the mrs. everything : Travel the South: Lake Worth, FL and the Keys

We have really enjoyed the several trips that we have made to south Florida and I want to share some of our favorite spots with you!

1. Lake Worth, FL

Lake Worth is a quaint, quiet, eclectic little beach town in Palm Beach county. One of our favorite things to do is grab a slice of pizza at Mamma Mia's and then take a stroll down the Lake Worth Pier. The water is crystal clear and the view is just perfect. We also love exploring all of the shops downtown and grabbing some ice cream at Kilwin's or Hoffman's.

My favorite little breakfast spot, Benny's on the Beach, is located just at the start of the pier. We love to sit upstairs so that we can look out over the beach while we eat. Their Ultimate Island Toast is to die for.

2. Hilton Singer Island

On one of our trips, we stopped at the Hilton Singer Island on our way back from the Keys. Our room looked out over the beach and it was simply stunning. With a wonderful in-house restaurant, we really had no reason to leave! They have a gorgeous pool and you are just steps away from the beach. We played at the pool and then sat on the beach to watch the sunset. We ate in the restaurant for dinner and ordered room service the next morning before jetting out of town. This is officially one of our all time favorite hotels!

Cosmos by the pool?! Don't mind if I do.

3. Bahia Honda State Park

On the first trip that we made down to the Keys, we stayed a few nights at Bahia Honda State Park. We camped on the bayside and it was just so magical to wake up to such gorgeous views each day! They have beachfront campsites also, but all of their campsites book up so quickly, so we were lucky that we got one! It was surprisingly refreshing to sleep in a tent and "rough it" for a few nights. It was a fun adventure. There are several beaches at the state park and you can access the remaining portion of Henry Flagler's Florida East Coast Railway that runs through the park. You can walk out on the bridge and lookout over the water. It is breathtakingly beautiful. Bahia Honda is one of those places that you just have to see to believe. We still talk about it all the time!

4. Islamorada, FL

One of the mega highlights of our trip was swimming with the dolphins at Theater of the Sea. We have been twice now and have had such amazing experiences both times. Unfortunately, I did not get to swim with the dolphins on our first trip because I was pregnant. (Apparently dolphins know when you are pregnant and will circle around you and not let anyone else near you.) The second time, we took the bigs kids and I opted to let Chase swim with them and I sat with T. I did get to kiss the dolphin and it was just fun to watch! At Theater of the Sea, they have activities set up throughout the day and when you pay for the dolphin swim, general admission is included. We booked our spots several months in advance. We saw the dolphin show, the sea lion show, and enjoyed all of the other parts of the park. The kids and the hubs LOVED swimming with the dolphins. Such fun memories!

After spending the majority of the day at Theater of the Sea, we were pretty hungry. Although there is food at the park, we decided to go find somewhere on the water for a late lunch. While driving out of Islamorada, we spotted Island Grill. We sat outside and our table looked straight out over the water. There was a nice breeze and a view like you wouldn't believe.

My husband and I were big Dexter fans and in one of the episodes, Dexter's friend Camilla sent him in search of the perfect key lime pie. Since then, my husband has been on the same search. Although he says the best is at Marlin Grill in Sandestin, FL, the key lime pie at Island Grill came in at a close second.

5. Key West, FL

On our first trip to the Keys, we drove all the way down to Key West for the day. While it was nice to experience, Key West is rather touristy and ummmm....a little dirty. We much preferred Bahia Honda and Islamorada. We went to Hemingway's house, took a picture by the 90 Miles to Cuba marker, and drank coconut water straight from the coconut. We also walked through Mallory Square, home of the world famous sunset celebration.