Where to start? From the first moment of contact with the owner, Toni, to the follow up calls after we got home this vacation was by far the easiest to plan. Toni is an absolute gem! Between herself and her right hand man, Conrad, we were treated like family from the get. Toni was more than willing to answer any question (no matter how foolish it may have been) with efficiency and honesty. She was easily accessible via email, text or calling (and oftentimes a phone call with a simple question ended up being a half hour conversation between what seemed like old friends). Coming from a land locked state (Colorado) it took some preparation and education on island life in the keys, in which Toni went above and beyond to assist us in anything we needed. We are avid fishers and wanted to make sure that we were obeying laws in Monroe County. Toni looked high and low for fishing and water guides for us (with much success) and left many pamphlets and other literature on the boat for us to use while we were partaking in activities. Once we arrived in Marathon, Toni and Conrad met us at the dock, assisted us with loading our groceries and luggage (with an extra boat!) and away we went to discover our little piece of paradise..... and paradise it was!!! After a tour of the island and some discussion on the "in's and out's" of the various equipment (boats, generator, etc.) Toni and Conrad made their way back to Marathon and left us to enjoy our island oasis, but not without a few laughs and much reassurance that we could reach out at anytime. They even went out of their way to grab some ice and meet us at the dock so we wouldn't have to head back in to town again, completely unexpected and oh, so appreciated after our long travels! The next 9 days were pure bliss, albeit hot and sticky, but bliss none the less. We spent many days lounging in the hammock, kayaking and paddleboarding around the island, fishing off the houseboat and just enjoying each other's company. The nights were beautiful; clear, starry skies and a calm breeze on the docks. It doesn't cool off in the evenings as we are used to, so we only did a campfire a few nights as it was too hot to truly enjoy. However, the few nights that we did throw a log or two on the fire were absolutely amazing. The ambiance of the island at night is purely an island wonderland. Beautiful solar lights, well placed tiki torches, the crackle of a small fire and the smell of marshmallows roasting... what else could make the nights better? Thank you so much, Toni. You made our first Keys and Island experience one for the books :)

My family and I travel to Florida a couple of times a year. We typically rent a condo on the beach or a house on a canal. We stumbled across “Our Florida Island” while searching for a place to stay in early 2019. It looked like a place we would love but we assumed we could never afford it. After seeing the rates and doing some research we booked it.

The week on the island was unlike any trip we have taken to Florida. It was absolutely awesome. We have three teenage kids. Two boys that are 18 and 15 and our daughter is 14. The kids loved it! There was never a dull moment. We fished, kayaked, explored other islands, swam, relaxed, cooked, played corn hole, took the motor boat to other locations, we drove to Key West one day and we were simply amazed by the views and wildlife. We also petted manatees and caught lobsters.

If you prefer to sit in an air conditioned condo and watch television most of the day this probably would not be the best choice for you. (don’t get me wrong, the house boat has AC and TV but running it all day would require assistance from the generator on the island) But if your family is adventurous and you enjoy being outside and you’re looking for something a little different, I highly recommend “Our Family Island”.

Toni, the owner, is very responsive to the needs of the people on the island and was always a phone call or text away.