The Brown Eyed Guide

This year, I think I caught the travel bug. I just returned from a place I like to call Paradise. Every vacation I seem to plan always ends up being back at Hawks Cay – which is located on Duck Key in Florida. Some people don’t see the fuss about Florida, but this island will absolutely change your mind about it all. The atmosphere is relaxed, the food is fresh and always delicious, the drinks are perfect! And the views are just breathtaking…

On Friday morning, my dad, boyfriend and I took a half day fishing trip. We hopped on the same boat we took the year before with the same captain and sailed off while watching the sunrise. At first, we were catching small fish on the reef, then we went out to about 350 feet of water and went for the big guys! I have never seen a more beautiful fish than a Mahi Mahi – it’s just such a shame that they lose their color after being in the fresh air. After two and a half hours of catching rather than fishing, we were exhausted and told Captain Dave we could head back to shore early. There was also a storm brewing out in the ocean that seemed to be drifting closer and closer towards us. Down in the Keys, there is a thing called “Catch and Cook” or “Hook and Cook.” Almost every restaurant on the Overseas Highway offers this option. You bring your freshly caught fish to the restaurant and they prepare it three ways: blackened, grilled and fried and you get your choice of sides. I highly recommend the FL Keys Steak and Lobster House – even if you don’t have your own fish to bring, all of the other food was just as delicious.

On both Friday and Sunday we made the trip from Duck Key to the Homestead Miami Speedway for the Camping World Truck Championship Race and the Ford EcoBoost 400 Sprint Cup Championship Race. Sunday was the big finisher for the NASCAR season. After an hour rain delay for the unexpected monsoon that crossed right over the speedway, the race was on and Kyle Busch took home both the win and Championship! I am very much into car racing because my boyfriend, Mike, drives a racecar – but on dirt rather than pavement like NASCAR. Although the racing season is now over, I am hoping to plan a trip to Daytona for the first time for the 2016 season opener in February (maybe more to come from that trip!)

The whole trip was fantastic! We took a ride down to Key West and visited the Southernmost Point in the Continental U.S., had some drinks on the very lively Duval Street and even dropped my mom off at a Drag Show. Every single place we visited I would recommend to anyone who is looking for a vacation spot. Of course our last stop before the airport was Jaxson’s Ice Cream Parlour in Dania Beach. The first time I ever went to Jaxson’s, I was completely taken aback by the size of the ice creams that they give you. Three scoops of vanilla to them is equivalent to a whole container of ice cream here in New Jersey. But, the ice cream is like no other you’ve ever had before, so it’s obviously another recommendation from me!

I love sharing my travel experiences with you and hope you enjoy hearing about them! Feel free to comment, like or share – I’d love to know some of your experiences and maybe we have had some of the same! An Early Happy Thanksgiving wish to all!