The manatee was clearly saying hello. He (or she, I didn't check) ambled up to our kayak with the quiet, aquatic intent of a 2,000-pound sea mammal.

Our son, Cole, then 4, backed away, squealing at the unexpected proximity of this ancient face approximately level with his munchkin one. My sometimes hunter husband, on the other hand, suddenly got all Dr. Doolittle. ''Hello there,'' he said, then reached over and scratched the manatee on top of its head.

We were an hour's drive and a near eternity from home, at our favorite weekend getaway: Key Largo. Friday night we'd hopped into our car in Miami Beach and taken the Florida Turnpike out of the city and into the Caribbean. A mere 75 miles -- about $5 worth of gas at today's rates, and no fee for extra luggage -- later, we were pulling into the Pelican's gravel road.

Formerly known as the Hungry Pelican, this old Gulfside resort got a sprucing up a few years ago. Pink bougainvillea and white clapboard cottages frame the siren of blue water at the road's end. By the time we'd borrowed one of the resort's free kayaks and were exploring the mangrove islands and sea-grass manatee-feeding grounds Sunday morning, our urban existence seemed far away.

Key West is great for partying, Islamorada offers blissful relaxation and dining, but I'm frequently content to cut the drive short in Key Largo -- especially with a small child in the car. After all, this is where you'll find some of the nation's best snorkeling and diving, at the reef preserves of John Pennekamp State Park. You can get all your quintessential Keys experiences right here in the chain's northernmost island: fresh fish, quirky characters, shell shops, spectacular sunsets. And you have that many fewer miles in which to get stuck in traffic behind an accident on the Overseas Highway (which is still four lanes wide at the Pelican).

Granted, with strip mall after gas station after fast-food joint, Key Largo doesn't look like much from the road. But take a right or a left and in at most a few blocks, you end up at the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico.

Think of it as a commercial ribbon sandwiched by nature. Many of the motels are remnants of the first days of family vacation by automobile, when rather than checking into some exclusive all-inclusive, you just pulled up to your room and grilled outside your door. Those happy days are here again.

Besides, let's face it, when you're traveling with wee ones, it's pretty convenient to be able to walk to a Walgreen's, diner or souvenir stand.

ALL GEARED UP

One of the first things I inevitably do in the Keys is shop at Divers Direct (formerly known as World Water Sports). This emporium not only has all your snorkeling and diving needs, it also has a great selection of name-brand surf and swim wear, including Roxy, Billabong and Aaron Chang. Prescription goggles, sandals, life vests for children, polarized sunglasses -- it's a one-stop shop for not just your vacation needs but for stuff you'll use back home (especially if you live in South Florida). And you can walk there from the Pelican.

The gear will come in handy for your visit to Largo's top destination, Pennekamp. This unique Florida resource -- essentially a giant water park -- draws both the novice and the professional. Many visitors get their first-ever glimpse of underwater flora and fauna here, whether peering through the floor of a glass-bottomed boat or swimming next to the Christ statue with an orange life vest and snorkel on one of the numerous trips offered by both the park and independent vendors. Veteran divers come to explore shipwrecks and see an impressive range of creatures and coral -- many of which are unfortunately threatened by pollution, boating and global warming.

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