People get a yearning in their voice when they talk about Key West. Maybe because here the difference between casual and dressy attire is a choice between red and black flip-flops. Or because the lobster brought in at the harbor will be served with warm butter that evening. But chances are it's the legend...

Drive 120 miles from the mainland along bridges and causeways, and you've arrived at a four-by-two-mile isle that brims with relics of a diverse past. Colorful characters from a handful of cultures have contributed to a history involving names like Ernest Hemingway and John Audubon. A bustling harbor, 2,000 preserved historic buildings and ancient shipwrecks all play a role in our tall tales.

Take a stroll down our intimate streets and you'll smell strong Cuban coffee mixed with the scent of Bahamian conch fritters. Laughter and lively languages mingle as they float down from porches on the breeze. Down the way, you hear dock lines groan and dive tanks clink as another happy bunch sets off for the seas.

There, between brightly-colored homes in styles called Conch and Gingerbread, you'll hear the echoes of those who came before - pirates, writers, wreckers and rumrunners.

 And it will hit you: This is the legend made real. This is Key West.