Key West, FL

by Valinda Almeida, Key West Correspondent

Long a haven for creative spirits, Key West is famous for its sensational sunsets, boisterous street festivals, divine cuisine, over-the-top tropical drinks, world-class diving and snorkeling, enchanting gingerbread houses, and its laid-back, anything-goes atmosphere.

This tiny island city - a scant two-mile by four-mile slice - offers just about anything you are looking for. Extremely tourist-friendly, it’s almost impossible to get lost here. Reflecting its hugely diverse resident population, Key West has an inherently tolerant personality. There is a sense of detachment from reality. It’s non-stop fun for everyone who visits the southernmost city in the continental U.S.

Maybe there’s something in the water here that boosts creativity. Eight Key West writers, including Ernest Hemingway, have won the Pulitzer Prize. Check out his watering hole, Sloppy Joe’s, at the corner of Duval and Greene Streets. The city still harbors plenty of poets, painters, and writers.

It was also a hideaway for presidents. Harry Truman spent lots of time on Front Street in the “Little White House.” John F. Kennedy stayed there during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Key West is on the doorstep of Fidel Castro’s Cuba. Also known as the Conch Republic, Key West is closer to Havana (90 miles) than it is to Miami (150 miles). Read the rest…

by Deborah Straw

Visiting Key West is like stepping into an old picture postcard of Florida. Everything except the bright pink flamingos is here: the pastel cottages; the waving palms; the long, sandy beaches; and the red, languid sunsets.

Key West is a harmonious island, one where people feel free to express themselves — with their clothing, their haircuts, their lifestyles, and their bodies (i.e., tattoos and piercings). A recent Citizen of the Day in the local newspaper said, “If you don’t want to be yourself here, be someone else.”

Another way the natives express themselves is through their architecture and landscaping. Key West is full of startlingly beautiful architecture. Wooden houses in whites, pinks, salmons and yellows abound; elegant homes are surrounded by palms and hibiscus; two- and three-story houses with wrap-around porches, filigreed wrought iron balconies, hidden gardens and aquamarine pools. Many have white picket fences. The scent of frangipani, hibiscus and roses hangs heavy in the warm air. Read the rest…

Key West isn’t the only cool stop in the Florida Keys however. There are several more Keys to be found only a short drive northeast on US Highway 1. You can choose from Duck Key, Cow Key, Big Pine Key, Marathon, Islamorada and Key Largo, with the later three being the larger Keys to visit.

If you have a couple of days in which to explore, head on up Highway 1 to Miami. A hotspot for nightlife, the famous (or is it infamous?) South Beach is where most Miami visitors end up.

Ed. Note: If we had those extra days we would just slow down, kick back and enjoy a leisurely pace in the Keys — saving the Miami area for a “big city” vacation mindset.

Try to avoid Key West in March, when spring breakers line Duval Street — unless you are one of those people who are “on” spring break.  The high season is winter and costs are known to nearly triple during some “popular” weeks.

Summer, on the other hand, can be a bargain. Hotels, motels, bed & breakfasts, and inns drop rates quite a bit in the summer months — often by nearly half the going rate.