A Ride Down Memory Lane On The Conch Train Tour In Key West
Come down from Miami to Key West to undertake a time travel like none that you have
probably taken before! A ride on the Conch Tour Train is a travel down the memory lane, past myriad historic landmarks of Key West, and is your one-of-a-kind tryst with a culture and heritage that has been so lovingly preserved in the old quarters of the place. And en route meet characters and personalities that have not only shaped life and culture in Key West but have also gone on to make a mark in the annals of American history.
Knowing History
The Conch Tour Train itself is a legend of sorts. It is a legacy of the engineering marvel that came to Key West in 1912 and radically changed the way the island livedHenry Flaglers railroad. The Train takes you on a ride to those days of yore when fierce Indian tribes lynched or scalped their enemies and left their bones to scorch and rot amongst the tropical growth and thus prompting another moniker for the island, Bone Key; when the Spanish explorers landed on the shores of the island; and when pirates ruled the seas around here. The Conch Train will take you to and through spots and locations in Key West where snippets of these times are still visible and with knowledgeable conductors recounting tales and anecdotes from the past, you will almost feel that you are seeing history shaping right in front of your eyes.
Lessons from the Past
The tour continues with peeks into the time when the railroad had just made its presence felt and the unique civilization of the place was suddenly opened up to the world as also was paved the way for external influences to reach Key West. The train moves on tracing the history of Key West and tells the story of the meteoric rise of the barons and sponge magnets and the influence they wielded on the socio-cultural evolution of the place. The effects of depression and the Second World War as it were felt in Key West also become evident as you slowly make your way through the olden quarters of the place.
The Tour Continues
The Conch Train Tour will also take you past the residences of some celebrated residents of Key West, such as President Harry S. Truman, novelist Ernest Hemingway, and artist James Audubon and you will be treated to various interesting anecdotes and snippets from their lives.
The Conch Train Tour is the best way to experience the history of Key West and Miami tours indeed remain incomplete without taking this tour.