Ten things to see in the Florida Keys

By Stephanie Holz, Staff Writer

1. Henry Flagler Railroad – Built by Henry Flagler to bridge the Florida Keys with the main peninsula. Also known as the Overseas Railroad, construction came to an end in 1912 with tracks spanning all the way from Jacksonville to Key West. On Sept. 13, 1890, James L. McDermott Jr. arrived at Saint Leo College by train from Key West.  

2. Southernmost Point – Visited by over one million people every year, the large buoy was erected in 1983 by the City of Key West. It is approximately 90 miles from Cuba. Strangely, despite the name, Ballast Key is the real southernmost point in the contiguous U.S.  

3. Key Deer- A subspecies of the white tailed deer, the Key Deer is the smallest deer in North America and only lives in the Florida Keys. The National Key Deer refuge spans 84,351 acres across 25 islands and provides a protected region for the key deer to live. There are only 600 to 750 key deer left in the wild. Visitors to the area can see deer at dawn or dusk on the far end of Watson Blvd. in No Name Key. 

4. Key Chickens – Ancestors of once domesticated foul, the feral birds are sometimes called gypsy chickens due to their tendency to waddle in and out of traffic and outdoor restaurants all over town.  With over 1500 Key Chickens running around, they have become a bit of a nuisance to locals as they crow at all hours of the day. Chickens can be trapped and shipped to organic farms in Central Florida by locals once a month to help resolve the ongoing issue.  

5. Fort Jefferson –  The largest brick structure in the Americas with over 16 million bricks, Fort Jefferson is located on Garden Key, about 70 miles West of Key West, in the Dry Tortugas. Built in 1847, the fort was used during the Civil War to house soldiers and their families as well as keep prisoners including Dr. Samuel Mudd, who was involved in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, behind bars. In 1888, the fort was converted to a marine hospital quarantine station for those afflicted with yellow fever. On Jan. 4, 1935 President Franklin D Roosevelt visited the fort and declared it a national monument. Visitors can take a ferry out to the fort and snorkel in the surrounding waters, fish, camp overnight, or go on a guided tour of the key.  

6. Fort Zachary Taylor – Completed in 1866, the fort was named after President Zachary Taylor and used heavily during both the Civil War and the Spanish-American War. It was placed on the national register of historic places in 1971 and was designated to be a historic landmark in 1973. Today visitors can tour the fort, enjoy scheduled civil war reenactments, participate in Halloween activities in late October each year, or even get married.   

7. Earnest Hemingway’s House – Right in the heart of Key West, the famous author lived there from 1928 through the 1950’s where most of his life work was accomplished. He was married 4 times and owned several six toed cats. Some of Hemingway’s most famous works include A Farewell to Arms and the Old Man and the Sea. Today, visitors can tour the house and play with the 40-50 six-toed cats on the grounds. Some of the cats are descendants of the original six-toed cat “Snow White” which was a gift to Hemingway from a ship’s captain. Weddings are also available for those interested.  

8. Key West Lighthouse – Standing at 73 feet tall, the lighthouse opened in 1848 and was maintained by a female keeper (which was unusual for the time) in order to help ships navigate the dangerous coral reefs of the surrounding waters. The Coast Guard decommissioned the light house in 1969 and it has since been converted into a museum where guests can climb the 88 steps to the top, learn about its history in the keeper’s house, or purchase a souvenir from the gift shop.  

9. Blue Hole – Encompassed by the National Key Deer Refuge, the Blue hole is an abandoned limestone quarry. Much of the rock harvested from the area was utilized to build roads on Big Pine Key. A plethora of creatures call the small spot home including but not limited to, alligators, birds, and turtles. Rainwater and saltwater which has passed through the limestone feed the water supply to keep the blue hole full of water. 

10. Mile Marker Zero Sign – The most southern stretch or Route 1, which spans 2,390 miles up the eastern U.S. to Fort Kent, Maine.  Visited by hundreds of people every day for the perfect photo and evidence of arrival on the island where they can leave their worries back on the mainland.