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It could be a tropical isle in the Caribbean or the Bahamas. But it boasts the southernmost point in the continental United States. It has long attracted world-renowned writers and presidents.
It is Key West, a quirky, fun loving town at the tip of the Florida Keys, just 90 miles from Cuba. Tripadvisor named Key West among the top five U.S. destinations for 2021. Best of all if you are visiting the west coast of Florida in the Ft. Myers area, you can hop on board the Key West Express, a super comfortable 170-foot catamaran, and be in Key West three and a half hours later.
It boasts a cruising speed of up to 34 knots or 39 miles per hour. The boat trip makes “getting there” a fun experience for all. It has three decks with comfortable reclining seats, large screen TVs, outdoor decks and a full-service galley and bar.
Leaving early in the morning from Ft. Myers Beach and returning late at night it is possible to make the trip in a day. But there was so much to see and do we stayed overnight and returned on the boat the next evening.
We could have easily filled four days or more with sightseeing, diving, snorkeling, sailing, kayaking, fishing and just relaxing. Old Town Key West is very walkable and there is no need for a car. Take the Conch Train for a guided tour of Old Town. It is hop on and hop off.
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First stop for us was the Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum. The Nobel and Pulitzer prize-winning writer first stopped in Key West on a visit home from Paris. He was captivated by the island’s charms and like many others felt that he was in another country.
The home in Old Town was a gift of his wife Pauline’s wealthy Uncle Gus. Built in 1851, it was in great disrepair when they took ownership, and they undertook a massive restoration in the early 1930s that turned the home into the National Historical Landmark that draws visitors today.
An extraordinary feature of the house is the pool, built in 1937-38 at the staggering cost of $20,000. It was the first in-ground pool in Key West and the only pool within 100 miles. Our guide told us how the exorbitant construction costs prompted Hemingway to take a penny from his pocket, press it into the wet cement of the patio and announce “Here, take the last penny I’ve got!” We were invited to take a look and there was the penny.
Many of Hemingway’s unique furnishings are European antiques collected during their time in Paris and Europe. For me and most writers, the soul of the house is the study where he did his writing on a typewriter that still sits on a desk. It was here he wrote To Have and Have Not, a novel about Key West during the Great Depression. When the couple first arrived in Key West, he finished a partially autobiographical novel about the First World War, A Farewell to Arms.
The trophy mounts and skins were souvenirs of his African Safaris and numerous hunting expeditions in the American west. As we were led into the bedroom with the large custom-made bed, we noticed that one of the house cats had decided it was the perfect spot for a nap.
The 40 to 50 cats are a very visible and living link to the past. They are the descendants of Hemingway’s cats. Many of these cats have six toes instead of the usual five or four. The story goes that Hemingway met a local sea captain who owned an unusual white six-toed cat named Snow White, which captured Ernest’s fancy. When he left Key West, the captain presented the cat to Hemingway. He named all his cats after famous people and the tradition continues today.
Papa, as he was called by his fishing buddies and others, sailed his boat, Pilar, around the Keys and fished the Gulf Stream extensively for marlin and other large sport fish. Evenings were spent in the nearby bars including his favorite, Sloppy Joe’s Bar which celebrates his patronage today. The couple divorced in 1940 and Hemingway took up residence with his third wife in Cuba. But he continued to visit Key West until his death in 1961.
There are literary walking tours of Key West that include stories about Hemingway, and other writers including Tennessee Williams, Elizabeth Bishop, Robert Frost and Judy Blume who have lived or spent extended time in town.
Just around the corner from the Hemingway House is the Key West Lighthouse and Keeper’s Quarters. As soon as the U.S. Navy established a base in Key West in 1823 the need for a lighthouse was evident. The current lighthouse opened in 1848 with a woman as its keeper, nearly unheard of during the 19th century.
After it was decommissioned in 1969, it became a museum dedicated to the town’s maritime heritage and to the men and women who bravely kept the light burning through threats of war and weather. Visitors can walk up the 88 steps to the top of the light as well as explore the exhibits depicting the keepers and families who lived a now obsolete way of life.
Key West has long attracted shipwreck salvagers and the most famous is surely Mel Fisher. “Today’s the day,” was the legendary treasure hunter’s motto. Among other finds, he raised $450 million in gold and silver from the wreck of the Spanish galleon Nuestra Senora de Atocha, sunk in a storm in 1622 and discovered by Fisher in 1985, about 35 miles from Key West. His exploits and stories of the area’s maritime history are told in the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum, a short distance from the waterfront.
Fisher’s 16-year quest to find the Atocha is told in the “Today’s the Day” exhibit. I felt a special connection to this exhibit. Back in 1985 I was part of a small group of sport divers who were allowed to dive with the treasure divers who were searching for treasures from the Atocha.
The 35-mile boat trip to the site, which was spread over a wide area, was very rough and once underwater the current was strong. Nothing was visible. We had to crawl along the bottom pulling ourselves along as we felt for possible treasures.
My dive partner discovered a thumb size neon-colored emerald that was among the smuggled jewels on the ship. It was just as dazzling as the day it slipped into the sea in 1622 and I was the second person to touch it in 363 years. I also had the chance to try on a long solid gold chain found in the sea from the Atocha. Some chains and other jewels are on display in the museum. Could the one I spotted in a case be the same one that briefly hung around my neck?
Another popular attraction is the Harry S. Truman Little White House, Florida’s only presidential site. It was built in 1890 as naval officers housing. It has been visited by six American presidents but was dubbed Truman’s Winter White House because he spent 175 days of his presidency here from 1946 through 1952.
After his first visit he fell in love with the island and was soon using the retreat to run the affairs of government. Like today’s visitors he also enjoyed the weather, fishing, swimming and relaxing.
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The sunset is celebrated every night at Mallory Square. Since the late 1960s the Key West Sunset Celebration has become one of the town’s iconic events. Beginning about two hours before sunset this nightly festival features magicians, jugglers, clowns, psychics, local musicians, artists and food vendors as well as a dancing dog or two. Of course, the highlight of the event is watching the glowing pink and red sun sink into the Gulf of Mexico horizon.
There is a wide range of accommodations in Key West including hotels, inns, B&Bs, and houses. Amsterdam’s Curry Mansion Inn was the perfect choice in the middle of Old Town and convenient to everything. Built in 1869 by William Curry, who arrived here as a penniless immigrant and became Florida’s first millionaire, the inn has 28 rooms in three buildings. Staff is friendly and welcoming.
Our room opened out to the pool where complimentary made-to-order breakfast is served and a daily happy hour (which lasts for two hours) takes place with drinks, snacks and live entertainment.
Travel Tip of the Month: Key West has a mandatory mask rule for both inside and outside when social distancing of six feet or more is not possible. Masks are required at restaurants except while seated and eating. It is easy to eat outside. Accommodations follow American Hotel & Lodging Association COVID-19 guidelines. Note that the photos in this article were taken before the pandemic.
For information on Key West visit http://www.fla-keys.com or call 800-FLA-KEYS. For information on Key West Express visit keywestexpress.net or call 239-463-5733. For the Curry Mansion Inn visit currymansion.com or call 305-294-5349.
Deborah Williams is a veteran travel writer who lives in Holland, NY. She is the recipient of the Society of American Travel Writers’ Lowell Thomas Gold Travel Writing Award.