#travel, A Little Bit of Key West, Florida

Key West is about 152 miles from where I used to live (Miami Beach, Florida). To get there, well, it takes for ever. You have to drive south, from Miami, which is the cul-de-sac at the end of the North American part of the American continent, and then out into the Atlantic Ocean.

And how do you do that? Well, they first built a railroad that went from little island to little island until if finished in the larger island of Key West. They later built the motor traffic highway, U.S. 1. This road actually crosses the eastern part of the entire United States… Anyways, it is a slow road and you better stick to the speed limit, which is 40 (mph) in many places as the road, like the railroad crosses through all the islands, the ones called the Florida Keys.

The US took control in 1821 of the island from the British who had taken control from the Spanish in 1763. Since then, Key West has been home to the folks that call themselves «Conchs». It’s a charming little city that resembles nothing north of it. And on Duval Street one can have a smashing good time any day and night…

If I were living in Florida today I would certainly be thinking about perhaps relocating or spending a lot more time in this little island in the middle where the Gulf of Mexico meets the Atlantic Ocean…

The drink of choice down in the Keys is the «Hurricane» and there are many bars where one can enjoy great libations, including Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville. But I prefer the ones whose floor is the sand…

One other thing, Key West is only 99 nautical miles away from Mariel, Cuba. During the years Cuba was a Republic, there was a ferry that transported passengers and cars from Havana to Miami via the Key West ferry. Pretty cool I would say. Of course that ended when Cuba’s government was usurped by the communists.

If you ever travel to Florida, do not miss a drive to Key West. Of course you could also fly there, but driving through all the Florida Keys is a fun and different way to get to a phenomenal destination. I still have friends there and maybe…

And I sit and wait for the sunrise sipping on a margarita with «Conchs» from Key West, while pelicans look on…

CHEERS