Key West is an island at the end of the chain of the Florida Keys. It is connected to the mainland by US Highway 1 which uses a series of bridges to link the islands of the chain. This is a popular vacation destination which gives visitors the feeling of the Caribbean without having to leave the country.
Key West has so many wonderful things to see and do. It offers museums and historic homes and nature attractions with sea life and butterflies. The clear blue sea surrounding it offers snorkeling, diving, sailing, parasailing and fishing.
Dave and I decided to see the Best of Key West on an open-air Conch Tour Train first and then to explore the places most interesting to us. Henry Flagler’s railroad arrived in Key West in September of 1912 and the Island City was changed forever. The Conch Tour Train is the legacy of Flagler’s engineering miracle.
This tour stays exclusively in the Old Town Historic District and covers the most important places to see in Key West. The tour lasts about 90 minutes with 3 stops on the way. We boarded the Conch train at Mallary Square and our journey has begun. It was a very informative and educational tour. I will cover a few attractions that I remember.
The Custom House. Originally, this unique red brick structure was designed to function as Key West’s customs office, postal service, and district courts. Today it is official headquarters of the Key West Art and Historical Society. The Custom House museum features many centuries worth of art, history and iconic figures.
There is a sculpture garden created by sculpture artist Seward Johnson behind the Custom House. One of his sculptures in the picture below stands in front of the Custom House. It is called “Time for Fun” based on Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s panting “Dance in the Country”.
Harry S. Truman Little White House. Once a second home to Harry S. Truman, the Little White House is a part of America’s political and historical past. It was built in the late 1800’s as an officer’s quarters for the Navy, but soon became the winter home of Truman and his family. John F. Kennedy, Dwight Eisenhower, Jimmy Carter and other prestigious leaders visited this house over the years.
Source: laurieborman.com
Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum. Located in the heart of Old Town Key West, this unique property was home for nearly 10 years to one of America’s most honored and respected authors. The only way to see the house is to take a guided tour, which introduces guests to the Nobel Prize author Ernest Hemingway’s life in Key West and the over 40 cats. Most of the 40 cats living at the House have six or seven toes because they are all descendents from Hemingway’s cat.
Source: hemingwayhome.com
Key West Lighthouse & Keeper’s Quarters. Opened in 1848, the Key West Lighthouse is one of the few inland lighthouses in the world. Guests can walk up the 88 steps to the top of the lighthouse for a 360 degree view of Key West. The Lighthouse is located across the street from Hemingway House.
Southernmost Point. The large concrete buoy marks the Southernmost Point in the continental United States, only 90 miles from Cuba and approximately 150 miles from Miami. Located at the corner of South Street and Whitehead Street, it is one of the most visited and photographed attractions in Key West, about a million people per year. In reality, it is not excactly the southermost point, but it is a cute landmark and there is always a line of people wishing to take a picture next to it. Later that day and evening, we took some pictures next to it as well.
South Beach. Located not far from the Southernmost Point, this smal white sand beach lookes inviting. We stopped for lunch there in the restaurant on the beach. By the way, there are no native beaches on the island. All Key West’s beaches are created by sand brought in on barges from the Bahamas.
Duval Street. The Conch train made its way through the vibrant Duval Street.
Typical island’s architecture.
We drove near Clarence Higgs Beach located on the Atlantic Ocean adjacent to the Waldorf Astoria’s Casa Marina Resort. Higgs Beach Park is one of the most inviting public beach parks in Key West because of its diverse array of activities and offerings.
A weird gift shop name “Pelican Poop Shoppe.”
Marilyn Monroe life-like statue in front of the Tropic Cinema at 416 Eaton Street just 1-block west of Duval Street.
Source: shoestringweekends.com
Mile Marker “0” is another Key West photo opportunity. It is just a mile marker sign of the southern end of the 2377-mile (3825 km) long U.S. Highway 1, which begins in Maine at the Canadian border and travels along the east coast of the United States. According to our tour guide, Mile Marker “0” is the most stolen sign in Key West.
Beautiful plants are everywhere. We could practicaly reach some plants from the train during our Conch train ride.
Bougainvillea spectabilis, also known as great bougainvillea is one of many beautiful tropical plants on the streets of Key West.
This is the silver buttonwood tree next to the City View bus. It is a native of the Florida Keys and, because of cold sensitivity, is restricted to south Florida. The beauty of the velvety silver-gray leaves makes it a popular plant in landscape designs.
Just cute pineapple decorations along the fence.
We saw roosters almost anywhere. Cuban immigrants brought them for cockfighting, a sport popular in their homeland. It’s illegal in the United States, besides Key West is a bird sanctuary. So they thrive. On the other hand, there are absolutely no squirrels, because of the lack of nut bearing trees there, according to our tour guide.
Conch Shells were available for puchase in many places. Crazy Conchs cart was one of them.
Amusing taxi color. 🙂
Flagler Station Museum. We stopped at the Flagler Station Museum at the Historic Seaport district to re-board the train. Some passengers hopped off there to explore the museum. Dave and I continued our ride on the conch train. The Museum is dedicated to Henry Flagler and the construction of the overseas railroad that connected Key West to the mainland of Florida. The museum is located in the original Key West train station built in 1912.
The Conch Tour Train was fun and we learned quite a bit about Key West history. We were taken back to the days before civilization when fierce Indians left their enemy’s bones to bleach in a tropical wilderness naming the island Bone Key (currently Key West).
We explored a tropical island, and discovered the charm and grace of its architecture. We got to know characters like John James Audubon, Ernest Hemingway, and Harry S. Truman, which became captivated by the magic of Key West.
We heard the stories from bold Spanish explorers and brave ‘Wreckers’ to the great cigar barons and sponge magnets. The Conch Tour Train transported us from the golden age of settlement through the exciting railroad days, the depression and WWII.
Most Graves in the Key West Cemetery are above ground and abound with unusual and amusing epitaphs. The highest elevation in Key West is 18 feet above sea level.
Key West is 1.5 miles wide and 4 miles long. People born in Key West are called Conchs. Key West is the only city in the continental United States that never gets frost. The temperature on the island has never dropped below 41 degrees Fahrenheit. There’s much to see and learn.
