Key West Southern Most Point

[MoranClan]

Hello..

How far is the wallk to the Southern Most Point..

Im not really into the whole shopping or museum thing at Kew West...Just want to take a family photo at the Southern Most point and go back to the ship..

It will be DW, DD(10) DD(9) DS(5) and Myself..

Is it doable from the ship, or should I grab a Taxi or Bus..

I figure we walk all over Disney World..How bad could this be..

Thanks

Bobby

 

[Tinkmom]

This past May, we were dropped off near the Southernmost point and walked back after getting our picture. It was "doable" but very, very hot. If you are both walking there and back, I would plan on carrying a water bottle or buying a cold drink before you hit the residential area. You could walk halfway, stop in a few stores and cool off, then go there and back to a few stores on the way back to take advantage of air conditioning.

Hard to estimate, but it is probably a little more than a mile walk each way, but in the extreme heat it is a bit of a hike. In cooler weather it would be no biggie, but it is a bit rougher if both the temp and humidity are 90 and above!

 

[WDWLVR]

You might want to consider what we did last May. We bought tickets online for the Trolley. Took that to stop #8 which is right by the Southernmost Point (about a block away). Then walked back to the ship hitting the butterfly conservatory, Hemingway's House and Duval street.

It was nice to take a tour of the island on the Trolley and then only have to walk one way.

 

[kshabare]

We didn't enjoy Key West too much. It's really because we didn't plan very well. We walked... and walked... and walked to get to the Southernmost point. We pooped out and didn't make it. Feb. 2005 we plan on renting the electric cars. If we don't I like the ideas posted earlier of taking the trolley and walking back. My son was easily bored on the walk and it made the group (especially me, Mom) extremely tempermental due to heat and a bored 9 year old.

Definately get to Mallory Square at dusk - it was really fun to watch the vendors.

Kim

 

[snelsonbrown]

Key West is a 2 X 4 island - so it is 2 miles to the Southermost point from Mallory Square to there - If you will walk down Whitehead Street, you will find decent places to stop, rest and catch your breath - yep it is very warm in Key West and yes it can be very hard on you if you aren't use to walking especially for young children - Whitehead Street has the most interesting history - it was the pirates real playground in the 1800's - even tho Key West is known as Caya Hueso (Streets of bones), it was Whitehead Street that really brought that name since this is where the pirates came off the ships and ready for fighting - whereever a body fell, it stayed there - too during the early 20's - there was a lynching on the corner of Whitehead and Angela Street - the first and only there in Key West - Ernest Hemingway lived on Whitehead Street - as I said it does have history -
Being born on Whitehead I remember when there were no cars and the streets were used as a playground -
I have Key West information for anyone that wants it - it will help while you are in Key West.
Hope all have a nice weekend.
Always
Shirley

 

[TheWog]

rent an electric car. sounds like fun and make it a little easier.

 

[Rock'n Robin]

DH looked through all the cool information Shirley sent and was underwhelmed, although I wanted to try a few things . I at least have him agreeing to go to the Hard Rock and Margaritaville! I do want to go to southernmost point and Hemingway House; I have 10 days to convince him!
Robin M.

 

[Doctor P]

An even cheaper option is to take the Bone Island Shuttle (it is an airconditioned minibus) which is only $7-8 for the day for unlimited rides and will get you to most of the sites (including the vicinity of the southernmost point) without paying $20 per person and WITH airconditioning (neither the trolley nor the conch train are air conditioned).

 

[Tiiiigergirl]

I must concur on the looooooong walk with a bored 11-year-old. I walk with a cane and could not make it. We ended up buying trolley tickets in self-preservation just give our son a ride back to the ship. Frankly we were tempted to drop him off in the ocean . I'm kidding (sort of!). When my DH and I finally made it back to the trolley it was too late to do anything but ride it around with only one stop. We didn't choose the southern most point as our stopping point. One thing I noticed was the long line of people waiting to get their picture taken. On the other hand I was impressed with how patient and civilized everyone seemed to be.

 

[snelsonbrown]

A tidbit about the southermost point in Key West - there was a family led by Mr. Albert that has sold souviers there at the point since I was a little girl - in fact Mr. Albert played the wedding march on the conch shell when Norm and I were married there 2 years ago - Mr. Albert has now passed away but his family has kept the tradition going - so if you happen to see them while you are there - just mentioned Norman, the letter carrier, and they will give you all the information you would like to know about old Key West - once upon a time, the southermost point was as interesting as an old shoe - noone was interested or really cared or even thought it was interesting enough to be around it for long - when I was a little girl, we would go down there and watch the ships leave toward Cuba - also it was the favorite "beach" for the kids from Bahama village - they would dive for conchs and sell them right there from the water ledge - so next time you do go to the Southermost point - you will know a little more about it.
Always
Shirley and Norm

 

[Hygiene99]

we did the walk .... there were shops and stuff along the way did not even know it was 2 miles , we stopped at a Coffee shop on the way back to get something cold to drink .....

 

[erikthewise]

I really don't think it's anywhere near 2 miles from North to South. A couple years ago I stayed at a resort on the south shore directly south of Mallory square, and it took me no more than 20 minutes to walk that distance. I'm a fast walker but even still I'm pretty sure it's less than 1.5 miles.

If you go a block or two west of the "main drag" (forget the name) with all the stores on it, e.g. past the Hemingway House, you'll get a lot more shade along the way and have a more pleasant walk.

 

[Lynda Silk]

Just wanted to say that I was in Key West in April and did the trolley tour (the one that doesn't stop). And I was pleasantly surprised at how beautiful Key West is and how much I enjoyed the tour! The houses are so pretty, especially their colours, and there is so much history there! And their trees, plants and flowers are gorgeous! Our tour lasted an hour and I wasn't expecting much, but it turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip! And it probably would have been even better if we were able to get off and explore a bit on our own. So taking the trolley (the one that stops) is probably a great idea! And with all the info from Shirley, that will only enhance your time there!

 

[snelsonbrown]

this is Shirley and yep an ol' conch from Key West, Caya Hueso (Streets of Bones) and a 4 generation conch - now I know it is hard to believe but yes it is exalty 2 miles from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean - the streets are really short - it is 13 blocks from Mallory Square to the Sothermost point - now the streets are "Key West" blocks - walked it enough in my lifetime of 69 years so take my word for it - oops Norm just stepped in - he says yep it is 2 X 4 island - he said for me to mentioned he was a postman there for 40 years - ericthewise - you are just a fast walker - you would have fitted in very good with the latins who all lived around Whitehead Street - once their feet hit the ground - they were g-o-n-e ---anyhow anyone interested in Key West information, just drop me a note at snelsonbrown@aol.com
another tidbit about Key West.
Always
Shirley and Norm

 

[Jeanny]

We did the trolley tour... the one you can get on & off of... (the train doesn't stop), got off at the closest stop to the Southern most point and just walked down a couple of blocks... we stood in line to have our picture taken and walked back to the trolley stop, took about 1/2 hour, and the next trolley was just coming around the corner=== excellent timing!!