Lately I’ve been reminiscing about my childhood years growing up in the foothills of northwestern Connecticut — and particularly about our family summer vacations. One of our favorite yearly outings was a road trip to Misquamicut State Beach in Rhode Island.
The beach at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park is known as Fort Liz Taylor Beach within the LGBT community. (Photo by Rob O’Neal, Florida Keys News Bureau)
My parents, three siblings and I packed up the family station wagon (and I mean packed!) with luggage, camping supplies and a big container of Tang to keep the kids hydrated. The car ride seemed to last an eternity — but once we arrived, it was forgotten as we decompressed and settled in at our favorite campground.
As a Key West resident, I now have several beaches that are only a quick walk or bike ride away from my house, and I get to forego the tedious car rides of childhood past.
Key West is home to five public beaches including the locals’ favorite at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park. FYI, it has been affectionately nicknamed Fort Liz Taylor Beach by our LGBT community. Taylor stayed in Key West frequently during her years with Richard Burton — whose mentor and adoptive father, Shakespearean scholar and playwright Philip Burton, numbered among the island’s famous residents.
Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park is spread out over 54 acres. Its marvelous beach is a great place to swim and snorkel in the crystal clear waters. The park provides everything you might need for a perfect day at the beach: picnic tables, grills, nature trails and even some shade for non-sun-worshipping visitors, thanks to the site’s majestic Australian pines.
The beaches at Bahia Honda State Park, repeatedly ranked among the best in the U.S., can be seen clearly in this aerial view. (Photo by Andy Newman, Florida Keys News Bureau)
FYI, while Key West doesn’t have any specific “gay beaches” per se, it’s almost inevitable that, wherever you choose to swim and sun, you’ll encounter warm and welcoming smiles from members of our “One Human Family.”
Another Florida Keys state park, Bahia Honda, is known for its beautiful beaches and is also a popular snorkeling destination for visitors and locals. In fact, the park’s beaches have been listed among the best in the U.S. by several travel surveys. And in 2014 TripAdvisor, acclaimed as the world’s largest travel website, named them among the country’s top 25.
The 524-acre state park is located in the Lower Keys is between mile markers 36 and 37 on Bahia Honda Key. The 37-mile journey from Key West usually takes only about 45 minutes, and it makes for a gorgeous half- or full-day trip for visitors to the southernmost city.
One of my all-time favorite excursions in the Florida Keys is to Dry Tortugas National Park, which has some of the prettiest beaches I’ve ever seen. The park spans 100 square miles in the Gulf of Mexico and consists of seven mini coral-and-sand islands lying 68 miles west of Key West. And there’s seriously great snorkeling among the park’s awe-inspiring, vibrant corals and seagrass.
Visitors to Dry Tortugas National Park can snorkel clear azure waters off the pristine beach. (Photo by Rob O’Neal, Florida Keys News Bureau)
One of America’s most remote national parks, the pristine Dry Tortugas is only accessible to the public by boat or a seaplane. Both methods of getting there offer breathtaking scenery.
If you have limited time in the Keys, the seaplane (which departs from Key West International Airport) is a good choice. The flying time is approximately 40 minutes each way. The high-speed catamaran ferry takes about 2.25 hours each way and passengers travel past the Marquesa Islands and Boca Grande, with the chance to spot turtles and sea life.
Dry Tortugas National Park’s historically rich centerpiece is the massive Fort Jefferson, which was used as a Union military prison for captured deserters during the Civil War. A complimentary guided tour is available to visitors.
With the wide variety of unique beaches that span the Florida Keys, you’ll be sure to find a favorite that beckons you back again and again.
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