Local

Go Swimming - All the water you see from the dock in Tom's harbor is fairly shallow and is a great swimming area. If small children or weak swimmers are with you, be careful of the current when the tide is changing. There is a very strong current which flows in front of the dock from time to time. Make sure you put the dock ladder at the end of the dock down in the water before you jump in!

Go Boating - There are many beautiful areas to see by boat around Duck Key. But watch out for the flats! The water can get real shallow real quick in the Keys so you have to pay careful attention to where you are going. If you run aground, trim up the engine, jump overboard, and push the boat back out into deeper water. There should be a chart of the local waters on the boat. If not, we recommend the Top Spot Waterproof Chart of the Middle Keys which can be purchased in the Hawks Cay Marina Store next to the WatersEdge Restaurant.

Go Tubing, Knee boarding, and Skiing - All of the equipment you need for these fun activities is in the storage area under the house. Hook a ski rope to the back of the boat and have fun! You can zoom around Tom's Harbor behind the dock almost everywhere. There is one shallow spot which can easily be spotted because there is usually stuff sticking up out of the water in that area.

Go snorkeling or SCUBA diving - If you're not comfortable going out on your own call Tilden's SCUBA Center (305-289-4931) and sign-up for one of their dive trips. They will provide all the equipment you need and take you out to the reefs. They are located on Duck Key next to the Hawks Cay Marina Store. (www.tildensscubacenter.com)

Go Kayaking - There are kayaks and paddles in the storage area. There are some beautiful flats and some uninhabited islands to explore if you paddle south from the dock and then turn west and go straight under the third hump bridge which you drove over to get onto Harbor Drive. (See chart on page 2) Take a bottle of water, a hat, and some water booties or Tevas with straps for walking on the flats.

Go Biking - There are several bikes (and a bicycle built-for-two) in the storage area. Explore the Island. Get some exercise. Ride over to Hawks Cay Resort and go for a swim in the pool, or a dip in the hot tub.

Go to Hawks Cay Resort - Hawks Cay Resort is a 60 acre Island destination resort with lots of amenities and things to do. At the main hotel, there are two nice swimming pools, a protected saltwater lagoon, hot tubs, restaurants, bars, and their own Dolphin facility. There is also a new heath club facility which has its own swimming pools, sauna, steam room, and a great play-pool for kids with a pirate ship and water guns! (www.hawkscay.com)

Go to the Dolphin Research Center and swim with the dolphins - The DRC is located two miles west of Duck Key at MM 59. They have a dolphin show that runs most of the time, and if you are lucky you might be able to make a reservation to swim with their dolphins or interact with them. Call 289-1121 or 289-0002.

Go parasailing, sunset sailing, or jet skiing - All of those activities are available through the concierge at the Hawks Cay Resort. Call 743-7000. There are also lots of brochures in the lobby of the Hotel which can you put you in touch with a lot of the other activities in the area.

Go fishing - There are lots of charter boats in Islamorada and Marathon. They will take you trolling offshore or poling in the backcountry. If you aren't that ambitious, you can buy some shrimp or squid at the marina and fish off the dock. There are lots of small fish around the dock. Please release your catch! (www.baitrunnercharters.com)

Go to Key West for the Day. The historic city of Key West is a one hour drive from Duck Key.

Feed the giant tarpon at Robbie's - For only $3 you can get a bucket of fish and feed the 100+ pound tarpon that swim under Robbie's dock. (MM 84.5). This is also the place where you catch the guide boats to Indian Key State Historic Site and Lignumvitae Key State Botanical Site.

Islamorada

Islamorada is about twenty miles above The Lodge. You can visit the:

Theater of the Sea - MM 84.5 - a fantastic marine mammal and sealife facility where you can swim with dolphins, sea lions, and stingrays. It is a great place to learn about the wildlife and unique subtropical environment of the Florida Keys. Live, continuous shows run daily. Call 305-664-2431 for more information. (www.thefloridakeys.com/theaterofthesea)

Holiday Isle Tiki Bar - MM 84 - Home of the Rumrunner. Need we say more? (www.theisle.com)

Worldwide Sportsman - MM 80 - A new mega-store full of tropical clothing, books, souvenirs and fishing tackle. The Zane Grey lounge on the second floor is a great place to enjoy a cold drink and watch the sunset on Florida Bay. (www.worldwidesportsman.com)

It takes about an hour and twenty minutes to drive from The Lodge to Key West. There is a lot to see and do along the way:

The Seven Mile Bridge - runs from MM 47 to MM 40 as you head toward Key West. It is certainly one of the most beautiful drives in the world. Groove to the tunes of Conch FM (Jazz at 98.7) or Keys 101.3 (Hard Rock) as you drive over the crystal clear ocean waters.

Bahia Honda State Park - MM 37 - is a great place to have a swim and a picnic lunch. The park has one of the few sandy beaches in the Keys. You can even camp there. Open daily from 8 am to sunset. For information, call 305-872-2353. (www.abfla.com/parks/BahiaHonda/bahiahonda.html)

Watch for Key Deer - MM 33 - MM 31 - These tiny deer are found only in the Keys and can usually be spotted grazing along the roadside between midnight and sunrise. Drive very slowly through this area with your bright lights on in the wee hours of the morning and there is a good chance you will see some deer. It is very unlikely you will see them during the day.

Dive Looe Key - The shallow reefs at Looe Key are among the best in the Keys. There is a boat ramp and small boat rental at Dolphin Marina on Little Torch Key at MM 28.5. (This is also the pick-up location for swanky Little Palm Island.)

Montes Seafood - MM 25 - Open-air Keys' seafood joint with great food on Summerland Key. It is hot in the summer, but the food is hard to beat.