Overlooked: The Florida Keys in fall

In just a few weeks, the Florida Keys will disappear from the map. Not literally. But early fall is by far one of the slowest times of the year in the islands. It’s also the best time to plan a weekend getaway to one of my favorite destinations.

How slow is it? It’s so slow that a lot of businesses close down for a week and send their employees on vacation. Hotel rates are reasonable, and the dive boat operators and fishing guides — even the popular ones — have plenty of room for walk-up customers.

One of the best dives I’ve ever taken anywhere on earth happened in early September at Conch Republic Divers in Tavernier, just south of Key Largo. We had the boat to ourselves. The dive was incredible — a deep, drift dive that took us over spectacular green and yellow coral and brought us face-to-face with an ominous-looking (but ultimately harmless) hammerhead. I came back this May, hoping to have a comparable experience, but the boat was crowded and the conditions weren’t as ideal. It was still fun.

I’ve stayed in most of the hotels in the Keys, but the one I find myself coming back to is Hawks Cay Resort down on Duck Key. When I first moved to Long Key back in 1995, Hawk’s Cay was a little resort that offered a second-rate dolphin encounter. Today, it’s a world-class property with a first-rate dolphin experience. And it can’t seem to leave well enough alone. It’s currently undergoing another $30 million renovation.

But what I like most about Hawk’s Cay is that it’s family-friendly, which is something that can’t be said for a lot of hotels in the Keys. It offers large condos with facilities for big families (like kitchens and their own pool) plus a special play area where your offspring can splash around. That means you don’t have to eat every meal in a restaurant — which will run up a bill faster than a tarpon can snatch a sardine from your fingers at Robbie’s Marina — and as a bonus, you don’t have to plan every minute of the day, at least when it comes to entertaining the kids.

On a recent visit, we had the chance to check out the History of Diving Museum in Islamorada, which the children liked as much as the adults. The hard suits, which are used for diving to extreme depths, looked like monsters and captivated the attention of our young boys. Kari and I, who happen to also be PADI scuba diving instructors, were fascinated by the exhibits that showed us how diving evolved over the centuries.

Although there are plenty of excellent places to have dinner, the one place we never miss when we’re in the middle Keys is Keys Fisheries Marina & Market in Marathon. It serves comfort food – deep-fried fish with French fries – on outdoor tables, with a stunning view of the Florida Bay.

There are two things you need to know about eating at Keys Fisheries. First, have a song in mind, because when you order, they’ll ask for a tune, and they’ll call it when your order is ready. And second, you can’t leave until you’ve tried the Grouper Reuben. Trust me on this.

Incidentally, this is just a preview of a longer story I’m writing about taking the kids to the middle Keys. Look for that soon. In the meantime, if you have any suggestions on where to go, where to stay and what to do around Marathon, Fla., please drop me a line or shoot me an e-mail.

Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.

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