Travelling the Keys, The Keys Shuttle
We were in Miami and after a first day of not being able to rent transportation, we had to pivot and restructure our itinerary around travelling via shuttle.
The next morning we woke early to check out of AC by Marriot Doral, and catch our shuttle bus to Hawkes Cay Resort, which we already missed a night at. This required taking the hotel shuttle back to the airport to embark from there.
Based on timing we arrived 1 hour early and had time to wait in the airport. Thinking about the cited 4 hour bus ride from 10:30am to 3pm (it would have been a 2 hour plus change car drive, if we were able to procure a rental car), we decided to grab some food to snack on. Although we still had our leftover bbq from the previous night and the cup noodles I have been lugging around.
It turns out the shuttle would be a private ride, so the time cited above was cut in half as we were the only passengers and on a bee-line trajectory. I was thankful to be able to make up some lost time.
Seeing the bold purple and fuchsia stand in the airport, my partner suggested we grab some empanadas from Half Moon, advertised as the best empanadas in Miami.
All pre-made in a showcase for grab and go with both traditional and modern flavours, as well as savoury and sweet options. We got a box of 4 choosing the guava and cheese, spicy chicken, original beef (which is their best seller); and cheesy guacho, which was described as having beef, cheese, peppers, and bacon. I imagine this like a deluxe pizza, but as a doughy baked pocket.
We would nibble on these during our 2.5 hour shuttle ride from downtown Miami to our resort at Duck Key. Each empanada has its own personality, the highlight being the slightly sweet and buttery dough crust.
There was so much zesty flavour in the beef. I was not expecting so much over flowing filling from the guava and cheese. Savoury with the cheese, making it not too sweet, this was my favourite and the best pairing with the crust. We found the spicy chicken the most dullest, based on comparison. I liked the bits of rice and the spice, but could have used a greater mix of ingredients like the one below. The cheesy guancho was my partner’s favourite. He likened it to a pizza pocket with all its cheese, veggies, and meat. This was definitely the most flavourful. I wished we grabbed more during our limited time here.
As we travelled, our shuttle driver regaled us with history and facts on The Keys, including the story of Mr Henry Flagler and how he helped to develop the land, giving Miami’s its name, and building the railroad to connect all of the individual islands of together.
Today the railroad still stands, divided into segments with their own style and structure. Although most have become fishing, biking, and walking paths; as locals and tourists alike are opting for the single road, one way in and out of The Keys.
Fun fact, all the train tracks still have the original iron that was used. Most of it has rusted, and some have been repurposed into hand rails at 113 years old. The track with arches, that are shaped like a bridge, are designed for shallower waters.
As we stopped or passed by points of interest our personal Keys tour guide pointed out notable landmarks and offered to stop should we want a pictures.
When it came to driving out of the city and past the Everglades, we learned that they act as a filter for all the water run off before it gets to the ocean.
And that the stretch of highway we were on divides the Atlantic Ocean on the left with the Gulf of Mexico on the right. There are are no waves in the Keys, which means no sandy beaches; as it takes waves to grind rocks down into sand. So if you are on a beach in The Keys they have imported the sand there.
Key Largo city is the unofficial start of The Keys, as per the locals. Here you will notice they start to stray from big box, international stores; and instead there are lots more mom and pop shops with character. They call these businesses and buildings “Key-sy”, to refer to their homey and run-down aesthetic. All en masse it certainly gives a different vibe to things.
Our host also gave us great recommendations for beaches that the locals go to. And if we had our own vehicle, we would have checked it out. Like Lake Surprise, which is salt water, and therefore surprising.
Bahia Beach is the one the tourist flocks to, but Sombrero Beach in Marathon is a lot nicer apparently.
When we asked about the weather we learned that we were visiting during the peak of hurricane season. But it was still 5 days out and only at 50% chance. And had we caught the hurricane, most only last 3-6 hours, and once it blows over it is gone. Whereas the water is brings with it is the real killer. If you are not prepared it washes boats, vehicles, and structures away.
That is one of the reasons why you see houses on silts. The bottom floor it is not liveable, if it is flooded with salt water you have to replace everything. So it is mostly for aesthetics. Older homes are grandfathered and exempt from this.
There are also a number of dummy police cars on the road, they are unmanned and left in the meridian as a way to discourage tourists from speeding down the only straight of road in and around The Keys. Thankfully during our visit in the off season it was not so much of a problem, but with one road in and out it can and does get fairly congested during peak.
From our vantage point crossing over bridges and the highest point in The Keys, we got a look at the land masses under water. These are notable as discolouration under the water and have channel markers set to warn those in water crafts which ways is safe to go, so that the bottom of your boat won’t hit land. Red on the right and green on left when you are returning to shore.
We passed by Turtle Beach and learned that all the lights are red here from the traffic to street lights. This is to discourage turtles who lay their eggs here to not cross, as they don’t like the colour red.
Currently their largest seafood industry is spiny Caribbean lobster. They come without claws so they only eat the tail. The second largest industry is crab, which is also considered a renewable resource industry. Whenever they catch a stone crab, they only harvest the largest claw, and throw the crab back into to water to grow a new one. Before this it use to be fish and shrimp, which still and does speak to many of the restaurant menus.
This is also where the first half of our tour ended, with the second to pick up as we travelled from today’s destination of Hawks Cay Resort at Duck Key to our next resort, The Perry at Stock Cay, just before downtown Keys.
Another 2 hours of travelling where we learned about shops recommended by The Keys Shuttle team. They pride themselves as being the unofficial concierges of The Keys, and go out of their way to try and taste resorts menus and activities to be able to speak to them honestly and candidly for the customers they end up chauffeuring around. We certainly found it helpful.
For the sake of keeping it tidy and cohesive, here is what we learned and saw during the second half of our shuttle travel.
The Seven Mile Bridge is the highest point of The Keys, without being in the air. It is a 10 minute drive known for some of the best ocean views of The Keys.
We met Fred, the tree. A mascot of The Keys and a wonder as people can’t figure out how he is growing on concrete. They even decorate him with lights for Christmas.
Another point of interest is the over laid railroad bridges, built to widen the road. Our driver described this sight as “Looking at the end of time”.
We swung by Big Pine, where majority of the key deer are said to be, and where many of the locals live, due to the less expensive properties located here. This was a quaint town of palms and pine trees.
Our driver turned into Key Deer Blvd, so certain that we would encounter some deer, saying that like locals these deer have their go to favourite “bars” as well. Sadly we did not spot any. They are the size of a dog and some even have “racks on their heads”.
And this ends my history lesson and fun facts of The Keys, given unexpectedly and appreciatively by our “Key Concierge”.
