Your Place in the Sun

Noon--We're ready to eat again. We walk from Hemingway's pad to Grand Café, a popular eatery on Duval Street. In honor of Key West, we share a chilled shrimp cocktail appetizer and then order heaping fresh fish sandwiches. We watch the colorful characters of this town stroll down the street while we refuel.

1 p.m.--Ready for our afternoon siesta, we drive to Smathers Beach, the best public beach in Key West. It sits on the Atlantic and runs along South Roosevelt Boulevard between the airport and Bertha Street. Equipped with oversize beach towels for lounging, we crack open books as we soak up some Florida rays.

2 p.m.--The allure of art calls, so we dust off our sandy toes to explore a few galleries in town. We start at KW Light Gallery where Sharon Wells shows her colorful paintings and photographs of Key West houses and flowers. Then we visit Barbara Grob, owner of The Wave Gallery. We fall in love with her sculptured metal geckos. Barbara tells us our next stop should be The Chicken Store. "Can we walk there?" we ask. She says, "I've lived here for eight years and have never driven a car."

3 p.m.--Chickens roam free all over the island. At The Chicken Store, we discover why. Owner Katha Sheehan tells us about the Rooster Rescue Team. The volunteer group takes in orphaned peeps, nurses sick and wounded ones, and relocates unwanted chickens. To support the cause, we buy yellow "Save the Chickens" T-shirts.

4 p.m.--Armed with Conch Republic passports and chicken T-shirts, we investigate the island's shopping. Our first stop is Bésame Mucho, where we marvel over the French soaps and interior decorating items in this boutique. We then see Fast Buck Freddie's standing out from the many souvenir shops on Duval. We drool over the bamboo furnishings and silk tropical shirts in this local department store.

5 p.m.--My husband declares, "Enough shopping," just in time to watch the sunset. The actual setting of the sun is only a portion of this daily ritual at Mallory Square. We also spy street artists, fire-eaters, break-dancers, and jumping cats.

6 p.m.--Giddy from the excitement of Mallory Square, we walk back to our hotel, The Marquesa, to unwind. The lights in the tall palm trees reflect against the crystal blue pool waters in the back of this 27-room hotel. We agree that this may be the prettiest place we've ever stayed.

7 p.m.--Not ready to leave the hotel yet, we visit the on-site restaurant, Café Marquesa. Our server starts us with glasses of wine and brings a heaping basket of bread and a plate of homemade hummus to the table. After one bite of our perfectly prepared tuna steaks, we know that we made the right decision in dining here.

8 p.m.--Full from the heavenly meal, we walk off dinner with a stroll on Duval Street (better known as Doing the Duval Crawl). This main street of Key West attracts every sort of character this town has to offer. We feel a bit like Ma and Pa Kettle in the big city for the first time as we absorb sights we've never experienced before. Then we remember that here nothing is weird, and we simply shrug it off.

9 p.m.--No trip to Key West would be complete without a taste of the dessert this area calls its own. We break all diet rules, stop at a walk-up cafe, and order slices of chocolate-dipped Key lime pie on a stick. We feel a bit naughty eating sweets at this hour but decide that in this town late-night splurges are a must. In fact, we think Key West would be disappointed if we didn't.

For More Information
Contact the Key West Chamber of Commerce at 1-800-527-8539, or visit www.fla-keys.com/keywest.

Outside of Key West

If you drive to Key West from Miami or decide to venture outside this quirky town, here are five highlights you won't want to miss.

 1. National Key Deer Refuge.
You'll think they're newborns, but they're actually the diminutive species of deer known as Key deer. They feed at dawn and dusk in this area of largely undeveloped pinelands. Head north on Key Deer Boulevard in Big Pine at Mile Marker (MM) 30.5 for the best viewing. Visit http://nationalkeydeer.fws.gov.

 2. Dry Tortugas National Park.
A two-and-half hour ride aboard a catamaran will take you 70 miles west to Dry Tortugas National Park and Fort Jefferson. For more details visit www.nps.gov/drto.

 3. John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park.
If you enjoy snorkeling, you'll want to visit this diverse park in Key Largo (MM 102.5). Best known for its offshore reef, the park also offers a great place to lounge on the beach and partake in water activities such as kayaking. Call (305) 451-1202.

 4. Do a Flip.
Stop at the Dolphin Research Center in Grassy Key (MM 59). This is where the finned film star Flipper, whose real name was Mitzi, is buried. For information visit www.dolphins.org.

 5. Great Sands.
Visit Bahia Honda State Park and Recreation Area at MM 37 to play on the Keys' finest beach. The park is open 8 a.m. until sundown year-round. Visit www.bahiahondapark.com. "Your Place in the Sun" is from the January 2005 issue of Southern Living. Because prices, dates, and other specifics are subject to change, please check all information to make sure it's still current before making your travel plans.