Quick Reference

Reason to Go: Sunshine and beach time, Caribbean culture, slowing down, artisan cocktails, Everglades National Park, art (galleries & street art), a classic drive down the Overseas Highway.

Where we Stayed: The Betsy Hotel (South Beach), Lighthouse Court Hotel (Key West)

Maps: We Google-mapped our way around!

Weather & When to Go: We travelled to south FL in early November.  Hurricane season is from June through November, so you take a risk by planning travel to southern Florida during these six months.  The likelihood of a hurricane hitting reduces in the shoulder months. Check out Wunderground for more info.

Cell Service(AT&T): We had cell service everywhere we travelled in southern Florida, including our side trip to the Everglades.

Activities: visit the Wynwood Walls & Little Havana, drink Cuban coffee on the patio, people watch on Ocean Ave & Collins Ave in South Beach, grab a frozen "Sloppy 'Rita" at Hemingway favorite Sloppy Joe's, visit polydactyl cats at the Hemingway Home, check out a sunset from Mallory Square, 

Best Coffee: Panther Coffee, Wynwood

Best Food: Pura Vida (South Beach), Sriracha House (South Beach), El Cristo (Little Havana), Sugar Apple Organic Cafe & Market (Key West)

Favorite SoFl Planning Resources: Miami Goop Guide, Nomadic Matt Miami Guide, Expert Vagabond Key West Road Trip, this Country Living article,

Land Managers: Everglades National Park (National Park Service), Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park (Florida State Parks)

We had the opportunity to travel to southern Florida for a conference this month and were able to tack on a few days of adventure time before work started, so: we planned two nights in Miami and two nights in Key West!  We travelled to Florida with almost no agenda- just a lot of excitement for some sunshine and beach in our lives.  Our pre-conference time turned out to be better than expected because there is so much to do and see!  Our plans for wild relaxation were foiled, as they often are, by our desire to see and do it all.

Part I: Two Days in Miami

Miami Round-Up: Our top ten favorite eats, drinks, & destinations in Miami.

1. Little Havana: Cuban culture & food
2. Pura Vida: acai bowls in South Beach
3. Plant Theory: vegan breakfast in South Beach
4. Taquiza: late night tacos in South Beach
5. The Betsy: hotel bar & rooftop pool
6. The Living Room: beautiful cocktails at The W Hotel, South Beach
7. Sriracha House: quick lunch & boba in South Beach
8. Wynwood: art galleries & street art & shopping
9. Panther Coffee: cortados & comfy patio in Wynwood
10. The actual beach in South Beach

Day 1 Miami: Exploring Miami, Whirlwind Style

Start: Medford, OR. End: South Beach, Miami, FL.

We arrived in Miami at 5:15am on a red-eye flight.  The pros of arriving so early? Traffic was non-existent so we were able to cruise right to the beach with out a problem. The cons? We were pooped after not sleeping a wink, so the first thing we did was find a safe place to park our rental car and catch a few z's in the front seats. As the sun rose and the temperature climbed & the car became too hot to nap in anymore, we stumbled into Pura Vida in South Beach for acai bowls and coffee.  These bowls were huge, fresh, and delicious- not sweet at all.  

Fueled by our first cup of coffee we took an early morning walk on South Beach and witnessed an overwhelming number of partiers heading home after Friday night out in South Beach, and a handful of people napping on the beach in sequins and suits.  The people watching was an unexpected bonus.

We had our hearts set on driving to Wynwood after we read about Panther Coffee.  Motivated by coffee and coffee alone, we headed to Wynwood and found so much more than we expected.  First, the coffee was amazing.  We ordered two cortados and sat outside on their jungle-like patio watching the foot traffic roll by.  Then we walked to the near-by Wynwood Walls.  Each wall was a work of art and everywhere we turned was another mural to behold and photograph.

After exploring the walls and coffee establishments of Wynwood we set our sights on Little Havana.  We were craving a cold beer and fried plantains, so started googling where to eat in the car on the way there.  The first thing we had to figure out was where to park.  Little Havana is a large area, but there is a distinct stretch of street that attracts tourists with it's lively cafes, bars, music and shops.  It's on SW 8th Street- we parked as close as we could to El Cristo (located at 1543 SW 8th St), the restaurant we were headed to that happens to be right in the heart of all the action.  As we finished our meal, the sky opened up and pedestrians sought refuge under evey shop awning on the street.  It felt just like the afternoon storms of my childhood in the Caribbean. 

After walking the beach one more time and indulging in an afternoon cocktail at The Betsy Hotel Bar, it was finally time to check into our hotel.  We wasted no time getting into our robes, ordering dinner from Spris Pizza (they have a great gf crust!), watching HGTV (a total treat for us because we don't have cable at home!), and promptly falling asleep.  We were able to book this really nice hotel at a fantastic price due to the season we visited- early November is still in hurricane season.  Southern FL was also still rebounding and rebuilding from Irma, so we were able to stay at The Betsy without breaking the bank.  I found The Betsy by reading the Goop Miami Guide and fell in love with the art deco vibe and amazing rooftop pool.  We loved everything about our stay there.

Day 2 - Sunshine & (our version of) Nightlife

We made an effort to slow down on Day 2.  We started our day by visiting Plant Theory Cafe for breakfast and settling in by the pool.  I couldn't waste my opportunity to enjoy this awesome rooftop amenity, and it gave Kevin an opportunity to work on his homework.  So- that's it.  We hung out by the pool, swam some laps, drank a few mimosas, read our books, and watched the clouds move across the sky.  It was amazing.  Eventually we tired of sitting around and walked to the Sriracha House for spicy noodles and boba tea for lunch.

After lunch we grabbed our stuff and headed to the beach.  Storm clouds loomed, so we walked the shoreline, people-watched, and took bets on when the rain would start.

After our day lounging outside we were actually excited for a night out on the town (usually we are too tempted by showers & a bed).  We dressed up and walked to the W Hotel's Living Room Bar.  I had read about the beautiful cocktails they serve with edible flowers.  We were not disappointed by the cocktails, but were surprised by how dead the place was.  Maybe it had something to do with the fact that it was only 7pm. We spoke with the bartender for a bit and he warned us not to be "so nice" in Miami and encouraged us to be aggressive.  I think it was pretty obvious that we aren't locals.  One cocktail in, we walked back down the main drag to Taquiza for dinner.  The tacos were amazing and the vibe was super casual and fun (totally our vibe).

With dinner down the hatch, we had to decide what to do with the rest of our night.  We are not into the club scene, so we walked back to our hotel and, on a whim, walked into a cigar shop along the way.  We let the store clerk talk us into buying a Cuban cigar because when in Rome, right?  We headed for our hotel's rooftop bar, ordered a drink, and puffed on our cigar while watching the moonrise over the sea.  It was an awesome way to end the night, and got us to bed early enough to be ready for the next day's drive to the Keys.

Part II: Two Days in Key West

Key West Round-Up: Our favorite eats, drinks, & destinations in Key West.

1. The Hemingway House
2. Sloppy Joe's Bar
3. Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park
4. La Crêperie Key West, French Café in Bahama Village
5. Key West Coffee Company
6. Biking around the Key
7. Sugar Apple Organic Cafe & Market
8. Duval Street
9. Key West Sunsets
10. The Lighthouse Court Hotel

Day 3 - Drive the Overseas Highway

Start: South Beach, Miami. End: Key West, FL.

So, we had a great time in Miami. But we were stoked for the Keys.  With the knowledge of what was ahead (the laid back vibe, the long road trip ahead, and a stop at the Everglades on the way down) had us feeling ready to wave good bye to South Beach and it's sky scrapers.  We grabbed breakfast at Pura Vida before we hit the road and headed straight for the Everglades.  We knew we didn't have long to spend there (ultimately, we weren't sure what stops we'd want to make along the Overseas Highway, and wanted to make sure we had time to do it all), but we wanted to get a small taste of what this park had to offer.  We visited the Ernest F. Coe visitor center and spent some time watching the surrounding waterways for alligators.  

We weren't sure what to expect on our drive across the overseas highway- the highway had officially opened to traffic less than a month before we arrived in Florida after Hurricane Irma hit south Florida.  We found that the Keys were definitely still bouncing back from the hurricane.  While nothing could dampen our spirits or the natural beauty of the area, piles of trash lined the streets and many businesses were still closed.  It was tough to make any impromptu stops along the way because it was hard to tell what was open.  There was one spot obviously open, called the Mid-Way Cafe, where we stopped for coffees.  It was colorful, cute, and the gals working there were as nice as they come.

We arrived in Key West and headed straight for our hotel: The Lighthouse Court Hotel.  This hotel is the cutest place ever.  The room was simple but clean and perfect- it had a mini-fridge, sink, nice closet and bathroom, and a comfy bed.  It sat at the end of a picturesque palm lined brick walkway, with a corn hole court right outside the door. Also- it sits right across from The Hemingway House and a short bike ride from the famous Southernmost Point.  The staff hooked us up with a bottle of champagne on arrival and arranged for two beach cruisers to be delivered to our room.  The Lighthouse Court sits one block off Duval Street, which makes it a quiet haven from the late night partying Key West is known for.

After checking in, we rode our bikes to a late lunch at Le Petite Paris for gluten free crepes.  The crepes were awesome and fueled us enough to bike around and get the lay of the land.  We rode to the entrance of Fort Zachary Taylor State Park, checked out Duval Street, and ended up just off Mallory Square (right in front of the Sunset Key Cottages hotel) for sunset.  Mallory Square is the famous place in Key West to watch the sunset, but it was crowded, had a ton of vendors and street performers, and we preferred the quieter vibe just down the way.  We got our share of intrigue from a cat circus group. Yep, it's as weird as it sounds and I absolutely thought about freeing the cats from the act.  We headed to Sloppy Joe's Bar for a frozen cocktail and ate appetizers for dinner.  

Sloppy Joe's is a Key West institution.  It was opened in 1933 on the same day the Prohibition was repealed (read more about the history of this establishment here).  Kevin and I thoroughly enjoyed our frozen cocktails but were even more impressed with the older, cruise clientele around us.  An old lady (probably in her 80s & using a wheelchair, mind you), was regaling the bar with a story about how she was kicked out of Señor Frogs the night before.  We loved every second of it, and felt like we really needed to step up our party game.  You never know what you'll see or hear in this bar.

Day 4 - Exploring Key West

Day 4 started like most days: with coffee.  This time we paid a visit to Cuban Coffee Queen for sweet coffee and eggs & ham.  It was one of the only early morning places open on a Tuesday, so it was quite busy.  Our real destination for the day was the Hemingway House, to tour Ernest Hemingway's Key West home and visit the polydactyl cats.  We arrived right at 9am for the first tour of the day. The tour was wonderful, informational, and the cats totally stole the show.  Ernest's home was gorgeous, with the most beautiful pool I've ever seen.  After the tout, guests can stay as long as they want until close, to spend time with the cats and wander the ground. The plot is an oasis in the middle of the key.  If I didn't get hungry for lunch, we could've stayed all day long.

Convinced that nothing could ever top spending time at Ernest Hemingway's estate, we ate a snack and hopped on our beach cruisers to bike all the way around the Key.  The staff at our hotel recommended this little adventure, so off we went.  The ride was straightforward and offered views of the ocean and hundred of adorable Key West cottages, all with their own special details.  We stopped and locked our bikes several times along the way to walk on a trail, check out a beach, or take a photo.  The whole ride probably took about and hour and a half.

We spent the rest of the afternoon beaching it at Fort Zachary Taylor and grabbing a late lunch at Sugar Apple Cafe & Market.  The beach is sandy and the water was calm.  We felt like we had finally arrived at the relaxing vacation we originally planned for.  Lunch at Sugar Apple was great- they have a small cafe in the back of their shop that offers wraps, salads, and other tasty vegan fare.  The grocery store part is handy to buy snacks, fruit, or beverages for your hotel room.  We ended our only full day in Key West by walking Duval Street and searching for the best live music gig.

Day 5 - Driving to West Palm Beach

We left Key West early in the morning to get to West Palm Beach for work. We stopped at Key West Coffee Company for some caffeine, the famous "Southernmost Point" monument (there was a line to take pictures every other time we rode our bikes past it!), and headed out the way we drove in. 

Southern Florida had so much to offer for outdoor & adventure loving people.  I'm grateful we got to experience alongside a work trip, because I don't think we would have planned a trip specifically to explore this region of our country.  I know there's more to see- but the little we were able to squeeze into four short days was awesome.  One day we'll return to canoe/kayak/SUP the Everglades canoe trail and meet some manatees!