Keys
 

Lazy Days in Islamorado & Burdines ocean side (about 15th St) in Marathon. Key Colony Beach, ocean side. Small, safe area. Happy Hour at Havana Jack's by the ocean. MM20 toward Key West Bahama Mama's - good key lime pie. The Island before you get to Marathon about MM54.

Search for Key Deer on Big Pine Island. Also, I hope the Wild Bird Sanctuary is still open to visitors.
Laura Quinn Wild Bird Sanctuary
93600 Overseas Highway Tavernier, FL 33070

It's only 1 1/2 hrs from Miami to KW!

Journey vs Destination
 

Some travel to enjoy the journey, others travel to reach a destination.

One sees the world the other interesting spots.

Haks cay in duck key its on u left side on u way down just befor the marthorn its very nice u can go in and check it they also have the navey train camp for the dolphin nice resturant out nice break stop we have being staying ther for years have a great trip

Top 5 places to stop on a drive from Miami to Key West:
Top 5 places to stop on a drive from Miami to Key West | USA Road Trip

Snookers in Key Largo for watching the sun go down with good food and live entertainment.

Key Largo
 

Hideout Key Largo for breakfast and lunch I think it’s cash only

I grew up in Key West. Try THEATER OF THE SEA in the upper keys, ISlamorada. It’s all about sea life.

The Islands Fish company in Marathon - good restaurant.
If you have some time, a visit to the Dolphin Research Center in Marathon is a great experience.

Let me suggest something a little off the direct route to Key West....take a right turn to the west just past Homestead and just before Key Largo.

Take a side trip to the Everglades National Park, there should be a web site through which you can make overnight reservations at the hotel there. Book an air boat trip through the glades. You will see sites you have never seen before nor again. Rosette Spoonbills, Osprey, gators, mink, otters, fantastic flora....gigantic jew fish, maybe a manatee or two. And...and night, you are so far from any light pollution, you will see a sky filled with stars that will leave you spellbound. It will be a trip you will never forget..........and, it's much healthier than eating in a restaurant.

Porky’s Bayside BBQ & Seafood in Marathon MM47.5.
 

2020 Travelers Choice

Top 5 places to stop on a drive from Miami to Key West:
Top 5 places to stop on a drive from Miami to Key West | USA Road Trip

We've visited KW over 30 times since the early 90's, but haven't been there in the past 5 years...as you know, things change

On the drive down (We were coming from Ft Lauderdale) we liked to stop off at The Islamorada Fish Market for lunch...it's on the gulf side...you sit out on a huge thatched covered wharf...lot's of fresh fish on the menu

The drive over Seven Mile bridge is memorable....the Atlantic is on one side and the Gulf on the other....the color of the water will make you think you're in the tropics (unfortunately there's no place to pull over and enjoy the view)

Once you're there, Hemingway's house, and the Truman Whitehouse Annex should be near the top of your list. There's a Red Barn Theatre in KW, they always put on fabulous plays...checkout their website (we often planned our trip based on what was playing). At the end of Duval Street there was (is?) an eatery called 'Two Friends'...IMHO, they had the best conch chowder on the island. And of course you don't want to miss sunset at Mallory Square...plan your late afternoon around that....lots of fun street artists gather to entertain the crowds...like "The Southern Most Gay Bagpiper", some old gal that dresses in purple, stands on a step ladder and recites poems she made up, dogs that jump through hoops on a high wire....jugglers, it's all fun and games until the sun goes down (literally).

The Hog's Breath Saloon on Duval is a tourist spot...when Hemingway spent his money at this watering hole it was across Duval on a side street, now called something like Captain Jack's...that's worth a visit if you want to see what old KW was like

You'll want to take a picture standing next to the Mile Marker Zero sign

There's a biplane that will take you up...that's fun. You can fly or take a ferry over to the Dry Tortugas National Park to tour the fort where Dr. Samuel Mudd was sent after being convicted of helping John Wilkes Booth escape....some nice snorkeling out there and bird watching too

There's a number of restaurants on Duval...they all have their menu's posted on the sidewalk and it's best to make reservations.... they're all pricey


I believe there's still a ferry service that runs from the west coast (Fort Meyers area ?) over to KW...once you're in KW you really don't need a car.

Not sure when you're going, but one of the funniest Christmas parades we've ever seen was the one in KW....a total hoot

We stayed at just about every venue at Mallory Square before switching over to B&B's...Duval Street is noisy at night...if you're thinking B&B, you might want to go a couple of streets over. The B&B's all have parking, some onsite, some a short walk away

Have a ball

On the way to Keys
 

Hollywood Fl is a nice place to see or stay for a night. It an old fashion motel town right on the ocean with a cool Boardwalk with shops and restaurants. You can walk to the Beach from your room. From the pier take a water taxis to Fort Lauderdale it drops u off right by shops and dining. Have a fun time we will be doing this again very soon.