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Started By
Message
Florida keys at Thanksgiving
Posted on 10/26/22 at 8:50 pm
Posted on 10/26/22 at 8:50 pm
After the great responses to my Estes Park inquiry on this board...we have decided to put that trip to the summer next year. We are now looking into something warmer!
We have never been to the Keys so looking for recomendations .
Plans would be:
Fly out of NOLA to Ft. Lauderdale Tuesday evening - spend the night in Miami and see city a few hours on Wednesday.
Drive to Key Largo Wednesday afternoon and stay till Saturday morning.
Visit Keys - Thursday-Saturday
Fly out Saturday afternoon.
Kids are 19/16/13/9
We have never been to the Keys so looking for recomendations .
Plans would be:
Fly out of NOLA to Ft. Lauderdale Tuesday evening - spend the night in Miami and see city a few hours on Wednesday.
Drive to Key Largo Wednesday afternoon and stay till Saturday morning.
Visit Keys - Thursday-Saturday
Fly out Saturday afternoon.
Kids are 19/16/13/9
7
Posted on 10/27/22 at 4:18 am to tigertail34
Download and play the gypsy app for your drive down Hwy 1.
Posted on 10/27/22 at 7:46 am to tigertail34
So you’re suggesting you’d be staying in Key Largo and exploring the Keys from there? I’d stay somewhere like Marathon or Islamorada that are much more centrally located.
Posted on 10/27/22 at 11:09 am to bigpapamac
I agree with staying in marathon. Plenty to do there like turtle hospital etc. Quick trip to Bahia Honda. Decent drive to Key West but obviously not the freaking haul from Largo.
Posted on 10/27/22 at 11:39 am to TheNolaClap
Just got back. Do Not stay in Key Largo. Nothing like the feel you get in the options closer to Key West. Keys Fisheries in Marathon for Stone Crab's is a great choice. 
Posted on 10/27/22 at 11:40 am to tigertail34
Traffic is awful especially on a holiday weekend. Dont think oh its only 90 miles so its 1.5 hours drive. Pick a spot and land there for the weekend. Bike, walk, stay off the highway. Islamorada, Bahia Honda or Marathon are great choices especially with teens. Just dont waste your trip in the car driving up and down the hwy. Remember not many beaches in the Keys, so rent a boat, so snorkeling, so paddling, get out on the water.
Posted on 10/27/22 at 12:53 pm to roberma
A fishing charter would be a good idea with kids that age.
Posted on 10/27/22 at 1:15 pm to tigertail34
Winter is the key west busy season OP, snowbirds flying south for the winter. It’s not far away, you need to look at accommodations and see what sort of reservations you can get. It’s going to be pricey and limited most likely
Posted on 10/28/22 at 8:57 am to sstig
Would it be better to stay in Key West?
Will only be there Wed afternoon-Saturday morning
Will only be there Wed afternoon-Saturday morning
Posted on 10/29/22 at 1:20 pm to bigpapamac
Would a stop in Everglades park on way to Keys be worth the stop?
Posted on 10/30/22 at 10:02 am to tigertail34
quote:
Would it be better to stay in Key West?
Will only be there Wed afternoon-Saturday morning
quote:We drove to KW in February and stopped by the Everglades east entrance on our way home. All we did was stop at the east entrance Visitor Center, got a map, drove to the end of the road and turned around. We did stop at one place, the Pa-hay-okee overlook, where there was a board walk into the glades.
Would a stop in Everglades park on way to Keys be worth the stop?
[/url][/img]; 
[/url][/img] At the end of the road, which is 38 miles, there is another temporary VC, a hotel I think and a campground. They were remodeling the main VC and maybe the hotel.
Given that you are only there for 3 nights I would focus on things to do on the way to Key West and there. The John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park near Key Largo looks interesting for example.
KW is very walkable, at least the interesting part is, and they have a free circulator bus. Use kwtransit.com and select the Duval Loop to see the map and where the bus is located.
[/url][/img] Posted on 10/30/22 at 12:05 pm to nctiger71
It looks like we are going to stay in Duck Key so we can get to Key West at least one day and then possibly rent a boat to go fishing/play around one day. The place we are looking at staying says we can fish right off the back dock if we wanted to as well...so it looks like for thursday & friday we will have plenty to do!
Posted on 10/31/22 at 11:58 am to tigertail34
We will be staying in Islamorada over Thanksgiving...see ya there! 
Posted on 10/31/22 at 10:44 pm to tigertail34
Marathon is a great choice. Several good restaurants on that key. While there aren’t many beaches in the keys Marathon has a nice one. Close drive to Bahia Honda State Park.
You honestly only need one day in Key West itself. It’s basically a cleaner version of Bourbon Street. Very touristy. Definitely go check it out but a day is enough. When you go plan on being in Mallory Square to watch the sunset. Get there about an hour before. Tons of street performers that are very entertaining and then the sunset itself setting into the ocean is very nice.
The best part of the Keys is the water. There is a snorkel charter service on Big Pine Key called Strike Zone Charters. Very reasonable priced. They take groups out to Looe Key Reef. One of my favorite places to snorkel in the keys. Big Pine Key is very close to Marathon Key if you do stay there.
Great place to stay on Marathon is Captain Pips Marina. They have little 2 and 3 bedroom bungalows to rent right on the water. Not luxury but all have been recently remodeled and it’s very clean and very well run. There is a restaurant right there at the marina that’s not bad for a quick bite. Also if you are staying there they will rent you your own boat and provide fishing gear relatively inexpensive. Used to be $100 for the day for the boat. They all have gps with different things preprogrammed in so you won’t get lost or anything. Several good fishing charters on Marathon as well.
It’s a great home base while staying in the keys.
You honestly only need one day in Key West itself. It’s basically a cleaner version of Bourbon Street. Very touristy. Definitely go check it out but a day is enough. When you go plan on being in Mallory Square to watch the sunset. Get there about an hour before. Tons of street performers that are very entertaining and then the sunset itself setting into the ocean is very nice.
The best part of the Keys is the water. There is a snorkel charter service on Big Pine Key called Strike Zone Charters. Very reasonable priced. They take groups out to Looe Key Reef. One of my favorite places to snorkel in the keys. Big Pine Key is very close to Marathon Key if you do stay there.
Great place to stay on Marathon is Captain Pips Marina. They have little 2 and 3 bedroom bungalows to rent right on the water. Not luxury but all have been recently remodeled and it’s very clean and very well run. There is a restaurant right there at the marina that’s not bad for a quick bite. Also if you are staying there they will rent you your own boat and provide fishing gear relatively inexpensive. Used to be $100 for the day for the boat. They all have gps with different things preprogrammed in so you won’t get lost or anything. Several good fishing charters on Marathon as well.
It’s a great home base while staying in the keys.
Posted on 11/3/22 at 6:11 am to Kingshakabooboo
Booked a townhome on Duck Key and everyone is excited!
Thanks for all of the great replies and suggestions.
Thanks for all of the great replies and suggestions.
Posted on 11/3/22 at 10:54 am to baldona
Thanksgiving is relatively quiet. The snowbirds come after the holidays.
Posted on 11/3/22 at 12:41 pm to tigertail34
i liked the keys i did but if you are going there looking for beaches you will be disappointed.
If you dive / fish (like we did) it is very worth it
we stayed in key largo when we went. It was every bit if a 3 drive to key west
If you dive / fish (like we did) it is very worth it
we stayed in key largo when we went. It was every bit if a 3 drive to key west
Posted on 11/3/22 at 12:42 pm to tigertail34
Followup to this...
We will be looking for somewhere to park ourselves for a few hours to drink and watch the Iron Bowl. Does anyone have feedback on these places or other suggestions:
SS Wreck and Galley
Hog Heaven
Oceanview Inn Pub
We will be looking for somewhere to park ourselves for a few hours to drink and watch the Iron Bowl. Does anyone have feedback on these places or other suggestions:
SS Wreck and Galley
Hog Heaven
Oceanview Inn Pub
Posted on 11/3/22 at 2:56 pm to CurDog
Not looking for beach trip...looking forward to walking around Key West and stooping along the way all inbetween!
All of the little restraunts along the way look like our kind of places...very simple and relaxed. Not big foodies, but the fish and other food look right up our alley.
All of the little restraunts along the way look like our kind of places...very simple and relaxed. Not big foodies, but the fish and other food look right up our alley.
Posted on 11/7/22 at 10:56 pm to nctiger71
Looking at an everglades airboat tour on way to Keys from Miami.
Would not really venture into the park, but thought that could be fun with the kids?
Ride is only 1-1.5 hours.
Would not really venture into the park, but thought that could be fun with the kids?
Ride is only 1-1.5 hours.
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