Daiquiris were Hemingway’s drink of choice. If you’re ready for more “literary research” pop into the bar for a quick break. The great writer, of course, made the most of the convenient location. Sloppy Joe’s is a quick 6-minute walk from the Hemingway House. Sloppy Joe’s: Hemingway’s famously favorite watering hole. Constructed from limestone, quarried at the site, the structure has withstood numerous hurricanes, including Irma, most recently. When Hemingway purchased his home, it was one of the most-modern of its day, with plumbing, built-in fireplaces and the first swimming pool in Key West. During this period, he wrote one of his great classic titles, For Whom the Bell Tolls, as well as acclaimed short stories, The Snows of Kilimanjaro and the Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber. The Nobel-winning author lived in the city from 1931 to 1942. Today tourists can purchase Conch Republic flags and passports - it’s all part of the local pageantry, cheekiness and, of course, centuries of complete autonomy.Ĭertainly one of the most prominent of Key West’s colorful inhabitants was Ernest Hemingway. Protests and demonstrations in Key West generated tremendous publicity and the border stops were removed. The border stop created nightmarish traffic jams that paralyzed the southern keys. Border Patrol set up a blockade to control immigration and drug running. In 1982, the city famously seceded from the union! Angry Key West citizens declared their independence and formed the Conch Republic after the U.S. But, that ungovernable pirate spirit still flourishes in Key West. The island began to prosper and attract businesses and permanent residents. Ultimately, railroad magnate Henry Flagler established a train line from Miami to Key West and the U.S. Several investors bought the island - at the same time - just the first of many questionable Florida real estate deals. and American businessmen quickly realized the strategic worth of the outlying key. In 1821, Florida was transferred to the U.S. Later, Britain ruled for twenty-five years, but like the Spaniards, never attempted to settle the islands. Only pirates and itinerate fishermen occupied the islands. Photo by Marla Norman.įor over three centuries, Key West was governed, in the loosest sense of the word, by Spain. seems to attract especially colorful, liberated types. Something about the gravitational pull at this southernmost point of the U.S. It’s a convivial mix of beachcombers, old hippies, retired dot.com millionaires, retired drug runners and a few tourists, like us. We sit at the tiny bar, chatting up the gregarious, sociable locals - what’s to be cranky about in Paradise, after all?!? They share their lists of favorite fish joints and rum bars. And chefs who grew up preparing such delicacies are in abundance here as well. Wahoo, caught just a few hours before hitting the grill, is something sublime. Later, that evening, at the Thirsty Mermaid, we savor another Key West specialty - fresh seafood. We arrive just in the nick of time, and are able to enjoy the magnificent light show. Michel hits the accelerator and honks (members of our tour groups won’t be surprised…) at local drivers, slowly meandering along, jaded as they are, by another spectacular sunset in Paradise. Purple, red and orange streaks are already igniting the sky. in time to watch the sun take its nightly plunge into the ocean. Our goal is to reach THE Southernmost Point of the U.S. It’s chilly in Key West, as we speed down the Atlantic Coast Highway.
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