Day Trip Miami to Key West, Florida
I’ve been planning this trip for months, and I’m finally on my way to Key West – by car. I’ve read so many blogs, checked out many ideas from Pinterest; and now I have an itinerary for this one day road trip!
The last time I was in Key West was over 14 years ago, and it was the first cruise stop on our way to the Caribbean. The excursion was only 2 hours and we really didn’t get to see the town.
This time, the hubby and I are driving from the resort in Weston, Florida, which is about 30-50 minutes to Miami, depending on the time of day and traffic. I’ve been in South Florida for three days, and I’m already hating the traffic more than Chicago!
My husband and I have been partners for 24 years and married for 20 years. He’s generally the driver and I’m the pilot, along with Google Maps!
Leaving Miami
All the blogs I’ve read about driving to Key West always talked about the amount of water that surrounds US Hwy 1. It’s called the Overseas Highway. For some reason, I thought it was going to be that way during the entire trip; it’s more like the second, third and fourth hours of the drive.
It seems to take about an hour to get out the Miami area. As you’re driving, you’ll see many homes and businesses on either side of the road. The convenient stores and restaurants will be your “rest stop” if you need to use the restroom. If you stop at a state park, you may have to pay an entrance fee to use those restrooms.
Islamorada, Florida
The Florida Keys is made up of 800 keys or “small low-elevation islands above a coral reef.” The first key we passed through was Key Largo, and it’s about 60-minutes from Miami International Airport. We didn’t stop there, as we were excited to get this four-hour drive over and done! The keys stretch over 120 miles from key Largo to Key West.
Our first stop was at the half-way point – Islamorada, Florida, which is the 2nd “main” key on the Overseas Highway.
The first stop for us in Islamorada is The Rain Barrel Artisan Village. You can’t miss it because Betsy the Lobster is sitting right in front waiting for you to take a photo.
Beside meeting Betsy, you can also use this as a rest stop. Well, let me tell you, I’m so glad we went during the day time because that bathroom is super duper cramped and I can imagine at night, any and everything may come crawling into the bathroom. Me being a plus size woman, the maneuvering in the bathroom was “fun”. I’m so glad I had a maxi dress on with no shapewear, so I could lift up easily and do what I needed to do. LOL!!! My husband used the porta-potty, I believe there were 3. He complained about the nastiness of the porta-potty and the heat!
There’s also a lot of art and jewelry to purchase, but we weren’t interested in checking that out as we just wanted a quick bite and wanted to keep driving to Key West.
Well we tried the lobster roll… We spent about $50 on 2 mini-lobster roll sandwiches. I know the price was higher because it’s a tourist trip, but what the hell, this was ridiculous. And they had the nerve to add lettuce…like what?! Another traveler was next to us and was also complaining and she had teenagers with her. I can’t imagine what she spent.
I’ve added photos of the sandwich, nice presentation, but I’ve definitely had much better! Like Da Lobsta and Happy Lobster in Chicago.
In Islamorada there’s a list of shopping and restaurants you can visit too. On our return trip from Key West to Miami, we stopped off at a great burger restaurant, called MEAT Eatery and Taproom. They were featured on Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, and served some really good craft sodas too.
Another attraction to check out while in Islamorada is the Theater of the Sea. If you are traveling with a family, Theater of the Sea is a great tourist attraction where you could literally stay all day. They have continuous shows throughout the day that include multiple shows featuring sea lions, parrots, alligator, sea turtles, sharks and more. I would suggest you view their schedule to plan out your trip.
We were in South Florida, and I had planned to visit the Everglades Holiday Park later in the week, so there was no need for me to see the alligator show, but I did want to see the sea lions and dolphins. To check out the experience, visit my Instagram account.
Marathon, Florida
Outside of Marathon is the Seven Mile Bridge. It connects the Knight’s Key in the Middle Keys to Little Duck Key in the Lower Keys. Before getting on, we stopped to take photos. This is about an hour from Key West. We were so close that we didn’t really check out all things Marathon, but I’ve listed some links of things to do while there.
Sweet Savannah’s | Fish Tales Market and Eatery | Things to Do
Key West, Florida
This trip normally takes 4 hours, if there’s no stops. However, since we drove from Weston, Florida, stopped at the Miami International Airport to exchange our Enterprise rental car (that ordeal is on my Google Review); plus we had one bathroom break and lunch before arriving in Key West – our road trip took 6 hours. We stayed at the DoubleTree Resort Grand Key – Key West. That was a fantastic hotel, considering we were staying for one day.
After resting for an hour, we went back out to see if we can find Mallory Square to watch the Sunset Celebration. Mallory Square was only 15 minutes from the hotel. Parking in the area is very scarce, and the roads are very narrow. There are small parking garages. In fact, we found one that was on the side of a beach side restaurant. Here’s a parking in Key West guide that I found helpful.
We pulled up Google Maps walking guide, and walked about 15 minutes over to the area. Wow this area was definitely the spot to check out! Who knew so many people were gathering near the boardwalk to watch the sunset? At Sunset Pier, there was a great band entertaining everyone and tons of drinks at the bar! A few boats were passing by with the guests saying hello. We waited about an hour for the sun to set, which was around 8:50pm EST.
Next we walked about 5 minutes over to El Meson de Pepe. They serve authentic Cuban food, which was my first time trying – beyond eating a Cuban sandwich. While in Key West, I finally ate conch (pronounced con’k). This is definitely an acquired taste. It was no surprise the hubby loved it – he’ll practically try anything, as long as it’s cooked!
To see those experiences, check out my Instagram page.
Needless to say after a great meal we went back to the hotel and slept like babies without colic! The next day, we ate breakfast at the local Cracker Barrel. Is there anywhere in the U.S. where there isn’t a Cracker Barrel?
Next, we headed into town to find some key lime pie. I really wanted to go to Kermit’s Key Lime Pie Shop, but it was insanely crowded and busy in the area. Before arriving at the bakery, we stopped at the Southernmost Point of the U.S. to take a photo. Wow what a line! You have to get out there super early, and not at 10am like we did.
Later, we ended up at the Key Lime Pie Bakery, which was next to the Coconut Factory. They sold all things with key lime and key west – pies, candies, juice, sauces, seasonings, cookies, candles – all the things!
I recalled seeing some of these items at the local Publix store near our resort, so I decided to buy those items there, and it was at a much lower cost! However, I got a slice of Key Lime Pie from the shop to eat back at the resort. It was so delicious, but somehow, I think it was better at home when I use the Nellie and Joe’s Key Lime Juice and instructions.
Although it was only a one-day trip, we had a fabulous time in Key West. The scenic drive going and coming, the attractions, shopping, and eating!
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