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Key West, where Superlatives come Alive and Impressions Abound!
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A Key West vacation is the BIG enchilada, as some say. Main city street known world wide, resorts that service the rating “5 star” with superlatives, Smathers Beach(top 10 of all of Florida), and diversity of ages and cultures. The Key West vacation Nightlife would challenge any of the top spots of the world. Historical sites abound. Fishing opportunities abound. Quiet community neighborhoods where I’ve played tennis and basketball. Local community restaurants that offer opportunities to try different cultural foods. The best seat in the country to see a true Key West vacation sunset over the Florida Straits, Mallory Square (check out the Billyfish Bar and Grill and their "RumRunner" on the Sunset Pier). Shrimp docks with restaurants that make most others blush with shame. Still the BEST Grouper sandwich I’ve ever had! A Naval Station. Home to more authors(past and present) then I’ve been able to keep up with. Kennedy Studio, with all its’ extraordinary paintings and prints of all areas up and down the Keys. Watching 4th of July fireworks from a boat off Smathers Beach, on a Key West vacation
Your Key West Florida vacation is abutted by the Atlantic Ocean, the Florida Straits, the Gulf of Mexico, and having the Gulf Stream at your doorstep, it is not to wonder why so many people come here. Catching a charter fishing trip you hired and stepping on to the boat, right out the back door of your hotel. How does ALL of this fit in one place, is the question!
A Key West vacation is planted in the County seat of all the Keys and part of the everglades area, known as the Conch Republic (I will talk about the origins of the Conch Republic in another section).
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Walking from the Atlantic side of Duval Street over to Mallory Square Gulf side, on your Key West vacation, will give you a keen sense of observing people, shops, architecture, garish street noises, quaint bistro’s with fine wines just back behind something, multi cultural restaurants, every day tacky trinkets, upscale studios, bicycles of every type with all sorts of baskets attached, mopeds darting in and out of traffic and pedestrians, Conch Tour Trains blurting out little know facts about Key West to their patrons with expressions of awe, amusement, expectation, and a look I call “overwhelmed”!
There is nothing “easy” about a Key West vacation, and I say that in a GOOD way! From the moment you wake up in the morning, to the afternoon escapades, to the evening reveling, it will assault all your senses. I’ve gone thru a love / hate relationship with Key West. As the 38 years have gone along, I still find myself wanting to get to a Key West vacation. I feel the need to get back to Bahama Mama's Kitchen on Petronia Street or Blue Heaven on Thomas St., for a lunch or Dinner, affordable and true Conch Head food!
I also talk about Key West in two other sections called Novice Gone Native and Florida Keys Travel. More ideas for you to try out.
Believe it or not, out of all this seemingly chaos, there is actually a coherent vibrant community. A community, and Chamber of Commerce, that is constantly reinventing “something” but, maintaining its’ charm and character. Beneath this apparent chaos, is a city with a Mayor, City Council, schools, utilities, and the other mainstay fiduciary responsibilities. A Key West vacation will introduce to you a community which is proud, multicultural, boisterous, laid back, and very Caribbean in feeling.
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For example, when I first went on my first Key West vacation in the very early 70’s, Mallory Square was really just a wharf where you went to watch the sun go down, out past Sun Set Key. There was the accommodating juggler and fire swallower, a few hockers of local merchandise, and the obligatory chartered sailing schooner in the horizon. Now, brick paved like the ones you see in European piattzas , there abounds all day long scenes only captured at the circus at Sunset Pier. Everything from bars, to parasailing, to skidoos, to boat rentals. It’s a 3 ring circus, albeit, under control. Once the sun goes down, I recommend to hang around a bit longer and look out over the Florida straits and Gulf, let the energy that just took place abate. Look across the horizon and enjoy the impression of what just took place. That’s “island time”, “island mentality” kicking in. Heck, this place doesn’t close down until 4:00am, if then! Now you're "doing" a Key West vacation.
A Key West vacation is still, after all these years, on my “must go to” side!
I hope you come to enjoy it.
Thank you for "crawling" the Keys with me. I'd love to hear from you! gonenative@floridakeysimpressions.com
Hope to see you there, on your Key West vacation, SOON! 
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