If you think Florida is all early bird specials and theme parks where you’ll wait on long lines to sip butter beer, welcome to the Florida Keys. This 125-mile-long chain of islands is a natural wonderland that begins just south of Miami. Once you arrive, you’ll feel a million miles away from the crowds that a certain black-eared mouse attracts. The Keys are divided into five regions: Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon, Big Pine and the Lower Keys … [Read more...]
The End of the Road: “I’ve finally made it around the world.”
I’m tired this morning. It feels like the end of a very long journey. I sleep in, listening to the sounds of Parisian life outside my hotel. While it will be the end of this journey around the world with the last leg from Paris back to Frankfurt tomorrow, perhaps it’s the start of something else. I want to believe that my days of living and working with people who do not share my values are over (or at least I will be conscious of the … [Read more...]
The Dry Tortugas Are Far Out, All Right—in So Many Ways
A conch, a parrot and a rooster walk into a bar. You don’t need a map to follow that joke: you know you’re in the Florida Keys. The Keys are one of the few places in the US where you might think, “What country am I in?” But wherever you are in the Keys, it’s all good—I’ve never been in an area that has more of a smiling “what the hell, why not?” attitude. It’s on a place’s edges where you see the more unusual sights, and for the southern … [Read more...]
The Florida Keys: Funky, Fantastic, and Fun (as in, “Lots of”)
Remember when you were a kid and the carnival would come to town, and there would be one great ride after another, gooey kid foods, a happy crowd and a sense of being somewhere special? The Florida Keys are like that—but with better rides (things to see and do) and definitely better food. I recently spent five days in the Keys, and packed in a whirlwind of sightseeing goodness (and packed in sumptuous plates full of fabulous food). Top to … [Read more...]
Biscuits, Booze, and Bodies – 36 Hours in the Florida Keys
Normally, I'm not big on cocktails before 10am. But when we blearily wandered in at 8am to the Blue Heaven, one of Key West’s signature restaurants, that’s what our server suggested. Sitting in the crazy-quilt courtyard, with its rustic artwork and scurrying chickens, looking up at the former bordello on the second-floor, and knocking back some booze seemed in keeping with all things Keys. I opted for the pancakes, which I found just as … [Read more...]
Old Florida charm in Panama City Beach
Panama City Beach in the Florida panhandle is one of those places that remind you of a combination of other places, a blend of kitschy charm found in Myrtle Beach, Atlantic City and Key West. It’s a place unto its own, though, and one where you’ll soon find, by dialect and design, a place apart from what you might usually think of as the Sunshine State. South Florida, more a mindset than geographical location, is arguably from the middle of … [Read more...]
Key West Food and Wine Fest to Star Sunshine, Savory Flavors and Spirited Fun
KEY WEST, Florida Keys -- Food and wine enthusiasts can savor sunshine, standout dishes and stellar vintages during the second annual Key West Food and Wine Festival, set for Thursday through Sunday, Jan. 27-30. Scheduled events showcase local chefs' culinary flair, indigenous Florida Keys ingredients, premium wines from around the world and offbeat "foodie" fun like bowling with coconuts. The enticing "first course" is a barefoot evening … [Read more...]
Parrot Heads to Rock in Key West Nov. 4-7
KEY WEST, Florida Keys -- Several thousand fans of singer/songwriter/author Jimmy Buffett, known as Parrot Heads, are making an annual pilgrimage to the subtropical island that inspired many of Buffett's hits. The 19th annual Parrot Heads in Paradise Meeting of the Minds convention, titled "Gypsies in the Palace" after a Buffett tune about rowdy guests, is scheduled Thursday through Sunday, Nov. 4-7, in Key West. Buffett's home during some of … [Read more...]
Hemingway Days Literary Events Spotlight Creativity and Heritage
KEY WEST, Florida Keys -- Fans of good writing can explore a roster of literary and theatrical events during Hemingway Days 2010, set for Tuesday through Sunday, July 20-25. The festival celebrates the literary accomplishments and exuberant Key West lifestyle of legendary writer Ernest Hemingway, who lived on the island throughout the 1930s. The schedule includes readings and presentations, a one-man theatrical performance and the announcement … [Read more...]
Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Beach Hotel Set to Open, Pensacola Beach
"IT'S NOT JUST A HOTEL, IT'S A STATE OF MIND." FINS UP PENSACOLA JIMMY BUFFETT'S NEW MARGARITAVILLE BEACH HOTEL SET TO OPEN THIS SUMMER IN PENSACOLA BEACH, FL. (MAY 2010) - Pensacola Beach, FL. - Margaritaville and Little Sabine, Inc. are pleased to announce the world's first Margaritaville Beach Hotel opening this summer on the pristine white sands of Pensacola Beach, Florida. As President of Little Sabine, Inc., Marilyn Hess was … [Read more...]