ROAD TRIP TO PARADISE…traveling the path of John Flagler’s Keys
Long before I read “Last Train to Paradise”, the story of John Flagler’s ill fated railroad project from Florida’s mainland to Key West, I was deeply intrigued with the Florida Keys. I needed to take a road trip…..
I am optimistically thinking ahead to our annual holiday Key West trip. This tradition is the wonderful effect of taking one of my favorite road trips, which I call Road Trip to Paradise. The drive from Miami, along Route 1, linking the Florida Keys, and ending in Key West is known as one of the great American road trips. I have been fortunate to experience this adventure a few times!
My husband and I took our first Florida Keys road trip BK ( before kids) and then we ventured back more recently with our sons. We have driven the entire length of US Hwy 1, which becomes the Overseas Highway on the southernmost leg of the drive. The starting point is Miami, and 130 miles south is the final destination of Key West. After driving a congested stretch of “metropolis” highway on the outskirts of Miami, you head along the outskirts of the Everglades and officially enter the Keys in Key Largo. The best way to enjoy this drive is to pick a couple of spots to stay along the route, and then “meander” and be somewhat spontaneous between the bases.
Our first trip was in 1988. We were virtually newlyweds, and we wanted to enjoy some time away from the rat race of New York City. I really can’t remember why we chose the Keys, but I was an avid travel magazine reader back then, so most likely some inspiring article I had read. We flew into Miami, rented a red Mustang Convertible ( as you should if you are childless), and then set out on our adventure. On this journey, we spent the first night in Key Largo, as we had landed late afternoon in Miami. We stayed at some non-descript no-tell motel ( that I would never stay in again!) and started the real adventure the following day.
The Keys are a throw back to old Florida, especially back in 1988. Key Largo, was alarmingly unattractive from Rt 1. It was not the Key Largo of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. The roadside is framed by strip malls of kitschy gift shops hawking sea shells and tee shirts, tackle shops, “rustic” looking marinas, and seafood restaurants. Nothing is picturesque unless you get off the road in Key Largo. That is where you discover Key Largo. The beauty of this island, and much of the keys in fact, lies in the coastline and the water. Key Largo is home to the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. This is the first undersea park in the US and it offers 70 nautical miles of scuba, snorkeling, kayaking, glass bottom boats, or just lazing in a hammock on the shoreline. We checked it out, but did not snorkel up there this time…..we had plans to do that off of Key West ( big mistake).
After passing through Marathon, which is the next “populated” key, you hit the famed SEVEN MILE BRIDGE. Marathon jolted us back into reality, as the roadside is littered with many of the same establishments as Key Largo. But then, we were blown away, as we rolled onto the bridge. Red Mustang Convertible, young Tom and Marylyn without a care in the world, and the sun, sea, and sky surrounding us…..a moment in time.
The lower keys do not hold as many memories for me on that trip after the 7 Mile Bridge, as we were very excited to hit our last destination, Key West. The Lower Keys, notably Big Pine Key, are known for being more remote and wild. You will not find motels or beachside resorts here, only RV parks and campgrounds. The Lower Keys were for those that truly wanted to get away from it all. But that was not us! We drove on through to Key West, where we would spend 4 crazy but wonderful days on land and sea. I plan to write exclusively about Key West, so I won’t go into detail now, except for two take aways from this trip…..If you are a couple, stay at The Marquesa. Don’t take a snorkeling trip off of Key West, unless you go to the Dry Tortugas (do that up in Key Largo).
So….when our sons “outgrew” our innocent holiday trips to Captiva, we decided to venture back to the Keys. The first trip was in December 2016. This time, we rented a Minivan. Gone were the days of the Red Mustang convertible…..we sighed, signed the Hertz contract, and remembered the “old days” This ride was a bit different. The first section of Rt 1 was met by groans from the passengers.. “what is so beautiful about this road?” We sat in traffic outside of Miami, and inched along until we were almost in Key Largo. But when we made the turn near Largo and they could see that the ocean would pretty much line our drive, their interest was perked. We would be staying in Marathon, so we stopped in Key Largo for a late lunch along the bay. Food always recharges our sons, so this first meal of the Keys was a success. The fresh seafood and the discovery of the Key Lime Colada, rejuvenated this road warrior family.
We spent a few days in Marathon at a lovely family resort called Tranquility Bay. It was not South Seas Plantation, but it served as a spacious and quaint base for exploring the middle keys. We went back up to Islamorada to get out on the water for snorkeling, paddle boarding, and experiencing the sunset at The Loralei Restaurant. Here, we again enjoyed those Key Lime Coladas, feasted on stone crab, and watched one of the most glorious sunsets. The mood was enhanced by the local band playing and the clientele spontaneously taking to the sandy dance floor. Make a sunset at The Loralei “a must”on this roadtrip.We chartered a fishing boat off of Marathon, and with ample help from the crew, this inept family of fishermen ( and one woman), hauled in a nice catch. Being out on the water off of the keys is the “key” to a successful roadtrip here, and you cannot come to the keys without picking up a fishing pole. Our guide cleaned the fish, packed them in ice, and directed us to a local spot that would prepare a bountiful lunch of our freshly caught fish. This was another must do…and we have fished and eaten our catch on each subsequent trip to the keys. We ventured down to Key West on this trip, just for the day. The drive over the 7 Mile Bridge was a hit, and the lower keys did not seem like they had changed much in 28 years! On this trip, we were typical tourists in Key West. We went to Duval Street, watched the craziness prior to sunset at Mallory Square, marveled at the beautiful sunset, and then sprinted across town for our first family meal at Louie’s Backyard. The boys were unanimous…..next year, we had to stay in Key West!
So, the next year, we made a plan to stay a few days in Islamorada, and then end up in Key West. Our plans were seemingly ruined, as on September 9, Hurricane Irma slammed into the Florida Keys, devastating the middle and lower keys. We were very upset, as not only were our holiday plans interrupted, we had come to love this place and were horrified by the footage of the destruction. We decided to wait it out, as Key West seemed to survive the worst of it. By late November, we were informed that our hotel in Key West, The Santa Maria Suites, would be open for business in December. And then, the big surprise…..the hotel we had chosen in Islamorada, would open on December 15….just 12 days prior to our arrival. We decided to go! We figured that the keys needed tourism to return as soon as possible….but what would the experience be? Before we left, I bought a book suggested by a good friend, called the “The Last Train to Paradise”. It told the story of the creation of the Overseas Highway, which had originally been laid as the extension of the Florida Eastcoast Railway under the financing of John Flagler. This architectural phenomena was completed in 1912 connecting Miami to Key West by railroad. In 1935, it was wiped out by a hurricane, never to be replaced as a railroad line. This would eventually become the Overseas Highway of today. It is a great read, especially if you are on this roadtrip.
We obtained our Minivan, again. Stopped in Key Largo for early dinner and a beautiful sunset. The storm could not take that away. Key Largo had some indications of storm damage, but it would really show itself in Islamorada, and mostly in the Lower Keys. It was hard to see the wreckage of businesses and hotels that had been thriving a year earlier. Also, so much nature wiped away…. We also noted how quiet it was. Not many hotels and restaurants were up and running, so it was really locals, and a few tourists, trying to find some normalcy in the wake of Irma. The Loralei had survived and the sunset happy hour was as magical as always. Once you were out on the water, life seemed as if nothing had changed. The fishing guides were hopeful that tourism would return within a year.
Well…..in 2018, we returned, and brought along our good friends, to discover this iconic drive and this magical place. The fishing guides were right! Hotels and businesses had returned, and were fully booked. The mood was jubilant. The lower keys, where wreckage had lined the roads just last year, was again natural and green. Key West was hopping.
This roadtrip has been taken by millions and is always listed in the top 10 in the US. I have been on many a roadtrip, and I agree. We intend to head back to the Keys this December, and I am sure that the sunsets will be just as beautiful, and the fishermen will be out on the water, talking about the return of tourism after COVID. I will be there, whimsically looking out the window as we drive, thinking just how crazy John Flagler was to build a railroad across these tiny islands in the middle of the ocean. I will also be thinking how nice it would be to be driving a red Mustang Convertible.
