Key West

Some cities are defined by their geography more than others. Pirates, the Civil War, and Ernest Hemingway. I did the basic Duval Street, Mallory Square, and Southernmost Point tourist stuff that you can do in a couple hours. I decided not to wait around for the sunset, but tried a local beer and a conch fritter. At the time, I thought I was showing restraint by not getting Key Lime Pie, but in hindsight, I shouldn't have squandered a unique opportunity.

I remember the Southernmost Point from our family's February 1971 trip, along with the official southern end of Route 1 (important for a family from Maine), and I've always viewed it as a Yankee wanting to check out the extremities of the country (like Eastport or Cape Alava). On Friday, it wasn't northerners lining up for family pictures, however, but Cuban Americans joking about the next ferry to Cuba. Being the southernmost point, it is also the closest point to Havana, and held some real significance (beyond my geographic trivia) for many of them.