Go South Young Man.
Just keep on driving until you run out of road!
What is Key West like? Here’s one man’s description.
Go cups
Simply put, Go cups allow you to wander the streets with alcohol. You are allowed to leave some establishments with a “Go cup” so that you can pour your unfinished drink into a cup and take it on the street. There is a strong correlation between places that allow Go cups and fun – just ask folks down on Duval Street in Key West, or ask anyone on Beale Street in Memphis, or Bourbon Street in New Orleans. Happily I have been over served in all three of those good time venues.
The Conch Republic
The Conch Republic was created in a much publicized, tongue in cheek secession from the United States by the inhabitants of Key West to form their own nation – The Conch Republic – on April 23, 1982. The original protest event was motivated by a U.S. Border Patrol roadblock and checkpoint which greatly inconvenienced residents and was detrimental to tourism in the area. The Conch Republic celebrates Independence Day every April 23 as part of a week-long festival of activities involving numerous businesses in Key West. Still flown proudly by locals, the blue flag of the Conch Republic (Conch is pronounced with a hard K sound – rhymes with Honky Tonk) is seen on houses and businesses in the Keys.
Sunrise, Sunset
Being able to see both a sunrise and a sunset from the same city is a rare and special thing. The crowds gather at Mallory Square or at the top the La Concha Hotel to toast the spectacular sunsets. Some of those same people may still be in revelry making mode come sunrise and they just need to shift their viewpoint to the beach by the White Street Pier and they will be rewarded with a beautiful sunrise accompanied, as always by crowing roosters. Yes, Key West has roosters.
Southernmost
One of Key West’s many claims to fame is that it the southernmost point in the continental U.S.A. Technically it is the southernmost incorporated place in the contiguous 48 states. You have to throw those qualifications in because there are portions of the keys that keep on going south from Key West but they aren’t inhabited and they aren’t always above water. State Road A1A that hugs much of Florida’s Atlantic coast comes to a rest at Mile Post 0, among the tin roofs and small hurricane proofed houses of Key West. This southernmost label underscores just how isolated and out there Key West sits in distance and attitude.
Pirates and Queens – That Special Key West Vibe
Key West is a little gritty, a little smelly, a little hard drinking, , a little burlesque, a little Cubano, a little hippie and a little funky. It has a good measure of southern charm, they have Key Lime Pie and six toed cats, they have geckos and iguanas and it’s the home of the annual Ernest Hemingway look-a-like contest and the ever eclectic Fantasy Fest. There is a little dilapidation here and there but there is also renewal and new construction.
It’s laid back and easy going, there are music clubs, strip clubs, LBGT clubs, jazz clubs and wine clubs – it can be a little bit of a sinner, a little bit of a saint. The official city motto is “One Human Family.”
Old style bicycles with baskets and bells ridden by a man in Khakis pants with red suspenders and a bright red bow tie.
Beautiful gardens, colorful flowers, Palm trees, Banyan Trees, Mangroves, and beautiful New Orleans style ironwork facades.
No beggars, but lots of quality buskers.
Pelicans and other bird life abound.
So point that compass to south and head on down to Key West, you won’t regret it and you’ll see a unique slice of America that many miss.
What to do? \ Where to eat? \ When to go?
To Do or Visit
- Visit the Key West Lighthouse
- Visit the Hemingway House
- Visit Truman Annex and Little White House
- Visit the Dry Tortugas or Woman Key
- Visit Lazy Dogs Kayaking
Visit the beaches – Smathers Beach, Higgs Beach, South Beach
- Go on Jet skis
- Go on a Sunset cruise
- Go on a glass bottom kayak
- Play the Key West Golf Club
- Dive the reefs and wrecks
When to go
- Honestly, any time is good. I recommend going when the weather is crappy where you live.
- The annual Fantasy Fest is in mid-October
- The Annual Hemingway Days are in mid-July
Eatings and Drinkings
- There are lots of delightful bars and restaurants. Here are some I have enjoyed:
- Schooner Wharf Bar
- La Concha Hotel bar at sunset
- Sloppy Joes
- Hidden Garden – the banana heaven desert – mmmm….good.
- Seven Fish
- Square One
- Origami Sushi
- Half Shell Raw Bar