I just got back from a much needed vacation, and now that I’m back, it has made me realize how behind I am on everything – blogging included! I have a ton of photos and restaurant recommendations from around the Burgh to share with you in the days ahead, but while I am sorting through those – here are some recommendations if you find yourself in South Florida! We arrived on a Monday, and stayed through Thursday, which was great for avoiding crowds, plus we were able to get super cheap airfare through Southwest.
Day 1: We flew into Fort Lauderdale, and drove to Marathon Key. Late lunch was at Señor Frijoles, on Key Largo. We arrived in time for happy hour, and both got the Original Margaritas for $4. They gave us three types of salsa when we sat down – a sweet and spicy, a mild, and a hot. The mild was our favorite, and neither of us had the courage to try the hot! Dan ordered the burrito, which was enormous, and I ordered two soft tacos – one chipotle chicken, and one barbocoa beef brisket. The brisket was incredible, and definitely my favorite. It had a garlic and sea salt rub, and just a hint of spice. The chipotle chicken was also good, but it had a smokier flavor than I was expecting. I ordered the tacos with Mexican toppings (red onions, cabbage, house made cotija cheese), but they do have the option for you to get Americanized toppings as well (lettuce, cheddar, tomato).
We stayed at the Hyatt Place on Marathon for the first two days, and it was a decent hotel. It wasn’t super fancy, but there was a great place to watch the sunrise from the marina, and the saltwater pool was nice. Free breakfast and parking was also a plus! The best deal I found was through Booking.com, and using my Genius discount. I shopped around for the best hotel rate, and was a little too addicted to the fact that you could reserve ahead with no fee and cancel for free.
The first night was stormy and rainy, so after exploring the hotel area and marina, we went to a nearby Publix (favorite grocery store ever) and picked up a mini picnic dinner (fried chicken, southern style potato salad, and beer). The beer we tried was Sandbar Sunday, by Islamorada Beer Company. It is an American Wheat Ale, and it is perfect for lounging on a beach, or taking along on your boat trip. Or in our case, watching the Penguins game from the comfort of our hotel room.
Gebby Adventures 