Cruising the Florida Coast with the Top Down

A good friend of mine is off enjoying the wilds of Florida (Hi Sam!) and another friend has apparently relocated to Miami.  Both remind me of the fantastic time I had renting a convertible – yes, a convertible! – putting the top down, cranking up the cheesy 80s American pop, and cruising down the highway.  Myself and three friends converged on West Palm Beach (cheap airfare, believe it or not, from where we were coming from) and punched the accelerator.  Our destination:  Key West

West Palm Beach

As I mentioned, we started our journey in West Palm only because we managed to arrange cheaper flights there than flying into Miami.  It’s a smaller airport, so the schedules may or may not suit, but it is a nice change to pick up your hire car and be on the road within minutes instead of rolling bags through miles of airport before seeing daylight.

West Palm Beach is, as the name implies, beach country – over 40 miles of it, apparently.  Bronzing yourself on the white sand is an option, but there are ample bike lanes to cycle and a couple of snorkeling spots too.  I must say, though, one of the nicest activites to enjoy in the almost always breezy-and-warm weather was the shopping.  You’ll not run out of stops anytime soon at the Cityscape (pictured above) and there are plenty of restaurants and cafes to parch your thirst and keep you going.

Miami

I think Miami is one of those places where you either love it or hate it.  Lots of things I didn’t like about it – it’s full of traffic congestion and seedy bits.  However, once you’ve strolled along South Beach’s “Ocean Drive” at twilight, you’ll know what the Miami magic is about.  These old art deco hotels are just gorgeous and each houses fabulous cocktail bars, trendy restaurants, and nightclubs.  It’s tons of fun day and night – and if you’re a “there to be seen” person, it is heaven.

If you’re like me, though, and prefer something a bit more relaxed – don’t worry.  You’ll probably laugh, but the best meal I had in Miami was a cuban lunch served on a paper plate!  Obviously due to the geographic proximity, a lot of Cubans live in the Miami area, and it’s not hard to hunt one down selling street food.   In fact, these little outdoor walk-up restaurants are a bit of a social hub, and the coffee they serve is delicious.

Route One

Once you leave Miami, to head south out to the keys you’ll take the famous Route One.  It’s a gorgeous road that wanders its way through the keys, an archipelago or cluster of islands, on its way to Key West, the southernmost city in the US.  One feature is the seven mile bridge (shown above) – which careens through the ocean and leaves nothing beyond except that gorgeous blue water.  (Oh, and that thing to the right?  The old bridge which was damaged by a storm.  Don’t worry – the new one is fine!).

It’s a long drive so I suggest taking your time to enjoy and stay overnight somewhere along the way.  A couple of noteworthy stops along the way include:

• Key Largo – we stayed here just because it’s the beginning of that Beach Boys song.  It’s a fairly quiet and relaxed place with some great food; I had the best fishcakes ever at our hotel here.
• Islamorada – this is known as the “sport fishing capital of the world” and has loads of snorkeling/scuba diving options.   I think this was a song lyric as well, but not sure.

Key West

I just *love* Key West.  It teases you by making travel so far out into the ocean to get to it.  But it’s worth the wait.  It’s a small place, like a miniature city, and while it’s a relaxed beachy place it’s also a big-time party town which is never afraid to let its hair down.  All the shops are boutique, and the bars have no distinction between heretosexual/homosexual.  (Ok, some do – my point is that this town welcomes everyone with open arms and will give you a big hug when you arrive.  Consider yourself forewarned.)

Duval Street is where all the action is – bars run from one end to the other.  Don’t be afraid to wander down some side streets and explore – there’s always something interesting going on in this town.  The food is fantastic, the drinks come in big glasses, and it’s also family friendly — a nature preserve, ghost tours, and street carnivals amongst other things.

Don’t forget to buy yourself a Conch Republic passport. Yes, you heard me right – Key West “unofficially” seceded from the United States in 1982.  Their Motto?  ”We seceded where others failed.”  I don’t make this stuff up.  That just shows you how unique/fun/crazy/weird/strange/awesome the Key West Experience is.

Have you cruised the Florida Coast?  What’s your view?  Weigh in below in the comments.

Photos courtesy of markus941 (West Palm Beach), Marcin Wichery (Miami), milan.boers (Route One), Stig Nyaard (Key West)

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