The Florida Keys

Florida Keys Experiences

Henry Flagler, a railroad developer and magnate, is perhaps less well-known, but he was immeasurably more instrumental to the future of the Keys. Flagler built the first railroad to Key West in the early 1900s, opening up the Keys to development and fun things to do. The railroad was destroyed by a hurricane in 1935, but the remaining infrastructure was used to construct the Overseas Highway, which allows easy access to the islands.

Today the Florida Keys—including Big Pine Key, Dry Tortugas National Park, Islamorada, Key Largo, Key West, Marathon, and Sugarloaf Key—are the epitome of easy living. You'll find plenty of places to go and things to do: art and history museums, national parks, miniature deer, Florida kitsch, kayaks and catamarans, year-round fishing tournaments, festivals, open-air pubs and food places featuring fish caught the same day.

There are so many things to see in the Keys, it's no wonder the locals—artists, writers, parrotheads, expatriates—exhibit such an obvious zest for life. Perhaps it's all that Key lime pie.