On the southernmost tip of Florida lies a string of islands that extend out into the beautiful blue Gulf of Mexico, called the Florida Keys. These islands are a favorite of both Americans and international travelers alike, and are sometimes dubbed “America's Caribbean". Since they lie where the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean meet, you will find the waters that surround the islands to be warm, wonderful, and beautiful year round.
Since the two bodies of water meet here around the keys, you can find some of the best deep sea fishing that the world has to offer and there are many different tour guides who are always willing to take you on a cruise around some of the best fishing spots. These warm tropical waters also make the Florida Keys a great place to do some diving. There are plenty of coral reefs to enjoy, marine life to watch, and even a few old shipwrecks to explore! You can always find a dive shop to help you get prepared for diving or snorkeling the keys as well as lessons for the beginners.
Each island that makes up the Florida Keys is unique, but beautiful in the same ways. Key Largo is the very first island in the chain that makes up the keys, and Key West is the southernmost island that completes the keys. Some of the other islands that just cannot be missed while you visit are Long Key, Marathon, Big Pine Key, and Islamorada. Each island has its own special flair and hospitality to offer, but Key West is by far one of the most popular islands in the Florida Keys.
When you stay on Key West, there are many hotels and resorts to enjoy, but one of the best is the Center Court Historic Inn and Cottages. This old fashioned Inn will make you feel like you are back in the days when the Inn first opened and life was simpler. Each room and cottage is spacious and luxurious, with many different settings to choose from. You can pick your room's setting, which include: cottages, condos, villas, historic homes, historic rooms at the Inn, and even a guest house. So, no matter what you prefer, you will find it here. Each room at the Center Court Historic Inn offers a Jacuzzi in each bath, so you will always be able to find a place to lay back and relax. This Inn specializes in weddings and honeymoons, so you are sure to be pampered like royalty when you book your wedding or honeymoon here.
Each of the different suites that the Inn offers is set among a different fun setting. One suite is only about a half a block away from the famous Duval Street and you can stroll out on the town to one of the most famous streets this side of Bourbon Street in New Orleans! Another suite is set among some of the most beautiful tropical gardens on the island, where you can listen to the birds and smell the flowers. This suite even has it's own aviary for guests to enjoy.
No matter which room, suite, house, or villa you choose when you stay at the Center Court Historic Inn and Cottages, you are sure to find exactly what you long for to make your vacation experience truly relaxing and wonderful. So, the next time that you visit the Florida Keys, be sure to book your rooms here, and enjoy some of the most unique settings that you could possibly ask for!
Ponce de Leon's found the Florida Keys while on an expedition in 1513. On this trip the Spanish did not find any gold, nor was there any fresh water, but what they did find was a large amount of bugs. They mapped and named the Keys primarily as an aid to their ships. They used the Florida Straights to get from the New World back the Old.
The first settlement was at Key West but it wasn't until 1882. This was more than two decades before Florida became an official state. All the other Keys stayed unsettled until around 1874. It was during this year that the government surveyed them and then plotted land for homes and businesses. Although at this time the homes were still primal. The materials used to build these houses were taken from the local beaches and most of the wood was from shipwrecks that have washed up on shore.
The biggest settlers of the Florida Keys were the mosquitoes. The mosquito has been called the king of the Keys. Over the years the residents of the Keys tried many things to get rid of the mosquitoes. The most common thing used to kill these pests were bags filled with woodchips that had been soaked in engine oil and then hung over the water holes during the night in an attempt to kill the mosquito larvae.
In 1912 Henry Flagler built a railroad through the Florida Keys to Key West. This helped to greatly increase the human settlement of the Florida Keys. The railroad was destroyed however in 1935 due to a hurricane. In 1938 the longest over-water road in the world was built. This includes 42 bridges. This opened up the Florida Keys to the growing tourist trade.
Today in the Florida Keys, there are roughly about 40,000 residents and thousands and thousands of visitors that come to fish and swim and sail. Tourists love to come to the Keys to dive in the crystal waters off the tropical reef. Other tourists come to relax in the sun.
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