We spent our Christmas vacation exploring the Florida Keys archipelago. Key West is the most popular island in the "Islands in the Stream."
by Tolik on July 19, 2006
There are many things to do in Key West. If you're looking to go out, have a great time, and take a ghost tour then head to this unique island. You can tour the island in the Conch Train, spend some time fishing, swimming, or diving, visit famous Hemingway House, and make a picture of the Southernmost point of the continental USA on the corner of Whitehead & South Streets. The colorful buoy at the south end of Whitehead Street serves as the officially designated "Southernmost Point" of the continental United States (the claim is not quite accurate - Florida's southernmost point is Ballast Key, a privately owned island south west of Key West). The buoy is one of the most photographed places in the Keys (I guess Sunset at Mallory Square can compete). Standing here one can look out to sea toward Cuba (90 miles away).${QuickSuggestions} It takes at least a day to explore the old town that survived pirates, fires, warfare, and hurricanes. Hurricane Wilma in October 2005 was the worst storm in recent history. The six foot surge flooded more than half the island including much of Duval Street with more than two feet of water. My little tip: if you will travel in August – October, check the weather forecast for the Keys before you leave for the destination.Beware though that on Duval Street there are a lot of bars, and when people drink they tend to get a little loud. A custom to many locals and visitors alike is to take a nice evening stroll before the sun sets. Than after a day of swimming, sightseeing and shopping, be sure and attend the Sunset Celebration at Mallory Square. This nightly event is where both locals and visitors alike gather to experience a famous Florida sunset while being entertained by the street performers, with cruise ships and beautiful yachts on background. I would recommend coming here about 1 – 2 hours before sunset. Watch the musicians, cat and dog shows, acrobats, barefoot glass walking, fire eating, and all performing for free. Finally, take a Ghost Tour if you can. Have fun!${BestWay}
by Tolik on August 22, 2006
The Doubletree Grand Key Resort is a lovely place to stay in Key West. To find it, once you reach the island of Key West, turn left onto South Roosevelt Boulevard (sign reads "Towards Beach"). Proceed through the traffic light at Flagler Avenue and Doubletree Grand Key Resort will be approximately a half-mile down on your right.Check-in is a breeze. In the beginning you will have warm welcome, and I mean warm chocolate-chip cookies. Our stay was quite pleasant and relaxing. The staff are friendly and helpful, the rooms are large and well maintained (the balcony is a little small though), the grounds are lovely, and the swimming pool is excellent. The resort provides complimentary scheduled transportation to the Key West International Airport, historic Old Town, Key West Golf Course, and Smathers beach. Parking your car will cost $10 extra per day. This hotel is ideal if you want the benefits of being close to Key West without all the noise.
The resort provides complimentary scheduled transportation to the Key West International Airport, historic Old Town, Key West Golf Course, and Smathers beach. Parking your car will cost $10 extra per day. This hotel is ideal if you want the benefits of being close to Key West without all the noise.
A tiny, only 2-by-4-mile island, Key West is simple to explore. As you enter town on U.S. 1 (also called Roosevelt Blvd.), you will see most of the moderately priced chain hotels and fast-food restaurants. The better shops and restaurants (and more expensive) are located in the Duval Street area. In Pre-Columbian times the island was inhabited by the Calusa people. The Spanish name for this island is Cayo Hueso, meaning "island of bones". The ominous name was given by Spanish explorers that found the skeletal remains of Indians when they discovered the island. Later the name was changed to Key West – sounds similar but much nicer, isn’t it? And Duval street, the island's main street, was named after Florida's first territorial Governor who served between 1822 and 1834, the longest serving Governor in Florida's U.S. history.
This Cemetery is an amazing time capsule of Key West's past. The entrance is at the intersection of Margaret and Angela Street. Many of the graves are above ground, and it's a who's who of Key West. You will find unusual things around every turn. For example, the family plot that also contains graves of pet deer, rabbit, and dogs. Or epitaphs like "I told you I was sick". A Ghost Tour starts here too. They will charge $18 or so per person. The tour guide takes quite a creative license to stories (not always true). To be better informed you can pick up a free copy of Sharon Wells walking tour guide available at a local Information office. There is another walking tour called the Key West Ghost Tour. This is a walking tour that starts at the La Concha Hotel on Duval Street around 9PM, and takes you past some of the haunted sites of Key West and ends in a haunted pub. The tour guide will lead you by lantern light through the streets, stopping in front of several buildings and sites to tell you the story of what once happened there. The tour lasts about an hour and a half.
You should visit the former house of Ernest Hemingway. It was bought for Pauline and Ernest Hemingway by Pauline's uncle Gus in 1931 (Pauline was Ernest's 2nd wife). The Hemingway House is the only house in Key West with a basement and the first house on the island to get indoor plumbing, fireplace, and a swimming pool (Hemingway was outraged at what the pool ended up costing).The famous author owned the home until his death in 1961, and he lived there with countless cats, whose descendants, including the famed six-toed cats, still roam the premises. Hemingway built the brick wall around the house in an effort to get some privacy from the crowds of tourists. It was during those years that the Nobel Prize winner wrote some of his most greatest works, including “For Whom the Bell Tolls”, “A Farewell to Arms”, Death in the Afternoon” , and “The Snows of Kilimanjaro”. Hardware store owner Charles Thompson introduced him to deep sea fishing. Among the group that went fishing was Joe Russell (also known as Sloppy Joe).Definitely take the guided tour (45 min. or so); the guide will tell you interesting stories and offer insights and anecdotes into the Hemingway’s, the house and the town. You will see rooms of his house with glass cabinets that store artifacts, books, and his study. Hemingway had a lot of friends in Key West, and many of them appeared as characters in his novel "To Have and Have Not" which is about Key West during the depression. Even if you're not a Hemingway fan, the place is worth the visit for the house's architecture and lovely garden.
Once you’re in the Keys, U.S. 1 becomes the Overseas Highway. The best way to get around is to know the mile marker of your destination. Look for the little green mile-marker signs on the side of the highway. They begin just south of Florida City with number 127 and run all the way down to zero in Key West. Think of them like addresses. If you know the mile marker, getting to your destination is easy. It takes 3 hours or so to reach Key West from Florida City; I would recommend making at least one stop exploring “an island in the Stream”. We spent a few hours enjoying the Florida’s sun at the Anne’s public beach (Islamorada, mile marker 73). Parking space is rather limited (16 lots or so), shallow swimming.
http://www.igougo.com/journal-j56474-Key_West-Exploring_Key_West.html
©Travelocity.com LP 2000-2009