I was planning on going to Destin but a friend of mine suggested starting in Ft Lauderdale and going down to the Keys. It seemed like his suggestion had more to do.

Destin - Beautiful beaches, fun night life.

Ft Lauderdale - good beaches, maybe see some of the everglades, cuban food in miami, then trip down to key west or just part of the Keys like Key Largo. I've heard that driving down to the Florida Keys is a 4 hour trip because you can only drive so fast.

What things can I pack into a short mini vacation week?

Kids or no kids?

No kids. Myself & the GF. I'm 40 & she's 28 (brushing my shoulders off) so we still do active things.

The water in the Florida Keys is beautiful. The drive down the keys is worth the time. We flew from Houston to Ft. Lauderdale to Key West so I can't tell you about the drive from Ft. Lauderdale to Key Largo. Key West has a ton of bars so if you like that then it is the place for you. There are also a lot of water activities and some neat things to do in town. A lot of the keys were damaged during Irma (I think it was that one) but Old Town Key West is fine. A friend lives in Sugar Loaf Key and has reported back. Hemmingway's House is neat. You can walk or bike almost anywhere. The beaches are man made but pretty. The reefs keep the natural sand away from the island. I enjoyed our time there. We took the trolley tour around town and that was neat. We rented a car one day to make the drive up the keys to Key Largo and back, other than that we didn't need one while there.

All that said. I prefer the Florida panhandle just because I like the beach. I don't like Destin. It is too commercial and there are too many people and too much traffic. I prefer Pensacola Beach. There is still a lot to do but it's a little more easy going than Destin. Just depends on if you want to deal with all the people.

It has been a while but I would say the drive from ft lauderdale to Key West is 6 hours and could be more depending on traffic

If you're going to drive to the Keys, fly to Miami...not Ft. Lauderdale.

Weather sent our flight to Ft Lauderdale.

I did the drive last year (from Destin to KW), and while it is pretty, after a while all the scenery kind of looks the same. I guess to me, it's a thing to do so that you can say that you have, but I definitely wouldn't do it again. I can definitely see how some would enjoy it, but I hate driving, hate traffic, and would rather spend that 4-6 hrs with a cold beverage in my hand than driving slow on a two-lane road behind somebody with no place to be.

That said, we love the Keys and there is a ton to do there, but I'd personally just fly in, Uber to hotel, and rent bikes for the rest of the week.

I'd say they are two totally different types of vacation, though. If you want to chill out on the beach and just relax, go Destin/Gulf Coast all the way. If you are looking to do more, see historical stuff, take excursions, more unique bars, restaurants, and shops, then I'd go KW easily.

Miami and key west is a lot
More sexier

bigboykin said:

---

I did the drive last year (from Destin to KW), and while it is pretty, after a while all the scenery kind of looks the same. I guess to me, it's a thing to do so that you can say that you have, but I definitely wouldn't do it again. I can definitely see how some would enjoy it, but I hate driving, hate traffic, and would rather spend that 4-6 hrs with a cold beverage in my hand than driving slow on a two-lane road behind somebody with no place to be.

That said, we love the Keys and there is a ton to do there, but I'd personally just fly in, Uber to hotel, and rent bikes for the rest of the week.

I'd say they are two totally different types of vacation, though. If you want to chill out on the beach and just relax, go Destin/Gulf Coast all the way. If you are looking to do more, see historical stuff, take excursions, more unique bars, restaurants, and shops, then I'd go KW easily.

---

This!!