In late February of 2020, I took a trip to the Florida Keys. It was two weeks before shelter-in-place orders went into effect in California in March, and I remember when I arrived home and landed in San Francisco airport feeling like oh wow, this is getting serious. The next week we were all mandated to stay home. Talk about a pendulum swing, from feeling the total freedom of exploring magical islands to the restrictions of a hometown lockdown.
It?s been a full year since my trip to the Florida Keys. I?ve been to a lot of special places on this earth, but there?s some sort of magical dust that floats through the air and makes the atmosphere in the Florida Keys extra appealing. It?s not just the location, it must be something to do with the history of the region and the cultures that mix in that part of the world. The Florida Keys are a series of coral archipelagos in the southernmost part of the continental United States, they get their name from the Spanish word cayo, meaning small island. I covered a lot in four days there, spending most of my time exploring Key West and one day making the long drive to Key Largo and back.
On arrival, the laid back vibe of Key West was instantly apparent. I dropped down in Key West just a few hours before sunset and headed to Mallory Square. I was greeted with the sounds of steel drums and slack key guitar and the most amazing sunset.

 
Key West is small and easy to navigate, most people get around on a bicycle, scooter, or on foot....