Casey Key, Florida Travel Guide

Over the summer I began traveling to new cities, working with different hotels while sharing travel guides full of what to do, see, and eat in the area. What started as a weekend adventure, turned into my calling. Over the last six months, I’ve completed over 20 flights and have gotten to share my travels with you all across all of my social media platforms. 

Plus, with every travel guide I’ve done I’ve also shared an outfit guide in conjunction. Those blog posts are chock full of outfit ideas with links to each item + photo spots to help you recreate some killer photos throughout your trip. In creating these guides not only have I gotten to experience some super cool things but it’s allowed me to find a whole new passion behind content creating. On my December content trip, I had the pleasure of visiting Nokomis, Florida and my gosh was the trip incredible. 

Everything from the beachfront property to the heatwave weather was perfect. Not to mention, the perfect getaway before the holiday season began. Although the town of Casey Key was quite quaint, I wanted to recap my trip regardless. Let’s dive in! 

Where To Stay

This month I had the pleasure of partnering with the most beautiful property in Casey Key, Florida. The Casey Key Resort was along the cutest strip lined with palm trees and welcoming vacation units. They have a few different locations but I had the pleasure of enjoying their new beachfront property.

There are 11 comfortable units with contactless check-in and a room just steps away from the beach. I stayed in a King Suite and it was incredible. Our unit looked brand new with the cutest beach decor and summer prints along the wall. Not to mention, there was tons of space to sprawl out which was necessary since we each had 50 pounds of luggage each, lol. 

The bathroom was spotless with a gorgeous walk-in glass shower and a touch-screen mirror, perfect for doing our makeup each evening. 

Outside of our unit was a fenced-in, terf area accompanied by lots of palm trees, a hammock, putting greens, and an outdoor shower to rinse off at. Plus, each unit had two outdoor chairs where I sat and enjoyed the sunset each evening.

Just a few more steps and you’re guided to your own private beach access. The Resort provides fold-out chairs and umbrellas for each unit which was so nice! We were able to walk down at any point throughout the day and enjoy the water. I had never been to this side of the ocean and was shocked at how flat the water was; not a wave in sight. With the exception of mingling with a few of our neighbors, there was nobody in sight. It was incredibly calming and I’ve never felt so at peace.

Book your stay at the Beachfront Casey Key Resort here! 

How To Navigate Nokomis 

There are a few different ways to get to Nokomis—although flying from Washington DC (my hometown) to Sarasota (20 min from Nokomis) would have been the quickest route, with flights to Fort Myers (45 min to Nokomis) over $100 cheaper I figured I could handle an extra twenty minutes to my destination, lol. 

Now, most people with a 45-minute ride to their final destination would probably rent a car but being under the legal age to rent (26) that option was out of the question. Plus, when I really crunched the numbers, even a few Ubers were significantly cheaper than a week of renting a car. For that reason, we called an Uber upon landing in Fort Myers. 

There are a few restaurants and a convenience store within a mile of the resort, so Sam and I walked most of our trip. Although it was definitely walkable, almost everyone around us had a rental car or bikes so that they could get to the highway and explore other restaurants, shops, and activities around the area. 

To be honest, I sort of enjoyed being “stuck” in the area. Our resort was so beautiful that I didn’t have too much desire to leave anyway! Truthfully, if I were to come again I would have done things the same way. 

Where To Eat

One of my favorite parts about vacation is getting to eat at new restaurants. Although Florida didn’t have the best food I’ve ever had, they certainly have got the atmosphere part perfected! Perhaps it’s because I’ve never been to a beach town quite like this but there was something that I enjoyed so much about eating right along the water surrounded by smiling couples and live music. The vibes were ~perfect~ everywhere we went. Anywho, here’s a breakdown of where and what I ate throughout my stay.

Pops 

Pops is one of the few restaurants within walking distance of the resort. It was a huge restaurant with both indoor and outdoor seating. We got lucky and were seated right along the water with the band playing live music right in front of us. There were string lights and a tiki bar— everything about it was adorable. For dinner, I got the Hawaiian burger and french fries. Any chance I can get to add pineapple to something I take it. It wasn’t the best meal I’ve ever had by any means but it was still good! 

Menu // Directions 

Pelican Alley 

This was the other restaurant just half a mile down the road. Sam and I grabbed lunch here on our second day. I got a grilled chicken sandwich with cheddar cheese, bacon, and barbecue sauce. It was delicious as were the fries. We were seated inside but the entire wall beside us looked out over the water and so did the floor beneath us! It was so cool and the staff were incredibly friendly. 

Menu // Directions 

Vitality Bowls 

So many restaurants in this area were available for delivery through Grubhub so I ordered us açaí bowls for breakfast one day. An açaí bowl was just what I was craving—something light and fresh. I got the “vitality” and it had strawberries, bananas, goji berries, and peanut butter. Delish and so refreshing for a beach day! 

Menu // Directions 

Mi Pueblo

Sam’s aunt lives about twenty-minutes form where we stayed so she came and grabbed us for dinner one night. We went to the cutest Mexican restaurant in Venice. Their chips were average and they were *sadly* out of queso but their shrimp quesadilla was one of the best I’ve had in a long time. Plus, their guac was extra fresh! Two thumbs up; I would def come again.

Menu // Directions 

Seed & Bean Market 

We stopped by a CBD restaurant for our last meal of the trip. I’ve never been somewhere like this before but essentially they are able to add CBD to any drink of choice! I didn’t get one but Sam did and said it was yummy! I got their belgian waffle with fresh fruit and sides of bacon and hash browns. My meal was delicious and the man playing music beside us wile we ate was so good. We sat right along the sidewalk and it was so nice to be out enjoying the sunshine; we stayed and just soaked up the atmosphere a little while after. 

Menu // Directions 

What To Wear 

I’ve had so many of you messaging me saying you’re headed to Florida this winter and are unsure what to pack. Although Florida was having a bit of a heatwave while we visited, it’s still so warm here this time of year! With it being seventy-five and sunny every day I had no problem walking around in a tee shirt and shorts or even a swimsuit. I hopped in the water to cool off several days. 

To make your life a little easier, I’ve gone ahead and put together an outfit guide with over 15 outfit ideas and links to everything to give you a little bit of inspo. I’d still bring a pair of leggings and a hoodie for the evening time but you definitely will need flip-flops! 

What We Did

If I’m being honest, we didn’t *do* a whole lot this trip. Although we were there for five days, most of it was spent relaxing around the resort and snapping photos. Sam and I usually have a full itenertay of fashion shows to attend when we’re together so it was so refreshing to just hang out with one another. It seemed that most people around us were doing the same, just lazing around enjoying the view! 

Enjoy The Beach 

Being just steps away from Nokomis beach, some of the clearest water and whitest sand in America you have to take advantage. We spent so much time lying by the water. I dipped in a few times to cool off and enjoyed an afternoon walk along the beach. Sam even went out each morning to meditate and do a little yoga. 

Visit The Jetty 

When Aunt Debbie picked us up for dinner, she first took us over to the jetty to watch the sunset and enjoy the views of Venice Beach. It was amazing and I’ve truly never seen sunsets as pretty as they were here. I was in such shock the entire week, lol. 

Find A Boat 

One of my sweet long distance friends Harris was in Sarasota visiting his family the same week we were in town so of course I made a point to meet up with him. His family took us out on their boat for an entire day and we had the best time. From fishing to jumping in to enjoy the water, to docking for lunch we had so much fun. We got to see so many different parts of Florida and even anchored the boat along a sandbar to get out and explore. 

Believe me, I know not everyone knows someone with a boat in the area, but if you do, you absolutely need to take advantage of it! It was the coolest day and such a treat to see each other after so many years.

Window Shop In Venice 

We Ubered to Venice our last day for brunch and a little exploring. There are tons of shops along the main strip that we popped in and out of. There wasn’t a whole lot for people our age but it was still fun to see where the locals shop. Plus, there were a few souvenir stores and ice cream shops to check out which was fun!

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Well, that’s a wrap for my tip to Florida! I’ve been to Miami for Swim Week and it was nothing compared to this trip, let me tell you! I would relive this week in paradise over and over if I could. There was something so peaceful about it—everyone deserves to experience something like it in their lifetime.  It’s been quite the journey this year; I can’t wait to see where 2022 takes me…. Up first HAWAII! Catch that content going live on Instagram this week. 

With love, McKenz

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