The Keys — Blog - Parsley and Pom Poms

Zach surprised me for my 30th birthday. I am not surprised he planned a beautiful getaway for us, but I was surprised about what he planned. I LOVED it.

Islamorada in the Florida Keys is less than two hours from our home in South Beach, which is a perfect distance for a night away. Zach arranged with my girlfriend about watching Ethel for the night. THANK YOU Col!! Colleen, her husband Steve, and sweet boy Hudson, joined us for brunch at Yardbird on my birthday morning before we ventured off to The Keys. Also, a surprise! Oh, and Yardbird is one of the best restaurants in SOBE. Check it out HERE. The Eggs Benedict and pretty much everything else on the menu is to die for.

We checked into Cheeca Lodge early afternoon with champagne in hand and more awaiting in the room - good move Z. I slipped on my new favorite swimsuit from PacSun and we headed out paddle boarding on the still ocean. Kayaking, snorkeling, fishing excursions, golfing etc. are all available at the resort. They even have clear canoes! We spent majority of the afternoon just chilling by the water sipping on daiquiris and munching on Grouper ceviche, yum! Early evening, we took a quick trip off the resort to Morada Bay (very close to Cheeca) to see the sunset on the bay. Upon return to Cheeca, we ordered take out from Nikai, the sushi restaurant on property, and ate dinner at the tiki bar right off the beach. The sushi was wonderful. I love a unique roll option, which they had! My favorite rolls were the Big Kahuna: tuna & avocado topped with lobster salad, pineapple ginger glaze & toasted macadamia, and the Dirty Vegas: tempura shrimp & escolar tartar topped with spicy hamachi, sweet chili garlic sauce, tempura crunchies & black sesame seeds. So, so good!

The backdrop and beauty of Cheeca is perfect for a romantic and celebratory weekend in both daylight and darkness. The long dock is a perfect little stroll under the stars before bedtime. We closed off the night with a toast on our private balcony. I will never forget my 30th birthday or Cheeca Lodge. We will be back! xo RCN

Zach and I share a very dear friend that recently visited us in Miami. Danny made the short trip from Philly to hang out for a few days and also to run the Miami Half Marathon. We figured since running 13.1 miles can take a lot out of a person, why not help Danny get his groove back after the race by celebrating with some cold beer and sunshine (Z and I sat this race out!). Being that Islamorada is not all that far from Miami, we figured let's all make it a first together, and head south to the Keys to enjoy some local beer after the weekend run.

Both Florida Keys Brewing Co. and Islamorada Beer Co. are located in Islamorada. Both places are designed colorfully, stocked with delicious on the spot brewed beers, and full of fun bar games. We went for the beer, though giant life size Jenga can be quite fun, too. Florida Keys Brewing Co. was my favorite of the two stops. And, if you are along for the ride and don't actually enjoy drinking beer, you may at the least enjoy reading the names of the brews, like, Pelican Poop, Iguana Bait, or Rum Smuggler.

I'll be back to the Keys in a couple of months. Any suggestions for other cool places to visit? Please let me know! xo RCN