Forty-one years ago, on April 23, 1982, a Border Patrol blockade of the Florida Keys during a search for drugs and undocumented immigrants led to the birth of the Conch Republic.

Infuriated Keys residents “seceded” from the union to protest being treated like a foreign country, and the massive traffic jam that temporarily cut them off from the rest of America.

Today, Key West has turned this event into an annual, weeklong party that celebrates the birth of the Conch Republic.

While the Conch Republic never materialized as an actual country, it still exists as a state of mind, symbolizing Key West’s offbeat, nonconformist nature, in which the locals enjoy an anything-goes lifestyle supported by a healthy tourism industry.

Tourists enjoy this laid-back vibe too. You can walk down the streets of Key West carrying an alcoholic beverage and no one cares as long as it’s in a can or a plastic cup (no glass, please).

Key West once served as a base of operations against pirates. In the 1800s, the city enjoyed thriving salt manufacturing, fishing and shipwreck salvaging industries.

It’s a charming, colorful place in more ways than its past. In the Historic District, beautiful, vintage wooden homes with gingerbread trim, side-hinged louvered shutters and covered balconies are painted in pastel shades and are surrounded by lush foliage.

Adding to Key West’s charm are the wild roosters and hens that roam the city, dodging traffic and walking through open-air restaurants and neighborhoods like they own the place. They are believed to be the descendants of early Cuban and Caribbean residents’ backyard chickens brought over for eggs, and birds released when cockfighting was outlawed. These birds fend for themselves quite well and have roamed Key West for years.

With the town’s noisy roosters, fascinating history, vibrant blue skies and waters, and abundance of open-air shops and restaurants, it’s easy to see why Key West’s charm has endured through the decades.

The scenic Overseas Highway offers visitors miles of water views while driving through the Keys to Key West. At Bahia Honda State Park in the middle Keys, you can rent a kayak or take a snorkeling tour to the Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary. Snorkeling, fishing, kayaking, sailing, watercrafting and eco-tours are popular in the Keys. Key West also celebrates its African/Bahamian and Cuban heritage, and it has an active LGBTQ community.

My husband and I traveled to Key West in late April while the Conch Republic annual weeklong Independence Celebration was underway.

We stayed at Heron House Court, one of the many bed-and-breakfasts in the Historic District that are actually renovated historic homes.

Key West is mostly walkable and parking is scarce, so we parked our car and walked everywhere or took a taxi.

A great way to get around is on the Conch Tour Train, which hits all the interesting places in Key West. The driver discusses Key West’s colorful past, including the history of writer Ernest Hemingway and President Harry S. Truman on the island, the ship salvage “wreckers,” and Henry Flagler’s infamous railroad to the Keys. The tour also showcases some of the charming, pastel-colored, historic “conch” houses.

Among the many historic places and museums to visit are the Audubon House and Tropical Gardens; the Custom House, an art and history museum; Hemingway’s home; Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park; the Harry S. Truman Little White House; the Key West Aquarium; the Butterfly & Nature Conservatory; the Lighthouse Museum; the Shipwreck Treasures Museum; and the Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden. For shopping, Mallory Square boasts many open-air shops.

Another interesting site is Fort Jefferson, built on a tiny island about 70 miles off Key West and now a major tourist attraction in Dry Tortugas National Park. The easiest way to get to this massive brick fort is via the Yankee Freedom ferry or a seaplane. My husband and I took this tour on our first trip to Key West a few years ago. Fort Jefferson was strategically built to protect shipping in the waters in the Straits of Florida, which at the time were one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.

In hostile hands, it was believed, the islands in the Dry Tortugas could serve as a potential staging area where America’s enemies could attack the Gulf Coast. Built between 1846 and 1875, Fort Jefferson was never finished or fully armed. It was never attacked, but soldiers were stationed there for years, living in harsh conditions. It served as a prison for criminals and Union Army deserters during and after the Civil War. Visitors can see the gun stations and prison cells while learning how the fort is being preserved.

We spent a morning on this trip snorkeling on an excursion with Fury, one of the many companies operating in the Keys. A motorized catamaran took us to two spots on the reef off Key West for three hours of snorkeling in pristine waters.

No visit to Key West is complete without a stroll on the famous (or infamous) Duval Street, with its several blocks of outdoor bars and restaurants, art galleries, and souvenir shops. Duval Street is known for its rowdy nighttime revelry and is the location for many of the Conch Republic anniversary celebration events, including a parade. Duval Street is also where you’ll find Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Café and retail store, if you’re a fan.

Finally, don’t forget to take a selfie at the iconic Southernmost Point marker, but you may have to wait on line for the snap.