Trees in Key West

Key West is a small, flat island so trees are sparse here. Palms are often cut down for building so even large palm trees are special. These beauties are along Higgs Beach, one of the most popular Key West beaches.

Beach Walking

Key West has skinny, fragile beaches, so we're not known for them. Also, we don't have much in the way of waves, so there's another whole aspect of the beach vacation that's lacking. But we do live on a sub-tropical island, and it's nice to know there are some beaches you can stroll and explore. Higgs Beach is fun because you can start at the eastern end (the end in the picture) and continue in front of West Martello Tower, ending up at the White Street Pier.

Florida Keys Beach, Wild Style

Key West is great, but let's face it there is a lack of wild places to explore on land. The ocean is a whole world of exploration, the Silent World, full of mystery and strange creatures. What to do if it's blowing 30 knots and you are stuck on land?

Drive out to Geiger Key, just east of Key West, to satisfy the explorer in you. It's a strip of beach adjacent to fenced-off military land, wide enough to traverse and explore. It faces the Atlantic and the beach is narrow with rocks behind it. As Key West beaches go, this is my favorite because it's so untouched and wild.

Walk far enough down the beach, westward, and you'll hit the most incredible little beach hut. It's got a stone foundation and the walls are made of woven driftwood. There are rooms, stairs, a ladder to the roof, hallways, and secret little dens that could also be altars, depending on your point of view.

The beach hut is made to the scale of hobbits, and the little kids we saw there were delighted when they saw it. What a great place for a kids' birthday party. Check out the pictures:

Great Walks in Key West

For us, Key West is all about the water and the coral reef. But when we can't get out on the water in our boat because it's too windy or we have other obligations, we have spots around the island we can visit and it's the next best thing. One of these is to drive to South Roosevelt Blvd and park near Higgs Beach. Drive past White Street and continue on to where the "Bum Pagodas" are found on Higgs Beach. There's a walkway out onto the water, made of metal. It's just before Casa Marina. It's fun to walk out on it and look out to sea or back onto the island, since it gets you out over the water and you can check the vis or at least feel the wind in your hair.