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Family Fly and Drive - South Beach to the Everglades to Key West
by Brad Maxwell, 2006
 We had originally planned to visit Florida's southern coast in 2005, fly to the Keys and then back from Miami. But our flight was scheduled to leave the day that hurricane Katrina reached Key West and we had to cancel. The Key West airport was closed for about three days following the hurricane and the hotel was still cleaning up. On this trip we flew in and out of Miami, driving from South Beach to Key West and then back to Miami.
This was our first trip to South Beach and we were all ready to hit the sand and the streets filled with Art Deco buildings. Our hotel was on the beach at Lincoln Road, just two blocks away from Ocean Drive.  Our hotel had a super pool, beach chairs in the sand, a great restaurant and a bar that stayed open till midnight. Although everyone in South Beach stays up, way past midnight, the best we could do was 12:30.
In the morning we headed straight for the pool with a can of spray-on sun-block and settled in on some comfy lounge chairs under the umbrellas. We didn't want to get burned and have to stay indoors -- so we played it safe. We ordered up lunch, some drinks, and pretended to be cool coastal people. Later in the afternoon we decided to change our view and moved down to the beach where there was also lounge chairs and umbrellas. Another drink, some sun, a splash in the waves and it was time to head in for dinner.  This was an easy life for the three days we had planned in South Beach.
Each evening we had to make the tough choice of deciding which way to walk to dinner. Right up Lincoln Road were lots of restaurants, primarily Italian, with great outdoor seating. As you walk passed each restaurant, the hostess would do there best to convince you there restaurant was the place to eat. But our favorite was to just walk down Ocean Drive to a little place called Cafe Cardozo; A Cuban restaurant and hotel owned by Gloria Estefan. We enjoyed it so much that we ate there two nights. When you walk down Ocean Drive there's an added bonus -- shops are all along the way to help you get to the restaurant later, eat later and then stay up later.  Now if you can handle the South Beach stay up late style, like our two eldest, then your next stop is at one of the hip clubs that South Beach is really known for. But for us, we'll grab a nightcap and hit the sack.
After a few days in South Beach, we headed down to Key West, but not until we visited the Florida Everglades. Only a hour or so off the main highway, it's so convenient that you can't pass it up. But be careful -- this is a very wild place full of birds, bugs and alligators. We chose to visit Gumbo Limbo, with it's small trail that winds through the swampy vegetation and a larger trail that takes you out onto a series of bridges and piers where you can really get a good view of the alligators.  Once our cameras were full of pictures, we headed back down U.S. 1 towards the Keys.
Once you start driving down through the Keys, U.S. 1 becomes an overseas highway. For much of the drive to Key West, you are literally driving on an elevated highway above the water. And for much of the trip you are also driving on a one lane road with very places to pass slower vehicles. Not that you can drive that fast anyway, the speed limits are set lower than on most highways. So take you time and drive safe.
Key West is another place known for it's wild night life, but also for scuba diving, fishing, and other water sports.  It's a beautiful little island town, the southernmost point in the United States, with just a few main streets and a lot of old buildings. There's the Hemmingway House were you can take a tour and see how this famous author lived. You can buy a pass for the Conch Tour Train, rent a bicycle, rent a moped, or just walk the streets. You can hang out in Mallory Square where all the cruise ships come in and where the street performers put on their shows.
In the evening, it's time again to hit the pavement and check out all the shops up and down Duval Street and some of the other roads around it. For dinner, Key West is full of restaurants offering up some of the best seafood around.  So whether you want seafood, a cheeseburger in Margaritaville, or a hamburger at the Hard Rock, there are a lot of choices. For the late night revelers there are many bars and nightclubs with live bands and crowds that spill out into the street. Not the swanky and fancy club like those in South Beach, but clubs with more of a sailors flair.
On our last full day in Key West, my son and I went out for some big game fishing. We brought back one large Wahoo and asked our hotel restaurant to prepare and serve it for us. We had a superb dinner, caught by my son, overlooking Mallory Square and a sun-setting sky.
For more information on South Beach, check out: www.miamibeachfl.gov or www.southbeach-usa.com
For more information on the Everglades, check out: www.nps.gov/ever/ or www.everglades.national-park.com
For more information on Key West, check out: www.keywestcity.com or www.keywest.com or www.fla-keys.com
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