Annette’s Lobster & Steak House | Review
Last night we met some friends in Marathon for dinner. Annette's has always been a favorite so we headed there for dinner and drinks. Annette's has been around for years…
Key West Tarpon Fishing
Many people come down to Key West specifically to fish for tarpon, also known as the silver king due to their color, size, and magnificent aerobatics as they jump and…
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.
State Parks of Key West and the Florida Keys
Florida State Parks are a wonderful way to see the real Florida, and not the touristy theme parks and other attractions. Florida has some amazing wildlife and a rich history. The state has around 160 state run parks, and 10 of these are in the Florida Keys. As one can imagine, most of the State parks in the Keys have some sort of water actives to partake in such as kayaking, swimming, and snorkeling. But we also have historical monuments, biking in and hiking trails, picnicking areas, and many opportunities for wildlife viewing too.
- Bahia Honda State Park – 36850 Overseas Highway, Big Pine Key, FL 33043
This park is known for its beautiful beaches, snorkeling, and gorgeous sunsets. But these are just a fraction of the activities available for visitors to this park. Other activities include: bicycling, birding, boating, camping, kayaking, fishing, hiking, picnicking, scuba diving, swimming, and wildlife viewing. Anglers can fish from shore or bring a boat and launch it from the boat ramp. Snorkeling gear and kayaks can be rented on site. The visitors center is filled with interesting information as well as trinkets to bring home. And the concession stand serves some good grub too should you have forgotten your picnic basket. Full facility campsites and cabins are also available for rent. Admission charges vary. The Park is open 365 days a year from 8:00 am to sundown. - Curry Hammock State Park – 56200 Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL 33050
This park is made up of a group of islands with public access to swimming, a playground, showers, grills, and a picnic area. This park is also home to one of the largest populations of thatched palm trees in the USA. Activities at Curry Hammock include a sandy beach for swimming, sunbathing, and playing in the sand, bicycling, camping, kayaking, fishing, hiking, picnicking, and wildlife viewing. Admission charges vary. The Park is open 365 days a year from 8:00 am to sundown.
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It is Turtle Nesting Season in the Florida Keys and Key West
April 15th marks the start of turtle nesting season here in the Florida Keys, and it runs all the way through October 31st.While these little hatchlings are quite cute and an amazing sight to see, they are quite delicate and do not have a huge survival rate. There are already so many natural obstacles that they have to contend with such as predators or becoming tangled up in seaweed. So the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation is asking for our help to eliminate some of the man made threats that we have created for these little guys.
Key West and Florida Keys Saddened by Jose Wejebe Death
It was a sad day for the Florida Keys and Key West fishing community yesterday. News spread quickly that local TV celebrity and host of the Spanish Fly died in a plane crash. Shocked friends and fans texted each other and posted RIP on Jose’s Facebook page yesterday.
The Cuban born Jose was a natural at fishing, building his career and his reputation first as a guide and later as a TV personality; but his new love in recent years was flying. He was alone on his single engine plane when it crashed in Everglades City just after take off around 4:30 pm yesterday.
“Nobody has done more for fishing in the Keys than Jose,” said Dream Catcher Charters owner Capt Steven Lamp, “you will be missed.”
Restaurant Review: Sunset Grille
Sunset Grille is located at the south end of Marathon on Knight’s Key. We ate lunch here a few days ago with some friends and we were really impressed with the food and the great layout. This is an open air tiki bar / restaurant with a pool overlooking the ocean and the 7 mile bridge. In fact the only thing that bothered us was that the beautiful vistas of the ocean to the south was partially obstructed by a huge screen which they use to show sporting events. I wish they would have put up a retractable screen instead.
Driving to Key West…
Driving to Key West? Many people do not realize that the Florida Keys are a chain of islands connected by a series of bridges, and Key West is the very last island in the chain. Driving time from Miami to Key West takes approximately 3 hours, although due to traffic it may take longer. But the vistas are breathtaking, making the drive well worth it at least once in a lifetime.
Below is a charter showing milage from different major FLorida cities to help you plan your drive. (more…)
Key West – Hurricane Rina
So, it looks like Key West are dodging a potential bullet with Rina, making everyone happy since she would have put a damper on our Fantasy Fest Celebrations. Only once in the past 20+ years has Fantasy Fest been cancelled and rescheduled, and that was in fact due to a hurricane. You can read more about this and Fantasy Fest in general by reading my article on the history of the celebration.
Hurricane Season
So hurricane season started on June first, but we are now getting into the busiest part of the season. Thus far we have been lucky, with little storm activity and recently dodging Irene. After our past experiences with Georges, Wilma, Katrina, etc, we sincerely feel for the Northeast and the havoc that Irene created there. Chances are the season will remain slow and no evacuations will be called. But in case a storm does come our way and the Keys are in the “cone” there are a few things to keep in mind for those vacationing here.
A Weekend in the Upper Keys
Well, I have not posted anything for a few days now. My birthday was Sunday so my husband surprised me with a quick getaway to Islamorada, about a 1.5 hour drive away from Key West. Key West is a wonderful place to be, but for those of us who live there we like to get away once in awhile too.
We stayed at the Islander Resort located on the oceanside of US1, right across the street from the famous Lorelei Marina, Restaurant, and Bar. The Islander was built in the 1950’s but it has had some renovations, although the bathrooms still need to be updated. The rooms are clean and large with kitchens and either one king or two double beds in the standard rooms which either overlook the gardens or the ocean. There are also suites for larger parties.
Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center
When the Eco Discovery Center opened down here, I was skeptical. But my husband and I one day finally decided to check it out. Unfortunately, thinking it would have to be lame, we did no allot ourselves enough time to visit this place, which turned out to be awesome and super informative about the Florida Keys eco-system.
We had enough time to run through the different exhibits very quickly and we also got to see the 20 minute movie, “Reflections of the Florida Keys”, starring local dive celebrity Megan Haney Greer. If you have just a little bit of time here, I highly recommend viewing this film as one of the things you check out. The footage was amazing and the story was very interesting while still imparting lots of information to the viewers. Plus, the theater is HD with surround sound. (If you don’t have time to see the film you can purchase it in the gift shop.)