A favourite day trip that always makes us feel like we’re on holiday is to the little Gulf coast beach and restaurant at mile marker 88 in Islamorada. Get there early on a Saturday morning and you’ll have the place to yourselves. The waterfront restaurant Marker 88 complete with swinging chairs is great for brunch or lunch then it’s $5 per person to use the neighbouring private beach. There are loungers and umbrellas to rent plus kayaks and paddleboards or take your own. An alternative for lunch that we have tried and enjoyed is M.E.A.T. Eatery and Taproom, just across the road from the beach in a small strip mall. As with many restaurants here, it doesn’t look like much from the outside, and we probably wouldn’t have stopped if we hadn’t read up on it beforehand, but they have award-winning burgers and great craft beers and our waitress was very knowledgeable about the English Premier league!
The John Pennekamp State Park is well known as a first stop when you reach Key Largo. A great place to try some water activities, however, if you are going there for the beach prepare to be underwhelmed. Focus on the snorkelling from the shore or on a scuba diving or snorkelling boat tour. If you don’t want to get so wet there are also several kayak and paddleboard trails through the mangroves; choose the level of difficulty to suit. After, to cool down, there is a small aquarium exhibit, with much appreciated air con. And there are barbecue grills, shelters with tables and benches so take a picnic or we’ve bought pizzas from the cafe.
Some weekends, if you leave it too late, John Pennekamp is full of cars queuing back to the main road so we continue on to Harry Harris Beach and Park in Tavernier. There is a beach, tidal pool and a boat ramp plus it seems a popular spot for friends and families with a lot of barbecue equipment!
The Rain Barrel Village is another place to stop off on US1. You’ll spot it as you drive along because of Betsy the large lobster on the roadside! It’s a quirky arts and crafts village with food and drink options too.
Another brief stop we’ve made to break up the journey home, in Tavernier, is the Laura Quinn wild bird sanctuary. It’s free to enter but donations are encouraged. You can wander through the rescued birds in their enclosures and learn their stories, see them being fed and take the boardwalk to the waterfront.
A more recent discovery is Dagny Johnson State Park in Key Largo. There is a small amount of parking available at the gateway to the park and an honour box to pay your entrance of $2.50 per person. Laminated cards at the info board are available to use as a guide as you follow the trail. You can walk or cycle either a half loop (1 mile) or the full loop (2.1 miles). It does mention that some parts can be submerged after heavy rains – we walked here in early March and thought it would be dry, but no! But it added to the fun. Shaded picnic tables and a loo are available too, close to the entrance.
A couple of minutes drive away is the Crocodile Lake refuge. This is a closed refuge, so no trails open to the public but there is a small butterfly garden and a visitor centre for information. And if you’re a local they have many volunteer opportunities which would give you the chance to see more of this area.
If you plan to stay a little longer in the Upper Keys we enjoyed a night at La Siesta Resort & Marina in Islamorada. They have a mix of accommodation available including cute brightly coloured cottages right on the beach. There are kayaks and paddleboards free to use, a pool and poolside cafe. Just a 5 minute walk away is Midway Cafe, a known Keys spot to call in for coffee and Key Lime pie, then half a mile to the south is the Lazy Days restaurant. We attempted to go here for dinner but the queue was long and we were hungry! Instead, we picked up some takeaway pizzas and took them to the large tiki hut on the beach back at the resort. Great sunset view and more room for the children to play, so it worked out well, but we’ll try for Lazy Days another time.
In search of outdoor, Covid-friendly family activities we went back to the Keys and Islamorada to Robbie’s. We’ve driven by here several times and I’d heard about the Tarpon feeding but hadn’t appreciated how big a set up it was, with stalls, bar and restaurant and all sorts of watersport options. Definitely a very popular spot. Our goal was to hire kayaks and paddle across the half mile to Indian Key State Park. Only accessible by boat/kayak this tiny island comes with lots of history. Drag your kayaks up on to the south shore then follow the trails across the island, there are information boards and a lookout tower as you go. We brought with us fishing rods, snorkel masks and a picnic. Plenty of water needed on a hot July day and there is nothing available on the island so everything has to come with you and all rubbish return home. Lots of fish to see and holes in the rocks for the children to swim through. The rocks were incredibly sharp and painful so I’d recommend water shoes for a more dignified entry into the water.
After a couple of hours it was time to head. We were considering feeding the tarpon before we left but Robbie’s was still very busy so we have saved that for another time.
For an overnight stay during Covid Thanksgiving break we tried the Key Largo Marriott Beach resort. This hotel worked out well in the circumstances because there are few indoor communal areas. My husband checked us in but there is no hotel lobby; the stairwells and corridors are open/outside so getting to our room felt safe. And after that we spent time on spaced out loungers on the beach, played corn hole, some fishing and used our paddle board. There are kayaks, paddle boards and jet skis to rent from the private beach and a sheltered bay for swimming. We were able to have dinner at an outside table at Gus’ Grille, the hotel’s restaurant with a surprisingly small terrace.
