There is no place quite like Key West, Florida. In a state where the Goppers are a virtual single-party autocracy, Key West is an island of the brightest blue in a sea of red. Walking around the island is like stepping back in time to a hippie commune, circa 1975. Even the trash collectors wear tie-dye. "Island time" is the standard here, there are almost as many bicycles as cars, various critters from peacocks to chickens to iguanas roam the streets unimpeded, everyone is laid-back and mellow, everything from sunsets to hurricanes are excuses for a party, and everywhere you go you can hear accents from all over the world--Russian, Jamaican, Haitian, German, Puerto Rican, Cuban, British, New York, Boston. It is absolutely my favorite place on earth.
The Key West Aquarium. Built in the 30's by the WPA, it was the first tourist attraction in Key West.
A pair of Green Moray Eels.
The Butterfly Conservatory. A screened-in area with free-flying butterflies.
The southernmost point in the US. That's me in the photo.
Duval Street. The main drag in Key West, it probably has more bars per block than any street in the US.
Margaritaville bar. A great place to get wasted away, again.
A pair of local fishermen.
Free-roaming chickens.
The heart of the tourist district. Full of museums and shops.
The Pirate's Soul Museum houses a collection of authentic pirate artifacts.
A silver dinner plate recovered from the wreck of the "Queen Anne's Revenge", Blackbeard's pirate ship.
Mallory Square. Every night, there's a party here to celebrate the sunset.
Street performers and crafts-makers in Mallory Square. Licensed by the city, they get paid sick days.
The obligatory postcard views.
The story of the founding of the Conch Republic.
The flag of the Conch republic. The "nation's" motto? "We seceded where others failed."