Dozen Distinctive Destinations
Key West, FL
Year Listed: 2005
The southernmost tip of Florida and the last in the string of islands known simply as "The Keys," Key West packs a host of attractions on a tiny speck of land, three miles wide by five miles long. Its centuries-long history has been shaped by everyone from New World explorers to LGBT vacationers, from humble fishermen to the rich and famous, many of them drawn by Key West’s well-earned reputation as a tropical paradise with breathtaking sunsets and vibrant nightlife. While much has changed since author Ernest Hemingway lived here, if you look carefully you’ll still see reminders of the laid-back town that "Papa" Hemingway loved. The author’s Spanish-style home is now a museum and one of the island’s biggest draws - along with Harry Truman’s Summer White House and the Maritime Heritage Museum established by famed treasure hunter Mel Fisher.
This harborwalk allows visitors to stroll along a promenade near local shops and restaurants where they can see historic sailing vessels in Key West’s famous seaport.
Credit: Jimmy Weekley
The Key West Cemetery and its quirky epitaphs - including one that reads "I told you I was sick" - are perfectly in keeping with the island’s off-beat élan. Visitors won’t want to miss a stroll or bike ride along palm-lined streets where they’ll discover gingerbread mansions and tin-roofed "conch" houses. At the end of shop-lined Duval Street, waterside Mallory Square is the site of nightly sunset celebrations. Once the sun makes its final descent, the island moves to a different beat as streets lined with sidewalk cafes, open-air bars and world-class restaurants, come alive. Adored by sports enthusiasts, Key West offers gin-clear waters for swimmers and snorkelers, while scuba divers relish discovering shipwrecks submerged along the Keys coastline.
Submitted by videopro at: February 27, 2010
My wife and I had the good fortune to live in Key West in the '70's, and our daughter was born there, making her a "native Conch". While it has morphed into a trendy resort town for the well-to-do, it maintains it's beauty, historical heritage and it's "funkieness". Worth a visit before you die.
Submitted by harwoodonna at: February 4, 2010
Key West is the best place to visit and site see,it is full of life and leisure,the sunsets are awsome and unbelievable,snorkeling on the coral reef was just amazing and the state park has so much history and the beach was just gorgeous.It would be a great and beutiful trip to take with family and or friends,my experience was great with my family,driving in from Miami was just an experience to see,I will never forget it.