Traveling Florida and the Florida Keys |
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Miami
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens - 305-250-9133
www.vizcayamuseum.org Miami Children Museum www.miamichildrensmuseum.org Parrot Jungle Island - 305-666-7834 www.parrotjungle.com Miami Duck Tour www.ducktoursmiami.com Miami Seaquarium - 305-361-5705 www.miamiseaquarium.com Millionaire's Row Cruise at Bayside A great cruise to see incredible homes Museum Science and Planetarium www.mamisci.org Museum 305-854-4247 Planetarium 305-854-4242 Miami Metro Zoo www.miamimetrozoo.com Airboat Rides There are several companies, each one fun! Plug your ears, though. www.gatorpark.com www.adventuresinflorida.net/GatorPark www.evsafaripark.com www.gatorpark.com www.AdventuresInFlorida.net/CooperTownAirboatRides www.evergladesholidaypark.com Billy Swamp Safari Park 800-949-6101 Florida city http://www.everglades.com/ Sawgrass Recreation Park 800-457-0788 www.evergladestours.com Driving the Keys
In the Keys everything is measured by mile markers. It starts around MM120 and works its way down to MM1 in Key West.
MM99.5 Dolphin Plus, swim with the dolphin. Call at least six weeks ahead to make reservations. Age ten and older. 305-451-1993. (Disneyworld also has their version) Islamorada is known for its great deep sea fishing and also bonefishing which is done on a flat boat. If you are getting hungry about now, we have several suggestions. Lorelei, a little past Key Largo, has a nice outside atmosphere. Lorelei's landmark is a huge mermaid on the Gulf side. If you blink, you might miss it. Another outside eating area is a little farther down on Islamorda is behind World Wide Sportsman. Many like Pierre's 305-664-3225 or Uncle's 305-664-4402 for eating as well. MM86 is Treasure Village shops. It is an area that has a lot of fun shops to visit. It's landmark is the giant lobster and the store's purple building. Across the street form it is an art boutique that's fun to browse in as well. Across the street from it is an Art shop with some fun beach art work. MM84.5 The Holiday Isle, located on Islamorada is known for it's party atmosphere in the evenings. Parking might be hard to find, but we highly recommend you stop here and get yourself a fruit smoothie and walk around. Get your camera out for lots of fun pictures. MM83.5 One of our favorite places to eat is called The Whale Wharf Inn. It opens for dinner at 4:00pm. Sundays is 11:00am. It has all you can eat crab, shrimp, etc. $18.00 early bird, $20.00 after 5:00pm. It's location is just over the bridge from the Holiday Isle. We often eat here on the trip back up from Key West. MM 81.5 is the Worldwide Sportsman tackle shop with a unique restaurant behind it on the water with a great outdoor atmosphere. MM 77.5 Robbie's boat Rental Marina. This is a must stop. For a couple of dollars you can feed the five feet long Tarpon fish a bucket of fish. Dangle the bait close to the water and see them come snapping out of the water at the speed of lightning. Don't loose your hand. MM59 Dolphin research Center also offers swim with the dolphins. 305-289-1121 MM53.1 Captain Hook's Marina at 4:00 feed the little sting rays and sharks in a small pool out in front of their place. Those stingrays love to be scratched by their feeder. MM50 Florida Keys Children's Museum - It's small but well done for a museum out in the middle of the keys. After you leave Marathon Key (about MM50) and enter the 7 mile bridge, you'll notice an old retired bridge running along side of you. This was built years ago by Henry Flagler. His dream was to build a train to reach Cuba from New York City. He almost made his dream come true until a hurricane destroyed it. There are museums to visit so you can learn more about Flagler's challenging and inspiring feat. The bridge is now used for the recreational fisherman. Arnold Schwarzenegger's movie, "True Lies" rebuilt part of this bridge and then blew it up again. In the movie, Jamie Lee Curtis was in a run away limo on this bridge. MM33 Big Pine Key has rare small deer living on it's island. Every year many get killed by automobiles so the speed limit is slow through here. They dearly love their deer so if you don't want to get a traffic ticket, obey the speed limit on Big Pine Key. MM37 Bahia Honda is our most favorite beach in all the Keys. In was voted as best beach in the US in 1994. One day while in Key West, take a picnic up to this beach. Buy some cheap blow up rafts to use for this day trip. In the summer the water temperature is in the high 80's. There's a wonderful nature walk near the little convenience and rental store. The trail goes up onto the bridge. When you're up on the bridge there are two breathtaking views. One is looking around the panoramic view of the Bahia Honda area and the other is looking into the water from so high up. It takes your breath away. At that little rental store you can take a snorkel trip out to the reef. It leaves around noon. When you return, stay around and BBQ. It's a great outing for the whole day but remember to bring your sun block. One more note of interest, Robert Redford filmed his movie, "Up Close and Personal" here for a scene with him and Michelle Pieffer. That's about it, in a half hour from here you'll be entering Key West. |
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