Life in the Key of Largo… Key West’s Little Sister
I’ve read all the tantalizing articles on Travel Squire about vacations in the islands and decided that it was definitely time for my husband and me to get the island groove. Immediately we found ourselves humming all those funny island songs in our head … “Aruba, Jamaica, ooo I want to take ya, Bermuda, Bahamas, come on pretty mama, Key Largo” … there it is, our island destination.
According to various sources there are over 1700 islands in the Florida Keys linked by 42 bridges along a 126 mile stretch of Highway U.S. #1. Mind you only 30 of these islands are inhabited by people. What kind of natural landscape is that for the record? The amazing single-lane 7 mile bridge, originally a railroad bridge and technically referred to as the Overseas Highway, strides the archipelago and this portion of the drive is measured by mile markers so that you can tell how many miles you’ve traveled. The first mile marker is MM127 just past Florida City and the last is MM”0” in Key West where a buoy marks the spot as the furthest point south in the U.S. We planned to mark a few of our own.
There’s something to be said about arriving in a tropical paradise right in the U.S. and not having to deal with U.S. Customs. Even though I refer to Key Largo as Key West’s little sister, it is actually the largest of the Keys (about 33 miles from end to end) and just 35 miles from Miami. After less than an hour’s drive we found our peace at the Key Largo Marriott Beach Resort MM103.8, our tropical island paradise. I’m sure everyone has heard about the wild party atmosphere of Key West but Key Largo is more laid back and relaxed and that’s what we were after. Our balcony overlooked a private beach fronting the beautiful turquoise Gulf of Mexico. Our first stop was the poolside “Tiki Bar” to savor one of their tropical frozen drinks and listen to some Jimmy Buffett music. We also took advantage of the poolside waitress service for a settle-in lunch. We then toured the resort to see what it offered and were excited about the possibilities. Known as the “Dive Capital of the World”, the Marriott has its own dive shop where you can purchase, rent, or schedule diving, snorkeling and fishing trips as well as rent bikes.
I’m a sucker for beautiful sunsets and they don’t get any better than in the Florida Keys. So, close to sunset we walked over to “Breezes”, the resort’s lounge, for “Sunset Celebration.” Our first of many was definitely memorable. After watching an incredible sunset and sipping our island drinks we were so relaxed we didn’t feel like driving to one of the many restaurants along the Overseas Highway. We decided to check out the resort’s own “Gus’s Grill” which was just across the bridge from “Breezes”. Overlooking the Gulf with island music wafting in the cool breeze, I asked myself could it get any better? When I tasted my macadamia crusted mahi-mahi, I knew I knew I’d found my island groove. On our way back to our room tiki torches illuminated our path and we felt like we were in Hawaii.
Next morning we headed to Mrs. Mac’s Kitchen at MM99 to sample the famous Champagne Breakfast. We mellowed into the new day’s energy as we sipped our mimosas and tried to decide between waffles with apples and raisins or an omelet with bacon and tomato with a hash brown casserole side. All was yummy. The place was unique with a display of license plates from all over the country and the service more than lived up to the logos on their tee shirts … “Eat well, laugh often, and live long.” I glanced at the lunch and dinner menus and knew we would have to come back and sample their conch chowder and Key Lime pie. They also had reasonably priced special dinner nights such as “Italian Night”. We knew on our next visit this would be an asset for perhaps staging our own family outing. After all, great food and service is all you need and Mrs. Mac’s Kitchen had both. On the drive back to our resort we stopped at a gift store called Randy’s Florida Keys Gift Co. While there are hundreds of gift stores, Randy’s had some of the most unusual items and jewelry to tempt you.
Almost every restaurant seemed to have entertainment but after we were acclimated to the island groove we decided to check out “Coconuts” where they not only served fresh seafood but also featured dancing to island music in a great waterfront location. While here you can also tour the marina and see boats of all kinds as well as numerous diving and fishing boats for hire. I’m afraid I’m going to be shy about what happened that night. Leave it to your imagination but consider the setting and the fact that my husband and I were completely alone. The sound of a calm sea lapping against the dock can do something special to a lifelong romance.
Next day we decided to rent bikes and head to the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park where you can snorkel, dive, canoe, kayak, swim, or just take a glass-bottom boat to observe the sea life which includes 600 species of fish and 55 types of coral. We biked right up to the seashore and along amazing mangrove trails. There are 47 camp sites available to campers and even an aquarium close by. When could I move in I wondered.
Leaving the park we biked up to MM100 where the steamboat “African Queen” from the classic movie of the same name is moored as a tribute to Humphrey Bogart. The vessel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Built in the U.K. in 1912, it definitely needs some work but anyone who has seen the film would be moved by the memories of Bogie’s only Oscar winning performance. The tagline was “the greatest adventure a man ever lived with a woman.” I’m sure if persuaded my husband would have something to add to that. Numerous scenes from “Key Largo”, Bogie and Bacall’s last film together were filmed on location making both of us feel even more nostalgic and again recalling those funny island lyrics from the famous pop song … “We had it all, just like Bogie and Bacall, sailing away to Key Largo.”
We definitely found our island groove in Key Largo and while their memory helped we didn’t really need Bogie and Bacall.
Anne Meintel is not an escapist but watching over an extended family of 25 has naturally spurred her to jump on planes, boats, trains and sometimes, even in a car, very quickly. A Philadelphia native and devoted grandmother, she gets her passion for traveling from her mom who once said “Only you are responsible for your own happiness, you have to follow your dreams.”
While she admits she misses the corporate world just a little, she longs to make the perfect Bolognese sauce and is busy planning her next trip to Tuscany where she’s certain she will finally understand the nuances of ordering a coffee in Italy.