During our spring break of March 2012, my wife and I decided to heed my parents’ advice from years ago and visit the Florida Keys. They visited three times and told us each time that we needed to go. From Key Largo to Key West, there is so much to do and enjoy that we could not make up our minds on how to spend the few days that we had. Fortunately, our vacation club has a resort in Marathon, right in the middle of the Florida Keys. Its location allowed us to travel in either direction and partake in a few of the Keys’ finest attractions.
Lodging
We stayed at The Hammocks at Marathon on Vaca Key. We paid with points through our Bluegreen Vacation Club ownership, but rooms are also available beginning at $195 per night, depending on room size and season. Maximum rates for our one-bedroom unit average approximately $250 per night. The resort has studios in addition to one- and two-bedroom units with kitchenettes, cable television, and laundry facilities. The pool area also features a tiki hut grille and bar that serves a full menu, and the cooks will grill any guest’s daily catch for a small fee. We drove in, but Marathon has an airport for flying in.
The Hammocks at Marathon
1688 Overseas Highway, Mile Marker 48, Marathon, FL 33050
305-743-9009
Restaurants
Salty’s Waterfront Grille, Marathon
We found our favorite Marathon restaurant within walking distance of the Hammocks. Salty’s Waterfront Grille is known on the island for its tiki huts, chicken, burgers, salads, pizza, and seafood. We enjoyed sitting in the cool breeze at the outside tables. Customers can even bring in their own sea catches for the cooks to grill for a fee. In addition to the excellent food and service we received, we had the opportunity to play horse shoes along the boating dock walkway and rooftop billiards (both free). We fed our family of three for under $30.
Salty’s Waterfront Grille
U.S Highway 1, Mile Marker 47.5, Marathon, FL
305-517-6921
Conch Seafood Company, Key West
We took one day and drove 45 miles down U.S. 1 South to Key West. While there, we dined at the Conch Seafood Company, the most popular restaurant on the island, right on the shore of the Gulf of Mexico. We had a discount ticket from riding the trolley. Conch has all of the favorite seafood dishes and features shrimp, mahi mahi, and crab. Non-seafood eaters can dine on burgers, chicken, sandwiches, and salads. We listened to good island music and watched sports on big-screen televisions. For dessert, we walked across the street to Key West Lime Shoppe for some terrific key lime pie.
Conch Seafood Company
631 Greene St., Key West, FL 33040
305-294-4403
Must-See Attractions
Sambrano Beach, Marathon
With so many beaches to choose from, we asked the resort concierge for a recommendation. He suggested Sambrano Beach, just two miles off the main highway, and we were glad he did. The beach is small in size but big on fun. We built castles and walked on a tiny coral island in addition to running on a large playground. Admission and parking are both free.
Sambrano Beach
Sambrano Beach Road off U.S Highway 1, Mile Marker, 51, Marathon, FL
Theater of the Sea, Islamorada
Animal lovers will especially enjoy Theater of the Sea, approximately 35 miles from Marathon up U.S. 1 North in the city of Islamorada. Theater of the Sea is a marine park specializing in dolphins, sea lions, and parrots. We saw humorous performances of the trained marine animals and parrots. We rode the bottomless boats and had the dolphins jump right up into the boat and through hoops to ring the bell; the dolphins then led us down the river performing more flips and tricks to keep us entertained for the entire ride. Admission is $28.95 per person 11 and older and $20.45 for kids 3-10.
We did not know when we entered that Theater of the Sea is also a cat sanctuary. The park holds over 60 cats rescued from stray and other unfriendly environments. Most stay in a fenced-in yard, but many roam freely throughout the park. All receive excellent care. Most walked right up to us for love and attention. My wife is a quintessential cat lover; she, our son, and I pet and played with the cats for over an hour. We had a very hard time leaving.
Theater of the Sea
84721 Overseas Highway, Mile Marker 84.5, Islamorada, FL 33036
305-664-2431
Hemingway Home and Museum, Key West
During our day in Key West, we paid $34 ($12.50 for each adult and $8 for our son) for a full-day pass to ride the City Tours trolley all over the historic part of town. Stop No. 6 was the world-famous Hemingway Home and Museum. Because of my wife’s love for cats, we just had to visit the Hemmingway Home. I took the guided tour through the home while she and our son strolled around the grounds petting as many of the 44 cats as they could find. They are all direct descendants of Hemingway’s six-toed Snowball. I learned about Hemingway’s life and took a short video of the writing studio he used to write some of his most famous novels (such as “The Old Man and the Sea” and “For Whom the Bell Tolls”) while he lived in Key West. I then joined my wife and son in the yard, and we pet and played with the cats, which are very well cared for.
Hemingway Home and Museum
907 Whitehead St., Key West, FL 33040
305-294-1136
The vacation went by far too fast. We did so much in our four days, but there is so much more. If we ever get the opportunity to return to the Florida Keys, we definitely will.
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