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USA - FLORIDA - KEY WEST: A MIX OF THE OLD AND THE NEW by Julie Rekai Rickerd   Key West is one of those rare Florida destinations that can be explored on foot. The southernmost tip of the United States until 1958, when Hawaii became the 51st state, it is located 150 miles from Miami and a mere 90 miles from Cuba.History and nature have both blessed Key West, one of south Florida's 800 keys. The tropical island was first 'discovered' by Ponce de Leon in 1530 but Native Americans had lived there for centuries before. The key came to prominence and achieved great wealth in the mid-19th century as a result of the many shipwrecks along its treacherous shores. Local pirates and 'adventurers' would plunder the gold and silver-laden ships that met their demise on the reefs during hurricane season.
Key West 'entrepreneurs' also accrued great wealth from cigar production, begun by Cuban emigres fleeing their war-ravaged country, and a lucrative sponge trade of the plentiful local sponges that were touted as the best in the world. Many of the workers in these trades were recruited from the Bahamas. Growing wealth led to the construction of magnificent estates as well as workers' homes in a variety of architectural styles: colonial, Bahamian, 'plantation'. Henry Flagler's railroad reached Key West in January, 1912, and opened up a steady stream of tourism that continues to the present day, despite the demise of the railroad that was wiped out by a hurricane in 1935. Within three years, the Overseas Highway was built and Key West was linked to land once again. Much of Key West's charm lies in the fact that its past has been carefully nurtured. It is enticingly displayed in its numerous museums and evident in its well-preserved and beautifully restored mansions, cottages and glorious gardens. The Key West Shipwreck Historeum showcases and recreates the days of the notorious 'wreckers', while the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum displays treasures and artifacts retrieved from the 1622 wrecks of the Spanish galleons Atocha and Santa Margarita. This amazing find by Fisher in July,1985, yielded an incredible $450-million in treasure, including over 40 tons of silver and gold. The Key West Museum of Art and History in the handsomely restored old Custom House, exhibits a comprehensive historical overview of Key West's many incarnations. The relative isolation of Key West and its year-round average temperature of 80 degrees made it a favorite enclave for artists. It was home to writers Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams and Robert Frost for many years, as well as a refuge for bird painter James Audubon. Hemingway House, that he occupied for 10 years and where he wrote many of his most famous works, was bought by the writer in 1931. The house and his book-lined writing studio remain as he left them and the dozens of descendants of his beloved six-toed cat still wander the lush grounds of his elegant estate. President Harry S Truman also fell in love with Key West and established his 'Little White House' there during his years in office. Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Carter and Clinton held meetings there as did, more recently, Secretary of State Colin Powell. Now a presidential museum, the house and magnificent grounds offer a wonderful glimpse of the relaxed and natural style of the Truman presidency. The best way to get an overview of the endless sights and attractions in Key West is to board a Conch Tour Train or Old Town Trolley. In 1-and-a-half hours the Conch Tour's open carriages drive past all the island's key places of interest along its main and side streets. The Trolley provides the option of off and on boarding at several stops along the way. Once oriented, walking around the island is not only doable, it's a delight. What better way to experience the extraordinary 19th century architecture, stop in for a drink at a historic bar like Sloppy Joe's, one of Hemingway's regular haunts, or have a casual meal at the original home of Pan American Airlines. You can even walk 'coast to coast' along Duval Street in about 30 minutes; Duval begins at the Atlantic Ocean and ends at the Gulf of Mexico. Apart from endless touring and walking opportunities, Key West offers water sports of every kind: sailing, kayaking, diving, snorkeling, water-skiing, parasailing, surfing, fishing. Dining is divine: exquisite seafood and fish Bahamian, Cuban, Caribbean and American-style. This is also home to the heavenly Key Lime pie. Sunset celebrations take place every night in Key West's Mallory Square. Musicians, performers from fire-eaters to high-wire gymnasts, vendors, visitors and longtime residents alike gather together to share the glory of each and every spectacular sunset. Key West is a casual mix of the old and the new. It is a most pleasurable, exotic, laid-back 'live and let live' corner of paradise with never a dull moment, whatever the moments of your choice might be. It is also an addictive venue. The temptation to buy one of those fabulous 'cottages' and become a permanent resident is ever-present. As President Truman wrote to his wife Bess during a visit in 1949, "I have a notion to move the Capital to Key West and just stay". Photo courtesy Florida Keys & Key West Visitors Bureau
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