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-MMHssrn By Gwen Broome Gamecock Staff Writer | Florida is the year-round resort state, i with an average climate of 69?F. A few < miles south of Miami, the Florida Keys, a group of coral limestone islands, curve around the tip of the peninsula to i the city of Key West. Key ; West is a small island surrounded by l reefs and with an average yearly temperature of 77 degrees. Key West is semi-tropical, which makes it an ideal , 1 ] i I I rl wm yllW 1gESW? . vacation spot for the tired student trying desperately to escape the memories of pre-calculus, engineering, etc., if only for Spring Break. The dominant bnDiiaap is Srmnich 0 0~ " with a few strains of English. One can almost forget that he is still in the United States. The sun is always warm and the sky miraculously clear. The ocean around Key West is one of the most beautiful in the world. It has a pure turquoise color that deepens to emerald and houses more man ouu species 01 tropical iisn. During February and March many of :he houses and gardens are open for .ours which give visitors a sightseeing ?xperience. Key West is that special vacation spot :or those who swk npaop and rmipt who are attracted to the Old World charm, >vho enjoy variable recreation and who are looking for a change from the standardized tourist city. Recreation Key West has healthy and enjoyable activities for whatever your particular interest may be. Key West has been referred to as the fisherman's paradise, and rightly so. Its waters contain more than 600 varieties of edible fish, both fresh- and salt-water fishing are excellent. The sport fisherman finds tarpon, dolphin. kingfish, amberjack, barracuda, rnarlin and many others, according to his preference. There are motels and lodges which cater to the fisherman, and fishing boats and experienced guides are available at all times. Bait and tackle shops are numerous in Key West and along the Keys. Marine charts of the areas as well as fishing equipment are likewise available at conveniently located shops. Cat walks provide safety and convenience for fisherman on most of the bridges. Two piers in Key West are available to the Dublic for fishine Onp is located at the south end of White Street and the other is at Old Mallory Square waterfront. No license is required for salt water fishing, and there are only a few restrictions such as a bag limit of two per person for Sailfish or Tarpon. Spearfishing is legal if practiced at least one mile from U.S. Highway 1. Thrilling nieht Tarnon fishintf i? a favorite of many sportsmen and is practiced in the nearby channels. Nighl charters are approximately the same rates as the day charters. Skin diving is another major at traction in Key West. The Florida Key! have the only extensive live coral ree iui iiiauuu wiuuii easy reacn 01 me U.J> c oastline. From its northeast boundary to the Grand Marquesas, there is un derwater scenery providing hundred of ideal spots for photography an< nesting for many tropical fish. During your diving off the reefs, you may tx lucky enough to come upon one of th< thousands of treasure-laden Spanisl ships. There are many ac commodations for the skin diver, an< skin diving equipment is available a many different locations. In addition to their two most riotabW recreations, one can find waterskiing swimming, sightseeing boats, plan< riding, theatres, art galleries museums, gardens, night spots ant discos for dancing or simply meetim new friends. 'MS'dS' 4 Wl jjfrfi 4H*Jr ^*?Bk \ iififffl^ Accommodations Upon arriving at Key West acfnmmAHotinnc mill nnln l-w> <-? r?.-/\Klmvi in woititwauviviao mu uiuj mv o pi vwii/in 111 that there are so many nice hotels, Gsf%, ^ motels and lodges in the city, a few of them will be mentioned below. For those vacationers with pets there is the Diom Motel, the Floridian Motel, the Hibiscus Motel, the Hilton Haven, the Holiday Inn, the Pier House, the Sea ^ ^ H ; Crest, the Sun & Surf and manv mnrft SHhHHa For those vacationers without pets, aHHgp i there are the Blue Marlin, the Club Key West, Inc., the Travel Lodge, the Sportsmen Inn, the aforementioned and many more. These accommodations come with air conditioning, TV (most pomp with pnlnr anH nnnlc i Most of these hotels and motels ac- ' cept all major credit cards. , Once you've found somewhere to stay the next step will most likely be * I " 5 locating a good restaurant. Some of the . f restaurants located in Key West are: \ |, | / sB&BBB The Hukilau, which serves seafood and j Polynesian food and the Key West Taco Mg||K nHlmj Company, which serves Mexican food. 4\ s The Fourth of July and El Cacique \ serve Spanish and American food. For i seafood and food for the landlubber ( I there is the A & B Lobster House, the n Black Anflis Hpsfanrant HiicK/'c onH ~ ? ???. -?" """ ^ i the Pier House Restaurant. For the palate with a taste for Cuban or Italian I j food there is Luigi's and I^a Lechonera. v t For those vacationers who already have their favorite fast-food places ^ jaW\- |-v :.' c 7l there is a Burger King, a blouse of ;RSIill * Pancakes, a Pizza Hut arid a Mistor I - - - ' - Donut. ^ ~ , i~2^": 7; ^i$T.: For those who are into disco dancing, i there is the Copa Disco and Inner Circle ? Lounge, Fitzgerald and the Monster Restaurant and Discotheque. iifc ? V~^WwJ