From the uniqueness and bar scene in Key West, to the restaurants throughout the keys, to the State…read moreParks like John Pennekamp and Bahia Honda, to the unmatched diving/snorkeling and laid-back style of the keys lifestyle... But at the end of the day, this is one of my favorite places to spend time. Some people just don't get how special these protected areas are... or just how vast it is. The area is encompasses an area that is over 8 miles long on Sugarloaf Key (accessed from mile marker 17 and partially from mile marker 20) and includes a lot of spots that locals visit often including Burn Out Bridge (aka End Of The Road), Loop Road Trail, Sammy Creek Landing, Old Overseas Nature Trail (west end of Old State Road 4A), Jumping Bridge, and the Secret Beach Old State Road 4A passes through most of it and there are a few residences as well but majority of the area is mangroves and open water. There is plenty of area to support incredible wildlife; you may not see much of it visiting but after years of bicycling and walking all the trails and focal points I've been lucky enough to see plenty; come common and some rare to see... in addition to the common sightings like raccoons, snapper, tarpon and crabs, we've seen key deer, spoonbills, horseshoe crabs, bonnet head sharks, bald eagles and other birds of prey. Park at the corner of Old State Road 4A and Sugarloaf Boulevard and walk east past the vehicle barriers to walk to Jumping Bridge (its just what is sounds like) and if feeling adventurous then continue onto Loop Road Trail (stop at the open water areas for a dip in the water), find the Secret Beach and walk the nature trail to Burn-Out Bridge (and watch the boats travel between Sugarloaf and the Atlantic) ... Or drive past the intersection to the west and stop by Sammy Creek Landing... it's a park with a boat launch, decent fishing and a good spot to bring lunch/picnic.... Or go onto my favorite and drive (or bike) all the way to the west end of Old State Road 4A, park the car and continue onto the Old Overseas Nature Trail. It's a very long hike to the end but it is gorgeous with some areas in the shade (tree canopy over the trail creating a tunnel like experience) and a lot in the sun too; great views of the water and mangroves. For those that have sweet blood... bring insect repellent/lotion

Pretty place and private. Can be very hot though (of course) so bringing water is important. I was…read moretold there are sometimes dangerous snakes but I didn't see any.

Very nice state park, seems pretty new. Recommended for grilling ,cookouts, outdoor family time,…read morekayaking, etc. it has free parking, clean restroom facilities, water fountains (cold water), and the grills available at the park look practically new! Not much shade available, so you might want to bring canopy or umbrella..

This park is always so clean and perfect and love cooling off in the swimming hole! Lots of access…read morein and out of the water.

This trail is kinda short but worth visiting…read more The trail is within a larger area that is home to a few trails and this is one of them. It's well maintained (which is nice since a lot of Keys trails and parks sometimes look messy and overgrown). The trail is rock and some parts with boardwalk (for the overlooks) and you oversee a lot of how the keys were back in its natural state. There are signs to read that give useful educational information and for animals that you may see. Of the few times we've hiked the trails around here, we haven't seen much in the way of wildlife but we have seen a rabbit once and a couple of key deer (which are the cutest deers ever).

Free Florida fun. It's a nice 2/3 mile walk in a loop of fairly manicured gravel trails through the…read morehammock. There's also a shorter leg that goes to a viewing deck. Pretty cool. No deer today but that's not always the case. And do be mindful of the poisonwood!

It's close to the temporary spot of the Southernmost Point Buoy (also near the Southernmost House)…read more Most people come here just for a quick photo, but if you walk a little toward the beach, you can enjoy a quieter spot with gentle waves. When we visited, the water was clear and the waves were calm. We spent about 30 minutes there -- short but a really nice experience.

My wife and I have browsed Rene's offerings and have purchased 16 of them over the many years we…read morevisited and wintered in KW. In fact, one year I picked up a print that we already had that I discovered when we got home. I called Rene' and he said to send it back and he'd send me something else. I told him to pick something out and he sent back a beautiful print. I notice some crabby posts and complaints on here and I'd like to just say that Rene' is a nice man, has a lot of offerings and I'd like to say it is well worth your while to browse and hopefully find something you like. That anyone who's crabbing probably brought a bit of their problem on themselves by being a self centered idiot and making a nuisance of themselves. The guy who bitched because he took a photo of some art has no business in an art store. You don't need a sign to tell you to not take pictures. A lot of the trunk slammers and cruise boaters we have observed over the years are boorish and deserve to be upbraided. Do yourself a favor and visit Red Door on Caroline.

I feel obligated to post an unfortunate incident both my girlfriend and I experienced at this art…read moregallery. We had just eaten breakfast at Harpoon Harry's and were walking back to Pier House resort. On the way we decided to peruse the artwork - we really had no intention to buy, but I saw the plethora of rooster art and decided to give it a chance (my mom raises chickens in her hometown, so I thought I could find something suitable for her). So my girlfriend and I enter and make our round about the gallery. We exchanged mild pleasantries with Rene at first. During this time, I snapped a photo of one his artworks (which said 'respect the cock,' which reminded me of my friend's favorite line in the movie Magnolia) and send it to said friend. While I didn't look too hard, I don't recall any 'no photography' signs being posted. And if they were, I don't feel they were prominent. Since I was 'iffy' on purchasing anyway, and clearly didn't have any intent to commercially distribute the photo, I thought what I did was harmless. After a full lap, my girlfriend became engrossed in one of the 'a day in the life of...' (I guess you would call them comics?) near the entrance. During this time, I checked my messenger app to see if my friend replied. Well, apparently Rene was right behind me and so close that he could see the photo inside the messenger app on my phone. He immediately chastised me for taking the photo and said 'taking a photo of art is taking another man's bread.' Now when I say close, his toe was practially touching my heel. He continued to stand close to us and chastise me, to the point where my girlfriend felt uncomfortable and said 'we should go.' He left us with a 'enjoy the photo' when we stepped out. In this instance, I think it would have been better to say 'hey, just a warning, please no photographs.' But instead he acted like I intended to print out the photo of his art and hang it on my wall. That was clearly not my intention and his incommensurate reaction soiled an otherwise perfectly enjoyable morning in Key West.

Awesome playground right on the beach (not close to the water) with bathrooms near by. The entire…read moreplayground is gated which makes it more of a gem. There are small shaded tables on the side inside the grounds to drop all the beach bags and coolers and most of the play equipment is for climbing and balancing. We arrived right before sun down and the water was choppy with the rising tide but it was such an amazing sight to see the fishing boats arriving back to shore.

Key West is not a beach destination namely because the island doesn't have any beaches. True facts…read more Clarence Higgs Memorial Beach is an artificial beach and is really the only beach on the island besides Fort Zachary Taylor Park. Clarence Higgs beach is more of your traditional beach vacation where you can rent umbrellas and towels, play beach volleyball (there are only two courts), rent kayaks and snorkeling gear. The downside is that it isn't as picturesque as Fort Zachary Taylor Park. But that park doesn't really have any amenities. Overall, it's a decent beach. As the only traditional beach vacation spot on the island, though, it's going to be on your Key West itinerary at some point I hope.

Very peaceful relaxing stretch in the pool. For someone with knee and health issues, a perfect way…read moreto enjoy yoga. Would be perfect if the resorts offered more sessions.

Kelly and Gale Nelson are the hosts and crew of the Gale Wins, a 45-foot power boat. You arrange…read morewith them what you want to do on the waters around Key West. Head 11 miles west to Boca Grand for a day of playing in the water? Romantic dinner cruise with Gale's fabulous food? A day trip out to the reef for some snorkelling? You bet. Just ask and they can accommodate. There's a full bar and Gale makes a mean burger for lunch (let them know if you have any dietary restrictions). This is such a great way to get to places around Key West that the big party boats don't go to. We had a ball with friends on the trip to Boca Grand and would sail with Kelly and Gale any time.