We thought it would be nice to just get out and walk around for a while. It was so hot and humid in the Keys that walking was not usually an option. We decided to try a state park. Besides having the longest name ever, the entrance to this park was really hard to find. We drove fifteen miles to the end of a road and back before we saw that the park was at the very beginning of the road we had started on (I guess we hadn't started looking until after we passed it). Once we got there, we sprayed ourselves with mosquito spray, put a small donation in the box ($5), andstarted walking. The paths were shaded but there wasn't much to see. There were a lot of green plants and a few sign-posts here and there describing what that particular green plant was. Once we got to a fork in the road, though, we started to get swarmed by mosquitoes. We had to leave because it was so uncomfortable to have so many little bugs crawling on us. We saw people riding bikes as we were walking and they seemed to be immune to the bug attacks. Maybe it's a good place to go for a ride, but it was not pleasant for a walk.
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park - You Should Go
This was a lot of fun. I get motion sick so I made sure to take some Dramamine before the boat ride and was fine most of the time. The price is $30 a person but it really comes to around $40 with the fins, mask, and snorkel (unless you bring your own). We loved that we got to keep our snorkels. The boat ride over to the snorkeling spot was relaxing and once we got there we could wander on our own. They gave everyone a life vest to help them float on the surface and save energy. We just floated around looking at fish that came close but swam just out of reach. We didn't see any turtles or anything, although other people in our group said they did. I had to get back on the boat for a short while to calm my motion sickness but was able to get back in and enjoy the warm gulf waters. Especially coming from California, it was great just to be in warm clear water. We would most likely go again.
Ok, so we didn't actually spend any money on this (it's free) but that's what made it so great. The boat from The African Queen (1951) is docked at a Holiday Inn just off the main road in Key Largo. We had a little trouble finding where it was, but if you face the building (don't go inside it) and go to the left, there's a dock that you can just walk onto. You can stand right next to the boat and even pay to take a ride on it (although we didn't). It was really cool to see that piece of cinematic history, especially with Nathan being a film major. I think the boat travels, though, so you may need to contact the hotel if you visit to see if it's still there. Holiday Inn Key Largo
The Rain Barrel Artist Community - You Might Like It
This is another thing that's fun to do for free (unless you want to spend a lot of money on hand-made cards and pottery). It was nice just to walk around the different buildings and admire the artists' work. There was even a friendly squirrel there to greet us and keep us company as we walked. It's actually on the island of Islamorada but not hard to find. Just look for the giant metal lobster.
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