Key West: 12 "Must Dos"

David Sloan knows well the magic of Key West. In his book, "Quit Your Job and Move to Key West," Sloan describes his journey from corporate America to the laid back life of Key West. That was in 1996, and he hasn't regretted one minute.

Of course, Sloan is not alone in his love for Key West. The southernmost city has been an alluring travel destination for visitors from around the world for more than 75 years. A great deal of those visitors have been and continue to be gay and lesbian. Key West has a well earned reputation as a welcoming destination. It was the first American city to launch a campaign to encourage gay tourism, and its official motto is "One Human Family."

While not every visitor to Key West decides to make it his or her home like Sloan, they are almost guaranteed to fall under the island's spell. Here are 12 Must Dos when in the famed Florida city.

1. Go South

The Southernmost Point painted concrete buoy marking one of the extreme points of the United States is likely Key West's most photographed landmark. Created in 1983, the fact that the buoy is not actually the southernmost point of the U.S. (that honor goes to Ballast Key, a privately owned island south and west of Key West) does not deter hundreds of daily visitors from snapping pictures of it.

Southernmost Point
400 South Street
(305) 809-3700

2. Be a Beach Bum

A common misconception is that Key West has no beaches. That is not true. Key West has a number of nice sand beaches. The beach at Fort Zachery Taylor Historic State Park - affectionately nicknamed Elizabeth Taylor Beach by the local gays - is one of the most popular. There is also Smather's Beach (the island's largest at approximately a half mile long) and Higgs Beach that are both on the easterly Atlantic Ocean side of the island. Adjacent to Higgs Beach is the Key West AIDS Memorial in remembrance of the more than 1000 people from Key West who have died of AIDS.

Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park Beach
Civil War-era fort, national historic landmark
End of Southard Street
(305) 292-6713

Higgs Beach
Playground, dog beach and recreation site
Atlantic Boulevard, MM 1.5
(305) 292-4431

Smather's Beach
Boat ramp, picnic area, restrooms/showers, jet skis, volleyball
South Roosevelt Boulevard
(305) 296-2554

3. Hunt Hemingway

The great American writer's ties to Key West are legendary. Visitors have the unique opportunity to trace his life on the island. The main attraction is the Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum, where he lived with his second wife Pauline from 1931 to 1939. Captain Tony's Saloon and Sloppy Joe's Bar each lay claim as Hemingway's official watering hole. For more than three decades, Sloppy Joe's has hosted the annual Hemingway lookalike contest as part of the island's Hemingway Days celebration. In addition, there's a permanent exhibit about Hemingway's impact on Key West at The Custom House Museum.

Of course, Hemingway is not the only literary giant to call Key West home. For more than 30 years, gay playwright Tennessee Williams lived in in the city. The Academy Award-winning film adaptation of Williams' play, "The Rose Tattoo," was shot on the island in the '50s, and the Tennessee Williams Theatre opened in 1980 with the world premiere of his play, "Will Mr. Merriweather Return From Memphis?"

4. Taste the Island

Often a destination is defined by its food, and Key West is no exception. By far its most famous eat is Key Lime Pie. The story goes that the dessert, made of Key lime juice, egg yolks, and sweetened condensed milk in a pie crust, was created by a sponge fishermen sometime in the 1800s. From then to now, the pie has become an island must have, and some of the best can be found at Kermit's Key West Key Lime Shoppe, Key West Key Lime Pie Co., and Blue Heaven Restaurant.
Photo by Troy Petenbrink

Other Key West signature dishes are conch fritters (Half Shell Raw Bar and The Conch Shack), as well as Key West pink shrimp (The Flaming Buoy Co. and Garbo's Grill). The annual Key West Food and Wine Festival is a great opportunity to explore the island's culinary offerings.

5. Enjoy Your Accommodations

There are plenty of hotels and guesthouses to meet nearly any taste in Key West. For those seeking a large full-service property, the Hyatt Key West Resort and Spa, Westin Key West Resort, and Casa Marina Resort are fine options. All are TAG Approved gay-friendly. Among the boutique properties that draw a predominantly LGBT clientele are Alexander's Guesthouse, and the all male resorts Equator Resort, Island House and the New Orleans House, part of Bourbon St. Pub.

6. Watch the Sunset

Key West's boasting about being home to the best sunset in the world is not just a marketing gimmick. The sunsets in Key West rarely disappoint, and watching one is practically the island's official sport. Each evening hundreds of visitors gather with locals in Mallory Square to watch the sunset into the horizon of the Gulf of Mexico.

The ritualistic celebration includes unique street performers, musicians and food vendors. Another popular gathering place is the Sunset Pier at the Ocean Key Resort & Spa. For added adventure, a sunset cruise is also an option with Danger Charter's Wind and Wine Sunset Sail and Schooner Western Union as two of the best.

7. Take a Trolley Ride

Do you know where Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tennessee Williams lived in Key West? How about the site of The Monster, a popular gay bar in the '70s and '80s? The answers to these and many more questions about of Key West's rich LGBT history can be found on the weekly Gay Key West Trolley Tour. One of the first LGBT city history tours and certainly one of the longest continually operating, it's given every Saturday afternoon and takes approximately 90 minutes.

Gay Key West Trolley Tour
Sponsored by Gay Key West & The Key West Business Guild in partnership with Historic Tours of America. (305) 294-4603.

8. Play in the Water

With the Atlantic Ocean to its east and the Gulf of Mexico to its west, Key West offers some of the best opportunities for water sports and play. Barefoot Billy's offers a fun jet ski tour of the island, and Fury Water Adventures has some cool "do-it-all" packages that include snorkeling, parasailing, jet skiing, water toys and kayaking. The Blu Q specializes in men-only catamaran tours, including a number of very popular clothing-optional sails.

9. Catch a Different View

Almost immediately after the U.S. Navy established a base in Key West in 1823, there was need for a lighthouse to assure the safe arrival of vessels navigating the shallow, reef-laden waters off the Florida Keys. The current lighthouse opened in 1848 with a woman as its first Keeper, nearly unheard of during the 19th century. In 1969, the U.S. Coast Guard decommissioned the Key West Lighthouse since there was no longer a need for a full-time Keeper due to technological advancements.

Today, this sentinel of the sea stands as a museum dedicated to Key West's maritime heritage. Visitors can walk up the 88 steps to the top of the lighthouse for amazing views of the entire island as well as explore the belongings, photographs, and words of the lighthouse Keepers and their families who lived a now obsolete, yet never forgotten, way of life.

Lighthouse Tower and Keeper's Quarters
938 Whitehead Street
(304) 294-0012
kwahs.org

10. Flirt with Butterflies

There are some 50 to 60 butterfly species from around the world, along with over 20 exotic bird species, all under a climate-controlled, glass enclosed habitat at The Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservatory. Gay-owned, the conservatory is open daily for tours and has an expansive gift shop.

Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservatory
1316 Duval Street
(305) 296-2988
keywestbutterfly.com

11. Cruise Around

Just shy of 7.5 square miles, Key West is a fairly small island. Given its size, one of the best was to travel around the island is via scooter or bike. Not only is it much easier to find parking, it's just a more enjoyable way to see the island. Moped Hospital is great for scooters, while The Bike Shop is obviously the place for bicycles. It's also a good idea to see if your hotel offers deals for rentals or loaner bikes.

12. Wet your whistle

Key Westerners know how to drink, and there are plenty of places to have a good cocktail (or three... or more) on the island. With the exception of Bobby's Monkey Bar, which draws mostly locals, the LGBT bars are concentrated on Duval Street. Here you will find Aqua (drag), Bourbon St. Pub (go-go dancers), 801 Bourbon Bar (drag), and Saloon 1 (leather/Levi). Also on Duval is La Te Da, home to internationally-beloved female impersonator Christopher Peterson.

More information on visiting Key West is available at gaykeywestfl.com and fla-keys.com