Sloppy Joe's is a hoppin' bar, good music. The Lazy Gecko is very cool and Flat Jacks had awesome burgers and beer (pool tables). Many bars with TVs and sports games playing, we dug that for a while.

Didn't stop at Hogs Breath, but it had some pumpin' music...packed!

Visit the smallest bar in the world if you like—you'll see it...maybe.

Excellent food (breakfast and all) down Duval! Shopping...Even a cute little grocery store...We love it!

Some of the best and most au currant designers have boutiques on Duval Street. Coach and Burberry both have set up shop here and are popular stops for those who love these brands. The store Biton displays high-end sports wear and trendsetting gear from brands like Seven for All Mankind, Dolce and Gabbana, and Juicy Couture. Do not expect to find much in the way of deals in these designer destinations, though - this is not the land of discounts, and most of the patrons of these stores do not mind spending.

Duval Street is home of several shops displaying Caribbean arts and handcrafts. The store Cuba!Cuba! has handmade Cuban paintings, sculptures, and other creative gifts from Cuban artists.

For more kitschy gifts and souvenirs, Duval Street offers many fine T-shirt and shell shops for the tourist type. Among them are Key West Shells and Gifts and Bird in Hand Gifts, both of which feature plenty of small souvenirs that won't break the bank. Make sure you buy some "key lime juice" so you can recreate your own key lime pies once you return home from your trip.

Several good places to stop and grab a bite to eat during your shopping excursion exist right on Duval Street. Sloppy Joe's Bar and Grill is a tourist and local favorite. Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville is a great place to grab a cocktail mid-spending spree.

For the best Duval Street experience, you should start at the intersection of Caroline and Duval and work your way west towards Mallory Square. The most interesting of the shops are closer to the Gulf side, so plan your spending accordingly!

Duval runs about 15 long city blocks; as soon as we turned the corner, I immediately knew it was going to be fabulous. My mind was conjuring up images of downtown Sausalito, the French Quarter in New Orleans, a bit of Old San Juan, and though I had never seen it, Cuba. Hordes of people were out and about, strolling, licking ice cream cones, slurping mocha lattés, or trying to hold on to their children. We opted for a northerly direction. We had heard that live concerts take place every evening at 7:00PM at Mallory Square, so we took a right at Fleming Street and happened on a sale event at Express. Who could resist? Other than the candy kitchen, nothing really held my interest until we reached Eaton Street. No less than 3 jewelry stores in 1½ blocks.. But here was Fat Tuesday’s claiming to be "direct from New Orleans", with drinks to match. Daiquiri lovers, please go to this page to get $1.00 coupon for your next daiquiri there. By the way, you will also find the Hard Rock Café on this block. .

From Caroline to Green Street, it’s practically all eateries, with names like Papa’s Restaurant Lilly’s Seafood Buffet and Irish Kevins, whose motto is "I came, I drank, I don’t remember". By that time, we had already missed the concert, and we were getting hunger pangs. Across the street, we spotted the Ochi Café and ventured in. It’s a charming, plein air setting, with no room to spare as the tables are close together. Hotel on the premises, too. The service was great, and the food well prepared. Romantic Italian music filled the area, which was an unexpected pleasure. Tried to take some photos, but it was too dark.

We returned to Duval Street several times; there were some art galleries that were a must; one in particular had an unbelievable sale on masks, and a variety of suspended luminaria which created a very festive display. The shop is aptly called Earth Bound Trading Paradise, and you’ll find it between Eaton and Fleming Streets. There’s a Gay and Lesbian Center right next to the First National Bank, and the gay community here is alive and well.

When you make your way down Duval Street you can pop into any number of bars. Some, like Capt. Tony's where the bar has sat the likes of Ernest Hemmingway and Jimmy Buffett, have been around since the beginning of the 20th century. Others like the Hard Rock Cafe are newer, but nonetheless breathtaking in its conversion of an older home into a bar/resturant.

Simply put, Key West is a place to remember, to remember what it was like before the world got fast, before the world got fat, and what it must have been like as a port town for pirates, not that long ago. It is a window into the past, and a different way of living, when you travel here, Jummy Buffett has put it best - "Changes in Latitude, Changes in Attitude nothing remains quite the same."