Florida Keys

A few days after the SLC Marathon, Troy and I jetted off to the Florida Keys for our second vacation this year. We chose to stay at Island Bay Resort in Tavernier because it was a pretty central location for the activities we wanted to do. We absolutely loved the Island Bay Resort as it provides a cottage rather than just a hotel room. Our biggest gripe about traveling is having to eat out so a place with a kitchen is always a major perk. There is also a private beach with kayaks provided for guests. We made great use of those. :)

Everglades National Park

We entered the Everglades via the Miami side of the park. It was drizzling the day we drove up so the man at the entrance gate was kind enough to waive the park fee. The funny thing about the Everglades is there's not much to do inside the park; maybe that's just the Utahn in me speaking. :) It only took us about three hours to hit up all the recommended sites on the east side of the park.

A gator along the Anhinga Trail

Key West

One of the things I wanted to do was drive the Overseas Highway to Key West. This was actually a really fun drive, but Key West was -- how do I put this nicely? -- ghetto. Yes, that would probably be the best term. While in Key West we visited the beaches, drove around the town, and snagged some lunch. I'm glad we went so I can scratch it off my travel list, but honestly it's not a place I'd ever have a desire to visit again. 

On our way home from Key West, we visited the Bahia Honda State Park to walk the original seven-mile bridge.  Blogger is being silly, and won't let me add a caption to my picture. The above photo is Troy walking up to the bridge. 

My absolutely favorite spot we visited was the Turtle Hospital on the key of Marathon. This place, about an hour south of Tavernier, is a rehabilitative center for turtles injured in the wilderness. Troy and I signed up for a tour that included a lecture about different species of turtles, the history of the hospital, and current cases they're working on. After touring the facilities, we were able to see all the turtles, and feed them. :) If you're ever in the Keys, this would be my top recommendation. 

Troy kayaking in Tavernier

Tavernier, Florida

Besides these activities, we spent a little time in Miami and Fort Lauderdale. 

More blog posts to come!