When It Comes to the Keys, Lower is Better

Everyone knows that taking a trip to the Florida Keys is like escaping the country without going through the trouble of visiting a foreign land. You might as well venture as far offshore as possible by visiting the Lower Keys, where the sound of the real world is but a distant and ignorable hum.

Hundreds of enchanting islands make up this lazy archipelago, but the farther south you go the easier it is to settle into a vacation state of mind. Big Pine Key, Summerland Key, Sugarloaf Key and of course Key West are places that make it pretty easy to slow your pace and put your feet up. The inviting condos, cottages, town homes and beach houses spread throughout the region go even farther in inviting you to kick off your shoes and forget about alarm clocks and deadlines.

Free-spirited sunset celebrations, Ernest Hemingway’s house, vibrant Duval Street and the town motto of “One Human Family” are just a few of the reasons that Key West attracts people who like to do things a little differently. November through April is the dry season, so expect warm temperatures and little rainfall, while the remaining months are wetter, with summer temperatures hovering in the 80’s.

Fishing, kayaking, scuba diving and snorkeling can satisfy the urge to connect with nature in any of the Keys, which are actually made from the fossilized remnants of coral reefs. A National Marine Sanctuary surrounds the islands, and when you add in a few national parks and lots of exotic wildlife, like crocodiles and Key deer, it’s clear that this is much more exotic than the average beach destination.

Within the space of a few miles are lots of Keys and lots of diversions, so put the mainland at your back and prepare for an adventure in the wild fringes of Florida.