We had just gone through Key Largo and John Pennekamp Coral Reef Park. Now, the journey continues. As I head out of Key Largo and drive down US 1, the scenery begins to change. The hotels fade away, the dive stores and, souvenir stores slowly disappear. I begin to see the natural beauty of the Keys.
More palm trees begin to fill the landscape.
The smell of the ocean is strong in the air. I take a deep breath of the fresh, crisp, salt air and think back to the days of old, of how it must have been when all that was here were the tropical landscapes and the native Seminole Indians. There is a different beauty here for all of us to enjoy, as the Keys unfold down this tropical roadway. I pass some of the lesser-known Keys such as Tavernier and Plantation Keys, wonderful places to find adventure and the beauty of nature, though I need an insider to help me discover what lies here. I decide to continue on.