My Birthday Get-Away

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I just recently turned 28 yrs. old and all I could really think about is how much closer to 30 I was getting. Everyone kept asking, "So what are you planning for you birthday this year ?" I wasn't really sure, I didn't have anything planned. I certainly wasn't going to go out and get wasted like I did when I was 21. It would take me almost a week to recover from that. The only thing that really excites me anymore is traveling and really I just wanted to get away for my birthday. Then out of no where it hit me, The Florida Keys! I then began to wonder, how is it that I've spent my whole entire life living in Florida and never made it to the keys. Well, I know why I never went when I was a child. We were to poor, hell if we got to go to Wal-Mart that was a treat! As an adult I suppose my reason for not going was because I really didn't think it was that big of a deal. I mean after all I've spent my whole life next to a beach. So why did I just all of a sudden get a random thought to go the Keys? I think it was because subliminally my conscious had been wanting to escape to a paradise and that was the closest paradise to home.

We set out at 4:30 A.M. from Melbourne, FL. to Key Largo, FL. That's around 425 mi and it took us about 5 1/2 hrs. When we first arrived in Key Largo, FL. I was not impressed at all. It was pretty run down looking and even had a bad odor to it.

Next stop was Islamorada, FL. Which was a little better. It was also the place where we ended up staying, but only after we drove around for 2hrs. trying to find a good rate! That was a nightmare because normally I always book a room in advanced, but my wonderful future husband wanted to just "wing it!" If you are into fishing then you should be familiar with Islamorada, because it is known as the fishing capitol of the world. You will also find Theater of the Sea. There you can see marine animal performances, access the lagoon side beach, ride on glass bottom boats, and you can even swim with the dolphins. We missed out on it this time, but hope to check it out on our next trip to the Keys.

After we checked in the hotel and dropped some items off we decided to go the famous Bahia Honda State Park located in the Lower Keys. Famous for it's award winning beaches, the historic bridge, and breathtaking sunsets. Believe you me, it was a sight to see! It was the first time I ever got into the water at the beach and didn't feel afraid. Partly because I could see straight through the water, and partly because it was that little piece of paradise my conscious had been longing for. Seriously, the only thing that was missing was my umbrella drink. We stayed to watch the sunset, but the cloud coverage that day didn't make for the best of ones. Even still it was the perfect topper to a great birthday.

Our second and last day at the keys proved to be better than the first. We made reservations the night before to try our hand at some parasailing and snorkeling down in Key West. This is something you can't be spontaneous about, just about every place requires reservations. Besides I wouldn't be to spontaneous in the keys because you may run out of gas quickly and be prepared because gas is very expensive in the Keys. When we arrived to Key West we was shocked to find that there is NO free parking. Be prepared to pay anywhere from 8-16 dollars to park. However, once we got on the boat to parasail, we forgot all about the expensive parking. Parasailing is one of the coolest things to do in Key West. You never have to touch water if you prefer, it's very safe, and the view is AMAZING! Afterward we decided to visit some shops along Duval St. and found out quickly that they were way over priced. After talking with a couple of locals, we found some hide away spots worth a visit such as; Mariner's Wharf and Two Friends. Next on the agenda was snorkeling. We booked with Sunset Sports who provide you with all the snorkeling gear you will need, and take you to two different spots to snorkel. I can't even find the words to tell you how beautiful the water is at about 10 miles off from shore! If I had to describe my experience on snorkeling it would be this, It was as if I was looking in on God's aquarium. In my opinion it was by far the best thing we did on the trip. Don't make the same mistake we did and not put sunscreen on all of your backside, cause trust me, you will get burned!

All in all it was a wonderful experience and we definitely plan to go back. While we was there we decided to make a documentary called, "How to visit the Florida Keys on a budget." It's currently in post-production and will be available shortly. Thanks for reading my blog. I hope I have inspired you to visit the Florida Keys.

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Photos

Key Lime Shop
Don't buy Key Lime Pie here. It is not authentic!

Sandspur Beach
We found this while looking for sea shells along the beach.

On the boat
Heading out to go snorkeling