EXPLORING KEY WEST

Key West has an interesting history and an even more interesting atmosphere and lifestyle. Key West was originally named Cayo Hueso (pronounced 'kayo 'weso)by Juan Ponce De Leon (the fountain of youth guy). Even though it may have sounded like the modern day name, the Spanish name meant Bone Key. Apparently the original inhabitants of Calusa Indians used the island as a burial ground. Ownership of Key West went from Spanish to English to Spanish and then back to the U.S. Of course, there was also the Conch Republic. Key West declared it's independence from the U.S. in 1982 and formed the Conch Republic in protest against road blocks searching for illegal immigrants on Highway 1, the only land connection to the Keys. Key West has been a military post for most of it's history and still has a large military presence, but tourism has taken over and highlights it's carefree lifestyle and celebrates it's famous residents and visitors. The attraction for most of the tourists is not the history but the laid back life style, the architecture,the food, the music, the nightlife, the diversity, and of course, the bars and shops on and around Duval Street. Our goal was to try and see as much as possible of everything Key West and the Lower Keys are known for. Although the island of Key West is only about 2 miles across, there is a lot to see and do. There are historic homes, museums, nature centers, forts, beaches, quaint inns, bed and breakfasts, waterfronts, marinas and sunsets. And of course, we visited many of the restaurants and bars with an emphasis on finding the best Happy Hours. Some of the most memorable sites was Hemingway's house, The Truman White House, the eco center, Fort Zachary Taylor, the Beaches and the boardwalk along the wharfs. Around Duval Street there is Sloppy Joes, Captain Tony's, Willie T's, Kelly's (great Happy Hour!), Hogsbreath, Smoking Tuna, The Green Parrot, Grunt's Bar, Blue Heaven and many other places we didn't have the time, or the stamina to visit. On the Boardwalk, there is Alonzo's, The Boat House, Schooner's Wharf, The Turtle Crawl, The Eat it Raw Oyster Bar, and Dante's. Other than Kelly's, some of the best Happy Hours were along marina's with our favorites being Kelly's, Alonzo's and the Boat House. And of course, Pepe's, (the oldest restaurant in Key West), has the most mouthwatering baked oyster combo's ever! My Daughter, Bonnie brought her husband, Ben and my granddaughter Lila for a visit and we took them on a tall ship sunset cruise. Lila (only 20 months old) got to steer the ship and her mom and dad seemed to enjoy themselves too. We also took a trip to the Dry Tortugas to visit Fort Jefferson and did some snorkeling in what seemed the middle of nowhere. The mooring field we were in was very rough with almost constant strong winds and waves that made it a long and wet ride into shore. It was, however, the best choice for the price, considering slips were about $200 per night or more. The holding for anchoring was not very good and equally inconvenient and you still had to pay for everything such as a place to leave your dingy when you went ashore, water, showers, laundry and parking if you had a car. We got everything for $10 per night in the mooring field. The best part, as in every place we have been, was all the wonderful people we meet. Since someone said a picture is worth a thousand words, I will show you the rest of our stay in Key West in pictures. Some Classic houses in Key West Denise in No Name Bar on No Name Key Miniature Deer on No Name Key Beautiful Beach and Park Near Fort Zachary Taylor My Granddaughter Lila and her Parents Bonnie & Ben "Driving" the Jolly Rover Tall Ship Lila relaxes later as the sun goes down. Juggler on Mallery Square with sun setting. Hemingway's House... a resemblance? Fort Jefferson on our "cruise" to the Dry Tortugas Our Buddy Boat Genteel as we left for the mainland from Key West. Ed and Benia have become very good friends, but we just discovered we don't have any pictures of them! Yet!