Arnold is watching
a walk in the old harbor region
at Key West you do not need to go hungry
Cuba is just around the corner
others want to see fish without getting wet
coming home after a diving session
this is why we are here: dive the Keys!!
Key West sits at the end of US-1 that connects the Florida Keys with the US mainland.
It is the southernmost part of the Lower 48
(contiguous United States) with Miami being further awy than Havana on Cuba.
In 1521
Juan Ponce de León claimed the Keys for
Spain and, save a small British interbellum, it remained spanish untill the US flag was planted here in 1822.
In April 1982 Key
West proclaimed its independence as the
Conch Republic, declared war on the USA.,immediately surrendered and asked for foreign
aid.
The Republic is a great tourist tool and you can still buy souvenir CR passports.
In the 1930s
Ernest Hemingway lived
the winters in Key West, where he wrote some of his best novels and left a breed of cats.
Today Key West is a main tourist
attraction with many cruiseships calling port.
There is a thriving diving industry although diving at the Keys is not top notch.
We
visited here in Dec 1995 and returned in April 2001.
a cruiseship is arriving
on the promenade at the seaside
biking is one of the main means of transportation
there are a few nice beaches on Key West