Tag Archives: florida keys
Journey Through the Florida Keys- Introduction
(from TryCharterFishing.com)
A Local’s Guide to Travelling through and Enjoying Paradise
KEY LARGO – ISLAMORADA – MARATHON – BIG PINE & THE LOWER KEYS -KEY WEST
As mainland Florida disappears into the passing reflections of your rearview mirror, and you become engulfed in the tranquil blues and greens of the Atlantic and Florida Bay waters, you soon realize that you’ve entered a part of the country that is truly unique.
A land unimpeded by sky-rise office buildings, rush-hour traffic jams and bright city lights. A place where nature overshadows development; where there are more saltwater canals and channels, than paved roads and parking lots; and where the preferred method of travel is by boat or bicycle, not by car or truck.
You’ve come upon a chain of islands where history is remembered through abandoned bridges, sunken fishing boats, hurricane monuments, and long lost lobster traps. A destination where anglers head to pursue world-record catches; divers and snorkelers voyage to explore the only living coral reef system in the continental United States; and visitors from around the globe travel to enjoy year-round sunshine, and balmy tropical temperatures.
You have arrived in the Florida Keys, and your journey into paradise begins here, with TryCharterFishing.com.
We’ve created a comprehensive Guide to the Florida Keys, that will assist you along the way as you embark on one of the world’s most scenic and enjoyable drives.
We’ll share with you our favorite activities; our must see attractions; the restaurants we eat at; and the hotels and accommodations that we recommend to our friends (when we get tired of them sleeping on our couches). This is an unbiased guide, written from a local’s point of view, that we hope will help you discover all the reasons we live, work, and enjoy life in the beautiful Florida Keys.
So follow along as we travel to Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon, Big Pine & the Lower Florida Keys, and finally Key West.
First stop:Key Largo 
A quick note about Mile Markers: In the Florida Keys, businesses and attractions are referenced by the green mile markers (MMs) located alongside the Overseas Highway (US-1). These begin in Key West (MM 0), and increase as you head east and then north to Florida City (MM 127.5). Throughout this guide we will refer to locations by the mile markers closest to them. “Bayside,” or “Gulfside,” refers to the right-hand side of the road if you are travelling towards Key West. “Oceanside” will be on your left. If travelling away from Key West, Bayside or Gulfside will be on your left, and the Atlantic Ocean will be on your right. Throughout this guide we will refer to the Bayside or Gulfside with a “B,” and the Oceanside with an “O.”
Sparky’s Landing: A Feature
To view a version that is easier to read please click on the article below. You will be taken to a new page where you can click on the icon and then zoom in or out.
Daytime Swordfishing in the Florida Keys- Cont.
Last month I posted about my Florida Keys daytime swordfishing excursions about the Permit out of Marathon, Florida.
Daytime swordfishing was rather new to all of us during our first few trips and though we did learn a lot, no actual fish were caught. We enticed a few hits, tore up some baits, and also acquainted ourselves with the basic swordfish rigs and bait presentation, but no trophy broadbill was hoisted through the tuna door.
I’m proud to say that this time we did better, and despite the presence of a few bananas (bananas are bad luck to have on boats), we were able to get a nice swordfish in the boat.
On our second drift of the day, this guy (estimated between 150-175 pounds) engulfed the squid and two hours later was on the deck.
Props to Permit Captain Ty Price, Captain Nick Borraccino of Marathon , and Phil Price, who fought the fish.
If you are interested in going daytime swordfishing in the Florida Keys please check out TryCharterFishing.com to get hooked up with the very best Florida Keys swordfishing captains and boats.
Restaurant Review: Lorelei (Islamorada)
Wednesday evening I had the pleasure of dining with my wife and mother at Lorelei Restaurant in Islamorada. My mother, visiting from Cincinnati, wanted an outdoor- Florida Keys style dining experience, and I knew that Lorelei was just the place for her to soak up the flavors of the Keys.
Below is my review of Lorelei Restaurant. I plan to make Florida Keys restaurant reviews a staple of FromtheYak.com (as long as my wallet allows), so check back soon and often to read more about the best and worst places to eat in the Florida Keys.
The menu: The Lorelei dinner menu offers basic fare with selections you’re more likely to find at your neighborhood Applebee’s than at a fine dining seafood establishment. The dinner menu is quite simple with eight sandwiches and seven entrees to choose from, as well as a dozen appetizers highlighted by peppercorn crusted yellowfin tuna, steamboat channel shrimp (fresh peel and eat), and tropical coconut shrimp served with an orange ginger dipping sauce.
The sandwiches, seemingly geared towards a bar crowd and anglers returning from a long day of pursuing bonefish in the backcountry, are anything but exciting. The sandwich selection reminds me of your run-of-the-mill chain restaurant menu and includes burgers, Philly cheese steak, prime rib and chicken sandwiches; with your only seafood option being the “catch of the day” (usually dolphin this time of year), or cracked conch.
The entrees, like the sandwiches, don’t jump out at you when reading about them on the menu. Baby back ribs, grilled chicken, prime rib, grilled grouper, fried shrimp, Alaskan Snow crabs and the “backcountry yellowtail snapper plate”- yellowtail snapper encrusted with parmesan cheese and topped with crabmeat and lemon beurre blanc, served with mashed potatoes & gravy and sauteed vegetables, are your only choices.
For desert, Lorelei offers chocolate fudge cake and of course, key lime pie.
The food: Since I do have a limited budget, and because I’ve had a craving for Philly cheese steaks ever since my last visit to Key West (Mr. Z’s), I decided to bypass the entrees and go with the Philly cheese steak sandwich. This turned out to be an excellent choice as the sandwich portion was large and it was loaded with peppers, onions, steak and CHEESE WHIZ, and came with fries. It may not have been the healthiest of choices, but it sure was delicious- and who eats healthy while on vacation anyway (unfortunately I’m not on vacation)? Plus, I was quite impressed with the moderate price of $8.95.
I’m guessing that my wife and mother, knowing that my wallet was a little light, took it easy on me and also bypassed the entrée menu, electing to go with the less expensive blackened fish sandwich (mahi) and cheese quesadilla. While there isn’t too much you can say about a cheese quesadilla, I will add that the fish sandwich was superb. The portion was above average, the seasoning was flavorful but not overpowering (you could taste the fish, not just the spices), and the dolphin was very fresh.
I can only speculate on the quality of the entrees but the consensus I gathered from looking around at other patron”s plates and from reading reviews online is that the entrees are good, but not great. As far as the sandwiches go, I would rate the Philly Cheese Steak and the blackened catch of the day 4 out of 5 stars- meaning I’d be happy to devour either one of them again.
The setting: The atmosphere, location and scenery at Lorelei are absolutely amazing! The setting, more than the food, is why you should come here for lunch or dinner. The landscape is tropical and waterfront, and Lorelei has its own beach where you can dine in the sand in your bare feet, as well as a tiki hut with live nightly music (and good music- Billy Davidson was playing); an unobstructed view of the summertime sunset (complete with moored sailboats to enhance your sunset photos); palms trees; a cabana bar; a marina; backcountry islands off in the distance; two tables set up as swings so you can sway back and forth while eating your meal; beautiful white wooden chairs and tables that add to the ambiance; a sandy area in back set up for receptions of private parties; and just about everything else you could possibly need to be reminded that you are indeed dining in the Florida Keys.
The service: My main complaint about Lorelei is the service. Our waitress was friendly and informative, but she rarely came around to check on us and she forgot to bring our drink orders on three occasions. Also, never once did she offer to refill our waters- which, when dining in 90-degree heat, is nice to have.
I don’t necessarily blame the waitress for the sub-par service as much as I do the setup of Lorelei. The tables are spread out across an extremely large property and the waitstaff has quite a hike to get from your table back to the bar and kitchen.
I suppose this is also why they have a limited menu- to try and keep things as simple as possible. Still, be prepared for a slow dining experience as the kitchen has a lot of dishes to put out.
My other complaint about Lorelei are the crowds. They do not take reservations and during season you will be hard pressed to find a table. From what I recall it is a ‘free for all’ if you’re trying to sit in the sand.
This is hardly a knock on the restaurant, after all, there has to be a reason they are busy. Just be warned that during tourist season you may have difficulty getting a table. Also be prepared for people to gather around your table and stand in front of you during sunset if you’re seated anywhere near the water.
The Value: The dinner prices are consistent with dishes found at other Florida Keys restaurants. $23.95 for the grouper entrée, $21.95 for the prime rib, $21.95 for the backcountry yellowtail snapper, and so on. The sandwiches were all very well priced and well worth the cost, and they did not charge extra for your choice of fries or sweet potato fries. The drinks- I had a double vodka with a splash of cranberry ($5.50), while my wife and mother had pints of domestic draft beer ($2.50), were also reasonable.
The Consensus: Definitely go to Lorelei, if only just once. This is the perfect place to grab a bite or cold drink on your first and/or last night in the Keys, to remind you why you came here to visit. The food is good, and the atmosphere is amazing! There are plenty of great indoor dining locations that serve more ‘advanced’ fare which you can dine at later on in your trip. None of them however, can match the ambiance of Lorelei.
Just remember to get here early during season as they don’t take reservations, and to bring your camera to photograph the sunsets over Florida Bay. The live music is great, very “Keysie,” and if you’re not hungry there’s a nice open-air bar to have a happy-hour drink at while overlooking the water.
On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being stay far far away from, and 10 meaning it shouldn’t be missed on your trip to the Keys, I’d give Lorelei Restaurant in Islamorada a solid 8.5. It’s the type of place you came to the Keys for.
Marathon, Florida 4th of July
I can’t think of a better place to watch a fireworks show than anchored off Sombrero Beach, in the heart of the Florida Keys- Marathon, Florida.
This 4th of July, the city of Marathon again put on a fantastic fireworks display viewed by thousands of people both on the water and on land.
Below are a few pics of the days festivities and fireworks.
Happy 4th of July
Have a wonderful Independence Day and please be safe- especially if you’re planning to watch the fireworks from the water. There will be a lot of boats out tonight so be patient and use good judgment. I will be watching the fireworks in Marathon, anchored off Sombrero beach aboard the Permit, so hopefully I will have some good photos to share.
In the meantime, here is a cool shot from last night of my friend’s son catching a mangrove snapper on a miniature fishing rod.
Reel Fiction
I paddled out the narrow canal and alongside the row of thirsty mangrove roots and then crossed the green water of the basin and headed towards the rickety dock at the mouth of the inlet. A light breeze had stirred a gentle chop in the channel and the saltwater slurped against the dock’s splintered pilings exposing sharp black barnacles that clung to the wood just below the high tide line. I maneuvered the boat alongside the outer piling and positioned its port side against the base to keep from drifting in the outgoing current. The barnacles scraped at the boat’s hard shell and made a painful crunching sound as the kayak rose and fell in the surf. I rested the paddle on my knees and reached into the bait bucket for a shrimp. The shrimp scattered and scratched at the plastic bucket and I pinned down a rather sizeable one and scooped it into the palm of my left hand. I bit off the tail just above the fan and threaded the hook up through the back and out behind the dark spot in the head so that the bend and the point were exposed.
The lively bait twitched and snapped and I tossed it into the water so it could breathe. I slid the rod from the mounted rod holder and flipped open the bail. I held the line gently with my forefinger to keep it from slipping and searched the water for any sign of movement. There was a faint ripple below the dock and I pitched the bait perfectly behind it and held the rod tip high to keep the shrimp from dragging on bottom. I delicately twitched the rod to enhance the shrimp’s presentation and suddenly the line went taut and I thrust the rod towards me to set the hook. The rod bent from the first eye down to the thicker middle eyes and there was a zip from the reel as line spun off against the drag. I tightened down on the fish and pulled rather hard to keep it from wrapping around the pilings and splicing the line on the sharp crustaceans. The kayak came loose from its moor and I drifted away from the fish which put even more tension on the line. I pointed the rod straight and let off the drag again to keep the line from snapping and the fish turned and swam towards me and I reeled hard and fast to remove the slack. I saw a flash of silver as the fish showed me its side and then it continued out past the rocks and towards the open water. It was a big tarpon, at least a hundred pounds, and I knew I was in for a ride.
There was a flats skiff heading out the inlet and the guide slowed to an idle and looked on as the fish towed me past his bow. The tarpon was taking me where it wanted to go and it dove deep and headed out the channel, veering to the west and through a trough that ran along the beach. It pulled at a steady pace with the wind behind me and the fourteen feet of plastic rode nicely in the waves and felt stable. I held the rod handle firmly in my left hand and clutched the paddle under my right shoulder, using it as a rudder to stay straight behind the fish. The strong fish showed no signs of slowing and it continued past the hotel pier, and then past the narrow beach and the row of pastel vacation rentals. There was a group of tourists out taking their morning strolls on the coarse sand and one saw the bent rod and pointed in my direction. I welcomed the attention and gave a quick nod as I glided by, pretending I was in control of my situation.
The sun was now beginning to climb in the morning sky and I slid my polarized sunglasses off my visor and over my eyes. The lenses cut down on the glare and the contrast of the clear blues and greens of the shallows came into view. I rested the paddle across my thigh and took a quick swig from the water bottle and placed it back in the cup holder between my legs. Without warning the tarpon turned hard and ran away from the beach and accelerated back to the east. I nearly lost my balance as the kayak swung completely around and a small wave crashed over the stern and soaked my back. Then a long dark shadow rose to the surface and a keen grey fin appeared just yards off the bow. It sped towards the end of the line with such aggression that I knew it was a bull shark, and acting solely on instinct, I reached for my pocket knife and sawed at the braided line until the tension vanished. The fish was now free and it raced towards the deep and just narrowly missed the shark’s charge. The big bull circled around once more and then disappeared below the surface and I could no longer see it or the tarpon and I assumed it was gone.
For a moment I was relieved for the fish and for myself, but then the shark reappeared on the starboard side and advanced a second time. The tarpon got hit hard and with such force that it rolled on its back and the shark ripped at its scaled flesh and tore the fish completely in half behind the pelvic fin. The tarpon’s head convulsed on the surface and blood poured into the water and I turned away and felt sick. For a moment I paused in disbelief but then a second dorsal fin appeared and I was quickly reminded that this was not a place I wanted to be. Not in an exposed small plastic boat especially. I reeled in the now weightless line and put the rod back in the holder and angled the boat towards the shoreline and headed quickly back home. I paddled steady and strong until I reached the shallow water and I sat back in the padded seat and took a moment to catch my breath.
I felt terrible for what had just transpired and I could not get the gruesome image of the attack out of my mind. I cursed myself for letting the fish swim into an ambush and for draining the energy he would have needed to escape the shark’s advances. I took a few deep breaths to calm my nerves and then turned back into the soft breeze and continued home. I paddled past a string of lobster buoys bobbing in the surf and I took a moment to appreciate how the sun had turned the sky pink and outlined the clouds the color of fire. On any other day I would have taken out my camera and photographed the beautiful images but right then I was in no mood. I waited a couple of minutes for several charter boats to speed out the inlet and for their wake to dissipate and I paddled near the rocks to stay clear of their path. I glanced over at the dock where I had hooked the strong fish nearly an hour before and knew that it would be some time before I pitched a bait there again.
Put the Rum in the Coconut
I blame Men’s Journal for arousing my latest craving; fresh coconut water and booze.
Twice in the magazine’s past twelve issues has an interviewee said that his favorite liquid concoction involves mixing fresh coconut water with alcohol.
First, it was Ozzie Guillen, manager of the Chicago White Sox, who shared that his esteemed drink of choice, in true Caribbean fashion, was made by slashing a coconut with a machete and then pouring the contents straight into a glass of Scotch.
Awesome!
I’m not sure how I feel about Ozzie as a manager (his tactics do make me laugh from time to time), but the thought of him hacking at a coconut with a razor sharp machete- half way through a bottle of single malt Scotch- sure sparked my interest.
Next, it was Jimmy Buffett, the man who the locals claim to hate (but secretly envy- who doesn’t?); and who the chambers of commerce rely on- as he draws tourists to the Keys every year looking to live out a line from one of his songs.
Buffett’s favorite creation of mixology, as he told Men’s Journal, combines coconut water, rum, a squeeze of lime, and glass full of ice- sounds refreshing doesn’t it?
Step 1- Find a coconut.
This is not as easy as you may think- although anyone living up north where there aren’t any coconut palms probably would find this step to be quite difficult to achieve.
Not to fret- if you’re unable to obtain fresh coconuts, coconut water can be purchased in your local grocery store. I haven’t tried it- but at least you know it will be the right flavor (more on that later!)
Usually, I will find coconuts lying on the ground that have recently fallen from my neighbor’s trees. “Usually” pertains to “when I’m not searching for one to crack open and pour into my booze,” so, of course, today there were none to be found.
Thankfully my neighbor, seeing me struggle to whack down a football-sized nut’ with a plastic kayak paddle, lent me her branch cutters- Thanks Sue. I was able to saw down two nice green coconuts filled full of coconut water (I could hear it swishing around as I shook them).
Step 2- Get the booze.
Now, I like Scotch… and I like rum- but seeing as it was 90 degrees with the sun baking down on my flesh the thought of Ozzie’s recipe didn’t quite attract me as much as Buffett’s concoction and the big glass of ice it was to be poured upon.
Rum it is.
Buffett’s recipe clearly states to purchase “good Carribean Rum.”
Define “good” Jimmy. Is it a relative term based on the purchaser’s salary?
If so, then I went above and beyond “good” when I splurged and spent $10 on a bottle of Trader Vic’s Gold Rum at Walgreens (yes our Walgreens sell booze down here).
Step 3- Open the coconut.
My machete needs sharpened; my health insurance doesn’t cover acts of stupidity; and I spent way too much time plucking the coconuts from the tree to spill one drop of water smashing them over a sharp rock. So, I drilled a hole with a power drill. Worked perfectly!
Step 4- Mix and Drink!
Next, I filled the glass with ice, shook the coconut until enough water drizzled out to fill the glass half way- then topped off the glass with rum. I squeezed a couple of lime wedges, garnished with a lime, and then drank…three.
THE VERDICT
Good. Not great, but good. I may have to try this again very soon as the verdict is still out- possibly tomorrow (for the sake of the blog).
The coconut water was not very sweet and almost bitter tasting in the second coconut I opened.
From what I gather the older the coconut is the more the liquid solidifies and forms the “meat.” Therefore, the younger coconuts are the ones that hold the most water and thus the best ones to use for your drinks.
I’m not sure which color of coconut holds the sweetest, but what I do know is that the green coconuts I had today did not add much life to the drinks I poured, they merely diluted the potency of the booze and added a very subtle hint of sweetness.
In theory, Ozzie’s drink makes more sense as a traditional Scotch and water (replace the water with coconut water) would probably be quite tasty. I think I would enjoy this variation more, and I think it may be research time.
To conclude, if you’re searching for a fruity tropical rum drink to sip on the beach I recommend going straight for the coconut rum (such as Malibu), and skipping all the effort that goes into obtaining fresh coconut water. The coconut water may not add the degree sweetness you’re looking for.
If though, you find yourself searching for a way to entertain your house guests, or just feel like mixing up a genuine Caribbean drink, then by all means, drill away.
Just find something better than a kayak paddle to knock the damn things out of the trees.
