Your Place in the Sun

Southern Living, Jan 2005 by Frazier, Jennifer McKenzie

7 p.m.-Not ready to leave the hotel yet, we visit the on-site restaurant, Café Marquesa. Our server starts us with glasses of wine and brings a heaping basket of bread and a plate of homemade hummus to the table. After one bite of our perfectly prepared tuna steaks, we know that we made the right decision in dining here.

8 p.m.-Full from the heavenly meal, we walk off dinner with a stroll on Duval Street (better known as Doing the Duval Crawl). This main street of Key West attracts every sort of character this town has to offer. We feel a bit like Ma and Pa Kettle in the big city for the first time as we absorb sights we've never experienced before. Then we remember that here nothing is weird, and we simply shrug it off.

9 p.m.-No trip to Key West would be complete without a taste of the dessert this area calls its own. We break all diet rules, stop at a walk-up cafe, and order slices of chocolate-dipped Key lime pie on a stick. We feel a bit naughty eating sweets at this hour but decide that in this town late-night splurges are a must. In fact, we think Key West would be disappointed if we didn't.

For more information: Contact the Key West Chamber of Commerce at 1-800-527-8539, or visit www.fla-keys.com/keywest.>OUTSIDE OF KEY WEST

If you drive to Key West from Miami or decide to venture outside this quirky town, here are five highlights you won't want to miss.

1. National Key Deer Refuge. You'll think they're newborns, but they're actually the diminutive species of deer known as Key deer. They feed at dawn and dusk in this area of largely undeveloped pinelands. Head north on Key Deer Boulevard in Big Pine at Mile Marker (MM) 30.5 for the best viewing. Visit http://nationalkeydeer.fws.gov.

2. Dry Tortugas National Park. A two-and-half hour ride aboard a catamaran will take you 70 miles west to Dry Tortugas National Park and Fort Jefferson. For more details visit www.nps.gov/drto.>3. John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. If you enjoy snorkeling, you'll want to visit this diverse park in Key Largo (MM 102.5). Best known for its offshore reef, the park also offers a great place to lounge on the beach and partake in water activities such as kayaking. Call (305) 451-1202.

4. Do a Flip. Stop at the Dolphin Research Center in Grassy Key (MM 59). This is where the finned film star Flipper, whose real name was Mitzi, is buried. For information visit www.dolphins.org.

5. Great Sands. Visit Bahia Honda State Park and Recreation Area at MM 37 to play on the Keys' finest beach. The park is open 8 a.m. until sundown year-round. Visit www.bahiahondapark.com.