Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Take all those energies, subcultures and oddities of Keys life and focus them into one
torchlit, family-friendly (but playfully edgy), sunset-enriched street party. The child of all
these raucous forces is Mallory Sq, one of the greatest shows on Earth. It all begins as the
sun starts to set, a sign for the madness that it's OK to break out. Watch a dog walk a
tightrope, a man swallow fire, British acrobats tumble and sass each other.
Have a beer. And a conch fritter. And wait for the sun to dip behind the ocean and for
the carnival to really get going.
Duval Street
STREET
Key West locals have a love-hate relationship with the most famous road in Key West (if
not the Keys). Duval, Old Town Key West's main drag, is a miracle mile of booze, tacky
everything and awful behavior. But it's fun. The 'Duval Crawl' is one of the wildest pub
crawls in the country. The mix of neon drink, drag shows, T-shirt kitsch, local theaters, art
studios and boutiques is more charming than jarring.
Hemingway House
HOUSE
305-294-1136;
www.hemingwayhome.com
; 907 Whitehead St; adult/child
$13/6; 9am-5pm)
Key West's biggest darling, Ernest Hemingway, lived in this gorgeous Spanish colonial
house from 1931 to 1940. Papa moved here in his early 30s with wife No 2, a Vogue fash-
ion editor and (former) friend of wife No 1 (he left the house when he ran off with wife No
3).
The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber
and
The Green Hills of Africa
were pro-
duced here
,
as well as many six-toed cats, whose descendants basically run the grounds.
Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center
MUSEUM
9am-4pm Tue-Sat; )
So, you've been making your way down the Keys, thinking, Gosh, could there be a place
that ties all the knowledge of this unique ecological phenomenon into one fun, well-put-to-
gether educational exhibit? OK, maybe those weren't your exact thoughts, but this is ex-
