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When you're looking for a destination that's a world away, but doesn't require a passport, I highly recommend Key West, Florida! With its rich history and old world influence, it offers travelers a great and unique Caribbean experience. The stunning flowering foliage and sparkling turquoise Gulf waters offer a refuge for travelers.

The first time I stayed in Key West, I was thrilled to find the Banyan Resort (One and two bedroom condos with kitchenettes) and its "Treetop Suite", but there are numerous other choices available at www.KeyWestsBest.com from luxurious resorts to quaint, charming inns including the Westin, Sheraton, Pier House, Conch House and the high end Sunset Key Cottages! Because the island is small, visitors will never be far from the action.

During my visit, some of the treasured memories I made were attending the yearly Food Festival with its food tasting and restaurant specials, the Mallory Square Sunset Celebration, the Lighthouse Tour, Ernest Hemingway's Home and Museum and the shipwrecked treasures in the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum where you can actually touch a bar of gold retrieved from a shipwreck. One night I even witnessed a happy couple get engaged on the beach as the sun was setting over the fiery, endless ship-lined horizon - this was romance!

Duval Street, which caters to all tastes and sensibilities is the hot spot for drinking, dining, and observing culture with its charming eateries, eclectic shopping, art galleries, and non-stop nightlife in places like Sloppy Joe's, Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville, and Hard Rock Café and Hog's Breath Tavern (just off Duval).

Saving the best for last, my number one recommendation is a sunset sail. The 125 foot Liberty Clipper was our choice. It is one of the few ships with a sunset dinner cruise, three nights a week from December - May. What a great way to combine a great sunset trip with a memorable meal of Caribbean style barbecue and trimmings.

Have a wonderful trip and until next time, Happy Travels!

© 2006, Jessica McDonnell for GoldenTravelGuides, a national network of 160+ Internet-based guides to the "Best of" cities like New York City, The Adirondacks, The Caribbean, Cleveland, Naples FL, Hershey, Niagara Falls, San Diego, the Poconos and Punta Cana. They arrange group, leisure, and business travel at 40,000 hotels worldwide. 877.465.3368 / www.GoldenTravelGuides.com.