Writing this article started with the title. Since our visit six months ago, there is this lingering song in my mind; you know, the one about being wasted again in Margaritaville. Sitting on a porch, strumming guitars, staying all season for no reason and all that good stuff. It just resonates with me when I think back to the laid-back atmosphere we all felt in Key West.
Key West, the beginning of the road, mile 0, or is it the end? One thing is certain, this was the main attraction with our traveling companions while exploring Florida and we were not disappointed. The island (or key) sits in what can be called the Florida Straits, neither in the Gulf of Mexico nor in the Atlantic Ocean. Whatever it is called, it sure feels like you are in the Bahamas.
Not the type to make reservations, we were so lucky to secure two sites at Boyd’s Campground a couple of days ahead in the height of school break and snowbird season. As a side note, if you are planning to stay at a Florida state park during your trip at this time of year, reservations are a must. I’m not kidding, especially if you are traveling in pairs. We collectively spent hours searching for campsites, scouring websites and making calls. We eventually found places to stay and boondocking came in handy, but it was a lesson for the four of us.
This article will not be your typical tourist information data stream or a long story about our stay in the area. Enough has been said and a simple Google search will inundate you with more information than you can swim through. The real story here is Key West itself.
I’d like to show you around the place through a photographer’s eye and a bit of video as well. Get a feel for the place through its architecture and its streets and a bit of the people in it. I hope you like it.
Before we get to the pictures, have a look at this short video of our biking through the town this past March, in the midst of school break. Some folks had probably spent a while at Margaritaville and are still looking for that lost shaker of salt near the southernmost point buoy. Nevertheless, everyone is having a great time and that is what it’s all about.
This is it, our short but unforgettable stay in Key West has been indelibly stamped in our travel memories. No wonder Papa Hemingway and others chose this place as their home. And the more you explore, the more you will discover off the beaten path. I recommend you rent a bike if you do not have one. Bike paths are plentiful throughout the town. We discovered a nice bakery way off the tourist trail and went back the next day for an encore, our bike panniers stuffed with warm bread and pastries.
Have you been there? What memories do you have of your trip there?
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