Key West is the southernmost city in the continental United States and the capital of the coral archipelago of the Florida Keys, located on the island of the same name. This is a real tropical paradise with palm trees, beaches and turquoise water; Even on police cars it is written that they are guarding his gates - “protecting paradise.” What do the locals do here? Almost nothing. They start the day with the popular Rum Runner cocktail and spend the rest of the day just wandering around the city, telling stories to tourists and having fun. Sometimes it seems that time in Key West has stood still and is just standing still. As in any southern city, no one is in a hurry, with the exception of tourists; you can wait not 5 minutes for your order in a cafe or restaurant, but half an hour, and sometimes even more.
The first European to visit Key West was Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de Leon in 1521. Spanish colonists named the island Cayo Hueso, a name Spanish speakers still use today. Literally it means “bone key”, they say that the island was covered with bones after an Indian battle. Over time, Hueso became the English word west, which is similar in sound, and bone key became western.
Key West was once an incredibly wealthy city: locals lived by collecting cargo washed ashore from sunken ships. But those times have long since sunk into oblivion, and now city residents live only on the money that tourists leave here. The latter, it must be said, do not skimp - who counts money on vacation?
Sloppy Joe's bar, Hemingway's favorite bar
The walls of the bar are covered with photographs of Hemingway, and here you can see a stuffed fish caught by the writer. The menu includes a variety of the writer's favorite dishes and drinks, some named after him, like the Papa Doble daiquiri. The cocktail contains rum, grapefruit juice, pomegranate syrup, soda water and lime juice. In fact, although Hemingway enjoyed a daiquiri from time to time, his favorite drink was Teacher's, a cheap brand of Scotch whiskey.
This buoy is one of the main attractions of Key West; millions of tourists are sure to take pictures against its background. Previously, there was just a sign at this place, but visitors often took it as a souvenir. In 1983, the city erected a cement model of the buoy, and so far no one has managed to steal it. The buoy reads “Republic of Conch | 90 miles to Cuba | Southernmost point of continental US | Key West, Florida | House of the Sunset" (“The Conch Republic | 90 Miles to Cuba | Southernmost point continental U.S.A. | Key West, FL | Home of the Sunset”).
The hotel is located in the former residence of cigar magnate Eduardo H. Gato. Interestingly, the Victorian mansion was originally built on the opposite side of the street. But as the tycoon sat comfortably on the veranda with a cup of tea, he decided that the sun was hitting the veranda at the wrong angle. How would you solve this issue?... Eduardo simply ordered the house to be moved and the huge structure, placed on logs, rolled down the street with the help of harnessed mules. Now on hot southern days you can enjoy the shade and cool breeze on the veranda.
The house was built in 1851 by Asa Tift, a shipbuilder and wreck salvage specialist, and by 1928 was completely abandoned and boarded up due to inheritance disputes. The house somehow fascinated Ernest Hemingway, who returned from Europe, and he purchased it for $8,000, which resolved the Tifts’ family problems. The furniture that the writer and his family used is still preserved here, and even the cats that live in the house are descendants of the cats that Hemingway kept, including the “polydactyl” breed that he loved so much.
Neighbors often see the ghost of the writer walking on the balcony or hear the sound of a typewriter coming from the office. It is said that Hemingway can also be seen standing near a window on the second floor and sometimes even waves in greeting.
Ernest Hemingway wrote about Key West: “It’s the best place, in which I have ever been - there are flowers all year round, date trees, guavas, coconut palms ... Last night I leaned on absinthe and showed tricks with a knife.”
Every year, thousands of people visit the Ernest Hemingway House Museum to see the desk where A Farewell to Arms, For Whom the Bell Tolls and other famous works were created.
The real owners of the house-museum are six-toed cats who trace their ancestry back to the kitten Snowball. A strange kitten with six toes on velvet paws instead of the required five was given to the writer by his friend Captain Stanley Dexter in 1930. In 1957, 57 animals already lived in his villa: 43 adult cats and 14 kittens.
In my opinion, this cat never changes pose...
Hemingway himself began to build the pool, but work was interrupted in the spring of 1937, when the civil war raged in Spain, and the writer went to this country as a war correspondent. His wife Polina began overseeing the project. The final construction cost was $20,000 - it was very difficult to dig a massive hole in the hard coral soil of the island. In the 1930s, Hemingway Basin was the only pool in the Florida Keys. Ernest was very annoyed by the construction costs, and at some point he threw a cent into the unfinished pool with the words “Polina, you spent all your money on this pool, to the last cent!” It is unknown if the story is true, but a penny set in cement can be seen at the northern end of the pool.
For 32 years since its opening in 1848, the lighthouse keeper was a woman, Barbara Mabrity, which was completely unheard of in the 19th century. At the age of 82, she was fired for speaking out against the North—Key West remained under Northern control throughout the Civil War.
The house was built in 1829 and has survived occupation by Northern forces during the Civil War, fires, Florida's famous hurricanes, economic turmoil, pirates, heat, humidity, insects, the tropical weather of the Florida Keys, and even moving from one street to another. another.
During the golden age of sail, about 100 ships a day passed by Key West, the waters around which were well known to be some of the most treacherous in the world. On average, one ship a week crashed onto the reefs of the Florida Keys archipelago. Brave local residents were on duty day and night on such observation towers or patrolled around the island in small boats. When the wreck was noticed, a cry was heard over the island - “Wreck Ashore” and the entire male population of the island dropped everything and rushed to the piers in a race to the reef. The first person to reach the sinking ship became the “master”, he controlled the rescue operations and received a large share of the sale of the cargo. On average, half of the sale of salvaged property went to the owners of the ship, the other half was distributed by the master.
One of the bartenders said that he once lived in New York and had his own restaurant there, a lot of headaches and city bustle. Then he dropped everything, sold his house and moved here, where he now works as a bartender. When asked if he was happy, he laughed and said: “How can you not be happy here!? This is paradise!
“Everything here is literally imbued with the proximity of the ocean, and no matter where you turn, you will certainly end up either in the Gulf of Mexico, or you will find yourself on the shore, washed by the waves of the Atlantic. The ocean with you is an inseparable part of the soul and a happy peace, like the presence of a beloved woman, without whom you are lost and don’t know what to do with yourself if she’s not around. " - Berdnik Victor. Return to Key West.
They say a Key West vacation should begin and end at the harbor. The seaport marked the beginning of the island's history about 200 years ago and is still the heart of the island. What could be better than spending a day on a yacht and catching your own dinner?
Key West is a tropical paradise, a popular beach resort and the most fun city in the Florida Keys. Here you can relax and get into the spirit of old Florida.
Key West is an island city in Florida, photo dorinser-2
The city of Key West is called a “tropical paradise”, a tourist Mecca in the USA. This is the southernmost point of continental America. It is located in the state of Florida - on the small island of Key West, part of the coral archipelago of the Florida Keys.
This piece of land is connected to the mainland by the Overseas Highway, 188 km long, laid across islands and overpasses. The length of the main bridge of the route is 11 km.
An airport has been built in the city. Cruise ships call at the port of Key West. Residents work mainly in the tourism sector. Fishermen, artists, bohemians live here.
The climate is tropical, there is never snow or frost.
Attractions
Ernest Hemingway's house
Small White House of Harry Truman
Shipwreck Museum
Sloppy Joe's Bar
Fort Zachary Taylor
Southernmost point of the USA, photo teekay72
The main city attraction is a three-colored cement buoy, a symbol of the city’s extreme southern position, installed in 1983. On the concrete structure is written: “Republic of Conque. 90 miles to Cuba. The southernmost point of the continental United States. Key West, Florida. Where the sunset is." This is a monument to an event in 1982: the mayor staged a political rally for a few minutes, declaring the Florida Keys an “independent Conch Republic.”
Old city
Old Town Key West, photo by teekay72
Key West has its own Old Town - a tourist part with historical houses. The oldest building has survived since 1829.
Key West Lighthouse
There is a preserved lighthouse in the Old Town (Key West lighthouse). It serves as an observation deck, and the structure was built in 1848. For a long time, its caretaker was a local resident, Barbara Mabrity.
Small White House of Harry Truman
Small White House (Harry S. Truman Little White House) is the former home of the commandant of the US naval base, and later the winter residence of President Truman and other American presidents. Today there is a museum there and weddings are held there.
Ernest Hemingway's house
Ernest Hemingway House, photo by Andreas Lamecker
The pride of the city is the Ernest Hemingway House, declared a historical monument. In 1931, the writer visited the island and took a liking to the abandoned building of the 19th century. Ernest bought the building and settled in it.
Today, tourists visit Hemingway’s house, filled with the writer’s personal belongings and books, and explore the studio, the “haunted balcony,” the “birdhouse” office, the tropical garden, and the swimming pool. The writer's passion was cats: there are about fifty of them at the museum. One day Ernest was given an unusual six-toed kitten. The cat Snowball lived a long time and left offspring. Since then, many cats with dewclaws have lived in the city.
Sloppy Joe's Bar
Sloppy Joe's Bar
The writer loved Sloppy Joe’s Bar. Today the walls of the establishment are covered with photographs of Ernest, many drinks and dishes are named after him. The main “exhibit” is a stuffed huge fish caught by Hemingway.
Aquarium, photo Joe Parks
The City Aquarium is not an ordinary oceanarium with fish behind thick glass, but a petting marine zoo. You can watch the inhabitants feeding and touch safe animals with your hands.
Art Gallery
The city has many museums and galleries of various subjects. The most famous is Key West Gallery. Here you will find works by famous artists and discover new names. You can buy your favorite paintings.
Customs House Museum
Custom House Museum, photo dorinser
The Custom House Museum is popular among tourists. The red Romanesque building was built in 1891 as a customs office. It is distinguished by round arches and a sloping roof. Today it is the Museum of Art & History, which gives you a real picture of life in Key West in the past. The Custom House Museum regularly hosts exhibitions of contemporary artists.
Shipwreck Museum
Key West Shipwreck Museum, photo by Jim Rhodes
The Key West Shipwreck Museum is Key West's most visited institution. The exhibition is dedicated to the heyday - a glorious time when ships were lost on the coastal reefs, and residents successfully made a living by looting. The museum interestingly combines artifacts, acting and films about real events.
A little history
Since ancient times, the island belonged to the Calusa tribe. In 1513, the conquistador adelantado Ponce de Leon first visited it, and then the Spaniards tried for centuries to establish their power. For a long time, the island was inhabited only by fishermen, sea robbers, and marauders. Only from 1822 did permanent settlements appear.
In 1896, Key West received city status. He grew, became rich; Cigar factories opened. The year 1912 was marked by a historical event: a maritime railway was built from the mainland to the island. It was destroyed by the “Storm of the Century,” a terrible hurricane in 1935.
At the Hemingway Festival, photo by Andy Newman
Holidays and competitions at the resort are held every month. The main city event is a festival dedicated to Hemingway (Hemingway Days Festival). It is held in July.
Fort Zachary Taylor
At the southern tip of Key West is Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park, a national monument and 87-hectare historical park. It was built in 1845–66. and until 1968 served as a military facility, and then was given to tourists. There is a beach in the park, where you can go diving, fish from the dam, and stroll along the sea in a kayak. Historical reconstructions are held in the park every year. Civil War USA. During Halloween, Zachary Taylor turns into a "ghost fort."
Dry Tortugas
120 km to the west, on an archipelago of 7 coral reefs and the shallows surrounding them, is another Florida national park - Dry Tortugas National Park with Fort Jefferson, one of the largest coastal forts in the United States.
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