The Florida Keys Family Vacation

Prepare yourself for a picture overload of our recent vacation to the Florida Keys. The Florida Keys are a series of islands that are linked together by bridges. Driving from Miami, Florida all the way down to Key West is one of the most incredible scenic rides that I have ever experienced. I have linked just about everything we did throughout, but feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions.

Our trip began in New Orleans, LA. The flights out of New Orleans were less expensive and I absolutely love the New Orleans' airport. It is super easy to get around there. 

Our flight left New Orleans for Miami, Florida. We picked up our "sick" ride as the boys deemed it and began the drive to Hawk's Cay Resort located on Duck Key. Hawk's Cay Resort is located between Key Largo and Key West. 

The resort was beautiful and the boys especially loved it because our room had bunk beds. There are a good many restaurants located at the resort. We spent our entire first day relaxing and enjoying the pool and bay area of Hawks Cay. We also got to meet and play with some special new friends!

We began our day with breakfast at Sixty-One Prime. Eli's new favorite breakfast dish is pancakes and I think he ate pancakes every morning. This restaurant was really good, and it was very convenient considering it was just steps away from the pool area and the Dolphin Connection Center. 

The Dolphin Connection is located at the Hawks Cay resort and we were just steps away from the friendly dolphins. Joseph and I had promised the boys that they would get to swim with the dolphins and The Dolphin Connection Center did not disappoint.  This was very informative and educational. The boys loved this!

The staff were eager to tell us all that they knew about dolphins and we spent a good amount of time with a dolphin named Indie. 

 Dolphins that are in the Dolphin Connection Center at Hawks Cay are not forced to perform. They are trained by hand signals and whistles, but if they don't want to do something, the dolphins know that they do not have to do the task asked of them. Luckily, for us Indie was really excited to show us her tricks.  The staff were great and took photos for us. I would recommend doing this adventure because it is both educational and fun for both children and adults. 

                                                                                                   

                           

After swimming with the dolphins we enjoyed lounging by the water and relaxing. 

Eli loved paddle boarding. This was his first time to try it. I think he could have stayed out there all day.  

           

         

We enjoyed dinner at Angler and Ale which is located at the resort. This restaurant like many in the Keys is located on the water. Boats will pull up with the catches of the day and the restaurant will prepare their fish for them. It was really cool to see all the fish that the fishermen had caught. 

                          

                           

Day two was spent in Key West. Hawks Cay is about 90 minutes from Key West. All along the Keys are these wonderful little eateries. They dot  Highway 1 all the way down to Key West. The restaurants may not look like much, but they are usually all delicious. We ate at The Wooden Spoon in Marathon on our way to Key West. This is very casual dining and it was perfect. The children loved it because as the name suggests, there were wooden spoons everywhere in the restaurant. 

I had a list of things that I wanted us to see in Key West. We were able to do most everything on my list. The first stop when we arrived was to the Key West Shipwreck Museum. Eli and Hub absolutely loved seeing all the artifacts that had been found over the years from shipwrecks. 

 

In the mid 1850s Key West became the richest city in the United States due to all the shipwrecks that occurred there. It became a business to search out ships that had wrecked and dive down to retrieve the treasures. 

Hub has a fear of heights that we discovered when we went on this trip. He refused to climb the lookout tower. Eli and I climbed the 65' lookout tower and the views were incredible. 

After exploring the Key West Shipwreck Museum, we hopped on the Conch Tour Train. This train reminded me of the Hop On and Hop Off buses in NYC. There are trains that come by every half hour and you can jump on and off. The tour is very informative and I am so glad that we did this because we got to see parts of Key West that we would not have seen on foot. 

Ernest Hemingway's Home or the "Cat House" as Hub called it was another big hit with the boys. They loved all his cats and there are cats everywhere on the property. These cats are a descendent of Hemingway's cat who had 6 toes. Of course, mostly all of the cats on the property have this genetic feature. 

 I did not get many pictures of Hemingway's home because I was too busy trying to keep up with Hub. He was running room to room yelling, "Mama, Look at all these cute kitties!" I was scared to death he was going to break something. 

Across the street from Hemingway's home was a juice stand, which we were all happy to see. It was extremely hot in Key West that day and the fresh fruit smoothies were very refreshing. 

You can't go to Key West without trying Key Lime pie. We tried Kermit's Key Lime Pie Shop. They dip their key lime pie in dark chocolate and it was so delicious!

Eli and Hub are not fans of Key Lime Pie and they opted for ice cream.

Hub was fascinated by the Shipwreck Museum, but he thought pirates were the people who discovered all the treasure on the ships. This prompted him to buy all sorts of pirate gear for his souvenirs. 

We ate dinner at Two Friends Patio Restaurant. It is conveniently located near the Lilly Pulitzer store. We dined next to a mother hen and her baby chicks. Chickens can be seen all over Key West. The boys enjoyed trying to catch them as we walked. 

Day three was spent at Bahia Honda State Park. We headed back towards Key West and grabbed an umbrella for a day at the beach. There are so many restaurants along the way, but we knew we could not leave the Keys without trying some Cuban cuisine. We traveled to Havana, Cuba in 2017 and our boys have not stopped talking about that trip ever since. We found this little gem along the way to Bahia Honda State Park. 

      

This restaurant was so delicious, but apparently my southern accent is strong because she though I said "plantains" instead of "pancakes." Cuban coffee is a must try and the plantains were a delicious surprise.

Hub isn't allowed to drink coke that often, but on holiday, we splurge. He drank cokes all week long. 

Bahia Honda State Park is beautiful and it offers a gorgeous beach. The Florida Keys are not really renowned for their beaches, but this beach is a must see. The water is crystal clear and perfect for snorkeling. 

We stopped by a Publix before going to Bahia Honda State Park to pick up snacks. There is a snack bar located inside the park, but we did not know this. Hub grabbed Oreos and Sour Patch Kids. He said you were supposed to eat junk food at the beach. 

We ate dinner at Sparky's Landing and like the other restaurants in the Keys, this one is located on the water. Boats will dock and clean their catches. It is so cool to see all the different types of fish that they bring in. 

Hub was wiped out from a day at the beach. Eli and I had fun exploring the dock area after dinner. 

On day four we checked out of Hawks Cay and traveled back up the Key towards Islamorada. We ate breakfast at Lorelei Restaurant and Cabana Bar. This restaurant is super cool and I loved the atmosphere. 

Breakfast was wonderful and we headed off to our next adventure, which was clear kayaking. If you have never done this, I highly recommend it. We met the owner of I Can See Clear Kayak Tours at Lorelei's after breakfast. 

Joseph was in the kayak with Hub and I was in one with Eli. We saw so many fish, manatees, sharks, star fish, sting rays, and jelly fish and that is just naming a few. We paddled through mangrove tunnels and learned all about how important they are to the wildlife. This was probably my most favorite activity. 

Our guide was so informative and took photos for us so that we could enjoy the scenery. Baby sharks were everywhere!

We had such a wonderful time in the Florida Keys. Please let me know if you have any questions about the adventures that we went on! Happy Travels, ya'll!