Glamping in the Florida Keys

by ChiliandCedar | Mar 27, 2022 | 10 Amazing Dog-Friendly Bucket List Destinations, Favorite Dog-Friendly Florida RV Stays, Florida RV Adventure

Sugar Loaf Key/Key West KOA

Sugar Loaf Key, Florida

Following the Florida Overseas Highway to mile marker 20, we pulled into the Sugar Loaf Key/Key West KOA, a beachfront paradise with tropical pool, hot tub, tiki bar/café and beautifully landscaped sites.

Key Takeaways:

Lush, tropical landscaping throughout the park
Newly remodeled park
Resort amenities with tropical pool, hot tub, café and tiki bar
Full-service marina and fishing areas
Dog park, dog friendly
15 miles from Key West

Our Stay:

The Florida Overseas Highway or Highway 1 starts just south of Florida City at Mile Marker (MM) 126 and ends in Key West at MM 0. We’ve traveled this highway several years ago and know it can be very busy and sometimes slow going. Our trip down to the Sugar Loaf KOA to MM 20 was uneventful with moderate traffic on a Thursday. It was still spring break time in the Keys and many of the RV parks were full months ahead of time. Since we were meeting friends who needed a marina for their boat, we chose the Sugar Loaf Key/Key West KOA. This RV park was a pleasant surprise. Every site was professionally landscaped with tropical plants, bushes and trees. Each graveled site included a fire pit and picnic table. Some sites were a little tight but our back-in site had enough room to extend our awning. There were several oceanfront sites (not available for our stay) which bordered the beach area. The highlight of this park was the large tropical pool, hot tub and tike bar/café. It really had a resort feel.

What to do:

Sugar Loaf KOA is a short 15-mile drive to the attractions of Key West. If you don’t want to drive, you can pick up a bus from the RV park. We drove to Key West and hopped on a train tour of the city. We found this to be a great way to see the sights and historic attractions of old Key West. It’s a perfect day trip to enjoy the many restaurants, bars and shopping too. Throughout the city, there were many dog-friendly restaurants and bars – it was just too hot for the girls while were there.

The weather was comfortably hot during our stay in the low 80’s and we were fortunate to spend a day on the water with our good friend, Captain Randy. We motored to a nearby island to find some great swimming and snorkeling. The dogs enjoyed the boat trip as well. Chili loved swimming in the ocean, Cedar, not so much. She did not like jumping off the boat and decided to just nap. Our trip back to the Sugar Loaf KOA was fun too thanks to Tow America. Reminded me of that wise saying, “Boating is always more fun when it’s someone else’s boat.”

Chili & Cedar’s Review: 4.8 Paws out of 5 Paws

The Sugar Loaf Key/Key West KOA is a very dog friendly RV resort. We enjoyed our walks around the park and the enclosed dog park. We really liked out boat ride and swimming with mom and dad.

Next Stop: Grassy Key RV Park & Resort in Marathon, Florida

Exploring the Everglades

by ChiliandCedar | Mar 22, 2022 | Favorite Dog-Friendly Florida RV Stays, Florida RV Adventure

Everglades Isle Motorcoach Resort

Everglades City, FL

We traveled down the west coast of Florida to Everglades City and the Everglades Isle Motorcoach Resort. Lush, luxurious, waterfront RV sites and a few miles from the entrance to the Everglades National Park.

Key Takeaways:

Lush, luxurious, expensive
Waterfront, paved and spacious RV sites
Resort amenities with pool, clubhouse, tiki bar
Fenced dog park and dog friendly
Perfect spot to explore the Everglades

Our Stay:

We traveled three hours down the west coast of Florida to Everglades City and the Everglades Isle Motorcoach Resort. This luxury motorcoach resort accommodates RV’s greater than 36’ – we barely made the cutoff. At the time of our stay, most of the 61 sites were privately owned so we were fortunate to snag one of the few transient sites. All sites were beautifully landscaped. Our waterfront site was spacious with mature palm trees and brick pavers. We enjoyed watching the airboats come and go at sunset until the bugs came out! From the old Florida clubhouse with bar and restaurant to the beautiful pool and tiki bar, everything about this resort spells luxury motorcoach living. Although most of the coaches were high-end class A motorhomes, everyone was friendly and made us feel very welcome. We walked through the park every morning and evening with the dogs and were thankful for the dog stations located throughout the park and the gated dog area.

What to do:

Everglades City is a few miles from the west entrance of the Everglades National Park. We spent a day driving through the park with the dogs to Shark Valley and the Loop Road complete with several alligator sightings. The park is not dog friendly due to the danger to pets from alligators and snakes. We’re okay with that – don’t want our dogs to be alligator bait. Dogs can ride in cars but cannot be left unattended in vehicles due to the heat. We were able to get them out in parking lots near buildings and at rest stops.

The next day we left the dogs in the RV and took an hour and a half airboat tour. This was the highlight of our stay. Following recommendations from locals, we opted to take a private tour with Down South Airboat Tours. We drove about 45 minutes from Everglades City for the launch spot on the freshwater side of the Everglades. This grassland tour was spectacular! Our captain grew up in the area and was extremely knowledgeable about the eco-systems and wildlife. We had several alligator sightings as well as wood storks, egrets, herons and anhingas. We highly recommend this tour. The cost was just over $300 for two people but well worth it.

The town of Naples and Marco Island are a short drive from Everglades City. We found a dog-friendly restaurant and brew put – the Marco Island Brewery. Lunch was awesome and the girls hung out with us on their large outdoor patio. After lunch we explored the island a bit – you’ll need some bucks to live on this island. Beautiful gulf coast beaches and beautiful homes and condos. Spring break here too so lots of people and traffic. We’re off to the Keys next and Spring Break will follow us there as well.

Red Dog Review: 4Paws (out of 5 Paws)

4PAWS! Well, this was a very foofoo RV park and we fit in just fine. Not one dog called us mountain hicks or asked how we fit into our small RV. The dog park was nice. We really wanted to enjoy the pool but there was a “no dogs in the pool rule.” We had fun traveling in the Everglades and watching the alligators from the car was just fine with us. We took in one brewery – Marco Island Brewery and our waiter was very attentive and quickly provided us water and a shaded place to hang out with mom and dad. We’d go back there again. We give this stop 4PAWS because the dog park was a bit small, and they didn’t let us in the pool. The Everglades National Park was beautiful but there were too many alligators!

March 22, 2022

Next Stop: Glamping in the Keys – Sugar Loaf Key/Key West KOA

Florida Panhandle Hidden Gem

by ChiliandCedar | Mar 2, 2022 | 10 Amazing Dog-Friendly Bucket List Destinations, Favorite Dog-Friendly Florida RV Stays, Florida RV Adventure

Old Salt RV Park, Port St. Joe, Florida

Key Takeaways:

Quaint boutique RV Park with spacious, level lots.
Beautiful white-sand, uncrowded, dog-friendly beaches a short walk away.
A perfect spot to chill and unwind.

Our Stay:

East of Panama City on the Gulf Coast lies the beach town of Port St. Joe. With a small town feel and soft, white sand beaches, this laid-back fishing village is a respite from the traffic and crowded beaches of the Fort Walton-Destin-Panama City area. We arrive at the Old Salt RV Park to find a quaint, gated RV park just a short walk from the beach. The graveled lots are level and spacious. The communication from the hosts was exceptional and included walking directions to the dog friendly beaches. Our assigned lot included a picnic table and fire ring and was close to the well-maintained bath house and laundry facility. A central fire-pit area and gazebo provided a gathering spot for RVers. Park internet was good. We heard some road noise from County Road 396, but we did not find it bothersome. Weather was perfect with a chilly start in the morning and then upper 60’s and lower 70’s during our stay.

What to do:

Enjoy the flat, uncrowded, white sand beaches in Port St. Joe and Cape San Blas. Walk the dogs for miles on the dog-friendly Port St. Joe beaches. (Note: Adjacent Mexico Beach is not pet friendly). Eat at local seafood restaurant or pub. Panama City is 36 miles west and has several dog-friendly restaurants. Check out Barefoot on the Bay Bar & Grill for a casual dining experience with dog-friendly patio seating. Firepit relaxing with the dogs. Watch amazing sunsets on the beach.

Red Dog Review:

5 PAWS! This dog-friendly RV resort is perfect. The owners were welcoming and gave us all the info we needed for a pet-friendly stay. Every day we walked to the beach about two blocks away. Beach walks were pawsome in Port St. Joe! We loved the soft sand on our paws, chasing the ocean waves and meeting dog friendly folks on the beach. We also visited nearby Salinas Park and spent a day on the beach. We had to be on our leashes but that’s okay… We also loved visiting Panama City Beach with a stop at the Barefoot on the Bay Bar & Grill. Our waitress brought us a bowl of water – very thoughtful and much appreciated!

Next Stop: The Forgotten Coast/Ho Hum RV Park

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