TRAINS, PLANES AND...

[TRAVEL] Uwern Jong heads for the Southernmost point in Florida for a gay ol' celebration.

It may be hard to believe, but on Sunday 21st January 2012, Key West, Florida celebrated one hundred years of its railway connecting the mainland - opening the island to tourism.

Back before 1912, Key West was totally isolated apart from the military activity to protect the South Eastern seas of the United States. A entrepreneural man called Henry Flager extended the Florida East Coast Railway and connected the island to the mainland, creating much needed commerce for the island. Although much of the railroad was destroyed by a hurricane in 1935, clearly the importance of the island became apparant to the government who turned the rail route into part of the United States Highway 1. The island is now proud to be the start and end of this infamous route.

Skip forward a century and I find myself on Highway 1 heading south. My visit to Key West was for a very special celebration of our own - a dear friend's special birthday. But unlike the railway travel to the land of the Conchs (an affectionate term for 'natives' of the island) of old, as the title of this post may lead you to believe, we opted for a short, 3 hour United/Continental flight from Newark to Miami and a not-so-short but extremely comfortable and unbelievably scenic 4 hour drive in our fully loaded hire car from Miami to the Keys. I was one of a group of 40 gay men descending on this small island - like a queer ol' hurricane... can you imagine. Look out, Key West! But this is one island that can certainly take it, it has done for nearly a hundred years.

Having got to Key West, I found out about the railway's centenary by fortuitous accident, only when I worked out why the staff (and some patrons) at our hotel, The Casa Marina - A Waldorf Astoria resort we're dressed up in Victorian costumes and train-engineers' hats. A little odd I had thought to start, but on working out why, I figured they were celebrating as it is an auspicious date for the island's numerous hoteliers and leisure providers - the birth of tourism to this otherwise secret hideaway.

The Casa Marina itself was a charming hotel, a heritage property on the National Register of Historic Places that has been welcoming guests to its tropical stylings since the 1920s. Today, the property has been contemporised but retains its colonial charm, even in the modern annexes. The rooms were comfy, although our sea-view room was appointed a little oddly, making the room feel smaller than it really was. One couldn't complain with balconies facing the Atlantic, but there was a slight privacy issue with balconies not having much separation between them - from neighbours who were smokers or just uber-loud city-people who didn't quite seem to get the concept of 'getting-away-from-it-all' whist they shouted down their Blackberries.

The grander suites we saw in the main building were lovely, with big sun terraces overlooking the pool area - simple and understated, but luxurious. Choose your rooms carefully though, we had friends put in a standard room that overlooked the valet parking lot. There are a number of these rooms in the property and despite the poor aspect, the hotel still charges a high rate for these views, which I personally think is a little outrageous.

The Hilton group, by which the hotel is managed has a good track record in gay-friendliness, but you need to understand that this resort is a family getaway resort and gay couples may not feel immediately at home in the more communal areas. (But if you want a true dose (or overdose) of gay, there is always the Island House up the road) However, this does not take away from the charm and uber-friendly and helpful hotel staff. Add to that some amazing concession activities, a special shout out to Barefoot Billy's jet-ski rental - who were truly brilliant and ultimately accommodating for our party's 2 hour jetski tour of the island.

Key West itself is not what I had expected. Having visited other parts of Florida a number of times before, I wasn't prepared to be taken in by its unique island charm, colonial old town and super-friendly residents. But from the very moment I walked up to Duval Street, I felt it. I felt what so many others from Tenessee Williams to Leonard Bernstein to Gore Vidal to Truman Capote found inspiring about the place. I felt the island's vitality, history and diversity. I felt its spirit and was entranced by the stories of the people I met and hung-out with who arrived from big jobs in big cities and fell in love with the place; some of whom came to the island and never actually left - those who now own restaurants, property businesses, guesthouses and those who came to just escape and contribute back to the island's diverse community.

And for gays and lesbians, Key West is seductive, beautiful and safe - a place where you can be open, relaxed, make new friends, and savour this small town’s live-and-let-live philosophy. And despite being a small town with an island vibe, Key West offers a huge range of cosmopolitan options when it comes to eating, drinking and being Mary (I stole this one from the tourist office!) - from local delicacies including fresh-off-the-boat seafood to the Key lime pie, to sushi and Mediteranian cuisine. And the nightlife, like the food, offers something for everyone. Sure - there are no superclubs and zhi-zhi bars by any means, but there's enough there for a couple of crazy and fun nights out on the town.

There's a hell of a lot to say about a place so small, but I will say this: experience it for yourself. Bring good company, or escape on your own. Don't let your preconceptions of this island get the better of you. And like me, you'll be very pleasantly suprised...

For more information on gay and lesbian Key West, visit the Florida Keys Tourist Board's LGBT pages.

IMAGE: The unfurling of the world's longest rainbow flag spanning Key West's Duval Street - from the Gulf to Atlantic. Special thanks to John, Steve and Cordey for showing us the video about it all.