Writing this article started with the title. Since our visit six months ago, there is this lingering song in my mind; you know, the one about being wasted again in Margaritaville. Sitting on a porch, strumming guitars, staying all season for no reason and all that good stuff. It just resonates with me when I think back to the laid-back atmosphere we all felt in Key West.
Key West, the beginning of the road, mile 0, or is it the end? One thing is certain, this was the main attraction with our traveling companions while exploring Florida and we were not disappointed. The island (or key) sits in what can be called the Florida Straits, neither in the Gulf of Mexico nor in the Atlantic Ocean. Whatever it is called, it sure feels like you are in the Bahamas.
Not the type to make reservations, we were so lucky to secure two sites at Boyd’s Campground a couple of days ahead in the height of school break and snowbird season. As a side note, if you are planning to stay at a Florida state park during your trip at this time of year, reservations are a must. I’m not kidding, especially if you are traveling in pairs. We collectively spent hours searching for campsites, scouring websites and making calls. We eventually found places to stay and boondocking came in handy, but it was a lesson for the four of us.
Break of dawn at Boyd’s Campground. Although the sites are small we never felt cramped and the personnel was very friendly.
This article will not be your typical tourist information data stream or a long story about our stay in the area. Enough has been said and a simple Google search will inundate you with more information than you can swim through. The real story here is Key West itself.
I’d like to show you around the place through a photographer’s eye and a bit of video as well. Get a feel for the place through its architecture and its streets and a bit of the people in it. I hope you like it.
Before we get to the pictures, have a look at this short video of our biking through the town this past March, in the midst of school break. Some folks had probably spent a while at Margaritaville and are still looking for that lost shaker of salt near the southernmost point buoy. Nevertheless, everyone is having a great time and that is what it’s all about.
Duval Street is considered the main drag in Key West. Take your time to stroll down the street and indulge in a tasty ice cream cone!
Opened in early 1920’s and restored in early 2000’s this iconic theater is now part of a neighboring Walgreen Pharmacy.
Lovely architectural details and home to a local bird
What else is there to say!
Papa’s Pilar Rum is crafted here in honor of the man
Lovely pastel colors come to life in the early morning light
I couldn’t resist capturing the nice horizontal and vertical lines of this entrance
Do you have to show your ID to these green guards?
Amusing abstract shapes
Two towers
Up to three cruise ships arrive in Key West almost daily, year round.
This is it, our short but unforgettable stay in Key West has been indelibly stamped in our travel memories. No wonder Papa Hemingway and others chose this place as their home. And the more you explore, the more you will discover off the beaten path. I recommend you rent a bike if you do not have one. Bike paths are plentiful throughout the town. We discovered a nice bakery way off the tourist trail and went back the next day for an encore, our bike panniers stuffed with warm bread and pastries.
Have you been there? What memories do you have of your trip there?
If you’re seeking respite from Old Man Winter you may find your Leisure Travel Van pointing its nose toward Florida, with good reason. Lots of sunshine, pristine beaches, and challenging golf courses. Plus, fresh local seafood and saltwater fishing are just some of the reasons why people choose The Sunshine State as their winter destination.
Bill and I have traveled to Florida for the past four winters, each year refining our choices on where to stay, eat and play. We quickly learned a few lessons on how to plan a winter trip here, too. We’ll share some of our tips, as well as a few little-known facts and some of our favorite spots (such as Oscar Scherer State Park campground pictured above) to go.
For us, it’s all about the Gulf Coast, and most of the places we stay are located along Tamiami Trail (US 41). Yup, we’ve stayed in the Keys and several cities along the Atlantic, including Hollywood Beach, Sebastian Inlet, and St. Augustine. All those places are fine, but for us, we prefer the Gulf.
So, here’s our “Best of” list of campgrounds, beaches, eateries and more.
“Lucky Us,” our 2015.5 Unity MB, at Koreshan State Park
Campground: We’ve found there’s no reason to stay any farther south than Koreshan State Park, north of Naples near Estero. Drive any more south to a state park on the mainland and you risk registering “run” on the mosquito meter that’s at the entrance to Collier-Seminole State Park, near Naples.
Campsites at Koreshan are nestled among the palms and palmettos, offering shade and privacy. The bathrooms are a little dated, but functional, and have laundry facilities as well. This past winter, we happened to be there during the park’s annual car and craft show, which also featured a small farmer’s market.
Coffee with the hosts on Saturday brought us a pleasant exchange with other RVers on why we chose Leisure, as well as tips on places to go as we head north. And if you like to paddle, bring your kayak – or rent one at the park. The Estero River provides a gentle, scenic trip.
The Hollow Earth
A visit to the historic Koreshan Unity Settlement explains this failed cult and their belief in cellular cosmogony, or the hollow earth.
Walking north on the beach, Lovers Key State Park
Best Day Trip: From Koreshan, it’s about 11 miles to Lovers Key State Park, home to one of our favorite beaches in Florida. The four barrier islands that make up this park provide a haven for wildlife, including West Indian manatees, bottlenose dolphins, osprey and bald eagles. RV parking is convenient in their big overflow lot. Concession stands offer food and kayak tours and also rent bicycles, canoes, kayaks, paddleboards, beach chairs, and umbrellas.
Shell decorated tree
Heron on the beach
From the parking lot, walk or take the tram to the two-mile-long beach; from there, walk north along the shore to discover the shell-decorated tree stump, ospreys nesting, and shorebirds. Bring a bag if you like to collect shells. If you go a second time, walk south along the beach to get a different view.
Driving Tip: Avoid the traffic jams in Fort Myers Beach by taking US 41 south from Koreshan State Park, then west on Bonita Beach Road to the coast and then north to Lover’s Key. If you travel with a dog, your pooch might want to visit the dog beach south of the Lovers Key entrance instead.
Best Seafood Market: Skip One Seafoods, along with US 41, doesn’t look fancy, but it has the goods, as in fresh, local seafood. We picked up stone crab claws (in season) and a piece of red snapper to cook later. In addition to their market, they also have a small restaurant, which typically is packed.
Flamingos reign at Tamiami RV Resort.
Campground: Once we start to head north from Koreshan State Park, we like to stay a few days at Tamiami RV Resort on US 41. It usually has a few nights open if we call a week or two in advance, and it’s a convenient spot for us to stay when visiting friends in Cape Coral. The campsites are tight and there is not a lot of shade here, but kitschy decorations, like flamingo-themed campsites and lots of home-state pride, prevail here among this clean, well-kept, private campground with daily trash pickup. Most folks hang out at one of the pools in the afternoon, and potlucks, campfires, and pancake breakfasts bring this small community together. Statues honor veterans from Canada and the U.S. With our Good Sam card, our site was less than $30 per night, an unbelievable deal for a nice campground in Florida.
Main Street, Matlacha
Day Trip: Head for Matlacha, west of the Cape Coral/Fort Myers area on Pine Island Road. Pronounced “Matt-LaShay”, this Seminole name is reputed to mean “big warrior, junior warrior or knee-deep water.” It’s a fishing town, a shopping town, but most of all, it’s a small town, population just over 700, with whimsical, brightly painted homes and shops flanking the main street. Park at the Matlacha County Park where it’s an easy walk to visit a few shops. Lunch at the Blue Dog Bar & Grill, sample their crab cakes and other delights, and then walk across the street to Barnhill Seafood Market for their fresh catch for dinner, along with Karen’s Key Lime Pie, made locally. YUM!
Edison Winter Estate
Day Trip: Plan to spend the day at the Edison & Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers, where 20 acres of historic buildings, historic gardens, the Edison Botanic Research Lab and the Edison Ford Museum will open your eyes to hundreds of inventions, artifacts, special exhibits, and the award-winning Moonlight Garden. Picturesque banyan trees and tree-lined walkways give a glimpse into the winter estates for these two inventors who were winter neighbors.
Some of the seafood – dine in or take home to cook – at Lobster Lady Seafood Market and Bistro.
Best Seafood Restaurant: If you don’t mind nixing a waterfront venue for some really great seafood, try Lobster Lady Seafood Market and Bistro, nestled in a shopping area on Cape Coral Parkway West. Reservations are recommended at this popular restaurant, where waits up to an hour or two are not unusual during peak season and peak times. We go there for lunch instead. A glass case filled with lobster, clams, mussels, fish and more will tease you with what’s about to be served; bring a cooler so you can also buy some fresh, local fish to cook later.
Campground: Continuing north along US 41, our next stop is Oscar Scherer State Park, near Osprey (Our campsite is featured in the top photo). By now, we are ready to park Lucky Us to settle in for a week or two while we ride our bicycles on the Legacy Trail, a 10.7-mile paved route linking Venice and Sarasota, with plans for expansion into downtown Sarasota.
Legacy Trail
Dona Bay
Legacy Trail Surry
Bicycle to the trail from the campground, and then travel north toward Sarasota or south to Venice. It’s an easy-to-pedal asphalt trail with one steep slope, encountered when you head south and traverse the US 41 overpass. We prefer the southern route, as it passes by more water, including Dona Bay and the Intracoastal Waterway near Venice. Look down from the Dona Bay bridge to see oysters, and maybe even a passing manatee. If you’re not up for cycling, the Friends of the Legacy Trail Surry is available, free, for a 45-minute guided tour along the trail. In 2018, it ran Tuesdays and Wednesdays, January through March.
Casey Key Fish House
Best Eats: Casey Key Fish House, 801 Blackburn Point Road, Osprey. This “Old Florida” waterfront restaurant offers a casual atmosphere where dogs are welcome to sit with their owners. Novelist Stephen King frequents this eatery, although we have yet to spot him. Grab a beer, crab cakes or a grouper sandwich at this moderately priced venue, as you watch boat docking and pelicans hoping for a morsel or two.
King’s Key: King lives on Casey Key, just a short drive from the Fish House. To almost see where he lives, continue west on Blackburn Road from the restaurant to Casey Key, then turn north and drive to the end of the road. He lives in the last house on the right, but plenty of “do not enter” signs will warn you to go no further. Heed the warning.
Lime/orange and pure orange ice cream – orange you glad you tried each?
Sweet Treat: Nokomis Groves sells everything citrus – valencia and honeybell oranges, ruby red grapefruits, jellies, candies and some of the best, freshest orange juice I’ve tasted. You can order up to three flavors of soft serve ice cream in your cone, choosing from orange, lime, vanilla, and chocolate. Try the lime, my favorite. The store is open November – mid-April, but the ice cream cones are sold year round.
Turtle Beach Campground sunset from our campsite
Campground: If you want to stay on the ocean on the Gulf, about the only place to camp is Turtle Beach Campground on Siesta Key. With a trolley running daily, once you park your rig, you can get just about anywhere on this Key. Their 39 campsites are pretty tight (they call it “intimate”), but if you want to walk to the ocean, during the day or for sunset conch shell blowing, this is the place.
Siesta Key Beach
Day Trip: Siesta Key Beach. Take the trolley to spend the day on the powdered-sugar soft sand, always cool on your feet. Rated the #1 Beach in America, plan for big crowds on hot, sunny days. If you drive there, arrive early to get a spot in their large, open parking lot.
Fort De Soto campground
Campground: Fort De Soto Park, made up of five interconnected islands (keys), south of St. Petersburg, almost looks like a mangled hook on a map. The campground, on St. Christopher Key, has good-sized sites with plenty of trees and bushes for privacy. Many are located along the water. Don’t be surprised if you encounter a gecko or two in the bathrooms and herons and egrets along the shore.
One of the beaches at Fort De Soto Park
Fort De Soto’s 500′ pier on Tampa Bay
Day Trip: Once we arrive at Fort De Soto, we don’t leave the park until the end of our stay. Run by Pinellas County, you’ll find the historic Fort De Soto at the heart of the park where the Gulf meets Tampa Bay. It’s just a few miles along the flat, paved bicycle trails from the campground to three miles of pristine beaches; several parking lots provide ample space to park your rig if you prefer to drive. We were surprised to discover that fishing licenses are not required if you fish from either of the two piers, where we saw anglers catching yellowtail snapper, grouper, and other saltwater fish. Frozen squid and live shrimp bait are sold at the concession stand on the piers.
We took a three-quarter day charter out of Sarasota
Denise catches two-on-one
Bill holds the day’s catch
Each year, we typically book a half- or three-quarter day group charter fishing boat. This winter, we chose a trip out of Sarasota, which gave us a beautiful day on the water, with stunning views of the shore, and even a Portuguese Man O’ War sighting. And, some 20 fish to bring back for dinner.
Plan Ahead: Although you may luck out and grab a last-minute cancellation, we plan our trip one year in advance. Florida State Parks accept reservations 11 months in advance, and Fort De Soto, run by Pinellas County, accepts reservations six months in advance for non-residents. Turtle Beach, run by Sarasota County, accepts reservations 12 months in advance. Florida’s State Parks offer an entrance fee discount to Veterans. Even better, disabled Vets are eligible for a free entrance card.
See LTV products in person in Fort Myers, Florida at the Pot O’ Gold RV Sale- Fort Myers with Gerzeny’s RV World Fort Myers on from Mar 13-18. Show hours: 11 am- 6pm. Contact dealer to confirm which products will be on display. Come In And Check Out Our Pot O’Gold RV Sale.
Event #381
