from 4
to 6 pm or try the 3 for $1.00
Appetizers at The Bar. They have fresh seafood specials, vegetarian pastas,
steaks, sandwiches, and Chef Lupe & Michelle Ledesma
will cook up your catch as many of the restaurant will in the Florida
Keys. This is a beautiful setting for a
evening in the Keys. Enjoy a specialty drink as the sun sets, and don't forget
to sample the Key Lime Pie.
In the
morning drop by the Midway Cafe - Mile Marker 80
just around the corner a short walk away from the Pines and Palms Resort for a cup of coffee and choose from a mix of
breakfast specialties on the menu to start your day. The Midway Cafe has
pastries, and other goodies to get you started on your way as well. We saved
our goodies for a snack later in the day. Then
begin planning your adventure on the water with Captain
Spencer Slate of the Atlantis Dive Center, Mile Marker 106.5 - 51 Garden Cove Drive in Key Largo, FL. Call ahead and speak
to Capt. Slate or Lindy at 305-451-3020, and they can give you easy
directions to follow to the Dive Center. The Atlantis Dive Center Offering two dive
charters daily to the John Pennekamp State Park and the Key Largo National Marine Sanctuary. During our
trip out on the boat Captain Slate let us view the sea life beneath us via the
glass-bottom. It is amazing to see the changes in color according to the
landscape. Captain Slate and his crew were exceptional at explaining all the
gear and giving us tips to make the most of our snorkeling trip! Check this
video out -- CharactersOfTheKeys - Captain Slate's Atlantis
Dive Center http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgBe5o9leiQ!
For lunch drive down to the Green Turtle Inn,
located at Mile Marker
81.5 -
81219 Overseas Hwy. Islamorada, FL. As for breakfast, the Green
Turtle Inn that has fluffy muffins, and offers a many breakfast favorites that keep the locals coming back for more. Menu items
include omelets, pancakes and the traditional eggs, sausage, along with
Snapper, eggs, and grits, and Eggs Benedict served with crab cakes. Love the crab cakes! Lunch and dinner are just a
delicious with amazing selection of fresh fish and local specials like the turtle
steak and gourmet soups. Do not fret, the
turtles are not caught off the Keys; they're farm raised. While waiting for
your meal check out all the photos that relive the history of the restaurant
that opened in 1947, including photos of
a hurricane the hit the Keys. (305-664-2006)
Of course
a trip to the Florida Keys is filled with opportunities
to go fishing and enjoy a variety of outdoor recreation. The Green Turtle Inn a perfect spot for a meal because
right next door you can meet
Sandy Moret at Florida
Keys Outfitters, who has been a fishing guide at the
Florida
Keys Fly
Fishing
School
since 1989. If you're looking for fishing
equipment there's plenty of it here, and a assortment
of hand-made fly's to help you reel in a big one. Sandy
Moret is a great
guy, who not only offers advice about the best fishing locations,
he can also show you a casting demonstration.
Along with winning many awards, and being a expert on fly-fishing for over 30 years, Sandy is one of the
Character of the Keys, who has many tales to share, and can help you plan your
fishing trip. (305-664-5423)
After a day out trying your luck flying fishing enjoy dinner
at Morada Bay Beach Café, Mile Marker 81.6 - 81600 Overseas
Highway in
Islamorada,
FL. This
bayside restaurant has a dock where you can pull in your boat and offers fresh
seafood with a tropical flare along with traditional fare such as chicken
salad, fajitas, and hamburgers. Here, we tried our first taste of a Conch
Fritter, which was really great, and the Key Lime Pie had a sweet, yet tart
snap to it that enhanced the flavor. Morada Bay Beach
Café is a fun place to catch a band or hang out and talk with locals about
fishing as well. (305-864-7200)
On our
trip we loved meeting people who called the Keys home. Each person we met had a
passion for the Keys just as Stacie Krupa does,
which is evident in her gallery; the Stacie Krupa Art
Gallery, located at Mile Marker 82.9 - 82935 Overseas Highway, Suite 1. Islamorada, FL. Her bright and bold works of art capture the spirit of the
Keys and showcases her talent as an artist, which she had developed since the
age of 10. Stacie Krupa is such a delight to speak to about the area, which she
a very active in, and supports local programs to inspire others to explore
their creative side. (305-942-0614 - www.staciekrupa.com) Not far away is the Wild
Bird Center at Mile Marker 93.6 - 93600 Overseas Hwy, Tavernier,
FL. This is also a great stop over along the way where
you could meet Laura Quinn, who ha been working with injured and orphaned birds
for years, opening the Wild Bird Center when the number of birds became too
many to handle behind her oceanfront home. (305-852-4486)
If you love cinnamon buns then you must stop in for
breakfast at the Islamorada Restaurant &
Bakery/Bob’s Bunz at Mile Marker 81.6 - 81620 Overseas Hwy.,
Islamorada. The cinnamon buns at Bob’s are huge; enough to feed a whole
group! We also sampled their fresh baked pastries and muffins, and they offer
fresh baked cookies, pies, but they are “famous” for their cinnamon bunz and sticky bunz. The funny
thing about us eating our way from one end of the Keys to the other is that we
really don't eat much, so we shared most of our meals with our friends. This is
a great idea at the Islamorada Restaurant & Bakery/Bob’s Bunz since the cinnamon bunz are
so big. Once you go along you'll find that these restaurants are local hang
outs, and if the local eat there, then you know the foods good!
(305-664-8363)
The Keys are over 120 miles, so there's a wide area to
explore and many adventures awaiting ahead, which we'll continue in Part 2 of
our adventures through the Florida Keys!
Learn More
With so much to see and do in the Florida Keys you might wonder where to begin when
planning your trip? The best place to start is by visiting www.fla-keys.com,
where you can learn about lodging and dining options as well as discover many
of the Characters of the Keys that make it such a memorable destination.