It's a wanderful life, so it is

We had considered hiring a car for our trip to Key West but we heard the journey down the Overseas Highway is spectacular and well worth taking in the views rather than keeping our eyes on the road.

So we booked the front seats on a Greyhound bus for 113 miles across 44 islands linked by 42 bridges and savored the beautiful coastal views on the way to the southernmost point of the continental US – all while someone else did the driving.  

Another good reason for taking the bus is that driving a car around Key West is like navigating Venice by dog sled: it may get you noticed but it’s not very practical. Key West is small, about the size of Central Park, so people walk or cycle everywhere and a combination of its remoteness from the rest of the States and a diverse population give it a quirky and liberal quality. The city motto is “One Human Family” and it does feel very friendly here. 

Naturally, this makes it attractive to outsiders and Key West is also a place where other Americans go to get some sun and to lose their few remaining inhibitions. (And an uninhibited American is truly something to behold!) It’s Spring Break for older people.

The laissez faire attitude extends to clothing optional bars on the island. Possibly this is appealing for those with youthful bodies but we’re strictly clothing compulsory so as not to put people off their drinks.

I’ve no doubt that Key West is gorgeous any time of the year but they really go overboard at Christmas. Like a flag shop during a Belfast summer, the giant novelty item stores in Florida must make an absolute fortune. There seems to be no limit to the imagination when it comes to festive objects that can be supersized and inflated. All of which makes for a feast for the eyes for nosy people like ourselves, as we walk through this winter wonderland in our shorts and t-shirts!

One other unique local feature is the rooster community. The story goes that, when cockfighting was outlawed in the 1970s, many of the reprieved roosters were released into the city streets. They now roam freely, stopping the traffic and crowing their little heads off at anytime of day (or night) that suits them. It was a bit of a shock at 4am on our first morning but there’s no point in complaining. It’s their town now; we just happen to be visiting.

We absolutely loved Key West. There’s a charm and easiness about it where you can’t help but just relax and enjoy the place.

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Yes, we’re up in South Beach, Miami and, after the innocence of Key West, it feels like watching the extended director’s cut of Scarface after singing along to an amateur Bugsy Malone matinee.

South Beach contains the largest collection of art deco buildings in the world, which gives it a timeless, movie set quality. Add in the beach, the boardwalk, classy shops, bars and restaurants, I can understand the appeal especially if you have money. We were right in the middle of it and, although we stayed only one night, that was enough to get a flavour. During the day, at least. We went out at 10pm and could tell things don’t get going until after midnight but there’s no way we’re staying up that late! 😆

We’re back in the UK for a few weeks for some quality family time, but return to our travels mid-January. It’s Malaysia and Vietnam next, and we’ll be back with our thoughts on Malacca soon.