Miscellany: Things to do in Key West

For Mother's Day, my family and I took a little mini-vacation to Key West. Strangely enough, even though we've lived in Florida for decades, we've never been down that far. My experience with the Keys had only extended as far as John Pennekamp Park. So, packed with supplies and ready for adventures, we drove down...

One excellent spot to take advantage of is Bahia Honda Park. This is about an hour north of Key West itself, but the beach is very calm and the water itself is nice and cool. There's a nature trail, kayaking, snorkeling, and some other activities, but the main draw is the miles and miles of relatively serene sandy beach. I've been to nicer beaches (The beaches in the USVI's St. John are incredible), and the proximity to the highway was slightly annoying, but all in all, it's easy to enjoy a day there.

In Key West itself, we found a small city that was basically ours to walk through. In the off-season, the crowds are much-dispersed, making our stay there very pleasant. The Mel Fisher Marine Heritage museum was pretty neat, especially the displays of various artifacts of daily life in 1622. Another notable museum is the restored Custom House, featuring art telling the tale of Key West. They also had an Impressionist sculpture display that was fun to play with.

As far as recreation, there are two main activities in Key West - drinking and fishing. There are a few beaches on the south part of the island, but they pale in comparison with the less-developed keys. Charter fishing and snorkeling is plentiful, as are the local bars on famous Duval Street. For the right kind of person, Key West is indeed very close to paradise.