Too impatient for spring last year, Senior Photographer Art Meripol and I clicked our ruby slippers (er, flip-flops) together three times, reciting, "There's no taste like Key lime pie." Soon we were twirling south to that last trickle of Florida for the perfect fluff-filled pastry. Done right, that wedge is cool and creamy with a sharp citrus backhand--a radiant slice of electric silk.

From Homestead to Key West, we tasted a couple dozen pies that beckoned and bragged. Along the way, we bumped into Nashville readers Sandi and Ron Sudduth, who traipsed those connected islands with the same gustatory goal: to find a favorite among the many. We giddily compared notes, nudging each other toward the good and away from the ugly.

And we stumbled upon some surprises, finding that there isn't just one ideal for the confection, but three. First: the traditional homemade recipe in comfy restaurants. Second: the gussied-up remakes by creative chefs in fancy dining rooms and resorts. And third: mass-produced pies at take-out and mail-order shops. We didn't quite expect the Key lime cookies, fudge, candy, jelly, hot sauce, drinks--and candles, lotions, and shampoos. Even if it's not all palatable, it's all fun. Enjoy the hunt! Here are our picks, from north to south along U.S. 1. When you return from your own journey, let us hear yours.