American World Traveler Spring 2019 Issue

68
Two Key Resorts
by Jennifer Merrick
Fisher Inn
Ocean Pointe Suites, Key Largo
After driving almost 2500 kilometres with our
teens to reach the beautiful Florida Keys, it
was a treat to relax for a couple of days at the
Ocean Point Suites. There was just so much
space! All of the 170 accommodation at the
resort are suites, and ours had two bedrooms
(a considerable distance from each other),
two bathrooms, a living room, laundry and a
full kitchen. Two cozy balconies overlooked
the mangrove forest and the blue Atlantic
Ocean behind it.
Not only did the suites give us plenty of
breathing room, the resort itself felt expansive
and secluded with a private, secure entrance
and 60 acres of oceanfront property.
A definite highlight was its newly renovated
Junior Olympic-size pool that included a 12-
person Jacuzzi hot tub. Surrounded by gardens
and with a pool-side bar, it was a perfect
spot for some much-needed R & R and soaking
up some of that Florida Keys sunshine. For
more active pursuits, there were tennis courts,
beach volleyball nets, kayaks, SUP paddleboards
and snorkelling gear.
The Waterfront Café and Lounge served up
refreshments and meals. A rum cocktail and a
slice of key lime pie were a great way to end
a day exploring nearby points of interest, like
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park and
Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge. Of
course, no one would judge if you just wanted
to hang out at the pool all day.
Fisher Inn Resort & Marina, Islamorada
“I am happy anywhere I can see the ocean,”
someone once said. I agree and was ecstatic
to stay at the Fisher Inn Resort and Marina. A
massive patio, which was half the size of the
room itself, looked right over the sparkling
blue waters the Florida Keys is famous for.
The all-new resort featured stylishly decorated
modern rooms with cool touches, like a robinegg-blue-
coloured microwave and matching
round metal chairs which accented the mostly
white décor.
Also white was the sand beach lined with
palm trees, perfect for lounging or playing
games like the giant Jenga, chess and bean
bag toss. The Atlantic water may have been
on the cold side, but the outdoor pool was
heated and had a view of the ocean. A private
ramp and trailer park served guests with
boats. Islamorada, 20 minutes south of Key
Largo, called itself “The Sports Fishing Capital
of the World”, known for catches like marlin,
tuna and swordfish.
Other attractions in the vicinity included
Theater of the Seas, History of Diving
Museum, Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological
State Park and Lignumvitae Key Botanical
State Park. But personally, one of the most
interesting draws was that Islamorada was
where the Netflix series Bloodline was filmed.
Its sultry tropical scenes were one of the reasons
I first thought about The Keys for a holiday.
We contemplated Rayburn family secrets
as we sipped our sundowners and watched
the sunset on the patio. Looking at the purple
and pink streaks in the sky, we also mused
how romantic and fitting the name was. “Isla
morado” means “purple island” and was
named by Spanish explorers when they saw
the purple sky at sunset.
www.providentresorts.com/oceanpointe-suites.com
www.fisherinnresort.com
www.fla-keys.com
American World Traveler Spring 2019
Ocean Pointe Suites
Ocean Pointe Suites
Fisher Inn