- Let's go on a Florida Keys road trip.
(upbeat music)
We took a road trip from Fort Lauderdale
to the Florida Keys.
These are the very best things to do in Key West
with a few stops along the way.
(upbeat music)
We're at Dobbies on Islamorada Key here
and it's a great stop on your way down to Key West.
Now of course, water sports.
You can feed the tarpon when you're here.
You can go jet skiing, and parasailing,
and all kinds of stuff.
And it's a really cool, funky place.
There's some cafes and restaurants,
and you just gotta spend some time here.
(upbeat music)
(cheering)
- When you come to the Keys,
make sure to hook up with Sundance Watersports
and check out the parasail.
- That's gonna be us!
'Kay babe, you ready?
- Oh, I'm ready!
It's gonna be awesome.
- We're off!
(yelling)
- It feels absolutely amazing.
It's like smooth, it's like butter,
going up's like butter,
and man, this is a way to get a view of the Keys.
- [Woman] There are many places
to go parasailing in the Florida Keys,
and we loved our time with Sundance Watersports.
The guides were safe, fun, and experienced.
It felt like a true adventure
as we soared high over the Florida Keys.
What a really trifle way
to get up and see the Keys and the ocean.
It's just fantastic.
And they even gave us a little foot dip to end our tour.
Woo-hoo!
(laughing)
Woo-hoo!
- It was a great ride, beautiful views over the Keys.
Ya can't beat it, ya gotta go parasailing.
(bouncy music)
- All right, the big thing to do here
is to feed the tarpon.
But it takes a few tries to get it right, that's for sure.
(splashing)
(shrieking)
We're feed-
oh my God!
We're feeding the tarpon and the pelican took my fish.
Do not lose sight of your fish.
We're feed-
oh my.
Okay, when you're feeding the tarpon
keep your eye on your fish,
because it is war out here, it's war!
Here we go, I'm nervous.
(shrieking)
Whoa!
I felt it, I felt it right here.
(soft music)
We're in Key West with Honest Eco,
and we are going dolphin spotting
and snorkeling and kayaking.
It's a great day on the water.
Honest Eco is the first of its kind in the Florida Keys.
Captain Billy Litmer founded Honest Eco tours
with the vision of sustainability.
He designed and created
the first electric catamaran of its kind
in the entire United States.
And he takes passengers on an Eco tour
focusing on conservation
and developing an appreciation for the environment.
This tour has all of the best things
to do in Key West all in one day tour.
It's time for kayaking.
So they have a really great system here.
We're meeting up with the kayaks that are already out here.
It's really easy for us.
We just have to hop on in and go!
(drifty music)
Okay, I'm out on the kayak with my trusty guide Brady here.
Dave's on shore, or on the boat.
(laughing)
He's taking the day off 'cause of his back,
as you all know,
but that's okay because he'll be back in action soon.
It's just a beautiful day,
kayaking along the mangroves here,
and watching the cormorants take off.
It's really peaceful.
So peaceful.
Wow, so we've had some really great wildlife spotting here.
We've seen a stingray,
we've seen a bonnethead shark,
and now we've seen two frigate birds.
Not bad.
- At Honest Eco everything is organic as well.
Go snorkeling in the Florida Keys!
- [Woman] The Floria Keys
has the only living reef system in the U.S.
and they are working hard at preserving it.
We didn't see a lot of marine life
during our snorkeling tour,
but the waters of Key West are warm
and we did manage to spot a stingray,
some lobsters, and colorful fish.
Plus it's just fun to get in the water.
Don't go home without getting in the water.
If you're looking for a place for sunset,
Mallory Square is the place to be.
There's a big crowd though, so get here early.
But there's street performers, there's shops.
A little street vendors and everything out here,
and it's a great view of the sunset.
We're heading out on a Hydrobikes tour here in Key West.
And it looks like a lot of fun
and a cool way to watch the sun set.
(drifty music)
- Well, we're on these like pedal bikes, kind of cool.
You know, it's a different way to see the sunset
out here in Key West,
and wow, it's gonna be a beautiful one.
- There are a lot of different ways
to get out on the water in Key West.
There's the Schooner Tour, there's a sunset cruise,
there's the booze cruise, and the Hydrobikes.
So when you are out here,
you do wanna go and do a sunset sail
or something just to get on the water.
All right, so the way you turn
is one person goes backwards, the other goes forward.
It's really easy.
- They're easy to control, comfortable.
Funner way to spend a little bit of time out here.
- All right, we are going to do some mojito making
tonight at the Key West Distillery.
When in Key West, everybody drinks.
The Key West first legal rum distillery
is located in a historic building dating back to 1900.
It was originally Jack's Saloon
and then it was turned into the Coca Cola Bottling Center.
There's lots of memorabilia
and when you book a distillery tour,
you can view the way the rum is made
and then finish off by learning
how to make an authentic Cuban marjito.
- So this is how a mojito's supposed to taste.
We'll see how we do.
(bouncy music)
- We are making mojitos.
And the first thing we do,
this is the Key West fist.
Two scoops of sugar.
Okay, the next ingredient is Kermit's Key Lime Juice.
And it's a half an ounce that goes in next.
- Next step is the swirl and the smell.
Mm, smelling good already.
- Okay, it's the most important ingredient right now,
besides the rum, of course.
That would be the mint.
Now I like a lot of mint,
so I'm gonna take just a couple more, one more.
It's a minty mojito.
- A really important part is the modeling.
You have to do it at least 20 times,
and grind it into the bottom of the glass.
This is super important.
Woo, I'm workin' for my drink here.
- Okay, the next two ingredients
are the rum, of course, and then the seltzer.
It's seltzer or soda water.
And then the swirl is the most important.
So we're gonna scoop it around,
and you have to dance, oh yeah.
- And that's how you make a mojito.
(bouncy music)
- One thing you'll see here in Key West
are a lot of chickens.
They're famous for the chickens just roamin' around town.
There are many things to keep you busy in Key West.
Make sure to go bar hopping along Duval Street
and listen to live music.
Key West is also filled with historic buildings
like Truman's Little White House,
the southern most point in the continental U.S.
And of course Ernest Hemingway's house.
From 1931 to 1939
Hemingway called Key West home.
This national historic site is worth a visit
to see how Hemingway lived
and to meet the Hemingway cats.
The Hemingway cats are famous for their six toes.
There are nearly 50 descendants
of Hemingway's own six-toed cat named Snow White.
He named all of his cats after famous people
and the tradition continues today.
(upbeat music)
♪ Headin' on the Conch Train ♪
- [Woman] The Conch Train is a popular attraction
led by engineers who give commentary
while driving you through
all of the major Key West attractions.
It's a great way to get your bearings
and decide where to go next.
The tour is 75 minutes long and it's easy.
You just sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.
Our final stop takes us to the Dry Tortugas
located 70 miles off the coast of the Keys.
It is one of the most remote national parks
in the United States and makes for an excellent day trip.
We went there on a previous trip to Key West
and didn't take video then,
but we wanted to include it,
because it is a must do when visiting Key West.
It has one of the best beaches in the Florida Keys
and an excellent historic fort to explore.
- Woo!
Now that was fun!
- [Woman] When heading back to Fort Lauderdale or Miami,
be sure to stop at the Florida Keys Brewing Company
and stay the night.
You can do a brewery tour and sample their microbrews.
'Kay, when you come for a taste or here a flights,
they don't mess around.
We've got 10 different beers to get through tonight, people.
Woo-hoo!
It's also one of the prettiest breweries we've ever seen.
After you've done your tour,
there's also fine dining right next door.
And that was our Florida Keys road trip
featuring the best of Key West.
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