RV Camping in the Florida Keys: Key Largo
Monday, April 7th, 2008The Florida Keys are comprised of hundreds of islands that extend from the southeast tip of the Florida peninsula. The keys are connected to one another by 100 miles or so of US Route 1, which is made of roads and bridges that traverse the coral islands, turquoise-blue water and mangrove swamps. The keys are measured by mileage markers (MM).
The tropical climate, laid back attitude, and casual attires found in the Florida Keys are very similar to islands in the Caribbean. Indeed, visitors will feel they have left the United States altogether. Palm trees line the highway and Bougainvillea flowers provide splashes of color, while pelicans, egrets and herons can be seen everywhere during your stay. People fish from the numerous bridges and parks along the highway, catching snapper, eels, ray, and redfish.
We just returned from Spring Break in the Florida Keys and had a wonderful time, as usual. The daily high temperature were in the 70’s to low 80’s, about 20 to 30 degrees warmer than the temps in Maryland, while the night time temperatures were in the 60’s. The windy conditions prevented us from doing more water-based activities, but there was still a lot to see and do.
Just beyond the region where Highway 1 begins the southernly route to the Keys is the “Gateway to the Keys.” There is a lot of construction, which was begun before our last visit, two years earlier, and still has a way to go before completion. Concrete barriers make the roadway very narrow, so be alert when driving a large rig.
The first large island beyond the Gateway is Key Largo (MM 106 to MM 90), considered the Diving capital of the Keys, and home to John Pennekamp State Park, the only underwater coral reef state park in the United States. We snorkeled off the public beach area, and it was so silty and disturbed we really couldn’t see anything. In order to see the best of the park, visit one of the many dive shops in the area that offer snorkeling and diving trips within the park.
Camping in Key Largo is available, but make your reservations early, as there are not a lot of spaces for the transient RV’er. One thing you will find at most campgrounds in the Keys is a mish-mash of permanant and seasonal sites, mixed in with full hook-ups. Anyone who has RV’d for a while will know exactly what I’m talking about; old trailers that must be 30 years old are used as homes and have been built around, so that the trailer is encased in wood decks and a porch. The amazing thing is that these dilapidated campers on a 30 foot by 40 foot lot are selling for $300,000 or more! An inexpensive RV site with full hook-ups will run about $50 to $70 in season (November to April).
Campgrounds in Key Largo are Key Largo Kampground, Kings Kamp and Camp Calusa (they don’t have a site, but the Dacron’s have some pics on their site). We personally did not stay in these campgrounds, but camped further south and made day trips up to Largo.
If shopping is your thing, you will be tinkled pink to go shopping in the Upper Keys if your into the trashy-tourist look. There are several swim suit/ lingerie shops, as well as typical beach vacation fare such as shops selling shells and beach blankets. Key Largo is also home to one of the few K-Marts in the Keys. Load up on over-priced essentials here or pay way more as you get farther South. The good news is that everyone is so casual, you don’t need to pack much but a swim suit and a couple of resort-casual outfits to last you a week.
Just south of Key Largo is Tavernier, supposedly named for the favorite hang-outs of the Seamen stationed here in the 1800’s. One day, while Rich was trying to catch the elusive Bonefish, I took the girls to visit The Florida Keys Wild Bird Sanctuary, located here on the Bayside. The Sanctuary started in the 80’s, when a local veterinarian asked a fisherman to take care of some injured birds. Today the Sanctuary has thousands of birds and a small nature walk complete with information on local trees and plants. I really enjoyed the educational aspect, while the girls had a blast with a caged talking parrot. The sanctuary is tucked in the trees and easy to miss, and apparently doesn’t have regular operating hours. More amazing is the place receives no government funding, and relies solely on donations.
Restaurants are easy to come by in this area, but I honestly can’t tell you anything about them since we didn’t eat here. Key Largo is just a “passing by” kind of place for us. There was a gas station (I think it was a Texaco?) on the bayside across the street from a shopping center that had a menu of Cuban cuisine that looked promising. I love ethnic foods like tamales and empanadas, and would have tried it had we not been late meeting Rich at the marina in Islamorada. One place I really wanted to visit is the Key Lime Products store at MM 95. I can devour tons of Key Lime pie, and absolutely die for the Key Lime Pie frozen on a stick and dipped in dark chocolate. I am ashamed to admit I ate 5 pieces of key lime pie in it’s various forms on this trip, but it was soooo awesome!
We just returned from our third Spring Break in the Keys, and as before, travelling I-95 was challenging at times. For those travelers who have yet to experience the joy/pain of driving this road during Spring Break, I wanted to share our observations.
