Key West 2004 - More Logistics

Helpful Information and photos courtesy of the Monroe County Tourist Development Council - www.Fla-Keys.com


Foreign Travelers Help	Toll Free Numbers	Key West Introduction	Things to See and Do	Getting There - Access	Keys Ambience

FLORIDA KEYS - Visitors bound for the Florida Keys can receive a free vacation information kit, including details on accommodations and other tourism offerings, by calling the Florida Keys & Key West Visitors Bureau or by visiting the Key's Internet World Wide Web site.

Toll-free in the United States and Canada, visitors can dial 1-800-FLA-KEYS. From other countries, dial (305) 296-1552. Or write to Florida Keys & Key West Visitors Bureau, P.O. Box 1147, Key West, FL 33041, U.S.A.

Visitors seeking on-line information about any of the Keys can access the Keys Web site at www.fla-keys.com. There they can find information on events, activities, lodging and updated weather conditions - from satellite atmosphere photographs - throughout the island chain.

For additional convenience, users can fill out an on-screen request form for a free vacation information kit.

For those visitors who prefer information in video format, a 17-minute Florida Keys & Key West video is available for $13.85, including shipping and handling. Credit card holders may call 1-800-GO-TO-KEYS in the United States and Canada.

International Keys travelers also can take advantage of a new visitor assistance program once they arrive at the destination by calling 1-800-771-KEYS. A live, multilingual operator is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to answer any questions visitors may have.

The Keys' help operator can give directions to lost motorists, either in the Keys or en route, and provide information on local medical facilities and auto repair centers.

Multi-language visitor guides are available free by writing to Florida Keys & Key West Visitors Bureau, P.O. Box 1147, Key West, FL 33041, U.S.A. Or dial (305) 296-1552 or fax (305) 296-0788. Or visit the Florida Keys & Key West World Wide Web site at www.fla-keys.com.

KEY WEST, Florida Keys - The unique confluence of history, climate, natural beauty, cultural diversity, architecture and unabashed romantic appeal cloak the island of Key West in mystery. It is a mystery that captivates the human soul, stealing it away from the hassles of the modern-day world.

Residents and visitors to Key West actively participate in sightseeing, outdoor and maritime activities and shopping by day, and yield to the transition toward evening, when flame swallowers, tight rope walkers and shopping cart balancers strive to show up a more captivating performer: the fiery sun settling into the Gulf of Mexico.

Located closer to Cuba than it is to Miami, Key West is Florida's independent and irreverent southwestern subtropical paradise. The island's balmy climate, historic structures and anything-goes ambiance have long provided a tropical refuge for writers, artists and free-spirited folks yearning for a place to unravel the mind, body and soul.

Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams, Elizabeth Bishop, Robert Frost and Jimmy Buffett are just a few of the famous who discovered solace and inspiration here. So too did Bahamian wreckers, commercial fishermen, spongers and Cuban cigar makers.

Key West's Bahamian and Cuban heritage is evidenced throughout the island in restaurants and cigar shops, museums and accommodations.

For intimate lodging, the island provides a bounty of bed and breakfasts with architectural qualities evoking eras past, while lavish resorts offer modern services and amenities amid grander surroundings.

Visitors to Key West can pet a shark, tour a cemetery, visit Hemingway's former home and experience the riches of a spectacular salvage expedition. Island beaches offer ample sunning and watersports opportunities, while beneath the surrounding turquoise and cobalt waters, historic shipwrecks, a living coral reef and a myriad of marine life beckon underwater exploration.

For anglers, billfish beyond the reef and permit and tarpon on the flats are just a few of the local gamefish that offer spirited and sometimes acrobatic displays of strength.

At night, the stars above Key West illuminate assorted opportunities, including jazz clubs, piano bars, dance clubs and saloons. Theatrical stagings at three area playhouses feature Broadway-quality performances November through May.

The island is accessible via Key West International Airport, which is serviced by American Eagle, Delta ComAir, USAir Express, Cape Air and Continental Express. Key West also is accessible by flying into Miami International Airport, then driving the Overseas Highway from the mainland. For more information on Key West, write the Key West Chamber of Commerce at 402 Wall St., Key West, FL, 33040, or call 1-800-LAST-KEY.

The Key West Aquarium, 1 Whitehead St. Showcasing the diverse marine life that inhabit the waters of Key West, the aquarium offers guided tours, a touch tank and daily fish feedings.

Audubon House & Tropical Gardens, 205 Whitehead St. This restored historic home contains original Audubon engravings from 1832, when the ornithologist visited Key West and sketched 18 new species for his "Birds of America" folio.

Bahama Village, Petronia Street. Revitalized neighborhood showcasing Key West's Caribbean heritage through a Bahamian marketplace, shops, ethnic restaurants and galleries.

The Conch Tour Train, 301 Front St., and Old Town Trolley Tours, 6631 Maloney Ave. Both tour operations offer guided and informative expeditions throughout Key West.

Curry Mansion, 511 Caroline St. An elaborate Victorian structure built on the site of the homestead of Florida's first millionaire. Curry Mansion now serves as a historic house museum showcasing an era of elegance. An inn is situated on the property; the structure is on the National Register of Historic Places.

East Martello Museum & Gallery, 3501 South Roosevelt Blvd. This historic military fort is filled with historic artifacts and memorabilia, along with works of renowned local artists Mario Sanchez and Stanley Papio.

Fort Jefferson, Dry Tortugas National Park. This Civil War-era fort is the largest masonry structure in the Western Hemisphere. It's most famous prisoner was Dr. Samuel Mudd, incarcerated for providing medical assistance to President Abraham Lincoln's assassin. Fort Jefferson is accessible via the Dry Tortugas National Park ferry and by seaplane.

Fort Taylor State Historic Site, Truman Annex at Southard Street. Constructed between 1845 and 1866, this fort remained in Union hands throughout the Civil War and was later utilized during the Spanish-American War. The fort's collection of Civil War cannons is the largest in America.

Harry Truman's Little White House, 111 Front St. The late United States president's former tropical retreat, with family quarters, poker porch, living and dining rooms open to the public. Prior to the Bay of Pigs invasion, President John F. Kennedy held a summit meeting here, and an exhibition room now displays photographs of Kennedy and Dwight Eisenhower.

The Hemingway House & Museum, 907 Whitehead St. The late author's home and second-story writing studio. While living here, Hemingway wrote some of his most notable works - including "To Have and Have Not," which is set in Key West.

Historic Seaport at Key West Bight, from Greene to Grinnell Streets at the north end of the island. Some 100 land- and sea-based waterfront businesses bring Key West's seafaring heritage to life. Along a half-mile harbor walk are shops, restaurants, bars and a 156-slip working marina that is home to tall ships, ferries and catamarans which provide dive, snorkel and sunset cruises.

The Key West Cemetery. Look for creative headstones that read, "God Was Good to Me," "I Told You I Was Sick" and "Devoted Fan of Julio Iglesias." Another plot here pays homage to the 27 sailors killed in the explosion of the U.S.S. Maine.

The Key West Lighthouse Museum, 938 Whitehead St. Erected in 1847, this is one of Florida's oldest lighthouses. Both the keeper's quarters and the lighthouse have been restored. Visitors may walk 38 steps to the top for a wonderful view of the city.

Mallory Square, Mallory Pier. Street performers take center stage here at sunset.

The Mel Fisher Maritime Museum, 200 Greene St. This museum showcases the richest single collection of 17th-century maritime and shipwreck antiquities in the Western Hemisphere - including the treasure of the Nuestra Senora de Atocha.

Nancy Forrester's Secret Garden, 1 Free School Lane. Self-guided tours and customized horticulture tours are offered through a lush habitat, along with outdoor seating for enjoying bagged lunches.

Ripley's Believe It or Not! Odditorium, 527 Duval St. Exhibits the unusual collections of adventurer Robert L. Ripley, along with artifacts from the Keys not found in other odditoriums.

The San Carlos Institute, 527 Duval St. Founded in 1871 to preserve Cuban culture and promote the freedom of Cuba, the San Carlos functioned as a school and cultural center. In a historic 1892 speech from the building's balcony, Cuban patriot Jose Marti united the Cuban exile community and launched his drive for Cuba's independence. Today the museum is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institute, with library, art gallery, theater and school classes centering around Cuban history and the Spanish language.

The Southernmost Point, Whitehead and South Streets. Features a larger-than-life buoy for capturing Kodak moments only 90 miles from Cuba.

The Wrecker's Museum/Oldest House, 322 Duval St. Said to be the oldest structure in Key West, this 1829 home - formerly inhabited by Capt. Francis Watlington and his nine daughters - is furnished with artifacts and antiques recalling Key West's rich wrecking heritage. Included among them are the official rules of the wrecking industry and a wreckers' black list.

Key West Golf Club, MM 5 bayside, Stock Island. The Florida Keys' only public 18-hole golf course, Key West Golf Club maintains a club house and a pro shop that offers lessons; (305) 294-5232.

Tennessee Williams Fine Arts Center, 5901 W. College Road, mile marker 5 bayside, Stock Island. Named for one of Key West's most famous writers, the Fine Arts Center - located on the campus of the Florida Keys Community College -offers stage presentations throughout the winter; (305) 296-1520.

FLORIDA KEYS - Adding to the appeal of America's Caribbean islands are the varied and easy access - air, land and sea - available to reach the destination. The Florida Keys feature two commercial airports, fixed-base operators, rental car facilities, bus, shuttle, taxi and limousine services, along with a public ferry and numerous anchorage outlets and full-service marinas.

Marathon and Key West International airports provide convenient and quick access for all destinations in the Keys. Served by American Eagle with connections in Miami, Marathon Airport, mile marker (MM) 52 bayside, is conveniently located an hour's drive from Key Largo and Key West. On premises are several rental car facilities - Avis, Budget and Enterprise - a gift shop and snack bar. Parking is free, taxi and shuttle services are available; (305) 743-2155.

Key West International Airport, South Roosevelt Blvd., is served by American Eagle, Cape Air, Delta Air Lines, Gulfstream International Airlines and USAir Express. Rental car facilities on premises - Avis, Budget, Dollar and Hertz - taxi and shuttle services are available; (305) 296-5439.

Alternately, travelers can fly in to Miami International or Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International airports, each served by most major carriers. Rental car facilities are on premises, as are taxi services and metered parking. Shuttle and bus services to the Florida Keys also are offered at Miami International Airport (MIA).

Facilities also are available at both airports in the Keys to accommodate travelers flying in private aircraft.

Paradise Aviation, MM 52 bayside, Marathon, is located at Marathon Airport's east end, charges tie-down fees but no landing fees. Fuel pumps, with 24-hour per day call-out services are on premises. The UNICOM frequency is 122.8 mhz; (305) 743-4222.

Grantair Service, MM 52 bayside, Marathon, is a fixed-base operator situated at the west end of Marathon Airport, open seven days a week between the hours of 8 a.m., and 6 p.m. Fuel and complimentary landings are available, however, overnight tie-down fees are charged. The UNICOM frequency is 122.8; (305) 743-1995.

Island City Flying Service, 3471 S. Roosevelt Blvd., located at Key West International Airport, does not charge landing fees, but does charge a daily parking fee. Fuel pumps are on premises. The UNICOM frequency is 122.95 mhz; (305) 296-5422.

Visitors not interested in air travel have a wide variety of ground transportation options to reach the destination.

Florida Keys & Key West Greyhound Shuttle, 3535 South Roosevelt Blvd., #104, Key West International Airport, Key West, offers seven-day service between MIA and Key West - both at the airport and at the corner of Grinnell and Caroline streets. The motorcoach line makes numerous stops throughout the Florida Keys & Key West; 1-800-231-2222 or (305) 296-9072.

Go Tours Airport Shuttle, MM 54 oceanside, Marathon, provides round-trip transportation between the Florida Keys and MIA and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airports; 1-800-689-3304, (305) 743-9876 or (305) 743-8446.

Southernmost Shuttle of Key West, 2826 N. Roosevelt Blvd., Key West, offers round-trip service between MIA based on according to reservations. Southernmost also provides private 17-passenger bus charters; (305) 293-1811 or visit their Web site at www.keywest.com/shuttle.

Luxury Limousine of the Florida Keys, Ocean Reef Club, North Key Largo is a private limo charter service which picks up and drops off passengers anywhere in the Keys. Luxury Limousine operates on a reservation basis; 1-800-664-0124, in Islamorada (305) 852-4656, and at Key Largo's Ocean Reef Club, (305) 367-2329.

Super Shuttle, MIA, Miami. Super Shuttle serves travelers between Miami International and any location within the Keys, call 1-800-874-8885.

While in the Keys, taxi services, bicycle, moped rentals and additional means of land transportation also are available throughout the destination.

The Keys island chain also is accessible via ferry service - weather permitting - from both Fort Myers Beach, Fla., and Marco Island, Fla., on the peninsula's southwest coast.

The Key West Express provides ferry service between the Conch Republic Seafood Company, 631 Greene St., at the Historic Seaport at Key West Bight, and at 706 Fisherman's Wharf in Fort Myers Beach. The ferry service is operational daily from December to early June, and closed June 10 through November; 1-800-273-4496.

Another ferry service between Key West and Fort Myers Beach is the Key West Shuttle. Passengers unload and board at the Lands End Marina in Key West, at the foot of Margaret Street, and at the Palm Grove Marina, 2500 Main St., in Forth Myers Beach. Sailing daily November 2 through May 4, service is closed May 5 through November 1; 1-888-539-2628.

Travelers also can take a ferry between Key West and Marco Island, Fla. The Key West Water Express provides daily service during the months of November through April between the Hilton Marina, 245 Front St., in Key West, and the Marco River Marina, 951 Bald Eagle Drive, in Marco Island. Service is closed May through October; 1-800-650-KEYS.

FLORIDA KEYS - First-time visitors to the Florida Keys comment almost immediately on the island chain's laid-back atmosphere that is unique and a world away from big cities and theme parks.

It's the kind of ambiance that lured famed novelist Ernest Hemingway to reside in Key West from 1929 to 1939. The subtropical island's lush environment and colorful residents provided Hemingway substantial creative inspiration. Key West was his home when he created some of his most famous novels including "For Whom the Bell Tolls," "To Have and Have Not" and "The Snows of Kilimanjaro." Hemingway's former residence inhabited by descendants of his six-toed cats, today is a public museum that honors his literary prowess and the affection he had for his Key West lifestyle.

A necklace of islands that begin just south of Miami, the Florida Keys are connected by the Overseas Highway's 43 bridges - one seven miles long - over the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. The area is divided into five regions including Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon, Big Pine Key and Key West. Each region has its own special flavor, attractions including historic museums, flora, fauna, seafood restaurants, fishing, diving, watersports and unique, boutique-type shopping experiences.

Vistas of the Keys are dominated by emerald-green lagoons, deep-blue seas, nodding palms, rustling pines and olive-green mangroves. Sharing this eco paradise are white herons, roseate spoonbills, pelicans, sea gulls, ospreys and a myriad of underwater creatures.

The entire 125-mile island chain, including its shallow water flats, mangrove islets and coral reefs, has been designated the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

The longest island of the Keys chain, Key Largo is the site where Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall filmed a movie of the same name. Bogart's Key Largo connection still is evident today as visitors can ride the African Queen, the actual boat Bogart skippered in the movie of the same name.

But Key Largo's star attraction is John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park - the first underwater preserve in the United States - and the adjacent Key Largo National Marine Sanctuary. These two refuges, part of the Keys marine sanctuary, feature 55 varieties of delicate corals and almost 500 different species of fish.

The Pennekamp Park concession, located at mile marker 102.5, is open from 8 a.m. to dusk and offers a variety of water-related activities including scuba, snorkeling and glass-bottom boat excursions to the coral reef. Key Largo also boasts a number of off-park dive charter companies that conduct dive sojourns and a few even feature underwater weddings, where the entire wedding party gets wet as bride and groom tie the knot.

After the wedding reception, newlyweds can choose to remain submerged for their honeymoon at an underwater motel in Key Largo, where anyone can spend the night with full amenities among the marine life of the Keys.

Islamorada is the centerpiece of a group of islands called the "purple isles." Spanish explorers named the area after the Spanish meaning of the word "morada" either for the violet sea snail, janthina janthina, found on the seashore here, or for the purple bougainvillea flowers found in the area.

Known as the "Sportfishing Capital of the World," Islamorada is heralded for its angling diversity and features the Keys' largest fleet of offshore charter boats and shallow-water "backcountry" boats.

Numerous celebrities and even former President George Bush visit Islamorada annually to compete in a number of celebrity fund-raising fishing tournaments.

The Keys boast more sportfishing world records than any other fishing destination in the world, according to the International Game Fish Association. Anglers can find sailfish, marlin, dolphin (the fish, not the mammal), kingfish, snapper, barracuda and grouper in the ocean. Tarpon, bonefish, redfish and other species can be found in shallow coastal waters.

Home to the Seven Mile Bridge, Marathon is the heart of the Florida Keys and is centrally located between Key Largo and Key West.

Marathon also is home to Crane Point Hammock, a 63.5-acre land tract that is one of the most important historical and archaeological sites in the Keys. Crane Point contains evidence of pre-Columbian and prehistoric Bahamian artifacts and was once the site of an entire Indian village. The Museums of Crane Point include the Museum of Natural History of the Florida Keys and the Florida Keys Children's Museum.

Marathon also features the Dolphin Research Center (DRC), one of five Keys facilities that provide visitors an opportunity to swim and interact with the intelligent mammals. Special dolphin encounter programs at DRC and other facilities including Dolphins Plus and Dolphin Cove in Key Largo, Theater of the Sea in Islamorada and Hawk's Cay Resort need to be reserved in advance and there are strict guidelines regarding the interaction session. However, no matter what instructions must be followed, an encounter with dolphins is an unforgettable experience.

Marathon is accessible by air with American Eagle commuter airline flights from Miami and Fort Lauderdale, Fla., as well as a large general aviation facility for private pilots.

A drive across the new Seven Mile Bridge, the largest segmental bridge in the world, leads to the Lower Keys. But visitors shouldn't pass up Pigeon Key, a small island below the middle of the old Seven Mile Bridge, that is accessible from a visitors center at the west end of Marathon. Pigeon Key once housed the workers who built Flagler's railroad in the early 1900s. While the rest of the Keys has evolved throughout the 20th century, this tiny key has essentially remained unchanged and is now a historic national treasure complete with a museum chronicling the construction of the Seven Mile Bridge.

The sheer sweep of the Straits of Florida and the Gulf of Mexico is readily seen from the Bahia Honda Bridge. Bahia Honda State Park, featuring one of the top 10 beaches in the United States as designated by several travel studies, makes

Big Pine Key is noted for the Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary, rated by many as one of the most spectacular shallow-water dive experiences to be found. Just to the west of Looe Key, the 210-foot island freighter Adolphus Busch Senior rests on the bottom of the ocean as an artificial reef providing additional habitat for marine species as well as another site for divers. A national refuge for miniature Key deer, tropical forest and even a few alligators also are situated on Big Pine Key. Popular nature tours by kayak, sail or motorboat offer unforgettable opportunities to view the unique flora and fauna of this facet of the Keys.

Key West is the final stop on the Overseas Highway, where the land ends and meets the sea amid 19th-century charm and 20th-century attractions. The ambiance of continental America's southernmost city - which is situated closer to Cuba than Miami - is embedded in its quaint, palm-studded streets, historic hundred-year-old gingerbread mansions and a relaxed citizenry of self-styled "Conchs," (pronounced konks).

It has been said that the idiosyncratic architecture and the laid-back atmosphere of this small, two- by four-mile island probably have nurtured the talents of more writers per capita than any other city in the country. More than 100 published authors reside, full- or part-time, in Key West, and the island is noted for its artistic community with a number of galleries exhibiting artwork in varying styles and mediums.

Key West's legendary treasure hunter Mel Fisher, who died in December 1998, recovered more than $400 million in gold and silver from the ship Nuestra Se-ora de Atocha, a 17th-century Spanish galleon which sank 45 miles west of Key West. Fisher, who spent 16 years of his life searching for the booty, established the Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Society Museum, where visitors may view, touch and even buy some of the riches of Atocha and the Santa Margarita.

At day's end, visitors gather at Mallory Square to "call it a day." Hardly a contrived activity, the daily "sunset celebration" is a tradition that Key Westers share with visitors. While musicians, jugglers, mimes and other performers provide entertainment, the sun sinks slowly below the horizon as sunset cruise boats sail by in Key West Harbor.

Key West dining opportunities are varied with a multitude of cuisine choices, but almost always featuring great area seafood such as shrimp, Florida lobster, conch chowder, local fish and stone crab claws. Key lime pie is a heavenly end to an exquisite meal.

The nightlife in Key West can be exciting and diverse. The "Duval Crawl" is a popular phrase used to describe fun-seekers evening jaunts up and down the island's main street to sample numerous taverns and entertainment offerings. For more culturally oriented visitors, theater is available at several playhouses and the Key West Symphony offers periodic concerts.

And when your Keys experience concludes, you can fly from (and to as well) Key West International Airport directly back to international hubs in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and Tampa via American Eagle, USAirways, Delta ComAir, Continental Connection or Cape Air.