Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail: Day 1

Day 1 - Travel Day to Key Largo, FL

On Wednesday, December 1st, we began our journey by traveling from home, in North Augusta, SC, to Key Largo, FL.

We decided to fly into Miami (although in hindsight, flying into Fort Lauderdale might have been a better option). We flew Delta and it was an amazing, smooth experience. Because we were traveling so light, we did not need to check any luggage. We carried our backpacks (keeping liquids and electronics separate and easily accessible for the TSA checkpoint). For the trip down, I also had a smalll duffle bag with everything packed in that we needed for our 25th anniversary vow renewal ceremony the next day. I even packed a folded box that I'd use to mail the ceremony items home so we wouldn't have to carry them for our hike.

The only issue we had getting through airport security was with the small bottles of sand we were taking down for our "sand ceremony". After a quick check to make sure it was, in fact, sand and not an explosive material, we were on our way. 

The staff and plane for Delta were awesome! We were greeted with smiles and waves. We felt genuinely welcome and while masks were required in the airports and during the flights, no one excessively enforced it and we were allowed to remove them for eating and drinking our in-flight snacks. I've never eaten pretzels or sipped soda so slowly! 😁

Our flight from Augusta Airport to Atlanta was short and boarded so smoothly and quickly that we actually flew earlier and arrived earlier than expected. The weather was perfect for flying! I love to fly, riding in the clouds is beautiful and reminds me of how small we really are!

We had a short layover in Atlanta, where we ate dinner (Popeyes Chicken, which was delicious, even with being served at the airport). There were charging ports accessible from almost every seat in the terminal for charging our phones.

After our layover, we boarded our bigger plane to fly into Miami. There was plenty of legroom, games to play on the media screens in front of us and the staff was again, welcoming and friendly. It was dark for most of that flight but looking out over the lights of the cities below us was beautiful too.

We landed in Miami just before 9:00PM. Already, we were in a different world. Laid-back and warm. The airport was large and a bit intimidating, making sure we went through the correct doors and trains to get to the rental car area. I was a bit worried about traffic in Miami, although there wasn't any need to be, it turned out traffic wasn't bad at all. I feel sometimes we worry about a lot of things only to find out everything is going to work out, I know I'm guilty of that sometimes.

After pricing ride shares, taxis and other options for the sixty-five mile trip we had from the airport to Key Largo, we decided that a rental car was our best option. This would allow us the opportunity to stop by the grocery store for some items we couldn't fly with and we would not have to stress about whether or not our ride would show up.

We rented a small SUV through Thrifty. It wasn't as "polished" as some other rental car companies, but it was inexpensive and by signing up for their free customer loyalty program, we were able to skip the lines at pickup and didn't have to pay a security deposit. The rental was more than adequate for what we needed. I did have to pay extra for a "one way fee" since we weren't returning the car to the same location. This is pretty typical for rental car companies, and even with that fee, the total price was still a little less than a taxi and a lot less expensive than a ride share.

After a quick stop at a Walmart Market (just a grocery store) for the few items we needed, we were FINALLY on the last stretch to Key Largo. The weather was so nice, we rode with the windows down. Traffic wasn't bad but we were passed several times by plenty of folks that didn't appreciate us observing the posted speed limits on the stretch of US1 that enters the keys.

We stayed the first two nights at Hampton Inn - Key Largo. I cannot brag enough on this place! It was not only BEAUTIFUL but the staff went above and beyond to make sure our experience there was amazing, and it was!

We stayed in a beautiful corner king suite overlooking the bay, on the gulf side. They had free breakfast (one of the few locations in the keys to do so). The price was average for the area and, we felt, a good value. The hotel was walking distance from several great dining options!

It was late when we got to Hampton Inn. I had completed check in through their mobile app and had already received my digital key. When we arrived the digital key wouldn't open the exterior door we needed to gain entry for access to our room. We found a staff member and even though he was on break, he quickly assisted us. In fact, he walked us all the way to the door to make sure we could get in.

Our room was spacious and comfortable. There was a king sized bed, a small couch and a furnished balcony. The bathroom was large enough and they provided plenty of towels and toiletries.

We were exhausted from traveling all day so after getting things ready for our 10AM voe renewal ceremony the next morning and beginning our hike the next afternoon, we went to sleep.

Day 1 was hectic, but nice! We were excited to finally be in the keys and beginning our journey that we had planned for almost two years!