Page 5 - AAA Central Penn – AAA Now! – January/February 2016

WITH YOU ON
THE ROAD OF LIFETM
AAA
TM
Warm Up Your Winter in the Florida Keys
The Sunshine State’s southern tip has unique experiences that tempt visitors ranging from foodies to marine enthusiasts. Miami has flair and excitement. Key Largo and Key West have a more tropical laid-back feel.
The drive from Miami to Key West is 203 miles, taking roughly 5 hours. But stop along the way and take a few days to experience and enjoy nature at its best.
Key Largo is the first major link in the Florida Keys’ chain along the Overseas Highway US1. This drive will introduce visitors to the lifestyle of the Keys.
Key Largo is nicknamed “the Diving Capital of the World.” Snorkeling, scuba diving, boating, sailing, and other various forms of outdoor activities are all available from numerous outfitters and guides. Key Largo is also home to John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, the first undersea park in the U.S. Features include a living coral reef, underwater bronze statue “Christ of the Deep,” beaches, a boardwalk through
a mangrove area and the Florida Keys Visitor Center. Snorkel to explore or take a glass-bottom boat tour.
Next stop, Islamorada. Visit the marine park, Theater of the Sea, where guests can look forward to live performances by dolphins, sea lions and parrots. The park provides special programs giving visitors an opportunity to swim with dolphins, stingrays, sea lions or sharks. Keys History & Discovery Center is presenting “Sanctuary Reef,” an intriguing traveling exhibit that offers viewers a “shrimp’s eye view”
of an oversized coral reef. The exhibit explores topics including reefs’ ecological and economic importance, the risks they face, what scientists are learning about them and how people can help protect them. Located on the grounds of the Islander Resort, a Guy Harvey Outpost at mile marker
82 oceanside, the center is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays. “Sanctuary Reef” is to remain on display through Feb. 28, 2016. For more information, visit www.keysdiscovery.com.
Then on to Marathon, a family-oriented island community situated at the halfway point to Key West. Kids will enjoy the Turtle Hospital and the Dolphin Research Center. Both provide visitors unique up-close interactive experiences. At this point, you will reach the famous Seven Mile Bridge. One of the world’s longest bridges over open water.
Continuing on the journey, across the Florida Keys to Key West, it seems like the road almost floats surrounded by crystal clear water and riddled with tiny islands and boats. Key West is rich with history, from being the home of Hemingway to the festivals on Duval Street. Walk to the most southern point of the U.S. where the highway ends at Mile Marker 0 – just 90 miles from Cuba. Enjoy the nightly sunset celebration at Mallory Square dock.
One of Key West’s best-known historic sites is The Audubon House and Tropical Gardens. Built
in the 1840s by Captain John H. Geiger, the house sits on the property where John James Audubon identified and drew a number of Florida birds during an 1832 sojourn in Key West and the nearby Dry Tortugas. Today, his family’s home is a museum that showcases both the Audubon connection and Key West’s early days. Situated on an acre of lush tropical gardens, the house is open for tours daily from 9:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. For more information, contact your local AAA counselor.
The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum is an AAA GEM attraction. The house and writing studio are set in a tropical garden planted by Hemingway. Guides and storyboards give an understanding of
his life and work.
One of Florida’s most popular attractions as well
as another AAA GEM, the Conch Tour Train has
been entertaining visitors for decades. Learn about the history of the train, a tribute to Henry Flagler’s engineering miracle when he brought the railroad
to Key West in 1912. Learn about Ernest Hemingway and Harry Truman. During the tour the train passes by many local landmarks, including Duval Street and the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum, Key West Lighthouse Museum and the Southernmost Point, as well as restaurants and unique shops.
Visit AAA.com/triptik to view additional drive trips for Central Florida and the Suncoast. Hertz and our various hotel partners offer AAA members discounted rates. Contact an AAA Central Penn counselor for assistance in planning your winter getaway.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016
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Now!