My Florida Keys Vacation

We (my wife and I) took our first trip in November, which is a transition month, after the hot summer and tropical storm season is practically over, but the ocean is still warm for swimming.

When we were searching the internet we stumbled upon many interesting Florida Keys vacation packages. We also noticed that November must be a low season month - there were really great deals available. That also meant we shouldn't expect crowds of people everywhere, and we found that to be true. With a lot of hotels and resorts in the Florida Keys we didn't have any problem finding a place we liked. Eventually, we decided to go with our own plan and split our week long vacation into three stops, this way we could see as much of the Keys as possible.

Our flight from Buffalo to Miami went quickly, then we rented a car and started our journey. First stop - Key Largo.

Driving to the Keys from the Fort Lauderdale or Miami airport is simple: keep going south until there is only one road left - State Road #1.
South of Miami the road runs through a low lying grassy terrain, the easternmost stretch of the Everglades, eventually crossing a new bridge leading to Key Largo.
Finding any place in the Keys is even simpler - just pay attention to the mile markers located next to the main and only road crossing all the islands.

We stayed in Key West for 2 more nights, seeing some of the local attractions: the Hemingway house, Nancy Forester's Secret Garden full of orchids and other tropical plants, and The Key West Lighthouse. Of course, at the end of the day we had to experience the sunset ritual on Mallory Square. It's unbelievable that this place transforms into a huge party every night. Stands with drinks and snacks, many talented performers to watch, local bands to listen or dance to. Everybody has so much fun.

When the sun is ready to set, people move closer to the edge of the deck to watch the sun disappearing behind the horizon, applauding when the show is over. I have to say that this was a really enjoyable and unique experience. Unfortunately, there was not enough time to see more Key West attractions because on the second day we actually left Key West behind and took a boat trip to Dry Tortugas. Well, on the positive side, now we have an excuse to go there again.

Altogether, our Florida Keys vacation was a wonderful experience and we did not want to go back to cold and snowy Buffalo even if not all of those Florida Keys attractions lived up to our expectations.

The Florida coral reef seen through the glass bottom is not as spectacular as the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia (but it is more conveniently located), and the beaches in general are rather small and narrow. In most places the ocean is very shallow for a long distance from the shore, so swimming is not very practical, except for children to splash around in.

To get to good snorkeling or diving places you have to take a boat and anchor it a mile or more out into the sea.
But all this didn't really matter that much. What is great about the Florida Keys is their exotic, tropical scenery, with coconut palms leading the pack, and an overall sense of being in a place far away from the stresses of modern life.