The Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail

Ever hear of the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail? It's a fairly new 106 mile multi-use scenic trail system extending from Key Largo to Key West utilizing 36 historic Flagler Railroad bridges and running parallel to US-1.

Ten years in the making (and still not fully completed), the pathway permits running, bicycling, hiking, sightseeing, fishing, and kayaking. Planners envision a world class integrated system of smooth bike paths, educational kiosks, picnic areas, scenic outlooks, fishing piers, boat ramps, water access points, nature trails and amenities. 

This year construction is planned for nine more improved portions of the trail (including retrofits of five bridges) and seven more areas improved for 2010 including a trailhead and offices in Key Largo.

Islamorada locals Holly Padgett, Cathy Rakov, Sara Bernardin, and Nancy Kluger recently geared up their bicycles and left from Plantation Key heading to Key West. Their 1st annual journey was divided into three days of about 30 scenic miles per day. According to the ladies it was the perfect pace (not overly aggressive) to have time to see the sights, stop along the way for snacks and lunch, and arrive at a nice hotel by mid-afternoon for some fun in the evening. Their overnight stops included Hawks Cay Resort before Marathon, Parmers Resort in Big Pine Key, and the grand finale at The Southernmost Hotel in Key West. 

Kiteboard Islamorada

Driving over the bridges through Islamorada, it’s hard not to notice an increasing number of Kiteboarders taking advantage of the island breeze. 

This unique, high-flying, extreme sport has been gaining popularity over the past few years, and has found a home right here in the heart of Islamorada. Fueled by wind, and driven with muscle and mind, these new age wind surfers rip across the water, and flip into the air making the sport worth watching from the shore or by boat.

Or better yet, try it yourself! Beginner lessons are now being offered and include the kite, and everything you need to get started. Although I have yet to try it, I’ve heard first hand the sport is nothing short of addicting. Maybe I’ll give it a shot the next time it’s too windy to fish.   

Islamorada Chamber of Commerce Video

Want some fun ideas for your visit? Watch this video from Judy Hull of the Islamorada Chamber of Commerce.

Kayak Adventures

I received my favorite type of phone call the other evening from our friend Captain Rick Floyd of Island Hoppers Kayaking. It was an invitation to go on a kayak adventure near East Cape.

Rick is an example of a new breed of guides in Islamorada and the Florida Keys who specialize in kayak tours. In this case it was an advanced eco-tour that combined kayaking with fishing and site-seeing in the remote, unforgiving areas of the park.

Rick arrived at the boat ramp with four specialized kayaks (that allow stand-up paddling & fishing) lashed to his boat and we sped off across Florida Bay towards East Cape channel. Once there we secured the boat, unloaded the kayaks and headed into the swampy wilderness of Everglades National Park. He timed it perfect with the incoming tide so paddling was easy.

We saw numerous exotic creatures including the elusive Roseate Spoonbill, White Pelicans, Wood Storks, Herons, alligators, crocodiles, sharks and much more... all up close and personal. It was like being in a tarzan movie. As far as fishing, we were sight-casting with jigs for Redfish and Snook. What a blast!

Rick and other kayak guides offer a variety of trips from easy sunset paddles for beginners to advanced everglades adventures. It's a beautiful and unique experience. You can reach Rick at 305-345-1908.

Cheeca Lodge Burns!

A New Years Eve blaze gutted the main building at Cheeca Lodge in Islamorada last night. Eighty firefighter and rescue crews from as far away as Miami battled the flames late into the night. 

Although the fire was quickly brought under control, firefighters were still shooting water all over on the smoldering roof through midday January 1st. It looks to me like the main building (which houses the restaurants, administrative offices, front desk, and a huge block of rooms) was extensively damaged, if not totally lost.

All guests were evacuated and relocated to other hotels with no injuries reported at this point. Cheeca is closed indefinitely.

The Midlife Slam

Turning the BIG 5-0 can be a life changing event. Some people buy a sports car, some have an affair, others buy a Harley and hit the road.

Field & Stream Magazine editor Mike Toth decided the best therapy for him was to invent the "midlife slam" and try to catch fifty different species of fish in less than a week. Wow!

There are not many places to accomplish such a feat so easily as the Florida Keys and specifically here in Islamorada, the Sportfishing Capital of the World. Mike easily met his goal and you can read all about it in the December issue of Field & Stream.

My point in bringing this to your attention is that Islamorada is possibly the best place on the planet for fishing and we (as a destination) do a poor job of promoting the family aspect of fishing here. Way too much emphasis is placed on tournaments, fly-fishing and world records.

The truth is you don't have to know anything about fishing to have a great time with the whole family on the water and it can be done on just about any budget. If you have any interest at all in going fishing, you really ought to let us help you set something up.

A New Partnership: Book your rooms and activities all in one place... FREE!

Over the years I've seen so many people waste their vacation running around town researching who and where to book instead of relaxing and enjoying themselves. 

That's why long time fishing buddy and Bud n' Mary's owner Richard Stanczyk and myself have teamed up to make it easier to book your rooms and fishing guides all in one process right from Pines and Palms and soon direct from our web site.

These are the same guides already on our short list... the same fishermen you've been seeing all these years on television and in countless magazine and newspaper articles about Islamorada.

You'll also be able to book kayak rentals, boat rentals, guided tours, diving and snorkeling all with one phone call to the resort (and soon with a few clicks from our web site).  Call 800-624-0964.

This service is absolutely FREE. You do not pay a penny more than if you did the research and booked them yourself. Our goal is to help you have fun. You've trusted us all these years with the resort, now let us help you with your activity plans.

My recommendation: Book early so the best fishermen are in the boat with you instead of somebody else. Fishing, diving, boating, kayaking, dinner... we've got you covered and we're here to help.

Florida Bay Fishing Report - Hot Spots Revealed in 2 Articles

Fall has arrived and delivered our first mini-cold front of the year. Wow, that air feels great! Cooler air combined with shorter days and less sunlight has sparked the fishing in Florida Bay. 

Two recent articles (one in the Miami Herald and the other in Florida Sportsman) caught my attention because they both revealed very specific locations to begin your hunt for Redfish and Snook. Usually these articles give just enough information to get you excited but only a general idea of locations.

Click HERE for the Snook article by Susan Cocking of the Miami Herald. For the article on Redfish spots, you'll have to purchase the October edition of Florida Sportsman Magazine and turn to page 66 in the Action Spotter section. 

Ahhh September...

Great fishing, warm crystal clear water, calm inviting seas, the crowds are gone... ahhh September, quiet time in the Florida Keys. 

This is the time of the year when locals regroup after a long season, when captains work on their boats, when kids go back to school and when you can get the best deals on hotels, fishing, diving and dining. 

In the old days, hotels would actually close in September due to the lack of business. It was cheaper to close than to stay open. Now days, hotels are open and offering their best deals of the year. 

Yes, there is the chance of a hurricane but most hotels are flexible with cancellation polices to make it easy for you to be here. 

Come on down and relaaax. 

No lines, no hassles, no problems. 

Hotel Booking Tip: Better ask about Hidden Fees!

With the economy off and gas prices up, people are shopping around for the best hotel deals. My advice is to be very careful. Don't just call and ask for the room rates. Ask if there are additional charges other than tax. 

In many cases the true daily cost will be the room rate plus a "resort fee" or other hidden charges AND they won't tell you if you don't ask. I do not like this trend. It's not a "bait and switch" situation but it's not totally honest either. It makes the consumer think they are getting a better deal and/or a much lower rate than the hotel down the street. Upon arrival, it may be too late to go somewhere else. 

The most common hidden daily charge is a Resort Fee. You have to look for the fine print on a confirmation letter, web site, or hotel rules to find out what it is and 99% of the time it is not negotiable and must be paid along with the room rate. These fees range from $10 to as high as $60 per day ($60 is at a hotel less than a mile from Pines and Palms). So if you were quoted a room for $279 per night for example, when you add the resort fee (say $30), you get a real nightly rate of $309 per night and a total extra cost for a week of $210.

Another hidden fee could be for parking, common in big cities but not something you would expect in the Keys. Bringing a boat? Not only will you be charged a daily dockage fee but sometimes a fee to launch your boat and park your trailer. Want your room cleaned daily? Look out for daily housekeeping fees. What's next? Some hotels are now experimenting with added energy fees.

This thing bothers me because at our place we do it the old fashioned way. Everything is covered in the daily rate: coffee, daily newspaper, housekeeping, energy, dockage, towel service, parking, etc. You are not forced to pay for extras like kayaks, bicycles, snorkeling equipment, fishing gear, etc., stuff that you may not use. 

You gotta compare apples to apples. One place might seem to have lower rates but don't forget to add in the resort fee and other charges to find the best deal.

Now you know... the rest of the story.

Pet Friendly Resorts

Quite often somebody stops by and complains they had to leave their hotel and find somewhere else to stay because there were animals everywhere and/or their room smelled like dog. 

The reason is simple. There aren't many places that allow pets. The ones that do are magnets for people traveling with cats and dogs and other animals such as ferrets and birds (strange but true).

Don't get me wrong, I love animals. That's me in the photo with our dog "Baby." We've experimented with allowing pets at the resort. We've tried a limited number of pet friendly rooms, we've tried small animals only... unfortunately it's the same result: dog droppings, hair, barking, and smell. 

Do yourself a favor, before you book a room ask if they allow pets. If it's a smaller property and you're not traveling with your doggie, you might want to try someplace else. If it's a larger property request a pet-free room.

As a resort owner, I wish there was a good way to allow pets and still keep the rooms clean and quiet. Let me know if you have any ideas. 

Lobster Mini-Season

Did you come down to the Keys to get some lobster? 

The annual 2-day "mini lobster season" frenzy has come to a close and it looks like most folks did pretty well. 

If you missed out on the early fun, you can still come down and get your freebies because the regular season opens August 6th and runs through March 31st. 

It's been my experience that there are still plenty of easy-to-get lobsters through the month of October. After that, the commercial fishermen will have put a good dent in the population so it becomes a bit more difficult to find them.

If you are looking for lobsters, the important thing to remember is that they move around every night. Just because a likely looking place has been cleaned out doesn't mean they are gone for good. Good cover is good cover. Wait a few days and you might be surprised. 

Gas prices have reduced the numbers of people visiting in the Keys so if you want to visit now is a great time and there are some good deals out there. 

Jewfish Creek Bridge Opens

It couldn't happen any sooner... the new Jewfish Creek Bridge opens this Thursday (May 22) reducing a major traffic snarl on the Keys side of the 18 mile stretch. The bridge soars 65 feet into the air and will eventually eliminate the need for the drawbridge that has stalled traffic and caused huge problems during hurricane evacuations. Much of the repaving and widening of the road has been finished on the Monroe County side but we won't see completion of the entire project (Florida City to Key Largo) until 2011.

Where's the Beach?

As a hotel owner in the Keys, it freaks me out when a visitor tells me they can't wait to get here so they can take a long walk down the beach. In their mind I'm sure they hear screeching sea-gulls and see crashing waves with endless miles of white sandy beach.

Sorry, we don't have that here. Many people just don't do the research before going on vacation and are disappointed when they arrive. And I learned a long time ago, as the owner of the resort... it is going to be my fault for not revealing this fact. So we do a lot of explaining on telephone calls about the beaches (or lack of) in the Florida Keys.

Our beaches are quite beautiful but different. Most Keys resorts have a nice beach area for sunning and swimming but they are not long enough for running or taking a walk. We bring the sand in by the truckload because we really don't have much naturally occurring sand due to the lack of wave action. 

Here's a couple of definitions you need to understand: A "Sunning Beach" means the resort has a nice sandy beach area with lounge chairs but you can't swim from the beach due to a sea wall. A "Swimming Beach" means they have a nice sandy area but you can get up from your lounge and walk directly into the water without negotiating a sea wall.

There are a few nice beaches in the Keys. Near Islamorada there is Anne's Beach located at mile marker 73 on the ocean side. The beach has a nice shallow sandy swimming area, covered picnic tables, boardwalk and bathroom facilities. It's close to the road but pretty nice.

The nicest beach in the Keys is Bahia Honda located at mile marker 37. Some of the most prestigious travel magazines rank Bahia Honda as one of the best beaches in Florida and others rank it as one of the best and beachs in the world.