Residents and visitors to Key West actively participate in sightseeing, outdoor and maritime activities and shopping by day, and yield to the transition toward evening, when flame swallowers, tight rope walkers and shopping cart balancers strive to show up a more captivating performer: the fiery sun settling into the Gulf of Mexico.
Located closer to Cuba than it is to Miami, Key West is Florida's independent and irreverent southwestern subtropical paradise. The island's balmy climate, historic structures and anything-goes ambiance have long provided a tropical refuge for writers, artists and free-spirited folks yearning for a place to unravel the mind, body and soul.
Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams, Elizabeth Bishop, Robert Frost and Jimmy Buffett are just a few of the famous who discovered solace and inspiration here. So too did Bahamian wreckers, commercial fishermen, spongers and Cuban cigar makers.
Key West's Bahamian and Cuban heritage is evidenced throughout the island in restaurants and cigar shops, museums and accommodations.
For intimate lodging, the island provides a bounty of bed and breakfasts with architectural qualities evoking eras past, while lavish resorts offer modern services and amenities amid grander surroundings.
Visitors to Key West can pet a shark, tour a cemetery, visit Hemingway's former home and experience the riches of a spectacular salvage expedition. Island beaches offer ample sunning and watersports opportunities, while beneath the surrounding turquoise and cobalt waters, historic shipwrecks, a living coral reef and a myriad of marine life beckon underwater exploration.
For anglers, billfish beyond the reef and permit and tarpon on the flats are just a few of the local gamefish that offer spirited and sometimes acrobatic displays of strength.
At night, the stars above Key West illuminate assorted opportunities, including jazz clubs, piano bars, dance clubs and saloons. Theatrical stagings at three area playhouses feature Broadway-quality performances November through May.
The island is accessible via Key West International Airport, which is serviced by American Eagle, Delta ComAir, USAir Express, Cape Air and Continental Express. Key West also is accessible by flying into Miami International Airport, then driving the Overseas Highway from the mainland. For more information on Key West, write the Key West Chamber of Commerce at 402 Wall St., Key West, FL, 33040, or call 1-800-LAST-KEY.
THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN KEY WEST
Audubon House & Tropical Gardens, 205 Whitehead St. This restored historic home contains original Audubon engravings from 1832, when the ornithologist visited Key West and sketched 18 new species for his "Birds of America" folio. For hours of operation and admission information visit online www.audubonhouse.com or call 305-294-2116.Bahama Village, Petronia Street. Revitalized neighborhood showcasing Key West's Caribbean heritage through a Bahamian marketplace, shops, ethnic restaurants and galleries.
Curry Mansion, 511 Caroline St. An elaborate Victorian structure built on the site of the homestead of Florida's first millionaire. Curry Mansion now serves as a historic house museum showcasing an era of elegance. An inn is situated on the property; the structure is on the National Register of Historic Places. Visit www.currymansion.com or call 305-294-5349 for more information.
East Martello Museum & Gallery, 3501 South Roosevelt Boulevard. This historic military fort is filled with historic artifacts and memorabilia, along with works of renowned local artists Mario Sanchez and Stanley Papio. For museum hours and admission information call 305-296-3913 or visit www.kwahs.com.
Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center, accessed through Truman Annex on Southard Street. Center features 6,400 square feet of interactive exhibits showcasing the underwater and upland habitats that characterize the Keys. Highlights of the free-admission center include a walk-through version of the Aquarius Undersea Lab, the world's only operational underwater laboratory. For more information call 305-809-4750.
Fort Jefferson, Dry Tortugas National Park. This Civil War-era fort is the largest masonry structure in the Western Hemisphere. It's most famous prisoner was Dr. Samuel Mudd, incarcerated for providing medical assistance to President Abraham Lincoln's assassin. Fort Jefferson is accessible via the Dry Tortugas National Park ferry and by seaplane. Visit www.fortjefferson.com for more information.
Fort Taylor Historic State Park, accessed through the Truman Annex at Southard Street. Constructed between 1845 and 1866, this fort remained in Union hands throughout the Civil War and was later utilized during the Spanish-American War. The fort's collection of Civil War cannons is the largest in America. Call 305-292-6713 or visit www.floridastateparks.org/forttaylor.
