After landing in Miami with Virgin Atlantic we jumped in to a cab and headed to South Beach for our four-night stay at the Park Central hotel. This is one of the original art deco hotels of South Beach. The Park Central hotel is well placed just a stones throw from both South Beach and from all the most popular local restaurants and nightlife hot spots making it one of the most popular hotels of its kind. Our days here were spent relaxing on the beach and soaking up the atmosphere in Miami.
After the madness of Miami we headed to pick our car up for our next destination, The Florida Keys, the famous 120-mile string of islands at the southern tip of Florida (I would recommend a convertible for maximum thrills for the drive down). Our first stop was Islamorada, a 90-minute drive from Miami for a two-night stop at Cheeca Lodge and spa. Cheeca Lodge is a luxury beachfront hotel with all the facilities you could wish for and also very family friendly. Head down to the hotel pier in the early evening and watch the pelicans catching their dinner. You wont be disappointed!
My recommendation is to head over the road to Morada bay, a chilled, laid back restaurant set right on the beach. The Cafe offers inside and outside dining area. It has great live entertainment. This place would not look out of place in California or Hawaii with its walls adorned with long boards, short boards and boogie boards as well as loads of original surf memorabilia. The food here is gorgeous with sunsets to match.
We all would have loved to have stayed here longer but there was so much left to see in Florida, so we headed south to Key West for our stay at Ocean Key Resort. I loved everything about this hotel from the décor and atmosphere to its location. Ocean Key Resort has the best position in Key West without a doubt. Rooms here either overlook Duval Street, the Gulf of Mexico or Mallory Square where they hold the sunset celebrations. The sunset celebration invites everyone to partake in watching the glowing pink and red sun sink into the Gulf of Mexico horizon. The nightly festival hosts visitors from all over the world to take part in magic shows, watch musicians, browse through local artists work, and sample the famous Key lime pie from local food vendors. The main street is called Duval Street and here you will find great architecture, restaurants, bars (the famous Sloppy Joes is located here) and of course Ernest Hemmingway's house. A trip here would not be complete without a photo opportunity at the southernmost point.
Travel Blog by Amy Corran
Phone Amy: 01873 566004
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