Key West: A Comprehensive Guide to Florida’s Southernmost City by Sarah Goodwin-NguyenBack-of-the-book-blurb: At the southern tip of Florida sits Key West, a vacation hotspot welcoming millions of travelers each year. In this completely independent guide, learn about the best of the city, including:
- beaches and outdoor activities
- Duval Street restaurants and bars
- hotels and guest houses
There is much to see and do in Key West. From beaches to restaurants to nightlife, this book will help you plan your vacation to the Conch Republic.
She is Too Fond of Books’ Review: Sarah Goodwin-Nguyen, author of this Key Westtravel guide, is herself a resident of this small (1 1/2 by 3 miles) most-southern island of the Florida Keys. As such, she offers a personal, conversational style. After an Introduction and History, Goodwin-Nguyen gives us her Orientation, which covers the general categories of
- Who visits Key West?
- Tourist areas
- Seasons
- What to pack
- Getting to Key West
- Getting around
The section on Accommodationsdescribes the various types of rentals available in Old Town (the popular ”downtown” area), and what type of traveler each will appeal to. A directory follows, with basic contact info (address, phone, web address), and more details about the specific property, amenities offered, clientele, and price range. This section is best perused at home when making your lodging reservation.
Area Attractions covers organized tours (which Goodwin-Nguyen reminds the reader is “a fun, interesting way to see the island, get your bearings, and learn things you might not have known otherwise”), such as Key West’s architecture, ghosts and legends, gardens, etc. Key West has a number of museums and attractions, that run the gamut from Hemingway’s home to a lighthouse museum; the author gives a good overview of each site, with her no-holds-barred commentary, such as this note for the Pirate Soul Museum:
It’s a mix of Disney-like special effects and interactive exhibits with genuine pirate history and artifacts … There is some seriously cool stuff here, like a real Jolly Roger flag, but also a lot of atmosphere created by sets and sound effects. There is a hefty admission fee … This is one museum the kids will actually enjoy
The sections on Beaches and Water Activities, Dining and Drinking, and The Arts in Key West are similarly organized with honest editorial. She includes information about visiting the other Florida Keys, and suggested itineraries.
A few changes would improve this from a “very good” guide to a “great” one. While there is an overview map of Key West at the beginning of the book, I wish a more detailed of the Old Town area had been included; it would be very useful to toss the Key West guide in a tote to refer to while exploring the town. With Goodwin-Nguyen’s perspective as a local, she could have highlighted a few retail institutions; Kino Sandals come to mind – they’ve manufactured and sold hand-stitched leather sandals since 1966. These are minor quibbles that don’t detract from the quality of the guide overall.
With a local’s insight, Key West: A Comprehensive Guide to Florida’s Southernmost City is indeed a comprehensive tool for planning your trip, and a good book to keep with you. Tourist Town Guides offers guides to several other popular vacation destinations, including Myrtle Beach, Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Many thanks to Lisa Roe, Online Publicist, for providing me with this copy for review.
Do you use a travel guide when planning a trip? Do you bring the book with you to refer to as you travel?
Sounds good to me. Thanks for stopping by. I finished the majority of the design. The problem is uploading. There is a problem with my software that I’m going to try to get resolved today. That’s what I love about Apple. They have Mac Geniuses in the store that provide free assistance. Hopefully it won’t be major.
I always wonder about “guides” and how helpful they really are, so it’s nice to get a “local’s” review on one! Great review!!
Also, I wanted to let you know that I replied to your question on my blog!
i almost always use a guide when planning a trip and when i’m on the ground- it definitely helps me with ideas, guidance etc. wouldn’t leave home without it!
Great review!! I loved Key West when i visited there a number of years ago…I do use travel books as a tool to finding places to go…they do come in handy!!
After the kids are gone, this is a place I’d like to stay for a few months.
Bluestocking – I saw this morning that the transition wasn’t as straight-forward as you had hoped; I hope the rest goes more smoothly!
Sunny – I like that the guide was authored by a local of Key West; it seems more authentic that way. and thanks for the answer …
marie – I use them too. Great for planning, and handy to have with you, especially for restaurants, walking maps, etc.
Allison – I’ve bought travel guides just to learn about a place, without a trip planned.
J. Kaye – we’ve visited Key West a few times. It has definitely gotten more commercial, but it still has a “whatever” vibe to it (you know, they don’t really watch the clock there
)