Thanksgiving in the Keys

I am not a fan of the cold and dreary weather, so it doesn’t take too much convincing for me to head somewhere warmer. We had the unbelievable opportunity to spend this past Thanksgiving camping in Key West with our besties. Now when I say “camping” I really mean “glamping”. Our friends had joined us on our camper life adventure and had actually reserved this campground before their camper ever in came in. They stayed at Bluewater Key a Luxury RV Resort a few years ago and told us we had to join them on a return trip.

My bestie and I scoped out all of the sites, as each is individually owned and has unique options and amenities. Once we found that there were two “buddy sites” we were sold. We stalked the website and called multiple times to make sure we could have the first opportunity to book these sites. I believe we actually had them booked almost a year and a half in advance. I’m sure you don’t have to be that prepared to find a site here, but we wanted very specific sites and very specific dates. Lucky for us we were able to book exactly what we were hoping for.

Now we live just North of Atlanta, GA, so a drive to the Florida Keys is at best twelve hours and that is without pulling a camper. We decided to spilt the over 800 mile drive by stopping for a night in Orlando. We stayed at the Orlando/Kissimmee KOA Holiday. This was a perfect stop. It was right off the Florida Turnpike and offered a late check in pull through site. We didn’t even have to unhook from the truck or really hook anything up. The gentlemen, who was working the night shift, was so kind and escorted us to our site and made sure we didn’t need anything. This was even around 11:30 at night. After a quick night’s rest, we were ready to finish the drive and let the vaca begin.

Having never been to this campground before, plus all of the preparation of booking so far in advance, and the 14 hours of driving, my husband and I were wondering to ourselves if this place was going to live up to its hype. Let me just say, the moment we were escorted through the gate toward our site, that question was undoubtedly answered. This place was paradise. There were two palm tree lined open grassy fields, one a Dog Park and the other a People Park. Each site was exquisitely landscaped with palms and other tropical plants that provided almost perfect seclusion from your neighbors. The sites were a combination of smooth gravel and paver stones, and each site came with its own personally styled and equipped tiki hut. Both ours and our friends huts came equipped with cabinetry, sinks, a bar, outdoor seating and dining, ceiling fans, lighting, TVs, and beverage refrigerators. The most prominent feature, however, was the private dock that comes with each site on the bay. This was the cherry on top that made every single hour of driving totally worth it.

Our families had the most amazing time that week. We brought inflatable paddle boards and kayaks, so each day was filled with fishing, paddling, swimming, and snorkeling. The locals described the water as cold, but you couldn’t keep our kiddos or even us moms out of that crystal clear water.

We did take one cloudy and drizzly day to drive the twelve miles into down town Key West. We enjoyed walking Duval Street, getting our obligatory picture at the Southernmost Point buoy, and finding some lunch at Caroline’s Cafe. A trip downtown wouldn’t be complete without some Cuban coffee and frozen Key Lime custard.

The Florida Keys are known for their amazing fishing. All of the guys had the chance to go fishing off of Marquesas Key, and brought back a yummy dinner of mutton and snapper. While they were out fishing, they spotted a sea turtle who was trapped in nets. They were able to free the turtle and save its life. On Thanksgiving morning we all woke up early and headed to the marina for a double family fishing trip. We could not have asked for a better day. The weather was perfect and the sea was not too rough. Our youngest caught a barracuda, our boys caught some snapper and grouper, our other daughter was catching a little of everything, then we turned to shark fishing. My husband was the first to reel in a 10 foot nurse shark. His buddy caught a bull shark about the same size. Our oldest caught a four foot lemon shark. Then I had the biggest catch of my whole life. I really wasn’t sure I would be able to hold onto the reel much less actually reel it to the boat. I had hooked an almost eight foot lemon shark. It had my heart beating and adrenaline thumping. Our guides were fantastic and really helped us all to enjoy the beauty and fun of fishing in the Keys.

Later that day we celebrated Thanksgiving together with a full out Thanksgiving feast (we did sub out a chicken for a turkey- camper ovens are quite small). There is so much we are thankful for and so much we don’t deserve.

That wasn’t our only celebration on this trip. My birthday was also this week. What else could a girl ask for? To wake up each morning, sit out on the deck, and enjoy my coffee while looking over the gorgeous bay. It felt like a dream. That afternoon I was out paddle boarding. Someone had alerted me that they had seen a group of manatees around the bend a little earlier. I paddled out to see if I could catch a glimpse of them. I was about to turn back when all of a sudden I was knocked off my board. I have never in my life moved so fast! I grabbed my hat and sunglasses that had fallen off and still somehow managed to grab my paddle and get back on the board in about 0.2 seconds. Much to my relief, I had accidentally floated onto the back of a manatee. Once I regained my composure and looked around to see if anyone had happened to see my little show, I was able to take in the majesty of these creatures. There was a kayaker who shortly came around the mangroves who heard my commotion. If anyone had actually caught that on video, I’m sure that would have gone viral. Though more exciting than I had hoped, it was a really cool birthday present to paddle with manatees.

I really didn’t want to leave this beautiful place. I loved the sunshine and the warm breeze. Plus the added bonus of NO SAND!!! I hope to return again at some point. It was a great vacation for relaxing and enjoying the breathtaking creation of our Father.

On our return we also stopped for a night in Orlando. This time we were fortunate enough to grab some sites in Disney’s Campground at Fort Wilderness. This is one of my all time favorite campgrounds. It was really nice to take a break from the over six hours of driving and gear up for the rest of the drive the next day. Even if you have no intentions of going to any of the Disney parks, a stay at the campground is a must.

This was an amazing family experience that I know my kids will cherish forever. If you ever have a chance to camp in the Florida Keys, I hope you take it.