Interlude in Islamorada

When you drive down U.S. 1 heading toward Key West, you know you've arrived when you come to a city: a downtown with stoplights, shops, and homes. That may seem like an obvious statement, but when you motor by the other 1700 islands, or keys (most of them are tiny and uninhabited), you feel rather betwixt and between. The landscape is a tad monotonous: a small strip of land surrounded by shimmering blue water, or patches of development with 1950s-style buildings and soaring palms. I was feeling neither here nor there, more in a twilight zone of locations known simply by their numbered mile markers.

It was in just such a spot that Jay and I stopped to take some sunset photos at a bridge on our return after two fun days and nights in Key West. So it happened that we approached Islamorada near dark, when the sun's warm afterglow had disappeared into the waves. The original name, Isles Moradas, pronounced- eye-la-mor-ah-da, translates to purple isles. Pick the name derivation, as no one knows if it's from the purple-shelled snail or the colors of the orchids and bougainvillea. I found the place enigmatic, full of mystery and intrigue.

From lobster Benedict with the free-range roosters to an afternoon among the butterflies, a day in quirky Key West

Old Town Key West bustles with tourists, many of them aging hippies, artsy New Age folk, or cruise-line patrons spending the day in port. They stroll the streets browsing for bargain tees, conch shells, pirate flags, and margaritas. Here in the Conch Republic, cats grow six toes, shrimp are pink, lobsters have no claws, and roosters understand the meaning of free range. Blenders whirl drinks infused with lemon-colored limes, and the strains of Jimmy Buffett float from open-air bars and saloons. Restaurants are so numerous, the choice becomes difficult: Caribbean, Cuban, Italian, or Asian, an Irish pub or the catch of the day at a seafood emporium. Walking and cycling are the most popular modes of "transport," but you see plenty of small electric rental cars and pedicabs, too. Museums small and large are everywhere, many of them well worth your while. My husband Jay and I started our day with a decadent breakfast of bacon, lobster, and tomato Benedict at the Blue Heaven Restaurant, an unpretentious Key West favorite that, like many outdoor venues here, has roosters mingling with the regular patrons.

Our writer casts her winter coat aside and heeds the call of the Conch Republic

January 2010 turned unseasonably cold, even in my corner of northeast Florida. The winter chill in Jacksonville felt like Buffalo, forcing Floridians to dream of warmth. Yes, the Keys were calling: sunsets and sand, flip-flops and shorts, Key Lime pie. "Come, drive down the Road to Paradise," I heard the islands call.

The Florida Keys Overseas Highway, from north of Key Largo to Key West, was recently crowned with the title All-American Road, the only road in Florida so honored. And that's the highest recognition possible under the National Scenic Byways program established by Congress. Only 30 other roadways in the nation have earned the prestigious designation.

The Overseas Highway follows a trail originally blazed in 1912. Standard Oil millionaire Henry Flagler completed the immense logistical task--more nightmare, really--of extending his Florida East Coast Railroad the 150 miles from Miami to Key West. Just imagine Gibson Girl-esque young women in their swan-bill corsets and pompadours boarding the train in New York and--a mere 30 hours later--stepping out at the southernmost point in the United States. What a boom for Florida.

Then, in 1935, catastrophe struck this paradise. A hurricane collapsed the rail line, and the economic conditions of the Depression left the destruction lying in disarray. The Keys were accessible only by water.

From beautiful exploration-themed ornaments to the best luggage around, last-minute Christmas shopping suggestions from inveterate traveler Debi Lander

• Worldly Globe Ornaments--This pair of handmade ornaments sold by TravelSmith for $24 (and currently marked down to $19!) feature the intricately rendered sixteenth-century maps of Gerardus Mercator, the first person to convert two-dimensional maps to three-dimensional globes. Heirloom quality with brass finials and rings, the ornaments hang from satin ribbons and come ready to give in a beautiful gift box, with historical information on the maps and Gerardus Mercator enclosed.
• Portable Multiple-Device Power Adapter--Tired of tangled cords and multiple chargers taking up precious space in your luggage or briefcase? Kensington offers a $25 portable outlet for charging multiple devices simultaneously. The slim unit plugs into a single outlet and connects five devices with its three AC and two USB sockets. Its grounded cord wraps around the unit to create a thin, lightweight easy-to-store package.