The Florida Keys

There is no way not to be awed when visiting the
Florida Keys. The Keys are like nowhere else on earth
in their beauty, peculiarity, their congeniality and
their personality. It seems as though my body and mind
instantly relax as I drive through Key Largo; just
knowing I am going further down into the heaven called
the Keys.

Route 1 is the only road from Key Largo to Key West
and it is awesome. It passes through small villages,
small hummocks of mangrove trees, intermixed with tiny
beaches.

Fisherman, in shorts, cast for mangrove snapper and
yellowtail, while boats with flat-bottoms and guides
work their way through the flats in search of the
elusive bonefish.

Everywhere, the water is a different and beautiful
color: green, turquoise, sapphire, and beige.

On the left is the Atlantic Ocean, shallow and various
shades of blue; on the right is Florida Bay and then
the Gulf of Mexico; murky yet beautiful in shades of
green, beige and tan. Islands dot the landscape in the
Gulf, as do boats seeking pleasure or fish, or both.

The drive to Key West could not ever be described as
bad. It is beautiful; something new around every bend
or over every bridge, especially the seven-mile
bridge.

Pelicans, ungainly yet graceful, glide beside your car
as you speed along the highway. Islamorada and
Marathon are the only places that slow traffic down on
the way to Key West.

Just north of Marathon is a place where you can swim
with the dolphins at the Dolphin Research Center.

Key West finally emerges. It is a bustling place with
lots of people, lots of shops and lots of restaurants.
Take a deep breath and plunge in!