For the last few years we've rented a house on Big Pine Key in February.* My favorite thing to do is to rent a skiff and get out in the back country on the flats.* I like to flyfish, but even if you don't fish it's a great boating experience.* I've heard it described as a graduate course in small boating.* From someone from the Northwest, it's wonderful to be in an area where the deep channels are 6 feet and most of the water is from 1-4 feet deep.* You can see everything on the bottom including turtles, rays, sharks, barracuda, sponges, etc. Don't do it by yourself without a good gps.* I take my portable one with me in case the rental boat doesn't have one.
When the wind comes up and we can't get out on the water, we drive in to Key West.* We rent bikes or scooters and get off of Duvall.* There are great neighborhoods to explore and you can see the whole town from a bike in an afternoon.* Go to Fort Taylor and the downtown cemetery.
For the 9:00 pm bedtime crowd, the Green Parrot Bar is a great place.* It's filled with baby boomers in the late afternoon and early evening, so the band that's playing the 10:00 pm set usually does a "sound check" at 5:30 that's really an early set for the older crowd.
We ate at the Marquesa Restaurant last year and went back again the next night.* It's a small restaurant in the Marquesa Hotel.* It's pricey and you need reservations, but the food last year was phenomenal.
If you have a car, drive back up the islands and explore.* We've gone on a kayaking trip with Big Pine Kayak Adventures.* The guide is a great guy and you get to see the flats and sealife close up.* We have different customers that come to the Keys every year and we treat them to a trip with him.* We've always gotten rave reviews.
Now that you've got me thinking about the Keys, I'm going to have to go get my books and charts and start planning our trip.
Lyle