The Keys

The Keys 2007

Sunday October 14th 2007

Click on each picture to make it bigger, then back to return here.

Took a drive to the keys to check out the dog friendly hotels. This was in preparation for the Green Family who are visiting form the UK.

The drive was 120 miles, and took about 2.5 hours to reach The Continental Inn and Resort. We stopped along the way at a few hotels to check them out and take a few pictures. Web site pictures look much different than what you see in person, so we decided to see for ourselves. In the keys, most locations are done by mile markers. 0 is the southern most point of the keys. From there the numbers rise upwards.

Located at Mile Marker 76 is the White Gate Court Resort. The first thing the manager said as we inquired, was that this is a dog friendly resort, while others are only dog tolerant. This means the hotel welcomes dogs.

The web site for White Gate Court is here. http://www.whitegatecourt.com/

Does it look like the web pictures in person? Yes it does, and destiny was very happy to be here. She ran around investigating the grounds. She played with other dogs on the property.

We keep heading south, and the mile markers decrease. We're at mile marker 58 and arrive at the Bonefish Resort. Do the pictures above look like the web site. Kinda. The web site pictures make the resort seem more spectacular than it is. And that's why you'll see some reviews of frustrated people who thought they were getting something more. After visiting White Gate Court, this place doesn't even compare, even if it does cost less. Look at the pool in the pictures above, and then compare it to the picture in the web site below. The shot of the pool is taken at an overhead angle from a balcony making it look more spectacular than it really is.

http://www.bonefishresort.com/

Next up is the Continental Inn. This is where the Green Family stayed. In the first picture is the sign where a left turn is made. To reach the Continental Inn, take US-1 south to Mile Marker 54, then turn left on Sadowski Causway. From there follow the road to Ocean drive, make a right, and the resort is at the end of the street.

http://www.marathonresort.com/

So here we are at the Continental Resort. Does it look like the web pictures in person. For the most part yes, although on this day it was over cast, gray, and raining. Not the same dramatic look as a sunny day with pictures taken over head like those on the web site. Plus there won't be island music playing when you're there in person. These pictures are more realistic of what to expect.

More pictures of the resort, a picture looking inside a room that was being cleaned, and the current price list.

Next to the Continental Inn is Sunset Park. Dogs are allowed here.

Next up on our little tour is the Sandpiper Motel located at mile marker 48.5. The motel is 6 miles to the south of the Continental in the middle of downtown Marathon. Do these pictures look like the web site here?

http://www.keysmotel.com/

Kinda, but then again, the rooms are only $65 a night plus tax. Dogs are allowed here, but they can't chase the cats that are on the property, and they must be well behaved. Again, after visiting White Gate Court, nothing else compares.

Located at mile marker 86, which is about 22 miles north of the Continental Inn is the Chilli Willies Bar and Grill in Islamorada. This place has great food, with many TVs over head to watch the football games. We ate here before heading home.

More notes, about 4 miles to the south of the Continental Inn resort, is downtown Marathon. There is every kind of fast food restaurant you would want to visit, such as McDonalds, Burger King, KFC, Taco Bell, and other restaurants found in big cities. There is also a Winn Dixie grocery store, Publix grocery store, and a CVS pharmacy.

Saturday October 20th 2007

Laurie and I drove down to the Keys to meet the Green Family. Oliver answered the door. A few pictures of the room and a gift they gave us.

We drove to Honda beach and went snorkeling. We saw a sting ray.

Next we drove up to Islamorada to check out Holiday Isle. We at lunch at Sportfish bar and grill.

After that we came back to the Continental Resort to have some drinks and relax. In the 5th picture is what it looks like from a lounge chair. As you can see in the 6th picture, the chairs work pretty well at making people go to sleep.

Joe and dad playing catch in the water while everyone else watches.

We drove home that night and Destiny was happy to see us. She's crashed out with me as I watched TV.

Wednesday October 24th 2007

We drove down to the keys on a Wednesday, and Destiny was with us this time. We went to the Dockside bar and Grill for lunch.

The restaurant is located on the ocean side of the keys. There are fish, barracuda, sharks, and birds waiting for handouts. People walk up to the edge and toss food into the water. The birds will catch the food out of the air.

Here's Destiny enjoying the restaurant.

Here are pictures of the food we ate.

We visited a beach nearby. Destiny went for a swim, everyone played with her.

More pictures of Destiny having fun in the ocean.

After the beach we headed to our room at White Gate Court. This place is amazing, our own cottage with a full kitchen, living room, bath and bedroom. It's like being in a house. We had cottage #7, which is the largest and well worth the extra money. We ate lasagna, had drinks, ice cream, and relaxed. The Greens stayed for a couple hours then went back to their room at Continental Inn. After they left I walked Destiny around the grounds. It was a very relaxed feeling knowing I could let her run free and not worry about anything. Other guests would pet Destiny and they were very friendly. If I had to use one word to describe the feeling of being here, it would be tranquil.

The next morning I woke up early and took pictures of Destiny walking around the beach area. We packed and headed home. Destiny really enjoyed the stay at White Gate Court. This is THE place to go if you have a pet. Sure you'll pay a little bit more, but it's well worth it.

Saturday October 27th 2007