Mobissimo

Embrace your inner redneck and jet on down to Islamorada in the Florida Keys. The "sport fishing capital of the world" may be lined with flashing neon lights, tourist shops touting tacky tees and pastel island-wear, giant stuffed gamefish dangling outside restaurants, and the enormous glowing conch shell (amidst fountains and hedges pruned into dolphin shapes) marking the entrance to the Theater of the Sea amusement park ... but the perfect climate and turquoise waters — dotted with mangroves and coral reefs — are the best that the 48 Continental States has to offer.

This is the "southernmost" point in the United States, and the latitude sure does shine with the whimsy and good-natured friendliness of the place. If lux is your thing, skip the Hells Angels hang-outs and head to the glamorous Cheeca Lodge — with its splendid spa and famous saltwater lagoon — and the Morada Bay Restaurant and Bar, from where chic couples and families alike enjoy breathtaking sunsets on the white sand beach.

Related articles:

• The Washington Post, "All Keyed Up"

• The Informed Traveler, "Spotlight On: Cheeca Lodge and Spa in the Florida Keys"