Key West is a must-see, must-do experience if you’re visiting Dry Tortugas National Park. I tacked on some time after my Tortugas visit and placed myself under the guidance of local expert and friend, Heidi. Key West is an eclectic mix of people, history, and nature, and, with the rapid increase in climate change, this gem at a highpoint of 18 feet above sea level may not be above water for all that much longer. So take advantage while you can!
Key West’s spirit can be enjoyed nightly at Mallory Square and along Duval Street, as well as through stories you’ll hear at the Hemingway House, the Historical Society, and Nancy’s “Secret Garden”. You can fly into Key West if you are short on time, but I highly recommend the drive (150 miles) on the Overseas Highway. It is truly a spectacular experience.
Now, here are my five best moments in Key West!
#1. Mallory Square at Sunset and Evening along Duval Street
Every day, absolutely every day, a celebration commences a couple of hours before sunset at the Mallory Square waterfront. Artists, street performers and a horde of tourists congregate to enjoy the big event. I’m not one for large crowds, especially since I’m not tall, but this is a must-do for at least an hour around sunset.
Then, head over to Duval Street and join the multi-block revelry, the beating heart of Key West. You will find yourself embraced by positive energy, the “We are One Human Family” vibe, which is Key West’s credo of proclaiming the equality and interconnectedness of mankind.
#2. Green Parrot Bar
This is Heidi’s favorite place for music, and all the guidebooks agree that the Green Parrot Bar gets the best bands. There’s no cover, the door’s wide open, and in you walk. Dead ahead is the bar, and behind it is the band, and, all around you, a hundred or more dudes and dudettes of all ages, ethnicities, and what-not. Least crowded is the dance floor, and Heidi was kind enough to put up with my lame moves. Really liked the mixed-age crowd – didn’t feel too old. Excellent music.
#3. Nancy Forrester’s “Secret Garden”
All the guidebooks recommend this as a must-see. More recent visitor feedback on social media sites is somewhat mixed. However, Heidi and I had a terrific experience! Here’s why!
It helps to know that this is Nancy’s private home, which she has turned into an aviary of macaws. It is eclectically casual, like many things in old Key West. Every day at 10 am, Nancy hosts an hour-long tour and conversation. You get to see all the different endangered macaws she has adopted over the years — and hear about their characteristics and personalities.
And best, Nancy brings one or two out of their cage – in our case, we had a visit with “Babyblue”, an incredible Hyacinth macaw. He’s quite the showman and loves the attention.
#4. Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum
Key West has been home to many authors and poets, presidents and statesmen, performers and composers, but Ernest Hemingway is the most beloved. Hemingway was at his most prolific during a decade in residence here in the 1930s, and his outsized personality left an indelible mark on a town known for large personalities.
Key West hosts an annual “Hemingway Days” festival in late July featuring a fishing tournament, arm-wrestling, and a look-alike contest.
A visit and guided-tour of the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum may be crowded but well worth it! My highlights include the Six-toed Cats and The Penny!
Six-toed Cats
I love cats, especially polydactyl cats, as Kristi and I own a brother/sister duo named Fluffer and Nutter. Hemingway was not a feline aficionado but a friend gifted him a six-toed kitten named Snow White, and his sons fell for her. Snow White got around and today her progeny of over 50 rule the residence. A full-time vet is employed to care for them. Really.
The Penny
Hemingway began travelling quite a bit with Martha Gellhorn, a noted war correspondent. His current (second) wife Pauline was not pleased. While Ernesto was frolicking around, so to speak, Pauline commissioned the first, and still largest, in-ground swimming pool in Key West. It was very, very expensive. As the story goes, Hemingway had a hissy fit upon his return and announced, “Well, you might as well have my last cent,” and threw a penny from his pocket into the pool. Pauline retrieved that penny and had it imbedded into concrete by the pool — that is, after Hemingway had left her for Martha G., (who became, of course, wife #3).
#5. Key West Art & Historical Society at Custom House
Heidi and I arrived late to The Key West Art & Historical Society but we managed to stay past the 5 PM closing time due to Heidi’s connection with the admissions rep! It has terrific exhibits on subjects such as the Wrecking Industry and the tale of Henry Flagler.
While the history is fascinating of the Wreckers (i.e. those opportunists who would salvage cargo from ships wrecked on the many reefs around the Keys), the story of Henry Flagler and what became known as, “Flagler’s Folly” is one of those stranger-than-fiction, tales you must hear.
Henry Flagler, a wealthy partner in the Standard Oil empire invested in the Florida East Coast Railway, extending tracks all the way to Miami. But Flagler had a grander vision (here’s the “folly” part) to connect the railway all the way down to Key West. Flagler invested much of his personal fortune to construct over 100 miles of track across the 42 keys and open water, including the infamous 7-mile “water gap”, under unimaginably difficult conditions with materials shipped in from around the world. It was to be a feat of engineering and logistics.
A decade later, on January 22, 1912, the 82-year-old Flagler rode the first train into Key West, receiving a hero’s welcome. He died within the year, never returning, and never seeing how his railroad changed the course of Keys history. In 1935, a Category-5 hurricane destroyed much of the railroad, and it was never reconstructed, as trucking had become the cheaper option.
Key West’s vibe was a cathartic release from my day job. As a perfect end to my visit Heidi and I enjoyed a sunset picnic at Fort Zach. It is noteworthy that my list of favorites both starts and ends with a waterfront sunset moment – from Mallory Square to Fort Zachary Taylor State Park. After all, this is the Keys.
Carpe Diem!
