Vacation in the Florida Keys

I realized last fall that we hadn't been on a vacation since our honeymoon more than 4 years ago! Between me going back to school, being pregnant, and then having a baby, we just didn't make it happen. This year I was determined get away from the Maine winter and head somewhere warm. We chose the Florida Keys because it was warm, not too long of a flight (critical with an active toddler), someplace neither of us had ever been, and we could get there using my Southwest miles.

goal #1 accomplished

We stayed at an AirBnb because we knew we needed more space than a hotel room, so that Cooper could nap and go to bed early without Rory and I having to tiptoe around silently in the dark. We stayed here and it was wonderful. It was clean and well equipped. Being able to eat a lot of meals at the condo saved us $ and sanity, since eating out with Cooper is not always relaxing. It had a beautiful pool, where we spent a lot of time, and a nice sandy beach area (although you couldn't swim in the ocean there because it was a rocky coast). It also came with 2 bikes and 2 kayaks to use. Most afternoons while Cooper napped, I got to go out in a kayak. The water was calm and beautiful and there was even a private island not far away that I could paddle out to.

Given that it was our first real vacation with a child, we kept our expectations realistic. My only goals for the trip were to 1) run in shorts and a tank, 2) sit by a pool, and 3) spend time with my family. I accomplished all 3 on the first day!

The pool was amazeballs. And 88 degrees.

The area we stayed in was great for families. It is not high season yet, so the traffic was never bad and nothing was too crowded. But it was still warm and sunny for us Mainers! Most mornings we headed out to a park. There were a lot of great state parks where we could hike, explore, and play. Our favorites were Harry Harris, Windley Key, and John Pennekamp. They were perfect with a toddler because they were affordable, we could explore at Cooper's pace, and they let him burn off some energy.

Our one big splurge activity was Theater of the Seas, a marine mammal park. We all loved it way more than we expected. There was hardly anyone there so we got so close to all the animals. I even got a kiss from a dolphin and Rory got a kiss from a sea lion!

I have some mixed feelings about parks and zoos in terms of animal rights. However most of the animals here are rescues or the offspring of rescues. It was clear how much all of the staff loved and cared for the animals in the park.

This sea turtle was hit by a boat and had a damaged shell, so they made him a little life jacket so he could still swim

Every vacation has to include some yummy treats. We had key lime muffins from Harrietts, conch fritters (for me) and alligator fritters (for Rory) with key lime butter from Lazy Days, and amazing crab rolls (for me) and calamari rolls (for Rory) from What the Fish.


Naturally, no trip can be perfect. Unfortunately one night Cooper developed croup, which quickly worsened to the point where he was struggling to breathe so we ended up in the ER. Luckily for us, there was hardly anyone else there so he was treated quickly, responded well to the treatment, and we were headed back to our condo in less than 2 hours. However the next day, his 2nd birthday, was a mess. We were all tired, Cooper's croup turned into a nasty cold, plus his legs were sore from the steroid shots at the ER, and I fell on my run and skinned my knee and hurt my hand. But we muddled through and still celebrated with cake and ice cream.

Overall, we had such a great trip. I'd highly recommend the keys for families with young kids (and for anyone!) The weather was great, the food was great, and we saw a lot of neat things. Honestly though, my favorite thing was just getting to spend a solid week with my family. Rory and I work opposite schedules so that we don't have to pay for childcare, which means that we rarely get to spend any time together. It was such a treat to have so much time together, where there was nothing else we needed to be doing besides enjoying each other's company.

 Sadly our trip had to come to end and we headed home, just in time for a blizzard followed by sub zero temperatures. Yeah Maine.

Are you going on vacation this winter? Where? If you aren't, but could go anywhere, where would you go?