Really Florida!

I have a few more photos to share with you. So far we’ve covered Bahia Honda and the Dry Tortugas, followed by Islamorada. In this post, we’ll take a look at what boaters see in the Keys.

This first picture is of Florida Bay, taken from Flamingo in Everglades National Park. Florida Bay caresses the Keys, providing smooth, shallow, warm water. Boaters are most likely to play in this area, as well as those fishermen stalking shallow-water game.

The Everglades aren’t precisely in the Keys, seeing as it’s on the mainland, but it’s tied directly to the Keys. The health of the Everglades plays an enormous impact in Florida Bay.

Anyway, Flamingo isn’t a widely-visited area. Not only is it a bit on the remote side (well, remote by Florida standards), but in the summer, the heat and insects are relentless. Unless you’re out on a boat, of course — the insects will give you a bot of a break. (The heat doesn’t let up, though.)

No real beaches in Flamingo, but there is a bot of sand here and there. For real (and real gorgeous) beaches, you’ll have to take a boat over to Cape Sable, located at the very tip of the mainland portion of the state. Cape Sable sits between Florida Bay and the Gulf of Mexico and definitely is remote, by anyone’s standards.

Intrigued? Here’s more information on the Everglades and the animals in the Everglades.

If you’re in the Florida Keys, you should take a sunset sail while here. The Keys are known for their glorious sunsets, and there’s no better place to experience one than on a sailboat of some sort.

There are all kinds of sunset cruises and sails available in the Keys — pretty much anywhere you are, there’s one available nearby.

Don’t worry if you are the seasick-type (like me) — the waters around the Keys are calm most of the time, with little wave action to bother you — it’s more like sailing around on a lake. Especially if you are on a boat out on the Florida Bay side.

If motion sickness does bother you but you’d still like to try a Florida Keys sunset sail, look for a catamaran, which is wider across and more stable. And go in the summer, when the waters are the calmest.

I hope you’ve enjoyed these Florida Keys pictures! I’ll post more from time to time, for your enjoyment.