Hog Heaven Sports Bar & Grille

A nice surprise off Overseas Highway in Islamorada, Hog Heaven has a menu that varies from (delicious) BBQ to fresh fish. They even have their own house beer.

For lunch, we ordered the pulled pork BBQ sandwich (absolutely fantastic, definitely order this!) and the fried dolphin (mahi mahi, for those not used to proper fish names). Order the onion straws, they were so very good and unlike anything we've ever had.

When you arrive, walk through the bar and indoor dining room to the outdoor patio and deck that faces the ocean, where there is patio seat (under a porch roof) and deck seating (under umbrellas).

Pilot House Restaurant & Marina

A definite must-go in Key Largo (and all the locals and annual vacationers know it, too), the Pilot House Restaurant and Marina has good food, a very cool vibe, and live music throughout the week.

For dinner, we ordered the French Dip sandwich, which was huge, almost hanging over the plate. We also ordered the Cuban sandwich, which was fantastic (and needed a lot of napkins).

To enjoy the glass bottom bar, as to sit outside on the deck, and for the best underwater view, sit closer to the bar area (although that's also the loudest part of the bar). We sat at a table closer to the marina, and while it was enjoyable to watch the boats come and go from the marina, but were really looking forward to watching fishes while dining.

John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park

One of the best snorkeling locations on the east coast is John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park.  From the visitor's center, you can board a catamaran to be taken out to one of the various snorkeling sites in the park. The site you'll be taken to is dependent on the weather and ocean for the day, so you never know what you might get to see.

You can either bring your own snorkeling equipment, or rent it from the visitor's center, including wet suits.  It takes about 30 to 40 minutes for the boat to get out to the snorkeling site.  Once there, you get about an hour out in the water to see some beautiful coral and sea life.  This is definitely a trip that is worth it and we'd highly recommend visiting when in Key Largo.

Courtyard Key Largo

The Courtyard Key Largo is located right on the main highway of the Florida Keys, US-1, making it easy to get to.  It's location also makes it easy to access other Upper Keys such as Islamorada.  The hotel offers free parking to guests, which in certain parts of the Keys can be hard to come by.

We didn't get to interact much with the staff in our 2 nights here, but they were friendly in our brief encounters.  The rooms are quite spacious, but at least for our room, there was no special view.  The bed was very comfortable and housekeeping did an excellent job each day cleaning the room.

My only complaint for this hotel is I feel it is a bit overpriced.  At almost $250/night after tax, I feel it should be much more luxurious.  While this is definitely a very nice place to stay, the rates should come down.