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Last Update January 2006
Climate | Currency | Dining | Getting Around | Getting There| Language | Lodging | References | Scene |Shopping | Things to See | Time Zones | Tipping
The origins of the Florida Keys go back to the times of Ponce de Leon who set sail for Florida in quest of the Fountain of Youth. The day was Sunday, May 15, 1513. He never found the fountain but instead found the Florida Keys. Claimed them for Spain in 1513, came under British rule in 1763. Key West became officially a city in 1826.
Henry Flagler, the railroad magnate, put Key West back on the map when in 1912 reached that destination with his Overseas Railroad. It was operated until 1935, when it was destroyed by a ferocious hurricane.It is the foundation of today's spectacular Overseas Highway. Construction of the Highway was an incredible engineering feat. The highway includes 42 over-seas bridges and in 1982 the well known 7-mile Bridge was added at Marathon.
A renaissance of Key West came thanks to it's climate, history, architecture, reefs and waters which made it a mecca. Some of the ginger bread mansions and tin-roof conch houses have been owned by people like: John Audubon, Earnest Hemingway, Thomas Edison, Harry Truman, Tennessee Williams, and Lou Gehrig.
A note on the demographics of Key West. Generally, the gay population is 70/30 men to women. Average age is 37-38 with 80% being from the US; 4% each from Canada, Britain, and Germany; and 8% "other". Visitors to Key West in the winter are mainly from Canada with summer showing a 50% Floridian (weekend-getaway) tourist base. People who stay more than 3 days typically have combined the destination with one or more other locations such as South Beach and Ft Lauderdale.
Eastern Time Zone. Observes Daylight Savings.
Paradise has never been easier to reach. You can fly to Key West International from Miami, Ft Lauderdale, Orlando, Tampa, and Atlanta. Flight time from Miami/Ft Lauderdale is about 45 minutes. If you don't feel comfortable with turbo-prop service, get your connection from Atlanta where Delta Connection offers jet service.
The scenic route from Miami to Key West is one of the most beautiful and romantic drives, however it takes a good 3.5 hours. A note on mile markers. Once you are in the Keys, US 1 becomes the Overseas Highway. Look for the little green mile marker signs on the side of the highway which begin just south of Florida City with number 127 and run all the way down to 0 at Key West. Think of them as addresses. From Miami, Key West will be a total of 160 miles, Marathon - 110, Islamorada - 75.
NOTE: When driving to KW, observe the speed limit (sometimes different from day to night). When you approach Marathon, be particularly watchful: FHP (Florida Highway Patrol) makes a point of being there handing out expensive speeding tickets. Pay special attention at mile marker 37 and mile marker 61 (just before Duck Key). In Deer Key the speed limit is 45 during the day and 35 at night.
U.S. Dollar.
In the 1980's Key West declared itself the Conch Republic, issued special identification and was considering a Conch Currency. When talking with the locals, they will find it interesting that you know this bit of information about their recent history.
Key West is located in the Sub Tropics with Highs/Lows ranging from 75/69 (24/18 celsius) in December/January to 89/79 (32/26 celsius) in July/August.
Official hurricane season is from June 1, through November 1. This is also the rainy season of South Florida. However, in terms of actual rainfall in Key West, expect up to 5 inches in the months of June, August and September.
Only in Key West does the sun shine brightest when it sets. Do not miss the Sunset Celebration at Mallory Square, where jugglers, mimes, musicians and artists offer a colorful backdrop to the spectacular display of the sunset.
The Queens' English joined by a host of foreign idioms thanks to it's international clientele.
After all, Key West is a vibrant city nowadays thanks to the island's economic and social revival of the 1980's, spearheaded by a growing gay community.
Since Key West is a resort, it is customary to tip about 20%.
Most of them carry absolutely no insurance for their cars while you rent them, thus making your personal car insurance the primary insurer. If you use your credit card to cover your insurance deductible, all credit cards except for Diners Club will be secondary insurers. Yes, we were surprised to learn that even American Express Platinum has gone the secondary route. That means that the accident, whether or not it was your fault will get into your car insurance report. We find Hertz car company the worse offender because they charge for loss of use and add administrative costs to the handling of the accident. (not covered by any insurance we know of). On the cards side, we find Aadvantage Master card Platinum the worst offender. Takes forever to pay and will harass you with millions of forms just to see if you give on them and pay your deductible.
Our recommendation:
Once in Key West you can use convenient Taxis, pedi-cabs, tour trains, trolleys, bicycles, and, above all, going around on foot. You are in the Capital of Relaxed: shorts, t-shirts, sandals are the predominant attire while about town. And don't forget your sunglasses; the sun and glare can be quite harsh.
Foreign visitors, especially, will dress up in the evening when going out to restaurants, etc. When they do so, the fashion is termed "resort wear" - meaning, light colors, natural light-weight fabrics with playful design/style twists.
Most everyone uses Duval Street as a reference when navigating in Key West. It runs from the Caribbean Sea to the Gulf of Mexico, ending at Mallory Square and the Pier House. Most of the bars are on Duval and most Guest Houses are on streets just off Duval.
A variety of tours are offered; some of which are:
Notable Art Galleries - If you're artistically inclined - and what self-respecting gay man doesn't own a few pieces of art? The following represent gay artists and/or are gay owned.
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