I was asked recently what was my favorite place in Key West?I had to think a moment, no not any of the restaurants, no not any of the touristy places, but immediately came up with it - Fort Zachary Taylor State Park.
The beach, the blue water, the shady pine trees, loads of picnic tables, only $7 entrance fee for all day, the inexpensive snack bar so you don't have to load up the cooler and carry food (PBJs etc.), and of course the historic Civil War fort, oh and don't forget their claim of the only uninterrupted sunset view in Key West!
We went last Saturday afternoon, enjoyed the view from our beach chairs, were lulled by the sound of the waves, and stayed until the sun set, at which time the park rangers are quick to point out it is closing time! The sunset was occasionally interrupted by elegant sailing ships, but they just enhanced the already beautiful scene.
The park sits on the point where the Atlantic meets the Gulf of Mexico and has more wave action than any other beach in Key West, the waves on the Atlantic beaches are hindered by the coral reef.
The main shipping channel goes right by the point of the park, making traffic watching fun, seeing the big ships go by - Navy ships, Coastguard ships, cruise ships and big yachts going by (in other words, how the other folks live).
So if you have seen all the bars and souvenir shops, take a break and try out this local treasure, located in Key West at the end of Southard Street on Truman Annex.
We have seen the sunset from Mallory Square, from our condo balcony, from Smathers Beach, from Higgs Beach, and from Zachary Taylor park. Each day's sunset is different, all of the views are spectacular and will stay with me a long time, especially since I have over 240 pictures of sunsets alone!
