NORTH PALM BEACH LIFE
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key west

Touring the Southern-Most City in the U.S.

By GERRY and PAMELA BARKER
North Palm Beach Life
December 16, 2018


KEY WEST_Head south until you run out of road and you'll find yourself in Key West, an island of some four square miles, 150 miles or so from Miami and 90 miles from Cuba.

While it's a scenic drive, we arrived by ship on the Carnival Victory. Key West was our first stop on a 4-night cruise, roundtrip from Miami. Earlier in the month, one of the Key West ports was knocked out of commission for three months when a cruise ship hit a mooring after a gust of wind. Lucky for us, Carnival uses a different port.

Carnival offers a wide selection of shore excursions, and since our stay here was short, we chose "Key West Sights and Bites," a walking tour that included historic places of interest, and some eats along the way.

On a previous visit here, it was hot -- real hot. That was in September. So imagine our surprise when we awoke to rain and clouds and the coldest day of the year -- temps were in the sixties. But like weather in the tropics tends to do, the rain was brief and before long, the sun made an appearance.

But enough preliminaries ... let's take the tour!
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Pam is ready to get going!
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Photos by North Palm Beach Life
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Our tour guide was Rebecca. She's made Key West her home for the past 20 years.
Our first stop is The Little White House ...
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It was President Harry Truman's vacation home, among other things
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At the corner of Whitehead and Caroline streets sits First Flight Restaurant and Brewery. This is the place where Pan Am was founded in 1927. 
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The second oldest house in Key West also features 'Pirates Well,' used by pirates in the 1700s. Argh!
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Our guide said this house is haunted. We kept stepping.
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This B&B has a fascinating history. Read about it HERE.
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Besides being rich in history, Key West is also rich in fun and whimsy
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Next we made a stop at Peppers of Key West, where we sampled sauces that ranged from mild to 'nuclear.'
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Just down the street from Peppers is the Key Lime Shoppe ...
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The man at the counter is Mr. Key Lime himself, Kermit Carpenter, who has been making all things key lime for 26 years. 
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Pam with Kermit and
his famous pie
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It even has a koi pond
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Across the street is the Historic Seaport and Harbor, where we ended the tour.
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We had to do a selfie by the Christmas tree with fishing float ornaments.
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With our free time, we headed for the famous Duval Street, where the action is.
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Back onboard Carnival Victory, we say goodbye
to Key West as we head for Cozumel.
​But like Arnold said, we'll be back!
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Contact us: [email protected]

© COPYRIGHT  2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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  • Home
    • Weather >
      • Hurricane Readiness
  • Cruise/Travel
    • Cruise Reviews and Stories
    • Victory I Great Lakes Cruise
  • Gigi in the 561
    • Gigi's Wine Shelf
    • Gigi in the 561 Interviews
    • Cora
    • My Father's Tales >
      • My Father's Tales - Photo Album
    • Travel Bistro
  • Blogs
    • Gerry Pronounced Gary
    • Rock and Roll Rewind
    • Susan Goldfein -- Blog >
      • Susan Goldfein
  • Video
  • Explore
    • October Odyssey >
      • Cartagena, Columbia
      • Panama Canal
      • Antigua, Guatemala
      • Cabo San Lucas
      • Birds and Bees Speakeasy in Los Angeles
      • We Love LA
      • Coast Starlight
      • Napa Wine Tour
      • California Zephyr
      • California Zephyr Part Two
      • Chicago
      • Amtrak Capitol Limited
      • Washington DC
    • Pam - Traveling in Style
    • Road Trip! >
      • Road Trip! -- Tucumcari, New Mexico
      • Road Trip! -- The Painted Desert
      • Road Trip! - Sedona, Arizona
      • Road Trip! - Sedona Wineries
      • Road Trip! Tonto Natural Bridge State Park
      • Road Trip! - Mogollon Rim
      • Road Trip! - Verde Canyon Railroad
      • Road Trip! - Jerome, Arizona
      • Road Trip! - California
      • Road Trip! - Palm Springs Celebrity Tour
      • Road Trip! - Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
      • Road Trip! - Festival in Palm Springs
      • Road Trip! - Willcox, Arizona and Apple Annie's Orchard
      • Road Trip! Willcox Wineries
      • Road Trip! Chiricahua National Monument
      • Road Trip! Tombstone, Arizona
      • Tombstone, Part Two
      • Road Trip! - Epilogue
    • Traveling With Joe >
      • Beartooth Highway
      • North Cascades National Park
      • A Visit to the Philippines
      • Grand Canyon National Park
      • Glacier National Park
      • Yellowstone National Park
      • Hiking in Bear Country
      • Crater Lake National Park
      • Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta
      • The Kerrville Folk Festival
      • Building Hope in the Rio Grande Valley
      • Yellowstone Camping Tales
    • Unknown Yellowstone >
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Heart Lake
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Summit Lake
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Shoshone Lake
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Grizzly Lake
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Riddle Lake
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Pelican Cone
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Mt. Washburn
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Specimen Ridge
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Avalanche Peak
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Divide Creek
  • Contact
    • Media Kit
    • Pamela Barker - Author
    • The Story of StarText
  • Search