Key West For First Timers

You're in for a real treat when you visit the tropical island with its beautiful beaches, aquamarine waters, historical structures and diverse attractions like scuba diving, water sports, and snorkeling in Key West. But there are many other tantalizing things to indulge in when you're on the island.  Here are just some reasons why Key West is a sweet tooth paradise.

Key West is home to the iconic Key Lime Pie

The island's signature dessert the Key Lime Pie is one of the first things that come in to your mind when you think of Key West. The key lime has quite a prolific history attached to it. Back in the day, sailors believed that the little Key Lime could prevent scurvy and was very popular among ship crew.



This decadent treat has a delightfully rich graham cracker crust, and a creamy, tangy filling that is accentuated with whipped cream. Some of the best places to sample an authentic Key Lime Pie are Kermit's Key West Key Lime Shoppe, Joe's Stone Crab, the Blond Giraffe Key Lime Pie Factory, and Terry's Key Lime Pies. This is how food should taste―genuine; the antithesis of McDonald's.

You can get some of the freshest, flakiest chocolate croissants here

At the little French bakery Croissants de France on Duvall Street, you can try delicious brioches, baguettes, croissants and loads more. They even serve a decadent variety of tarts, cakes, pastries cupcakes, chocolate covered strawberries, and fruit muffins. If you have an occasion like a wedding or a birthday, they take orders. If you're in the mood for a picnic on the beautiful white sands of Key West, stop by Croissants de France first to pick up their homemade baguettes which are perfectly flaky and wonderful to lather with some cheeses and cold cuts.



Ice cream here comes in flavors like pina colada, southernmost strawberry, and Key West coconut

Key West is home to the Key West Ice Cream Factory – a tiny little ice cream shop on William Street. Here, you can sample frozen treats in quirky flavors like Cuban coffee, the Bermuda triangle, cherry cheesecake, coconut rum raisin, Key West Mango, southernmost strawberry, key lime pie, Key West coconut and tons more. If you're in the mood for a sorbet instead, the quirkiness continues with flavors like guava, black cherry, passion fruit or pina colada. There are so many flavors to try so ask for suggestions from the staff.

The island has something that's 'Better than Sex'

While you're taking a stroll on Simonton Street, don't be shocked when you come upon a sign that claims that whatever's behind the red door is 'Better than Sex'. This tongue-in-cheek store is cheekily named after what many women describe dessert to be. This place is all about being sinful and indulgent, no judgment. Try a glass of merlot in a dark chocolate-rimmed glass or a warm, gooey brownie. Don't miss the Cookie Nookie Pie, The Missionary Crisp, and the Sugar Daddy Cheesecake. 

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Orignal From: Key West For First Timers

A Complete Outdoor Adventure

Tourists who visit Miami and other places in the state of Florida generally make the trip from Miami to the Everglades to see if they are amazed by the exhilarating Everglades tours Miami like everyone else. And they usually are! Tourists are able to enjoy a thrilling ride across the glassy waters on an Everglades airboat and go on a spectacular alligator tour of the marshes. They also are able to be enthralled by the picturesque environment, the lush vegetation, and the fantastic views. You are not in Kansas anymore (of course there is nothing wrong with Kansas).

A few Miami Everglades tours adventures are discussed below:

The Everglades National Park: Tourists can take the Everglades shuttle and come to this magnificent park. It is a place where you get to indulge in a wide array of activities. You can rent a bike, or bring your own bicycle and go on bike tours along the many trails found in the park. You can go alone, or be part of a ranger led program. Tourists will be able to meander through the pinelands, hammocks, the marshes, and other sub-ecosystems found at the Florida Everglades. The park also offers the famous 'Slough Slog.' It is a trek through the isolated parts of the swamp and lasts for nearly two and a half hours.

• Adventure seekers are provided with walking sticks, but other gear has to be carried along by the hikers. Visitors can also avail of camping excursions at several different frontcountry and backcountry sites. Tourists can set up tents at group camping sites or at individual locations, and spend a pleasant evening around a campfire with family and friends. Boating through the shallow waters of the Florida Everglades, canoeing, airboat tours, and fishing are other types of excursions that can be enjoyed at the park. Most of these activities are not heavy on the pocket. Thus, a trip to the Everglades National Park will result in one of the best adventures in all of Florida.

The Sawgrass Recreation Park: Tourists can visit this park to have an experience of a lifetime. You are able to ride aboard a fan boat and become one with nature. Visitors will not only be able to enjoying a thrilling ride on a powerful airboat, but also get to learn about the different animals that live in the region, the various species of plants, and the several types of birds that are in abundance at the Florida Everglades. Tourists can go for a private tour that can be customized as per their wishes, or go for a group tour that lasts for about forty five minutes. During one of the stops of this airboat tour, tourists will have an opportunity to have an up close and personal interaction with wild alligators. It will thrill you to your very bones! It is important that you capture these memories on your camera.

• After the tour, you get to see a wildlife show that features exotic animals such as tigers, crocodiles, and other animals you do not want lying near you while you watch Transformers! Tourists can also hold a baby alligator and have their photo taken. You may also check out the Swampyard Island. Children and adults are allowed to feed and play with the animals on this island. Do not wear a t-shirt you care about in the summer time in this area because you sweat it through!

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Orignal From: A Complete Outdoor Adventure

Everglades Tour – Getting to the Heart of Nature

People who have gone on a private Miami Everglades tour believe that it is an adventure worth cherishing for years to come. The Florida Everglades is the last existing swamp in North America and hence been the preferable choice of many a traveler. Tourists can choose to go on either a group or a private airboat tour to the Everglades. The group or the semi-crowded ones are less expensive, albeit crowded but still can be quite entertaining.

A Spectacular Setting

Everglades airboat tours are also synonymous as alligator tours, even though there are quite a few variety of other aquatic creatures in the swap. There are lots of varieties of birds that coexist in this beautiful ecosystem.  Tourists can get to see alligators of different sizes as a part of the alligator tour. It is common to find an alligator family with baby alligators in tow that tend to fascinate children.



You are Free to Travel

The airboat ride is adrenalin pumping and adventurous; the sounds are loud enough which is why most vendors supply ear muffs to the passengers. However, the journey is exciting and adventurous. Picture this: your speedy airboat cruising fast through the river of the grass with miles of sawgrass jungles around you with the wind caressing your face.

Thrill seekers can be confident to find enough amounts of exotic creatures including the rare endangered species. The drivers or guides are well informed about the haunts of these wildlife creatures and will show you around, even to the extent of stopping boats in places where you espy an interesting species of birds or animals.  You can take the pictures and benefit from the incredible amount of knowledge that you acquire when these guides explain to you the history of Everglades, the background of a particular breed or species of plant or animal life.

Powered by Pushing Air

Tourists should ideally take the trip from Miami to Everglades only when the weather is fine and sunny. It is also a terrific and salient idea to start early because this will help you avoid the nasty traffic snarls and arrive quickly into the confines of nature (you can even take a nap on the way). The airboats are adept enough to glide their way through the shallow waters to the remote sections where there is an abundance of plant and animal life. Many tourists even opt for an Everglades tour during the evenings because this gives the advantage of checking out beautiful landscapes in special light amidst the setting sun with birds flying past the clouds.

The private Miami to Everglades tour are quite customized and can be of tremendous benefit to people who want to spend time together, like for instance, a couple. These tours last for more than two hours. Compared to the private tour, the group tour can last for ninety minutes. You can take the Everglades shuttle to reach the place from where airboats ferry people to the wetlands. It will be humid in the summer; bring water and sun tan lotion.



 

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Orignal From: Everglades Tour – Getting to the Heart of Nature

Have a Historic Time

The Florida Everglades is one of the best places in the world to observe prehistoric alligators in the wild (no, you cannot name them – they will not respond!). Tourists can check out alligators and other animals in parks and zoos. However, the experience of a Miami Everglades tour is completely different. It is here that visitors will get to check out the animals in the wilderness, not in captivity, but wild and free!

A Trip Worth a Thousand Words

A majority of tourists come to Miami to enjoy the gorgeous sunny weather, the never ending stretches of sandy beaches, and the glamorous nightlife of Miami. However, an airboat tour of the Everglades is also one of the highlights of a trip to Miami.

Follow the Instructions

There are a number of tour companies that offer group tours and private tours of the Florida Everglades. Most of these tour last for about ninety minutes. Tourists may choose an Everglades tour Miami which is within their budget and which also fulfills all their requirements. A sterling option is to select a private tour aboard smaller fan boats. Such alligator tours are not that costly although if you decide to feed them when you are not supposed to, this tour can be very costly. Also, the smaller Everglades airboats have the ability to reach those sections of the sawgrass marshes which cannot be accessed by the large airboats.

Tourists can avail the services of an Everglades shuttle to make their way to the Everglades. The trip from Miami to everglades is also fun filled. As the shuttle makes its way to the outskirts of the city, tourists will be able to see a lot of novel Miami attractions. You may also chance upon alligators and crocodiles soaking up the sun rays alongside the road.

After boarding the airboats, tourists will get to enjoy a fascinating ride across the shallow waters of the sawgrass wetlands. It is a thrilling trip and will feel like you are skating on ice! A few airboats are also equipped with dual steering and tourists are allowed to steer the boats. Children will especially be thrilled by the experience of captaining an airboat.


Paying Attention

The boats will stop at different sites at the Everglades so as to allow the adventure seekers to check out the wild animals. The boats will stop at a safe distance so as not to not disturb the wildlife, but at the same time also offer an up-close interaction with the wildlife. The guides accompanying the tourists are friendly and knowledgeable. Some of them even have the ability to call out to the wild animals and most of them promptly respond to their calls. But do not feed them and remember, this is their profession, not yours. This is not your element.

Common Courtesy

The boats will also stop at tree-covered, tiny islands called hammocks. They are a sub-ecosystem of the Everglades that are unique to the region. Tourists are allowed to get down at these islands and take a relaxing walk. The hammocks are rich in wildlife and varied types of plant species. You will encounter a variety of colorful birds, the Florida panther, bob cats, raccoons, etc. on these islands.

After the airboat tour, tourists will get to see a wildlife show. You can also take pictures of yourself with a baby alligator for a small fee.

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Orignal From: Have a Historic Time

The Best Tourist Experience

Tourists who make the trip from Miami to Everglades for an Everglades tour Miami are in for an experience of a lifetime. The Florida Everglades is a wetland in south Florida and home to a number of threatened species of wildlife and this is mainly because America and the rest of the world does not do what it should do to protect animals – poachers and people who abuse animals should be eliminated. A civilized society should not accept this type of behavior.

Most tourists come to the Everglades to enjoy an airboat tour of the wetlands. However, the Florida marshes have a lot more to offer than just a fan boat ride. Tourists can visit the Everglades National Park and enjoy a variety of excursions such as fishing, camping, canoeing, hikes, etc. It may be noted that the park is a world heritage site and a protected part of the Everglades.

Mother Nature Glistens

Everglades airboat tours are open to the tourists throughout the year. However, it may be noted that the peak season lasts from mid-December to mid-April. These are the drier months when the animals come out into the open for sunbathing, eating, etc. This makes for easy detection of the alligators, turtles, raccoons, panthers, bob cats, and other animals that do not want to be put on a leash and told to go fetch. The summer months experience an invasion by the mosquitoes and other insects. This may prevent tourists from enjoying all the delights of the Everglades. The hurricane season lasting from June to November is when the tourist influx is the lowest.

There are a number of tour companies that offer Miami Everglades tours. Most of them are scattered all across the city of Miami, while a few are located within the boundaries of the Everglades National Park. A few vendors offer only private tours of the sawgrass wetlands in small airboats, while others offer both private tours as well as group tours. After opting for a tour that suits their needs and budget, tourists may take the Everglades shuttle to get to the docking sites of the airboats.


The Electrifying Ride Aboard the Airboat

The airboat ride across the river of grass is simply superb. Tourists who have never been on an airboat will find the experience to be an "out of the world" adventure. The boats zip through the narrow channels of the wetlands as if they were skating on ice. On reaching the more isolated sections of the swamp, the boats will slow down and eventually stop. Here, visitors will come across alligators, crocodiles, snakes, and other local wildlife. Tourists may take pictures of the awesome scenery, the flight of the colorful birds, as well as of the native flora and fauna.

Later, the captains will stop the boats near small tree lined islands known as hammocks. These sub-ecosystems are unique to the Everglades and home to raccoons, the Florida panther, etc. You will also be astonished by the rich diversity of plant life found on these islands. An amble through these islands is revitalizing!


The Natural World

Finally, the tour will cap off with a wildlife show. Tourists will be able to see different types of exotic animal exhibits, including alligators. You may also acquire an opportunity to take pictures of yourself with baby alligators. It is an appropriate ending to a delightful, fun-filled alligator tour of the Florida Everglades.

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Orignal From: The Best Tourist Experience

A Traveler’s Delight

Tourists who travel from Miami to Key West are bound to have an experience of a lifetime. It is a fantastic island off the southern coast of Florida. The trip from Miami to Key West can be by air, sea, or land. People traveling on the Miami to Key West bus or driving on their own will get to see amazing sights along the way.

The seaways are also a great option of transportation from Miami to Key West. You can avail of private boaters or the Key West Express to get to the beautiful island.

The Key West Express Company: It runs high-speed passenger carriers from sites such as Marco Island and Ft. Myers Beach. These ferries dock at the Key West Bight Ferry Terminal. It is bang in the middle of the historic Seaport district and home to several fine shops, restaurants, and bars. The travelers can hike up to Duval street, which is the center of old town Key West, in around fifteen minutes from the docking area. This boat ride to the island takes about three and a half hours.


Private boaters: They are very experienced sailors who can pilot to Key West along the Gulf of Mexico side of the Keys, or by voyaging on the Atlantic side. The first half of the journey is via the distinctly marked Intracoastal Waterway. The international markers come to play after Long Key. Travelers need to check with the right coast pilot and also check the light list manuals. Even though there are several marinas that are happy to take you across to Key West, it is important for tourists to make reservations.

Once at Key West, tourists will be delighted by the numerous Key West attractions. A few are listed below:

Water attractions: Key West is one of the best places in the United States for diving excursions. The coral reef found in the waters off the coast of Key West, is the only living barrier reef in all of North America. Tourists will also be enthralled by a face to face encounter with the native marine life during a scuba diving or snorkeling trip. Visitors will always have a better chance of hooking onto a big one while on aboard a fishing charter. Visitors can also avail of sail charters on board catamarans or huge ships, or go on eco tours, catch glimpses of dolphins at play, or indulge in exploration at Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas. A perfect end to a heavenly day at this 'island paradise' will be when you go on a sailing cruise and catch the stunning Key West sunset, while swaying to the soft music playing in the background.


Shopping, restaurants and bars: The cuisine is really unique in Key West. The menu at the Key West restaurants comprises of local seafood that comes with a characteristic taste of the island. The cuisine is a soft blend of Caribbean flavors and spices, and the freshest Florida lobster or fish, tropical fruits, and vegetables. Visitors can shop till late at Duval street, or dance at the popular night clubs, or spend a romantic moonlit night with your partner on a Key West beach.

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Orignal From: A Traveler's Delight

Nature’s Opera

It is a known fact that Miami is one of the prime tourist destinations in the world. It may also be noted that a majority of the tourists who come to Miami make the trip from Miami to Key West as a mellifluous end to their vacation. Tourists can take the Miami to Key West shuttle, or other options of transportation from Miami to Key West.

Hot Spots

The beautiful island is home to a number of Key West attractions. A few of them that can be grouped into a Key West tour are listed below:

• The Fantasy Festival: The Key West Tourist Development Association came up with the unique idea of this festival in 1979, so as to boost tourist inflow during the lean season of Halloween. It is a period which marks the end of the hurricane season on this island paradise. Over the decades, the festival has gained popularity and attracts more than 80,000 enthusiasts each year.


• The Duval Street: This is one of most famous tourist attractions of Key West. The street is home to a number of shops, designer stores, nightclubs, restaurants, bars, etc. The place is also walking distance away from other excursions like snorkeling in Key West, the beaches, and the supreme list continues. Most of the hotels and inns in old town Key West are also situated close to Duval Street.


• The Florida Keys Council of the Arts: It is the main cultural attraction of Monroe County. It covers the area from Key Largo to Key West. This non-profit organization supports the local arts and seminars, approves grants, takes care of the online cultural calendar of the region, and controls the Monroe County Art in Public Places plan. It also administers and manages the arts marketing grants of the county. Moreover, the council acts as the main campaigner of cultural tourism in south Florida and Key West.


• The Secret Garden of Nancy Forrester: It is another island paradise within island city. The garden stretches through 1 acre of land. It is like a green, thriving rainforest. Visitors to this woodland garden will be enthralled by the marvelous wonders and artistry of nature that is enclosed in a small area.


• The Key West Aquarium: This was one of the first attractions of Key West. It has been mesmerizing the tourists and locals alike for more than eight decades. The aquarium was primarily constructed to revive the American economy from the clutches of the Great Depression. It currently hosts millions of tourists from all parts of the globe. You will be able to check out the local marine life and also receive an intimate experience with the animals during activities in the Touch Tank, or during feeding sessions with turtles and sharks.


• The Mel Fisher Maritime Museum: It is one of the most unique museums in the world. Tourists are able to see gold, silver, and other kinds of treasures that have been reclaimed by adventurers from various shipwrecks throughout the world. Do not miss it!

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Orignal From: Nature's Opera