KEY WEST
KEY WEST
Key West, the most southern city in the continental United States, is the latest in a chain of tiny tropical islands - the Florida Keys - scattered off the mainland. Nicknamed the "Conch Republic", Key West is a very popular destination in the Western Caribbean routes - and is easily one of the most fun and fascinating stopovers of all cruises.Key West, where the natives are lovingly called "Conch", and the high school football team goes through "Fighting Conchs", earned the nickname of "Conch Republic" in April 1982, when a band of locals declared the secession of the United States in protest U.S. Border Patrol places a checkpoint just north of the top of the Keys. While federal agents were trying to hinder drug traffickers, the residents of Keys condemned the checkpoint as a tourist disaster, as well as disrespectful to its people. But the mayor of Key West and his supporters failed to influence a federal court in Miami to lift the checkpoint. Shortly thereafter, he read a proclamation in Mallory Square stating that the Keys are no longer part of the United States and calling for $1 million in foreign aid.the transition to secession was only a short one, but remains a point of pride for Key Westers, which continues to fly the blue flag "Conch Republic" in the subtropical heat and ocean breezes. Key West was first established in 1822 and by 1886 had become the richest city in America per capita. Compact, welcoming and adorable, the Old Town district is full of cottages with gingerbread arcades, Victorian composites, outdoor cafes, cigar stands and t-shirt shops. Residential everywhere, every sign, window and awning in the Old City must go under scrutiny by the city's appointed Historical Architectural Review Commission. Key West cruise ship passengers, who number about 820,000 per year among the island's 3 million visitors, disembark at Mallory Square, a marina pier near the Westin Resort. But the island's city is a breeze to explore on foot, by bike or scooter. Famous residents have included Pulitzer Prize winner Ernest Hemingway, whose home on Simonton Street is now a museum where six-finger cats roam the gardens, pool and lodgings. Key West was also a home away from home for President Harry Truman, whose former home from Washington, D.C. is the "Little White House", a waterfront museum. Art galleries, Cuban cafes, fine restaurants and sandwiches abound all in Key West. The locals will serve you fresh coconut water by drilling a straw hole in one of the green fruits that come from the island's palm trees. the city is famous for all kinds of people and attracts artists, hipsters, gourmets and wanderers along with cruise ships. Locals love to repeat the joke about never knowing if the guy next to you at the flip-flop counter and a tank top is a millionaire or a former merchant navy - or both. Rich pensioners here touch people who work two or three times so they can call Key West at home.
