Travel Maven Blog ...... David Molyneaux posts from TheTravelMavens.com

Eating in hog (fish) heaven, Key West, Florida

On any coast, I’m a sucker for fresh fish and a casual attitude. Give me a picnic table, a roll of paper towels, today’s catch, local beer on tap, and I’ve got all the atmosphere I want.

Hogfish Bar & Grill, Stock Island, Florida

 Locals in Key West sent me to the Hogfish Bar & Grill, a great restaurant, they said, if you can find it.

Hogfish is a trip. It’s not walking distance from downtown. It’s not even on the same land mass, but only a short drive to a quiet road off U.S. 1 on nearby Stock Island. If you’re driving, set your GPS for 6810 Front St., Safe Harbor Marina, Stock Island.

Exploring Key West, a most decorated sandbar

I never tire of Key West. I've lolled around the city at the bottom of Florida maybe a dozen times, each occasion too short. When I leave, I know I will be back.

Lobster Trap Christmas Tree at Key West's Historic Seaport (Photo by Rob O'Neal )

It’s no secret that Key West is a part of America that moves to its own beat, one of those rare communities that seem out of country.

The so-called Conch Republic is the most Caribbean town in the United States. It’s an enclave for flamboyance and over-the-top celebrations of life. Folks who live here seem to revel in the outlandish personalities of many of their neighbors.

For visitors, Key West is a place to shed your mainland stresses and dresses, rules and jewels.

Snowbirding with the fish in the Florida Keys

In less than an hour’s drive south of the rental car desk at Miami airport, the Florida Turnpike ends and U.S. 1 heads for the ocean, then winds through the Florida Keys and a series of bridges toward Key West.

Looking toward the Atlantic at Pines & Palms Resort, Islamorada

Overseas Highway is a drive like no other in America, on a path that began as a plan for a railroad, linking islands washed on one side by the Atlantic, on the other by the Gulf of Mexico. Each mile southwest brings you closer to Cuba, and at the highway’s end you are 104 miles of water from Havana, which is more than 50 miles shorter than the drive back to Miami.

If you haven’t been to the Florida Keys, I highly recommend even a short visit, perhaps a couple of days on either side of a cruise out of Miami or Fort Lauderdale. Florida of the Keys is a world away from the high-rises of the Sunshine State’s East Coast and the sodden beats of South Beach.

Sleeping in Auckland, New Zealand, where cruise ships and ferries dock

One of my favorite overnights during the past year was at the Hilton hotel in Auckland, New Zealand, where traveler’s luck played me well.

Harbor in Auckland, New Zealand

No matter how detailed the travel planning, luck plays a role. The bad luck, well, you hope that Plan B works, or C or D. I think I reached Plan F once, and it wasn’t pretty.

The other side of the coin is serendipity, the happy surprise, finding something good without really looking for it.