Road Trips South SOUTH RE GION Pick your pace in South Florida. Relax in the Keys or party in Fort Lauderdale. Either way, you’re never far from turquoise-blue water. ➑ Florida Keys Scenic Highway Pigeon Key, Monroe County Start your adventure in Key Largo at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. There are several ways to experience the country’s fi rst undersea park, including scuba diving, snorkeling or a glass-bottomed boat tour. Trekking farther south, you’ll come to the 7 Mile Bridge, a man-made wonder that proves getting there really is half the fun. This bridge connecting Knights Key to Little Duck Key o ers unparalleled views of paradise, with palms swaying in the breeze and pelicans diving for their dinner. If you’re here in springtime, turn your scenic drive into a scenic race by participating in the annual 7 Mile Bridge Run. Now, on to Key West. You could spend weeks soaking in all that this quintessential Florida vacation spot has to o er, but we’ll hit you with a few highlights. Start with a selfi e at the Southernmost Point. At the Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum, you can tour where the famed novelist lived and wrote. And end the day in Mallory Square with Key West’s famous sunset celebration, featuring jugglers, artists, musicians, food vendors and other colorful characters who make the eccentric town what it is. Just when you thought you’ve gone as far as you could in your Keys adventure, here’s the cherry on top: an excursion to Dry Tortugas National Park. Located about 70 miles west of Key West, the island park is accessible only by seaplane, private boat or— thankfully—a ferry from Key West. Once there, you can explore the 19th-century Fort Je erson, snorkel or dive in the reefs, and even camp overnight. ð Get ready for one of the most gorgeous rides of your life. This 106-mile road goes by many names, including U.S. Highway 1, the Overseas Highway, the Highway that Goes to Sea, and the magic carpet. But whatever you call it, the journey will leave you speechless as you start in Miami, connect the dots over the turquoise waters to the Florida Keys and end up in Key West. There’s always something happening along this route, but September is a great time to visit if you want to observe bird migration season and avoid the winter crowds. 26 4 VISITFLORIDA.com PHOTO: PETER W. CROSS
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