As I fly away, the Florida coastline becoming smaller and smaller (yes I am writing this on my flight back home), I am already missing Hawk’s Cay Resort and all the fun I had in the Florida Keys. Waking up each morning with the bright sunlight reflecting off the lagoon, seagulls gliding along with the warm breeze, and dolphins jumping from the turquoise-blue water were some of the most amazing sights and best ways to start my day each morning of my relaxing get-away.
The four days I stayed at Hawk’s Cay were not filled only with lounging by the pool, relaxing (although I did plenty of that). I decided to use this trip to experience some activities that I have never tried before, and even some things that were a little outside my comfort zone. After all, vacations are meant for making memories, right? Hawk’s Cay and the Florida Keys have plenty of experiences to choose from, too!
My first new experience was pre-scheduled before I even left for my trip, so I knew I would be meeting some dolphins on the dock of the Hawk’s Cay Resort, which is a part of their Dolphin Connection program. What I did not know was that I would learn so much about dolphins and what their Dolphin Connection is all about from their extremely knowledgeable staff, who obviously love what they do. After learning about how they rescued one dolphin as a baby, who is now in his late thirties, among a lot of other interesting facts, a group of us proceeded down to the docks to meet, pet and feed the dolphins. Let me tell you, feeding dead fish to Lucky and Shanook was actually very enjoyable and not as disgusting as I would have thought. You really don’t even notice if the trainer gives you dead fish or sugar-free Jell-O cubes, both of which are fed to the dolphins during their training exercises. The dolphins showed off with some of their tricks, like moon-walking across the water, before shaking fins with us when it was time to leave.
Later that afternoon, I joined 2 other publishers to go on a snorkeling excursion from the Hawk’s Cay Marina, which was a 3-hour trip that included the snorkeling mask with breathing tube and flippers, boat ride out and back, and free time to snorkel above a reef filled with fish and coral, all for just $45. My favorite fish out of all the ones I saw was a silver and blue fish with a long, pointy nose, which reminded me of a swordfish, but I was amazed at the whole variety of fish that I was able to see, some swimming right in front of my mask! Some swam in schools, others alone, and it was just a fascinating and fun time.
Hawk’s Cay is a great place to stay, not just for the things they offer, but also for the close proximity to other activities in the Keys, such as jet-skiing at Jerry’s Watersports. It’s about a 20 minute drive into Marathon where we went jet-skiing one morning, and out of the 4 of us who went, only 1 of us had ever been jet-skiing before. We watched a safety video, and then Johnny got us all set with our life jackets and on our jet-skis. We decided to double up and ride 2 per jet-ski for a half hour. We had fun skipping along the water, and my co-rider and I even switched places twice while out on the water without falling off – a pretty amazing feat, if you ask me. The two of us had so much fun and loved the instructor, Johnny, so much, that we decided to see if anyone else would like to go back later that afternoon. We had a group of five return that afternoon for a 2-hour tour in which we were shown a small island from the show “Island Hunters”, and a small canal, which we rode into and learned it had been used during prohibition, and in more recent years for smuggling marijuana. Then we were given some free time to jet around in the open waters before returning back. The highlight of that tour was jet-skiing under 7-Mile Bridge, the famous bridge in the Keys which leads to Key West.
There is so much to see and do at Hawk’s Cay Resort and within a short driving distance, and while I was there this time for a girl’s getaway, next time I want to take my family. At Hawk’s Cay, I know my kids would enjoy participating in the kid’s activities that are offered each day, playing on the Pirate Ship in the water area, playing miniature golf, and swimming. My teens would enjoy jet-skiing and snorkeling, and I’d be willing to bet that our whole family would love to swim with the dolphins. This is a great resort for everyone – couples, honeymooners, families, those who want a relaxing get-away, or anyone who wants to have some exciting excursions.
In just 4 days, I was able to do 3 activities I had never done before and still have time to relax. After all, we were on island time…no worries, no problems, no stress – just fun!
I was hosted by Hawk's Cay as part of a press trip, but all opinions expressed are my own.
