So you have a car and you want to get away from the tourist parts of Key West for a day. Well here are some things to do just a short drive away and not "Tourist Traps". Don't leave Key West only knowing Smathers Beach and Duval Street. Explore a little and have fun.
Check out Geiger Key Marina & Tiki Bar. Drive us US1 N and turn right at the Circle K on Big Coppitt Key onto Boca Chica Road. Drive for about 1.5 miles and turn left onto Geiger Rd. You can hang out o the restaurant and tiki bar and get some great food with a nice view. And when the Navy pilots are doing drills there is no better viewing area than here! Saturday nights isa always Steak night in the BBQ pit and Sundays is always BBQ chicken and ribs night. YUMMY! If you want to work off some of that food you can rent a kayak or paddleboard right there at the marina. There are some great cuts in the mangroves to explore.
Check out the Jumping Bridge on Lower Sugarloaf Key. Drive up US1 N and turn right at the blinking light at MM17 onto Sugarloaf Blvd. (Sugarloaf Shores). Follow the road until it takes a sharp right. To your left you will see a yellow barrier. Park and walk through the yellow fence barrier to the bridge. The water is about 15 – 20 feet deep. The current rips through under the bridge so fast that by the time you come back up from under water you're about 20 feet away from where you went in. Don't worry about getting carried away by the current though. The entire canal is only about 15 feet wide and at any given time there are about 25 Navy and Coast Guard guys there who are willing to help you in. You will also probably find a bunch of locals already there jumping in and having a blast!
Also at the blinking light at MM 17 is the Sugarloaf Lodge. The lodge and its tiki bar overlook the Great White Heron refuge and the backcountry. The restaurant offers pizza, subs and tacos, and the tiki’s Sugarloaf Punch is a hit with locals and visitors needing a refreshing cocktail. What’s in the punch? Rum, lots and lots of rum, so make sure you bring a designated driver if road tripping and wanting to taste what the punch is all about! Some of the best local Keys musicians are playing at the Sugarloaf tiki bar. No need to fight the Key West crowds when the music is better, the crowds are less and the beer is cheaper right here in Sugarloaf.
Have lunch or dinner at Boondock’s on Ramrod Key. Take US1 N to MM 27.5. Boondock’s will be on your left. They have a great tiki bar, yummy food, an art gallery and gift shop, and a miniature golf course that the kids will really love! And if you have a dog with you, Boondock’s is pet friendly; they even have a pet menu! Bacon anyone?? Boondocks is a little pricey for what you get but it is a chance to have good food, a lot of fun, hear local music on Ramrod Key and the onlu mini golf course in all the Florida Keys.
Visit the Blue Hole on Big Pine Key. Drive up US1 N to Big Pine Key, around MM 30. At the stop light make a left onto Key Deer Blvd. The Blue Hole will be on your left. Part of the National Key Deer Refuge, thisCheck out Geiger Key Marina & Tiki Bar. Drive us US1 N and turn right at the Circle K on Big Coppitt Key onto Boca Chica Road. Drive for about 1.5 miles and turn left onto Geiger Rd. You can hang out o the restaurant and tiki bar and get some great food with a nice view. And when the Navy pilots are doing drills there is no better viewing area than here! Saturday nights isa always Steak night in the BBQ pit and Sundays is always BBQ chicken and ribs night. YUMMY!
After visiting the Blue Hole, try and find the No Name Pub on No Name Key, connected to Big Pine Key by a small bridge. The Pub has, in my opinion, become a tourist trap but since it is about as much off the beaten path as you can get I felt the need to mention it. They have good pizza and other food. I won’t tell you any more than that on how to find it since finding it is the most fun part of this adventure. Once you find it, make sure to buy a t-shirt so that everyone knows you found this hidden gem. Many years ago the Pub was the best of the best of the locals hang outs but all good things must come to an end. One thing I do have to give them is the pizza is still amazing but be prepared to pay steak and lobster prices for pizza.
When I first moved to the Keys some of my best days were just getting in the car and going on what I called my "Ride to nowhere". I would just drive until I saw a street that looked interesting and turn down it. A lot of times I found myself turning around at a dead end but I also found some fun hidden places. There is so much more to the Florida Keys than you'll be told about by the Chamber of Commerce. Ask a local or just drive yourself around and get lost. You just might see a house for sale calling your name. When that happens call and we can take a look inside.
Gary
Gary McAdams, PA
