FLORIDA KEYS ROAD TRIP

How about a road trip ... on the ocean? Traveling down the Overseas Highway, the southernmost leg of U.S. 1, you can see water on all sides as you cross the 42 bridges that connect the Florida Keys chain. Before you motor out, visit the Everglades, where your kids can see crocodiles up close in the nation's largest subtropical wilderness.

Then stop at Key Largo, where you can take a glass-bottom boat tour of the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, swim with dolphins (pictured right) or go deep-sea fishing. At Long Key State Park, you can camp with a view of the ocean and canoe or kayak through the park's lagoon. In the lower keys, check out the miniature Key deer on Big Pine Key and the beautiful beach at Bahia Honda State Park. Lodging is cheaper here than in Key West, where there is plenty for families to do despite its reputation as a party spot. Booking rooms in the summer (which is off-season because of the heat and mosquitoes) will ensure better deals.