Family Restoration & Relaxation

Family restoration and relaxation was all I could think about heading in to the glum days of winter. We had run hard through the fall and the holiday season and we were due for a break. I found a killer deal on airline tickets that were direct flights so I jumped on them, and we surprised the kids. I even let the kids play hooky from school for a few days. Each kid took some time to come up with a must do on this trip. Our daughter wanted to see the Wynwood Walls, our boys wanted to do an air boat tour inside Everglades National Park. John and I wanted to relax with some quality family time away from the grind for a few days.

Miami

Wynwood Walls for a fun family morning — The Miami neighborhood of Wynwood has murals everywhere. What a fun morning!

Mother and daughter at Wynwood Walls — She even let me take a picture with her!!

We rented a car at the airport and set off for our adventures around Miami and Miami Beach. We ate at the famous El Mago de las Fritas and met El Mago himself. After that we set off for Biscayne National Park which offers a fabulous boat ride out to Boca Chita Key where you can enjoy the quiet and the interesting history of the little island. Although there isn’t much to do in Homestead, FL, it’s a good jumping off point for Everglades and overnight spot before heading down the the Florida Keys.

Biscayne National Park at Boca Chita Key with relaxing blue waters — Boca Chita Key, part of Biscayne National Park

The Keys

We had some great stays down in the Keys. There are a good many choices for a family of 5. We stayed in Marathon Key where we had access to stand up paddle boards and kayaks, and tiny private beach with a pool. You will have as much fun skipping around from Curry Hammock State Park, Sombrero Beach and Bahia Honda State Park as we did. You can snorkel close to shore, play silly family racing games across the sand and soak up the warm sun. Don’t forget to leave some time to relax!

Stand Up Paddleboard at sunrise in Marathon Key wake up restored — Sunrise on a Stand Up Paddleboard

Relaxation on Marathon Key — Marathon Key

The end of our trip was spent on Key Largo where we stayed a Baker’s Cay Resort which is in the Hilton family via the Curio Collection. I cannot say enough wonderful things about this resort. The property was stunning, the activities were awesome, the food was great, and the staff was wonderful. My oldest son is a sailing enthusiast and spent hours racing the hobie cats up and down the area offshore from the resort. The hotel has lawn games great for healthy family competition as well as a stellar pool set-up with a separate kids pool from an adults only pool. Inside we had fun with the pool table and giant scrabble board. John loved the shaded beach area that was much quieter than the large open beach area. We truly wished we had stayed for a week!

A mix of fun and relaxation

Sailing and racing in Key Largo with blue water and blue sky — I’ll race ya!

Shaded beach area to relax at Baker's Cay resort in Key Largo — Shaded beach at Baker’s Cay Resort

swim with dolphins in key largo — Swimming with dolphins at Dolphins Plus

As we returned home we felt relaxed and restored and solidified again as a family. We love our active lifestyle here at home, but it is so good to get away from the daily mundane and be together having fun.