Key West & Bahamas

Key West, (wèst) city (1990 pop. 24,832), seat of Monroe co., S Fla., on an island at the SW end of the Florida Keys, c.150 mi (240 km) from Miami, 90 mi (145 km) from Cuba. It is the southernmost city of the continental U.S., a resort and artists’ colony and fishing center. Winslow Homer painted there; Ernest Hemingway, whose home is a museum,
wrote there.

“Arg!” as they used to say in pirate days, Nassau, Bahamas is one nice place. And one whose naturally protected harbor made it a center of activity, with privateers continually attacking gold-laden Spanish galleons.

Today, millions of tourists come for the climate–not just the weather, but the friendliness and charm that make the Bahamas special. And speaking of specials, there are few places that promise better bargain hunting–particularly if you’re in the market for something handcrafted from straw.