Published: August 30, 2025
The Florida Keys are within reach by way of a short car ride – for all of us South Floridians. So slip on your flip flops and head to this little piece of paradise for your own adventure.
We all know that breathtaking beauty and a laid back vibe abounds just a short drive south, but how often do we take advantage of those turquoise blue waters and powder-sand beaches? My answer: not nearly enough! So, on a recent weekday, I packed the car with towels, water, and my daughters, and deemed it a “Low Key” girls trip. Our final destination would be Key West, with a number of stops along the way.
A side note: If you have the opportunity to travel during the week, rather than a weekend, crowds are far less (particularly off-season). We stayed in the Keys Wednesday through Saturday and encountered no traffic, no restaurant wait times and plenty of peace and quiet on the sandy shores.
Fill the Void
First things first. Once we checked into our hotel in Marathon, it was time to try some local bites. After some quick research – in the form of online reviews – we decided that Island Fish Company checked off all of the boxes for us – fresh seafood, a water view and
a comfortable tiki atmosphere. We started with the conch fritters, made with a generous amount of conch and plated with a Key lime aioli and Bahamian cocktail sauce, and nibbled on mahi wraps. But the star of the day was the shrimp quesadilla, made with grilled shrimp, Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese, green chili sauce, scallions, guacamole and pineapple salsa. The pineapple salsa – a showstopper. Take a bow.
Swim with the Dolphins
The next day brought a delightful adventure, swimming with Indie, a playful and vocal Bottlenose Dolphin at Dolphin Connection in Duck Key. We chose the Royal Swim experience which included a 15 minute educational discussion, and a half hour in the water, to get up close and personal to the dolphins while learning more about the beautiful mammals and their environment. The day brought overcast weather, which was refreshing, and dare I say, even a little chilly when you were in the cool lagoon. We participated in the deep water swim, but the locale also offers programs with shallow water interaction, a dockside program and a paint and play experience. http://www.dolphinconnection.com
Sombrero Beach
After our swim with the dolphins, we picked up a picnic lunch from the grocery store and made our way to Sombrero Beach in Marathon. There, they have shaded picnic tables, a large playground and a vast beach. They have metered parking on site making beach access a breeze. The beach is perfect for swimming, snorkeling and constructing sand castles. We picnicked, swam and relaxed on the soft sand. http://www.ci.marathon.fl.us/parksrec/ page/sombrero-beach
National Key Deer Refuge
On our last full day in the Keys, we took the hour-long ride from Marathon to Key West. Along the way we made a pitstop at the National Key Deer Refuge in Big Pine Key. The representatives at the center were very knowledgable and eager to provide information about Key Deer and the area. The refuge offers walking paths on the property, giving guests a chance to see one of these beautiful creatures up close. This day proved to be a sizzler, so we opted not to explore the outdoor trails on this occasion. Instead, one of the naturalists offered us driving directions to a nearby neighborhood where the Key Deer congregate. We did as he said “pull out of the parking lot and make a right, and another right,” and voila(!) there was a beautiful deer grazing under a shade tree on someone’s lawn. Mission accomplished!
Tindahan – The Little Asian Store
A few miles from the refuge, we stopped at Tindahan, a store made TikTok famous for it’s boba. My older daughter recognized the owner right away and asked her for the matcha and banana boba concoction. And, after much mixing, blending and shaking, a beautifully layered drink was placed in each of my girls’ hands. Mmmm-Mmmmm, was the response. I glanced down at the bottled water I ordered for myself, grabbed an extra straw and dipped into one of their tapioca filled refreshers instead. It really was delicious. Worth every TikTok view.
Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park
We continued along the way to Key West, where we parked on Duval Street for a few hours of shopping and exploring the unique stores before carrying on to the nearby Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park. In the past I’ve followed the crowd and always watched the sunset from Mallory Square, but one of my daughter’s suggested this park after seeing photos of it online. We paid the $7.50 fee for the three of us and pulled into an open parking lot facing the ocean. The park offers fishing, bird watching, a beautiful beach for swimming and stunning view of the sunset. It is also home to Fort Taylor, a National Historic Monument housing the largest cache of Civil War armament in the world. Watching the sun melt into the ocean, from the southernmost state park in the continent capped off the trip. http://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/fort-zachary-taylor-historic-state-park
