subject: Exploring Key West [print this page] Spanning across 129 miles is the island of Key West. It is an island off the coast of Florida and on it is the southernmost point of the continental United States. This is actually marked off with a concrete buoy marker because the sign that used to be there was stolen.
This was a more permanent way of marking the point. This is a tourist attraction that can be seen, though it is not in actuality the southernmost point of the United States. The true location of this point is on a naval base, though, so the marker stands in for the southern point for civilians.
It is not a hard trip to get to Key West and does not take that long to do it. You can easily drive from Miami to Key West with no hassle. You cross around 42 bridges that connect the islands of the Keys and drive through the majority of the islands to get to your intended destination.
This is a great island to visit, too, with the average temperature being at about 75 degrees throughout the year. It is also an island vacationing spot that you do not have to spend thousands of dollars to get to in the middle of the ocean.
The drive from Miami to Key West is not incredibly long and you have the opportunity to visit many beaches, attractions, and sites along the way. There is a lot to do in this water focused location. They have glass bottom boat rides, snorkeling, and scuba diving to see coral reefs both natural and manmade. The also have naval and air bases, historic sites, and homes of famous authors and even past presidents of the United States.
There is a lot of history that comes with the island and this can be accessed through tours of the city, the sunset celebration, ghost tours, and museums that are located on the island. The museums focus on the sea and those that founded the island, but contain a lot of information and valuables attained from sunken ships dug up from the deeps.
Though some ships were sunk to become fake coral reefs, others sunk under their own mysterious circumstances and their valuables took decades to uncover. They were placed in museums shortly after that and one of the museums was even named after one of the explorers that dug up the remnants of the sea. Mel Fisher led expeditions into the sea and his museum is full of treasure and cultures to be explored.
Going from Miami to Key West offers a great experience over land and sea. There is much to be discovered about the island and about yourself as you make this journey south. Enjoy the warm breeze, celebrations, and activities that are offered in the southern islands and see the beauty of every island crossed.
