I beg to differ, Russ.  From the standpoint of someone also from Florida (and from someone who has ventured beyond the end of the US1),  there is more "backcountry" in the Keys than there is what the average tourist sees.

A small boat and a couple of day's supplies will bring you to any number of deserted islands with natural beaches, coconut trees,  stone crab, no road sounds, no people, no tourists, no Jimmy Buffett music, etc.

If you've never been off US1 (the end of Big Pine does not count),  then you have yet to see the Keys.   

Had I never ventured out into the back-country (a local term for the out-islands, BTW),  I probably would share your opinion.

Respectfully yours,

Dane Tessler

Date:    Thu, 26 Mar 1998 12:14:44 EST
From:    Latchua <Latchua@AOL.COM>
Subject: Re: Key West Trip

In a message dated 98-03-26 11:04:49 EST, Bill@FREEHOLDER.COM writes:

<< Subj:              Re: Key West Trip
Date:  98-03-26 11:04:49 EST
From:  Bill@FREEHOLDER.COM (Bill)
Sender:        Vanagon@VANAGON.COM (Vanagon Mailing List)
Reply-to:      Bill@FREEHOLDER.COM (Bill)
To:    Vanagon@VANAGON.COM

We drove our '81 Westie from Arizona to Key West and back right after
Christmas.  It was a great trip, and we really enjoyed the Keys, but I
have to tell you that from the standpoint of somebody from Arizona, there
is NO back country in the Keys.
  >>
From the standpoint of somebody from Florida, there's no backcountry in the
Keys (if you go way out to the end of Big Pine Key, maybe there'll be a few
minutes that you can't hear the sound of a car.)
Russ Henderson, PO Box 24117, Oakland Park, FL 33307-4117
Dane Tessler
87 Westfalia
http://members.aol.com/Dane714/westfalia.html

[text/html]