After our 5-week RV trip, we were all ready to just be home, have our own space, and enjoy the beach and pool. School would start in a week and a half, so a little bit of unscheduled downtime is exactly what we needed. Sooooo, we packed right back up and headed down to the Keys for a week! Wait, what?! Yes, staying home would have been best for us, but we like to keep life interesting/torture ourselves, so we loaded up the car, put the boat on the trailer, and hopped back on the road!
I have to admit, I was the instigator of this extra trip. I can’t help it, I LOVE the Keys in the summer. The water is absolutely beautiful – so warm, so turquoise, and so calm. I couldn’t stand the thought of summer passing us by without spending some time on the boat in the Keys.
My parents live on Cudjoe Key, which is about 20 miles from Key West, so luckily we have a place to stay when we visit. Their home was destroyed by Hurricane Irma almost two years ago and they are finally almost finished rebuilding. Needless to say, nothing happens quickly in the Keys! I personally think it was worth the wait (although I’m not sure if they’d agree!) because the view from their new home is absolutely stunning!
After a 6.5 hour drive (Friday night Miami traffic was a nightmare!), we woke up on Saturday morning, put the boat in the water, and headed out! I really didn’t take too many pictures during this vacation – I think everyone just needed a rest from photos at this point, haha – but I will share the few that I took. I also really wanted to use this space to list our favorite spots to take the kids fishing, snorkeling, swimming, tubing, exploring, etc just in case there’s someone out there who will find the info useful!
On our first day we headed out to Hawks Channel off Cudjoe to try and snorkel on some of the patch reefs. Brian also had his spear gun, hoping to find some fish. Unfortunately, it was a little windy so the visibility was not good for either snorkeling or fishing. Since that was a bit of a let down, we headed over to Newfound Harbor Key Sanctuary which is located inside of Coupon Bight Aquatic Preserve. Newfound Harbor Key Sanctuary sits just off Little Palm Island and features a half-mile square section of inshore reef. It’s a great place for kids to snorkel, with depths ranging from just 6 – 18 feet. It’s easy to find this spot because there are mooring buoys for your convenience (but really for the protection of the reef!). We had lots of fun snorkeling and exploring this spot and the visibility was much better. But since it’s a sanctuary, there is no fishing allowed.
I’m not sure about most 8 and 5 year olds, but our boys prefer to just use a mask at this point. The mask and the snorkel seem to be too much for them to coordinate right now. They do great using just a mask, so we don’t push the snorkel or fins, although I’m sure we will incorporate those eventually.
On Sunday, we went to visit one of my personal favorite places in the Keys, Snipe Key (or is it called Snipe Point? Maybe Snipe Point in the Snipe Keys?). Either way, it’s on the Gulf side, off Sugarloaf Key. The Keys aren’t known for their sandy beaches, but Snipe Point is surrounded by amazing white sand and turquoise water. Not only is it beautiful, it is also a great spot to play, explore, and just float around in the gorgeous warm water. We always see juvenile sharks swimming around as well. Since we went on a Sunday, it was extremely crowded; I suggest visiting on a weekday instead if possible. It was also pretty cloudy that day, so not quite as picturesque as usual. Nonetheless, we had fun and it was very relaxing!
As of the time of our visit, there were two handmade swings hanging from trees. We always have fun on the swings; last summer there was just one. I’ll include some pics from previous years, because as I mentioned, I didn’t take too many photos during this trip!
Snipe Key is gorgeous, isn’t it?! On the way back in, we let the boys go tubing for a bit. Our favorite spot to tube and wakeboard is just on the Gulf side of the Kemp Channel Bridge. That’s the bridge between Summerland Key and Cudjoe Key. This time, we were a little bit closer to Fat Albert (the blimp you see in the pic below); usually we stick closer to the bridge.
On Monday, Brian and I took a much-needed (remember that we just got back from an amazing but exhausting 5-week family RV trip!), no-kids allowed overnight date to Key West. Key West is one of my favorite places in the world – in fact, Brian and I got married there almost 16 years ago! I love exploring the lesser known streets and looking at the historic homes, finding great live music, running and biking around the island (oh, and we’ve done the Swim Around Key West many times, so I guess I like swimming around it too!), visiting my favorite shops and bars, and overall just enjoying the relaxed atmosphere. We found a last minute hotel deal, so I wrote a little bit about our quick 24 hours in Key West here.
The next day, we headed back out to Hawk Channel since the wind had calmed down a lot. It was beautiful, and we couldn’t resist jumping in and playing before we got down to business and started fishing.
We caught a few fish, but not many. The important part was, both boys caught something, so they were happy! We threw all the fish back of course, they were small!
Next, we headed out to deeper water to see if we could catch anything. No bites, but the water color was beyond incredible, and look how calm!
On the way out to the deeper water, we popped one of our newer toys into the water – the Subwing. Has anyone tried one of these before? It’s so much fun! You tow it behind the boat and the rider holds on to the edge of the Subwing, then angles it down to dive under the water, allowing you to “fly” over the bottom of the sea floor. You can turn it by pulling or pushing up or down on one side, then when you need a breath, you angle it back up to the surface. It’s really easy to learn and it’s just so exhilarating. The water in the Keys is so clear, making it the perfect spot to play and explore with the Subwing.
The boys had been waiting patiently to go snorkeling at Looe Key coral reef, so after fishing and playing on the Subwing, we tied up to a mooring buoy at the marine sanctuary and jumped in. The last couple of times we have been there, we have seen a medium size black tip reef shark as soon as we’ve gotten in the water. It’s always exciting and the boys love watching the shark. It just cruises around and doesn’t bother anyone. Today was no exception and it was a great day on the reef; Looe Key never disappoints. We always have to drag the boys out of the water whenever we visit… they could snorkel there all day!
Lobster season had opened on Tuesday (while Brian and I were in Key West), so by Thursday we were dying to get out there and find some lobsters! We headed to the Gulf side and found a great spot! The boys loved swimming around with us and diving down while we caught lobsters; I know soon they’ll be right there with us bringing up their own catch!
Since we’re on the subject of boating with kids in the the Lower Keys, I’ll add a few of our favorite restaurants to take the kids once we get off of the boat! As I mentioned, we stay on Cudjoe Key, so these are our favorites within easy driving distance:
Kiki’s Sandbar and Grill: Waterfront restaurant on the Gulf side on Little Torch Key. The lower level offers a great spot for the kids to run around and play, although that means you have to sit in the bar area (it’s only a bar downstairs) which means you might have to smell smoke from people smoking. There is often live music and they have a nice happy hour menu. The food isn’t our favorite, but if you want to let the kiddos run around while you enjoy some fish dip and conch fritters, it’s pretty ideal.
Boondocks Grill and Draft House: You can’t miss it, it’s a giant open-air tiki hut right on US 1 on Ramrod Key. There’s also a miniature golf course attached. They almost always have live music and plenty of room for the kids (or adults) to dance if they’re feeling the groove. Boondocks is one of those places where everyone can find something on the menu they will enjoy.
No Name Pub: This place is off the beaten path, but famous because it’s been around FOREVER! It’s on Big Pine Key, you take the road behind Winn Dixie to get there. The best part is, you are pretty much guaranteed to see Key Deer on your way in or out. No Name Pub has a Captain Tony’s type of vibe – dark and dingy with dollar bills all over the walls and ceilings. But that’s what makes it so charming! The pizza is decent, the veggie salad is huge, and they have a variety of other pub-type food available. Side note, Brian made fun of me when I ordered the “veggie” salad… but really, that’s what it’s called on the menu! Anyway, they just opened up a tiki-covered back patio with huge fans, the perfect spot to eat with the kids. There is plenty of room for them to run around before or after dinner and the whole area is fenced.
We love our time in the Keys, and we love that we get the opportunity to expose our boys to the natural beauty of the Keys. They absolutely love the water, and the more we can encourage that relationship, the better. Plus, saltwater and sunshine wins every time in MY book!
This is just a quick recap of our most recent trip, but I plan to share more of our favorite Lower Keys spots with you in the future!
For now, back to school we go!
What a fabulous week you had! Great pictures and narration. I am so sad that I
couldn’t come this trip. Hope you will give me a rain check next time!
Thank you, it was a great week for sure! Of course, you can have a rain check 🙂