To me, visiting Key West, Florida is not so much about a place as an attitude. A mindset… more than an address. I think of Ernest Hemingway and Jimmy Buffett. I think of the Conch Republic declaring independence from the U.S. in 1982 with a hail of stale Cuban Bread. I think of the Cat Man and the Gymnast in Mallory Square. I think of Sloppy Joe’s, the Hog’s Breath Saloon and the Green Parrot bar.
Here you can dare to be different. Here you find citizens of the planet, pirates in training and artists of every stripe. Laid back doesn’t really capture the essence of the Keys, does it? Eccentric, funky, colorful and relaxing all describe this island; which seems more Caribbean than Floridian.
People come here to be what they aren’t at home. They come here looking to chill out, blow off steam, or forget the past. They come here hoping to find themselves or reinvent their lives. Some just come here for fun. In Key West, Florida anything is possible. Those that live here watch the endless parade of humanity go by and smile. See you there…