If you ever take a road trip throughout the United States you may want to see how far you can drive in each direction. Though I don’t have the answer to what’s furthest east, west and north, a trip to Key West in the Florida Keys will take you to the southernmost point in the USA.
Now if you are anything like me, you have probably Googled Key West at some point and been drawn to the beautiful photos that displayed crystal clear turquoise waters, bridges for miles and miles, and pastel-hued houses. And being a beach bum like myself, always chasing the sun and the perfect powdery beach, I was sure that Key West would be the perfect place to round out my two week, five city road trip. I was wrong! And so very unimpressed…
Before you cross off Key West from your travel bucket list let me explain.
The stunning aerial views you see of the over sea highway are in fact stunning, if you are in a helicopter. But as much fun as it was driving from island to island on a highway spanning miles and miles over water, the views are not quite as impressive from the car, but still a cool experience. And there are areas along the way where you can stop to enjoy the views so at the very least I recommend you do that. Unless of course you have a helicopter at your disposal.
Once we hit the island of Key West we headed to the hotel to check in. And a word here about accommodations… they do not come cheap! Being very much a budget traveler, splurging only when it really seems worth while, booking two nights in Key West was painful on the bank account. The cheapest accommodations in relative walking distance to what mattered was still a major splurge at $250 per night. Lets just say I spent more for two nights here then I did on all my accommodations combined in the other four cities we stopped at, ouch! Luckily the Best Western Hibiscus proved to be a lovely hotel with comfortable, nicely furnished, large rooms, a yummy breakfast each morning included in the room cost, and a beautiful resort style pool surrounded by lush palm trees and relaxing lounge beds. Seeing how the island didn’t have much going for it in my opinion, we spent much of our time relaxing and reading by the pool. Not something I ever do, so let me continue…
My biggest disappointment, and the reason for my unusual pool time, were the Key West beaches. I admit, I didn’t do the diligent research I usually do before going to a new place, but I don’t think any amount of research could have prepared me enough to not feel completely disappointed. Simply put the beaches in Key West are CRAP! (I realize that I might be spoiled by the glorious beaches I’ve had the pleasure of seeing in the past, but still.) They range in size from tiny to small to slightly bigger. But they all have murky water, I couldn’t see the bottom or my toes and the water wasn’t even hitting my ankle yet. They are stinky thanks to the amount of sea weed that washes up on shore, I could smell the fishy smell a block away. The sea bed is rocky and sharp making it difficult to enter the water without shoes, especially since you can’t see what you are stepping on. Higgs Beach, by the West Martello Tower, had an area that was nicely cleaned. But keep in mind that like the majority of beaches in Key West, it is not a natural beach and has sand imported from the Caribbean. And this area of the “beach” doesn’t have walk in access to the water but rather stairs from the rock walls. Though I’m not sure you want to go in anyway judging by the large jelly fish warning signs by the stairs.
So with no beach to relax on and no crystal clear water to swim in what else is there to do in Key West? Well to start, the Southernmost Point of course! It’s marked by a multicoloured buoy at the end of South Street and Whitehead. Nothing spectacular but how can you not take a photo with it proving you were as south as you can go… and only 90 miles to Cuba. (I wonder if I could swim? lol)
After that there is the famous Duval Street to walk. Running north and south from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean, it’s just over 1.25 miles in length shore to shore. Dotted with art galleries, boutiques and inns on the south end. Filled with souvenir shops, bars and restaurants on the north end. The street to go to for shopping, drinks, dinner, and night life. Also from the north end of Duval you can access Mallory Square. It’s known for the best place on the island to see the sunset, with a Sunset Celebration happening every day of the year. However, even though the days were sunny and hot, both evenings on the island turned cloudy and rainy so the opportunity to see the perfect sunset were lost. During the day Mallory Square isn’t much more than a market filled with tacky over priced souvenirs and tourist traps. The main attraction being the chickens and roosters that call the island home. Truthfully they were quite entertaining.
But not all was lost during my trip to Key West. I did really want to see it for myself so that I definitely did. And there were two redeeming features on the island that made the drive worth while. First was the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum with its six toed cats. Second was the West Martello Tower and Garden Club. But more on these in my next two posts… oh the suspense…
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