Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44FOCUS - AUGUST 2016 39 I am always amazed at how many fantastic, North American destinations exist, and a recent adventure to Key West, Florida, re-confirmed the fact. Visiting Key West can be accomplished by cruise ship or by car, the latter be- ing the route I chose. A flight to Miami will get you in the right neighbourhood for your road trip south, and finding Highway 1, which winds through the many Florida Keys is easy to locate and provides an interesting and pictur- esque route. The first thing you need to know is, it is a good two and a half hour drive from Key Largo at the top to Key West at the bottom (without any stops). The second tip is about the cost of fuel. Gasoline tends to be as much as fifty cents higher per gallon, than in the rest of the state. Fill up before you reach Highway 1. Planning a fall or winter getaway to the Florida Keys will come with higher prices and much busier tourist traffic. If you want to avoid the crowds, May or early June are nicer, albeit warmer and more humid. To me, when you’re sitting on a beach feeling the warm ocean waves caress your toes, the temperature matters little, besides air- conditioning is everywhere. Check the weather before you go. June is the start of the hurricane sea- son, which in itself might be a unique experience, but not necessarily one you want to witness. The first Key you come to is Key Largo. I am not sure how famous it would be if Humphrey Bogart had not chased Lauren Bacall into the Caribbean Café, in the movie named after the Key. It is a cool place to hang out and experience the culture, espe- cially if you are into snorkelling, fishing or a multitude of ocean sports. If you were into shopping, I would bypass the Key Largo area (unless you are shop- ping for a margarita). A little further along the highway is the Key of Islamorada (eye-la-mo- rada). I made the mistake of pro- nouncing it Islam-orada and was fully corrected... several times. The area is a bit more peaceful than Key Largo, and a great place to spend the night. The warm Atlantic waves gently lap against the white sandy shores, and the restaurants are plentiful. If you like Italian there is well-known Di Giorgio’s, famous for its seafood risotto (which is delicious, by the way). If Italian is not your thing, there are dozens of restau- rants featuring seafood and meat. Islamorada is also home to Theatre of the Sea (a smaller, scaled down ver- sion of the big Sea World attractions in Orlando and San Diego). Stopping here on your adventure south gives you a break from driving through mostly single lane traffic, which can be heavy at times. After a nice dinner and a relaxing night at one of the many ho- tels (book ahead), you are ready to set out and explore the trip south. There are no shortages of art galleries and souvenir shops selling kitschy stuff, as ...................... Please turn to page 40 KEY WEST BIG PINE KEY & THE LOWER KEYS MARATHON ISLAMORADA K E Y L A R G O GO WEST, YOUNG MAN... KEY WEST, THAT IS! Shopping in South Florida can be fun.