It's a Gay Old Party in Key West

A rooster crowed and sunlight was streaming through the cracks in the blinds, lighting up the whitewashed room as I opened my eyes. I could hear women laughing outside. My girlfriend's arms were tightly wrapped around me. I tried not to disturb her as I wiggled out of them, but failed.

"What are you doing?" she asked as I lifted up one of the blinds to peek outside.

Women were eating breakfast around the pool, chatting and laughing.

I turned around, smiling and pointed outside. We had arrived in paradise at the southernmost edge of the U.S.: Key West.

Unable to resist my excitement to get out and explore, we quickly got dressed and stepped out the door to find ourselves in a world of sun, fun, and women. Neither one of us had been to what's billed as one of the nation's oldest gay resort towns, but we had heard about it.

Key West is legendary for its year-round parties, the New Year's Eve "Shoe Drop" -- in which drag queen Sushi (Gary Marion) is lowered from atop the Bourbon Street Pub in a giant red high-heel shoe -- and sites that pay tribute to famous 20th century writers like Ernest Hemingway and gay playwright Tennessee Williams.

We happened to be guests of the historic Lighthouse Court across the street from the Ernest Hemingway Home. Once the residence of the Nobel Prize-winning author, it is now the home to hundreds of six-toed cats, one of Hemingway's legacies. Visitors can use the Key West Visitor's Pass to tour the tropical plantation-style estate surrounded by lush gardens and pet the cats, as we did. The pass also includes entrance to a dozen sites around the main part of Key West, including the Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory.

Key West Escape

We were enjoying the long weekend getaway as guests of the Gay Key West Visitor Center, the first official LGBT visitors center in the U.S., and the Florida Keys and Key West visitors' bureau, for WomenFest, the annual all-women weekend in September.

One of our first stops was at the visitor center where there's a permanent exhibit honoring Williams that is open to the public. Some of Williams' personal belongings, along with books and movie paraphernalia of his famous plays, adorn the single room in the back of the center. In front, visitors can pick up information about gay tours and events in Key West.

There's a lot happening. On one hand, it's a typical tropical island destination. It's completely laid back to the point that it feels like time has slowed down to a nice natural roll. There's no need to rush, just be happy.

On the other hand, Key West is hopping with entertainment throughout the year from splashing around in the warm ocean water to its nightlife. The island's residents like to play outside all day and party all night throwing extravagant weeklong parties and other events, many of which support local organizations.

My girlfriend and I fit right in. We checked out Fury Water Adventures on its All-Women Ultimate Adventure aboard a catamaran headed by Captain Jenna Moller and her all-female crew. It was a day filled with sailing, snorkeling, jet skiing, parasailing, kayaking, climbing wall, and water slide fun with our group. The package also included a nice breakfast and lunch.

At night, we enjoyed two sunset sail dinners, but hands down the Fury's "Commotion on the Ocean" Live Music Sunset Sail was the best. The Fury folks know what women want and they delivered, from the live music with Jennifer Corday to the food and even the sunset, which could be seen from every angle of the catamaran.

Just because the women take over Key West for a weekend it doesn't mean the men aren't out for fun, too. We couldn't miss the drag queens outside of 801 Bourbon Bar on Duval Street, teasing people as they walked by, or the gay guide who led our Gay Key West Trolley Tour. He couldn't help himself, checking out some of the hunky men strolling down the streets in between rattling off historical facts and telling us stories about Key West.

Key West is a men's paradise throughout the year with events such as the Annual Drag Races, Bone Island summer and winter weekends, and Tropical Heat.

In May, men and women come together for Kamp Key West, an adult camp that brings people back to those long days of summer with scenic nature outings, campfires, and the awkward dances in the mess hall at night.

Nighttime at WomenFest featured parties at the former Pearl's Key West, or what was known as Pearl's Rainbow, the all-women's inn on the island. After decades of hosting women, Pearl's shuttered its doors this past year and is being resurrected as the Southernmost Inn.

During the day, my girlfriend and I enjoyed shopping, checking out pool parties at Bourbon Street Pub and Pearl's, and cruising around the island on our scooter. Florida does not have a helmet law, so we let the warm breeze caress our hair as we rode around the island for an afternoon, stopping off at beaches and the famed Southernmost Point marker denoting that Cuba is only 90 miles away. What followed was more bar hopping and eating, stopping off at Antonia's, Aqua Nightclub, Little Room Jazz Club, and Martin's.

Eat like a Local

Key West doesn't have a shortage of good restaurants, but you'll be sure to meet locals at Abbondanza Italian Restaurant and El Siboney. Abbondanza serves up huge portions, enough for two people and still have leftovers, but it's a good old-fashioned Italian eatery, complete with checkered tablecloths. One of the things my girlfriend and I brought back from Key West was picadillo, a Cuban dish that she was introduced to at El Siboney, a locally owned Cuban restaurant. We have fond memories of sitting around the dinner table with our group sampling each other's dishes, but the picadillo's flavors of ground meat, olives, and spices burned in our memory.

We also enjoyed tasty appetizers for lunch at Martin's, which has a mouthwatering menu and a sophisticated atmosphere.

One of the other places we enjoyed eating at was the Hard Rock Cafe. I know, you can enjoy burgers and rock and roll memorabilia at any Hard Rock Cafe in the world, but this one is unique. It's set in a historic Victorian along Duval Street. It has a sprawling tiered patio to enjoy brunch, lunch, or dinner outside as well as an array of diverse dining rooms downstairs and upstairs. It was just fun and the food was good, too.

We didn't get a chance to dine at Better Than Sex Dessert Restaurant. The name alone puts it on the top of our list for a reason to return to Key West, aside from locals' recommendations for the restaurant. Also on our list to check out during our next trip to Key West, 2 Cents.

Sleeping Around Key West

Key West is home to charming historic inns as well as brand name resorts. We enjoyed our stay at the Lighthouse Court, which is a part of the Historic Key West Inns, where the service was friendly and helpful. It was perfectly located near the heart of the action just slightly away from the party.

Guests searching for a little romance in addition to the party will enjoy the Gardens Hotel. Like the Lighthouse Court, it's right off of Duval Street, but it's a whole other world tucked away from the frenzy inside its sprawling gardens.

If resorts are more your style, the Hyatt Key West and the Reach, a Waldorf Astoria Resort, are good choices.

Island Transportation

The best ways to get around Key West are by bike, scooter, or walking.

Most hotels have bikes to rent and bike rental booths and shops are all over the main part of Key West. We didn't rent a bike this time, as we chose to stroll up and down Duval Street, which is a little more than a mile long and stretches from the Gulf of Mexico to the Florida Straits and the side streets.

My girlfriend and I rented a scooter for a day from A&M Rentals Key West, but we heard from others on the trip with us that the best deal on the island is at Moped Hospital.