The Florida Keys are beautiful islands for vacation and water sports.
Crazy English
As our blog says, English is a crazy language! Many times, one word can have many meanings. The SAT and TOEFL especially like asking questions using these multiple-meaning words. Take for example “key.” It can mean:
1. a piece of metal cut into a special shape and used to open a door, lock, start a car, etc. (n.)
2. any of a set of movable parts you press with your fingers on a keyboard, musical instrument, etc. (n.)
3. A button or lever that is pushed to operate a machine (n.)
4. A set of musical notes based on a single note. (n.)
5. A list of symbols on a map with explanations of what they mean (n.) (See also “legend.”)
6. A list of answers to a quiz or test. (n.)
7. Very important and influential (adj.)
8. The most important part in achieving or understanding something (n.)
9. A low island or reef; cay (n.)
If someone asks you “What US state has keys?” you’ll know that the answer is Florida! Florida is one of the most famous and popular states in the USA. For many reasons, its population is growing quickly. It is a peninsula, which is a piece of land with water on three sides. Since the three sides have beautiful beaches and most of it is warm year-round, Florida is an attractive place to visit and live. At the very southern end of Florida is a chain of islands. A chain or group of islands are called an archipelago. These special islands are called the Florida Keys.
The Keys start at the very southeastern tip of the peninsula, about an hour or so drive from Downtown Miami. The Keys go in a gentle arc to the south then the west. The Keys separate the Atlantic Ocean to the East and the Gulf of Mexico to the west and south. Due to the tropical weather and vegetation, beautiful beaches, and colorful water, the Keys have earned the nickname “America’s Caribbean.” Even though they are a chain of islands, you can drive to the end because they are connected by historic U.S. Route 1. (Route 1 runs from Key West, Florida all the way to North Maine on the Canadian border. It is the longest north-south road in the USA.) You can drive from Miami to Key West, the westernmost Key, in about 3.5 hours, but why the rush? This place is so beautiful and interesting, it’s worth slowing down and taking several days to enjoy it.
The Florida Keys are always popular, but my wife and I visited there in the fall because the summers are very hot and from mid-December until April it is very crowded. So, we found fall a great time to go. It was warm enough to still swim in the ocean but it wasn’t terribly packed. Any time you go, however, be sure you book your campsites or hotel rooms in advance.
Day 1
We flew into the Miami airport and then picked up our RV camper. Our first stop was to buy some groceries and necessities, then we drove south to Key Largo. Of the islands, Key Largo is the first big Key you come to when driving south. Because of its location near coral reefs, Key Largo is the Dive Capital of America.
Coral
Even though coral looks like a colorful plant, it is actually many tiny animals living together. A large group of corals together form a coral reef, and coral reefs form a key habitat for many fish and other ocean life.
Day 2
We went straight to John Pennekamp State Park, which is the first undersea park in the US. Although the park has pretty woods and beaches, most people go there to play in the water. Scuba diving is popular, and you can rent the gear or take classes there. For those who don’t have the gear or license to dive, you can snorkel. In the park you can book a spot on a boat to go out diving or snorkeling. For those who don’t want to get wet, you can ride a glass-bottom boat to look at the colorful coral reefs and tropical fish.
We were blessed with a beautiful day about 80F (27C) so we got a spot on a boat to go snorkeling. The water was an incredible mix of blue and green. The boat took us a few miles off the coast and when it stopped at the reef, we all jumped in the water and had about an hour to snorkel and look at the fish. We saw a stingray too. A person can also rent a kayak or canoe and paddle among the mangrove forests too.
After snorkeling, we had lunch in our RV and then spent the afternoon swimming, snorkeling, and getting some sun on the beach. My wife enjoyed relaxing in a hammock she brought. While snorkeling, I saw some big fish called tarpon that looked to be about as long as I am tall.
One of my hobbies is bird watching, and when you go to a new area with a climate and habitat very different from where you live, it’s easy to see new birds (or other kinds of animals) you’ll never see at home. That day at the state park I saw my first Magnificent Frigate Birds flying high in the sky, and on the beach there were several White Ibises looking for handouts from the vacationers.
To prove the saying “It’s a small world,” I met a couple on the beach from the US state of Connecticut. They had traveled to Virginia before and said Roanoke, my hometown, was the friendliest place they had ever visited! They loved it so much, they plan to someday retire to Roanoke or nearby Smith Mountain Lake! A bit later, I met a family at that same beach who had moved from South Africa to the US, and they are living in Roanoke now. What’s more, they even attend the same church one of my close relatives attends.
Day 3
We took a private boat tour at 9:00 am led by Captain Tony across the Gulf of Florida and visited parts of the southern end of the famous Everglades National Park. Tony said mornings are the best time to take the tour because there is less boat traffic and one has a better chance of seeing wildlife. One highlight of that tour was seeing a manatee. Manatees are huge, gentle creatures that are distantly related to elephants. They swim slowly just below the surface of the water. So, when boats go too fast, they can injure or even kill manatees with their propellers. Tony said they like to hide in canals near houses, because boats never go fast there. The tour was near an end and we hadn’t seen a manatee yet, so I prayed and asked God that we could see one. Moments later, I looked down a canal and saw one! It was an answer to prayer! Sadly though, it had some big scars on it and part of its tail was missing, because it had been hit by boats before.
That afternoon, we went back to Pennekamp State Park for more swimming and relaxing in the sun. That night, we went out for a delicious fresh seafood dinner followed by the most famous dessert in the Florida Keys–Key Lime Pie!
Day 4
This was a cloudy day, but no rain. We drove from Key Largo near the North end of the Keys down to Geiger Key Campground, just east of Key West.
Day 5
The travel information suggests one not drive into Key West, because the streets are narrow, crowded, and there is little parking. However, since we were there on a weekday and not in the high season, we went into town and found street parking. The first place was the famous “Southernmost Point” marker. With the exception of Hawaii, this is the part of the US that is furthest south, and only about 90 miles north of Havana, Cuba.
Key West is small and very walkable. We strolled to Milepost 0 for famous Route 1, and then walked to the “Truman Little White House.” Because of its key location, Key West has long been home to a US naval base. After World War II, Harry Truman was president. One winter he had been sick much and the doctor told him he needed a warm, dry place to rest. One government official who had just been to Key West overhead that and suggested Truman go for a visit. The base commander’s house was upgraded into a vacation home for President Truman, who quickly lost his cough and regained his health. Several US presidents have visited before but none loved it as much as Truman did.
Leaving Key West, we went to Bahia Honda State Park. The island is so tiny, you can swim in the Atlantic Ocean on one side, walk across the street and parking lot, and swim in the Gulf of Mexico! The park closes at sundown and we had a serendipity. Some park volunteers brought by conch shells and explained it’s a local and park tradition to blow the conchs daily at sunset. I had read about blowing a conch shell when I taught 9th graders the novel Lord of the Flies, but had never done so myself. About a half dozen beachgoers took part. The eerie, haunting sound of the various conchs while the sun set over that warm, picturesque spot was an experience I won’t soon forget.
Day 6
This was a rainy day, and time to say bye to the Keys. We drove north from Geiger Key along Route 1, back onto Mainland Florida and to our campground near Miami.
Day 7
We turned our RV back in, and placed our luggage at a hotel near the airport. We then caught a ride to Little Havana, a lively Miami neighborhood that has long been the Center for the Cuban expat community, for those people who fled Communism in their homeland. Because of its location near the island country, Florida is home to many people of Cuban background. Since those people have either experienced the horrors of dictatorship first-hand or heard stories from their relatives, most are freedom-loving and in the US vote Republican.
Leaving Little Havana, we caught a ride to famous South Beach. The beach itself was rather empty as it was a cloudy, windy day. However, we enjoyed walking along and viewing the Art Deco architecture. That part of Miami Beach had a building boom in the 1920s and 30s, and thankfully most of the historic motels and restaurants from that era are still standing in their original, colorful glory.
Day 8
Took the hotel’s airport shuttle to catch our flight and return home. Great trip! We highly recommend a visit to the beautiful, warm, historic Florida Keys!
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