Last time Strolling down Duval Street - #2

Bahama Village is an enclave of new and spruced-up shops, restaurants, and vendors leading the way in the restoration of the historic district where black Bahamians settled in the 19th century. The village lies roughly between Whitehead and Fort streets and Angela and Catherine streets. Hemingway frequented the bars, restaurants, and boxing rings in the village.

Men in Key West have their own bar too, where man meet man...

The Key West New Year's Eve celebration was shown live on CNN.

No doubt about it...Key West love's to party. And what's a better excuse than New Year's Eve?

There were different gathering spots that offered their own unique version of the time honored tradition of lowering something special as the clock winds away the last seconds of the year.

And CNN's favorite was to see "Sushi", a local drag queen celeb, lowered from a Duval Street balcony, riding a huge high-heeled shoe.

Everything about Cuba, from great Art to fashion with the words Cuba on, you will find it here.

I like this simple and so typical architecture in America of this house front at Duval Street.

Last time Strolling down Duval Street -#1

Typical for Key West are the vibrant colors everywhere you go,
like on this very cute looking Gingerbred House

I love the very special details on this house

All the time is Hammock time in Key West!

Click on the picture and read the red sign and the street sign on the wall!

To say Good bye to something you liked for almost 7 years is not that easy. Someone told me once "Never look back" only forward.
But here I had to do it and it will be probably one of the last
"Look back" photos of Duval Street.

Santa is waiting...

A laid back Key West Santa Claus is waiting at Duval Street.
Where are all your reindeers parked, Santa?

Key West Kaleidoscope

The Strand opened in the mid-1920s and became the home of the Ripley's Believe It Or Not Odditorium in 1993.

The theater was sold in December 2001 and closed in April 2002. It has since become the another branch of the Walgreens pharmacy empire.

Many of the historic elements of the theater will be saved, however, including its facade, marquee, various aspects of the interior, the lobby tile, marble stairs, and wood floors.

This is a great 'train ride' through time.

They'll take you back to the days before civilization when fierce Indians left their enemy's bones to bleach in a tropical wilderness naming the island Bone Key.

Explore a lush, tropical island, and discover the charm and grace of one of America's most unique architectural pleasures.

Get to know characters like John James Audubon, Ernest Hemingway, and Harry S. Truman and, like them, become captivated by the magic that is Key West.

You'll even stop at the ice cream shop for a single scoop cone or a refreshing lemonade to cool you off!

Read more about this here

Duval Street is a famous downtown commercial zoned street in Key West, Florida, running north and south from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean. Duval Street is the location of many famous restaurants and bars, including Sloppy Joe's, The Bull and Whistle, Rick's Cafe and Irish Kevins bar. It is named for William Pope Duval, the first territorial governor of Florida.

At night, Duval is a carnival that lasts until dawn and beyond.

At the north end, tourists from the cruise who dock at the Hilton harbor complex are often seen traversing Duval Street's many shops in the afternoon looking for souvenir trinkets and T-shirts.

At the south end of Duval Street is the Southernmost House, a striking old yellow Victorian architecture mansion bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, South Street and Duval Street.

What is a conch house?

Early settlers of the Bahamas and Florida Keys built their homes of a morter made from sand, water, and lime. The settlers obtained their lime by burning conch shells. Having no building stones or bricks, but an abundance of conch shells the settlers often utilized the shell itself in constructing their houses. Thus the term "conch" house had its beginning. Later, wooden homes built by settlers and ship's carpenters utilizing a blend of architectural names took on the name of conch houses.

Read more about Conch Houses here

Direction signs in the old harbor of Key West are showing you the way to any destinations that you can think about.

All the famous Bars...

If you have not been in Sloppy Joe's, you have not been in Key West

Here you can meet the legendary Captain Tony himself, an ex mayor of Key West, an all around colorful character in every respect.

This is the meeting point of all parrot heads, big fans of the singer
Jimmy Buffet.
Listen please to Jimmy Buffet's song "Margarita-Ville" on my radio player (scroll down on my blog!) and you will know what's all about!

For a good Island food you have to dine out here in the lush garden of "Pepe's".

And after all your strolling up and down Duval and all the other streets, come to the "Green Parrot Bar" and have some beers, hang out with the locals and listen to the great live bands.


And there are still many more other bars in Key West to explore......