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Caribsea Captain Kenny Spaulding led angler Fred Beshara to the impressive catch.
It took us about five minutes to check in, change and hit the pool — it had to be some kind of record. There’s nothing quite like sipping a frosty adult beverage at poolside, and Mother Nature blessed us with perfect sunny and breezy days. The kids spent untold hours trying to kill themselves (or each other) in the pool and were thankfully unsuccessful. We played golf on the lodge’s nine-hole course and biked all over the grounds — in short, the kids had a blast.
Although I’d brought enough gear to stock a small tackle shop, I didn’t get a lot of fishing in. I got up early one morning and slipped down to Bud N’ Mary’s to wander around and make a few casts, and was rewarded with a couple of small mangrove snapper on a Gotcha. They weren’t big, but they sure were fun to catch on the quiet, beautiful pink morning.
The kids were worn out on the ride home to Orlando, and so was I — the Keys and Cheeca Lodge had done their work perfectly.
Trip Planner
There’s only one road in and out of the Florida Keys, so a trip down the Overseas Highway is your only option. You can fly into Miami International Airport and be in Islamorada in about an hour and a half by rental car.
You might also consider flying into the Florida Keys Marathon Airport via Florida Coastal Airlines (888-435-9322), which has regular service. Two charter airlines also serve Marathon: Seacoast Airlines (866-302-6278) and Paradise Air (305-743-4222). The Marathon airport is just a 45-minute drive from Islamorada. Rental cars and shuttle services are available.
For charters and dockage, your options include Whale Harbor (305-664-4511), Bud N’ Mary’s (305-664-2461) and a host of others.
And for a closer look at Cheeca Lodge and to book your reservation, visit www.cheeca.com.
