In article ,
says...

"Wayne B" wrote in message
...

On Sat, 28 Apr 2012 21:26:38 -0700, "Califbill"
wrote:

Thinking of a trip to the keys. What is the best time of year?
weather,
heat, humidity. Any place better as a base than others? Skiff Rentals?
Good tarpon guides?

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There's Key West and then there's everything else. Key West has the
night life and touristy hustle and bustle but it also has a great
water front with lots of charter fishing opportunities, boat rentals,
sunset excursions on sailing schooners, glass bottom boats, etc.
From a location standpoint, one of the best places to stay is the
Galleon Hotel.

http://www.galleonresort.com/

As Greg points out, house rentals are a good option for stays of a
week or more. There are many choices in all price ranges. If you
Google up "Key West house rentals" you'll get a lot of hits.

On the other hand if you prefer a quieter setting the mid-Keys area
around Marathon has a lot to offer. We once stayed in a place called
the Rainbow Bend Resort which has sort of a funky old Florida feel to
it. The rooms were nothing special but we were on the beach with a
view of the water. Best of all we had the daily use of a 13 ft
Boston Whaler, and the food was really excellent.

http://www.rainbowbend.com/

Best weather is usually in November/December and again in March/April.
Tarpon fishing starts to heat up this time of year.

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So Marathon would be the better experience for the "keys experience"?

I like Marathon, but you really do need to at least take a day trip to
Key West itself. It's full of eclectic types of people, and also there
is a lot of history to explore. It can get awful touristy though!