Sam and I are heading out on a month long trip up north, quarantine style.
It gave me the idea to prepare visitors to our island of how to plan the perfect road trip down to Key West!
The allure of Key West
Conchs aren’t just pretty pink shells – the residents of the Keys go by the moniker “conchs,” but you have to earn the title. Not just anyone can call themselves a conch.Conchs are those residents who have weathered out storms, literally, can catch dinner out on the open seas, and have a particularly creative flair that leads them to party hard in events like Fantasy Fest and the Hemingway Days.
Despite this being such a weird year for travel, there are many families or circles of friends who are ready to wear masks in public and social distance to make American travel happen.
How to plan?
We are using the app RoadTrippers to hopefully make this trip more exciting! The Keys is also just one road – the scenic US 1 highway. Can you believe it? If you make your way over the stretch, I promise you you’ll get down to seven mile bridge and over to Key West. If you somehow manage to get lost on purpose, in pursuit of a photo of Key Deer, I don’t blame you…
Where to stop?
May I recommend a stopover tour where you try all our best key lime pie places on your way down? Start in Key Largo at the Blond Giraffe Key Lime Pie Factory and make your way all the way down Key West Key Lime Pie Co. Your stomach won’t be disappointed!
Local businesses are the ONLY type of business that thrive in the Florida Keys. Each state is renegotiating measures to keep tourists safe and still allow our local business to flourish! I’m sure our businesses will appreciate the business as we all reinvigorate the economy down here in the Keys.
What about lunch on the way?
On the way down, try a stop at Midway Cafe, an adorable middle-of-the-road skinny restaurant that’s locally owned and affordable. Or if you wish to get farther down, I recommend a halfway stop in Marathon at Marathon Bagel Company, a very new joint, and drive through coffee at a shack called Curly’s Coffee (and Marina).
Share with us in the comments section below if you have a favorite food stopover in the Keys.
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