Casa Antigua and Ernest Hemingway
If you are like most people, you know that Ernest Hemingway called Key West home for many years. But did you know what drew him to Key West in the…
History of Key West, Florida. All sorts of information you can find about our island city of Key West, Florida.
Key West Historic Markers
For all of those history buffs out there, Key West has a very long and rich history. And if you are visiting the island, you should really take a self…
My Visit to the Oldest House in Key West
The Oldest House in Key West, and all of South Florida for that matter, was originally located on Whitehead Street when it was built in the 1820's by a ship's carpenter…
Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum
Part of why I came to Key West back in the 1990's was because of Ernest Hemingway. I was fresh out of college and the lure of Papa was too…
Florida Keys: Pigeon Key
It seems like everywhere today developers come in and build big complexes of condos, hotels, or strip malls. Sometimes it betters the landscape when taking the place of old, dilapidated structures. But all too often they end up taking out forests or other pieces of history, and it is really sad for us and for future generations when that happens. Especially so in the Florida Keys where there is so little land to take over. The fate of Pigeon Key just of of Marathon could have gone as so, but instead the Pigeon Key Foundation was started to protect the island from development and maintain it as a historical landmark.
Key West and the Florida Keys: African Queen
The iconic boat from the Humphrey Bogart movie of the same name, African Queen, has called the docks at the Holiday Inn in Key Largo home since 1983. The boat is actually registered as a national historic site. Recently, she has undergone major restorations to make her seaworthy again. And earlier this month, Humphrey Bogart’s son Stephen was in Key Largo for the African Queen’s relaunch party. Starting later on this month, there are plans to offer a two-hour canal cruise aboard the vessel as well as small private dinner cruises.
The Dry Tortugas and Fort Jefferson
The Dry Tortugas are a cluster of seven islands located about 70 miles west of Key West in the Gulf of Mexico. The seven islands that make up the Dry…
Earnest Hemmingway Key West
Key West’s Famous Residents, Past and Present
Ernest Hemingway Key West Today there are about 25,000 people living in Key West. That is a lot of residents for such a tiny island, but Key West has so…
Key West Historical Markers: The Captain George Carey House and the Pirates Well
I was wondering downtown the other day and I came across a sign posted in front of one of the historic downtown homes that said “Pirates Well.” I have walked by this place a hundred times and had never noticed it before, so I read the marker at the house and did a bit or research on it.
Apparently where this house sits was where the first fresh water on the island was found by pirates in the 1700s. But this house, located at 410 Caroline Street between Duval and Whitehead Streets, known as the Captain George Carey House has a few more claims to fame.
Mel Fisher, Key West Treasure Hunter
Mel Fisher was arguably the most famous treasure hunter in modern times. Probably because in 1985 he discovered the Atocha, a Spanish galleon that sank off of the Florida Keys in a hurricane in 1622. With over $450 million in treasures found so far from the wreck, including 40 tons of gold and silver, Pieces of Eight, emeralds, artifacts, and over 1000 bars of silver, Mel and his crew were known by everyone in our little island community.
Key West Events: Captain Tony Days
The 4 day long party celebrating the life of Captain Tony Tarracino, one of the most famous residents Key West has ever had, starts tonight!! Tony died at the age of 92 in 2008. He was the owner of Captain Tony’s Saloon located at 428 Greene Street, the former location of the original Sloppy Joe’s Bar where Hemingway spent many a days. He was also a boat captain, a smuggler, a movie actor, and the mayor of Key West. Here is the schedule of events:
The Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge
Established in 1938, the Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge is located in the lower Florida Keys and Key West and is comprised of about 200,000 acres of open water and islands which provides nesting, feeding, and resting areas for over 250 species of birds. The refuge was originally created to protect the great white heron, which are only found in the Florida Keys, from extinction. This area has also become an area where loggerhead and green turtles come to nest and feed.