Last Updated: May 2026
It had been over 30 years since Michael last visited the Florida Keys. Sandy had never been. We pulled off the Overseas Highway at Bahia Honda State Park on the way down — one of the most beautiful beaches in the Florida Keys system, and a good preview of what two weeks here would feel like. January in the Keys: 80 degrees, open water on both sides of the highway, and the particular quality of light that comes off shallow tropical flats in the afternoon. Amazing that this is still the continental United States.
Big Pine Key: Sunshine Key Resort & Marina
We checked into Sunshine Key Resort and Marina on Big Pine Key and lucked into a waterfront site facing west — a genuine upgrade from the interior sites, which are tighter and offer none of the marina atmosphere that makes the place worth staying. Most guests were long-term snowbirds from the eastern seaboard and Canada, which gave the resort a relaxed, community feel rather than a tourist-stop feel. There are amenities — pool, tennis, volleyball, horseshoes — that we never once used. The sunset views from our site made all of them irrelevant.
For New Year’s Eve the resort threw a party with beer, food, and live music, then did it again a week later. Both were the best possible way to meet the other guests — within two days we knew most of our neighbors and had standing dinner invitations from three of them.
Manatees
Five manatees took up residence around the marina for the entire two weeks we were there. We watched them every morning from the site — surfacing, rolling slowly, investigating the dock pilings. Park rangers stopped by regularly and were excellent about explaining manatee behavior and the legal protections around them. Manatees are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and Florida’s Manatee Sanctuary Act of 1978. The practical upshot: don’t touch them, don’t chase them, don’t spray them with a hose. They will, however, seek out fresh water from leaking dock hoses on their own, which the rangers confirmed is fine to let happen. Having five of them just outside the door every morning for two weeks was one of the unexpected gifts of this stretch of the trip.
Marathon Key
Marathon sits roughly in the middle of the Keys — about halfway between Key Largo and Key West — and has a working waterfront character that Key West has largely traded for tourism. It’s a serious sport fishing hub, with charter boats running to both the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic. The reefs around Marathon offer good diving and snorkeling, and the lobster season gives the area a particularly local, non-tourist energy in winter.
The name dates to the construction of the Florida East Coast Railroad — workers grinding through the Keys to complete the line reportedly complained that the project was becoming “a real marathon,” and the name stuck to the local station. The railroad was eventually destroyed by the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935; the roadbed and remaining bridges became the foundation for the Overseas Highway.
We went to Sunset Grill on Marathon several times — good food, a genuinely friendly staff, new friends made over multiple evenings, and the best reason to be there right in the name. We also watched a few sunsets from the marina at our own site, which had its own quiet appeal.
Burdines Waterfront Bar and Grille became the other regular stop — a rustic open-air deck on the marina, completely unpretentious, with a staff that treated Jake like a regular from the first visit. Sandy ordered the sesame-crusted ahi wrap — chunks of fresh tuna, sesame crust, genuinely excellent — and we went back for it twice more before we left Marathon. The chicken wrap was also very good, but the ahi was the reason to return.
The Overseas Highway & Old Bridges
The Overseas Highway runs 113 miles from the mainland through the Florida Keys to Key West, carrying US Route 1 over 42 bridges. Much of it was built on the former right-of-way of Henry Flagler’s Overseas Railroad — completed in 1912, destroyed by the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935, and sold to the state of Florida for $640,000. The old railroad bridges, running parallel to the highway, have been converted into fishing piers and walking paths and offer some of the most striking views in the Keys.
The drive itself is unlike any other in the continental US — narrow two-lane road, open water on both sides, the horizon uninterrupted in every direction. From the old bridges on foot you’re standing above the water with the reef system visible below in clear conditions. We spotted a spotted eagle ray from one of the old bridge sections — an unexpected encounter that stopped us mid-walk.
Fishing
We hired a charter boat out of Marathon to fish the Gulf side — primarily Yellowtail snapper and Squirrelfish. The Yellowtail was everything the Keys fishing reputation promises: flaky, light, clean flavor that takes seasoning beautifully. The Squirrelfish was firmer and less flaky with a mild taste that held up well to a heavier preparation. Both made excellent meals back at the coach that evening.
Key West
Key West has grown considerably more crowded and commercialized in the 30-plus years since Michael last visited — paid parking, cruise ships, lines, souvenir shops stacked against each other on Duval Street. Some of that comes with the territory of being the southernmost city in the continental US and one of the most recognizable names in American travel. The key lime pie, however, remains extraordinary, and the boutique clothing shops are genuinely worth a look. We stopped at Sloppy Joe’s for key lime pie and the history.
Sloppy Joe’s opened in 1933 and became one of Ernest Hemingway’s regular haunts. The original location he frequented is actually a few doors west of the current bar, now called Captain Tony’s Saloon. The name came from Joe’s Bar in Old Havana — where the ice melted in the Cuban heat and regulars taunted owner José García Río that he ran a “sloppy” place. Hemingway encouraged the name change; it stuck.
Mallory Square
The Mallory Square sunset celebration is one of those Key West traditions that has outlasted several waves of tourism trends — every evening, a crowd gathers at the waterfront to watch the sun drop into the Gulf of Mexico, surrounded by street performers, artists, and vendors. It’s touristy and completely worth doing. The light is genuinely extraordinary.
Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum
The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum is a genuine must-see in Key West — a Spanish Colonial house where Hemingway lived and worked throughout the 1930s, producing some of his most important work including “The Snows of Kilimanjaro,” “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber,” “To Have and Have Not,” and “Green Hills of Africa.” The guided tour is detailed and candid about his life and the multiple marriages — informative without being hagiographic.
The house is also home to approximately 60 polydactyl cats — six and seven-toed descendants of a cat reportedly given to Hemingway by a ship’s captain. They roam the property freely, sleep on the furniture, and treat the visitors as a mild inconvenience. In 2009 the cats became the subject of federal litigation when a visitor raised welfare concerns with the USDA; the museum ultimately prevailed on appeal, and the cats remain as free-roaming as ever.
The Conch Shack
We were told the best lobster roll in Key West was at the Conch Shack. Sandy agreed emphatically after the first bite. A simple, unpretentious spot with excellent seafood — the kind of place that survives in Key West not because of the décor but because the food is genuinely good.
Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservatory
The Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory is a climate-controlled tropical habitat with hundreds of butterfly species, exotic birds, flowering plants, and a waterfall — all enclosed in a glass-domed structure that feels nothing like the street outside. After the Butterfly House at Sioux Falls in November, we were already converts to the form. Key West’s version is more elaborate and the photography opportunities are excellent — the DSC series shots here came out particularly well given the natural light from the dome.
Visitor Information
Sunshine Key Resort & Marina: Full hookup RV resort on Big Pine Key. Waterfront sites book quickly — request them specifically when reserving. Long-term rates available. rvonthego.com
Bahia Honda State Park: One of the finest beaches in the Florida Keys, with full-hookup RV campsites directly on the water. Reservations are competitive — book well in advance. floridastateparks.org
Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum: Guided tours run throughout the day; the last tour is typically mid-afternoon. Budget 90 minutes. Dogs are not permitted on the property. hemingwayhome.com
Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservatory: Open daily. Arrive at opening for the best light and fewest other visitors inside the habitat. keywestbutterfly.com
Practical Tips
Best time to visit: January through March is ideal — warm, dry, and well past the hurricane season that ends November 30. Summer in the Keys is hot, humid, and storm-prone. Winter is the Keys at their best.
RVing in the Keys: The Overseas Highway is manageable in a large motorhome but narrow in places, and some campgrounds have site length limits. Confirm maximum RV length before booking. The interior sites at most Keys campgrounds are tight; waterfront sites are worth paying the premium for.
Key West day trip vs. overnight: Key West is a 1.5–2 hour drive from Big Pine Key. A day trip covers the main attractions comfortably. If you want to stay for the Mallory Square sunset and dinner, allow more time or plan an overnight. Parking a large motorhome in Key West is not practical — drive a toad vehicle or take the Keys shuttle.
Fishing charters: Marathon has numerous charter options for both half-day and full-day trips to Gulf and Atlantic reefs. Book at least a week in advance in peak season (December–March). Most charters clean and bag the fish; bring a cooler for the ride back to camp.
Manatee etiquette: If manatees appear near your marina slip, enjoy them from a distance. Do not enter the water near them, do not attempt to touch or feed them, and do not spray them with a hose — all of these are federal violations. They will drink from leaking dock hoses on their own; that is their choice to make.
