Normally, I knock myself out trying to see every site. Key West is filled with museums, galleries, a famous cemetery, Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville restaurant and more. The entire island is 3.5 miles by one mile, so many walk. Bone Island Shuttle is cheaper and covers a wider area. The bright yellow Key West Conch Train rumbles around Old Town, with guides explaining the high points of the area. Parking can be a problem, so alternate transportation is recommended on the island. And this is where the best beach in Key West is found. Its collection of Civil War cannons is the largest in the country. War buffs enjoy Fort Zachary Taylor State Historic Site. Jugglers, tightrope walkers, fortunetellers and others perform at water's edge until the brilliant ball of fire slips into the horizon. It's near Mallory Square, where visitors gather each night to watch the area's famed sunset celebration. Keeping the Hemingway spirit, visitors have to stop off at Sloppy Joe's Bar, Papa's hangout and the place where he met his next wife.Īnother top attraction is the Key West Aquarium, the nation's first open-air aquarium. The pool was the first in Key West and cost $20,000. For example, Hemingway's wife at the time, Pauline, had a swimming pool put in while her husband was in Spain. Tours offer gossipy details of the writer's life here in the 1930s. A tall monument along the highway, next to the upscale and environmentally correct Cheeca Lodge, honors those who lost their lives. The area was devastated by the hurricane in 1935 that destroyed much of Henry Flagler's railroad. The local attraction is Theater of the Sea, where visitors can swim with dolphins and stingrays, participate in sea lion shows and see wild animal exhibits. Known as the Sport Fishing Capital of the World, Islamorada features a large fleet of offshore charter boats and shallow-water back-country boats. The hotel shares space with Marine Lab, an underwater research and educational lab. The rooms have televisions, VCRs, telephones, bathrooms and showers, and 42-inch portholes. With approximately 600 square feet of living space, the hotel can accommodate six guests at one time. Scuba-diving guests must descend 30 feet under the mangrove lagoon to enter their airtight rooms. It is home to about 50 types of coral, 600 species of fish and the submerged 9-foot bronze, "Christ of the Deep." Visitors can view the underwater attractions by snorkeling, scuba diving or aboard a glass-bottom boat.Īdventurers might like to sleep at Jules' Undersea Lodge, the only such accommodation in the world. It was on tour when we visited.Ī more natural attraction here is John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, the nation's first underwater marine park. A few of the interior scenes were shot in the local Caribbean Club, and the boat used in the 1952 film "The African Queen" docks at the Holiday Inn most of the year. Here's what we found:Īlthough Key Largo, the largest key, makes a big deal about Humphrey Bogart's 1948 movie, most of "Key Largo" was filmed in Hollywood. It could take weeks to explore all that there is on land, on water and underwater. The entire chain has been designated the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The keys are divided into the Upper, Middle and Lower Keys and include five regions: Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon, Big Pine Key and Key West. While we drank beer in our loungers, the couple walked through the sand to a spot with the sun setting behind them. We also watched a sunset wedding at the resort in Marathon.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |