One of the joys of RV life is the freedom to choose your surroundings and even your weather preference.  We have discovered one of our favorite places to be is the Florida keys in winter. It has everything from sunny days, warm temperatures, and beautiful water.

The water is the main draw for us, in addition to the great weather, and fishing is our main activity, providing hours of enjoyment and a great way to stock the freezer.  We fish from bridges, docks, boats, and even the kayak. Bridge fishing in the Florida Keys is a popular activity, thanks to the abundance of fish species and the picturesque scenery. The Keys are home to numerous bridges, which provide anglers with excellent access to a wide variety of fish, such as snapper, grouper and jacks. Boat fishing provides an even greater variety as in addition to species found by the bridge, the boat offers the chance to reach deeper waters and larger fish. Several times we rented a center console boat for a day of fishing. Usually, we would go a few miles offshore, fishing among the reefs and deeper water, and even trolling. Once while trolling, we caught a barracuda. It was exciting as the fish fought, jumping from the water as Steve struggled to bring it in.

Another great way to enjoy the water and get some exercise is kayaking. It is a wonderful way to explore the region’s natural beauty of clear waters, mangroves, and coral reefs. With clear shallow waters along the coast, it provides a peaceful opportunity for close-up viewing of marine life and various birds and mammals on the shores. With the windy days this year, we didn’t get the kayak out as much as wanted, but the couple of trips offered the great chance to see an osprey up close and watch a shark in shallow waters.  

When not enjoying the water, just being in a tropical paradise is reason enough to spend winter in the keys. Palm trees, sunshine, and pina coladas make for relaxing afternoons and evenings. The majority of the RV resorts are on the water and even have several sites with beautiful water views. Additionally the campgrounds have various amenities from pools to individual tiki huts to restaurants and bars on property.

The one drawback to RVing in the keys, is that it is very popular and therefore not always easy to get a spot. In addition, the resorts take advantage to everyone wanting to be in paradise, and the sites are very small with little privacy. Maybe we just need our own home in the keys to enjoy every winter.