Florida Vacay Part 2 - The Keys to Miami (& Video)

Continuing on from Florida Vacay Part 1, I had now arrived in beautiful Key Largo. As a renowned destination for diving, this was obviously one of the first items on my list of to-do’s! But having just arrived, I was still getting acquainted to my new home.

Key Largo Vacation Home Exchange

Actually, we wound up at this lovely place on the canal through HomeExchange.com. Especially if you’re looking to travel with pets, this can be a great option since sometimes it’s difficult to find good pet-friendly hotels with the flexibility you want (a yard, grass, ability to leave your pet alone, etc).

Handsome Dachshund

I’m quite a well-traveled dog, but even I had never had a place on a canal like this!

Key Largo Home Exchange

So one of the first things we did was take out some of the kayaks, right from our dock to head out into the clear, shallow waters of the Atlantic.

Sea Kayaking with a Dog

I had to keep looking back to make sure Mum was keeping up with us though.

Sea Kayaking with Small Dogs

It was neat to be out and explore the surrounding sea, but like most wiener dogs, I don’t heartily enjoy being so wet for so long. So after a point I told Dad I was fed up and would like to go home.

Soon after, Mum and Dad told me that the next day we’d be going scuba diving. I was so excited that I decided to throw on my gear for a dry-run at the house. I also decided that while I was at it, I should give Mum and Dad a little refresher lesson before tomorrow.

And for all the readers out there, you can also consider this to be an official online refresher course since I’m a fully (self)-certified PADI instructor.

Scuba Dog

“So…” I began.

“I’m going to recap on some of the basics of scuba diving, because what you’ve been taught in the past is most likely not up to my standards.”

  1. Despite what you may have heard, the number one rule of scuba diving is NOT to “always be breathing”. It is in fact, to “always be flexin'”. Not to get too scientific on you, but when your muscles are constantly in an uber-flexed state, it’s impossible for wimpy air bubbles to form in your veins and for your lungs to over-inflate. Plus, flexing will help deter sharks (including sharkwieners), but will attract any sexy ladies who may be swimming next to you. Of course, this is only if you have muscles like I do. You probably don’t, so forget what I just said and stick to breathing.
  2. Safety stops are for wussies.
  3. Quick ascents are preferred if you can shoot out of the water really high like a dolphin.
  4. Do not be fooled by the apparent cuteness of any sharkwiener. They are ferocious and will bite your face off.
  5. It is a customary joke to discretely close your buddy’s air tank while under the water. Just wait until you see the hilarious expression on their face before you turn it back on.

So with that great recap, the next day we were off to the dive boat!

Dog Goes Scuba Diving

My scuba buddy would be Charles, and I had my nose held high in confidence towards my first ocean dive.

We were diving with the amazing Horizon Divers of Key Largo, who are exceptionally friendly and great in what they do! Heck, they even reserved my spot in the boat with a little “Spot Reserved for Wieners” sign.

Dachshund Scuba Diving

And just like that, we were out in the ocean, diving beneath the waves.

Mum and Dad and Charles were so preoccupied with the beautiful fish and reefs, that no one seemed to get a picture of me underwater!

Shark Dive Molasses Reef

But hey, I was preoccupied too – especially with this shark I saw! (At least it wasn’t a #sharkwiener).

So that was a lot of fun, and I’m sure you’ll take my word for it that I dove to 80+ feet 😉

On our way back, I felt I needed a treat after having such an adventure, so we stopped at the Key Lime Cafe for a little slice of key lime pie.

Crusoe Waiting for Taste of Key Lime Pie

I was pretty impatient for my first taste.

Mum was so caught up in her little dessert affair that instead I had to look to Dad to share with me!

Crusoe Likes Key Lime Pie

Delicious! 🙂

That evening when the temperature was cooler, I played a little squeaky ball in my Mickey Mouse costume.

Dachshund Mickey Mouse Costume

Which many of you seemed to enjoy! Lots of people have also asked where we got this costume, but it’s just a re-purposed Mickey Mouse plush toy!

To make this costume yourself, purchase a plush Mickey toy like this one, then stick it in the ocean and wait for #sharkwiener to bite its face off. There you go.

The next day, we were off to spend one night in the iconic Key West, along the way stopping at 1 of only 2 dog-friendly beaches in the Keys. This was the beautiful Sombrero Beach.

Happy in the Sand

As you can see, I was pretty happy to finally get my paws in the sand.

I didn’t have a sombrero, but I did have my shades!

Cool Hot Dog

In fact, one of my favorite things is to play with my squeaky ball in the sand – especially to bury it and dig it up again.

However, ever since I pooped little sand castles back when I was in the Bahamas, Mum and Dad are cautious about how much sand I ingest. So we often play catch instead!

Dachshund Amazing Jump

A few feet higher and I probably would have fallen into orbit.

So after a nice morning on the beach, it was onto Key West!

Key West Florida

And one of our first stops was to go visit the “Southernmost Point” in the USA.

Here I am posing with Mum, looking off to where I imagine Cuba would be (Mum and Dad have been, but I really want to go one day!)

SouthernMost Point in the USA

We spent the day visiting some museums, like the amazing Mel Fisher Museum of treasure and shipwreck artifacts (which I was allowed into while being carried in my bag).

We also looked at two different companies offering trolley tours around the town of Key West to give us a little overview of the history and story behind it all – but both said “no” to a dog, even in a bag.

So we were walking down the street, looking for something else to do when a woman ran up and stopped me to admire my beauty! So, nothing out of the ordinary so far, happens all the time, but then she asked, “Oh he’s gorgeous. What’s his name?!”

“Crusoe”, I said.

She looked stunned. “Crusoe… the famous dachshund?!” She exclaimed.

“None other!”

And as it turned out, she was a trolley tour operator! So before I knew it, I was enjoying a free trolley ride through the city, hanging out the window like a happy dog does!

Dog on Trolley Tour Key West

A big thanks to Key West’s CityView Trolley Tours for the awesome, dog-friendly ride!

Next on the itinerary, we were headed up to South Beach, Miami!

Crusoe Miami South Beach

Where it was hot hot hot!

We took a stroll along the boardwalk, admiring the fancy cars cruising down Ocean Drive and of course all the chicks!

My sexiness combined with the 90° temperature was pretty much melting the pavement beneath my paws, so I had to cool off with some fresh coconut water.

Tropical Dachshund

BTW, I do actually LOVE coconut water.

After that little refreshment, it was time to hit up South Beach! Now, technically dogs aren’t allowed, so Mum and Dad carried me on and off the beach in my inconspicuous carrier bag.

Wiener Dog on South Beach

But hey, I’ve heard the rapper “Pitbull” is allowed on South Beach, and he’s a dog, so why can’t I?

Wiener Dog South Beach

Some relaxation on the beach, and that about wrapped up my Florida vacation! The next morning we flew home.

So now it’s time for a full video wrap-up! Enjoy!

As amazingly fun as it was, all that traveling can get tiresome. So now if you’ll excuse me, I’m taking a little “vacation from vacation before my next vacation...”

…Because watch out, Europe here I come in two weeks!!

Mickey Mouse Small Dog Costume

Keep ballin’,

~ Crusoe


Enjoy my Florida Vacation? Please “Like” this post! 🙂

Keep ballin’,

Crusoe

Crusoe

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