Unlocking the Florida Keys

By Saul Schwartz

My wife Fern and I canceled two trips to the Florida Keys due to the weather.  In February 2025, we finally made our way to the Keys.

Flights – We began our trip with a non-stop flight from Washington Dulles to Fort Meyers, Florida.  Our only delay was for rental car pickup, which took almost two hours due to lines for Avis and Budget.  We then headed to Naples, Florida, about one hour south of Fort Meyers.

Naples – We stayed three nights with relatives in the Ole community.  Ole is a vibrant community with colorful houses, lush landscapes, a large outdoor pool, and a nicely equipped gym.  One morning we joined residents for a yoga class ($15) at the village center.

Naples Princess Cruise – We enjoyed our 90-minute cruise on the elegant, luxury yacht.  The three-level yacht has both air-conditioned indoor salons and outdoor decks.  The tour is narrated, as we headed from the natural beauty of Naples Bay, by the elegant homes of Port Royal, to the edge of the Gulf of Mexico.  The waters were calm.  The yacht sails daily from the Port Of Call marina near downtown.  The cost is $54 per adult. 

Dining in Naples – Our best Naples dining out experience was at the Simit Fresh Mediterranean restaurant, located near the Naples private airport.  The restaurant had both inside and outside seating.  Fern and I enjoyed the seabass with grilled vegetables entrée and the trio of spreads with pita appetizer. 

The Fifth Avenue South area has many restaurants.  Gelato and Company has both vegan sorbets and classic Italian gelatos for dessert.  There are many Publix supermarkets throughout the area and Starbucks for coffee/tea options.

Other Naples Activities – We liked our visit to the Baker Art Museum.  Admission is $10 per adult.  For us, the museum highlights were the four dynamic large Chihuli glass installations.  We also recommend touring the Naples Botanical Gardens.  We first had lunch at the Fogg Café, located adjacent to the visitor center.  The $27 admission fee includes a series of daily guided tours.  The tropical gardens include water lily ponds, as well as several gardens with themes (orchids, Caribbean, Brazil, Asian, etc.). 

Marco Island- Just south of Naples, Marco Island has beautiful beaches.  We had a fabulous stay at the Hilton Marco Island Beach Resort and Spa, with easy access to the white sand beach.  The daily hotel fee included two beach chairs, towels, and a beach umbrella.   The hotel features an extensive gym, dining on a deck restaurant with great waterfront views (especially at sunset), and a large pool area.  It is, without a doubt, a premier beach resort destination.  Nearby, the Summer Day Café was a good option for healthy salads and drinks. 

The Everglades – After our three days in Naples, we headed south for a day in the Everglades.    Everglades City is less than one hour south of Naples.  Our first stop was a walk on the Everglades City Boardwalk, for a one-half hour stroll through a mangrove forest.  The path is located across the street from Captain Jack’s airboat tours.  We then stopped at the Everglades National Park Visitor Center, where the park ranger told us the best place to see alligators.  The ranger was correct, and we saw three alligators at one overlook by in the Big Cypress National Preserve.  We had lunch in Everglades City at the Camillia Street Grill.  The salad with local fresh fish was very tasty and the staff were friendly. The outdoor waterfront seating on the Barron River was very scenic. 

Finally, we drove another two hours to Key Largo to begin unlocking the Florida Keys, at last.

Key Largo lodging – The Hampton Inn offers private beach access with beach chairs and a tropical atmosphere.  Located just off the Overseas Highway, this hotel also includes a large pool, a well-equipped gym, daily breakfast, and modern rooms. 

Dining in Key Largo – For miscellaneous food purchases, the Publix supermarket offers an extensive variety of food at reasonable prices.  We had dinner at the casual restaurant recommended by several sources – the Fish House.  Although the salad and local fish were fine, they were nothing special.  The key lime pie was ok but not as flavorful as we had been told to expect.  On the other hand, the key lime pie at Mrs. Mac’s Kitchen was exceptionally tasty! 

Key Largo Princess – The two-hour tour took us to Molasses Coral Reef on a glass bottom boat.  Portions of the tour are narrated.  The boat had both a sun deck and the air-conditioned lower cabin with the glass bottom.  The cost was $50 per adult.  The boat is a 75-foot luxury yacht, docked by the Holiday Inn. 

Marathon Key – On the scenic ride from Key Largo to Key West, we stopped at Georgie’s Coffee Shop in Marathon for a light lunch and great coffee/tea drinks.  Due to traffic, this scenic ride took a little more than two hours on a weekend. 

Key Largo attractions – The main commercial street downtown, Duvall Street, was fully of bars, restaurants, and people over 1.25 miles.  We spent about 30 minutes waiting for our photo spot at the Southernmost point in the continental United States.  The colorful painted anchored buoy indicates that this spot is 90 miles from Havana, Cuba.  Also, we snapped photos at the Mile 0 marker indicating the beginning of Route 1 North and the end of Route 1 South.  The mile market is on the corner of Fleming and Whitehead Streets.  The other end of Route 1 is in Maine, 2369 miles away!

Hemmingway House and Museum – The $19 entrance fee for an adult includes an informative and entertaining thirty-minute tour about Hemmingway and the original artifacts in the house.  Hemmingway lived and wrote in this house for ten years.  On our own, we were able to tour Hemmingway’s writing studio and the gardens, where 59 colorful six-toed cats meander around.  The house is located at 907 Whitehead Street. 

Truman Little White House and Museum – We booked advance tickets for Florida’s only Presidential Museum.  The $24 fee per adult includes a thirty-minute tour.  Our guide was very knowledgeable about the eleven trips Truman made here, as well as trips made by other U.S. Presidents.  The house is in downtown Truman Annex.  The tour included both floors of the house, which was opened as a museum in 1991.  An old-fashioned Presidential limo is on site, as well as many of the original furnishings.

Mallory Square – One evening we joined throngs of locals and tourists to see the lovely colorful sunset across from the square.  This is the best place to view sunsets in Key West, as the sun sets into the Gulf of Mexico. 

Key West Dining – Our dinner at Moondog Café, located at 823 Whitehead Street, was a great experience.  The grilled vegetable plate was full of tasty vegetables, with hummus and bread.  The avocado and veggie salad, with grilled shrimp, was also a great mix of flavors.  The outdoor seating was nice.  We also had a super dinner experience at The Café.  After enjoying the pita and hummus appetizer, Fern and I really liked the mahi-mahi entrée, with mixed vegetables and a side of the bean salad.  The vegan carrot cake was our favorite dessert in the Keys.

The highly recommended key lime pie at Kermit’s Key Lime Pie shop was tart and the slice was on the small side.  For a midday break, drinks at the outdoor café Carolines on Duval Street gave us the necessary refreshment replenishment. 

Key West Lodging – The Hilton Garden Inn has an hourly shuttle to the old town area.  This allowed us to avoid the hassle of traffic and find parking.  The hotel has a large outdoor pool, a nicely equipped gym, daily breakfast, and modern rooms. 

Fern and I were glad to finally make it to the Florida Keys.  The weather was wonderful during February, when it was extremely cold and snowy back in the Washington, D.C. area.