Not that it needs one, but Key West has plenty of reasons to celebrate. Sunsets, for one. Late in the afternoon, visitors and locals flock to Mallory Square to be entertained by jugglers, mimes, animal trainers and musicians while applauding the sun as it sinks into the Gulf of Mexico.
Around Halloween time, the costume party is raised to high art in Key West’s very own Fantasy Fest, when lavish floats and outrageously dressed (or undressed) revelers parade down the streets until the wee hours of the morning.
Most visitors don’t resist the urge to stop at one of Duval Street’s famous bars. Key West was a favorite watering hole of Ernest “Papa” Hemingway, one of the greatest writers of the 20th century. The island honors its Papa each July with Hemingway Days. Literary tours, theatrical events and a fishing tournament pay tribute to Hemingway, as does the Running of the Bulls, a simulation of the event in Pamplona, Spain, which Hemingway helped make famous. The centerpiece of the week is the Ernest Hemingway Look-Alike Contest.
Fun and games are not limited to dry land. The waters surrounding Key West teem with world-class game fish pursued by anglers in fierce tournaments throughout the year.
This post was created for Away We Go with Carnival, the destination for getting in the getaway state of mind.
