Sandbar Sunday in Islamorada

Sunday. The dreaded day that consumes you with simultaneous fear and loathing that Monday is fast approaching and it is back to the daily grind. So what’s the best cure for those Sunday blues? Sunday funday at the sandbar.

Islamorada offers amazing fishing, snorkeling, and diving. But it offers another delightful water based activity that requires only minimal amounts of effort: relaxing at the sandbar.

The sandbar right off of Whale Harbor is a beautiful location and a true sandbar during low tide. The water is crystal clear, the sand is beautiful, and there are some cute little sea creatures floating about.

The sandbar off of Whale Harbor  is one of the more interesting sandbars. Many others have a “thing”. Like this is a “family” sandbar or this is a “party” sandbar- Holiday Isle is a weird mix. There are young Miami kids with overpacked boats and booty shaking youngsters only there to have a good time, families with the little ones running around the sand trying to fight the current with their floaties, and the die hard fishing crowd that pulls up after a morning of angling. So in reality you have your pick of the day you would like to experience. As such, I would recommend taking a lap around before committing to a spot to try to find your ideal sandbar-mates.

The terrain, like the crowd, also changes pretty quickly. There are areas of beautiful hard white sand with the perfect level of water to sit comfortably and relax and then there are deep water areas with squishy sand that feels rather odd under your toes.

Overall, definitely a place to see and enjoy.  Oh did I mention we may have met Kenny Chesney? Not like any of us had the guts to actually ask him. But whoever he was- he was pretty nice.

For more adventures be sure to follow me on Instagram @lets_go_florida!

 

Tortuga Music Festival

It’s gonna be a long weekend. Tortuga is a country music festival which raises awareness and money for Rock the Ocean – a conservation program saving our beautiful waters. Tortuga is also a sun filled party weekend filled with nonstop country music.

So let’s talk about the good. UMMMMM- sunshine, beaches, ocean, country music, and cold beer. You really can’t beat that.

Tortuga is set up right on Fort Lauderdale beach. There are three stages and the acts literally play almost back to back all day long. A good number of people attend and everyone is pretty friendly. Tortuga is unique in that you can literally bring a beach chair, hang in your bikini, and watch some of your favorites artists perform 20 feet away from the ocean.

And we aren’t talking rinky-dink country artists. This year hosted Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, Thomas Rhett, and the ever delicious Sam Hunt to name only a few.

Now for the negatives: tickets are super expensive (general admission at about $115.00 per day) BUT if you think about the amount the artists you see in a day it is kinda worth it. Also, the sun can get super hot- so you have to be sure to drink water – and no the water content in your beer will not suffice. Finally, although people are nice it can be busy. So expect crowds and just chill if you have to wait a few minutes for another refreshment.

Now, lets talk about some of the cool things to do if you can’t afford the concert. Well for one if you have a boat be cheap and view offshore! Although you are not going to get great views, you can still hear the music and hang out in the sun. Check out some of the beach bars – Blondies was amazingly packed and super fun with the Tortuga crowd in town. Lastly, people watch. Duh- there are a ton of colorful characters wondering about so grab a beach chair, hang out the outskirts, and enjoy!

Be sure to check out our Instagram @lets_go_florida. Until next time!

 

The Ultimate Florida Vacation

Sure we live in a place where many vacation…but that just means we try to make our vacations even more epic! I want to share with you the itinerary from one of my favorite vacations.

Day 1:

My friends from up north arrived in Fort Lauderdale.  For dinner, we enjoyed some crispy southern chicken fingers and grabbed a craft beer at Royal Pig Pub. Then, back to the house for a few cocktails. The night was called to an end when my sweet friend from up north was found hugging a palm tree for a solid 30 minutes.

Day 2:

Time for the sun! We launched the boat and headed down the new river for a sightseeing cruise. Captain Bryan (the unofficial tour guide that no one asked for) pointed out celebrity homes and unique Fort Lauderdale spots. We stop to hang out at the Triangle and played a little volleyball with new friends. We rounded out the day with a stop at Bahia Cabana.

Day 3:

Time to head south. We headed down to card sound road to see if we could score any lobster. Unfortunately, the water was freezing that day. But, we lucked out and ended up with about 7 lobster to take with us.

We continued down to the Marriott Hotel in Key Largo. The hotel was nice but a pretty penny. We wanted to have our catch for dinner, but everywhere was an arm and a leg to cook the food we caught! Then we discovered Evelyn’s. They only charged us $1.00 to cook our lobster and the steak we had alongside was amazing!

Day 4:

We started the morning by fishing for dolphin offshore of Key Largo. It was a successful morning and we ran out of bait pretty quickly.  So, we headed into Pennekamp to snorkel the reef. Unfortunately, the wind kicked up and it was a tough swim. I have been to that spot at least five times and still can’t seem to find Jesus.

Big Chill was the place to go that evening. Ladies drink free! Even better, we were thrilled when a rock and roll magician was the hired entertainment for the evening. Yep, let me repeat that… a rock and roll magician.

Day 5:

Key West Bound! On the way down, we stopped at the No Name Pub to grab some tasty pizza and a cold beer. We even saw some key deer on our way back to the main road.

We stopped again in Sugarloaf to jump off the bridge. To be honest, I was terrified. But we all jumped and it was a great moment. (I swear it looks higher when you are standing up there!)

That night belonged Sloppy Joe’s, Irish Kevin’s, and Ricks. We finished strong by sitting on the sidewalk outside of the gas station that harbors the heaven that is Dion’s. Love that fried chicken.

Day 6:

Time to get our tourist on. I have been to Key West countless times, but somehow I have missed so many tourist attractions. We saw the Southern Most Point (nice walk), Hemingway House (just too many cats for my taste), and the Coast Guard Cutter Ingham (interesting but they charge active duty military which is lame).

That night we headed to trivia at McConnell’s Irish Pub and Grill on Duval. It was the hardest trivia ever! They asked us to identify the author by picture. Needless to say we lost.

After trivia, it was time for our reservation at Better than Sex. All I have to say is YES! It was absolutely amazing!

Day 7:

We took advantage of the great day and headed out to Snipe’s sandbar in back-country Key West. If you have never taken the opportunity to see the back-country, you are truly missing out. (Yes, there are things to do in Key West other than booze). The water is crystal clear, the sand is soft, and the little island even has a natural lazy river.

That night we headed to Captain Tony’s and tried unsuccessfully to get our quarter in that darn fish’s mouth. We also took in some chill music at Smokin’ Tuna. The meal of the night was the ever delicious Mr. Z’s pizza – a Key West night out staple.

Day 8:

It was time to head back to reality. But not before stopping at the Key’s Fisheries for an amazing Reuben.

Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram lets_go_florida!

 

 

Spoil Islands of Vero Beach

 

In Vero Beach, Florida? Make sure to check out the spoil islands of the Intercoastal Waterway. The spoil islands offer an amazing place to picnic, play games, or have an awesome bonfire!