The Florida Keys were definitely on our destination bucket list for multiple reasons. We knew that securing a campsite in the Keys during the Winter months would be challenging but we had no idea how challenging it would be! We had zero success booking at any of the three Florida State Parks, so we had to compete with all the snowbirds for an RV Park site. The Keys has a year round population of around 13,000 residents, but they receive 65,000-80,000 visitors a month in the winter and almost that many the rest of the year. It’s clear that many people want to be warm when their home is freezing (we’re looking at you Ontario snowbirds!)
Scenic Beauty: 5/10
Florida is flat, flat, flat! What makes the Keys scenic is the gorgeous turquoise water of the Caribbean Sea. The beaches and palm trees make the Keys a truly tropical destination and for beach lovers, it would be hard to beat.
Weather/Climate: 6/10
The winter months see lows in the 60s and highs in the 70s, while the summer months see highs in the upper 80s. The Keys are humid and bugs are rampant; though a local did tell us that the sand flies seem to stop biting you after you’ve lived there for six months. It was truly lovely to be so warm during the month of February, Steve especially enjoyed the warmth. The major drawback to living in the Keys is the yearly threat of hurricanes. The most recent hurricane to devastate the Keys was Irma in 2017. It’s hard to imagine living your life with the possibility of losing everything lingering every June-November.
Arts and Culture: 3/10
Do you like to go to bars with middle-aged men singing Jimmy Buffet and Tom Petty? If you do, the Keys are for you! We were totally taken aback by the number of bars that had live music in Key West, too bad none of them were playing anything we wanted to stop for. The closest city for any major Arts and Culture would be Miami, almost a four hour drive from Key West.
Food: 6/10
There were lots of great food options here in the Keys! From the solid Cuban food and coffee to the amazing seafood options, not to mention the prevalence of delicious Key Lime Pie! There was no shortage of great places to eat, and Steve said he could imagine himself going fishing for our weekly fresh catch if we lived here. Too bad the groceries were about 25% more expensive than the prices we paid in Homestead.
Alignment with our values: 2/10
We felt more uncomfortable in Key West than any other place we have traveled to so far. The area clearly has a “old white dude” vibe and we were significantly younger than the vast majority of visitors. What really made us uncomfortable was the sheer amount of hateful propaganda merchandise that seemed to be offered for sale at every shop. We felt out of place and like people with our values were not welcomed anywhere in the Keys.
Florida Keys Grand Total: 22/50
At this point the Keys are definitely not a place we could see ourselves living, and frankly, it seems unlikely that we would ever return for a second visit.
Left to right, top to bottom: At the Southernmost Point of the USA, Sunset at Mallory Square, one of Key West's many free roaming roosters, delicious seafood dinner at Southernmost Beach Cafe, Sunset at Mallory Square, the best Key Lime Pie from Kermit's, amazing coffee from Cuban Coffee Queen, gorgeous views from Key West Garden Club, our super expensive campsite on Big Pine Key
Comentários