There are many reasons to travel to Key West since there are plenty of friendly bar choices to go. The oldest bar in Florida sits 155 miles from Miami and 90 miles from Cuba and doesn't particularly care what people from either place think of it. Just so long as they drink from it.  The general theme and focus in Key West is to provide a luxury resort vacation spot for anyone that doesn't want to deal with all the hype of the popular Miami beaches. That's the general idea down here in an island town that doesn't have a problem with drinking, just a problem with stopping. With the luxury accommodations of Key West, there's no better option for a resort vacation than downing a Corona while listening to a man play the flute for tips with his dog, which is lying nearby, wearing sunglasses. 

For many young couples, that's reason enough to travel several hours on the Overseas Highway to reach the end of US-1 and the end of the USA. To some hopefuls, Key West could be considered the beginning, but it feels so much more like the end, since each arrival brings with it a reward, usually served in 12-ounce bottles.  Not to mention that the southernmost city in the US is in Key West.  This is a town and Caribbean vacation with a soundtrack, part Jimmy Buffet and part Bob Dylan, steel drums and weighty stories. If Las Vegas is where people go to be someone else, this is where people go to be themselves in a spa hotel or a private resort.

In some places in Key West, there is a friendly bar, or a number of friendly restaurants. A young couple can sing karaoke at Rick's at 3:30 a.m., a time when, if they are still awake and drinking, everything sounds good. A lot of young couples like to visit The Drunken Parrot Pub and talk to Zoe, a beautifully colorful bird that knows swear words.

Key West is a floating village of art galleries and T-shirt shops with quaint, restored bed and breakfast lodging with charming names. It's all very cozy, but close enough to the resort beach or a friendly bar for a fun night.

There are a lot of historical figures that have frequented the Florida Keys.  Ernest Hemingway finished "A Farewell to Arms" in Key West. Tennessee Williams wrote the first draft of "A Streetcar Named Desire" here as well. David Robinson was born nearby while his father was stationed on Key West. Former NFL star George Mira is a native and so is baseball pitcher Bronson Arroyo. Harry Truman visited often, especially when he was President.  Key West is full of historical figures; it would interest many people to pick up a history travel guide to get a glimpse of the history.

Every lifestyle is embraced in Key West, explaining why Key West has a significantly diverse population.  No place, though, captures the laid-back, casual vibe as well as Capt. Tony's, a friendly bar built around a tree from which 77 criminals were hanged. The captain's full name is Tony Tarracino, and he's now 90 years old. He used to be a bookie, a gun runner and a gravedigger. He also was mayor of Key West, in the mid-1980s, winning the election by 32 votes.