The Key to The Keys

The article on the NY Times website was made by Charles Passy.

Basically there is an awesome place to go right under our noses. The Florida Keys! This place is a playground for all sorts of entertainment. It provides a place of relaxation for people and has lots of adult recreations but recently, there has been a noticeable change in the amount of children that have been visiting in The Keys as well over the past five years. I might be considered a testament to that.

Last year and the year before (senior and junior year), I was part of a marine science class in High School that participated in a field study down on Pigeon Key. We didn't go there to vacation, like the article is suggesting we do, but we went there to learn about the different habitats and ecosystems that compose the Florida Keys that seem to help make it an attraction to the world around. Tons of fish including Marlin, Cobia, Dolphin, Grouper, and Tarpon attract fisherman from everywhere you can think of. The reefs provide an amazing spectacle of life and diversity that never cease to amaze the common visitor. The Keys provides a great demonstration of survival and evolution amoung the many creatures and life forms that inhabit the area. You really get a clear sense of balance and harmony when you dive on the reefs.

There is a party side as well to the Keys that gives them their reputation of being a "Carribean-style playground for grown-ups, replete with bars that stay open till all hours...famous for the bar-hopping tour known as the “Duval Crawl" down Duval street in Key West. Key West is the Southern-most tip of the United States and has a been the home to many famous people, including Ernest Hemmingway, who loved all the things the Keys had to offer. I can relate to the sense of feeling like I was in New Orleans while is was in Key West. The streets are lined with tourest shops, bars, and restaurants with high prices, much like the French Quarter. There is always two sides to the coin though, and I really love the fact that its part of Florida! I encourage you to experience it for yourself and find your own little piece of Margarittaville. Whether it be in the water or in the bars, Key West can certainly feel like paradise.

The Article: http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/01/11/travel/11family.html?ref=travel