Cheeseburger in Paradise...la la la!

A few weeks ago Tom and I enjoyed a long weekend in the Florida Keys. That's right, just the two of us in paradise. Tom was already in Fort Lauderdale for work, so I flew in Friday morning and we made the 2 hour drive down Highway 1 to the Florida Keys. As the mile markers were counting down, we knew it was time for lunch so we stopped at Mrs. Mac's Kitchen in Key Largo. It was so busy that we had to wait for parking. You know you found a good spot when a place is that packed! The interior of the restaurant is really kitschy with tons of license plates plastered all over the walls, but Tom and I decided to enjoy the warm weather while we could and ate outside. We enjoyed fresh fish and crab cakes with all the trimmings and for dessert we tried the restaurant's specialty, a Key Lime Freeze.

After lunch we continue down Highway 1 to our home for the next three nights - La Siesta Hotel and Marina in Islamorada. Our room wasn't ready, so we decided to take a dip in the pool, soak up the sun and relax to the island tunes (the XM station Margaritaville was constantly playing). The resort is a little tired, but it sits right on the water and features a heated pool, marina, free kayak rentals, breakfast in the morning has a variety of rooms that all include a kitchen. We were lucky and stayed in a one-bedroom oceanfront cottage that had a little patio and a hammock. What's not to love?

Our little cottage

We had a great view from our cottage

That night we did a little shopping and had dinner at Lazy Days which sits right on the water. We once again ate al fresco and if it had been during the day we would have had a great view of the ocean. The food was great and Tom even got to eat an entire fish!

Tom's perfect meal

The next morning we took a kayak out and it was a really good workout, especially when the wind picked up. It was also very peaceful, just cruising along looking at the ocean, the sea life and checking out the oceanfront homes. For lunch we went to Shula Burger to have our cheeseburger in paradise, but when we walked back to the car we had a very flat tire on the rental car, apparently very common in the Florida Keys. We had to wait for a new tire, so we wandered over to the Tiki Bar and had a couple tropical drinks. We could have waited there all afternoon, but we had places to be! The tire guy eventually showed up sans tire, so that meant we had to put the spare on and switch the car in the morning.

Flat tire? No problem!

In the afternoon we went to Robbie's Marina for a snorkeling trip. The Happy Cat boat took us to two different coral reefs where we saw tons of colorful fish and even a crab. The waves were about two feet high and we were bobbing all over. Both of us drank our share of the ocean that day!

After our busy day, we were looking forward to a relaxing dinner at Morada Bay Beach Cafe. We noticed it the night before when we were shopping and knew we had to come back. It's situated right on the beach, lit up with tiki torches and there is a live band playing most nights. They don't take reservations, so we made sure to get there early. While we waited we enjoyed some cocktails, live music and watched the sun set. Pretty perfect, but it got even better. We had a prime table on the beach and the food was amazing, especially the conch chowder and key lime pie.

Morada Bay Beach Cafe

Table isn't ready yet? No problem!

Sunday was our last full day and our first stop was in Marathon to switch cars. After that we met up with Tom's friend who was staying at Bahai Honda State Park. Kyle has been traveling around North America for over four years and lives full-time in an Airstream trailer. I have to say it is one of the nicest trailers I've ever seen. Not to mention he gets to wake up to an amazing view every morning. Bahia Honda State Park is immaculate and has real sandy beaches. Most of the Florida Keys doesn't have actual beaches, because of wear and tear from hurricanes and other natural forces.

Once we said good-bye to Kyle we continued down Highway 1 and stopped for lunch at Boondocks in Ramrod. If you go, try the truffle chips. You won't be disappointed! Our next destination was Key West and on our way we went through the Key Deer habitat. Unfortunately no sightings.

Key West is party central. They even allow drinking in the streets. Since it was Sunday, it was a bit tamer than normal, but I don't think we'll be taking Isabelle there anytime soon. We did a lot of walking, popped into a bunch of shops and even went to the southern most point in the continental US. Before we left, we went to Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville for a bite to eat. The bite to eat turned into the worlds largest nachos, the Volcano Nachos, and a some fruity drinks. No Buffet sightings...maybe next time?

On our way home we stopped by Lazy Days for a light dinner, drinks and key lime pie to go. The next morning we had breakfast by the pool and then it was time to head back to the frozen tundra. It was a wonderful trip and I can't wait to visit again...one of these days!

If you're wondering how Isabelle fared, well she had a lot of fun with my parents. They took her to the Jelly Belly factory, to a civil war museum, the outlet mall, toy store and she had lots and lots of play time!


WHERE TO STAY

La Siesta Hotel and Marina
80241 Overseas Highway
Mile Marker 80.2 Oceanside
Islamorada, Florida Keys 33036
305-664-2132 | 877-278-0369
http://lasiestaresort.com/


WHERE TO EAT

Mrs. Mac's Kitchen 
99336 Overseas Hwy.
MM 99.4 South US HYW. 1
Key Largo, FL 33037
305-451-3722
www.mrsmacskitchen.com

Lazy Days
79867 Overseas Highway
Mile Marker 79.9 Oceanside
Islamorada, FL 33036
305-664-5256
www.lazydaysresturant.com

Shula Burger
84001 Overseas Highway
Mile Marker 84.5
Islamoradoa, FL 33036
305-664-5300
www.shulaburger.com/

Morada Bay Beach Cafe
81600 Overseas Highway
Mile Marker 81.6, Bayside
Islamorada, FL 33036
305-664-0604
www.moradabay-restaurant.com

Boondocks
Mile Marker 27 ½
Ramrod, Florida
305-872-4094
www.boondocksus.com

Sunset in the Florida Keys