Travel posts always take me weeks to write – mostly because there are huuundreds of photos to sort through. I’ve got to get better at organizing photos from trips. If you have any tips or tricks – send em’ my way! 🙂
Last month we took a trip down to the Florida Keys with my fam bam. The older we get, the harder it is to get everyone together! Busy schedules, a baby, working with my brother and sister’s school calendars… never easy but lots of fun when it works out! It was the longest time that I can remember taking away from work for a vacation. #Adulting 😉 And let me tell y’all…. it was glorious! This was my first time in the keys and it definitely lived up to all the hype! Feels like you’ve left the states and hopped on a plane to a tropical island… without actually having to do any of that!
It was a pretty long drive (8 hours without stops) but AG is a rockstar in the car so we figured it was easier than flying! I really can’t imagine flying with all of the cargo parents have to bring on trips. One day we’ll make it happen, but we’re not ready yet.
WHERE WE STAYED
We stayed in a house on a canal in Marathon. Marathon seems to me like the most family friendly key and it was much more chill than Key West. It’s in the middle of the Keys which is perfect for day trips to explore the other areas. We hung out at the house most of the vacation because it was so relaxing! The hammock was my happy place!
WHAT WE DID
As soon as we arrived we hopped on the boat, which was a rental from Pier 68. We spent nearly every day after that out on the water. What more could you need! The water is ridiculously beautiful and clear enough to snorkle. If you’re scuba certified, be sure to bring your gear! We snorkled over the coral reefs and spotted sharks and barracudas… which was slightly terrifying. We were warned to take off jewelry, wedding rings, and anything that could possibly attract the barracudas, so I definitely took the advice as an order! Our house was on a canal and it took about 20 minutes to get out to the ocean. Once we hit the open water the first day, the waves were a little rough so P got seasick and poor AG didn’t know what to do! She HATED wearing her life jacket but seemed to enjoy floating in the water! 🙂
We did drive over to Key West one day. You can’t go to the Keys without checking it out! I loved the history and charming houses. We didn’t bring the stroller with us so Pearce went superhero mode and carried AG in the carrier for miles! Yes, he was sore the next day. Girlfriend has gotten so heavy!
We had dinner at Lucy’s which was actually really yummy. Alba Grace ate off the kids menu for the first time (excuse me while I go sob in the corner…) and the rest of us elected for fresh seafood.
While Key West was beautiful and so much fun, it’s definitely not kid friendly after 5! So keep that in mind if you’re traveling with littles. I was also really surprised to see some of the inappropriate signage and art displayed on the streets. It would be hard to shield littles from seeing some of that. Just an FYI!
We forgot AG’s hat so she scored her first tourist tee and hat from a random gift shop! Wouldn’t be a vacay without a cheesy souvenir! 🙂 I think she looks pretty darn adorable in it! Also, this backpack (c/o) is game changer for mamas! I’ve loved using it as our diaper bag – for everyday and for when we travel.
A few spots we ventured to that are also worth mentioning:
The Sunset Grille was a blast! It’s “the world’s largest tiki bar” or maybe just Marathon’s… but either way, it was fun. There’s a big pool out back that you can hang out in while you’re waiting on your food, live music, and pretty views! AG loved swimming in the water and watching the other kiddos splash around.
We had breakfast at Stout’s on our way out of town and it definitely lived up to all they hype! Our food was so good! It was a bit crowded so get there as soon as you can! And FYI, they only take cash.
love y’all! mckenzie
