Florida
Roadtrip Series
The Seven Mile Bridge is the most famous and longest bridge in the Keys. After renovation, the "Old Seven" recently reopened to residents and visitors for activities such as biking, walking and running. Soak up the sun and take in some picturesque sunrises and sunsets.
Wandering Like (Working) Pirates Florida Keys, grab-and-go visit to paradise
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Written by: Jack Collier
t's not exactly a grab-and-go. But it's close. Time to de-stress from the carousel, the work-from-home girlfriend and her stuck-in-the-office boyfriend having a Florida Keys trip planned out a couple of weeks in advance. A threeday powder, leave Fort Myers Thursday, back Sunday. Some 800 miles total, three or four tanks of gas in her Ford SUV, as we chose to wander and spend like working pirates. Our accommodation, food and entertainment price choices are about mid-range, by the way, so you could travel harder, pay less, maybe fish from shore or bridges, thrift or poke through the hundreds of roadside tourist places like Robbie's Marina in Islamorada or follow the nine-stop Florida Keys Sculpture Trail, and you'll come out better. But no matter how you handle it, you can pack a bunch of fun into 72 hours in the Florida Keys.
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F L O R I DAC O U N T RY J u n e | J u l y 2 0 2 2
START WITH A HOME BASE Our trip was our trip, so what you do and see will be different. We started with a budget, worked backward. But unless you have Keys' friends, plan to raid the treasure chest. An “affordable” hotel, with Monroe County’s 7.5% sales tax and the other fees and gratuities affixed to your stay, is likely north of two-hundred bucks a night. And up. Fun costs you in the Florida Keys. Wendy on our trip pointed at the map and said “there.” Which in her world was an hour or so either way to Key West and Key Largo. We wanted a home base. She struck on Fiesta Key RV Resort & Marina at Mile Marker 70. Remember, we dug into our wallets. The resort’s Elite Suites, a master bedroom and a loft, a kitchen and an eastward facing porch along a quiet seawall, is pricey. But the place is spectacular, quiet and perfect for de-compressing, a rare splurge. Check the website for rates. The Keys are also about traffic. US Highway 1,
