Key West, FL

Address:Key West, Florida

Getting to Key West, Florida may be just as beautiful and memorable as actually being there, especially if you are driving into the island from Florida via the 7-mile bridge, offering an enjoyable seven miles of unobstructed, spectacular ocean viewing. The slopes of the bridge are worth taking a picture of as you drive (Let the passenger take the photo!). Key West is the place to go to unwind, be yourself and forget about your daily life. The southernmost point of the U.S. is as tranquil as it is a crazy party town with seemingly endless bars and an array of activities. Key West really offers something for everyone. The tours you will take are funny, wild and educational, and watching the sunset is actually a local celebration. But with only one main road in and out of the town, it's advisable not to visit during hurricane season, which runs from June 1st to November 30th - if a storm threatens South Florida, Key West is the first place to be evacuated. Other than that, knock yourself out!

Key West is the fifth and final Key in a chain of islands in the Florida Straits. On the corner of South Street and Whitehead is the Key West Monument, shaped like a buoy, which reads "90 miles to Cuba. Southernmost point. Continental U.S.A. Key West." While visiting the monument is free it's also Key West's main tourist attraction, so you may wait in a long line to get that sought-after picture.

Biking or walking is your best bet for getting around. Tour Key West by trolley on the Conchtour train or hop on the enclosed Old Town trolley in bad weather. Another option is to see Key West by boat - coral reef tours and evening sunset cruises are suitable for kids.

Visit the Bourbon Street of Florida, or Duval Street, as Key West's main street is named, and do some shopping (if you can handle shopping after visiting the row of free cover bars along the street!). You will find an abundance of t-shirt shops and clothing stores with decent prices. Keep an eye out for sales people who will say anything to make a buck. If you would rather drink than shop, start out at the bars on Truman Avenue and work your way up to Duval. There's live entertainment every night and the bars and clubs don't close until 3-4 a.m.

If the bars on Duval weren't enough, take the Key West Pub Crawl, a tour of the island's most famous bars. It starts daily at 8 p.m., lasts two and a half hours, and includes four drinks.

Need a break after all that revelry on Duval Street? Key West Botanical gardens is perfect. Catch some z's in the last hardwood hammock in Key West, or walk around the 11-acre garden and see colorful wildflowers, butterflies, birds and a genetically cloned tree. Admission is free.

Get back into the swing of things by visiting the Key West Cemetery, which will make you die laughing and leave you with conversation-starter photographs! Many tombs are stacked one on top of the other, and the headstones reflect residents' carefree attitude toward life and death. "I told you I was sick" is one of the famous engravings, as is the widow's inscription, "At least I know where he's sleeping tonight."

Key West has several small beaches – some say they are too narrow and rocky - but they are nice, and at the right time of day they provide a good escape from the craziness of downtown. Smathers Beach, a teenager magnet, is Key West's largest and most overpopulated Beach. It's clean, and in the morning, quiet. Higgs Beach is a favorite of Key West's gay crowds. Meanwhile, unknown to many is the unmarked cemetery, under the sand, of African slaves who died waiting for freedom. Higgs has a playground and tennis courts and Fort Zachary Beach has a small admission fee. It has a great historic fort, a Civil War museum and large picnic area with tables, barbecue grills, restrooms and showers, while large trees scattered across 87 acres provide ample shade.

With Key West surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Gulf of Mexico on the other, there is no shortage of water-related activities such as diving, snorkeling, fishing and kayaking. Other activities include biking and golfing.

Especially for kids, the near-shore waters at Key West Marine Park are blocked off with buoys for safe swimming and snorkeling. Children can view numerous species of coral, tropical fish and birds. A good spot to take kids fishing is the end of White Street's Pedestrian pier, where they can catch small snappers, grunts and more.

The oldest attraction on the island is the Key West Aquarium. A long hallway of eye-level displays showcases dozens of varieties of fish and crustaceans. Kids can touch sea cucumbers and sea anemones in a shallow tank. Catch one of the free guided tours and see the feeding frenzy of the sharks, tarpon, barracudas, stingrays and turtles. Expect to spend one to one and a half hours here.

Another fun tour is the one-mile, 90-minute ghost tour. This spooky and interesting tour gives visitors insight into many of the island's old legends.

Hungry? - visit the Hard Rock Café on Duval Street, or there are several drive-thrus on Roosevelt Boulevard. Seafood restaurants are very popular as well, and American, Italian, French and Carribbean foods are also in demand.

From resorts with all the amenities to seaside motels, quaint bed-and-breakfasts, and clothing-optional guesthouses, you can almost always find a place to stay at the last minute. There are, however, a few times during the year when Key West is absolutely packed. Fantasy Fest (around Halloween), where Mardi Gras meets South Florida for the NC-17 set; Hemingway Days (in July), Christmas and New Year's - or a big fishing tournament (many are held in October-December). Especially in winter, prime properties may require minimum stays of two or three nights.

Ernest Hemmingway called laid-back Key West his home. Visitors can tour his Spanish Colonial house, built in 1851. The optional half-hour tour included with admission is really worth it for Hemmingway fans, who will see his study and rooms in his house with glass cabinets that store certain artifacts, books and pieces of mail addressed to him. But if you don't like felines then scratch Hemmingway's house off your list - there are cats everywhere.

Tour the Little White House, President Truman's Key West escape from the Oval Office, which he referred to as the "Great White Jail." Open to the public for touring, the house is fully restored. Exhibits document Truman's time in the Keys. Tours run every 15 minutes and last 50 minutes. On your way out, visit the presidential gift shop.

Die-hard Jimmy Buffett fans will love Trails of Margaritaville, an entertaining 90-minute walking tour providing fans with a great visit to Buffett's stomping grounds in the 70s. Dressed in full Parrothead regalia - Hawaiian shirts and parrot hats - the knowledgeable and often hilarious guides lead you past