Fort Zachary Taylor State Park

At the trail’s end stands a blacksmith’s forge, circa 1862. Two people dressed in period-style clothing are using the forge, pounding crude hooks, nails, and forks exactly the way it was done back in the day. They are enthusiastic about their art, and will discuss the technique with you if you ask. Or, quiz them about the history of Fort Taylor—they know every detail. Thanks to them, it seems as if you have stepped back in time for a moment in this quiet corner in the subtropical forest. Beneath seven-year apples, sea-grapes, and salt-myrtles, the antique forge rings with the sound of hammer against metal, crackling from a fire that has burned for 150 years.

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Sure, there are other beaches in Key West. But only "Fort Zach" has clear, deep, cool water without the slimy dead seagrass (and constant closures due to contamination) that seems to plague other Key West beaches. Swim or snorkel out to the rock jetties and see some real Florida Keys natives—porkfish, grunts, yellowtail snappers, and parrotfish diving, darting, and foraging among the rocks. The water here is usually calm enough that you can float peacefully on your back without worrying about winding up in Cuba. Or you can jump a wave or two when a cruise ship passes by, looking for all the world like a giant floating skyscraper. When you're finished, plunk down on the white sand (imported from the Bahamas) or at a picnic table under the Australian pines, and admire the scantily-clad Eastern European tourists or chat up some friendly visiting Southerners.

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