Years ago, I told me daughter that when she graduated from 8th grade, we would do a mommy-daughter trip. And then all of a sudden she was in the 8th grade. Time to plan! I told her we could go anywhere in the United States. We bonded over the excitement of looking at different destinations, and a variety of activities we wanted to experience. It was decided. We were going to take a mommy-daughter trip to the Florida Keys! (check out our video of our time in the Florida Keys)
Planning
Timing is Everything
Because this trip was celebrating my daughter’s 8th grade graduation, we planned our trip to the Florida Keys at the end of the school year. According to information I found, June through September is hotter and is also hurricane season. Not optimal. On the bright side, at least in theory, there are fewer tourists. We went toward the end of June because it wasn’t too far out from the end of the school year. And hopefully early enough in the hurricane season that the weather wouldn’t be too bad.
Traveling
We bought plane tickets to Miami (I love using skyscanner.com) since we wanted to road trip down the Florida Keys to Key West. And it was cheaper than flying into Key West. Of course that meant renting a car. I like AutoRentals.com because it gives me an overview of a variety of companies, types of cars, and the prices. I don’t remember how I got the bee in my bonnet, but it seemed like the perfect time to have a convertible. (Imagine driving down the Seven Mile Bridge on a beautiful sunny day, turquoise water on either side, wind in your hair….you get the picture).
We had heard not to plan on driving much once we reached Key West. Parking is expensive and difficult to find. We found that to be true, and ended up walking a lot. For example, from our hotel to Mallory Square was just over a mile each direction. So if you plan on walking, just plan on enough time to get where you need to go….or Uber. That being said, we did use our car for a few excursions in Key West.
Location, Location, Location
I debated about hotel versus our typical VRBO / Airbnb. On this trip, we didn’t want to spend time cooking, so we leaned toward a hotel. I also had a few free night vouchers and lots of Hilton points saved up from my credit card. When I called Hilton to make a reservation, the representative was extremely helpful. She explained that the hotel I was initially going to reserve (because it was cheaper) was further from town and did not have its own beach. She convinced me that it would be worth it to spend the extra points to stay at Casa Marina Resort in Key West. This was definitely a better choice!
Itinerary
While planning what we wanted to do, I scoured the internet (pinterest, youtube, etc) looking for things that sounded interesting in the Florida Keys. I made a chart of the things to do. Once I had the must-do excursions reserved, I filled in the gaps with other things and restaurants nearby. (Here is the map of my points of interest).
Florida Keys Day 1
We arrived in Miami around midnight and stayed at the Hilton Miami Airport Blue Lagoon. (Again I used points from my credit card, so it was a free night). The next morning we got up and picked up our rental car, and we were on our way to the Florida Keys.
Robert is Here
So many of the blogs I read said travelers must start their road trip at the Robert is Here fruit stand. So we did. To be honest, I am not sure what all the hype was about. The fruit smoothies that were raved about, I thought were okay, but overpriced. In the back, they do have a farm area where you can feed some of the animals.
Rain Barrel Village
We had to stop and at least get a photo with Betsy the Lobster at Rain Barrel Village. We did look around at some of the shops, but left without purchasing anything. I would have bought some cane juice, but they were all out.
Robbie’s of Islamorada
Following the recommendation of many bloggers and personal friends, we stopped at Robbie’s Marina. This did not disappoint. Feeding the tarpons was a fun, although initially intimidating, experience for both my daughter and me. We ended up and bought a second bucket of fish. Beware of the pelicans….not that they ever attacked, but they were aggressive. And no one warned us of the seagulls that might steal the fish right out of your hand. Robbies is a MUST-DO!
While at Robbie’s we planned to rent kayaks and paddle out to Indian Key, however due to weather/wind conditions, they weren’t renting kayaks. So we had to make changes on the fly. We decided to try to kayak on the way back to Miami, and go to Bahia Honda State Park instead.
Lorelei Restaurant and Cabana
We had planned to eat at Lorelei Restaurant and Cabana at dinner, as I had heard the sunsets from there were amazing. Due to our change of plans, we had a late lunch instead. The deck is right over the water, and the views are amazing. It is somewhat challenging to be in one of the seafood capitals and find food for vegetarians, however we succeeded. We ordered the Poppy’s Pretzels for an appetizer, and they were really good. My daughter ordered the Captain’s Quesadilla (also good) and I had the Portabello Sandwich (good, but the bun was kind of soggy).
Bahia Honda State Park
Bahia Honda State Park is one of the iconic landmarks on Hwy 1. The water wasn’t the clearest (compared to other places we visited on our trip), however we enjoyed the scenic area to stretch our legs and get in the water.
Kermit’s Key West Key Lime Shoppe
When we arrived in Key West, we checked into our hotel and decided we needed to end our day with some infamous key lime pie. We trekked into town in search of Kermit’s Key West Key Lime Shoppe. We enjoyed both the chocolate dipped key lime pie on a stick and their original key lime pie. Both tasted AMAZING (although the consensus was we actually liked the original more)!
(You will notice that we sampled a LOT of key lime pie on our trip, but Kermit’s was one of our favorites, in the top three!)
Florida Keys Day 2
Fury Ultimate Adventure
After hearing about Fury Ultimate Adventure from friends, and reading about it from many different bloggers, we decided that this was a must splurge adventure. This was basically an all day tour (from 10:30-4:30) that gave us a sample of a variety of different activities: snorkeling, parasailing, jet skiing, banana boat ride, and playing on their ocean water park/obstacle course. It also included breakfast and lunch. They also provide reef safe sunscreen. We bought our tickets online, and received $20 off per person. Even though this excursion was more money than I would typically spend, I thought it was well worth it, and I would go with Fury again. That being said, this was not the excursion for those that are trying to get away from people.
Cuban Coffee Queen
Since the Cuban Coffee Queen was close to Fury, we stopped to get an iconic picture. I wish I could comment on their amazing coffee (from everything I hear), however my body doesn’t tolerate caffeine, so I can’t report. But it is still a fun photo stop! And it is next to Mac’s Sea Garden which is a good place to buy tourist souvenirs.
Onlywood Pizzeria
While planning, I had looked for places that were close to our excursions since we were walking between activities. To be honest, I think we had planned to eat at Onlywood Grill which was close to Fury, however we ended up at Onlywood Pizzeria, which was definitely further away. Onlywood Pizzeria was a little more upscale, especially for Key West. The food was good, but the prices were a little more upscale as well.
Truman Waterfront Park and Farmer’s Market
Truman’s waterfront park looks like a nice area, but we didn’t have much time to explore it. There is a nice splash pad to cool off in especially if you have younger kids. We went to Truman’s waterfront park because they have a farmer’s market on Thursday evenings. Because we went to the wrong restaurant, it took a little longer than we had planned to get there, and arrived as things were closing up. The farmer’s market would have been a nice place to grab some food. We did end up and purchase some homemade citronella candles.
Florida Keys Day 3
The Reach Restaurant
The Reach is a sister hotel to Casa Marina, and therefore we could use our food and beverage credit there as well. We had a delicious breakfast there of Cuban Torrejas. If you don’t know what Cuban Torrejas are, they are similar to French toast, but a more heavenly, savor each bite, delicacy. It was so good that we went back on a different day and ordered the same thing. Definitely our favorite breakfast in Key West! On another evening we stopped at The Reach for some key lime pie, and besides being extremely overpriced, it was mediocre at best. Skip the key lime pie, but go for the Cuban Torrejas!
Dry Tortugas National Park
Dry Tortugas: Getting There
I will admit that Dry Tortugas was #1 on my must-do list for the Florida Keys. This National Park is approximately 70 miles off the coast of Key West. There are two ways to get to Dry Tortugas. The most common way is to take the National Park Ferry known as The Yankee Freedom. The other way is to take a seaplane with Key West Seaplanes.
After weighing the options, we went with Key West Seaplanes. Although more expensive, it significantly cut down travel time and took out concerns of possible sea-sickness. I booked our seaplane reservation three months in advance, and I guess we got lucky. Out of the 5 days we were going to be in Key West, and out of the multiple times they fly per day, they only had one possible time to go. We took it! Learn from our close call, if you want to go to Dry Tortugas, plan ahead!
Our day at Dry Tortugas was my favorite day. The seaplane experience was amazing. Besides never having been on a float plane, my daughter was given the co-pilot seat in the cockpit. While flying to and from Dry Tortugas, you can see a couple shipwrecks. Although a little difficult to spot from the air, we saw a variety of sea animals, such as dolphins, sharks, and sea turtles.
Dry Tortugas: Fort Jefferson
On Dry Tortugas, the main attraction is Fort Jefferson. Fort Jefferson took almost thirty years in to build (1846-1875), and was never finished nor fully armed. During the Civil War, the fort was used as a prison. Its most famous prisoner was Dr. Samuel Mudd, the physician who set the broken leg of John Wilkes Booth. This site is impressive not only in size but also the architecture.
Dry Tortugas: The Beach and Water
Besides exploring Fort Jefferson, do not overlook enjoying the water at Dry Tortugas. We did not get to do as much snorkeling as I would have liked here due to time constraints. The water was clear and we did see a variety of fish. While we were in the water, someone walking around the moat told us that they had just seen a shark…but we were not so lucky!
Giant Conch Shell
Given that Key West is also referred to as the Conch Republic, we wanted a photo with their giant conch shell. Since we traveled in the summer, and school wasn’t in session, we made a quick stop at the Key West high school for the photo.
Mo’s Restaurant
We had heard that Mo’s was known for Cuban food (although a Google search later revealed it is Haitian food). This restaurant is a little bit out of the way in comparison to the downtown/Duval St city life. As vegetarians, we found the menu somewhat limited, although we did have a few options (we ordered the baked Cheddar, and fried Plantain as appetizers, and then the veggie casserole and rice and beans for the entree). I personally found the food to be okay, but not my favorite, and a little pricey. Given that, I probably will not return on a future visit to the Florida Keys.
Florida Keys Day 4
My daughter and I had a lazy morning start, and did not get out the door on time as we had hoped, which impacted our morning. We were going to stop by the Southernmost Point for a photo, but when we arrived, there was a long line. We decided to postpone that landmark photo for another time, and headed out for breakfast at Blue Heaven
Croissants De France
As I mentioned above we had a late start, so by the time we made it to Blue Heaven it was a little past 9:00am and there was about an hour wait. We decided to meander the streets and window shop while we waited. Lo and behold, we came across a little cafe/bakery called Croissants de France that I had on my list to try their key lime pie. Nothing like a key lime pie appetizer before breakfast! With all the key lime pies I ate, the one from Croissants de France was good, but it didn’t stand out as one of the best. The breakfast menu at Croissants de France looked amazing, but we held out for Blue Heaven (If I return to Key West, I think I would go back to Croissants de France for breakfast).
Blue Heaven
I had heard a lot of people talk about the amazing food, and key lime pie, at Blue Heaven and so I thought I would see for myself. You cannot make reservations for breakfast and lunch, so it was my plan to get there before the crowds…which obviously did not happen.
Back at Blue Heaven, it had been well over our wait time before we were called back. The ambiance was relaxed as we sat at a little table next to a huge tree. There were chickens that roamed through the area, as is typical in Key West, and we listened to live music as we waited for our food to arrive. I had ordered the Veggie Blue Heaven Benedict, and my daughter opted for pancakes. The food was delicious, however since I had key lime pie as an appetizer earlier, I did not order the famous Blue Heaven Key Lime Pie for dessert (but, as you will find out later, I had their Key Lime Pie, and it was heavenly). All said, I would 100% return to Blue Heaven.
Fort Zachary Taylor State Park
When we returned from our late breakfast we drove over to Fort Zachary Taylor State Park. I had read that there is limited parking, however if you arrive early enough it shouldn’t be a problem. We were able to find parking and then went down to find a spot on the beach. Since our trip was in the summer, it was HOT, so we were able to find a little place in the shade. I found the beach to be quite rocky and would recommend wearing water shoes.
Fort Zachary: Snorkeling
The beach at Fort Zachary Taylor might be the best spot in Key West to just walk in for snorkeling. We found for the snorkeling, the best places were by the rock barriers…for us it was on the side by a post, however on the back side there was good snorkeling as well. There was a variety of fish, however the water was not as clear as other places (such as Dry Tortugas, or when we went on a boat tour with Pirate Cove Watersports…which you will read about later). If you are looking for the best snorkeling, I would recommend going elsewhere on a tour, however if you have your own snorkel equipment and are looking for affordability, Fort Zachary Taylor is the place!
Fort Zachary: The Fort
Also while at Fort Zachary Taylor, don’t forget to check out the fort! I unfortunately can’t give you my firsthand impressions, which is one of my regrets. The park is open until sundown, however I misunderstood that meant the Fort as well. My mistake. The Fort closes at 5:00pm daily. My daughter and I left the park and returned later (as the admission is good all day). When we returned, the Fort was already closed. We walked around on the outside of the moat, which was still impressive, just not the same as experiencing it from within.
Salute! On the Beach
For a late lunch/early dinner (we were still full from our late breakfast), we headed out to Salute! On the Beach. This was an Italian restaurant with a relaxed beach vibe, right on Higgs Beach. The food tasted really good (I had the vegetarian pesto, and my daughter had the fettucine alfredo) AND we found out that this was a sister restaurant to Blue Heaven, and so I had Blue Heaven’s Famous Key Lime Pie at Salute! Their pie was in my top three picks! My daughter was getting tired of key lime pie at this point so she had their homemade ice cream cookie sandwich.
Higgs Beach
Since we had just eaten at Salute!, we took a walk down Higgs beach. Not too far down from the restaurant, there was a pier that was inviting us to stroll down. This pier is called the Edwin B. Knight Pier, formally known as White Street Pier. Few people were on this pier, and at the end there it widens into a platform that has a large painted compass which was neat for photos.
Smather’s Beach
We then drove down to Smather’s Beach. It is a beautiful, picturesque beach with white sand and palm trees. We didn’t spend too much time at this beach. I heard that it isn’t necessarily the best for swimming or snorkeling (although, again I have no firsthand knowledge/experience), but if you just want to have a nice place to sunbathe or take pictures, this is a perfect place.
Florida Keys Day 5
Today was the day to spend hanging around Key West and exploring the infamous Duval St. To start the day however, my daughter and I had made a reservation at Latitudes at 8:45 for breakfast. On our walk from Casa Marina Hotel, we stopped by the Southernmost Point for a picture. Since the Point was only a few blocks from our hotel, we arrived before 8:00am and there was no line. Like I mentioned previously, the line at this landmark becomes crazy long. If you would like a picture here without waiting in lines, I recommend coming early, or late in the evening.
Also on our walk we took a route to go past Mile Marker 0 of Hwy 1. This is a fun landmark just to say that you made it to the end of 2000+ mile road that connects the east coast from Maine to Key West.
Latitudes
I had wanted to eat at Latitudes for a fine dining experience in Key West. This restaurant is located on a private island, known as Sunset Key, that you must take a short boat ride over to (the boat ride is included in your meal cost). We made our reservation over 2 months in advance, and although we didn’t get my preferred time, we were able to get a table on the day we wanted.
When we were seated, we were given the option of dining indoors or outdoors. We opted for outside as it was a beautiful morning and not too hot. I think we got one of the best tables as it was basically waterfront with a beautiful view. The food tasted delicious (I had the Caribbean Breakfast and my daughter had Croissant French Toast), and it was a memorable experience. I would recommend!
Key West Butterfly Conservatory
Our family already had the experience of butterfly gardens, so this was a last minute addition to our itinerary. We stopped at the Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory literally because we walked right passed it, and we calculated that we had enough time. If you have not had the experience of being in a butterfly garden, it really is pretty neat to have hundreds of butterflies floating through the air, and sometimes landing on you. I do not regret stopping in, but it isn’t on my “must-do” list.
After the butterfly conservatory, we headed back to Casa Marina Hotel, to change and relax for a bit before walking back into town to check out all the happenings on Duval St, and then stay for the evening to watch the Sunset Celebration at Mallory Square. Duval Street has a lot of cute shops, both clothing and touristy, and smatterings of restaurants along the way. We wanted to go for Mexican food and both Amigos Taco Bar and Bad Boy Burrito were recommended.
Amigos Taco Bar
Amigos Taco Bar has a fun atmosphere. When we stopped in we weren’t really hungry, but it was raining a bit and it was a good excuse to get out of the rain. My daughter ordered a small quesadilla, and I just ordered one taco and some street corn. The street corn was AMAZING! My taco was good, but we were underwhelmed with how little food there was for the price. Again, we weren’t really hungry, so it wasn’t a big deal. If you are looking for good tacos, this is the place….if you are looking for better prices go to Bad Boy Burrito.
Bad Boy Burrito
After stopping in at a few more shops, our hunger got the better of us and we headed to Bad Boy Burrito. My daughter ordered a burrito and I ordered a couple of tacos. Prices were definitely better, but the seating was only outside, which typically might not be a problem, but it was raining on and off the day we went. I would recommend Bad Boy Burrito based off of value, however when looking at their website now it looks as though they might be permanently closed. Make sure you check before going!
After our bellies were full with delicious tacos, we went on a search to find some delicious dessert…for me, specifically key lime pie
Key Lime Pie Company
We stopped in the Key Lime Pie Company to try their desserts. Just to keep things interesting, I ordered key lime pie in a cup and my daughter had key lime ice cream. We also bought some key lime candies to bring home for my son. The pie was good, but didn’t make my top three list.
Mattheessen’s
Our next stop was to try the key lime pie at Mattheessen’s, and it did not disappoint! The pie’s texture was different then the other key lime pies we tried…it was thicker and still so creamy. Definitely recommended! Top three!!!
Key West Shipwreck Museum
By the time we got to the Key West Shipwreck Museum it was getting near closing hours. The Museum has a whole bunch of interesting artifacts, including a 64 pound bar of genuine silver. On top of that, there are videos and a time-period historian/actress to share interesting stories and provide information about the era. Due to the weather not cooperating the lookout tower was closed, so we did not get to climb the 64 foot tower to see the view. I would recommend visiting this museum to experience this unique piece of Key West history.
Key Lime Pie Bakery
If you are like me, all the different Key Lime Pies are beginning to blur. By the time we had the pie at the Key Lime Pie Bakery, the pie definitely tasted good, but it didn’t stand out amongst the others. The thing that did set this Bakery apart from the others is that there was a really nice selection of other products all things key lime/Key West.
Mallory Square
America’s Tall Ship
America’s Tall Ship, which is an old Coast Guard vessel, was visiting Key West for a few days and was docked at Mallory Square. It was really neat to be able to go aboard and see this ship that was in active use training future Coast Guard officers. America’s Tall Ship is NOT a permanent fixture of Key West.
Sunset Celebration
We did not get to see the sunset from Mallory Square, because it had been raining on and off all day and was still overcast. Because the weather did not cooperate, the crowds were much less than anticipated which was nice. We did stay and watch different performers, which included a unicycler, a juggler, an acrobat, and a magician. They were all talented performers, however some of the language and innuendos may not be considered family friendly. On a future visit to the Florida Keys, I would like to experience the sunset at Mallory Square, but I might not stay for the sunset celebration.
Florida Keys Day 6
Our time on Key West had drawn to a close, but our drive back up the Florida Keys still had more adventures to experience on other Keys.
Marathon: Crane Point Hammock
Our first stop on our drive up the Florida Keys back to Miami was on Marathon Key at a place called Crane Point Hammock. The one thing I wanted to do at Crane Point Hammock was to get a fish pedicure. After a 15-20 minute walk, there is a small pond where you can sit and dangle your feet in the water and a bunch of tiny fish will come and nibble the dead skin off your feet. We arrived shortly after it opened, and so we were the only ones at the pond during our fish pedicure.
Because the fish pedicure was the one thing wanted to do, I don’t think I allotted enough time to explore the other parts. There are multiple trails to walk, a wild bird center, a museum and more. On a future visit to the Florida Keys, I would return but spend more time exploring.
Indian Key
After we left Marathon, we headed back north to Islamorada to see if the weather was cooperating to kayak out to Indian Key. Fortunately, the weather was on our side and we rented a tandem kayak from Robbie’s Marina. After some pointers, we started paddling. The paddling wasn’t difficult, but it took approximately a half hour to reach Indian Key. The only way to get to Indian key is via the kayak launch, although there were some small boats pulled in as well. This means there are very few visitors, and it is quiet and peaceful.
Indian Key has interesting history. Although it had permanent dwellings and settlers in the 1800s, today it is unoccupied and has only ruins. Again, because I didn’t allot enough time, we didn’t get to spend as much time here exploring as I would have liked. I would definitely return on a future visit to the Florida Keys.
Pirates Cove Watersports
We arrived in Key Largo for our afternoon reservation for a snorkeling tour literally with not a minute to spare.
When I first made the reservation with Pirates Cove Watersports, I had told them I would like to visit the Christ of the Abyss. I was told they could not guarantee locations due to weather, currents, etc, and it was up to the captain. It was a little disappointing not to be able to go, however we went out to beautiful reefs. I believe they were Molasses Reef and Elbow Reef.
Both reefs were amazing snorkeling experiences. There were lots of sea life (including barracuda, rays, and a variety of other fish) and beautiful coral. The water visibility was amazing as well. There were a lot of people on this tour, but once in the water it was so beautiful and peaceful. This may have been my best snorkeling experience! I would definitely recommend snorkeling with Pirate Cove Watersports!
Senor Frijoles
We were pretty hungry after our excursion with Pirates Cove, so fortunately nearby was Senor Frijoles. I am not sure if the food was really good because we were hungry, or it was just really good. They started us with chips and a variety of salsas that were REALLY good while we waited for our food. My daughter had the American version of tacos, while I had their vegetarian tacos. We also ordered the street corn, and although it was good, it didn’t compare with the corn from Amigos Taco Bar. When we had finished eating, although they had key lime pie, we decided to switch it up for their made in-house cotton candy.
Final Thoughts on the Florida Keys
This was a wonderful, and very memorable Mommy-Daughter trip to the Florida Keys. Would we do it again…in a heartbeat! Such great company, so many great excursions, such good food, and of course Key Lime Pie.
Excursions that made it on my Florida Key’s Must do list:
- Robbie’s Marina
- Fury Ultimate Adventure
- Dry Tortugas National Park
- Pirates Cove Watersports Snorkeling Tour
Favorite Restaurants
- The Reach (for the Cuban Torrejas)
- Latitudes
- Amigos Taco Bar (although a little pricey)
Key Lime Pie Top 3 List (in no particular order)
- Kermit’s Key West Key Lime Shoppe
- Mattheessen’s
- Blue Heaven
Looking for other family friendly trips…
For tropical, warm, sunny locations check out my posts on Oahu, HI, or Akumal, Mexico. Although my husband and I didn’t take our kids on our trip to French Polynesia (because it was for our anniversary), I would love to go back and take our kids. Specifically Tahiti and Moorea are more geared for family friendly adventures, although Bora Bora could be good too!
If you are looking for places within the continental United States, check out my posts on the Olympic Peninsula, or the San Juan Islands of Washington. Again, although I didn’t take our kids on my trip to Havasu Falls, AZ, I would love to go back with them. Due to the long hike, and sometimes hazardous trail, I would recommend this only for older, responsible kids with hiking experience.
Until next time, where ever life may take you, there are so many places to go! Go find someplace in this world to hide out!