The Conch Republic, so named by its inhabitants during a brief scuffle with the federal government in the 80s, promises year round balmy weather, surrounded by blue green waters. With an incredible range of accommodations, from tenting (I’m not kidding) to decadent opulence, this is the place to visit, particularly in these times of economic turmoil. The Keys consists of literally hundreds of islands, but can be roughly segmented into three vacation areas, each offering a different vacation experience. The Upper Keys, The Middle Keys and The Lower Keys (encompassing Key West, the county seat) are the typical areas vacationers describe. Each has a unique charm, but the real caché associated with the Keys, is a funky island atmosphere typically found in the West Indies. The Florida Keys, however is so much more than that.
Vacation Accommodations of the Florida Keys
With all types of accommodations available from camping at Long Key State Park, condo/home rentals and luxurious estate rentals to some of the best Florida water front hotels in the state, virtually anyone with any budget can find terrific place to stay within the Keys. Interestingly, the Keys has a dearth of beaches, therefore for the most part, the most interesting places are located on the “Bay side” where you can watch sailboats and cruisers make their way to the numerous restaurants, bars and nightclubs which offers interesting views after the sun goes down.
One point that needs to be made: if one is renting a home, the likelihood of it being equipped with a pool is fairly low. Therefore, if a pool is a “must”, most hotels and vacation condominium complexes typically will be the best bet. After engaging in water sports above or below the surface, nothing is more refreshing than a dip in the pool, followed by a cool drink on the balcony as the sun starts to dip below the horizon.
Keys Water Sports from the Tropical to the Sublime
There is an awesome number of water sports in which one can participate in the Florida Keys, from snorkeling ( a few miles off shore on the reef) to water skiing, sailing, kayaking, Jet Skiing, parasailing and just exploring the area by boat at any one of the boat rental locations. Whatever one has a taste for, water-wise, you can certainly find a way to satisfy it. Most confine their boating to the bay side, however if you wish to SCUBA dive, the reefs off shore, as mentioned previously, are only a few minutes by boat and the waters, for the most, are relatively calm. There are numerous qualified and licensed dive operators with any number of choice dive locations, featuring explorations on wrecks to reefs.
Fishing is incredible in the Keys with an enormous variety of fish and fishing techniques challenging the skill of almost any fisherman. Depending upon one’s sense of adventure, there’s all types of deep sea fishing off both southern and the western shores of the Keys as well as fishing trips into the Gulf of Mexico towards the Dry Tortugas. There’s fishing off the reef (make sure to obtain a fishing license) and flats fishing. Also for the adventurous there’s excellent fishing within the Ten Thousand Island chain between the Keys and the southern tip of the mainland. If a fisherman wishes to try his luck in this venue, make sure to hire a guide, because every tropical mangrove looks like every other mangrove and it’s very easy to get lost.
Eating and Sightseeing: Great Restaurants and Natural Wonders
The keys, with its three areas to explore, there’s more than enough sights to see and tours to take. For the history buff, Key West offers both history and interesting architecture. The upper and middle Keys: Key Largo, Islamorada and Marathon are also great places to visit. Each has its own charm with numerous things to do. Don’t forget Big Pine Key, home of the National Key Deer refuge. Here’s an opportunity to observe the very unique and pint sized, Key Deer.
From conch fritters to five star dining and all manner of seafood, one will be able to enjoy some of the finest and freshest seafood in the country. There are probably hundreds of seafood restaurants servings everything from mako shark to octopus, as well as the standard fare one can find on the mainland. Certainly after a wonderful meal, real key lime pie is an almost obligatory desert.
The Florida Keys is the economical, relaxing destination that has things to do year round that you probably will not find in Milwaukee or Dayton. There’s a wide range of sights, sounds, people to see and things to do in a tropical, yet very American way. With the natural beauty of the waters and the tropical mindset that pervades the people who live there, the Keys is a great place to relax in the sun and forget all about the economic chaos.

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Florida Keys Transportation
Due to it’s location, the Keys can seem hard to get to and from. However, that’s the way most of the locals like it.
If there were 6 roads coming in here we’d be inundated. Whatever your form of transportation though, when you get here you’ll be glad you cameStatistics:
There is one major Highway in, US Highway 1
Automobile

• US 1

Driving distances throughout Florida from Key West

• Daytona 405
• Fort Lauderdale 177
• Jacksonville 493
• Miami 155
• Orlando 371
• Pensacola 792
• Tampa 387
  For driving distances to other Florida and US locations go to:http://www.ersys.com/usa/12/1216525/distance.htmAutomobile

Air

• Key West International Airport, 3491 S Roosevelt, Key West…..305 296-5439
• Cape Air…..305 293-0603
• Delta, Reservations & Information…..800 221-1212   Key West-Atlanta
• Cape Air…….800 352-0714   Key West-Ft Meyers-Naples-Ft Lauderdale
• Continental Connection…..305 294-9460   800 523-3273
• Florida Coastal Airlines…..305 296-9725
• Marathon Airport, Marathon…..305 743-2155
• Paradise Jet Support……305 743-4222

Other:

• Conch Air Bi-Plane Rides…..305 289-5558
• Coral Reef Air Tours…..305 747-2249
• Paradise Air…..305 289-0007
• Tropical Fighters…..305 743-4222
• Sugarloaf Key
• Fantasy Dan’s Airplane Rides, US Hwy 1…..305 745-2217

Key West

• Air Key West…..305 923-4033
• Aviation Alternatives…..305 248-1100
• Aviator Services Inc…..305 292-6402 (877) 700-7755
• Cape Air, 3491 S Roosevelt Blvd…..305 293-0603
• Island Aeroplane Tours, 3471 S Roosevelt Blvd…..305 294-8687
• Seaplanes of Key West/Dry Tortugas Trips, 3471 S. Roosevelt Blvd
• 305 294-0709   800 950-2FLY

Bus

• Greyhound Lines
• Makes numerous scheduled stops between Miami International Airport and the Keys, including Key Largo. 1-800-231-2222 or 305-296-9072.

Ocean

• The Key West Bight Ferry Terminal.
• The Key West express
• Travels between Ft. Myers Beach and Marco Island on Florida’s Gulf coast. The trip takes approximately 3.5 hours.
• For information go to http://www.keywestshuttle.com/

Cruise ships

• Arrive daily from all over the USA-
• Carnival, Celebrity, Costa, Holland America, Norwegian, and Royal Caribbean all visit Key West on cruises ranging in length from four to 14 days. Not only from Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and Tampa, but also from such distant ports as Houston and Galveston, Texas, and even Boston.

Wouldn’t it be nice to go on vacation and never go back. In the keys you can live the dream.

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Florida Keys Weather
The Keys sub-tropical climate offers year-round sports and recreational opportunities. Winter, spring and fall are filled with lots of sunshine.

The hottest month is August with an average high of 89° F and an average low of 78° F. In January the average high temperature is 74° F and the average low is 65° F.
There has never been frost or freezing conditions in Key West.
Normal annual precipitation is 39 plus inches, with the largest monthly totals accumulating from July through September.
Subtropics marked by two distinct seasons

Weather is what brings a lot of people to Southern Florida – particularly during the dry, mild winter.
It’s also what drives a lot of people away – particularly during the hot, rainy, sweaty, sticky summer.
Welcome to the subtropics, an area just outside the tropics, which lie between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. GENERAL WEATHER SAFETY
Lightning
• When lightning flashes, count the number of seconds before thunder is heard. Divide the number by five. The answer is the approximate distance in miles from the lightning.
• Never seek refuge from a storm under a tree
• Make sure you are not the highest object around you
• Avoid open fields, open water, beaches
• If you are on the road, stay in your car
Heat
• Avoid heavy exertion during the hottest part of the day – noon to 3 p.m.
• Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Remember, alcohol and caffeine increase dehydration n Wear a hat and sunscreen
Our subtropical weather is marked by two distinct seasons – the rainy season, part of which is hurricane season, and the dry season, part of which is windsurfing season.
During rainy season, May 15 to Oct. 15, Southern Florida receives 42 of its annual 53 inches of rain.
Rainy season temperatures average highs in the high 80s and low 90s and lows in the 70s.
A typical rainy-season day in Southern Florida starts with a hot, humid morning, followed by a hotter afternoon, clouds moving in from the east, and sometimes violent thunderstorms.
The frequency of summer thunderstorms has made Southern Florida the lightning capital of the world, so it’s a good idea to seek shelter as the clouds roll in.
Hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30
Emergency managers suggest that residents educate themselves about hurricanes and be prepared, just in case.
In contrast to Southern Florida’s rainy season, dry season is, well, dry.
Eleven inches of rain spread over six months doesn’t exactly put us in the same arid league with the Sahara, but the countryside can get pretty parched.
In one of those curious hydrological coincidences, the dry season also happens to be tourist season, so we have all those extra people using up the available water that isn’t replenished because it’s the dry season.
So water levels in aquifers can drop, and the South Florida Water Management District can impose water-use restrictions.
All this dryness can lead to serious wildfires, and residents are urged to clear vegetation around their homes.
People should never throw cigarette butts from car windows – that practice is bad for the environment at any time – but during dry season, it can easily and quickly spark a major fire.
Dry season temperatures average highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s.
But things can get chilly around here.
The big factors are cold fronts that occasionally blast through Southern Florida, bringing nasty cold rain and leaving behind unsubtropical, cold air.
You can usually tell when a cold front is coming without even looking at a weather map.
Southern Florida’s prevailing winter winds are light and easterly, but a couple of days before a front hits, winds pick up and clock around to the south – the winds are warm and the days sunny.
This is when area windsurfers load up their gear and head to their favorite sailing sites.
As the front approaches, winds shift to the Southern, then west – winds still warm, days still sunny.
Eventually, the front appears on the horizon like a long, gray wall; when it hits, the wind jerks abruptly around to the north, and the air behind the front feels as if somebody up north left the door open on a giant freezer.
Fortunately, cold temperatures following a front usually don’t last long.
Within a few days, skies clear, temperatures warm, and once again, Southern Florida shows off the weather that attracts all those winter visitors.
Then, within a few weeks, the overall dry, mild dry season gives way to the rainy, sweaty rainy season that drives them all away.
The above article was written by By KEVIN LOLLAR, klollar@news-press.com Published by news-press.com on November 3, 2003.
His emphasis was on the southwest area of Florida just above the everglades, however the article primarily relates to the Keys as well.

The Keys Temperature Annual high average

Month Air
January 7 4
February 75
March 78
April 81
May 85
June 87
July 89
August 89
September 88
October 84
November 80
December 76
Water temperatures go from 69 in January to 87 in July and August.

Other Keys Weather Indicators

Average Wind Speed 10.9
Clear Days 104
Partly Cloudy Days 155
Cloudy Days 107
Avg. Relative Humidity 74.5. To see stats by the month, go to
http://www.climate-zone.com/climate/united-states/florida/key-west/
*Although it looks like we have lots of cloudy days, the sun is out almost year round and the clouds are partial-not like in the Northwest (where I’m from) and it will stay overcast and dark for weeks on end.

*Also, although we do get rain here-it is a tropical rain and comes and goes quickly, generally acts as a refresher to the hot days..

To see average January temperatures across the United States go to http://www.mapsofworld.com/usa/thematic-maps/usa-temprature-january.html
Compare where you live or want to live in Florida. For more specific info, look at the area you are interested in and go to the weather page.

So what about Hurricanes, the rainy season and humidity?
We are a tropical climate, so our rainy season comes in the summer. Generally it will rain hard for a half hour then subside. It does get humid then. Although not as bad as you’d think. Our water breezes really help cool us off.
Hurricanes.
Despite four devastating hurricanes in 2004, the number of Florida visitors rose 7% to an all-time high of 79.8 million last year and is on target to hit 80 million this year.
To think on:
If you live on the coast you stand the greatest chance of having one affect you. Some areas of Florida have gone fifty years plus without one but you never know.
As a resident having lived in the Keys and now in central Florida I’ve been through them.

In my opinion, the best thing you can do is buy a home that was built after Andrew-August 92 that was built to stricter building codes. Have window protection and a backup generator and make sure your insurance is up to date. If they ask you to leave, do it!

Realize-If you live in an older home that was not built up to the stricter building codes (After Hurricane Andrew-August 1992) or you live in a mobile home you stand the best chance of having major structural damage.

Living on the beach in a mobile home is asking for it. Although, you may never have a problem, you’re still definitely taking your chances. Barrier islands and open-water Ocean or Gulf front are the most prone to damage.
Having lived in California, I prefer the threat of a hurricane however as opposed to an earthquake. At least you have a warning.

For current information about hurricanes go to http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
For 2005 climate info by areas go to http://www.coaps.fsu.edu/climate_center/LCD/2005LCD.html
For current weather forecasts by cities go to http://iwin.nws.noaa.gov/iwin/fl/fl.html
*Living in a waterfront home typically means that you will pay a higher Insurance premium. The insurance is higher due to flood and wind concerns.
Part of this is also because the pricing on these homes is higher so there is more value to insure against.

Having said all this, I can’t imagine living elsewhere. It is really great to wake up and it’s sunny out.
We spend over half our lives indoors…so when you do go outside, wouldn’t it be nice if it was warm and sunny?

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