We always make at least one stop at bustling Robbie’s Marina in Islamorada (Mile Marker 77) on the way to or from Key West. We usually grab a bite to eat at the Hungry Tarpon Restaurant, feed the giant tarpon from the dock and wander around the quaint, open-air shops. However, last year we decided to rent kayaks from the Kayak Shack at Robbie’s Marina and take a kayaking adventure to Indian Key Historic State Park. After renting kayaks (we went solo, but the Kayak Shack also offers guided tours), we headed away from Robbie’s and under the Overseas Highway to open waters. Indian Key is only about a mile or so away, so it wasn’t too strenuous at all. Once we docked our kayaks, we wandered around the trails, checked out the historic ruins and climbed the wooden tower for a nice panoramic view of the surrounding area (we had the whole island to ourselves!). Indian Key has a fascinating and tragic history. In the 1830s, the island was the site of a burgeoning settlement established by a somewhat “ruthless” and “unscrupulous” wrecker named Captain John Jacob Housman (1799-1841). During the Second Seminole War in 1841, Housman and some other inhabitants of Indian Key were killed by Calusa Indians during a raid on the island (reportedly they had been tipped off about Housman’s offer to the federal government that he was willing to capture and/or kill all of the Indians in the area for $200 each). Housman’s grave is located on Indian Key and features the following inscription: “Here lieth the body of Capt. Jacob Housman, formerly of Staten Island, State of New York, Proprietor of this island, who died by accident May 1st, 1841, aged 41 years 11 months. To his friends he was sincere, to his enemies he was kind, to all men faithful. This monument is erected by his most disconsolate though affectionate wife, Elizabeth Ann Housman. Sic Transit Gloria Mundi.” Our kayaking trip to Indian Key turned out to be one of the most memorable outdoor excursions we have taken in the Florida Keys. Next time, we will set our sights on kayaking to nearby Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park.