The tourists are back – how can we tell?
The rest of the country is cooling down and the winter tourists have started trickling back into the islands. Now that we’re been here a while we can easily spot an island newbie from a mile away. So while other parts of the country are marking the arrival of winter by natural occurrences such as frigid cold, leafless trees, sad grey skies, and snow, we mark it by seeing the telltale signs of a newbie.
How do we know you’re new around here? Here are a few of the ways!
#1 – You’re driving on the BIKE lane! if you haven’t been down here yet we have bike lanes separated from the main road, ya know, for bikers. You wouldn’t think drivers would mistake them for a place to drive but they do! It’s one of the first signs of winter here.
#2 – You have some crazy sunburn lines – on your face, your shoulders, all over your body – this is a telltale sign you’ve recently arrived. Locals hide from the sun. We wear long sleeves (yes, even in the summer), hats & neck protectors.
#3 -You’re completely slathered in sunblock – you’re the opposite of #2, you didn’t come here to “get some sun” and are doing your damndest to make sure not a single ray infiltrates your protective defenses. You won’t see most locals using sunblock. It’s expensive and it sweats/washes off. If you must use it, please use a reef-safe kind if you’re visiting our beautiful reefs! Stream 2 Sea is our favorite.
#4 – You’re driving the wrong way on US 1! I see this at least once a week in the winter. There’s nothing quite as exhilarating as seeing headlights coming at you when you’re going 50mph down a one way road. These people often turn into #1 once they realize their mistake and need to got off the road fast! Double check before pulling out.
#5 – You’re dressed like it’s summer – if the sun is down there’s a good chance we’re feeling a little chilly. Yes, we know it’s 75 but 75 is sweatshirt weather.
#6 -You’re drinking an expensive fruity drink – you’ll rarely catch a local drinking one of these unless it’s a bucket at Sharkey’s (these are really good, you should go get one and a couple of fish tacos too) .
#7 – You’re dressed up! we know you’re not from here if you’re dressed to the nines! Some days I don’t even brush my hair and neither do my friends. If you’re dressed like you’re in South Beach we know you just arrived. If you’re in Key Largo where we live then you’ll be very disappointed with our nightlife.
All kidding aside – welcome! We’re happy you’re here and would love to show you around our beautiful island! If you need any tips on where to go & what to do let me know!
Until next time…
Stay warm friends!