This historic park has a lot of great history here. I'd recommend reading about it on Wikipedia and…read moremany other websites. It's an island off the coast of Islamorada, FL. It was a fun trip from Robbies. We rented 5 kayaks to go out on the water. Most of the water was shallow until after you get past the bridge, the water will become deeper. They provide you a path to follow and a map to ensure that you stay away from the current. You have the option to go with a guide, but we went together and did just fine. It took us 35 minutes to get from Robbies to the Island via Kayak. When you arrive, they have an area that they recommend you to park your kayaks at. Now there are other locations but if you seen them, this is the best location to stop at for sure. The island is small and difficult to understand that there was a neighborhood here once upon a time in 1863, over 100 years ago. We were able to make it to the other side of the island. Members of our team decided to go swimming at the top of the surface to see what they seen under the water. One thing it was very hot on this day, so it worked our well. The island doesn't have lots to offer, but can be a good day to paddle out, explore, even take a lunch and relax until it's time to go back.

Indian Key State Historic Site is situated on an island, and configured to illustrate its history…read more  It's a fun and easy trip by kayak from Robbie's Kayak Shop.  Tip: When you're on the island you'll find well-marked signs that guide you on a walk around the points of interest.  You can even download an audio about the tour and play it on your phone. This is a nice way to spend an hour or so, and it makes coming here even more fun if you come by kayak :-)

As we were arriving in the Florida Keys, I noticed this monument and wanted to make sure to return…read morehere and learn about what had happened. A powerful Category 5 hurricane hit on September 2, 1935 (Labor Day) and it remains the strongest on record in the United States with winds reaching 185 miles per hour. The storm killed over 400+ people across the Florida Keys and many of these people were military veterans. The memorial holds all the ashes of those who lost their lives. It's a beautiful memorial and so glad we took the time to pay homage to all the souls lost here.

A quick stop on our way back north but worth it. A very interesting and sad part of the Keys…read morehistory. There are some nice descriptive panels both in front and behind the monument. You can tell this was built during the 30s given the classic WPA design. Turn off of Hwy and spend a few minutes checking this out.

This is a very neat stop when in Islamorada. From the huge lobster out front to the many shops,…read morethere's lots to see. Some shops offer great local artists' creations. Others have anything from upscale home items to very touristy trinkets. Definitely worth a stop. There are also comfortable chairs for those waiting on others to finish up their shopping.

Also stopped here after years of driving by. Very cool shops inside. Kind of like an outdoor mall,…read morenot just one store. Found some cool jewelry in the back. We were kind of in a rush because it was close to closing time, but definitely worth a stop. Ice cream shop also back there. Helpful vendors. Jewelry was priced good.

IMPORTANT: You need to come prepared to this key If you expect to enjoy everything it has to share…read more The state park does not treat the island with pesticides. Bring: water, bug spray, and maybe a hat. There are bathrooms past the house on the right with a ramp. COST: $2.50 and $2.00 for access and tour. HOW TO GET HERE: We moored on the other side of the island and took the dinghy to the dock. Their Website has information for transportation to the island. We had a private tour of the island it the history is just unreal. The vegetation is massive and I had no idea how large this key actually measured. Because you can't swim or fish 100' from the dock or mangroves, it acts as a nursery for a ton of fish. I saw barracuda, sheep's head, yellow fin, ciro.

Lignumvitae Botanical state park is one of the last remaining natural keys. This park has a strict…read morepolicy on visitation and only offers restricted access due to its natural preservation efforts. Like others, I recommend to come in the winter months, due to the amount of mosquitos. This island is not sprayed like the residential keys, due to preservation, so you can imagine the number of hungry mosquitos. We came over in late October and it was still pretty buggy. There's a neat old house on the island and the ranger will give you the history of the house and the residents who maintained it. There is a long hiking trail but we only made it about 20 minutes in before turning around due to the bugs. And I do have a fairy high threshold for bugs. We did get to see some Golden Orb Weaver spiders, so that was totally worth the trip. It was cool to get the history of the Key. I'm looking forward to come back hike the entire trail in the winter!

I know what you're thinking.. I'm not interested in diving. I don't particularly care for museums…read more I want to keep driving till I get to Key West and party. Well, big mistake. This place is amazing. What a celebration of human achievement. It makes me respect all of the progress and innovation. Takes about 45 minutes to see it all and it's well worth the admission. Do yourself a favor and stop at this museum. You won't be sorry. Key West will wait!

Great little museum with a big collection of all things diving from over 30 different countries…read more You will see diving helmets, hand-operated air pumps, armored suits, videos, just to name a few things. The Museum preserves and displays artifacts and antiques relative to the history of diving. I highly recommend the museum. It's educational and informative. Opens daily from 10am-5pm Admission Price Adults: $15 Seniors (62+): $13 Children 6-11: $7 Children 5 and Under: FREE US Veterans: $12 US Active Military: FREE College Students w/ ID: $11 NARM Members: FREE SNAP recipients: FREE

So much beauty everywhere, stop and take it all in! Worth the drive all the way to the bottom and…read moredon't forget to stop and check out the short hiking trails and the overlook too!

The staff is amazing. Shout out to Michelle for taking care of us. Had an amazing night tour with…read moreCaptain Mark. An entirely different perspective from a day tour. A unique Florida must do!

Wow, so glad we had to use the restrooms here! Besides the friendliness as we sought out the…read morerestrooms (having a large OJ before leaving Miami en-route to Key West was a tactical error on MY part), we walked away with all kinds of things to see and do in and on the rest of the way to Key West. 60 photos easily and sites we realized were ones that made the trip even more special! Stop here and let this friendly bunch plot your course!

We were roadtripping through the Florida Keys and saw this bright and inviting visitors center and…read moredecided to stop in. Surprisingly we were not greeted by the staff, but we didn't even sweat that. They had many brochures and information about activities and things to do inside the visitors center. The visitors center is located directly in front of the Founders park.

This was such a great experience! I was communicating with someone named Ann Marie via email and…read moreshe ensured everything was set up for us. I decided to surprise my boyfriend for our anniversary and he loved it!

If zero stars was only an option.... I purchased a voucher for a helicopter ride for 2. I've…read morecalled and left multiple messages and have emailed them as well. I was hoping to propose to my girl with this tour and am looking to buy flight tickets etc. for a specific week in June as soon as possible....BUT NOBODY WILL RESPOND! a waste of time and money paid up front...for someone to not even have the courtesy to respond. Do not waste your time with these people...looks like there are plenty of other places to take your business!

This is a nifty little state park that has some nice manicured trails and tons of examples of coral…read morefossils in the stone. They used this area as a quarry for stone to use in construction in the early 20th century. There is an entire guide that the rangers can give you which covers not only the history of the area, but all of the plant species, and the different kinds of fossils you can find. This can be a fun stop on a road trip if you like geology and this kind of thing.

This little noun and yet amazing State Park is definitely worth a visit. I don't know why more…read morepeople don't come here, except maybe because there's a lot of mosquitoes. There's trails to walk, and exhibits related to the flora and Fana, wildlife, and of course the quarry, and the machinery used to mine coral for use in building. You can either take a tour with the guide or you can get a book from the Ranger and walk around with the book and read the descriptions at each of the plaques. There are something like 75 around the park, some have only a paragraph or two about what you're seeing, others have several pages.