Tickets to paradise. Don’t be scared of Florida’s humidity. It’s breezy and cooler on the islands. To get there, grab a cheap flight into Miami on AirTran or America West, then enjoy the four-hour drive along the 156-mile Overseas Highway.
Sleep with the fishes. No, really. At Jules’ Undersea Lodge in Key Largo, guests don dive tanks and surface in a full-service underwater hotel ($295 per person per night; jul.com).
Good eats. No trip is complete without Key lime pie. Snag a slice at Seven Mile Grill, on rural Marathon Key just off the Overseas Highway (305-743-4481). Man cannot live on dessert alone, so head to Papa Joe’s on Islamo-rada for fresh conch fritters ($6; 305-664-8756).
Papa’s places. Many pilgrims pay homage to Hemingway at his old homestead (hemingwayhome.com). The museum’s chock-full of furniture, photos and more than 60 cats–many with extra toes, descendants of Ernest’s six-toed feline. We prefer to stagger in Papa’s footsteps at Sloppy Joe’s Bar, his favorite watering hole in Key West (305-249-5117). What better tribute?
