TRAVEL 01-15-06 EZ EE P4
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P4 Sunday, January 15, 2006
The Washin
The Florida Keys
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From Key Largo to Key West, a Mile Marker-by-Mile Marker Guide to the Island Chain
KEY WEST
THE LOWER AND MIDDLE KEYS
ATTRACTIONS AND DISTRACTIONS
LODGING
ª Be the southernmost tourist by standing at the
large wide-striped buoy on Fleming and Whitehead
streets, which marks the Southernmost Point in
the continental U.S. (snap a photo, it’s the thing to
do). Go any more south and you’ll end up in Cuba, 90
miles away.
ª When evening looms, the freaks, uh, the street
performers come out for the Sunset Celebration at
Mallory Square (305-292-7700, www.sunsetcele
bration.org). The pier transforms into a virtual circus,
including a neo-Houdini (chains, straitjacket, upsidedown) and Dominique the Catman and his troupe of
trained house cats.
ª Come darkness, the revelry migrates to boisterous
Duval Street, which becomes an open-air frat party,
complete with bottomless cocktails, loud bands and a
clothing-optional rooftop bar (the Garden of Eden,
above the Bull and Whistle, 224 Duval St., 305296-4565) where the peepers outnumber the
pantsless.
ª The Key West City Cemetery, a sprawling 1847
graveyard, has its fair share of historical names and
monuments, but for some gallows humor, seek out
the more irreverent sites. Pick up a map at the
sexton’s office at the main entry off Margaret Street
and Passover Lane.
ª Learn about the queen conch at the Key West
Conch Baby Farm (631 Greene St., 305-2963551, www.conchrepublicseafood.com; free), an
aquarium filled with tanks of conchs the nonprofit
hopes to raise and release into the wild.
ª At the Key West Historic Memorial Sculpture
Garden in Mallory Square (www.historictours.com/
keywest/SculptureGarden/index.htm; free), count
heads — the 36 busts depict the city’s most notable
personalities, including Ernest Hemingway and Harry
S Truman.
ª Get your culture/history/fish fix in the historic
Clinton Square area, which includes the Mel Fisher
Maritime Museum and the Audubon House. Grab a
map at the Chamber of Commerce (402 Wall St.,
305-294-2587, www.keywestchamber.org).
ª To cover more ground, hop aboard the Conch Tour
Train (305-294-5161, www.conchtourtrain.com;
$25), which wends its way around the town’s top
attractions, including Sloppy Joe’s Bar. Purchase
tickets in Mallory Square.
ª Papa slept here . . . at the Ernest Hemingway
Home & Museum (907 Whitehead St., 305-2941136, www.hemingwayhome.com; $11). He also
wrote some of his masterworks at the historic 19th-
ATTRACTIONS AND DISTRACTIONS
For 10 Key West standouts, see Page P6.
Mile Marker 67.5 (oceanside): There’s not much
of a beach, but Long Key State Park (305-6644815, www.floridastateparks.org/longkey; $3.50 for
one, $6 for two) compensates with camping,
canoeing and nature trails. Pack a lunch and duck into
one of the picnic cabanas on the park’s boardwalk.
MM 59 (bayside): Dolphins, dolphins everywhere.
Interacting with the mammal is the top priority at the
Dolphin Research Center (305-289-1121,
www.dolphins.org), a nonprofit education facility on
Grassy Key. Admission $19.50; dolphin programs
(meet Flipper, swim with Flipper, etc.) from $40.
MM 56.2 (oceanside): Campers will love the
water views at Curry Hammock State Park (305289-2690, www.floridastateparks.org/curryham
mock; $3.50 for one, $6 for two) on Little Crawl Key.
RV and tent campsites are $26 a night.
MM 50.5 (bayside): For a kid-friendly break from
U.S. 1 traffic and a good area primer, stop at the
Museums and Nature Center of Crane Point
Hammock (305-743-9100, www.cranepoint.org;
$7.50). Or drive toward the ocean at the same traffic
light to Sombrero Beach. There’s an appealing park
(swings, picnic tables, gardens) fringing the sand,
and the beach itself (for the Keys, at least) is a beaut.
MM 48.5 (bayside): The Turtle Hospital (305743-2552, www.turtlehospital.org) is one of the
Keys’ top stops. Call for a tour ($15) of the first-rate
facility, which nurses ailing reptiles back to health,
then buy a T-shirt and donate to the cause.
MM 47 (bayside): You can walk 2.2 miles down
the Old Seven Mile Bridge to visit Pigeon Key
(305-289-0025), a town built in the early 1900s for
railway workers — or conserve your energy and hop
on a tram for a guided tour ($8.50, oceanside).
MM 37 (oceanside): The star attraction in these
parts, Bahia Honda State Park (305-872-2353,
www.floridastateparks.org/bahiahonda; $3.50 for
one, $6 for two) has the top beaches, the nicest
EATING
ª Mangoes (700 Duval St., 305-292-4606)
dresses up the usual suspects (conch, yellowtail) and
offers diners two tableside views: a front-row porch
along Duval and a tucked-away courtyard. Dinner
entrees $14-$25.
ª At Pepe’s Cafe (806 Caroline St., 305-2947192), morning-after partiers crowd inside for
rehabilitating breakfasts such as omelets stuffed with
cream cheese and scallions ($7.50) and a tower of
pancakes ($5.25).
ª Harpoon Harry’s (832 Caroline St., 305-2948744) cooks up good ol’ greasy diner food — that is,
if your type of grease comes as a bagel with salmon
and capers ($9.95). Sit at the counter and talk about
the weather, or in the turquoise booths and listen to
talk about the weather.
ª B.O.’s Fish Wagon (801 Caroline St., 305-2949272) wins the prize for its top-notch fish
sandwiches ($8 for fried, $9 for grilled) and oddball
character (and characters).
ª El Meson de Pepe (410 Wall St., 305-295-2620;
entrees $13-$49.95 for paella for two) couldn’t be any
more Cuban, short of having Castro mix your mojito.
The high-ceilinged, boisterous restaurant feels like a
1950s dance hall; the island fare includes stuffed green
plantains and roasted pork in cumin-mojo sauce.
(There’s a second locale at 3800 N. Roosevelt.)
ª The Waterfront Market (201 William St., 305296-0778) is no ordinary grocery: Its shelves are
stocked with healthful snacks, organic produce,
gourmet cheeses and other lunch fixings good for a
picnic or to take upstairs to eat in the loft-nosh area.
BY ANDY NEWMAN / TDC
Jugglers join the evening revelry during the
Sunset Celebration in Mallory Square.
ª Commotion (800 Caroline St., 305-292-3364)
has a lock on linen, with racks of dresses, jackets,
skirts and shirts for every occasion.
ª The sponges at Mallory Square’s Sponge Market,
a mini-museum with a shop, are harvested nearby
and are ideal for cleaning countertops, cars, unbathed
bodies — or just sitting pretty on a shelf. Also in
Mallory Square’s marketplace, the Shell Warehouse
has two ocean’s worth of shells.
ª Peppers of Key West (602 Greene St., 800-KWSAUCE) stocks 400 sauces, many with names as fiery
as their contents.
ª Key West has two art gallery rows: White Street
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Cudjoe
Key
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Key West
Summerland
Key
Ramrod
Key
Boca
Chica
Key
Bahia
Honda
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National Key
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Deer Refuge
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Big Pine
Key
Baby’s Coffee
and upper Duval Street (1100-1200 block). Of note:
the Wave Gallery (1100 White St., 305-293-9428),
for local and contemporary works; Harrison Gallery
(825 White St., 305-294-0609), for bold creations
on shutters, wood sculptures, etc.; and Gingerbread
Square Gallery (1207 Duval St., 305-296-8900), for
scenic-to-folksy paintings, art glass and more.
ª At Besame Mucho (315 Petronia St., 866BESAME1), fill your home with wares that evoke a
more romantic era, such as hand-painted lanterns,
terra-cotta sugar bowls and brass scissors.
ª For kitsch with a long shelf life, Fast Buck
Freddie’s (500 Duval St., 305-294-2007) peddles
bamboo home accessories, tropical attire and the
one-of-a-kind crab lamp. Half Buck Freddie’s (726
Caroline St.) discounts leftovers from Fast Buck.
ª For trinkets that come in all colors and animal
shapes, head to the Pelican Poop Shoppe (314
Simonton St., 305-296-3887). Before shopping,
explore the secret garden out back, where
Hemingway wrote “A Farewell to Arms.”
ª Turtle Kraals Restaurant (231 Margaret St.,
305-294-2640) is an old turtle cannery that serves
all kinds of seafood (mango crab cake, $9.95;
seafood enchiladas, $14.95), minus the obvious one.
On Mondays and Fridays, join in the turtle games,
when six hard-shelled competitors race to the finish
line.
ª Kelly “Top Gun” McGillis owns Kelly’s Caribbean
Bar and Grill (301 Whitehead St., 305-293-8484),
a casual yet elegant eatery. In the outdoor dining
area, dig into such entrees as crab ravioli ($13.95) or
Caribbean apple chicken ($14.95).
ª At Blue Heaven (729 Thomas St., 305-2968666), even the chickens and cats under the tables
can’t distract diners from such dishes as organic black
beans and rice tostados with jerk chicken, shrimp or
tofu ($10 range). The restaurant, a favorite among
vegetarians, specializes in American cuisine with a
Caribbean flair.
ª Though many gripe that Louie’s Backyard (700
Waddell Ave., 305-294-1061) is too expensive
(average dinner costs $45 each) and overrated, the
view of the Atlantic will ease the pain in your wallet.
Splurge on seafood, lamb chops or chicken with a
Caribbean streak, or enjoy the same view with a less
expensive lunch ($8-$18).
ª New York stalwart Sarabeth’s Key West (530
Simonton St., 305-293-8181) migrates south with
such specialties as green chile pepper mac and
cheese ($12) and a shrimp roll ($12-$14).
— Andrea Sachs
SHOPPING
ª Kermit’s Key West Key Lime Shoppe (200-A
Elizabeth St., 305-296-0806) puts the tart green
citrus in nearly every household item: condiments,
jams, margarita mix, candles, soaps. Free samples!
ª Find the sunnier side of SoHo style at Blue (718
Caroline St., 305-292-5172), a smart boutique that
sells fashionably forward women’s attire, such as
military capris and ropes of colorful neck candy.
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Pigeon 5
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BY BOB CRIST / CORBIS
When the sun sets, the action heats up in Duval Street’s bars, including legendary Sloppy Joe’s.
Museums and
Nature Center of
Crane Point
Hammock
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century house; keep an eye out for the six-toed cats,
descendants of the author’s polydactyl pet.
ª Fort Zachary Taylor State Park (end of Southard
Street past Truman Annex, 305-292-6713,
www.floridastate parks.org; from $1.50) offers tours
of a Civil War fort and one of KW’s nicest beaches. You
can also snorkel, kayak, fish, bird-watch and hike.
ª See how tastes have changed at the Turtle Kraals
Museum (200 Margaret St., 305-294-0209,
www.seaturtlemuseum.org; free), a former turtle
cannery that now nurses ailing or vulnerable turtles.
ª The “Broadway 3 Ways” cabaret show (1125
Duval St., 305-296-6706, www.lateda.com;
$24.50-$28.50) features a pair of queens and one
straight man (well, almost), who sing and dance the
best of Broadway.
ª If you have a slap reflex, avoid the Key West
Butterfly and Nature Conservatory (1316 Duval
St., 800-839-4647, www.keywestbutterfly.com;
$10), where butterflies of all stripes float around in a
stunning glass-bubble garden.
ª Key West waters are filled with booze and sunset
cruises, but for a more sober on-water experience
take a starlight or full-moon kayak tour with Blue
Planet Kayak (305-294-8087, www.blue-planetkayak.com; $40) or an astronomer-led stargazer
sail aboard the Western Union schooner (305-2921766, www.keyweststargazer.com; $45).
ª Get a taste of two Key West icons — Jimmy Buffett
and the roaming chickens — on the Trails of
Margaritaville tour (see story, Page P7) and at the
Chicken Store (see story, Page P8).
MM 68.5 (bayside): The
hued rooms with big clunky
but the standard rooms at
Bay Resort (800-723-4
resort.com; from $79) offe
MM 62.3 (oceanside): C
long, sandy drive from the
Cottages (800-330-15
tages.com; from $74) on W
kitchens.
MM 61 (oceanside): I
elsewhere. But the myriad
suites, villas) at the spraw
(888-443-6393, www.ha
on Duck Key get good grad
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LODGING
Great White Heron
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Refuge
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Perky’s Bat Tower
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Pigeon Key, sliced by th
campsites and some of the Keys’ best snorkeling.
Plus, its waterside cabins ($120) are large and
secluded.
MM 30.5 (bayside): Stop at the National Key
Deer Refuge visitors center (305-872-2239,
www.fws.gov/nationalkeydeer; free) in Big Pine Key
Plaza, a quarter-mile down Key Deer Boulevard, and
grab some info on the Bambi-like critters. Then drive
around Big Pine and No Name keys and keep an eye
out. Ask for directions to the Blue Hole, a rock quarry
that’s now home to gators.
MM 29 and environs (oceanside): Snorkel or dive
the Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary. See
story, Page P7.
MM 17 (bayside): It’s a trifle, but a weird one.
Perky’s Bat Tower (turn down the road at the sign
for the Sugarloaf Airport and go to the end; free) on
Sugarloaf Key was an early attempt at mosquito
control; it’s now on the National Register of Historic
Places. The experiment failed: The oblong tower
today remains bat-free.
SHOPPING
MM 61 (oceanside): You may not have the
thousands of bucks to spend on its prints, but the
Alan S. Maltz Gallery (a quarter-mile off U.S. 1 in
Hawk’s Cay Resort on Duck Key, 305-743-3044) is
worth a stop just to gawk at the nature photography.
MM 54 (oceanside): If it’s kitschy souvenirs you’re
looking for (you’re in Florida, right?), Shell Man
(305-743-2272) in Marathon is there for you. Rows
of geegaws — mood rings to T-shirts — are bound to
keep the kids busy, and the prices won’t kill you.
MM 53.5 (bayside): The front porch is nice, but
the prices (prints starting at $20 or so) at Marathon’s
Bougainvillea House Gallery (305-743-0808) —
an artist co-op — are what won us over. Lots of
choices here, mostly of the palm-tree-and-pelican
variety; the fused-glass fish in the window was a
good deal for $20.
MM 50.5 (oceanside): For an explosion of
Caribbean color, pop into Krazy Larry’s Last Store
(305-289-5282) and the Goofy Gecko (305-2894228), connected boutiques in a strip mall, for
painted furniture, clothing, jewelry, tile paintings and
barware (including $295 painted bar stools).
MM 30.5 (bayside): For watercolors or sculptures
with an aquatic bent, the Artists in Paradise
Gallery (Winn Dixie Plaza, 305-872-1828) features
the work of more than 30 locals. (Grab a picnic at the
strip mall’s supermarket while you’re at it.)
MM 15 (oceanside): Baby’s Coffee (800-5232326), which calls itself the “southernmost coffee
roaster in America,” is a great place for a caffeine
boost before Key West. You can also buy java by the
MM 57.5 (oceanside):
roadside motel in these par
serious dough with the sim
Key’s Seashell Beach R
www.seashellbeachresort.c
the kitchenettes, free kayak
MM 54.5 (oceanside): T
— elevated to palm-top le
Beach and Tennis
www.cocoplum.com; from
imported from Hawaii. Tu
Cocoplum Drive at Route 1
MM 49 (bayside): The C
289-8089, www.crystalba
a bit frayed around the ed
that way. There’s mini golf
and 29 units (15 with kitch
a huge area, so there’s no c
MM 48.5 (bayside)
Tranquility Bay Beach H
0888, www.tranquilitybay.
in late fall and is perfect fo
and three-bedroom rentals
plasma TVs and 2.5 baths.
MM 47.5 (bayside): Big
Barnacle Barney’s Tiki Bar
Hammocks of Mara
www.bluegreenrentals.com
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