When Jimmy Buffett sings about “Changes in Latitude, Changes in Attitude” in the Florida Keys, he has things absolutely right.The Florida Keys are casual, relaxed, and dedicated to preserving their laid-back nature.

Leave the neckties and high heels at home. Turn off your cell phone, switch off your beeper, ignore your voice-mail and take of for the Keys. Business as usual in the keys means “No jacket requird.”

Only 90 miles from Cuba and 150 from Miami, Key West is truly the end of the line. Here, the land meets the sea amid 19th-century charm and 21st-century attractions. This is the southernmost city of the continental United States, and it is actually closer to Havana than Miami.

In a 1940 Saturday Evening Post article, Thelma Strabel wrote of Key West, "There is nothing for restless people to do. It is quiet and careless and charming." Half a century later, you'll find that Key West's charm has remained, though the pace of life has picked up quite a bit. Key West has become a place where people escape from the rat race to join the race for the freest, the "funnest" and the most flamboyant. What other place has more bars — along with more churches — per capita than anywhere else in the country.

About 70 miles (113 km) west of Key West, accessible by scheduled ferry service or chartered seaplane, lies the beautiful Dry Tortugas Islands and Fort Jefferson National Monument. The Dry Tortugas are a natural wonder, known for the great variety of wildlife. Divers and nature lovers will enjoy the area for its staghorn coral, French angelfish, loggerhead turtles and rare birds.

Stroll the palm-lined streets and discover gingerbread mansions, tin-roofed conch houses, the John Audubon House and Ernest Hemingway's home. Walk in the footsteps of Thomas Edison, Lou Gehrig, Harry Truman, and Tennessee Williams.

Stop the car and take a stroll amid the tiny, colorfully-restored homes where thousands of cigar workers lived in the 19th century. You will also see huge mansions that were built by business tycoons and city leaders. Some have been converted into guest houses and inns with modern swimming pools and lush tropical gardens.

You can easily see why novelist Ernest Hemingway found inspiration for some of his best work here. Hemingway purchased a pre-Civil War mansion on Whitehead Street in the 1930s and lived in it for nearly a decade. These days, thousands of visitors seek out his home which is now a museum.

Treasure hunter Mel Fisher also called Key West home. Using Key West as a base, he recovered millions of dollars worth of gold and silver from the ship Nuestra Señora de Atocha, a 17th-century Spanish galleon that sank 45 miles west of Key West. Years before he died, Fisher had the good sense to establish the Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Society Museum, where visitors can view and even touch some of the riches of the Atocha and the Santa Margarita

If you’ve timed your drive right, you’ve reached Key West just in time for sunset. Visitors and local artists gather on the dock at Mallory Square each evening to celebrate the end to another tropical day. Musicians, jugglers, mimes, and the occasional fire-eater entertain you while local food vendors keep you fed. The daily sunset celebration has become one of Key West’s greatest traditions.

After sunset, the fun is just beginning. When the night falls, chances are you can find a restaurant or watering hole to meet your tastes. Many bars offer live music, including New Orleans-style jazz and local tropical creations. If you like plays or musicals, you’re in luck too. Key West has several small theaters that showcase performances by local acting troupes. And the island even has a symphony now.

Key West, the southernmost point of the United States, embraces a fascinating mix of history, eccentricity and lush island charm. Civil War era forts, famous writers' homes, sidewalk cafés, and outrageous folks all add to the atmosphere of life on island time.