Beautiful views, awesome adventures, and a foodies dream location! Islamorada might just be the place for you!
10 years…10 YEARS! Where does the time go?! I venture to say that most couples story is the same. The first 10 years of marriage are filled with the newly wed phase followed shortly by the newborn phase.
Then the newborn phase which is exciting and exhausting is all over in one quick poof. Which is then followed by the toddler phase…shew can you keep up?!
Afterwards, In our case, it was a rinse and repeat cycle. Before you know it 10 YEARS have come and gone. Sayonara my friend!
After this decade of chaos and fast paced life we decided to celebrate, and take off on a 4 day trip to the Florida Keys to celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary!
Why the Florida Keys?
A couple of reasons…
We love to fish, and the Keys (especially Islamorada) has some of the best fishing in the world.
Also, we had friends who had been regularly visiting the Keys and the picture they painted had us ready to jet set!
Was it the trip you had hoped for? Will you be going back?
1,000% YES!!! Josh and I had a blast. It honestly blew our Dominican Republic honeymoon out of the water! It had all the great views of the Caribbean Islands, every adventure that we did was phenomenal, and then the food was just BEYOND amazing! We joke that this is the trip we gained 10 lbs on! No regrets here ;p
Stay:
We stayed at The Postcard Inn Resort which is 1 of 4 resorts in the Islamorada Resort Collection. The resort was beautiful, well maintained, and had amazing views. My favorite aspect of this resort was that they have a free shuttle service that will take you between the 4 resorts and to local restaurants and attractions. While we didn’t take advantage of exploring the other resorts, why leave our own paradise, we did use the shuttle every afternoon to try the local eateries. The FOOD oh my! Ok wait…I’m getting ahead of myself back to the resort, for now ;p
I do recommend The Postcard Inn for the following reasons…
- beautiful amenities
- great location
- amazing views right off your balcony
- affordable $$
- free shuttle service
- 4 on site bars & restaurants
While having the food on site is very nice especially for day options while you are lounging around the pool or beach. I recommend planning your dinners at some of the local restaurants. Take in some more sights and see the beautiful sunsets over the bay! Especially since you have the free shuttle and don’t have to worry about transportation. You can enjoy a few or many tropical drinks 😉 No judgement here!
Experiences:
Fishing Charter
This adventure was my husband’s one and only planning task! He is on ALL-OF-THE fishing threads, and I knew this was his THING. Josh did a spectacular job. Captain Rich of R-U-Fishing Yet was our back country fishing guide. Capt. Rich was born and raised in the Keys. He was very knowledgeable and put us on the fish.
Our goal was to catch the prized Florida tarpon. Sadly, we did come short on this goal. If you are a fisher, you know sometimes the weather just doesn’t cooperate. A shift and increase in the wind through the fish for a loop. The good news was we were not skunked, yay! We caught a grouper, 2 snappers, many jack crevalle, and a nurse shark. We had fun chasing a few tarpons, but alas we couldn’t bring one into the boat. As the saying goes…that’s why they call it fishing and not catching, right?!
It was a beautiful day on the water, we had fun, and we learned a ton about fishing in the Florida Keys.
Now there is an overwhelming amount of fishing charters in Islamorada. If you are wanting to experience fishing or a boat ride into the crystal blue waters, here are my recommendations.
TIPS:
LOCATION…Look into charters at your closest marina. We didn’t plan this, but our Captain docked at our resort’s marina, super convenient, especially if you are going to partake in some beverages on your trip.
ASK FOR A PICKUP…If you have a specific charter in mind that is not close by…ask your captain if they can pick you up at your dock.
FOR MY NON-FISHING GALS…If you are looking to relax, catch some rays, enjoy the view, and NOT get in the way of the fishing activities make sure the boat is bigger and has lounging seats. You ALL deserve to get the MOST out of the excursion!
Theatre of the Sea
Another great aspect of the resort was that Theatre of the Sea was our neighbor, walking distance! Theatre of the Sea is a marine mammal park with dolphins, sea lions, sea turtles, fish, sharks, stingrays, alligators, and parrots. The park showcases the animals’ special talents and gives informational dialogs about each set of animals’ special care.
TIPS:
BOOK IN ADVANCE…the experiences especially book up quick. For instance, I tried to book the dolphin experience a week in advance and it had already booked up.
PLAN AHEAD…You will want to make sure you check out the show schedule to plan what time to arrive as each animal group has three showings a day.
DO…Add in an animal interaction. You will not regret this! The price includes your entry fee and is truly a once in a lifetime experience with a beautiful animal.
We chose to do the sea lion experience. It did not disappoint! Check out the dolphin experience too. We were a little bummed we didn’t book both! You can choose to get wet or stay dry. Perfect for kiddos age 5 and up.
John Pennekamp Snorkeling
We chose to drive 25 mins north to Key Largo to go out on this expedition. John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park is home to the only living coral barrier reef in the North America. The crystal blue water, the brightly colored coral reef, and the many varieties of exotic fish made this trip unforgettable! I have snorkeled in Cozumel, Cancun, and the Dominican Republic prior to this trip and I think this might be my favorite snorkeling trip thus far. I would say the biggest difference was the coral reef colors and how close you are to the reef and fish.
Many times, we were swimming surrounded by schools of fish! The different varieties of parrot fish and blue tangs were amazing to see. That’s right all of Dory’s people were there. That honestly is the best way I could describe it, it was like watching Nemo and Marlin at home on their reef! How cool is that?! We even saw that pesky ole barracuda that got his mom and siblings, sad.
Needless to say, the 2 ½ hour trip (1- 1 ½ hr water time) was NOT long enough!
TIPS:
PLAN AHEAD…Go on Amazon and purchase a mask and snorkel ahead of time. It’s nice to have your own set and the ones we got were better quality then the ones you rent from them.
BOOK IN ADVANCE…You don’t want to drive up there just to find out they are already booked up.
Food:
We ate some SERIOUSLY amazing food while in town! We left wishing we had more nights to try out other restaurants.
Lorelei’s Restaurant & Cabana Bar
Our favorite SEAFOOD option.
ENVIRONMENT
From the moment we got there I just loved the atmosphere. It felt like a local’s spot, but not a spot where tourist weren’t welcomed. You know those moments when you open the door and everyone turns around and looks at you..oops! No, this place was very welcoming with its open air seating, and spectacular views of the bay. Insider Tip…If you want a good sunset, you have to find a location on the bay! Thankfully Islamorada has plenty of food establishments waiting for that perfect sunset view!
DRINKS
Ok so view check, music playing in the background check, drink in my hand checkity check! I got a fresh margarita here and it was so darn tasty!
FOOD
To get the food train rolling we got the peppercorn crusted tuna for an appetizer. It was lightly seared and drizzled with a soy reduction, wasabi cream, and sriracha sauce. Basically, It was a spicy fiesta in my mouth, so good!
For our main course, well we cheated a little bit. We caught some fresh grouper and snapper on our fishing expedition earlier in the day and brought it for the chef to fix up for us. Man did he deliver!
We requested it to be blackened and grilled. It was the perfect blend of spices and cooked to the perfect tenderness. Your fresh catch comes with fries and a heaping helping of slaw. We eat a lot of fish and honestly this is some of the best fish we have ever had. Seriously 5 out of 5!
Hog Haven
Our favorite ALL the MEATS location!
ENVIRONMENT
A biker bar type, but very welcoming to all. This was an ocean front place so no expectations of that majestic sunset, however they have an outside bar and covered dock looking out over a small passage of water. Bottom line, It’s a good vibe.
DRINKS
Local beer felt right at this location. Islamorada has two local breweries: Islamorada Beer Co. and Florida Keys Brewing Co. Both have good options for all. If you are looking for a good light beer, ya know maybe what some would call a more girly beer, try Coconut Key Lime Beer, so good!
FOOD
The first thing that caught our eyes were the brisket deviled eggs. Ummm wow! All the great flavor of traditional southern deviled eggs, and then topped with spot on’ smoked brisket. My husband and I were savoring EVERY last bite!
With the first app being a home run we went for a second app. Pig candy. Pork belly flash fried and tossed in a sweet molasses sauce. I know I have lost some of you, I get it, but it really was an interesting mix and I would get it again. It was rich and heavy though. I had planned to get wings afterwards but felt like I needed something a bit lighter for my main course.
I went with the shrimp and blue crab bisque. WOW…I was not expecting this level of bisque in Florida. On a trip to Martha’s Vineyard a few years back I got the best lobster bisque in the world, IMO. Hog Heaven is trying to vie for this award! I was so full and I couldn’t stop! Can’t stop, won’t stop…eh eh!
Josh got the blackened mahi tacos…I think? I’m going to be honest I was so into my bisque I didn’t even try his tacos, if that was in fact what he had.
We left this place saying we could easily come back another night and try many of their other tasty dishes. Sadly, there were no more nights for stuffing our bellies!
Takeaway:
I think our biggest takeaway from this trip was that we don’t have to go out of the country to have a Caribbean like adventure! A short flight to a tropical destination, no hassle of customs, who could ask for more! We hope to go back soon and take the kids!
Expense:
I’m a middle of the road type of traveler. I’m willing to pay for accommodations in a good location with a good view as long as it doesn’t break the bank.
Transportation
We got a good deal on our flight and car rental. As you know this is very dependent on where you are flying from and whats going on in the world market. Always smart to try and book at least 6 months in advance to get best air flight prices.
Experiences
The adventures were not overpriced, though keep in mind to go on a fishing charter anywhere will typically cost you. It’s a full day’s work for the captain, plus gas and boat maintenance doesn’t come cheap.
Food & Beverages
We probably splurged a bit here. That is the difference in this US location vs a Caribbean island…no all-inclusive. Food prices were elevated as you would expect in any tourist location, but we felt satisfied in the fact that the food was worth the price! As far as beverages, what can I say it was a special occasion. We didn’t have our kiddos, and we had free safe transportation…can you blame us?!
It is hard to put a price tag on a trip because there are so many factors and we all choose to spend and save differently. I WILL SAY this can be a cheap trip for you if you need it to be even with the awesome resort option. Click the links, make your budget, and plan ahead! Don’t wait for tomorrow…
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