See our adventure on Father’s Day to Biscayne National Park and a funky brewery. This day we are getting wet with a snorkel trip in Biscayne National Park. And later today we head to Funky Buddha Brewery for dinner.
Biscayne National Park in Homestead, FL is 95% covered by water, so you need a boat for most activities. Our first trip was back in 2014, and the boat concessionaires were not operating. So all we saw was the visitor center and its grounds. But this time we are looking forward to getting out on the water!
Background
For my birthday this year, I want to spend time with as much family as possible on the beach. So, we booked a week stay at a timeshare in Pompano Beach right on the ocean. A week at the beach sounds nice, but I still want some adventure. So, I planned 3 different days of adventures in South Florida with different members of our family. And visiting Biscayne National Park is one we planned in advance.
There are 2 ways to to get out on the water at Biscayne National Park. You can rent a boat or you can book a tour through Biscayne National Park Institute | Biscayne National Park, FL. Without knowing the waters in South Florida, we opt to book a tour. They have many half and full day options to choose from which is great. From boat cruises, to sailing, paddling, snorkeling and/or island visits, there is something for most people. After reading their webpage, Biscayne National Park (nps.gov), we decide to book a trip on the water in advance.
The Plan
We decided we wanted to go snorkeling, but also want to visit Boca Chita Key. The Small Group Snorkel Experience provides both of these options. It is a 3.5 hour tour where the captain chooses up to 2 snorkeling sites. However, an island visit can be substituted for 1 snorkel site. Unfortunately, their snorkeling program is designed for good swimmers over 8. That means our daughter is too young. So, we decide she will stay back with Gigi, Becky’s mom.
We book at 9:15AM thinking calmer water in the morning with plenty of time to get back before dinner. We will have to leave our resort by 7:30 since it is 1.5 hours away. The other option was to book $99 per person or a private trip for $495. Since we have 6 going, the $495 was a better deal. Plus a private trip would be just us and we could determine where we want to go. You also can bring your own snorkel equipment or rent from them for $10 (mask, snorkel and fins). We decide to pay and reserve our gear. Luckily there is no fee to enter Biscayne National Park. Normally there are many different things to do in the national parks for little cost and for all ages. But in Biscayne, you have to get out on the water.
I also want to go back to one of our favorite breweries, Funky Buddha Brewery, so we reserved a table for 8. You can read more about it here: Funky Buddha (funkybuddhabrewery.com). We have 6 going snorkeling including our 2 grown boys, Becky’s brother Kelly, and my mom, Grandma. Then we’ll head back to the resort to change before all of us will head to dinner.
Getting Ready to Snorkel in Biscayne National Park
We arrive at the Biscayne National Park’s Dante Fascell Visitor Center around 8:45AM. A volunteer directs us downstairs to check-in our party at a table below the visitor center. We grab our snorkel gear below near some restrooms. Since we know we are going to be on the water for a while, we all apply sunscreen. We also hit the restrooms and we are ready. No lunch is provided, but they let you bring your own food and drinks. They also provide water. We had packed some sandwiches and snacks along with water in our cooler. They call our name and we head to our boat with our cooler and our snorkel gear.
We are greeted onboard by the captain and our guide for the day. The captain is a retired Navy captain who just started working there. Our guide was a younger gentleman who turns out was very knowledgeable about the area. Our boat has plenty of space for the 6 of us up front. We then depart from the marina directly behind the visitor center. Once in the channel, we continue at idle speed. It can be very shallow so good we have an experienced crew to guide us. Once past the last marker, we speed up and out to Biscayne Bay.
Snorkel Spot #1
Soon after leaving the dock, our guide starts talking about the park and is happy to answer all our questions. Across Biscayne Bay are the 3 main islands or “keys” in Biscayne National Park. As we get closer we can see the large Elliot Key in front of us. We head North past Elliot Key and neighboring Sands Key. By this time we can see the lighthouse on Boca Chita Key. There is a cut between Boca Chita and Sands Keys that we go through slowly. On the other side is the Atlantic Ocean and just past the islands is a reef and our first stop.
The boat is secured to a mooring buoy and at this point it has been almost an hour. We put on our gear and jump in the water. It is June and the ocean water temp feels nice. We have about an hour to swim over the reef all around the boat. We all swim around and enjoy the colorful fish including many parrotfish. All of us have cameras of some sort, but none of us have an underwater camera unfortunately. However, we see lots of different colorful fish and after an hour, were ready to come back on board.
Boca Chita Key in Biscayne National Park
The crew knew I wanted to go to Boca Chita Key but they gave us a choice. We can snorkel to another spot inland and near mangroves, or go to the island. It is Father’s Day, so I win and we head to Boca Chita Key. The 65 foot lighthouse is the defining feature of this island and it gets bigger as we get closer. Because of Covid, we could not enter the lighthouse, but it is still beautiful to see.
What we weren’t expecting is all the boats already here. I guess we were thinking this island was secluded within the national park boundaries. But there is no fee to enter the park, and anyone with a boat can come here. Not to mention it’s a weekend and a holiday, and people are out.
We are lucky to get a spot to dock the boat in the bulk-headed lagoon. There are cleats for docking and we tie the boat up. At this point we are starving so we dig into our sandwiches and snacks. After we eat our lunch, we decide to explore the island.
Boca Chita Trail
There is a half mile trail that starts just past the restrooms. So we hit the restrooms before heading for the trail. And it starts off in a wooded area. The well maintained trail heads to the South of the island and opens up to a little beach. There is even a boat anchored offshore the beach here too. There are some interesting shells we find on this little beach.
After the little beach the trail turns back toward the lighthouse along the water’s edge. The Sun is starting to peek through the clouds now and the water is glowing turquoise and blue. We take more pictures along the way enjoying this easy walk. Then we head over a little bridge and through some rock walls that bring us back to the lagoon.
Returning and the Biscayne National Park Visitor Center
We were able to spend almost an hour on the island before needing to head back. We settle back on the boat and enjoy the ride back to the marina. Once back we tip the crew. They were great and tipping is highly encouraged. We return our snorkel gear then throw all of our stuff in the car. We then head into the visitor center. Becky grabs her passport book and goes to get it stamped.
They do have a store, but it is outside and around the side. Once around the corner, there is a short line to get in. We wait our turn and once in we get our customary fridge magnet and a little something for our daughter. We had planned to explore the grounds a little more, but it was very hot and we were pretty tired. So, we head back to the resort. We had plenty of time and took the long way through town back to the resort.
Funky Buddha Brewery
We like breweries for multiple reasons. First they are usually very family friendly, and they have beer! Not to mention Funky Buddha serves food which makes it the perfect place for dinner. The brewery is in Oakland Park about 15 minutes from our resort, just up the road from Ft. Lauderdale. There is some street parking, but there is a side lot and another across the street. We have 2 cars and we find a spot right out front while the boys park in the side lot. We walk in and we check in at the hostess stand and they seat us right away.
The brewery is not very busy at 6:00, and we have a reserved large table in the main dining area. Last time we were here it was packed so glad it is not as busy. Funky Buddha has a large selection of beers that change often. They like to do experimental flavors that keep it interesting. We decide to get some flights, which is a great way to try multiple beers without drinking too much. Basically a flight is a small pour of 4-5 different selections of your choice. Funky Buddha not only does 5 selections, but the pours are about 5 ounces and enough to share a taste.
They also give you a bag of crackers so you can have one to cleanse your palate between tastes. We ordered a few appetizers for the table including their pretzel, a brewery staple. They also have sandwiches and salads. Becky tries the griddled cheese with candied bacon and I get the smoked salmon BLT. After finishing and paying our tab, we checked out their little store. Becky grabs a shirt on sale and we get some beer to go.
Summary
Going to Biscayne National Park and a brewery for Father’s Day was special. We were glad we scheduled the private boat trip and on a separate day from other planned activities. Though it was more expensive than we normally like to spend, it was great being together enjoying the water. There are definitely some other experiences we’d be interested to book, but maybe when our daughter is older. Packing our picnic lunch and taking it on the boat turned out to be a good idea. We enjoyed eating on the island instead of looking for somewhere to eat.
Funky Buddha was also great for dinner. The combination of lots of tasty beer choices and yummy food is always a winner. We love that we all could go to the brewery, where getting a large table is easy to book. This day took some planning and pre-payment, but we had plenty of time to enjoy Biscayne National Park and the funky brewery. What a fun Father’s Day!
If you want to read about another exciting adventure this week, check out: Tamiami Trail – A Scenic Drive into Real Florida. The Tamiami Trail crosses Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve. And we hit stops all along the drive to the Gulf coast of Florida!