The American dream

Youthful charm and a fierce love of the ocean is nurtured a bit further south near the Key West tip, at the Isla Bella Beach Resort & Spa in Marathon; your heart will be warmed by the Turtle Hospital, your eyes opened by the history of the original Seven Mile Bridge, and your palate wowed by tiki-style seafood from the very waters lapping the resort’s shores. The jumble of little islands – more than 1,700 of them – that make up the Keys have names whimsical and endearing; some known as Middle Torch, Sugarloaf and Summerland, and also No Name Key and Knockemdown Key. Make Little Palm Island Resort & Spa the base for soaking up the differing vibes, whether you feel like remaining in a horizontal position on the beach during a sunrise spa treatment, diving to new depths, or dancing the night away to a Sandbar Session concert.

Your last stop must take in the most southerly point of America: the happy-golucky Key West itself, with lively streets and buzzing nightlife, spectacular food and famous sunsets. It’s also where you’ll find the Southernmost House. Over the decades, the ‘Mansion on the Sea’ has welcomed Ernest Hemingway, of course, several presidents, and Louis Armstrong. Take to the ocean in a sailboat to be stunned into silence by the sun blazing as it sinks below the horizon. Oh, what a wonderful world.