key west 04.08

Key West and New Orleans have a number of commonalities. However, topping the list is the fact both places have to be taken in moderation. Staying any longer than a few days will result in a wild desire to go native and not look back.

A few years back, I boarded a plane to the only true banana republic in the US affectingly referred to as the Conch Republic. Key West has that wee bit of magic that makes it hard to resist. There is a live and let live attitude that’s pervasive throughout the island. It’s also one of the best places to celebrate the sunset. Of course drunken debauchery is a 24/7 activity, but there’s plenty of history packed into the island’s diminutive 5.9 square mile footprint.

There are tales of pirates, shipwrecks and ghosts. A short walk around Old Town will explain why the likes of President Harry S. Truman, Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams and John James Audubon called this place home. And, of course, there is Jimmy Buffett.

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