My family will be going to Miami for a cruise in a couple weeks and we'll be there 3 days early before the cruise leaves. While we won't have a motorcycle, we'll at least have a rental car. I would like to drive to Key West and through the Everglades. We've never been to either so I would like to plan a couple day trips. I've thought about driving to the Keys, stopping at a local place for lunch and drinks the some sightseeing. What do you guys recommend?

Then maybe another day in the Everglades. I'd like to take an airboat ride. Anything else worth doing in the area?

 

Everglades National/ Flamingo..
NO
Basically your tour is:
You enter Florida City (a poor area) and drive to Roberts is Here fruit stand for a stop.
Basically just about anybody going in that directions stops at the fruit stand.
So you stop and have some fruit and look at animals out back and make the best of it.
Then drive a a lot more and pay to enter the park.
Stop to see the welcome center.
Then drive a little to get to the two walking trail loops...no big deal...can see more at the free viewing sights along Tamiami Trail.
One trail is over water (maybe 15 minute walk) and the other is rather short 5 minute walk in tree's.
Did i mention they now have free loaner tarps to cover your vehicle because the buzzards like to snack on rubber parts of vehicles.
Then leave that area after walking the two loops.
Then take a long slow ride towards the end (about 45 minutes in and another 45 minutes out) heavily patrolled/federal ticket i believe to see the open water.
There are turn-outs along the boring ride on the way to the end to see nothing.
Did i forget to mention they now have free loaner tarps to cover your vehicle because the buzzards like to snack on rubber parts of vehicles.
Upon arriving at the end...it is a big let down.
But now you have access to some food and drinks for the first time from the one concession.
The water is ugly.
The boat tours suck (nothing to see) and the bugs will eat you alive as sun sets .
Then you have to drive slowly the 45 minutes to get out to reach park exit and another 30 minutes to reach some form of life.
I would avoid.

 

For Key West:
This is what I have done in the past and NEVER speed in the keys many , many drop downs in speed, again do not speed:
If starting from Miami Airport you can stay on the 836 west/Dolphin which becomes the turnpike as you head west and eventually turns south..two choices #1 (faster) continue going south on turnpike until it ends at US1 at the start of keys or #2 (slower & about 40 minutes more/ for daylight only) get off at Kendall Drive (88 street) and go west to (997) krome south (this is a farming area) to the end were it will merge with US1 at the very beginning of keys. It will spit you out very close to the last chance saloon ”biker bar” and card sound road entrance. *Miami Dade County is toll by plate(bill you later) once on the turnpike. This is different from Broward is which is a mix of cash and sun pass..
Consider using the Free Google Earth download on your computer to see a real satellite image of the route and to "virtually" drive the area/route.
If you are in a car instead of a motorcycle then just take the turnpike to the start of the keys.
Then :
Two more choices at the start of Keys and both spit you out at the same spot: #1 Turn left onto Card Sound Road(much less traffic, more scenic and relaxing but about 20 minutes longer) or #2 Just stay on US1 (US1 has been greatly improved and now has divided barriers) but it is a high speed race and the passing lanes can get hairy at rush hours.
I would suggest Card Sound Road as it is much more relaxing and is rather nice during daylight.
If driving at night then just take the fast US1 and avoid Card Sound because at night you can not see anything when traveling the Keys.
Places:
Alabama Jack's, Card Sound Rd., On card sound road just before/right next to toll $1 ?(Toll is old school dude in a box )…Alabama Jacks is Place to snack and have a beer. This is the only place to eat/drink on card sound road. mangrove/water in back.
Key Largo : east side of road.. The African Queen ”bogart movie little boat ” - is on view sometimes at the Holiday Inn Key Largo Marina..”FREE” if it it is docked since it was redone for some kind of tour deal…on west side of road: A local bar “kinda dumpy”, the Caribbean Club-(i do not think it ever closes) good view from the back and was supposedly used for Bogart movie…Maybe get a beer in a bottle and enjoy view of the water in back.
World Wide Sportsman, Islamorada MM # 82 - ultimate tackle store (now part of the Bass Pro Shop chain) but store has some fake replica history that includes Zane Grey and Papa Hemingway. Good place to eat next door on water at isla morada fish company….use bathrooms at the Big World Wide Sports store next door..(back right corner) by the aquarium…store is kinda cool and has nice free view of water...worth the stop for bathrooms and a break even if you do not eat next door.
Hurricane monument/memorial between Mile Marker 81 and MM 82-a quick stop..will not change your life but most people miss the landmark.. FREE 5 or 6 minutes rest to read signs. There are about 3 or 4 parking spaces FREE almost touching monument.
This is a link to a 360 degree view of the keys..works rather odd because you need to hit the (-) whenever you wish to click the top left corner (Florida keys tab) to select a different mile marker view..But rather cool...can even do a full screen
http://360floridakeys.com/things-to-...cane-monument/

Islamorada MM#79 :Cool place.. Hand feed tarpons at Robbies..really easy to miss...just past bridge..west side of road.. I think it is $3 for bucket of fish and $1 dollar per person? nice 15-20 minute stop and they have cold glass bottle cokes to cool down.http://www.robbies.com/tarpon.htm
Island Fish company MM #54 is a nice place on the water to eat,drink or snack.
Seven Mile Bridge MM# 47: used in several movies. Notice old bridge on west side.
Many people cross it and are in such a relaxed state that they miss "seeing it"
No Name Pub MM# 31---NOT on the water but you WILL see the famous and protected wild Key Deer. The bar is different with a ton of dollar bills stapled to walls, roof etc...pizza, wings, beer type of place...very hidden.
KEY DEER BLVD/CR-940 stay straight on WILDER RD./ AVENUE A to dead end (1.2 miles)Turn LEFT onto POINCIANA RD/POINCIANNA RD. (0.1miles) then Turn RIGHT onto AVENUE B. (0.2 miles)AVENUE B becomes FL-4A/WATSON BLVD. go over bridge (0.8 miles)…bar on left.
key west: Mallory Square,Hemingway House
Best fish sandwich : BO's fishwagon (not on the water), fresh everyday, on caroline and William..dump at corner of intersection..park bikes a few feet away(meter)..do internet search
http://www.keywesttravelguide.com/bos-fish-wagon.html.
Definitely get your picture taken at the Southernmost Point., Consider a sunset sail cruise and/or a Bi-plane ride(cool).
Schooner Wharf Bar Key West on William Street- on the water (food in a basket).
The parking meter maids do not play..make sure to pay for parking in Key West (meter/public/whatever).
It is 4 hours from Miami to Key West with little to no stopping...
Speeding tickets are easy to get and the troopers have nothing else to do plus the police in the smaller keys need the money.
Do not make the mistake of looking at mileage and thinking it is close.
It is best to overnight in Key West...
If you are doing stops, having lunch, feeding tarpons, taking pictures and having fun then it can take about 7-8 hours to reach Key West.
If you try to do it in one day then it requires being on the road by 6-7am in Miami so you can do all the stops on the way down.
Then spend about 3 hours in Key West, have a snack or sandwich, see the sun set and then make a (gas only) stop upon return.
The return will be very boring, you will be very tired and your passengers will probably be asleep and not helping with navigation.
Again, you will be tired.
You will then get to your place in Miami about 11-12pm

 

This next cut and paste i give folks gets positive responses most times:
Tamiami Trail East/West Miami to Naples
Do NOT Confuse with Alligator Alley which is I-75.
This is much slower then I-75 and takes about 1.5 hours or more one way if doing some stops at alligator lookouts.
Mostly 45mph-50mph 2 lane road (1 lane and 1 lane west) there is NO lighting, no break down lanes, no curb or sidewalks along road.
Warning: Tamiami /41 is to be done only during daylight, only in good weather and if you enjoy alligators/everglades. Winter is usually dry and clear.
On Tamiami Trail
Some aprrox. distances from East to West:
About 6 miles from Turnpike to casino/ krome/997 & Tamiami intersection (Gas at SW corner of intersection.)
Note: Tamiami is also called SW 8 th street in Miami Dade County.
Called Tamiami because it runs from TAMPA to MIAMI.
Then (Between casino/krome/tamiami intersection and shark valley there is a Value Jet memorial (airplane crash) on the north side (right side) of the road across canal.
It is a bit hidden and can easily be missed if you miss dirt turnoff.
http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/W..._National_Park
Going west on 41 /Tamiami Trail the first Airboat ride after the Value jet memorial is on your right and it is the best in my opinion. It is dumpy place on north side(right side) of the road..it is operated by indians in their sovereign territory..
You will see an alligator on the ride.
Do not waste your time on the other rides available on south side of road.
Later you continue west to shark valley area.
Shark Valley has a tram that takes you into the everglades and i guess some people like it.
It is costly and Not worth it in my opinion.
There is a FREE gator viewing area along tamiami trail on north side, easy free parking, always full of gators and makes for a nice rest stop and has bathrooms.
Then Joanie’s Blue Crab Café s at least stop and have a soda.
Joanie’s Blue Crab Café..see trip advisor for info. –movie site (gone fishing?)
1 mile further west on Tamiami to smallest post office(one man box) –South side of road http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/14154
The post office makes for a good picture.
Then about 5 miles to a nice but expensive gas station and quick food.
That area is Florida 29/tamiami intersection.
From here some folks go south towards everglades city which is about 5 miles to a tiny town with one gas station.
Some folks consider eating along the river at City Seafood (food in a basket) sit outdoors on a wood picnic table along the river.
The food is simple, you order at a counter and they call out your number for pick-up. The view of river is nice and relaxing.
Rather nice old Florida town feel and if you read online before you arrive then you will learn why everybody got arrested in the small town of Everglades City during the 80's for catching square grouper.
Then continue south about 3 miles to Chokoluski a really tiny small town to see the little Smallwoods museum …Signs call it a store because of the history but it is a small museum.. think it was $5 per person and you can see the open water of everglades in the back...museum takes about 15 minutes to see.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractio...e_Florida.html
then on Tamiami it is about:
20miles------tamiami/ CR92/ marco island / iron rhino bar(closed but new place??)
Goodland,Florida (known for a Mullet festival..the fish) and more places to eat can be accessed a few miles from this area.
then
about 10 miles to City of Naples, Fl. with Tin city (stop/eat/drink average about $20 per person) first and then Naples 5th Avenue (expensive $35 pp) is just a few more miles away and worth a drive down the main drag. Might as well see how people live on 5th avenue.
Some folks like to do a sunrise (Miami) to Sunset in (Naples) trip but keep in mind you should not take Tamiami Trail at night...You need to return east by Alligator Alley (I-75).
Others do not make it to Naples but instead go north on 29 to Ave Maria to see the church and then also return east by alligator alley(I-75)
Such a tour allows you to see a memorial, take an airboat ride, see gators, see some road side america and movie location, see the smallest post office, experience old Florida, have some good food along a river, see an indian museum and then decide if you want to continue to see ritzy Naples 5th avenue or the alternative is to see the Ave Maria Church (built by Dominoes pizza guy) in the middle of no place.
Either way you must return by Alligator alley (i-75)..you will NOT see alligators on alligator alley (i-75)...the name is a left over from when it was one lane in each direction through the everglades but now it is just a very high speed interstate with no animal interaction but it can be taken day or night.
As described above this would make for a full day trip..From miami it will be about 3 hours with airboat ride and stops to reach Everglades City then 1 hour to eat at City Seafood and then about 45 minutes to reach the Smallwood museum and see it and get back on Tamiami Trail/41.
Then make a choice:
Then it is about 40 minutes to 5th avenue in Naples or to reach Ave Maria in the other direction.
Then add about 45 minutes at either location to just see, have an ice cream, soda or whatever.
Then about 1 hour driving on i-75 to reach Broward county.
That 1 hour drive on -75 will be a boring high speed drive with little to see.
Then about 45 minutes to central Miami.

 

Make sure you have about 4 hours and a camera with maybe waterproof booth. Turn into Loop Road ans imagine what crossing Florida in 1900, Fort Myers to Miami. Go only in the winter time as there is no bugs & it is our dry season. If it rained recently, do not go.

Turn in (west approach) here & you will see signs.


SWIMMING IS NOT RECOMMENDED!

LOTS OF THESE GUYS


iF HE IS OPEN, CHECK OUT Lucky's
Lucky's Place on the Loop Road


Lucky doesn't sell anything to tourists, but will give you a beer and sit and gab for a while. He does accept donations to his retirement fund.

 

I live on a lake that has gators but have never seen them belly up like that before.

 

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Gilbert's Resort on the west side of the bridge entering Key Largo. Lots of bikes on weekends and live bands throughout the day, kid friendly.

I agree with IM: The airport rides on 8th Street/41/Tamiami Trail on the NORTH side of the road are good. You will see a LOT of alligators and the Tribe guys do a great job of explaining alligator behavior as they risk their hands feeding them snacks. Do not feed gators yourself, it is against the law in FL.

Robert is Here fruit stand is a good stop.

Miami Brewing Company is a good place in the Homestead/FL City area for a brew.

If you are curious about South Beach - the truth is that locals don't go there. It is priced to maximize profits from tourists. But if you MUST find out what a $25 drink tastes like, go to Mango's where you can see the latin dancers on the bar. Try the restaurants in Coral Gables, or the watering holes in Coconut Grove.

 

Is this the airboat ride you guys are talking about? https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti...i_Florida.html

 

NO..
If you are looking for a good airboat ride located right on Tamiami Trail then consider:
Buffalo Tiger's, 29701 sw 8 street , Miami Florida
For a few directional pointers:
It is located on north side of Tamiami Trail, about 0.5 miles west of the Value Jet memorial.
Right on Tamiami Trail/41/sw 8 street... it is located about 12 miles west of Krome/997/ 177 ave on Tamiami Trail
It is operated by indians, they put you in a boat, cruise about showing stuff and then take you to a primitive island with huts in the everglades and then return in a similar fashion. You will probably see about 3 gators out on the water.
Look on tripadvisor for photos and reviews to see if it meets your needs.
The place is NOT super commercial, rather boring looking from the street.
Looks really simple from street, hard packed dirt parking, a small building, a dock with maybe one or two boats.
They were a "first come first served" type of place, not a disney hand holding experience, not a place for folks that require a lot of attention....but the ride is an experience and was better than others.
Always keep in mind that indians are protected as long as they stay on their land...you are not 100% covered by US laws...mainland rules do not apply...
Again, go on tripadvisor and look at pictures to better understand the ride and explanation.
I have gone with other boats but the others were boring for me.
As i posted before but worth mentioning again:
There is a FREE gator viewing area that never disappoints at the Big Cypress National Reserve Oasis Visitor Center.
Again, it is FREE, has public bathrooms and good parking.
It has terrible signage from the road and NO slow down lane to turn.
Again, the signage is very poor for the turn-in.
You need to anticipate turn or it will be missed and turn around is very difficult to impossible so look at odometer and slow down because you will have little to no warning to turn off..
The FREE Big Cypress National Reserve Oasis Visitor Center is located about 35 miles west (on Tamiami Trail ) from Krome/997, 177 ave on NORTH side of Tamiami Trail .
So about 23 miles west of Airboat and Value Jet Memorial.

 

Iv also seen 8 ft pythons crossing the road in swampy areas.