Destination: Florida Keys by Travel Savvy
18
FROM THE EDITORS OF Road Trip: See The Keys, One Mile ata Time Jacket-Free Dining in Key West the David Sloan Bucket List FEATURING
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Travel Savvy presents Destination: Florida Keys, filled with useful travel information about these beautiful Florida islands known as America's Caribbean. The Keys offers more than just beaches; read about it here!
Transcript of Destination: Florida Keys by Travel Savvy
from the editors of
Road Trip See The Keys One Mile at a TimeJacket-Free Dining
in Key Westthe David Sloan
Bucket List
FEATURING
2
FLA KEYS | EDITORIAL
Editorrsquos LetterBy Paula Keung
As a native South Floridian I have been fortunate enough to visit the Keys on many occasions My first memory of the Keys is a family road trip with my parents in the front of a large Lincoln sedan my brother and I seated in the cavernous back with
the windows rolled down My parents let us set the radio dial to our favorite station we sang to everything from INXS to Aerosmith while the car rolled south the balmy ocean air pushing our hair from our faces
My dad had booked a budget hotel in Key West (probably a Holiday or Days Inn) and we had planned on relaxing at the beach eating at the local diners and generally not doing much beyond that The beaches were different than the ones near my home-they were less crowded and the sand dunes gave them an exotic feel We ducked our heads under the ocean water in search of parrot fish and other colorful creatures we were thrilled to see a turtle on the sand At night we strolled lively Duval Street in search of dinner I held my momrsquos arm to avoid being car-
ried away by the jolly crowds ducking in and out of the restaurants and bars We ate conch chow-der for dinner with fries and sodas our shoul-ders and noses bright red from the sun
Since that trip Irsquove been back many times as an adult Over the years Irsquove gone with my girl-friends in a rental car a boyfriend or two and my husband The Keys seem to remain quint-essentially the same as that first trip when my dad sat behind the wheel The relaxed atmo-sphere the beaches just off the main roads and the welcoming attitude of everyone you meet Sure therersquos new restaurants to be discovered and the lively Key West night spots change ev-ery decade or so but truth be told this is the Florida Keys everyone loves the Keys filled with character and life and always ready to deliver a good time I enjoyed editing this issue of Travel Savvy Guess where my next family vacation will be this time with me at the wheel The Keys of course
mdashPaula
Paula Keung Editor Travel Savvy Digital Media
TwittertrvlsvvyFacebook Page
T R AV E L S AV V Y f o r F L O R I D A K E Y S
Publisher stig baasvik
editorial director Paula keung
creative director ken thelian
advertising oPerations eva kulova
495 CommuniCations LLC
Paula keung
bret Polansky
ken thelian
traveL savvy magazine
495 communications llc
new york new york
For advertising oPPortunities
Please call 917 428 0635
ContaCt
editorial Paula495communicationscom
oPerations eva495communicationscom
advertising ads495communicationscom
copy2012 495 communications
social media Partners
digital magazine develoPment
Just another
Production
3
FLORIDA KEYS | IN THIS ISSUE
Contents
Best of Key West
Family Style4
Eats Leave the Jacket Home
7Keys 1 Mile at time
9
The Keys Top 5 17
Key West Bucket List 15
On the Cover Scuba Divers Photograph by Rob OrsquoNeal
Letter from the Editor2
4
FLORIDA KEYS | FAMILY
Best of Key West Family StyleFran Gonzon Owner of Key West Toy Factory
291 Front StreetKey West FL 33040 (305) 296-0003 Key West Toy Factory Website
When Fran Gonzon and his wife began visiting the Keys in the 90rsquos they knew that the relaxed life-style was perfect for families After years of vacationing in the area in 2005 the family took the big step of moving to Key West perma-nently They immediately began renovating the old warehouse that would become the ultimate kid-friendly indoor playspace
The Key West Toy Factory opened its doors in 2010 complete with a life size replica Spanish Galleon shipwreck a Swiss Family Robin-son-style tree house and a live Kinkajou honey bear named Izzy
who roams the store all day cud-dling with visitors Izzy the Kinka-jou has grown so popular with lo-cals and visitors that she now has her own Facebook page
The fantastical shop is an other-worldly universe of fun Shelves are filled with hundreds of toys and games for every age from infants to adults Therersquos even a separate magic shop dedicated to tricks and illusions and staffed with on-duty magicians an ldquoImagineering Workshoprdquo where visitors can create arts-and-crafts and space to host birthday parties for up to 40 children and
parents When beach plans are waylaid by a passing shower The Key West Toy Factory is where you and your little ones should spend an exciting afternoon
If yoursquore looking to spend quality family-time in Key West who bet-ter to ask about the area than the owner of the Toy Factory Stop in and ask Mr Gonzon anything or consult his list below
1 Fort Zachary taylor State Park
State Park Website
This is the best beach in Key West for families Everyone can find something they love snorkel-
ing swimming fishing or loung-ing Picnic areas are plentiful and there are alot of equipment rent-al stands and bike trails
2 key WeSt ButterFly and nature conServatory
Conservatory Website
Centrally located on Duval Street the Conservatory is home to hun-dreds of butterflies and colorful birds Visitors can also explore the art gallery and learning center and take home a memento from the extensive gift shop Open 7 days from 9AM to 530PM Check their website for photos and videos
Photo credit Jaytro
Photo credit Matty yu
Photo credit key West toy Factory
5
FLORIDA KEYS | FAMILY
lyrsquos experienced tour guides will take you on an exciting two-hour tour where yoursquoll learn about the islandrsquos history on the back of a jet ski Yoursquoll stop at key locations along the way and learn the is-landrsquos little-known secrets such as the location of German U-boat 2513rsquos final resting place and the US Navy Seals dive-training site
lsquofast catrsquo ferry stop at the AampD Lobster House near the marina Be sure to visit the website above for more information about the Park as well as links to transpor-tation companies
4 SeBago Water SPortS
Sebago Water Sports Website
This reliable family-run opera-tion offers all types of excursions such as full-day tours dolphin encounters sunset cruises cat-amaran packages parasailing and deep sea fishing If therersquos anything you might want to do in the ocean itrsquos worth calling or emailing Sebago for information
5 Wave runner tourS oF key WeSt at BareFoot BIllyrsquoS Barefoot Billyrsquos Website
Key West is a 2 mile by 4 mile land mass but itrsquos a 28 mile trip all the way around Barefoot Bil-
grating birds and snorkelers can spot an abundance of marine life along the live coral reef and historic shipwrecks Explore the Civil War-era military prison at Fort Jefferson and take pictures of the gorgeous view from the top of the Fort But bring food-there are no food concessions on the island The plane ride is about 45 minutes while the ferry takes 3 hours If you opt for the
3 dry tortugaS natIonal Park amp Fort JeFFerSon
National Park Website
Plan on going to the Dry Tortu-gas National Park when yoursquore in Key West A group of small islands located about 70 miles from Key West and reachable only by boat or seaplane this is the perfect day trip There are many species of turtles and mi-
Photo credit national Park Service
Photo credit national Park Service
6
FLORIDA KEYS | FAMILY
Dining Tip From Fran Try Louiersquos Backyard Bar They brew their own hot sauce which is why their conch chowder is the best It also has a great wine list
Photo credit national Park Service
7
FLORIDA KEYS | EATS
No Jacket Required Dining in the Keys
Jon KalaferJonrsquos Website
Unlike other Florida com-munities the Keys canrsquot be defined by its residents
Personalities from all across the globe have landed in the Keys and never looked back Docu-mentary filmmaker Jon Kalafer owns a home in Summerland Key the bedroom community a few minutes east of Key West He says ldquoIrsquove been coming down to this area for the last 20 years with my family you canrsquot find a more relaxing place to berdquo
Stepping into life on the Keys means yoursquoll lose track of time gain a reddish tan and never once need anything more formal than a t-shirt Outdoorsy types beach bums and adventure lov-ers unite here Jon says ldquoYou can simply pull over the main highway Route 1 and take a dip in the water or snorkel and fishrdquo Jon says rdquoThe entire highway through the keys is one big rest stop where yoursquoll find beautiful beachesrdquoOf course yoursquoll need to stop for food and perhaps a beer at
some point Therersquos plenty of great seafood to be had but lo-cals recommend sticking with the local catch and avoiding the pricier imported selections Jon says ldquoSeasonally the Keys offers delicious local stone crab claws and lobster tail lsquoKey West Pinksrsquo are the local shrimp variety The favorite local fish is the lsquoHogfish Snapperrsquo You never see this fish anywhere except the Keys and it has a delicious unique tasterdquo Where else should you dine Jon and his wife Kori recommend the places below
looe key tIkI Bar27340 Overseas HwyRamrod Key FL 33042(305) 872-2215Looe Key Tiki Bar Website
Part dive shop part bar part res-taurant the Looe Key Tiki Bar at-tracts locals and visitors alike If you want to see true local color including the fun-loving hard-drinking crowd this is the place for that raw experience
Photo credit diveFlakeyS
Photo credit Jason arnold Photography
Editorrsquos Note Look out for Jonrsquos
film Once in a Lullaby The PS22
Chorus Story at the upcoming Tribe-
ca Film Festival Also check out his
last film weloveyoufilmcom
8
FLORIDA KEYS | EATS
BaByrsquoS coFFee3180 US Highway 1Big Pine KeyFL33043 (305) 744-9866Babyrsquos Coffee Website
A delicious alternative to home-made joe
troPIc cIneMa
416 Eaton StreetKey West Florida 33040Tropic Cinema Website
Rainy day Hit Tropic Cinema to catch an independent film
yoursquoll be visiting history The es-tablishment has been in business since 1931 originally a local gen-eral store the owners added the lsquopubrsquo room in 1936 Try the pub pizza with lsquofurry fish on the sidersquo which is the local way of saying a side of anchovies Like all bars with an interesting history No Name Pub sells T-shirts with fun-ny lines about how hard it is to find It isnrsquot a joke you have to work to find it It is on No Name Key which isnrsquot connected to the main road Route 1 You have to take a bridge off of Big Pine Key
MurrayrsquoS Market 24550 Overseas Highway Summerland Key FL 33042(305) 745-3534Murrayrsquos Market Website
For picnics try the sandwiches and prepared foods If yoursquore eating in this is a great place for meats groceries and sundries
Parrot dISe Water-Front Bar and grIlle183 Barry AvenueLittle Torch Key Florida 33042 (305) 872-9989Parrot Dise Waterfront Website
Parrot Dise offers a little of every-thing-along with a full bar therersquos a kidsrsquo menu a catering space and a waterfront view to enjoy If yoursquore boating over for dinner just tie your vessel to the restau-rantrsquos private dock The name is a nod to Keys expert Jimmy Buf-fet and while the atmosphere is laid back the food is ldquogourmet-levelrdquo Jon recommends the Lob-ster Reuben and the Jamaican Jerk Wings
no naMe PuB 30813 North Watson BoulevardBig Pine Key FL 33043(305) 872-9115 No Name Pub Website
No Name Pubrsquos sign above the door says ldquoYou Found Itrdquo and if you take the time to get here
galley grIllMM 25 US Hwy 1Summerland Key FL 33042(305) 745-3446
A favorite spot for big eaters-we love the pancakes and om-elettes Come for breakfast and try the Hobo Piled High Skillet Mmmm grits
Photo credit christof verboven
Photo credit Jason arnold Photography
9
FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
The Road Less Traveled Driving the Florida Keys a Mile at a TimeRob OrsquoNealRobrsquos Website
Originally from Dayton Ohio Rob OrsquoNeal moved to Key West after graduating from The Ohio Insti-tute of Photography in 1996 Since landing in this tropical paradise to become a photographer with the Key West Citizen newspaper Rob has become a true local traveling the Keys by car by boat and by plane with the famed Blue Angels Some of his local work can be seen in his book Key West Photo Safari (website) filled with the beautiful (beaches wildlife flowering poin-ciana treas) and the bizarre (a pep-per car bats ghostly abandoned bars) His next project a compre-hensive photography study of Cuba will be out next
Whatrsquos to love about the Keys be-sides sunny skies ocean waves and Key Limes Rob says the dress code is definitely a plus
ldquoI love living here mainly because I hate wearing long pants I have two pairs one is a pair of jeans for
the rare cool night and the other is a pair of black dress pants I wear once a year while covering the American Red Cross Humanitarian of the Year Awards Otherwise itrsquos just shorts all year roundrdquo
Since most folks traveling down the Keys from Miami do so by car herersquos Robrsquos road map by mile marker Rob notes ldquoAll lsquorightsrsquo and lsquoleftsrsquo are in reference to driving down the Keys If you are leav-ing Key West and driving back up the Keys just reverse those rights and lefts The smaller mile marker numbers are closer to the Keys because they are listed from south to northrdquo
CARD SOUND ROAD
There are two ways from Miami Dade County to the Florida Keys or Monroe County One is the Florida Turnpike and the other is Card Sound Road which runs parallel to the turnpike and is
more scenic Itrsquos slightly longer than the main road but yoursquoll love being surrounded by the lo-cal ecosystem Therersquos a bridge in the middle and the toll is $100 If yoursquore hungry stop at Alabama Jacks Locals wax po-etic about this place-itrsquos the right mix of down home local joint and great food Check out their web-site wwwalabamajackscom
Photo credit rex lavoie
Photo credit uwe Seiler
Photo credit little Palm Island
10 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
M I L E 9 3
WILD BIRD REHABILITA-TION CENTERWebsite
On the right side of the road there is a large sign for the Cen-ter but itrsquos hard to see until the last minute This is a great all-volunteer organization taking in injured hawks owls herons sea gulls and more The rehabilitated birds are then released back into the wild
M I L E 9 7 8
KONA KAI RESORT
Website
In Key Largo on the bay side yoursquoll find Kona Kai an elegant 11-room resort thatrsquos also an art gallery and botanical garden Itrsquos been awarded several travel awards for service and amenties Each room features original art-work and the service manages to be personal and discreet all at once There are tennis courts and a small beach No little ones-guests have to be 16+ years of age
M I L E 9 8 2
PINK JUNKTIqUEFacebook Page
On the Oceanside is a well-stocked consignment shop A little pricey but cool stuff can be found from time to time
M I L E 1 0 2 6
JOHN D PENNEKAMP STATE PARK
Website
The parkrsquos Visitor Center has a 30000 gal aquarium that is fun to check out You can also snor-kel right off the beach which features a Spanish shipwreck just 100 ft off the shore The Park also offers snorkeling and SCU-BA diving trips Open from 8AM to 5PM daily
Photo credit little Palm Island
Photo credit nancy Johnson
Photo credit lynda Quintero-davids
11 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
M I L E 8 2
CHEECA LODGE
Website
A four-diamond property the Cheeca Lodge is an upscale re-sort that offers the right blend of luxury and relaxation with a love-ly staff and beautiful grounds
Whether you stay here or not Rob recommends dining at Nikai Sushi Restaurant on the proper-ty Try the Keysie Japanesie roll or the Big Kahuna
s
M I L E 8 3
THE DIVING MUSEUMWebsite
This is the perfect place for any-one who loves Scuba Diving There are alot of displays and information on the history of diving and a great gift shop for anything dive related
M I L E 8 4 9
WINDLEY KEY FOSSIL REEF GEOLOGICAL SITEWebsite
In the 1900rsquos this was an old rock quarry that was used to mine cor-al stone for the Overseas High-way Now it offers a few trails through the natural hammock of the Florida Keys Itrsquos great for a stretch of the legs while learning a little history Note The park is closed Tuesdays and Wednes-days
M I L E 8 6
RAIN BARREL ARTISANrsquoS VILLAGEHOME OF THE GIANT 40rsquo LOBSTER
Website
You canrsquot miss this just look for a 40rsquo lobster on the Bayside The Rain Barrel is a collection of small art galleries and shops that are individually owned and operat-ed Itrsquos a good place to pull over and browse for some fun souve-nirs like hand blown glass sculp-tures and jewelry
12 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
trail is named for the Golden Orb Weaver They are quite beautiful The trail takes you alongside the beach and into the hammock with transitioning ecology along the way They also have canoe rentals and a canoe trail mapped out
walk along the Boardwalk make sure you watch closely for the occasional large crabs scurrying back into their holes There are public restrooms here also
M I L E 6 7 5
LONG KEY STATE PARKWebsite
This little State Park is home to the Golden Orb Trail ndash an incred-ible walk through many different ecosystems If you look closely you may spot the spider that the
you can buy for $2 Bring your camera tarpon can be larger than 100 lbs
M I L E 7 3 5
ANNErsquoS BEACH
Need a rest stop or want to stretch your legs Stop at Annersquos Beach which has two entrances just sev-eral hundred yards apart that are connected by a boardwalk with a lot of little pavilions along it The sand is unusual it has tiny bits of coral and shell in it While you
M I L E 7 7 5
ROBBIErsquoS MARINA OF ISLAMORADAWebsite
Robbiersquos Marina is where you can rent boats or schedule excur-sions Trips to Lignumvitae Key on the Bayside and Indian Key on the Oceanside are offered here See Micah at the Kayak Shack hersquos a great musician and very knowledgeable about the area
Therersquos a fantastic eatery at the Marina-The Hungry Tarpon (wwwhungrytarponcom) Or-der fish tacos and then wander around back and feed the tarpon off the pier with buckets of fish
Photo credit Mklinchin
Photo credit Stephen radford
Photo credit Floridakeysgirlcom
13 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
M I L E 2 8 5
LITTLE PALM ISLANDWebsite
This boutique luxury resort is located on Little Torch Key and offers just 30 bungalows The hotel offers a water taxi service and plenty of romance Look for a brown road sign with an anchor on it The entrance to their shore station is on the oceanside One of the best dining experiences in the Keys is at their Dining Room Make a reservation and your ad-venture begins with a 15-minute boat ride to the most intimate and remote restaurants in the Florida Keys
M I L E 3 0
KEY DEER REFUGE NATURE TRAILWebsite
A little farther down from the Blue Hole in Big Pine Key there is a nature trail through the Key Deer Refuge which is located in the Big Pine Key Shopping PlazaActually the whole island of Big Pine Key is a Key Deer refuge but this particular trail is well marked It is about a mile long and takes you through a variety of different ecosystems Informative signs periodically dot the trail telling you about the native flora and fauna And itrsquos free
M I L E 3 0
BLUE HOLE Website
The Blue Hole is on Big Pine Key Turn right on Key Deer Blvd amp veer to the left-the low speed limit is because Key Deer can be found walking roadside espe-cially around dawn and dusk You will see the Blue Hole entrance on the left it is the only fresh water lake in the Florida Keys and be-cause of that you can spot some unique wildlife at times Yoursquoll likely see any number of rare wild birds alligators snakes and oc-casionally a Key Deer will wander up as well Sometimes therersquos a guide on duty but therersquos no published hours so just stop in
M I L E 5 3 5
SPARKYrsquoS LANDINGWebsite
At Key Colony Beach Marina in Marathon Sparkyrsquos might just have the best fish tacos in all of the Keys Try the Gratinee and Blue Cheese Chips
M I L E 4 8
THE TURTLE HOSPITALWebsite
This group saves and rehabs sea turtles all over the Keys and greater Florida They offer tours a few times a day The website also features a blog where you can read about individual turtles they have saved or are currently caring for
Photo credit rob orsquoneal
14 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
rays starfish and other aquatic creatures live Also across the marina yoursquoll see EP Daltonrsquos Ul-tralight The Ultralight is a fixed wing aircraft that allows you to see the entire area aerially Please note that EP can only take one person at a time but the views are stunning Check it out here wwwkeywestfloatscom
To get there exit at MM 17 and you will see Sugarloaf Lodge on the right Directly after you will see signs to ldquoSkydiverdquo turn right at that sign Towards the end of this little road you will see the old Bat Tower of Sugarloaf
M I L E 1 7
REELAX CHARTERSKEY WEST KAYAK TOURS AND EP DALTONrsquoS ULTRALIGHTWebsite
Andrea Paulson runs Reelax Charters in Sugarloaf Marina where you can book kayak tours to see all the beautiful wildlife we have in the Keys The super-friendly and knowledgeable cap-tain will anchor off a sandy beach and guide you through mangrove creeks where small sharks sting-
M I L E 1 7
BAT TOWER ON SUGARLOAF
A man named Perky built this bat tower in the 1920rsquos or 30rsquos He wanted to open a hotel on Sugar-loaf but found the mosquitoes to be abundant He commissioned a bat tower in hopes that bats would eat the mosquitoes Good idea in theory but after import-ing many bats for the task they soon flew away never to return
Ph
oto
cre
dit
ro
b o
rsquonea
l
Photo credit uwe Seiler
15 FLORIDA KEYS | GUEST LIST
The Key West Bucket ListDavid Sloan
David L Sloan quit his corporate job and moved to Key West in 1996 A former cruise ship GM he is the founder of Key Westrsquos Original Ghost Tour author of 10 books an artist musician and songwriter He lives in Old Town Key West with his macaw and pit bull David wrote The Bucket List
in response to the overwhelming number of guide books featuring paid advertorials for mediocre activities ldquoPeople are looking for adventures The Bucket List sends them down the right path and Key West takes care of the restrdquo
Step beyond the guidebooks and experience the Florida Keys like a local Herersquos a few of Da-vidrsquos gems for how to spend your time in Key West
1 Hand-feed a Tarpon
Save your food scraps from the Schooner Wharf Bar and feed them to the sea creatures lurk-ing below the docks Watch your fingers The tarpon take ldquohand-feedingrdquo literally 202 William Street (305) 292-3302 wwwschoonerwharfcom
2 STay in a HaunTed HoTeL
Bars are not the only things that go bump in the night Check into Marrerorsquos Guest Mansion and you may have a close encoun-ter with the mansionrsquos resident ghost 410 Fleming Street (305) 294-6977 wwwmarreroscom
3 SearcH for fLamingoS from a KayaK
While authentic flamingos are not as prevalent as the plastic variety found in Floridianrsquos front yards the search with Lazy Dog Kayak Adventures will leave you tickled pink 5114 Overseas High-way (305) 295-9898 wwwlazy-dogcom
4 caTcH your oWn LoBSTer
Why should fishermen have all the fun Skip the fancy restau-rants and hire 6-Pack Charters for a day on the water with Cap-tain Billy Rentz It doesnrsquot get any fresher than this (305) 240-0464 www6packkeywestcom
Photo credit longhorndave
16 FLORIDA KEYS | GUEST LIST
Hungry for more The Key West Bucket List includes 100 ways to have a real Florida Keys expe-rience Pick up a copy for your NOOK or Kindle at
wwwamazoncomauthorsloan
7 SLip inTo a pair of KinoS
Comfortable classy sandals made in Key West A staple for any local worth their weight in conch At 14 bucks a pair you wonrsquot want to slip them off (107 Fitzpatrick Street 305-294-5044 wwwkinosandalscom)
6maKe a Key Lime pie
Grab a few ingredients from Faustorsquos Food Palace and try your hand at this island favorite that comes together easy as pie 522 Fleming Street (305) 296-5663 wwwfaustoscom
5SuBmiT a crazy commenT To ldquoTHe ciTizenrsquoS Voicerdquo
Our local paper has an anony-mous comment column where lo-cals and tourists vie for bragging rights on the days most humor-ous or bizarre comment Phone in or e-mail your brief and enter-taining thoughts then let your friends on Twitter and Facebook know you have been published in Key West Key West Citizenrsquos Voice (305) 293-7900 voicekeysnewscom
Photo credit najwa kronfel
17 FLORIDA KEYS | BEST OF
Top 5 in the Keys
Stephanie Goldberg Glazer Florida Keys Girl Blog Website
Stephanie Goldberg Glazer is the Florida Keys Girl Her blog wwwfloridakeysgirlcom is fo-cused on life in Key West and be-yond covering traveling eating wine drinking and the crazy adven-tures of her dog Babka Stephanie is the co-host of 3 Loud Women and runs Your Personal Manager Inc a full service personal assistant company helping clients plan and enjoy their vacations
ldquoIt is hard not to love the Florida Keys and frankly I find anyone who claims they donrsquot a bit sus-pect With so many things to do (ldquorelaxingrdquo counts as doing) you can exert as much or as lit-tle effort as you like My favor-ite things to do typically revolve around eating drinking and merriment as evidenced by the
list and the constant thought of dieting lsquolaterrsquordquo
the FlorIda keyS toP FIve
The Keys have so many quirky restaurants and one
of my favorite spots to lunch while driving to or from Key West is Keys Fisheries in Marathon The food is great prepared to order (quickly) and when order-ing at the walk up window cus-tomers are identified by their fa-vorite movie or the like
My favorite place to stop for coffee (by ldquocoffeerdquo I mean
ldquocoffee and an almond crois-santrdquo) is the Village Gourmet in Islamorada Good coffee to-die-for pastries and a water bowl for my dog
Whenever we have out of town guests we take them
on a sunset sail There is very lit-tle more beautiful than the Flor-ida Keys sunsets I like Danger
Charters Wind and Winendash small ships great service and a nice wine selection
I have two favorite restau-rants and on special oc-
casions like my birthday I may hit them both in the same day The Flaming Buoy Filet Co on Packer Street has a quiet neigh-borhood feel The food is great service friendly and they have a spicy chocolate quesadilla for dessert Donrsquot knock it lsquotil yoursquove
tried it Azur on Grinnell Street splits their awe-
someness across several meals
Brunch there is superb (Key lime pie stuffed French toast enough said) Dinner is equally wonder-ful with homemade gnocchi and fresh seafood
1
2
3
4
5
Photo credit uwe Seiler
Photo credit Matty yu
Photo credit rob orsquoneal
from the editors of
2
FLA KEYS | EDITORIAL
Editorrsquos LetterBy Paula Keung
As a native South Floridian I have been fortunate enough to visit the Keys on many occasions My first memory of the Keys is a family road trip with my parents in the front of a large Lincoln sedan my brother and I seated in the cavernous back with
the windows rolled down My parents let us set the radio dial to our favorite station we sang to everything from INXS to Aerosmith while the car rolled south the balmy ocean air pushing our hair from our faces
My dad had booked a budget hotel in Key West (probably a Holiday or Days Inn) and we had planned on relaxing at the beach eating at the local diners and generally not doing much beyond that The beaches were different than the ones near my home-they were less crowded and the sand dunes gave them an exotic feel We ducked our heads under the ocean water in search of parrot fish and other colorful creatures we were thrilled to see a turtle on the sand At night we strolled lively Duval Street in search of dinner I held my momrsquos arm to avoid being car-
ried away by the jolly crowds ducking in and out of the restaurants and bars We ate conch chow-der for dinner with fries and sodas our shoul-ders and noses bright red from the sun
Since that trip Irsquove been back many times as an adult Over the years Irsquove gone with my girl-friends in a rental car a boyfriend or two and my husband The Keys seem to remain quint-essentially the same as that first trip when my dad sat behind the wheel The relaxed atmo-sphere the beaches just off the main roads and the welcoming attitude of everyone you meet Sure therersquos new restaurants to be discovered and the lively Key West night spots change ev-ery decade or so but truth be told this is the Florida Keys everyone loves the Keys filled with character and life and always ready to deliver a good time I enjoyed editing this issue of Travel Savvy Guess where my next family vacation will be this time with me at the wheel The Keys of course
mdashPaula
Paula Keung Editor Travel Savvy Digital Media
TwittertrvlsvvyFacebook Page
T R AV E L S AV V Y f o r F L O R I D A K E Y S
Publisher stig baasvik
editorial director Paula keung
creative director ken thelian
advertising oPerations eva kulova
495 CommuniCations LLC
Paula keung
bret Polansky
ken thelian
traveL savvy magazine
495 communications llc
new york new york
For advertising oPPortunities
Please call 917 428 0635
ContaCt
editorial Paula495communicationscom
oPerations eva495communicationscom
advertising ads495communicationscom
copy2012 495 communications
social media Partners
digital magazine develoPment
Just another
Production
3
FLORIDA KEYS | IN THIS ISSUE
Contents
Best of Key West
Family Style4
Eats Leave the Jacket Home
7Keys 1 Mile at time
9
The Keys Top 5 17
Key West Bucket List 15
On the Cover Scuba Divers Photograph by Rob OrsquoNeal
Letter from the Editor2
4
FLORIDA KEYS | FAMILY
Best of Key West Family StyleFran Gonzon Owner of Key West Toy Factory
291 Front StreetKey West FL 33040 (305) 296-0003 Key West Toy Factory Website
When Fran Gonzon and his wife began visiting the Keys in the 90rsquos they knew that the relaxed life-style was perfect for families After years of vacationing in the area in 2005 the family took the big step of moving to Key West perma-nently They immediately began renovating the old warehouse that would become the ultimate kid-friendly indoor playspace
The Key West Toy Factory opened its doors in 2010 complete with a life size replica Spanish Galleon shipwreck a Swiss Family Robin-son-style tree house and a live Kinkajou honey bear named Izzy
who roams the store all day cud-dling with visitors Izzy the Kinka-jou has grown so popular with lo-cals and visitors that she now has her own Facebook page
The fantastical shop is an other-worldly universe of fun Shelves are filled with hundreds of toys and games for every age from infants to adults Therersquos even a separate magic shop dedicated to tricks and illusions and staffed with on-duty magicians an ldquoImagineering Workshoprdquo where visitors can create arts-and-crafts and space to host birthday parties for up to 40 children and
parents When beach plans are waylaid by a passing shower The Key West Toy Factory is where you and your little ones should spend an exciting afternoon
If yoursquore looking to spend quality family-time in Key West who bet-ter to ask about the area than the owner of the Toy Factory Stop in and ask Mr Gonzon anything or consult his list below
1 Fort Zachary taylor State Park
State Park Website
This is the best beach in Key West for families Everyone can find something they love snorkel-
ing swimming fishing or loung-ing Picnic areas are plentiful and there are alot of equipment rent-al stands and bike trails
2 key WeSt ButterFly and nature conServatory
Conservatory Website
Centrally located on Duval Street the Conservatory is home to hun-dreds of butterflies and colorful birds Visitors can also explore the art gallery and learning center and take home a memento from the extensive gift shop Open 7 days from 9AM to 530PM Check their website for photos and videos
Photo credit Jaytro
Photo credit Matty yu
Photo credit key West toy Factory
5
FLORIDA KEYS | FAMILY
lyrsquos experienced tour guides will take you on an exciting two-hour tour where yoursquoll learn about the islandrsquos history on the back of a jet ski Yoursquoll stop at key locations along the way and learn the is-landrsquos little-known secrets such as the location of German U-boat 2513rsquos final resting place and the US Navy Seals dive-training site
lsquofast catrsquo ferry stop at the AampD Lobster House near the marina Be sure to visit the website above for more information about the Park as well as links to transpor-tation companies
4 SeBago Water SPortS
Sebago Water Sports Website
This reliable family-run opera-tion offers all types of excursions such as full-day tours dolphin encounters sunset cruises cat-amaran packages parasailing and deep sea fishing If therersquos anything you might want to do in the ocean itrsquos worth calling or emailing Sebago for information
5 Wave runner tourS oF key WeSt at BareFoot BIllyrsquoS Barefoot Billyrsquos Website
Key West is a 2 mile by 4 mile land mass but itrsquos a 28 mile trip all the way around Barefoot Bil-
grating birds and snorkelers can spot an abundance of marine life along the live coral reef and historic shipwrecks Explore the Civil War-era military prison at Fort Jefferson and take pictures of the gorgeous view from the top of the Fort But bring food-there are no food concessions on the island The plane ride is about 45 minutes while the ferry takes 3 hours If you opt for the
3 dry tortugaS natIonal Park amp Fort JeFFerSon
National Park Website
Plan on going to the Dry Tortu-gas National Park when yoursquore in Key West A group of small islands located about 70 miles from Key West and reachable only by boat or seaplane this is the perfect day trip There are many species of turtles and mi-
Photo credit national Park Service
Photo credit national Park Service
6
FLORIDA KEYS | FAMILY
Dining Tip From Fran Try Louiersquos Backyard Bar They brew their own hot sauce which is why their conch chowder is the best It also has a great wine list
Photo credit national Park Service
7
FLORIDA KEYS | EATS
No Jacket Required Dining in the Keys
Jon KalaferJonrsquos Website
Unlike other Florida com-munities the Keys canrsquot be defined by its residents
Personalities from all across the globe have landed in the Keys and never looked back Docu-mentary filmmaker Jon Kalafer owns a home in Summerland Key the bedroom community a few minutes east of Key West He says ldquoIrsquove been coming down to this area for the last 20 years with my family you canrsquot find a more relaxing place to berdquo
Stepping into life on the Keys means yoursquoll lose track of time gain a reddish tan and never once need anything more formal than a t-shirt Outdoorsy types beach bums and adventure lov-ers unite here Jon says ldquoYou can simply pull over the main highway Route 1 and take a dip in the water or snorkel and fishrdquo Jon says rdquoThe entire highway through the keys is one big rest stop where yoursquoll find beautiful beachesrdquoOf course yoursquoll need to stop for food and perhaps a beer at
some point Therersquos plenty of great seafood to be had but lo-cals recommend sticking with the local catch and avoiding the pricier imported selections Jon says ldquoSeasonally the Keys offers delicious local stone crab claws and lobster tail lsquoKey West Pinksrsquo are the local shrimp variety The favorite local fish is the lsquoHogfish Snapperrsquo You never see this fish anywhere except the Keys and it has a delicious unique tasterdquo Where else should you dine Jon and his wife Kori recommend the places below
looe key tIkI Bar27340 Overseas HwyRamrod Key FL 33042(305) 872-2215Looe Key Tiki Bar Website
Part dive shop part bar part res-taurant the Looe Key Tiki Bar at-tracts locals and visitors alike If you want to see true local color including the fun-loving hard-drinking crowd this is the place for that raw experience
Photo credit diveFlakeyS
Photo credit Jason arnold Photography
Editorrsquos Note Look out for Jonrsquos
film Once in a Lullaby The PS22
Chorus Story at the upcoming Tribe-
ca Film Festival Also check out his
last film weloveyoufilmcom
8
FLORIDA KEYS | EATS
BaByrsquoS coFFee3180 US Highway 1Big Pine KeyFL33043 (305) 744-9866Babyrsquos Coffee Website
A delicious alternative to home-made joe
troPIc cIneMa
416 Eaton StreetKey West Florida 33040Tropic Cinema Website
Rainy day Hit Tropic Cinema to catch an independent film
yoursquoll be visiting history The es-tablishment has been in business since 1931 originally a local gen-eral store the owners added the lsquopubrsquo room in 1936 Try the pub pizza with lsquofurry fish on the sidersquo which is the local way of saying a side of anchovies Like all bars with an interesting history No Name Pub sells T-shirts with fun-ny lines about how hard it is to find It isnrsquot a joke you have to work to find it It is on No Name Key which isnrsquot connected to the main road Route 1 You have to take a bridge off of Big Pine Key
MurrayrsquoS Market 24550 Overseas Highway Summerland Key FL 33042(305) 745-3534Murrayrsquos Market Website
For picnics try the sandwiches and prepared foods If yoursquore eating in this is a great place for meats groceries and sundries
Parrot dISe Water-Front Bar and grIlle183 Barry AvenueLittle Torch Key Florida 33042 (305) 872-9989Parrot Dise Waterfront Website
Parrot Dise offers a little of every-thing-along with a full bar therersquos a kidsrsquo menu a catering space and a waterfront view to enjoy If yoursquore boating over for dinner just tie your vessel to the restau-rantrsquos private dock The name is a nod to Keys expert Jimmy Buf-fet and while the atmosphere is laid back the food is ldquogourmet-levelrdquo Jon recommends the Lob-ster Reuben and the Jamaican Jerk Wings
no naMe PuB 30813 North Watson BoulevardBig Pine Key FL 33043(305) 872-9115 No Name Pub Website
No Name Pubrsquos sign above the door says ldquoYou Found Itrdquo and if you take the time to get here
galley grIllMM 25 US Hwy 1Summerland Key FL 33042(305) 745-3446
A favorite spot for big eaters-we love the pancakes and om-elettes Come for breakfast and try the Hobo Piled High Skillet Mmmm grits
Photo credit christof verboven
Photo credit Jason arnold Photography
9
FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
The Road Less Traveled Driving the Florida Keys a Mile at a TimeRob OrsquoNealRobrsquos Website
Originally from Dayton Ohio Rob OrsquoNeal moved to Key West after graduating from The Ohio Insti-tute of Photography in 1996 Since landing in this tropical paradise to become a photographer with the Key West Citizen newspaper Rob has become a true local traveling the Keys by car by boat and by plane with the famed Blue Angels Some of his local work can be seen in his book Key West Photo Safari (website) filled with the beautiful (beaches wildlife flowering poin-ciana treas) and the bizarre (a pep-per car bats ghostly abandoned bars) His next project a compre-hensive photography study of Cuba will be out next
Whatrsquos to love about the Keys be-sides sunny skies ocean waves and Key Limes Rob says the dress code is definitely a plus
ldquoI love living here mainly because I hate wearing long pants I have two pairs one is a pair of jeans for
the rare cool night and the other is a pair of black dress pants I wear once a year while covering the American Red Cross Humanitarian of the Year Awards Otherwise itrsquos just shorts all year roundrdquo
Since most folks traveling down the Keys from Miami do so by car herersquos Robrsquos road map by mile marker Rob notes ldquoAll lsquorightsrsquo and lsquoleftsrsquo are in reference to driving down the Keys If you are leav-ing Key West and driving back up the Keys just reverse those rights and lefts The smaller mile marker numbers are closer to the Keys because they are listed from south to northrdquo
CARD SOUND ROAD
There are two ways from Miami Dade County to the Florida Keys or Monroe County One is the Florida Turnpike and the other is Card Sound Road which runs parallel to the turnpike and is
more scenic Itrsquos slightly longer than the main road but yoursquoll love being surrounded by the lo-cal ecosystem Therersquos a bridge in the middle and the toll is $100 If yoursquore hungry stop at Alabama Jacks Locals wax po-etic about this place-itrsquos the right mix of down home local joint and great food Check out their web-site wwwalabamajackscom
Photo credit rex lavoie
Photo credit uwe Seiler
Photo credit little Palm Island
10 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
M I L E 9 3
WILD BIRD REHABILITA-TION CENTERWebsite
On the right side of the road there is a large sign for the Cen-ter but itrsquos hard to see until the last minute This is a great all-volunteer organization taking in injured hawks owls herons sea gulls and more The rehabilitated birds are then released back into the wild
M I L E 9 7 8
KONA KAI RESORT
Website
In Key Largo on the bay side yoursquoll find Kona Kai an elegant 11-room resort thatrsquos also an art gallery and botanical garden Itrsquos been awarded several travel awards for service and amenties Each room features original art-work and the service manages to be personal and discreet all at once There are tennis courts and a small beach No little ones-guests have to be 16+ years of age
M I L E 9 8 2
PINK JUNKTIqUEFacebook Page
On the Oceanside is a well-stocked consignment shop A little pricey but cool stuff can be found from time to time
M I L E 1 0 2 6
JOHN D PENNEKAMP STATE PARK
Website
The parkrsquos Visitor Center has a 30000 gal aquarium that is fun to check out You can also snor-kel right off the beach which features a Spanish shipwreck just 100 ft off the shore The Park also offers snorkeling and SCU-BA diving trips Open from 8AM to 5PM daily
Photo credit little Palm Island
Photo credit nancy Johnson
Photo credit lynda Quintero-davids
11 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
M I L E 8 2
CHEECA LODGE
Website
A four-diamond property the Cheeca Lodge is an upscale re-sort that offers the right blend of luxury and relaxation with a love-ly staff and beautiful grounds
Whether you stay here or not Rob recommends dining at Nikai Sushi Restaurant on the proper-ty Try the Keysie Japanesie roll or the Big Kahuna
s
M I L E 8 3
THE DIVING MUSEUMWebsite
This is the perfect place for any-one who loves Scuba Diving There are alot of displays and information on the history of diving and a great gift shop for anything dive related
M I L E 8 4 9
WINDLEY KEY FOSSIL REEF GEOLOGICAL SITEWebsite
In the 1900rsquos this was an old rock quarry that was used to mine cor-al stone for the Overseas High-way Now it offers a few trails through the natural hammock of the Florida Keys Itrsquos great for a stretch of the legs while learning a little history Note The park is closed Tuesdays and Wednes-days
M I L E 8 6
RAIN BARREL ARTISANrsquoS VILLAGEHOME OF THE GIANT 40rsquo LOBSTER
Website
You canrsquot miss this just look for a 40rsquo lobster on the Bayside The Rain Barrel is a collection of small art galleries and shops that are individually owned and operat-ed Itrsquos a good place to pull over and browse for some fun souve-nirs like hand blown glass sculp-tures and jewelry
12 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
trail is named for the Golden Orb Weaver They are quite beautiful The trail takes you alongside the beach and into the hammock with transitioning ecology along the way They also have canoe rentals and a canoe trail mapped out
walk along the Boardwalk make sure you watch closely for the occasional large crabs scurrying back into their holes There are public restrooms here also
M I L E 6 7 5
LONG KEY STATE PARKWebsite
This little State Park is home to the Golden Orb Trail ndash an incred-ible walk through many different ecosystems If you look closely you may spot the spider that the
you can buy for $2 Bring your camera tarpon can be larger than 100 lbs
M I L E 7 3 5
ANNErsquoS BEACH
Need a rest stop or want to stretch your legs Stop at Annersquos Beach which has two entrances just sev-eral hundred yards apart that are connected by a boardwalk with a lot of little pavilions along it The sand is unusual it has tiny bits of coral and shell in it While you
M I L E 7 7 5
ROBBIErsquoS MARINA OF ISLAMORADAWebsite
Robbiersquos Marina is where you can rent boats or schedule excur-sions Trips to Lignumvitae Key on the Bayside and Indian Key on the Oceanside are offered here See Micah at the Kayak Shack hersquos a great musician and very knowledgeable about the area
Therersquos a fantastic eatery at the Marina-The Hungry Tarpon (wwwhungrytarponcom) Or-der fish tacos and then wander around back and feed the tarpon off the pier with buckets of fish
Photo credit Mklinchin
Photo credit Stephen radford
Photo credit Floridakeysgirlcom
13 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
M I L E 2 8 5
LITTLE PALM ISLANDWebsite
This boutique luxury resort is located on Little Torch Key and offers just 30 bungalows The hotel offers a water taxi service and plenty of romance Look for a brown road sign with an anchor on it The entrance to their shore station is on the oceanside One of the best dining experiences in the Keys is at their Dining Room Make a reservation and your ad-venture begins with a 15-minute boat ride to the most intimate and remote restaurants in the Florida Keys
M I L E 3 0
KEY DEER REFUGE NATURE TRAILWebsite
A little farther down from the Blue Hole in Big Pine Key there is a nature trail through the Key Deer Refuge which is located in the Big Pine Key Shopping PlazaActually the whole island of Big Pine Key is a Key Deer refuge but this particular trail is well marked It is about a mile long and takes you through a variety of different ecosystems Informative signs periodically dot the trail telling you about the native flora and fauna And itrsquos free
M I L E 3 0
BLUE HOLE Website
The Blue Hole is on Big Pine Key Turn right on Key Deer Blvd amp veer to the left-the low speed limit is because Key Deer can be found walking roadside espe-cially around dawn and dusk You will see the Blue Hole entrance on the left it is the only fresh water lake in the Florida Keys and be-cause of that you can spot some unique wildlife at times Yoursquoll likely see any number of rare wild birds alligators snakes and oc-casionally a Key Deer will wander up as well Sometimes therersquos a guide on duty but therersquos no published hours so just stop in
M I L E 5 3 5
SPARKYrsquoS LANDINGWebsite
At Key Colony Beach Marina in Marathon Sparkyrsquos might just have the best fish tacos in all of the Keys Try the Gratinee and Blue Cheese Chips
M I L E 4 8
THE TURTLE HOSPITALWebsite
This group saves and rehabs sea turtles all over the Keys and greater Florida They offer tours a few times a day The website also features a blog where you can read about individual turtles they have saved or are currently caring for
Photo credit rob orsquoneal
14 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
rays starfish and other aquatic creatures live Also across the marina yoursquoll see EP Daltonrsquos Ul-tralight The Ultralight is a fixed wing aircraft that allows you to see the entire area aerially Please note that EP can only take one person at a time but the views are stunning Check it out here wwwkeywestfloatscom
To get there exit at MM 17 and you will see Sugarloaf Lodge on the right Directly after you will see signs to ldquoSkydiverdquo turn right at that sign Towards the end of this little road you will see the old Bat Tower of Sugarloaf
M I L E 1 7
REELAX CHARTERSKEY WEST KAYAK TOURS AND EP DALTONrsquoS ULTRALIGHTWebsite
Andrea Paulson runs Reelax Charters in Sugarloaf Marina where you can book kayak tours to see all the beautiful wildlife we have in the Keys The super-friendly and knowledgeable cap-tain will anchor off a sandy beach and guide you through mangrove creeks where small sharks sting-
M I L E 1 7
BAT TOWER ON SUGARLOAF
A man named Perky built this bat tower in the 1920rsquos or 30rsquos He wanted to open a hotel on Sugar-loaf but found the mosquitoes to be abundant He commissioned a bat tower in hopes that bats would eat the mosquitoes Good idea in theory but after import-ing many bats for the task they soon flew away never to return
Ph
oto
cre
dit
ro
b o
rsquonea
l
Photo credit uwe Seiler
15 FLORIDA KEYS | GUEST LIST
The Key West Bucket ListDavid Sloan
David L Sloan quit his corporate job and moved to Key West in 1996 A former cruise ship GM he is the founder of Key Westrsquos Original Ghost Tour author of 10 books an artist musician and songwriter He lives in Old Town Key West with his macaw and pit bull David wrote The Bucket List
in response to the overwhelming number of guide books featuring paid advertorials for mediocre activities ldquoPeople are looking for adventures The Bucket List sends them down the right path and Key West takes care of the restrdquo
Step beyond the guidebooks and experience the Florida Keys like a local Herersquos a few of Da-vidrsquos gems for how to spend your time in Key West
1 Hand-feed a Tarpon
Save your food scraps from the Schooner Wharf Bar and feed them to the sea creatures lurk-ing below the docks Watch your fingers The tarpon take ldquohand-feedingrdquo literally 202 William Street (305) 292-3302 wwwschoonerwharfcom
2 STay in a HaunTed HoTeL
Bars are not the only things that go bump in the night Check into Marrerorsquos Guest Mansion and you may have a close encoun-ter with the mansionrsquos resident ghost 410 Fleming Street (305) 294-6977 wwwmarreroscom
3 SearcH for fLamingoS from a KayaK
While authentic flamingos are not as prevalent as the plastic variety found in Floridianrsquos front yards the search with Lazy Dog Kayak Adventures will leave you tickled pink 5114 Overseas High-way (305) 295-9898 wwwlazy-dogcom
4 caTcH your oWn LoBSTer
Why should fishermen have all the fun Skip the fancy restau-rants and hire 6-Pack Charters for a day on the water with Cap-tain Billy Rentz It doesnrsquot get any fresher than this (305) 240-0464 www6packkeywestcom
Photo credit longhorndave
16 FLORIDA KEYS | GUEST LIST
Hungry for more The Key West Bucket List includes 100 ways to have a real Florida Keys expe-rience Pick up a copy for your NOOK or Kindle at
wwwamazoncomauthorsloan
7 SLip inTo a pair of KinoS
Comfortable classy sandals made in Key West A staple for any local worth their weight in conch At 14 bucks a pair you wonrsquot want to slip them off (107 Fitzpatrick Street 305-294-5044 wwwkinosandalscom)
6maKe a Key Lime pie
Grab a few ingredients from Faustorsquos Food Palace and try your hand at this island favorite that comes together easy as pie 522 Fleming Street (305) 296-5663 wwwfaustoscom
5SuBmiT a crazy commenT To ldquoTHe ciTizenrsquoS Voicerdquo
Our local paper has an anony-mous comment column where lo-cals and tourists vie for bragging rights on the days most humor-ous or bizarre comment Phone in or e-mail your brief and enter-taining thoughts then let your friends on Twitter and Facebook know you have been published in Key West Key West Citizenrsquos Voice (305) 293-7900 voicekeysnewscom
Photo credit najwa kronfel
17 FLORIDA KEYS | BEST OF
Top 5 in the Keys
Stephanie Goldberg Glazer Florida Keys Girl Blog Website
Stephanie Goldberg Glazer is the Florida Keys Girl Her blog wwwfloridakeysgirlcom is fo-cused on life in Key West and be-yond covering traveling eating wine drinking and the crazy adven-tures of her dog Babka Stephanie is the co-host of 3 Loud Women and runs Your Personal Manager Inc a full service personal assistant company helping clients plan and enjoy their vacations
ldquoIt is hard not to love the Florida Keys and frankly I find anyone who claims they donrsquot a bit sus-pect With so many things to do (ldquorelaxingrdquo counts as doing) you can exert as much or as lit-tle effort as you like My favor-ite things to do typically revolve around eating drinking and merriment as evidenced by the
list and the constant thought of dieting lsquolaterrsquordquo
the FlorIda keyS toP FIve
The Keys have so many quirky restaurants and one
of my favorite spots to lunch while driving to or from Key West is Keys Fisheries in Marathon The food is great prepared to order (quickly) and when order-ing at the walk up window cus-tomers are identified by their fa-vorite movie or the like
My favorite place to stop for coffee (by ldquocoffeerdquo I mean
ldquocoffee and an almond crois-santrdquo) is the Village Gourmet in Islamorada Good coffee to-die-for pastries and a water bowl for my dog
Whenever we have out of town guests we take them
on a sunset sail There is very lit-tle more beautiful than the Flor-ida Keys sunsets I like Danger
Charters Wind and Winendash small ships great service and a nice wine selection
I have two favorite restau-rants and on special oc-
casions like my birthday I may hit them both in the same day The Flaming Buoy Filet Co on Packer Street has a quiet neigh-borhood feel The food is great service friendly and they have a spicy chocolate quesadilla for dessert Donrsquot knock it lsquotil yoursquove
tried it Azur on Grinnell Street splits their awe-
someness across several meals
Brunch there is superb (Key lime pie stuffed French toast enough said) Dinner is equally wonder-ful with homemade gnocchi and fresh seafood
1
2
3
4
5
Photo credit uwe Seiler
Photo credit Matty yu
Photo credit rob orsquoneal
from the editors of
3
FLORIDA KEYS | IN THIS ISSUE
Contents
Best of Key West
Family Style4
Eats Leave the Jacket Home
7Keys 1 Mile at time
9
The Keys Top 5 17
Key West Bucket List 15
On the Cover Scuba Divers Photograph by Rob OrsquoNeal
Letter from the Editor2
4
FLORIDA KEYS | FAMILY
Best of Key West Family StyleFran Gonzon Owner of Key West Toy Factory
291 Front StreetKey West FL 33040 (305) 296-0003 Key West Toy Factory Website
When Fran Gonzon and his wife began visiting the Keys in the 90rsquos they knew that the relaxed life-style was perfect for families After years of vacationing in the area in 2005 the family took the big step of moving to Key West perma-nently They immediately began renovating the old warehouse that would become the ultimate kid-friendly indoor playspace
The Key West Toy Factory opened its doors in 2010 complete with a life size replica Spanish Galleon shipwreck a Swiss Family Robin-son-style tree house and a live Kinkajou honey bear named Izzy
who roams the store all day cud-dling with visitors Izzy the Kinka-jou has grown so popular with lo-cals and visitors that she now has her own Facebook page
The fantastical shop is an other-worldly universe of fun Shelves are filled with hundreds of toys and games for every age from infants to adults Therersquos even a separate magic shop dedicated to tricks and illusions and staffed with on-duty magicians an ldquoImagineering Workshoprdquo where visitors can create arts-and-crafts and space to host birthday parties for up to 40 children and
parents When beach plans are waylaid by a passing shower The Key West Toy Factory is where you and your little ones should spend an exciting afternoon
If yoursquore looking to spend quality family-time in Key West who bet-ter to ask about the area than the owner of the Toy Factory Stop in and ask Mr Gonzon anything or consult his list below
1 Fort Zachary taylor State Park
State Park Website
This is the best beach in Key West for families Everyone can find something they love snorkel-
ing swimming fishing or loung-ing Picnic areas are plentiful and there are alot of equipment rent-al stands and bike trails
2 key WeSt ButterFly and nature conServatory
Conservatory Website
Centrally located on Duval Street the Conservatory is home to hun-dreds of butterflies and colorful birds Visitors can also explore the art gallery and learning center and take home a memento from the extensive gift shop Open 7 days from 9AM to 530PM Check their website for photos and videos
Photo credit Jaytro
Photo credit Matty yu
Photo credit key West toy Factory
5
FLORIDA KEYS | FAMILY
lyrsquos experienced tour guides will take you on an exciting two-hour tour where yoursquoll learn about the islandrsquos history on the back of a jet ski Yoursquoll stop at key locations along the way and learn the is-landrsquos little-known secrets such as the location of German U-boat 2513rsquos final resting place and the US Navy Seals dive-training site
lsquofast catrsquo ferry stop at the AampD Lobster House near the marina Be sure to visit the website above for more information about the Park as well as links to transpor-tation companies
4 SeBago Water SPortS
Sebago Water Sports Website
This reliable family-run opera-tion offers all types of excursions such as full-day tours dolphin encounters sunset cruises cat-amaran packages parasailing and deep sea fishing If therersquos anything you might want to do in the ocean itrsquos worth calling or emailing Sebago for information
5 Wave runner tourS oF key WeSt at BareFoot BIllyrsquoS Barefoot Billyrsquos Website
Key West is a 2 mile by 4 mile land mass but itrsquos a 28 mile trip all the way around Barefoot Bil-
grating birds and snorkelers can spot an abundance of marine life along the live coral reef and historic shipwrecks Explore the Civil War-era military prison at Fort Jefferson and take pictures of the gorgeous view from the top of the Fort But bring food-there are no food concessions on the island The plane ride is about 45 minutes while the ferry takes 3 hours If you opt for the
3 dry tortugaS natIonal Park amp Fort JeFFerSon
National Park Website
Plan on going to the Dry Tortu-gas National Park when yoursquore in Key West A group of small islands located about 70 miles from Key West and reachable only by boat or seaplane this is the perfect day trip There are many species of turtles and mi-
Photo credit national Park Service
Photo credit national Park Service
6
FLORIDA KEYS | FAMILY
Dining Tip From Fran Try Louiersquos Backyard Bar They brew their own hot sauce which is why their conch chowder is the best It also has a great wine list
Photo credit national Park Service
7
FLORIDA KEYS | EATS
No Jacket Required Dining in the Keys
Jon KalaferJonrsquos Website
Unlike other Florida com-munities the Keys canrsquot be defined by its residents
Personalities from all across the globe have landed in the Keys and never looked back Docu-mentary filmmaker Jon Kalafer owns a home in Summerland Key the bedroom community a few minutes east of Key West He says ldquoIrsquove been coming down to this area for the last 20 years with my family you canrsquot find a more relaxing place to berdquo
Stepping into life on the Keys means yoursquoll lose track of time gain a reddish tan and never once need anything more formal than a t-shirt Outdoorsy types beach bums and adventure lov-ers unite here Jon says ldquoYou can simply pull over the main highway Route 1 and take a dip in the water or snorkel and fishrdquo Jon says rdquoThe entire highway through the keys is one big rest stop where yoursquoll find beautiful beachesrdquoOf course yoursquoll need to stop for food and perhaps a beer at
some point Therersquos plenty of great seafood to be had but lo-cals recommend sticking with the local catch and avoiding the pricier imported selections Jon says ldquoSeasonally the Keys offers delicious local stone crab claws and lobster tail lsquoKey West Pinksrsquo are the local shrimp variety The favorite local fish is the lsquoHogfish Snapperrsquo You never see this fish anywhere except the Keys and it has a delicious unique tasterdquo Where else should you dine Jon and his wife Kori recommend the places below
looe key tIkI Bar27340 Overseas HwyRamrod Key FL 33042(305) 872-2215Looe Key Tiki Bar Website
Part dive shop part bar part res-taurant the Looe Key Tiki Bar at-tracts locals and visitors alike If you want to see true local color including the fun-loving hard-drinking crowd this is the place for that raw experience
Photo credit diveFlakeyS
Photo credit Jason arnold Photography
Editorrsquos Note Look out for Jonrsquos
film Once in a Lullaby The PS22
Chorus Story at the upcoming Tribe-
ca Film Festival Also check out his
last film weloveyoufilmcom
8
FLORIDA KEYS | EATS
BaByrsquoS coFFee3180 US Highway 1Big Pine KeyFL33043 (305) 744-9866Babyrsquos Coffee Website
A delicious alternative to home-made joe
troPIc cIneMa
416 Eaton StreetKey West Florida 33040Tropic Cinema Website
Rainy day Hit Tropic Cinema to catch an independent film
yoursquoll be visiting history The es-tablishment has been in business since 1931 originally a local gen-eral store the owners added the lsquopubrsquo room in 1936 Try the pub pizza with lsquofurry fish on the sidersquo which is the local way of saying a side of anchovies Like all bars with an interesting history No Name Pub sells T-shirts with fun-ny lines about how hard it is to find It isnrsquot a joke you have to work to find it It is on No Name Key which isnrsquot connected to the main road Route 1 You have to take a bridge off of Big Pine Key
MurrayrsquoS Market 24550 Overseas Highway Summerland Key FL 33042(305) 745-3534Murrayrsquos Market Website
For picnics try the sandwiches and prepared foods If yoursquore eating in this is a great place for meats groceries and sundries
Parrot dISe Water-Front Bar and grIlle183 Barry AvenueLittle Torch Key Florida 33042 (305) 872-9989Parrot Dise Waterfront Website
Parrot Dise offers a little of every-thing-along with a full bar therersquos a kidsrsquo menu a catering space and a waterfront view to enjoy If yoursquore boating over for dinner just tie your vessel to the restau-rantrsquos private dock The name is a nod to Keys expert Jimmy Buf-fet and while the atmosphere is laid back the food is ldquogourmet-levelrdquo Jon recommends the Lob-ster Reuben and the Jamaican Jerk Wings
no naMe PuB 30813 North Watson BoulevardBig Pine Key FL 33043(305) 872-9115 No Name Pub Website
No Name Pubrsquos sign above the door says ldquoYou Found Itrdquo and if you take the time to get here
galley grIllMM 25 US Hwy 1Summerland Key FL 33042(305) 745-3446
A favorite spot for big eaters-we love the pancakes and om-elettes Come for breakfast and try the Hobo Piled High Skillet Mmmm grits
Photo credit christof verboven
Photo credit Jason arnold Photography
9
FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
The Road Less Traveled Driving the Florida Keys a Mile at a TimeRob OrsquoNealRobrsquos Website
Originally from Dayton Ohio Rob OrsquoNeal moved to Key West after graduating from The Ohio Insti-tute of Photography in 1996 Since landing in this tropical paradise to become a photographer with the Key West Citizen newspaper Rob has become a true local traveling the Keys by car by boat and by plane with the famed Blue Angels Some of his local work can be seen in his book Key West Photo Safari (website) filled with the beautiful (beaches wildlife flowering poin-ciana treas) and the bizarre (a pep-per car bats ghostly abandoned bars) His next project a compre-hensive photography study of Cuba will be out next
Whatrsquos to love about the Keys be-sides sunny skies ocean waves and Key Limes Rob says the dress code is definitely a plus
ldquoI love living here mainly because I hate wearing long pants I have two pairs one is a pair of jeans for
the rare cool night and the other is a pair of black dress pants I wear once a year while covering the American Red Cross Humanitarian of the Year Awards Otherwise itrsquos just shorts all year roundrdquo
Since most folks traveling down the Keys from Miami do so by car herersquos Robrsquos road map by mile marker Rob notes ldquoAll lsquorightsrsquo and lsquoleftsrsquo are in reference to driving down the Keys If you are leav-ing Key West and driving back up the Keys just reverse those rights and lefts The smaller mile marker numbers are closer to the Keys because they are listed from south to northrdquo
CARD SOUND ROAD
There are two ways from Miami Dade County to the Florida Keys or Monroe County One is the Florida Turnpike and the other is Card Sound Road which runs parallel to the turnpike and is
more scenic Itrsquos slightly longer than the main road but yoursquoll love being surrounded by the lo-cal ecosystem Therersquos a bridge in the middle and the toll is $100 If yoursquore hungry stop at Alabama Jacks Locals wax po-etic about this place-itrsquos the right mix of down home local joint and great food Check out their web-site wwwalabamajackscom
Photo credit rex lavoie
Photo credit uwe Seiler
Photo credit little Palm Island
10 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
M I L E 9 3
WILD BIRD REHABILITA-TION CENTERWebsite
On the right side of the road there is a large sign for the Cen-ter but itrsquos hard to see until the last minute This is a great all-volunteer organization taking in injured hawks owls herons sea gulls and more The rehabilitated birds are then released back into the wild
M I L E 9 7 8
KONA KAI RESORT
Website
In Key Largo on the bay side yoursquoll find Kona Kai an elegant 11-room resort thatrsquos also an art gallery and botanical garden Itrsquos been awarded several travel awards for service and amenties Each room features original art-work and the service manages to be personal and discreet all at once There are tennis courts and a small beach No little ones-guests have to be 16+ years of age
M I L E 9 8 2
PINK JUNKTIqUEFacebook Page
On the Oceanside is a well-stocked consignment shop A little pricey but cool stuff can be found from time to time
M I L E 1 0 2 6
JOHN D PENNEKAMP STATE PARK
Website
The parkrsquos Visitor Center has a 30000 gal aquarium that is fun to check out You can also snor-kel right off the beach which features a Spanish shipwreck just 100 ft off the shore The Park also offers snorkeling and SCU-BA diving trips Open from 8AM to 5PM daily
Photo credit little Palm Island
Photo credit nancy Johnson
Photo credit lynda Quintero-davids
11 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
M I L E 8 2
CHEECA LODGE
Website
A four-diamond property the Cheeca Lodge is an upscale re-sort that offers the right blend of luxury and relaxation with a love-ly staff and beautiful grounds
Whether you stay here or not Rob recommends dining at Nikai Sushi Restaurant on the proper-ty Try the Keysie Japanesie roll or the Big Kahuna
s
M I L E 8 3
THE DIVING MUSEUMWebsite
This is the perfect place for any-one who loves Scuba Diving There are alot of displays and information on the history of diving and a great gift shop for anything dive related
M I L E 8 4 9
WINDLEY KEY FOSSIL REEF GEOLOGICAL SITEWebsite
In the 1900rsquos this was an old rock quarry that was used to mine cor-al stone for the Overseas High-way Now it offers a few trails through the natural hammock of the Florida Keys Itrsquos great for a stretch of the legs while learning a little history Note The park is closed Tuesdays and Wednes-days
M I L E 8 6
RAIN BARREL ARTISANrsquoS VILLAGEHOME OF THE GIANT 40rsquo LOBSTER
Website
You canrsquot miss this just look for a 40rsquo lobster on the Bayside The Rain Barrel is a collection of small art galleries and shops that are individually owned and operat-ed Itrsquos a good place to pull over and browse for some fun souve-nirs like hand blown glass sculp-tures and jewelry
12 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
trail is named for the Golden Orb Weaver They are quite beautiful The trail takes you alongside the beach and into the hammock with transitioning ecology along the way They also have canoe rentals and a canoe trail mapped out
walk along the Boardwalk make sure you watch closely for the occasional large crabs scurrying back into their holes There are public restrooms here also
M I L E 6 7 5
LONG KEY STATE PARKWebsite
This little State Park is home to the Golden Orb Trail ndash an incred-ible walk through many different ecosystems If you look closely you may spot the spider that the
you can buy for $2 Bring your camera tarpon can be larger than 100 lbs
M I L E 7 3 5
ANNErsquoS BEACH
Need a rest stop or want to stretch your legs Stop at Annersquos Beach which has two entrances just sev-eral hundred yards apart that are connected by a boardwalk with a lot of little pavilions along it The sand is unusual it has tiny bits of coral and shell in it While you
M I L E 7 7 5
ROBBIErsquoS MARINA OF ISLAMORADAWebsite
Robbiersquos Marina is where you can rent boats or schedule excur-sions Trips to Lignumvitae Key on the Bayside and Indian Key on the Oceanside are offered here See Micah at the Kayak Shack hersquos a great musician and very knowledgeable about the area
Therersquos a fantastic eatery at the Marina-The Hungry Tarpon (wwwhungrytarponcom) Or-der fish tacos and then wander around back and feed the tarpon off the pier with buckets of fish
Photo credit Mklinchin
Photo credit Stephen radford
Photo credit Floridakeysgirlcom
13 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
M I L E 2 8 5
LITTLE PALM ISLANDWebsite
This boutique luxury resort is located on Little Torch Key and offers just 30 bungalows The hotel offers a water taxi service and plenty of romance Look for a brown road sign with an anchor on it The entrance to their shore station is on the oceanside One of the best dining experiences in the Keys is at their Dining Room Make a reservation and your ad-venture begins with a 15-minute boat ride to the most intimate and remote restaurants in the Florida Keys
M I L E 3 0
KEY DEER REFUGE NATURE TRAILWebsite
A little farther down from the Blue Hole in Big Pine Key there is a nature trail through the Key Deer Refuge which is located in the Big Pine Key Shopping PlazaActually the whole island of Big Pine Key is a Key Deer refuge but this particular trail is well marked It is about a mile long and takes you through a variety of different ecosystems Informative signs periodically dot the trail telling you about the native flora and fauna And itrsquos free
M I L E 3 0
BLUE HOLE Website
The Blue Hole is on Big Pine Key Turn right on Key Deer Blvd amp veer to the left-the low speed limit is because Key Deer can be found walking roadside espe-cially around dawn and dusk You will see the Blue Hole entrance on the left it is the only fresh water lake in the Florida Keys and be-cause of that you can spot some unique wildlife at times Yoursquoll likely see any number of rare wild birds alligators snakes and oc-casionally a Key Deer will wander up as well Sometimes therersquos a guide on duty but therersquos no published hours so just stop in
M I L E 5 3 5
SPARKYrsquoS LANDINGWebsite
At Key Colony Beach Marina in Marathon Sparkyrsquos might just have the best fish tacos in all of the Keys Try the Gratinee and Blue Cheese Chips
M I L E 4 8
THE TURTLE HOSPITALWebsite
This group saves and rehabs sea turtles all over the Keys and greater Florida They offer tours a few times a day The website also features a blog where you can read about individual turtles they have saved or are currently caring for
Photo credit rob orsquoneal
14 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
rays starfish and other aquatic creatures live Also across the marina yoursquoll see EP Daltonrsquos Ul-tralight The Ultralight is a fixed wing aircraft that allows you to see the entire area aerially Please note that EP can only take one person at a time but the views are stunning Check it out here wwwkeywestfloatscom
To get there exit at MM 17 and you will see Sugarloaf Lodge on the right Directly after you will see signs to ldquoSkydiverdquo turn right at that sign Towards the end of this little road you will see the old Bat Tower of Sugarloaf
M I L E 1 7
REELAX CHARTERSKEY WEST KAYAK TOURS AND EP DALTONrsquoS ULTRALIGHTWebsite
Andrea Paulson runs Reelax Charters in Sugarloaf Marina where you can book kayak tours to see all the beautiful wildlife we have in the Keys The super-friendly and knowledgeable cap-tain will anchor off a sandy beach and guide you through mangrove creeks where small sharks sting-
M I L E 1 7
BAT TOWER ON SUGARLOAF
A man named Perky built this bat tower in the 1920rsquos or 30rsquos He wanted to open a hotel on Sugar-loaf but found the mosquitoes to be abundant He commissioned a bat tower in hopes that bats would eat the mosquitoes Good idea in theory but after import-ing many bats for the task they soon flew away never to return
Ph
oto
cre
dit
ro
b o
rsquonea
l
Photo credit uwe Seiler
15 FLORIDA KEYS | GUEST LIST
The Key West Bucket ListDavid Sloan
David L Sloan quit his corporate job and moved to Key West in 1996 A former cruise ship GM he is the founder of Key Westrsquos Original Ghost Tour author of 10 books an artist musician and songwriter He lives in Old Town Key West with his macaw and pit bull David wrote The Bucket List
in response to the overwhelming number of guide books featuring paid advertorials for mediocre activities ldquoPeople are looking for adventures The Bucket List sends them down the right path and Key West takes care of the restrdquo
Step beyond the guidebooks and experience the Florida Keys like a local Herersquos a few of Da-vidrsquos gems for how to spend your time in Key West
1 Hand-feed a Tarpon
Save your food scraps from the Schooner Wharf Bar and feed them to the sea creatures lurk-ing below the docks Watch your fingers The tarpon take ldquohand-feedingrdquo literally 202 William Street (305) 292-3302 wwwschoonerwharfcom
2 STay in a HaunTed HoTeL
Bars are not the only things that go bump in the night Check into Marrerorsquos Guest Mansion and you may have a close encoun-ter with the mansionrsquos resident ghost 410 Fleming Street (305) 294-6977 wwwmarreroscom
3 SearcH for fLamingoS from a KayaK
While authentic flamingos are not as prevalent as the plastic variety found in Floridianrsquos front yards the search with Lazy Dog Kayak Adventures will leave you tickled pink 5114 Overseas High-way (305) 295-9898 wwwlazy-dogcom
4 caTcH your oWn LoBSTer
Why should fishermen have all the fun Skip the fancy restau-rants and hire 6-Pack Charters for a day on the water with Cap-tain Billy Rentz It doesnrsquot get any fresher than this (305) 240-0464 www6packkeywestcom
Photo credit longhorndave
16 FLORIDA KEYS | GUEST LIST
Hungry for more The Key West Bucket List includes 100 ways to have a real Florida Keys expe-rience Pick up a copy for your NOOK or Kindle at
wwwamazoncomauthorsloan
7 SLip inTo a pair of KinoS
Comfortable classy sandals made in Key West A staple for any local worth their weight in conch At 14 bucks a pair you wonrsquot want to slip them off (107 Fitzpatrick Street 305-294-5044 wwwkinosandalscom)
6maKe a Key Lime pie
Grab a few ingredients from Faustorsquos Food Palace and try your hand at this island favorite that comes together easy as pie 522 Fleming Street (305) 296-5663 wwwfaustoscom
5SuBmiT a crazy commenT To ldquoTHe ciTizenrsquoS Voicerdquo
Our local paper has an anony-mous comment column where lo-cals and tourists vie for bragging rights on the days most humor-ous or bizarre comment Phone in or e-mail your brief and enter-taining thoughts then let your friends on Twitter and Facebook know you have been published in Key West Key West Citizenrsquos Voice (305) 293-7900 voicekeysnewscom
Photo credit najwa kronfel
17 FLORIDA KEYS | BEST OF
Top 5 in the Keys
Stephanie Goldberg Glazer Florida Keys Girl Blog Website
Stephanie Goldberg Glazer is the Florida Keys Girl Her blog wwwfloridakeysgirlcom is fo-cused on life in Key West and be-yond covering traveling eating wine drinking and the crazy adven-tures of her dog Babka Stephanie is the co-host of 3 Loud Women and runs Your Personal Manager Inc a full service personal assistant company helping clients plan and enjoy their vacations
ldquoIt is hard not to love the Florida Keys and frankly I find anyone who claims they donrsquot a bit sus-pect With so many things to do (ldquorelaxingrdquo counts as doing) you can exert as much or as lit-tle effort as you like My favor-ite things to do typically revolve around eating drinking and merriment as evidenced by the
list and the constant thought of dieting lsquolaterrsquordquo
the FlorIda keyS toP FIve
The Keys have so many quirky restaurants and one
of my favorite spots to lunch while driving to or from Key West is Keys Fisheries in Marathon The food is great prepared to order (quickly) and when order-ing at the walk up window cus-tomers are identified by their fa-vorite movie or the like
My favorite place to stop for coffee (by ldquocoffeerdquo I mean
ldquocoffee and an almond crois-santrdquo) is the Village Gourmet in Islamorada Good coffee to-die-for pastries and a water bowl for my dog
Whenever we have out of town guests we take them
on a sunset sail There is very lit-tle more beautiful than the Flor-ida Keys sunsets I like Danger
Charters Wind and Winendash small ships great service and a nice wine selection
I have two favorite restau-rants and on special oc-
casions like my birthday I may hit them both in the same day The Flaming Buoy Filet Co on Packer Street has a quiet neigh-borhood feel The food is great service friendly and they have a spicy chocolate quesadilla for dessert Donrsquot knock it lsquotil yoursquove
tried it Azur on Grinnell Street splits their awe-
someness across several meals
Brunch there is superb (Key lime pie stuffed French toast enough said) Dinner is equally wonder-ful with homemade gnocchi and fresh seafood
1
2
3
4
5
Photo credit uwe Seiler
Photo credit Matty yu
Photo credit rob orsquoneal
from the editors of
4
FLORIDA KEYS | FAMILY
Best of Key West Family StyleFran Gonzon Owner of Key West Toy Factory
291 Front StreetKey West FL 33040 (305) 296-0003 Key West Toy Factory Website
When Fran Gonzon and his wife began visiting the Keys in the 90rsquos they knew that the relaxed life-style was perfect for families After years of vacationing in the area in 2005 the family took the big step of moving to Key West perma-nently They immediately began renovating the old warehouse that would become the ultimate kid-friendly indoor playspace
The Key West Toy Factory opened its doors in 2010 complete with a life size replica Spanish Galleon shipwreck a Swiss Family Robin-son-style tree house and a live Kinkajou honey bear named Izzy
who roams the store all day cud-dling with visitors Izzy the Kinka-jou has grown so popular with lo-cals and visitors that she now has her own Facebook page
The fantastical shop is an other-worldly universe of fun Shelves are filled with hundreds of toys and games for every age from infants to adults Therersquos even a separate magic shop dedicated to tricks and illusions and staffed with on-duty magicians an ldquoImagineering Workshoprdquo where visitors can create arts-and-crafts and space to host birthday parties for up to 40 children and
parents When beach plans are waylaid by a passing shower The Key West Toy Factory is where you and your little ones should spend an exciting afternoon
If yoursquore looking to spend quality family-time in Key West who bet-ter to ask about the area than the owner of the Toy Factory Stop in and ask Mr Gonzon anything or consult his list below
1 Fort Zachary taylor State Park
State Park Website
This is the best beach in Key West for families Everyone can find something they love snorkel-
ing swimming fishing or loung-ing Picnic areas are plentiful and there are alot of equipment rent-al stands and bike trails
2 key WeSt ButterFly and nature conServatory
Conservatory Website
Centrally located on Duval Street the Conservatory is home to hun-dreds of butterflies and colorful birds Visitors can also explore the art gallery and learning center and take home a memento from the extensive gift shop Open 7 days from 9AM to 530PM Check their website for photos and videos
Photo credit Jaytro
Photo credit Matty yu
Photo credit key West toy Factory
5
FLORIDA KEYS | FAMILY
lyrsquos experienced tour guides will take you on an exciting two-hour tour where yoursquoll learn about the islandrsquos history on the back of a jet ski Yoursquoll stop at key locations along the way and learn the is-landrsquos little-known secrets such as the location of German U-boat 2513rsquos final resting place and the US Navy Seals dive-training site
lsquofast catrsquo ferry stop at the AampD Lobster House near the marina Be sure to visit the website above for more information about the Park as well as links to transpor-tation companies
4 SeBago Water SPortS
Sebago Water Sports Website
This reliable family-run opera-tion offers all types of excursions such as full-day tours dolphin encounters sunset cruises cat-amaran packages parasailing and deep sea fishing If therersquos anything you might want to do in the ocean itrsquos worth calling or emailing Sebago for information
5 Wave runner tourS oF key WeSt at BareFoot BIllyrsquoS Barefoot Billyrsquos Website
Key West is a 2 mile by 4 mile land mass but itrsquos a 28 mile trip all the way around Barefoot Bil-
grating birds and snorkelers can spot an abundance of marine life along the live coral reef and historic shipwrecks Explore the Civil War-era military prison at Fort Jefferson and take pictures of the gorgeous view from the top of the Fort But bring food-there are no food concessions on the island The plane ride is about 45 minutes while the ferry takes 3 hours If you opt for the
3 dry tortugaS natIonal Park amp Fort JeFFerSon
National Park Website
Plan on going to the Dry Tortu-gas National Park when yoursquore in Key West A group of small islands located about 70 miles from Key West and reachable only by boat or seaplane this is the perfect day trip There are many species of turtles and mi-
Photo credit national Park Service
Photo credit national Park Service
6
FLORIDA KEYS | FAMILY
Dining Tip From Fran Try Louiersquos Backyard Bar They brew their own hot sauce which is why their conch chowder is the best It also has a great wine list
Photo credit national Park Service
7
FLORIDA KEYS | EATS
No Jacket Required Dining in the Keys
Jon KalaferJonrsquos Website
Unlike other Florida com-munities the Keys canrsquot be defined by its residents
Personalities from all across the globe have landed in the Keys and never looked back Docu-mentary filmmaker Jon Kalafer owns a home in Summerland Key the bedroom community a few minutes east of Key West He says ldquoIrsquove been coming down to this area for the last 20 years with my family you canrsquot find a more relaxing place to berdquo
Stepping into life on the Keys means yoursquoll lose track of time gain a reddish tan and never once need anything more formal than a t-shirt Outdoorsy types beach bums and adventure lov-ers unite here Jon says ldquoYou can simply pull over the main highway Route 1 and take a dip in the water or snorkel and fishrdquo Jon says rdquoThe entire highway through the keys is one big rest stop where yoursquoll find beautiful beachesrdquoOf course yoursquoll need to stop for food and perhaps a beer at
some point Therersquos plenty of great seafood to be had but lo-cals recommend sticking with the local catch and avoiding the pricier imported selections Jon says ldquoSeasonally the Keys offers delicious local stone crab claws and lobster tail lsquoKey West Pinksrsquo are the local shrimp variety The favorite local fish is the lsquoHogfish Snapperrsquo You never see this fish anywhere except the Keys and it has a delicious unique tasterdquo Where else should you dine Jon and his wife Kori recommend the places below
looe key tIkI Bar27340 Overseas HwyRamrod Key FL 33042(305) 872-2215Looe Key Tiki Bar Website
Part dive shop part bar part res-taurant the Looe Key Tiki Bar at-tracts locals and visitors alike If you want to see true local color including the fun-loving hard-drinking crowd this is the place for that raw experience
Photo credit diveFlakeyS
Photo credit Jason arnold Photography
Editorrsquos Note Look out for Jonrsquos
film Once in a Lullaby The PS22
Chorus Story at the upcoming Tribe-
ca Film Festival Also check out his
last film weloveyoufilmcom
8
FLORIDA KEYS | EATS
BaByrsquoS coFFee3180 US Highway 1Big Pine KeyFL33043 (305) 744-9866Babyrsquos Coffee Website
A delicious alternative to home-made joe
troPIc cIneMa
416 Eaton StreetKey West Florida 33040Tropic Cinema Website
Rainy day Hit Tropic Cinema to catch an independent film
yoursquoll be visiting history The es-tablishment has been in business since 1931 originally a local gen-eral store the owners added the lsquopubrsquo room in 1936 Try the pub pizza with lsquofurry fish on the sidersquo which is the local way of saying a side of anchovies Like all bars with an interesting history No Name Pub sells T-shirts with fun-ny lines about how hard it is to find It isnrsquot a joke you have to work to find it It is on No Name Key which isnrsquot connected to the main road Route 1 You have to take a bridge off of Big Pine Key
MurrayrsquoS Market 24550 Overseas Highway Summerland Key FL 33042(305) 745-3534Murrayrsquos Market Website
For picnics try the sandwiches and prepared foods If yoursquore eating in this is a great place for meats groceries and sundries
Parrot dISe Water-Front Bar and grIlle183 Barry AvenueLittle Torch Key Florida 33042 (305) 872-9989Parrot Dise Waterfront Website
Parrot Dise offers a little of every-thing-along with a full bar therersquos a kidsrsquo menu a catering space and a waterfront view to enjoy If yoursquore boating over for dinner just tie your vessel to the restau-rantrsquos private dock The name is a nod to Keys expert Jimmy Buf-fet and while the atmosphere is laid back the food is ldquogourmet-levelrdquo Jon recommends the Lob-ster Reuben and the Jamaican Jerk Wings
no naMe PuB 30813 North Watson BoulevardBig Pine Key FL 33043(305) 872-9115 No Name Pub Website
No Name Pubrsquos sign above the door says ldquoYou Found Itrdquo and if you take the time to get here
galley grIllMM 25 US Hwy 1Summerland Key FL 33042(305) 745-3446
A favorite spot for big eaters-we love the pancakes and om-elettes Come for breakfast and try the Hobo Piled High Skillet Mmmm grits
Photo credit christof verboven
Photo credit Jason arnold Photography
9
FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
The Road Less Traveled Driving the Florida Keys a Mile at a TimeRob OrsquoNealRobrsquos Website
Originally from Dayton Ohio Rob OrsquoNeal moved to Key West after graduating from The Ohio Insti-tute of Photography in 1996 Since landing in this tropical paradise to become a photographer with the Key West Citizen newspaper Rob has become a true local traveling the Keys by car by boat and by plane with the famed Blue Angels Some of his local work can be seen in his book Key West Photo Safari (website) filled with the beautiful (beaches wildlife flowering poin-ciana treas) and the bizarre (a pep-per car bats ghostly abandoned bars) His next project a compre-hensive photography study of Cuba will be out next
Whatrsquos to love about the Keys be-sides sunny skies ocean waves and Key Limes Rob says the dress code is definitely a plus
ldquoI love living here mainly because I hate wearing long pants I have two pairs one is a pair of jeans for
the rare cool night and the other is a pair of black dress pants I wear once a year while covering the American Red Cross Humanitarian of the Year Awards Otherwise itrsquos just shorts all year roundrdquo
Since most folks traveling down the Keys from Miami do so by car herersquos Robrsquos road map by mile marker Rob notes ldquoAll lsquorightsrsquo and lsquoleftsrsquo are in reference to driving down the Keys If you are leav-ing Key West and driving back up the Keys just reverse those rights and lefts The smaller mile marker numbers are closer to the Keys because they are listed from south to northrdquo
CARD SOUND ROAD
There are two ways from Miami Dade County to the Florida Keys or Monroe County One is the Florida Turnpike and the other is Card Sound Road which runs parallel to the turnpike and is
more scenic Itrsquos slightly longer than the main road but yoursquoll love being surrounded by the lo-cal ecosystem Therersquos a bridge in the middle and the toll is $100 If yoursquore hungry stop at Alabama Jacks Locals wax po-etic about this place-itrsquos the right mix of down home local joint and great food Check out their web-site wwwalabamajackscom
Photo credit rex lavoie
Photo credit uwe Seiler
Photo credit little Palm Island
10 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
M I L E 9 3
WILD BIRD REHABILITA-TION CENTERWebsite
On the right side of the road there is a large sign for the Cen-ter but itrsquos hard to see until the last minute This is a great all-volunteer organization taking in injured hawks owls herons sea gulls and more The rehabilitated birds are then released back into the wild
M I L E 9 7 8
KONA KAI RESORT
Website
In Key Largo on the bay side yoursquoll find Kona Kai an elegant 11-room resort thatrsquos also an art gallery and botanical garden Itrsquos been awarded several travel awards for service and amenties Each room features original art-work and the service manages to be personal and discreet all at once There are tennis courts and a small beach No little ones-guests have to be 16+ years of age
M I L E 9 8 2
PINK JUNKTIqUEFacebook Page
On the Oceanside is a well-stocked consignment shop A little pricey but cool stuff can be found from time to time
M I L E 1 0 2 6
JOHN D PENNEKAMP STATE PARK
Website
The parkrsquos Visitor Center has a 30000 gal aquarium that is fun to check out You can also snor-kel right off the beach which features a Spanish shipwreck just 100 ft off the shore The Park also offers snorkeling and SCU-BA diving trips Open from 8AM to 5PM daily
Photo credit little Palm Island
Photo credit nancy Johnson
Photo credit lynda Quintero-davids
11 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
M I L E 8 2
CHEECA LODGE
Website
A four-diamond property the Cheeca Lodge is an upscale re-sort that offers the right blend of luxury and relaxation with a love-ly staff and beautiful grounds
Whether you stay here or not Rob recommends dining at Nikai Sushi Restaurant on the proper-ty Try the Keysie Japanesie roll or the Big Kahuna
s
M I L E 8 3
THE DIVING MUSEUMWebsite
This is the perfect place for any-one who loves Scuba Diving There are alot of displays and information on the history of diving and a great gift shop for anything dive related
M I L E 8 4 9
WINDLEY KEY FOSSIL REEF GEOLOGICAL SITEWebsite
In the 1900rsquos this was an old rock quarry that was used to mine cor-al stone for the Overseas High-way Now it offers a few trails through the natural hammock of the Florida Keys Itrsquos great for a stretch of the legs while learning a little history Note The park is closed Tuesdays and Wednes-days
M I L E 8 6
RAIN BARREL ARTISANrsquoS VILLAGEHOME OF THE GIANT 40rsquo LOBSTER
Website
You canrsquot miss this just look for a 40rsquo lobster on the Bayside The Rain Barrel is a collection of small art galleries and shops that are individually owned and operat-ed Itrsquos a good place to pull over and browse for some fun souve-nirs like hand blown glass sculp-tures and jewelry
12 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
trail is named for the Golden Orb Weaver They are quite beautiful The trail takes you alongside the beach and into the hammock with transitioning ecology along the way They also have canoe rentals and a canoe trail mapped out
walk along the Boardwalk make sure you watch closely for the occasional large crabs scurrying back into their holes There are public restrooms here also
M I L E 6 7 5
LONG KEY STATE PARKWebsite
This little State Park is home to the Golden Orb Trail ndash an incred-ible walk through many different ecosystems If you look closely you may spot the spider that the
you can buy for $2 Bring your camera tarpon can be larger than 100 lbs
M I L E 7 3 5
ANNErsquoS BEACH
Need a rest stop or want to stretch your legs Stop at Annersquos Beach which has two entrances just sev-eral hundred yards apart that are connected by a boardwalk with a lot of little pavilions along it The sand is unusual it has tiny bits of coral and shell in it While you
M I L E 7 7 5
ROBBIErsquoS MARINA OF ISLAMORADAWebsite
Robbiersquos Marina is where you can rent boats or schedule excur-sions Trips to Lignumvitae Key on the Bayside and Indian Key on the Oceanside are offered here See Micah at the Kayak Shack hersquos a great musician and very knowledgeable about the area
Therersquos a fantastic eatery at the Marina-The Hungry Tarpon (wwwhungrytarponcom) Or-der fish tacos and then wander around back and feed the tarpon off the pier with buckets of fish
Photo credit Mklinchin
Photo credit Stephen radford
Photo credit Floridakeysgirlcom
13 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
M I L E 2 8 5
LITTLE PALM ISLANDWebsite
This boutique luxury resort is located on Little Torch Key and offers just 30 bungalows The hotel offers a water taxi service and plenty of romance Look for a brown road sign with an anchor on it The entrance to their shore station is on the oceanside One of the best dining experiences in the Keys is at their Dining Room Make a reservation and your ad-venture begins with a 15-minute boat ride to the most intimate and remote restaurants in the Florida Keys
M I L E 3 0
KEY DEER REFUGE NATURE TRAILWebsite
A little farther down from the Blue Hole in Big Pine Key there is a nature trail through the Key Deer Refuge which is located in the Big Pine Key Shopping PlazaActually the whole island of Big Pine Key is a Key Deer refuge but this particular trail is well marked It is about a mile long and takes you through a variety of different ecosystems Informative signs periodically dot the trail telling you about the native flora and fauna And itrsquos free
M I L E 3 0
BLUE HOLE Website
The Blue Hole is on Big Pine Key Turn right on Key Deer Blvd amp veer to the left-the low speed limit is because Key Deer can be found walking roadside espe-cially around dawn and dusk You will see the Blue Hole entrance on the left it is the only fresh water lake in the Florida Keys and be-cause of that you can spot some unique wildlife at times Yoursquoll likely see any number of rare wild birds alligators snakes and oc-casionally a Key Deer will wander up as well Sometimes therersquos a guide on duty but therersquos no published hours so just stop in
M I L E 5 3 5
SPARKYrsquoS LANDINGWebsite
At Key Colony Beach Marina in Marathon Sparkyrsquos might just have the best fish tacos in all of the Keys Try the Gratinee and Blue Cheese Chips
M I L E 4 8
THE TURTLE HOSPITALWebsite
This group saves and rehabs sea turtles all over the Keys and greater Florida They offer tours a few times a day The website also features a blog where you can read about individual turtles they have saved or are currently caring for
Photo credit rob orsquoneal
14 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
rays starfish and other aquatic creatures live Also across the marina yoursquoll see EP Daltonrsquos Ul-tralight The Ultralight is a fixed wing aircraft that allows you to see the entire area aerially Please note that EP can only take one person at a time but the views are stunning Check it out here wwwkeywestfloatscom
To get there exit at MM 17 and you will see Sugarloaf Lodge on the right Directly after you will see signs to ldquoSkydiverdquo turn right at that sign Towards the end of this little road you will see the old Bat Tower of Sugarloaf
M I L E 1 7
REELAX CHARTERSKEY WEST KAYAK TOURS AND EP DALTONrsquoS ULTRALIGHTWebsite
Andrea Paulson runs Reelax Charters in Sugarloaf Marina where you can book kayak tours to see all the beautiful wildlife we have in the Keys The super-friendly and knowledgeable cap-tain will anchor off a sandy beach and guide you through mangrove creeks where small sharks sting-
M I L E 1 7
BAT TOWER ON SUGARLOAF
A man named Perky built this bat tower in the 1920rsquos or 30rsquos He wanted to open a hotel on Sugar-loaf but found the mosquitoes to be abundant He commissioned a bat tower in hopes that bats would eat the mosquitoes Good idea in theory but after import-ing many bats for the task they soon flew away never to return
Ph
oto
cre
dit
ro
b o
rsquonea
l
Photo credit uwe Seiler
15 FLORIDA KEYS | GUEST LIST
The Key West Bucket ListDavid Sloan
David L Sloan quit his corporate job and moved to Key West in 1996 A former cruise ship GM he is the founder of Key Westrsquos Original Ghost Tour author of 10 books an artist musician and songwriter He lives in Old Town Key West with his macaw and pit bull David wrote The Bucket List
in response to the overwhelming number of guide books featuring paid advertorials for mediocre activities ldquoPeople are looking for adventures The Bucket List sends them down the right path and Key West takes care of the restrdquo
Step beyond the guidebooks and experience the Florida Keys like a local Herersquos a few of Da-vidrsquos gems for how to spend your time in Key West
1 Hand-feed a Tarpon
Save your food scraps from the Schooner Wharf Bar and feed them to the sea creatures lurk-ing below the docks Watch your fingers The tarpon take ldquohand-feedingrdquo literally 202 William Street (305) 292-3302 wwwschoonerwharfcom
2 STay in a HaunTed HoTeL
Bars are not the only things that go bump in the night Check into Marrerorsquos Guest Mansion and you may have a close encoun-ter with the mansionrsquos resident ghost 410 Fleming Street (305) 294-6977 wwwmarreroscom
3 SearcH for fLamingoS from a KayaK
While authentic flamingos are not as prevalent as the plastic variety found in Floridianrsquos front yards the search with Lazy Dog Kayak Adventures will leave you tickled pink 5114 Overseas High-way (305) 295-9898 wwwlazy-dogcom
4 caTcH your oWn LoBSTer
Why should fishermen have all the fun Skip the fancy restau-rants and hire 6-Pack Charters for a day on the water with Cap-tain Billy Rentz It doesnrsquot get any fresher than this (305) 240-0464 www6packkeywestcom
Photo credit longhorndave
16 FLORIDA KEYS | GUEST LIST
Hungry for more The Key West Bucket List includes 100 ways to have a real Florida Keys expe-rience Pick up a copy for your NOOK or Kindle at
wwwamazoncomauthorsloan
7 SLip inTo a pair of KinoS
Comfortable classy sandals made in Key West A staple for any local worth their weight in conch At 14 bucks a pair you wonrsquot want to slip them off (107 Fitzpatrick Street 305-294-5044 wwwkinosandalscom)
6maKe a Key Lime pie
Grab a few ingredients from Faustorsquos Food Palace and try your hand at this island favorite that comes together easy as pie 522 Fleming Street (305) 296-5663 wwwfaustoscom
5SuBmiT a crazy commenT To ldquoTHe ciTizenrsquoS Voicerdquo
Our local paper has an anony-mous comment column where lo-cals and tourists vie for bragging rights on the days most humor-ous or bizarre comment Phone in or e-mail your brief and enter-taining thoughts then let your friends on Twitter and Facebook know you have been published in Key West Key West Citizenrsquos Voice (305) 293-7900 voicekeysnewscom
Photo credit najwa kronfel
17 FLORIDA KEYS | BEST OF
Top 5 in the Keys
Stephanie Goldberg Glazer Florida Keys Girl Blog Website
Stephanie Goldberg Glazer is the Florida Keys Girl Her blog wwwfloridakeysgirlcom is fo-cused on life in Key West and be-yond covering traveling eating wine drinking and the crazy adven-tures of her dog Babka Stephanie is the co-host of 3 Loud Women and runs Your Personal Manager Inc a full service personal assistant company helping clients plan and enjoy their vacations
ldquoIt is hard not to love the Florida Keys and frankly I find anyone who claims they donrsquot a bit sus-pect With so many things to do (ldquorelaxingrdquo counts as doing) you can exert as much or as lit-tle effort as you like My favor-ite things to do typically revolve around eating drinking and merriment as evidenced by the
list and the constant thought of dieting lsquolaterrsquordquo
the FlorIda keyS toP FIve
The Keys have so many quirky restaurants and one
of my favorite spots to lunch while driving to or from Key West is Keys Fisheries in Marathon The food is great prepared to order (quickly) and when order-ing at the walk up window cus-tomers are identified by their fa-vorite movie or the like
My favorite place to stop for coffee (by ldquocoffeerdquo I mean
ldquocoffee and an almond crois-santrdquo) is the Village Gourmet in Islamorada Good coffee to-die-for pastries and a water bowl for my dog
Whenever we have out of town guests we take them
on a sunset sail There is very lit-tle more beautiful than the Flor-ida Keys sunsets I like Danger
Charters Wind and Winendash small ships great service and a nice wine selection
I have two favorite restau-rants and on special oc-
casions like my birthday I may hit them both in the same day The Flaming Buoy Filet Co on Packer Street has a quiet neigh-borhood feel The food is great service friendly and they have a spicy chocolate quesadilla for dessert Donrsquot knock it lsquotil yoursquove
tried it Azur on Grinnell Street splits their awe-
someness across several meals
Brunch there is superb (Key lime pie stuffed French toast enough said) Dinner is equally wonder-ful with homemade gnocchi and fresh seafood
1
2
3
4
5
Photo credit uwe Seiler
Photo credit Matty yu
Photo credit rob orsquoneal
from the editors of
5
FLORIDA KEYS | FAMILY
lyrsquos experienced tour guides will take you on an exciting two-hour tour where yoursquoll learn about the islandrsquos history on the back of a jet ski Yoursquoll stop at key locations along the way and learn the is-landrsquos little-known secrets such as the location of German U-boat 2513rsquos final resting place and the US Navy Seals dive-training site
lsquofast catrsquo ferry stop at the AampD Lobster House near the marina Be sure to visit the website above for more information about the Park as well as links to transpor-tation companies
4 SeBago Water SPortS
Sebago Water Sports Website
This reliable family-run opera-tion offers all types of excursions such as full-day tours dolphin encounters sunset cruises cat-amaran packages parasailing and deep sea fishing If therersquos anything you might want to do in the ocean itrsquos worth calling or emailing Sebago for information
5 Wave runner tourS oF key WeSt at BareFoot BIllyrsquoS Barefoot Billyrsquos Website
Key West is a 2 mile by 4 mile land mass but itrsquos a 28 mile trip all the way around Barefoot Bil-
grating birds and snorkelers can spot an abundance of marine life along the live coral reef and historic shipwrecks Explore the Civil War-era military prison at Fort Jefferson and take pictures of the gorgeous view from the top of the Fort But bring food-there are no food concessions on the island The plane ride is about 45 minutes while the ferry takes 3 hours If you opt for the
3 dry tortugaS natIonal Park amp Fort JeFFerSon
National Park Website
Plan on going to the Dry Tortu-gas National Park when yoursquore in Key West A group of small islands located about 70 miles from Key West and reachable only by boat or seaplane this is the perfect day trip There are many species of turtles and mi-
Photo credit national Park Service
Photo credit national Park Service
6
FLORIDA KEYS | FAMILY
Dining Tip From Fran Try Louiersquos Backyard Bar They brew their own hot sauce which is why their conch chowder is the best It also has a great wine list
Photo credit national Park Service
7
FLORIDA KEYS | EATS
No Jacket Required Dining in the Keys
Jon KalaferJonrsquos Website
Unlike other Florida com-munities the Keys canrsquot be defined by its residents
Personalities from all across the globe have landed in the Keys and never looked back Docu-mentary filmmaker Jon Kalafer owns a home in Summerland Key the bedroom community a few minutes east of Key West He says ldquoIrsquove been coming down to this area for the last 20 years with my family you canrsquot find a more relaxing place to berdquo
Stepping into life on the Keys means yoursquoll lose track of time gain a reddish tan and never once need anything more formal than a t-shirt Outdoorsy types beach bums and adventure lov-ers unite here Jon says ldquoYou can simply pull over the main highway Route 1 and take a dip in the water or snorkel and fishrdquo Jon says rdquoThe entire highway through the keys is one big rest stop where yoursquoll find beautiful beachesrdquoOf course yoursquoll need to stop for food and perhaps a beer at
some point Therersquos plenty of great seafood to be had but lo-cals recommend sticking with the local catch and avoiding the pricier imported selections Jon says ldquoSeasonally the Keys offers delicious local stone crab claws and lobster tail lsquoKey West Pinksrsquo are the local shrimp variety The favorite local fish is the lsquoHogfish Snapperrsquo You never see this fish anywhere except the Keys and it has a delicious unique tasterdquo Where else should you dine Jon and his wife Kori recommend the places below
looe key tIkI Bar27340 Overseas HwyRamrod Key FL 33042(305) 872-2215Looe Key Tiki Bar Website
Part dive shop part bar part res-taurant the Looe Key Tiki Bar at-tracts locals and visitors alike If you want to see true local color including the fun-loving hard-drinking crowd this is the place for that raw experience
Photo credit diveFlakeyS
Photo credit Jason arnold Photography
Editorrsquos Note Look out for Jonrsquos
film Once in a Lullaby The PS22
Chorus Story at the upcoming Tribe-
ca Film Festival Also check out his
last film weloveyoufilmcom
8
FLORIDA KEYS | EATS
BaByrsquoS coFFee3180 US Highway 1Big Pine KeyFL33043 (305) 744-9866Babyrsquos Coffee Website
A delicious alternative to home-made joe
troPIc cIneMa
416 Eaton StreetKey West Florida 33040Tropic Cinema Website
Rainy day Hit Tropic Cinema to catch an independent film
yoursquoll be visiting history The es-tablishment has been in business since 1931 originally a local gen-eral store the owners added the lsquopubrsquo room in 1936 Try the pub pizza with lsquofurry fish on the sidersquo which is the local way of saying a side of anchovies Like all bars with an interesting history No Name Pub sells T-shirts with fun-ny lines about how hard it is to find It isnrsquot a joke you have to work to find it It is on No Name Key which isnrsquot connected to the main road Route 1 You have to take a bridge off of Big Pine Key
MurrayrsquoS Market 24550 Overseas Highway Summerland Key FL 33042(305) 745-3534Murrayrsquos Market Website
For picnics try the sandwiches and prepared foods If yoursquore eating in this is a great place for meats groceries and sundries
Parrot dISe Water-Front Bar and grIlle183 Barry AvenueLittle Torch Key Florida 33042 (305) 872-9989Parrot Dise Waterfront Website
Parrot Dise offers a little of every-thing-along with a full bar therersquos a kidsrsquo menu a catering space and a waterfront view to enjoy If yoursquore boating over for dinner just tie your vessel to the restau-rantrsquos private dock The name is a nod to Keys expert Jimmy Buf-fet and while the atmosphere is laid back the food is ldquogourmet-levelrdquo Jon recommends the Lob-ster Reuben and the Jamaican Jerk Wings
no naMe PuB 30813 North Watson BoulevardBig Pine Key FL 33043(305) 872-9115 No Name Pub Website
No Name Pubrsquos sign above the door says ldquoYou Found Itrdquo and if you take the time to get here
galley grIllMM 25 US Hwy 1Summerland Key FL 33042(305) 745-3446
A favorite spot for big eaters-we love the pancakes and om-elettes Come for breakfast and try the Hobo Piled High Skillet Mmmm grits
Photo credit christof verboven
Photo credit Jason arnold Photography
9
FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
The Road Less Traveled Driving the Florida Keys a Mile at a TimeRob OrsquoNealRobrsquos Website
Originally from Dayton Ohio Rob OrsquoNeal moved to Key West after graduating from The Ohio Insti-tute of Photography in 1996 Since landing in this tropical paradise to become a photographer with the Key West Citizen newspaper Rob has become a true local traveling the Keys by car by boat and by plane with the famed Blue Angels Some of his local work can be seen in his book Key West Photo Safari (website) filled with the beautiful (beaches wildlife flowering poin-ciana treas) and the bizarre (a pep-per car bats ghostly abandoned bars) His next project a compre-hensive photography study of Cuba will be out next
Whatrsquos to love about the Keys be-sides sunny skies ocean waves and Key Limes Rob says the dress code is definitely a plus
ldquoI love living here mainly because I hate wearing long pants I have two pairs one is a pair of jeans for
the rare cool night and the other is a pair of black dress pants I wear once a year while covering the American Red Cross Humanitarian of the Year Awards Otherwise itrsquos just shorts all year roundrdquo
Since most folks traveling down the Keys from Miami do so by car herersquos Robrsquos road map by mile marker Rob notes ldquoAll lsquorightsrsquo and lsquoleftsrsquo are in reference to driving down the Keys If you are leav-ing Key West and driving back up the Keys just reverse those rights and lefts The smaller mile marker numbers are closer to the Keys because they are listed from south to northrdquo
CARD SOUND ROAD
There are two ways from Miami Dade County to the Florida Keys or Monroe County One is the Florida Turnpike and the other is Card Sound Road which runs parallel to the turnpike and is
more scenic Itrsquos slightly longer than the main road but yoursquoll love being surrounded by the lo-cal ecosystem Therersquos a bridge in the middle and the toll is $100 If yoursquore hungry stop at Alabama Jacks Locals wax po-etic about this place-itrsquos the right mix of down home local joint and great food Check out their web-site wwwalabamajackscom
Photo credit rex lavoie
Photo credit uwe Seiler
Photo credit little Palm Island
10 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
M I L E 9 3
WILD BIRD REHABILITA-TION CENTERWebsite
On the right side of the road there is a large sign for the Cen-ter but itrsquos hard to see until the last minute This is a great all-volunteer organization taking in injured hawks owls herons sea gulls and more The rehabilitated birds are then released back into the wild
M I L E 9 7 8
KONA KAI RESORT
Website
In Key Largo on the bay side yoursquoll find Kona Kai an elegant 11-room resort thatrsquos also an art gallery and botanical garden Itrsquos been awarded several travel awards for service and amenties Each room features original art-work and the service manages to be personal and discreet all at once There are tennis courts and a small beach No little ones-guests have to be 16+ years of age
M I L E 9 8 2
PINK JUNKTIqUEFacebook Page
On the Oceanside is a well-stocked consignment shop A little pricey but cool stuff can be found from time to time
M I L E 1 0 2 6
JOHN D PENNEKAMP STATE PARK
Website
The parkrsquos Visitor Center has a 30000 gal aquarium that is fun to check out You can also snor-kel right off the beach which features a Spanish shipwreck just 100 ft off the shore The Park also offers snorkeling and SCU-BA diving trips Open from 8AM to 5PM daily
Photo credit little Palm Island
Photo credit nancy Johnson
Photo credit lynda Quintero-davids
11 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
M I L E 8 2
CHEECA LODGE
Website
A four-diamond property the Cheeca Lodge is an upscale re-sort that offers the right blend of luxury and relaxation with a love-ly staff and beautiful grounds
Whether you stay here or not Rob recommends dining at Nikai Sushi Restaurant on the proper-ty Try the Keysie Japanesie roll or the Big Kahuna
s
M I L E 8 3
THE DIVING MUSEUMWebsite
This is the perfect place for any-one who loves Scuba Diving There are alot of displays and information on the history of diving and a great gift shop for anything dive related
M I L E 8 4 9
WINDLEY KEY FOSSIL REEF GEOLOGICAL SITEWebsite
In the 1900rsquos this was an old rock quarry that was used to mine cor-al stone for the Overseas High-way Now it offers a few trails through the natural hammock of the Florida Keys Itrsquos great for a stretch of the legs while learning a little history Note The park is closed Tuesdays and Wednes-days
M I L E 8 6
RAIN BARREL ARTISANrsquoS VILLAGEHOME OF THE GIANT 40rsquo LOBSTER
Website
You canrsquot miss this just look for a 40rsquo lobster on the Bayside The Rain Barrel is a collection of small art galleries and shops that are individually owned and operat-ed Itrsquos a good place to pull over and browse for some fun souve-nirs like hand blown glass sculp-tures and jewelry
12 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
trail is named for the Golden Orb Weaver They are quite beautiful The trail takes you alongside the beach and into the hammock with transitioning ecology along the way They also have canoe rentals and a canoe trail mapped out
walk along the Boardwalk make sure you watch closely for the occasional large crabs scurrying back into their holes There are public restrooms here also
M I L E 6 7 5
LONG KEY STATE PARKWebsite
This little State Park is home to the Golden Orb Trail ndash an incred-ible walk through many different ecosystems If you look closely you may spot the spider that the
you can buy for $2 Bring your camera tarpon can be larger than 100 lbs
M I L E 7 3 5
ANNErsquoS BEACH
Need a rest stop or want to stretch your legs Stop at Annersquos Beach which has two entrances just sev-eral hundred yards apart that are connected by a boardwalk with a lot of little pavilions along it The sand is unusual it has tiny bits of coral and shell in it While you
M I L E 7 7 5
ROBBIErsquoS MARINA OF ISLAMORADAWebsite
Robbiersquos Marina is where you can rent boats or schedule excur-sions Trips to Lignumvitae Key on the Bayside and Indian Key on the Oceanside are offered here See Micah at the Kayak Shack hersquos a great musician and very knowledgeable about the area
Therersquos a fantastic eatery at the Marina-The Hungry Tarpon (wwwhungrytarponcom) Or-der fish tacos and then wander around back and feed the tarpon off the pier with buckets of fish
Photo credit Mklinchin
Photo credit Stephen radford
Photo credit Floridakeysgirlcom
13 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
M I L E 2 8 5
LITTLE PALM ISLANDWebsite
This boutique luxury resort is located on Little Torch Key and offers just 30 bungalows The hotel offers a water taxi service and plenty of romance Look for a brown road sign with an anchor on it The entrance to their shore station is on the oceanside One of the best dining experiences in the Keys is at their Dining Room Make a reservation and your ad-venture begins with a 15-minute boat ride to the most intimate and remote restaurants in the Florida Keys
M I L E 3 0
KEY DEER REFUGE NATURE TRAILWebsite
A little farther down from the Blue Hole in Big Pine Key there is a nature trail through the Key Deer Refuge which is located in the Big Pine Key Shopping PlazaActually the whole island of Big Pine Key is a Key Deer refuge but this particular trail is well marked It is about a mile long and takes you through a variety of different ecosystems Informative signs periodically dot the trail telling you about the native flora and fauna And itrsquos free
M I L E 3 0
BLUE HOLE Website
The Blue Hole is on Big Pine Key Turn right on Key Deer Blvd amp veer to the left-the low speed limit is because Key Deer can be found walking roadside espe-cially around dawn and dusk You will see the Blue Hole entrance on the left it is the only fresh water lake in the Florida Keys and be-cause of that you can spot some unique wildlife at times Yoursquoll likely see any number of rare wild birds alligators snakes and oc-casionally a Key Deer will wander up as well Sometimes therersquos a guide on duty but therersquos no published hours so just stop in
M I L E 5 3 5
SPARKYrsquoS LANDINGWebsite
At Key Colony Beach Marina in Marathon Sparkyrsquos might just have the best fish tacos in all of the Keys Try the Gratinee and Blue Cheese Chips
M I L E 4 8
THE TURTLE HOSPITALWebsite
This group saves and rehabs sea turtles all over the Keys and greater Florida They offer tours a few times a day The website also features a blog where you can read about individual turtles they have saved or are currently caring for
Photo credit rob orsquoneal
14 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
rays starfish and other aquatic creatures live Also across the marina yoursquoll see EP Daltonrsquos Ul-tralight The Ultralight is a fixed wing aircraft that allows you to see the entire area aerially Please note that EP can only take one person at a time but the views are stunning Check it out here wwwkeywestfloatscom
To get there exit at MM 17 and you will see Sugarloaf Lodge on the right Directly after you will see signs to ldquoSkydiverdquo turn right at that sign Towards the end of this little road you will see the old Bat Tower of Sugarloaf
M I L E 1 7
REELAX CHARTERSKEY WEST KAYAK TOURS AND EP DALTONrsquoS ULTRALIGHTWebsite
Andrea Paulson runs Reelax Charters in Sugarloaf Marina where you can book kayak tours to see all the beautiful wildlife we have in the Keys The super-friendly and knowledgeable cap-tain will anchor off a sandy beach and guide you through mangrove creeks where small sharks sting-
M I L E 1 7
BAT TOWER ON SUGARLOAF
A man named Perky built this bat tower in the 1920rsquos or 30rsquos He wanted to open a hotel on Sugar-loaf but found the mosquitoes to be abundant He commissioned a bat tower in hopes that bats would eat the mosquitoes Good idea in theory but after import-ing many bats for the task they soon flew away never to return
Ph
oto
cre
dit
ro
b o
rsquonea
l
Photo credit uwe Seiler
15 FLORIDA KEYS | GUEST LIST
The Key West Bucket ListDavid Sloan
David L Sloan quit his corporate job and moved to Key West in 1996 A former cruise ship GM he is the founder of Key Westrsquos Original Ghost Tour author of 10 books an artist musician and songwriter He lives in Old Town Key West with his macaw and pit bull David wrote The Bucket List
in response to the overwhelming number of guide books featuring paid advertorials for mediocre activities ldquoPeople are looking for adventures The Bucket List sends them down the right path and Key West takes care of the restrdquo
Step beyond the guidebooks and experience the Florida Keys like a local Herersquos a few of Da-vidrsquos gems for how to spend your time in Key West
1 Hand-feed a Tarpon
Save your food scraps from the Schooner Wharf Bar and feed them to the sea creatures lurk-ing below the docks Watch your fingers The tarpon take ldquohand-feedingrdquo literally 202 William Street (305) 292-3302 wwwschoonerwharfcom
2 STay in a HaunTed HoTeL
Bars are not the only things that go bump in the night Check into Marrerorsquos Guest Mansion and you may have a close encoun-ter with the mansionrsquos resident ghost 410 Fleming Street (305) 294-6977 wwwmarreroscom
3 SearcH for fLamingoS from a KayaK
While authentic flamingos are not as prevalent as the plastic variety found in Floridianrsquos front yards the search with Lazy Dog Kayak Adventures will leave you tickled pink 5114 Overseas High-way (305) 295-9898 wwwlazy-dogcom
4 caTcH your oWn LoBSTer
Why should fishermen have all the fun Skip the fancy restau-rants and hire 6-Pack Charters for a day on the water with Cap-tain Billy Rentz It doesnrsquot get any fresher than this (305) 240-0464 www6packkeywestcom
Photo credit longhorndave
16 FLORIDA KEYS | GUEST LIST
Hungry for more The Key West Bucket List includes 100 ways to have a real Florida Keys expe-rience Pick up a copy for your NOOK or Kindle at
wwwamazoncomauthorsloan
7 SLip inTo a pair of KinoS
Comfortable classy sandals made in Key West A staple for any local worth their weight in conch At 14 bucks a pair you wonrsquot want to slip them off (107 Fitzpatrick Street 305-294-5044 wwwkinosandalscom)
6maKe a Key Lime pie
Grab a few ingredients from Faustorsquos Food Palace and try your hand at this island favorite that comes together easy as pie 522 Fleming Street (305) 296-5663 wwwfaustoscom
5SuBmiT a crazy commenT To ldquoTHe ciTizenrsquoS Voicerdquo
Our local paper has an anony-mous comment column where lo-cals and tourists vie for bragging rights on the days most humor-ous or bizarre comment Phone in or e-mail your brief and enter-taining thoughts then let your friends on Twitter and Facebook know you have been published in Key West Key West Citizenrsquos Voice (305) 293-7900 voicekeysnewscom
Photo credit najwa kronfel
17 FLORIDA KEYS | BEST OF
Top 5 in the Keys
Stephanie Goldberg Glazer Florida Keys Girl Blog Website
Stephanie Goldberg Glazer is the Florida Keys Girl Her blog wwwfloridakeysgirlcom is fo-cused on life in Key West and be-yond covering traveling eating wine drinking and the crazy adven-tures of her dog Babka Stephanie is the co-host of 3 Loud Women and runs Your Personal Manager Inc a full service personal assistant company helping clients plan and enjoy their vacations
ldquoIt is hard not to love the Florida Keys and frankly I find anyone who claims they donrsquot a bit sus-pect With so many things to do (ldquorelaxingrdquo counts as doing) you can exert as much or as lit-tle effort as you like My favor-ite things to do typically revolve around eating drinking and merriment as evidenced by the
list and the constant thought of dieting lsquolaterrsquordquo
the FlorIda keyS toP FIve
The Keys have so many quirky restaurants and one
of my favorite spots to lunch while driving to or from Key West is Keys Fisheries in Marathon The food is great prepared to order (quickly) and when order-ing at the walk up window cus-tomers are identified by their fa-vorite movie or the like
My favorite place to stop for coffee (by ldquocoffeerdquo I mean
ldquocoffee and an almond crois-santrdquo) is the Village Gourmet in Islamorada Good coffee to-die-for pastries and a water bowl for my dog
Whenever we have out of town guests we take them
on a sunset sail There is very lit-tle more beautiful than the Flor-ida Keys sunsets I like Danger
Charters Wind and Winendash small ships great service and a nice wine selection
I have two favorite restau-rants and on special oc-
casions like my birthday I may hit them both in the same day The Flaming Buoy Filet Co on Packer Street has a quiet neigh-borhood feel The food is great service friendly and they have a spicy chocolate quesadilla for dessert Donrsquot knock it lsquotil yoursquove
tried it Azur on Grinnell Street splits their awe-
someness across several meals
Brunch there is superb (Key lime pie stuffed French toast enough said) Dinner is equally wonder-ful with homemade gnocchi and fresh seafood
1
2
3
4
5
Photo credit uwe Seiler
Photo credit Matty yu
Photo credit rob orsquoneal
from the editors of
6
FLORIDA KEYS | FAMILY
Dining Tip From Fran Try Louiersquos Backyard Bar They brew their own hot sauce which is why their conch chowder is the best It also has a great wine list
Photo credit national Park Service
7
FLORIDA KEYS | EATS
No Jacket Required Dining in the Keys
Jon KalaferJonrsquos Website
Unlike other Florida com-munities the Keys canrsquot be defined by its residents
Personalities from all across the globe have landed in the Keys and never looked back Docu-mentary filmmaker Jon Kalafer owns a home in Summerland Key the bedroom community a few minutes east of Key West He says ldquoIrsquove been coming down to this area for the last 20 years with my family you canrsquot find a more relaxing place to berdquo
Stepping into life on the Keys means yoursquoll lose track of time gain a reddish tan and never once need anything more formal than a t-shirt Outdoorsy types beach bums and adventure lov-ers unite here Jon says ldquoYou can simply pull over the main highway Route 1 and take a dip in the water or snorkel and fishrdquo Jon says rdquoThe entire highway through the keys is one big rest stop where yoursquoll find beautiful beachesrdquoOf course yoursquoll need to stop for food and perhaps a beer at
some point Therersquos plenty of great seafood to be had but lo-cals recommend sticking with the local catch and avoiding the pricier imported selections Jon says ldquoSeasonally the Keys offers delicious local stone crab claws and lobster tail lsquoKey West Pinksrsquo are the local shrimp variety The favorite local fish is the lsquoHogfish Snapperrsquo You never see this fish anywhere except the Keys and it has a delicious unique tasterdquo Where else should you dine Jon and his wife Kori recommend the places below
looe key tIkI Bar27340 Overseas HwyRamrod Key FL 33042(305) 872-2215Looe Key Tiki Bar Website
Part dive shop part bar part res-taurant the Looe Key Tiki Bar at-tracts locals and visitors alike If you want to see true local color including the fun-loving hard-drinking crowd this is the place for that raw experience
Photo credit diveFlakeyS
Photo credit Jason arnold Photography
Editorrsquos Note Look out for Jonrsquos
film Once in a Lullaby The PS22
Chorus Story at the upcoming Tribe-
ca Film Festival Also check out his
last film weloveyoufilmcom
8
FLORIDA KEYS | EATS
BaByrsquoS coFFee3180 US Highway 1Big Pine KeyFL33043 (305) 744-9866Babyrsquos Coffee Website
A delicious alternative to home-made joe
troPIc cIneMa
416 Eaton StreetKey West Florida 33040Tropic Cinema Website
Rainy day Hit Tropic Cinema to catch an independent film
yoursquoll be visiting history The es-tablishment has been in business since 1931 originally a local gen-eral store the owners added the lsquopubrsquo room in 1936 Try the pub pizza with lsquofurry fish on the sidersquo which is the local way of saying a side of anchovies Like all bars with an interesting history No Name Pub sells T-shirts with fun-ny lines about how hard it is to find It isnrsquot a joke you have to work to find it It is on No Name Key which isnrsquot connected to the main road Route 1 You have to take a bridge off of Big Pine Key
MurrayrsquoS Market 24550 Overseas Highway Summerland Key FL 33042(305) 745-3534Murrayrsquos Market Website
For picnics try the sandwiches and prepared foods If yoursquore eating in this is a great place for meats groceries and sundries
Parrot dISe Water-Front Bar and grIlle183 Barry AvenueLittle Torch Key Florida 33042 (305) 872-9989Parrot Dise Waterfront Website
Parrot Dise offers a little of every-thing-along with a full bar therersquos a kidsrsquo menu a catering space and a waterfront view to enjoy If yoursquore boating over for dinner just tie your vessel to the restau-rantrsquos private dock The name is a nod to Keys expert Jimmy Buf-fet and while the atmosphere is laid back the food is ldquogourmet-levelrdquo Jon recommends the Lob-ster Reuben and the Jamaican Jerk Wings
no naMe PuB 30813 North Watson BoulevardBig Pine Key FL 33043(305) 872-9115 No Name Pub Website
No Name Pubrsquos sign above the door says ldquoYou Found Itrdquo and if you take the time to get here
galley grIllMM 25 US Hwy 1Summerland Key FL 33042(305) 745-3446
A favorite spot for big eaters-we love the pancakes and om-elettes Come for breakfast and try the Hobo Piled High Skillet Mmmm grits
Photo credit christof verboven
Photo credit Jason arnold Photography
9
FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
The Road Less Traveled Driving the Florida Keys a Mile at a TimeRob OrsquoNealRobrsquos Website
Originally from Dayton Ohio Rob OrsquoNeal moved to Key West after graduating from The Ohio Insti-tute of Photography in 1996 Since landing in this tropical paradise to become a photographer with the Key West Citizen newspaper Rob has become a true local traveling the Keys by car by boat and by plane with the famed Blue Angels Some of his local work can be seen in his book Key West Photo Safari (website) filled with the beautiful (beaches wildlife flowering poin-ciana treas) and the bizarre (a pep-per car bats ghostly abandoned bars) His next project a compre-hensive photography study of Cuba will be out next
Whatrsquos to love about the Keys be-sides sunny skies ocean waves and Key Limes Rob says the dress code is definitely a plus
ldquoI love living here mainly because I hate wearing long pants I have two pairs one is a pair of jeans for
the rare cool night and the other is a pair of black dress pants I wear once a year while covering the American Red Cross Humanitarian of the Year Awards Otherwise itrsquos just shorts all year roundrdquo
Since most folks traveling down the Keys from Miami do so by car herersquos Robrsquos road map by mile marker Rob notes ldquoAll lsquorightsrsquo and lsquoleftsrsquo are in reference to driving down the Keys If you are leav-ing Key West and driving back up the Keys just reverse those rights and lefts The smaller mile marker numbers are closer to the Keys because they are listed from south to northrdquo
CARD SOUND ROAD
There are two ways from Miami Dade County to the Florida Keys or Monroe County One is the Florida Turnpike and the other is Card Sound Road which runs parallel to the turnpike and is
more scenic Itrsquos slightly longer than the main road but yoursquoll love being surrounded by the lo-cal ecosystem Therersquos a bridge in the middle and the toll is $100 If yoursquore hungry stop at Alabama Jacks Locals wax po-etic about this place-itrsquos the right mix of down home local joint and great food Check out their web-site wwwalabamajackscom
Photo credit rex lavoie
Photo credit uwe Seiler
Photo credit little Palm Island
10 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
M I L E 9 3
WILD BIRD REHABILITA-TION CENTERWebsite
On the right side of the road there is a large sign for the Cen-ter but itrsquos hard to see until the last minute This is a great all-volunteer organization taking in injured hawks owls herons sea gulls and more The rehabilitated birds are then released back into the wild
M I L E 9 7 8
KONA KAI RESORT
Website
In Key Largo on the bay side yoursquoll find Kona Kai an elegant 11-room resort thatrsquos also an art gallery and botanical garden Itrsquos been awarded several travel awards for service and amenties Each room features original art-work and the service manages to be personal and discreet all at once There are tennis courts and a small beach No little ones-guests have to be 16+ years of age
M I L E 9 8 2
PINK JUNKTIqUEFacebook Page
On the Oceanside is a well-stocked consignment shop A little pricey but cool stuff can be found from time to time
M I L E 1 0 2 6
JOHN D PENNEKAMP STATE PARK
Website
The parkrsquos Visitor Center has a 30000 gal aquarium that is fun to check out You can also snor-kel right off the beach which features a Spanish shipwreck just 100 ft off the shore The Park also offers snorkeling and SCU-BA diving trips Open from 8AM to 5PM daily
Photo credit little Palm Island
Photo credit nancy Johnson
Photo credit lynda Quintero-davids
11 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
M I L E 8 2
CHEECA LODGE
Website
A four-diamond property the Cheeca Lodge is an upscale re-sort that offers the right blend of luxury and relaxation with a love-ly staff and beautiful grounds
Whether you stay here or not Rob recommends dining at Nikai Sushi Restaurant on the proper-ty Try the Keysie Japanesie roll or the Big Kahuna
s
M I L E 8 3
THE DIVING MUSEUMWebsite
This is the perfect place for any-one who loves Scuba Diving There are alot of displays and information on the history of diving and a great gift shop for anything dive related
M I L E 8 4 9
WINDLEY KEY FOSSIL REEF GEOLOGICAL SITEWebsite
In the 1900rsquos this was an old rock quarry that was used to mine cor-al stone for the Overseas High-way Now it offers a few trails through the natural hammock of the Florida Keys Itrsquos great for a stretch of the legs while learning a little history Note The park is closed Tuesdays and Wednes-days
M I L E 8 6
RAIN BARREL ARTISANrsquoS VILLAGEHOME OF THE GIANT 40rsquo LOBSTER
Website
You canrsquot miss this just look for a 40rsquo lobster on the Bayside The Rain Barrel is a collection of small art galleries and shops that are individually owned and operat-ed Itrsquos a good place to pull over and browse for some fun souve-nirs like hand blown glass sculp-tures and jewelry
12 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
trail is named for the Golden Orb Weaver They are quite beautiful The trail takes you alongside the beach and into the hammock with transitioning ecology along the way They also have canoe rentals and a canoe trail mapped out
walk along the Boardwalk make sure you watch closely for the occasional large crabs scurrying back into their holes There are public restrooms here also
M I L E 6 7 5
LONG KEY STATE PARKWebsite
This little State Park is home to the Golden Orb Trail ndash an incred-ible walk through many different ecosystems If you look closely you may spot the spider that the
you can buy for $2 Bring your camera tarpon can be larger than 100 lbs
M I L E 7 3 5
ANNErsquoS BEACH
Need a rest stop or want to stretch your legs Stop at Annersquos Beach which has two entrances just sev-eral hundred yards apart that are connected by a boardwalk with a lot of little pavilions along it The sand is unusual it has tiny bits of coral and shell in it While you
M I L E 7 7 5
ROBBIErsquoS MARINA OF ISLAMORADAWebsite
Robbiersquos Marina is where you can rent boats or schedule excur-sions Trips to Lignumvitae Key on the Bayside and Indian Key on the Oceanside are offered here See Micah at the Kayak Shack hersquos a great musician and very knowledgeable about the area
Therersquos a fantastic eatery at the Marina-The Hungry Tarpon (wwwhungrytarponcom) Or-der fish tacos and then wander around back and feed the tarpon off the pier with buckets of fish
Photo credit Mklinchin
Photo credit Stephen radford
Photo credit Floridakeysgirlcom
13 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
M I L E 2 8 5
LITTLE PALM ISLANDWebsite
This boutique luxury resort is located on Little Torch Key and offers just 30 bungalows The hotel offers a water taxi service and plenty of romance Look for a brown road sign with an anchor on it The entrance to their shore station is on the oceanside One of the best dining experiences in the Keys is at their Dining Room Make a reservation and your ad-venture begins with a 15-minute boat ride to the most intimate and remote restaurants in the Florida Keys
M I L E 3 0
KEY DEER REFUGE NATURE TRAILWebsite
A little farther down from the Blue Hole in Big Pine Key there is a nature trail through the Key Deer Refuge which is located in the Big Pine Key Shopping PlazaActually the whole island of Big Pine Key is a Key Deer refuge but this particular trail is well marked It is about a mile long and takes you through a variety of different ecosystems Informative signs periodically dot the trail telling you about the native flora and fauna And itrsquos free
M I L E 3 0
BLUE HOLE Website
The Blue Hole is on Big Pine Key Turn right on Key Deer Blvd amp veer to the left-the low speed limit is because Key Deer can be found walking roadside espe-cially around dawn and dusk You will see the Blue Hole entrance on the left it is the only fresh water lake in the Florida Keys and be-cause of that you can spot some unique wildlife at times Yoursquoll likely see any number of rare wild birds alligators snakes and oc-casionally a Key Deer will wander up as well Sometimes therersquos a guide on duty but therersquos no published hours so just stop in
M I L E 5 3 5
SPARKYrsquoS LANDINGWebsite
At Key Colony Beach Marina in Marathon Sparkyrsquos might just have the best fish tacos in all of the Keys Try the Gratinee and Blue Cheese Chips
M I L E 4 8
THE TURTLE HOSPITALWebsite
This group saves and rehabs sea turtles all over the Keys and greater Florida They offer tours a few times a day The website also features a blog where you can read about individual turtles they have saved or are currently caring for
Photo credit rob orsquoneal
14 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
rays starfish and other aquatic creatures live Also across the marina yoursquoll see EP Daltonrsquos Ul-tralight The Ultralight is a fixed wing aircraft that allows you to see the entire area aerially Please note that EP can only take one person at a time but the views are stunning Check it out here wwwkeywestfloatscom
To get there exit at MM 17 and you will see Sugarloaf Lodge on the right Directly after you will see signs to ldquoSkydiverdquo turn right at that sign Towards the end of this little road you will see the old Bat Tower of Sugarloaf
M I L E 1 7
REELAX CHARTERSKEY WEST KAYAK TOURS AND EP DALTONrsquoS ULTRALIGHTWebsite
Andrea Paulson runs Reelax Charters in Sugarloaf Marina where you can book kayak tours to see all the beautiful wildlife we have in the Keys The super-friendly and knowledgeable cap-tain will anchor off a sandy beach and guide you through mangrove creeks where small sharks sting-
M I L E 1 7
BAT TOWER ON SUGARLOAF
A man named Perky built this bat tower in the 1920rsquos or 30rsquos He wanted to open a hotel on Sugar-loaf but found the mosquitoes to be abundant He commissioned a bat tower in hopes that bats would eat the mosquitoes Good idea in theory but after import-ing many bats for the task they soon flew away never to return
Ph
oto
cre
dit
ro
b o
rsquonea
l
Photo credit uwe Seiler
15 FLORIDA KEYS | GUEST LIST
The Key West Bucket ListDavid Sloan
David L Sloan quit his corporate job and moved to Key West in 1996 A former cruise ship GM he is the founder of Key Westrsquos Original Ghost Tour author of 10 books an artist musician and songwriter He lives in Old Town Key West with his macaw and pit bull David wrote The Bucket List
in response to the overwhelming number of guide books featuring paid advertorials for mediocre activities ldquoPeople are looking for adventures The Bucket List sends them down the right path and Key West takes care of the restrdquo
Step beyond the guidebooks and experience the Florida Keys like a local Herersquos a few of Da-vidrsquos gems for how to spend your time in Key West
1 Hand-feed a Tarpon
Save your food scraps from the Schooner Wharf Bar and feed them to the sea creatures lurk-ing below the docks Watch your fingers The tarpon take ldquohand-feedingrdquo literally 202 William Street (305) 292-3302 wwwschoonerwharfcom
2 STay in a HaunTed HoTeL
Bars are not the only things that go bump in the night Check into Marrerorsquos Guest Mansion and you may have a close encoun-ter with the mansionrsquos resident ghost 410 Fleming Street (305) 294-6977 wwwmarreroscom
3 SearcH for fLamingoS from a KayaK
While authentic flamingos are not as prevalent as the plastic variety found in Floridianrsquos front yards the search with Lazy Dog Kayak Adventures will leave you tickled pink 5114 Overseas High-way (305) 295-9898 wwwlazy-dogcom
4 caTcH your oWn LoBSTer
Why should fishermen have all the fun Skip the fancy restau-rants and hire 6-Pack Charters for a day on the water with Cap-tain Billy Rentz It doesnrsquot get any fresher than this (305) 240-0464 www6packkeywestcom
Photo credit longhorndave
16 FLORIDA KEYS | GUEST LIST
Hungry for more The Key West Bucket List includes 100 ways to have a real Florida Keys expe-rience Pick up a copy for your NOOK or Kindle at
wwwamazoncomauthorsloan
7 SLip inTo a pair of KinoS
Comfortable classy sandals made in Key West A staple for any local worth their weight in conch At 14 bucks a pair you wonrsquot want to slip them off (107 Fitzpatrick Street 305-294-5044 wwwkinosandalscom)
6maKe a Key Lime pie
Grab a few ingredients from Faustorsquos Food Palace and try your hand at this island favorite that comes together easy as pie 522 Fleming Street (305) 296-5663 wwwfaustoscom
5SuBmiT a crazy commenT To ldquoTHe ciTizenrsquoS Voicerdquo
Our local paper has an anony-mous comment column where lo-cals and tourists vie for bragging rights on the days most humor-ous or bizarre comment Phone in or e-mail your brief and enter-taining thoughts then let your friends on Twitter and Facebook know you have been published in Key West Key West Citizenrsquos Voice (305) 293-7900 voicekeysnewscom
Photo credit najwa kronfel
17 FLORIDA KEYS | BEST OF
Top 5 in the Keys
Stephanie Goldberg Glazer Florida Keys Girl Blog Website
Stephanie Goldberg Glazer is the Florida Keys Girl Her blog wwwfloridakeysgirlcom is fo-cused on life in Key West and be-yond covering traveling eating wine drinking and the crazy adven-tures of her dog Babka Stephanie is the co-host of 3 Loud Women and runs Your Personal Manager Inc a full service personal assistant company helping clients plan and enjoy their vacations
ldquoIt is hard not to love the Florida Keys and frankly I find anyone who claims they donrsquot a bit sus-pect With so many things to do (ldquorelaxingrdquo counts as doing) you can exert as much or as lit-tle effort as you like My favor-ite things to do typically revolve around eating drinking and merriment as evidenced by the
list and the constant thought of dieting lsquolaterrsquordquo
the FlorIda keyS toP FIve
The Keys have so many quirky restaurants and one
of my favorite spots to lunch while driving to or from Key West is Keys Fisheries in Marathon The food is great prepared to order (quickly) and when order-ing at the walk up window cus-tomers are identified by their fa-vorite movie or the like
My favorite place to stop for coffee (by ldquocoffeerdquo I mean
ldquocoffee and an almond crois-santrdquo) is the Village Gourmet in Islamorada Good coffee to-die-for pastries and a water bowl for my dog
Whenever we have out of town guests we take them
on a sunset sail There is very lit-tle more beautiful than the Flor-ida Keys sunsets I like Danger
Charters Wind and Winendash small ships great service and a nice wine selection
I have two favorite restau-rants and on special oc-
casions like my birthday I may hit them both in the same day The Flaming Buoy Filet Co on Packer Street has a quiet neigh-borhood feel The food is great service friendly and they have a spicy chocolate quesadilla for dessert Donrsquot knock it lsquotil yoursquove
tried it Azur on Grinnell Street splits their awe-
someness across several meals
Brunch there is superb (Key lime pie stuffed French toast enough said) Dinner is equally wonder-ful with homemade gnocchi and fresh seafood
1
2
3
4
5
Photo credit uwe Seiler
Photo credit Matty yu
Photo credit rob orsquoneal
from the editors of
7
FLORIDA KEYS | EATS
No Jacket Required Dining in the Keys
Jon KalaferJonrsquos Website
Unlike other Florida com-munities the Keys canrsquot be defined by its residents
Personalities from all across the globe have landed in the Keys and never looked back Docu-mentary filmmaker Jon Kalafer owns a home in Summerland Key the bedroom community a few minutes east of Key West He says ldquoIrsquove been coming down to this area for the last 20 years with my family you canrsquot find a more relaxing place to berdquo
Stepping into life on the Keys means yoursquoll lose track of time gain a reddish tan and never once need anything more formal than a t-shirt Outdoorsy types beach bums and adventure lov-ers unite here Jon says ldquoYou can simply pull over the main highway Route 1 and take a dip in the water or snorkel and fishrdquo Jon says rdquoThe entire highway through the keys is one big rest stop where yoursquoll find beautiful beachesrdquoOf course yoursquoll need to stop for food and perhaps a beer at
some point Therersquos plenty of great seafood to be had but lo-cals recommend sticking with the local catch and avoiding the pricier imported selections Jon says ldquoSeasonally the Keys offers delicious local stone crab claws and lobster tail lsquoKey West Pinksrsquo are the local shrimp variety The favorite local fish is the lsquoHogfish Snapperrsquo You never see this fish anywhere except the Keys and it has a delicious unique tasterdquo Where else should you dine Jon and his wife Kori recommend the places below
looe key tIkI Bar27340 Overseas HwyRamrod Key FL 33042(305) 872-2215Looe Key Tiki Bar Website
Part dive shop part bar part res-taurant the Looe Key Tiki Bar at-tracts locals and visitors alike If you want to see true local color including the fun-loving hard-drinking crowd this is the place for that raw experience
Photo credit diveFlakeyS
Photo credit Jason arnold Photography
Editorrsquos Note Look out for Jonrsquos
film Once in a Lullaby The PS22
Chorus Story at the upcoming Tribe-
ca Film Festival Also check out his
last film weloveyoufilmcom
8
FLORIDA KEYS | EATS
BaByrsquoS coFFee3180 US Highway 1Big Pine KeyFL33043 (305) 744-9866Babyrsquos Coffee Website
A delicious alternative to home-made joe
troPIc cIneMa
416 Eaton StreetKey West Florida 33040Tropic Cinema Website
Rainy day Hit Tropic Cinema to catch an independent film
yoursquoll be visiting history The es-tablishment has been in business since 1931 originally a local gen-eral store the owners added the lsquopubrsquo room in 1936 Try the pub pizza with lsquofurry fish on the sidersquo which is the local way of saying a side of anchovies Like all bars with an interesting history No Name Pub sells T-shirts with fun-ny lines about how hard it is to find It isnrsquot a joke you have to work to find it It is on No Name Key which isnrsquot connected to the main road Route 1 You have to take a bridge off of Big Pine Key
MurrayrsquoS Market 24550 Overseas Highway Summerland Key FL 33042(305) 745-3534Murrayrsquos Market Website
For picnics try the sandwiches and prepared foods If yoursquore eating in this is a great place for meats groceries and sundries
Parrot dISe Water-Front Bar and grIlle183 Barry AvenueLittle Torch Key Florida 33042 (305) 872-9989Parrot Dise Waterfront Website
Parrot Dise offers a little of every-thing-along with a full bar therersquos a kidsrsquo menu a catering space and a waterfront view to enjoy If yoursquore boating over for dinner just tie your vessel to the restau-rantrsquos private dock The name is a nod to Keys expert Jimmy Buf-fet and while the atmosphere is laid back the food is ldquogourmet-levelrdquo Jon recommends the Lob-ster Reuben and the Jamaican Jerk Wings
no naMe PuB 30813 North Watson BoulevardBig Pine Key FL 33043(305) 872-9115 No Name Pub Website
No Name Pubrsquos sign above the door says ldquoYou Found Itrdquo and if you take the time to get here
galley grIllMM 25 US Hwy 1Summerland Key FL 33042(305) 745-3446
A favorite spot for big eaters-we love the pancakes and om-elettes Come for breakfast and try the Hobo Piled High Skillet Mmmm grits
Photo credit christof verboven
Photo credit Jason arnold Photography
9
FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
The Road Less Traveled Driving the Florida Keys a Mile at a TimeRob OrsquoNealRobrsquos Website
Originally from Dayton Ohio Rob OrsquoNeal moved to Key West after graduating from The Ohio Insti-tute of Photography in 1996 Since landing in this tropical paradise to become a photographer with the Key West Citizen newspaper Rob has become a true local traveling the Keys by car by boat and by plane with the famed Blue Angels Some of his local work can be seen in his book Key West Photo Safari (website) filled with the beautiful (beaches wildlife flowering poin-ciana treas) and the bizarre (a pep-per car bats ghostly abandoned bars) His next project a compre-hensive photography study of Cuba will be out next
Whatrsquos to love about the Keys be-sides sunny skies ocean waves and Key Limes Rob says the dress code is definitely a plus
ldquoI love living here mainly because I hate wearing long pants I have two pairs one is a pair of jeans for
the rare cool night and the other is a pair of black dress pants I wear once a year while covering the American Red Cross Humanitarian of the Year Awards Otherwise itrsquos just shorts all year roundrdquo
Since most folks traveling down the Keys from Miami do so by car herersquos Robrsquos road map by mile marker Rob notes ldquoAll lsquorightsrsquo and lsquoleftsrsquo are in reference to driving down the Keys If you are leav-ing Key West and driving back up the Keys just reverse those rights and lefts The smaller mile marker numbers are closer to the Keys because they are listed from south to northrdquo
CARD SOUND ROAD
There are two ways from Miami Dade County to the Florida Keys or Monroe County One is the Florida Turnpike and the other is Card Sound Road which runs parallel to the turnpike and is
more scenic Itrsquos slightly longer than the main road but yoursquoll love being surrounded by the lo-cal ecosystem Therersquos a bridge in the middle and the toll is $100 If yoursquore hungry stop at Alabama Jacks Locals wax po-etic about this place-itrsquos the right mix of down home local joint and great food Check out their web-site wwwalabamajackscom
Photo credit rex lavoie
Photo credit uwe Seiler
Photo credit little Palm Island
10 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
M I L E 9 3
WILD BIRD REHABILITA-TION CENTERWebsite
On the right side of the road there is a large sign for the Cen-ter but itrsquos hard to see until the last minute This is a great all-volunteer organization taking in injured hawks owls herons sea gulls and more The rehabilitated birds are then released back into the wild
M I L E 9 7 8
KONA KAI RESORT
Website
In Key Largo on the bay side yoursquoll find Kona Kai an elegant 11-room resort thatrsquos also an art gallery and botanical garden Itrsquos been awarded several travel awards for service and amenties Each room features original art-work and the service manages to be personal and discreet all at once There are tennis courts and a small beach No little ones-guests have to be 16+ years of age
M I L E 9 8 2
PINK JUNKTIqUEFacebook Page
On the Oceanside is a well-stocked consignment shop A little pricey but cool stuff can be found from time to time
M I L E 1 0 2 6
JOHN D PENNEKAMP STATE PARK
Website
The parkrsquos Visitor Center has a 30000 gal aquarium that is fun to check out You can also snor-kel right off the beach which features a Spanish shipwreck just 100 ft off the shore The Park also offers snorkeling and SCU-BA diving trips Open from 8AM to 5PM daily
Photo credit little Palm Island
Photo credit nancy Johnson
Photo credit lynda Quintero-davids
11 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
M I L E 8 2
CHEECA LODGE
Website
A four-diamond property the Cheeca Lodge is an upscale re-sort that offers the right blend of luxury and relaxation with a love-ly staff and beautiful grounds
Whether you stay here or not Rob recommends dining at Nikai Sushi Restaurant on the proper-ty Try the Keysie Japanesie roll or the Big Kahuna
s
M I L E 8 3
THE DIVING MUSEUMWebsite
This is the perfect place for any-one who loves Scuba Diving There are alot of displays and information on the history of diving and a great gift shop for anything dive related
M I L E 8 4 9
WINDLEY KEY FOSSIL REEF GEOLOGICAL SITEWebsite
In the 1900rsquos this was an old rock quarry that was used to mine cor-al stone for the Overseas High-way Now it offers a few trails through the natural hammock of the Florida Keys Itrsquos great for a stretch of the legs while learning a little history Note The park is closed Tuesdays and Wednes-days
M I L E 8 6
RAIN BARREL ARTISANrsquoS VILLAGEHOME OF THE GIANT 40rsquo LOBSTER
Website
You canrsquot miss this just look for a 40rsquo lobster on the Bayside The Rain Barrel is a collection of small art galleries and shops that are individually owned and operat-ed Itrsquos a good place to pull over and browse for some fun souve-nirs like hand blown glass sculp-tures and jewelry
12 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
trail is named for the Golden Orb Weaver They are quite beautiful The trail takes you alongside the beach and into the hammock with transitioning ecology along the way They also have canoe rentals and a canoe trail mapped out
walk along the Boardwalk make sure you watch closely for the occasional large crabs scurrying back into their holes There are public restrooms here also
M I L E 6 7 5
LONG KEY STATE PARKWebsite
This little State Park is home to the Golden Orb Trail ndash an incred-ible walk through many different ecosystems If you look closely you may spot the spider that the
you can buy for $2 Bring your camera tarpon can be larger than 100 lbs
M I L E 7 3 5
ANNErsquoS BEACH
Need a rest stop or want to stretch your legs Stop at Annersquos Beach which has two entrances just sev-eral hundred yards apart that are connected by a boardwalk with a lot of little pavilions along it The sand is unusual it has tiny bits of coral and shell in it While you
M I L E 7 7 5
ROBBIErsquoS MARINA OF ISLAMORADAWebsite
Robbiersquos Marina is where you can rent boats or schedule excur-sions Trips to Lignumvitae Key on the Bayside and Indian Key on the Oceanside are offered here See Micah at the Kayak Shack hersquos a great musician and very knowledgeable about the area
Therersquos a fantastic eatery at the Marina-The Hungry Tarpon (wwwhungrytarponcom) Or-der fish tacos and then wander around back and feed the tarpon off the pier with buckets of fish
Photo credit Mklinchin
Photo credit Stephen radford
Photo credit Floridakeysgirlcom
13 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
M I L E 2 8 5
LITTLE PALM ISLANDWebsite
This boutique luxury resort is located on Little Torch Key and offers just 30 bungalows The hotel offers a water taxi service and plenty of romance Look for a brown road sign with an anchor on it The entrance to their shore station is on the oceanside One of the best dining experiences in the Keys is at their Dining Room Make a reservation and your ad-venture begins with a 15-minute boat ride to the most intimate and remote restaurants in the Florida Keys
M I L E 3 0
KEY DEER REFUGE NATURE TRAILWebsite
A little farther down from the Blue Hole in Big Pine Key there is a nature trail through the Key Deer Refuge which is located in the Big Pine Key Shopping PlazaActually the whole island of Big Pine Key is a Key Deer refuge but this particular trail is well marked It is about a mile long and takes you through a variety of different ecosystems Informative signs periodically dot the trail telling you about the native flora and fauna And itrsquos free
M I L E 3 0
BLUE HOLE Website
The Blue Hole is on Big Pine Key Turn right on Key Deer Blvd amp veer to the left-the low speed limit is because Key Deer can be found walking roadside espe-cially around dawn and dusk You will see the Blue Hole entrance on the left it is the only fresh water lake in the Florida Keys and be-cause of that you can spot some unique wildlife at times Yoursquoll likely see any number of rare wild birds alligators snakes and oc-casionally a Key Deer will wander up as well Sometimes therersquos a guide on duty but therersquos no published hours so just stop in
M I L E 5 3 5
SPARKYrsquoS LANDINGWebsite
At Key Colony Beach Marina in Marathon Sparkyrsquos might just have the best fish tacos in all of the Keys Try the Gratinee and Blue Cheese Chips
M I L E 4 8
THE TURTLE HOSPITALWebsite
This group saves and rehabs sea turtles all over the Keys and greater Florida They offer tours a few times a day The website also features a blog where you can read about individual turtles they have saved or are currently caring for
Photo credit rob orsquoneal
14 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
rays starfish and other aquatic creatures live Also across the marina yoursquoll see EP Daltonrsquos Ul-tralight The Ultralight is a fixed wing aircraft that allows you to see the entire area aerially Please note that EP can only take one person at a time but the views are stunning Check it out here wwwkeywestfloatscom
To get there exit at MM 17 and you will see Sugarloaf Lodge on the right Directly after you will see signs to ldquoSkydiverdquo turn right at that sign Towards the end of this little road you will see the old Bat Tower of Sugarloaf
M I L E 1 7
REELAX CHARTERSKEY WEST KAYAK TOURS AND EP DALTONrsquoS ULTRALIGHTWebsite
Andrea Paulson runs Reelax Charters in Sugarloaf Marina where you can book kayak tours to see all the beautiful wildlife we have in the Keys The super-friendly and knowledgeable cap-tain will anchor off a sandy beach and guide you through mangrove creeks where small sharks sting-
M I L E 1 7
BAT TOWER ON SUGARLOAF
A man named Perky built this bat tower in the 1920rsquos or 30rsquos He wanted to open a hotel on Sugar-loaf but found the mosquitoes to be abundant He commissioned a bat tower in hopes that bats would eat the mosquitoes Good idea in theory but after import-ing many bats for the task they soon flew away never to return
Ph
oto
cre
dit
ro
b o
rsquonea
l
Photo credit uwe Seiler
15 FLORIDA KEYS | GUEST LIST
The Key West Bucket ListDavid Sloan
David L Sloan quit his corporate job and moved to Key West in 1996 A former cruise ship GM he is the founder of Key Westrsquos Original Ghost Tour author of 10 books an artist musician and songwriter He lives in Old Town Key West with his macaw and pit bull David wrote The Bucket List
in response to the overwhelming number of guide books featuring paid advertorials for mediocre activities ldquoPeople are looking for adventures The Bucket List sends them down the right path and Key West takes care of the restrdquo
Step beyond the guidebooks and experience the Florida Keys like a local Herersquos a few of Da-vidrsquos gems for how to spend your time in Key West
1 Hand-feed a Tarpon
Save your food scraps from the Schooner Wharf Bar and feed them to the sea creatures lurk-ing below the docks Watch your fingers The tarpon take ldquohand-feedingrdquo literally 202 William Street (305) 292-3302 wwwschoonerwharfcom
2 STay in a HaunTed HoTeL
Bars are not the only things that go bump in the night Check into Marrerorsquos Guest Mansion and you may have a close encoun-ter with the mansionrsquos resident ghost 410 Fleming Street (305) 294-6977 wwwmarreroscom
3 SearcH for fLamingoS from a KayaK
While authentic flamingos are not as prevalent as the plastic variety found in Floridianrsquos front yards the search with Lazy Dog Kayak Adventures will leave you tickled pink 5114 Overseas High-way (305) 295-9898 wwwlazy-dogcom
4 caTcH your oWn LoBSTer
Why should fishermen have all the fun Skip the fancy restau-rants and hire 6-Pack Charters for a day on the water with Cap-tain Billy Rentz It doesnrsquot get any fresher than this (305) 240-0464 www6packkeywestcom
Photo credit longhorndave
16 FLORIDA KEYS | GUEST LIST
Hungry for more The Key West Bucket List includes 100 ways to have a real Florida Keys expe-rience Pick up a copy for your NOOK or Kindle at
wwwamazoncomauthorsloan
7 SLip inTo a pair of KinoS
Comfortable classy sandals made in Key West A staple for any local worth their weight in conch At 14 bucks a pair you wonrsquot want to slip them off (107 Fitzpatrick Street 305-294-5044 wwwkinosandalscom)
6maKe a Key Lime pie
Grab a few ingredients from Faustorsquos Food Palace and try your hand at this island favorite that comes together easy as pie 522 Fleming Street (305) 296-5663 wwwfaustoscom
5SuBmiT a crazy commenT To ldquoTHe ciTizenrsquoS Voicerdquo
Our local paper has an anony-mous comment column where lo-cals and tourists vie for bragging rights on the days most humor-ous or bizarre comment Phone in or e-mail your brief and enter-taining thoughts then let your friends on Twitter and Facebook know you have been published in Key West Key West Citizenrsquos Voice (305) 293-7900 voicekeysnewscom
Photo credit najwa kronfel
17 FLORIDA KEYS | BEST OF
Top 5 in the Keys
Stephanie Goldberg Glazer Florida Keys Girl Blog Website
Stephanie Goldberg Glazer is the Florida Keys Girl Her blog wwwfloridakeysgirlcom is fo-cused on life in Key West and be-yond covering traveling eating wine drinking and the crazy adven-tures of her dog Babka Stephanie is the co-host of 3 Loud Women and runs Your Personal Manager Inc a full service personal assistant company helping clients plan and enjoy their vacations
ldquoIt is hard not to love the Florida Keys and frankly I find anyone who claims they donrsquot a bit sus-pect With so many things to do (ldquorelaxingrdquo counts as doing) you can exert as much or as lit-tle effort as you like My favor-ite things to do typically revolve around eating drinking and merriment as evidenced by the
list and the constant thought of dieting lsquolaterrsquordquo
the FlorIda keyS toP FIve
The Keys have so many quirky restaurants and one
of my favorite spots to lunch while driving to or from Key West is Keys Fisheries in Marathon The food is great prepared to order (quickly) and when order-ing at the walk up window cus-tomers are identified by their fa-vorite movie or the like
My favorite place to stop for coffee (by ldquocoffeerdquo I mean
ldquocoffee and an almond crois-santrdquo) is the Village Gourmet in Islamorada Good coffee to-die-for pastries and a water bowl for my dog
Whenever we have out of town guests we take them
on a sunset sail There is very lit-tle more beautiful than the Flor-ida Keys sunsets I like Danger
Charters Wind and Winendash small ships great service and a nice wine selection
I have two favorite restau-rants and on special oc-
casions like my birthday I may hit them both in the same day The Flaming Buoy Filet Co on Packer Street has a quiet neigh-borhood feel The food is great service friendly and they have a spicy chocolate quesadilla for dessert Donrsquot knock it lsquotil yoursquove
tried it Azur on Grinnell Street splits their awe-
someness across several meals
Brunch there is superb (Key lime pie stuffed French toast enough said) Dinner is equally wonder-ful with homemade gnocchi and fresh seafood
1
2
3
4
5
Photo credit uwe Seiler
Photo credit Matty yu
Photo credit rob orsquoneal
from the editors of
8
FLORIDA KEYS | EATS
BaByrsquoS coFFee3180 US Highway 1Big Pine KeyFL33043 (305) 744-9866Babyrsquos Coffee Website
A delicious alternative to home-made joe
troPIc cIneMa
416 Eaton StreetKey West Florida 33040Tropic Cinema Website
Rainy day Hit Tropic Cinema to catch an independent film
yoursquoll be visiting history The es-tablishment has been in business since 1931 originally a local gen-eral store the owners added the lsquopubrsquo room in 1936 Try the pub pizza with lsquofurry fish on the sidersquo which is the local way of saying a side of anchovies Like all bars with an interesting history No Name Pub sells T-shirts with fun-ny lines about how hard it is to find It isnrsquot a joke you have to work to find it It is on No Name Key which isnrsquot connected to the main road Route 1 You have to take a bridge off of Big Pine Key
MurrayrsquoS Market 24550 Overseas Highway Summerland Key FL 33042(305) 745-3534Murrayrsquos Market Website
For picnics try the sandwiches and prepared foods If yoursquore eating in this is a great place for meats groceries and sundries
Parrot dISe Water-Front Bar and grIlle183 Barry AvenueLittle Torch Key Florida 33042 (305) 872-9989Parrot Dise Waterfront Website
Parrot Dise offers a little of every-thing-along with a full bar therersquos a kidsrsquo menu a catering space and a waterfront view to enjoy If yoursquore boating over for dinner just tie your vessel to the restau-rantrsquos private dock The name is a nod to Keys expert Jimmy Buf-fet and while the atmosphere is laid back the food is ldquogourmet-levelrdquo Jon recommends the Lob-ster Reuben and the Jamaican Jerk Wings
no naMe PuB 30813 North Watson BoulevardBig Pine Key FL 33043(305) 872-9115 No Name Pub Website
No Name Pubrsquos sign above the door says ldquoYou Found Itrdquo and if you take the time to get here
galley grIllMM 25 US Hwy 1Summerland Key FL 33042(305) 745-3446
A favorite spot for big eaters-we love the pancakes and om-elettes Come for breakfast and try the Hobo Piled High Skillet Mmmm grits
Photo credit christof verboven
Photo credit Jason arnold Photography
9
FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
The Road Less Traveled Driving the Florida Keys a Mile at a TimeRob OrsquoNealRobrsquos Website
Originally from Dayton Ohio Rob OrsquoNeal moved to Key West after graduating from The Ohio Insti-tute of Photography in 1996 Since landing in this tropical paradise to become a photographer with the Key West Citizen newspaper Rob has become a true local traveling the Keys by car by boat and by plane with the famed Blue Angels Some of his local work can be seen in his book Key West Photo Safari (website) filled with the beautiful (beaches wildlife flowering poin-ciana treas) and the bizarre (a pep-per car bats ghostly abandoned bars) His next project a compre-hensive photography study of Cuba will be out next
Whatrsquos to love about the Keys be-sides sunny skies ocean waves and Key Limes Rob says the dress code is definitely a plus
ldquoI love living here mainly because I hate wearing long pants I have two pairs one is a pair of jeans for
the rare cool night and the other is a pair of black dress pants I wear once a year while covering the American Red Cross Humanitarian of the Year Awards Otherwise itrsquos just shorts all year roundrdquo
Since most folks traveling down the Keys from Miami do so by car herersquos Robrsquos road map by mile marker Rob notes ldquoAll lsquorightsrsquo and lsquoleftsrsquo are in reference to driving down the Keys If you are leav-ing Key West and driving back up the Keys just reverse those rights and lefts The smaller mile marker numbers are closer to the Keys because they are listed from south to northrdquo
CARD SOUND ROAD
There are two ways from Miami Dade County to the Florida Keys or Monroe County One is the Florida Turnpike and the other is Card Sound Road which runs parallel to the turnpike and is
more scenic Itrsquos slightly longer than the main road but yoursquoll love being surrounded by the lo-cal ecosystem Therersquos a bridge in the middle and the toll is $100 If yoursquore hungry stop at Alabama Jacks Locals wax po-etic about this place-itrsquos the right mix of down home local joint and great food Check out their web-site wwwalabamajackscom
Photo credit rex lavoie
Photo credit uwe Seiler
Photo credit little Palm Island
10 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
M I L E 9 3
WILD BIRD REHABILITA-TION CENTERWebsite
On the right side of the road there is a large sign for the Cen-ter but itrsquos hard to see until the last minute This is a great all-volunteer organization taking in injured hawks owls herons sea gulls and more The rehabilitated birds are then released back into the wild
M I L E 9 7 8
KONA KAI RESORT
Website
In Key Largo on the bay side yoursquoll find Kona Kai an elegant 11-room resort thatrsquos also an art gallery and botanical garden Itrsquos been awarded several travel awards for service and amenties Each room features original art-work and the service manages to be personal and discreet all at once There are tennis courts and a small beach No little ones-guests have to be 16+ years of age
M I L E 9 8 2
PINK JUNKTIqUEFacebook Page
On the Oceanside is a well-stocked consignment shop A little pricey but cool stuff can be found from time to time
M I L E 1 0 2 6
JOHN D PENNEKAMP STATE PARK
Website
The parkrsquos Visitor Center has a 30000 gal aquarium that is fun to check out You can also snor-kel right off the beach which features a Spanish shipwreck just 100 ft off the shore The Park also offers snorkeling and SCU-BA diving trips Open from 8AM to 5PM daily
Photo credit little Palm Island
Photo credit nancy Johnson
Photo credit lynda Quintero-davids
11 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
M I L E 8 2
CHEECA LODGE
Website
A four-diamond property the Cheeca Lodge is an upscale re-sort that offers the right blend of luxury and relaxation with a love-ly staff and beautiful grounds
Whether you stay here or not Rob recommends dining at Nikai Sushi Restaurant on the proper-ty Try the Keysie Japanesie roll or the Big Kahuna
s
M I L E 8 3
THE DIVING MUSEUMWebsite
This is the perfect place for any-one who loves Scuba Diving There are alot of displays and information on the history of diving and a great gift shop for anything dive related
M I L E 8 4 9
WINDLEY KEY FOSSIL REEF GEOLOGICAL SITEWebsite
In the 1900rsquos this was an old rock quarry that was used to mine cor-al stone for the Overseas High-way Now it offers a few trails through the natural hammock of the Florida Keys Itrsquos great for a stretch of the legs while learning a little history Note The park is closed Tuesdays and Wednes-days
M I L E 8 6
RAIN BARREL ARTISANrsquoS VILLAGEHOME OF THE GIANT 40rsquo LOBSTER
Website
You canrsquot miss this just look for a 40rsquo lobster on the Bayside The Rain Barrel is a collection of small art galleries and shops that are individually owned and operat-ed Itrsquos a good place to pull over and browse for some fun souve-nirs like hand blown glass sculp-tures and jewelry
12 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
trail is named for the Golden Orb Weaver They are quite beautiful The trail takes you alongside the beach and into the hammock with transitioning ecology along the way They also have canoe rentals and a canoe trail mapped out
walk along the Boardwalk make sure you watch closely for the occasional large crabs scurrying back into their holes There are public restrooms here also
M I L E 6 7 5
LONG KEY STATE PARKWebsite
This little State Park is home to the Golden Orb Trail ndash an incred-ible walk through many different ecosystems If you look closely you may spot the spider that the
you can buy for $2 Bring your camera tarpon can be larger than 100 lbs
M I L E 7 3 5
ANNErsquoS BEACH
Need a rest stop or want to stretch your legs Stop at Annersquos Beach which has two entrances just sev-eral hundred yards apart that are connected by a boardwalk with a lot of little pavilions along it The sand is unusual it has tiny bits of coral and shell in it While you
M I L E 7 7 5
ROBBIErsquoS MARINA OF ISLAMORADAWebsite
Robbiersquos Marina is where you can rent boats or schedule excur-sions Trips to Lignumvitae Key on the Bayside and Indian Key on the Oceanside are offered here See Micah at the Kayak Shack hersquos a great musician and very knowledgeable about the area
Therersquos a fantastic eatery at the Marina-The Hungry Tarpon (wwwhungrytarponcom) Or-der fish tacos and then wander around back and feed the tarpon off the pier with buckets of fish
Photo credit Mklinchin
Photo credit Stephen radford
Photo credit Floridakeysgirlcom
13 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
M I L E 2 8 5
LITTLE PALM ISLANDWebsite
This boutique luxury resort is located on Little Torch Key and offers just 30 bungalows The hotel offers a water taxi service and plenty of romance Look for a brown road sign with an anchor on it The entrance to their shore station is on the oceanside One of the best dining experiences in the Keys is at their Dining Room Make a reservation and your ad-venture begins with a 15-minute boat ride to the most intimate and remote restaurants in the Florida Keys
M I L E 3 0
KEY DEER REFUGE NATURE TRAILWebsite
A little farther down from the Blue Hole in Big Pine Key there is a nature trail through the Key Deer Refuge which is located in the Big Pine Key Shopping PlazaActually the whole island of Big Pine Key is a Key Deer refuge but this particular trail is well marked It is about a mile long and takes you through a variety of different ecosystems Informative signs periodically dot the trail telling you about the native flora and fauna And itrsquos free
M I L E 3 0
BLUE HOLE Website
The Blue Hole is on Big Pine Key Turn right on Key Deer Blvd amp veer to the left-the low speed limit is because Key Deer can be found walking roadside espe-cially around dawn and dusk You will see the Blue Hole entrance on the left it is the only fresh water lake in the Florida Keys and be-cause of that you can spot some unique wildlife at times Yoursquoll likely see any number of rare wild birds alligators snakes and oc-casionally a Key Deer will wander up as well Sometimes therersquos a guide on duty but therersquos no published hours so just stop in
M I L E 5 3 5
SPARKYrsquoS LANDINGWebsite
At Key Colony Beach Marina in Marathon Sparkyrsquos might just have the best fish tacos in all of the Keys Try the Gratinee and Blue Cheese Chips
M I L E 4 8
THE TURTLE HOSPITALWebsite
This group saves and rehabs sea turtles all over the Keys and greater Florida They offer tours a few times a day The website also features a blog where you can read about individual turtles they have saved or are currently caring for
Photo credit rob orsquoneal
14 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
rays starfish and other aquatic creatures live Also across the marina yoursquoll see EP Daltonrsquos Ul-tralight The Ultralight is a fixed wing aircraft that allows you to see the entire area aerially Please note that EP can only take one person at a time but the views are stunning Check it out here wwwkeywestfloatscom
To get there exit at MM 17 and you will see Sugarloaf Lodge on the right Directly after you will see signs to ldquoSkydiverdquo turn right at that sign Towards the end of this little road you will see the old Bat Tower of Sugarloaf
M I L E 1 7
REELAX CHARTERSKEY WEST KAYAK TOURS AND EP DALTONrsquoS ULTRALIGHTWebsite
Andrea Paulson runs Reelax Charters in Sugarloaf Marina where you can book kayak tours to see all the beautiful wildlife we have in the Keys The super-friendly and knowledgeable cap-tain will anchor off a sandy beach and guide you through mangrove creeks where small sharks sting-
M I L E 1 7
BAT TOWER ON SUGARLOAF
A man named Perky built this bat tower in the 1920rsquos or 30rsquos He wanted to open a hotel on Sugar-loaf but found the mosquitoes to be abundant He commissioned a bat tower in hopes that bats would eat the mosquitoes Good idea in theory but after import-ing many bats for the task they soon flew away never to return
Ph
oto
cre
dit
ro
b o
rsquonea
l
Photo credit uwe Seiler
15 FLORIDA KEYS | GUEST LIST
The Key West Bucket ListDavid Sloan
David L Sloan quit his corporate job and moved to Key West in 1996 A former cruise ship GM he is the founder of Key Westrsquos Original Ghost Tour author of 10 books an artist musician and songwriter He lives in Old Town Key West with his macaw and pit bull David wrote The Bucket List
in response to the overwhelming number of guide books featuring paid advertorials for mediocre activities ldquoPeople are looking for adventures The Bucket List sends them down the right path and Key West takes care of the restrdquo
Step beyond the guidebooks and experience the Florida Keys like a local Herersquos a few of Da-vidrsquos gems for how to spend your time in Key West
1 Hand-feed a Tarpon
Save your food scraps from the Schooner Wharf Bar and feed them to the sea creatures lurk-ing below the docks Watch your fingers The tarpon take ldquohand-feedingrdquo literally 202 William Street (305) 292-3302 wwwschoonerwharfcom
2 STay in a HaunTed HoTeL
Bars are not the only things that go bump in the night Check into Marrerorsquos Guest Mansion and you may have a close encoun-ter with the mansionrsquos resident ghost 410 Fleming Street (305) 294-6977 wwwmarreroscom
3 SearcH for fLamingoS from a KayaK
While authentic flamingos are not as prevalent as the plastic variety found in Floridianrsquos front yards the search with Lazy Dog Kayak Adventures will leave you tickled pink 5114 Overseas High-way (305) 295-9898 wwwlazy-dogcom
4 caTcH your oWn LoBSTer
Why should fishermen have all the fun Skip the fancy restau-rants and hire 6-Pack Charters for a day on the water with Cap-tain Billy Rentz It doesnrsquot get any fresher than this (305) 240-0464 www6packkeywestcom
Photo credit longhorndave
16 FLORIDA KEYS | GUEST LIST
Hungry for more The Key West Bucket List includes 100 ways to have a real Florida Keys expe-rience Pick up a copy for your NOOK or Kindle at
wwwamazoncomauthorsloan
7 SLip inTo a pair of KinoS
Comfortable classy sandals made in Key West A staple for any local worth their weight in conch At 14 bucks a pair you wonrsquot want to slip them off (107 Fitzpatrick Street 305-294-5044 wwwkinosandalscom)
6maKe a Key Lime pie
Grab a few ingredients from Faustorsquos Food Palace and try your hand at this island favorite that comes together easy as pie 522 Fleming Street (305) 296-5663 wwwfaustoscom
5SuBmiT a crazy commenT To ldquoTHe ciTizenrsquoS Voicerdquo
Our local paper has an anony-mous comment column where lo-cals and tourists vie for bragging rights on the days most humor-ous or bizarre comment Phone in or e-mail your brief and enter-taining thoughts then let your friends on Twitter and Facebook know you have been published in Key West Key West Citizenrsquos Voice (305) 293-7900 voicekeysnewscom
Photo credit najwa kronfel
17 FLORIDA KEYS | BEST OF
Top 5 in the Keys
Stephanie Goldberg Glazer Florida Keys Girl Blog Website
Stephanie Goldberg Glazer is the Florida Keys Girl Her blog wwwfloridakeysgirlcom is fo-cused on life in Key West and be-yond covering traveling eating wine drinking and the crazy adven-tures of her dog Babka Stephanie is the co-host of 3 Loud Women and runs Your Personal Manager Inc a full service personal assistant company helping clients plan and enjoy their vacations
ldquoIt is hard not to love the Florida Keys and frankly I find anyone who claims they donrsquot a bit sus-pect With so many things to do (ldquorelaxingrdquo counts as doing) you can exert as much or as lit-tle effort as you like My favor-ite things to do typically revolve around eating drinking and merriment as evidenced by the
list and the constant thought of dieting lsquolaterrsquordquo
the FlorIda keyS toP FIve
The Keys have so many quirky restaurants and one
of my favorite spots to lunch while driving to or from Key West is Keys Fisheries in Marathon The food is great prepared to order (quickly) and when order-ing at the walk up window cus-tomers are identified by their fa-vorite movie or the like
My favorite place to stop for coffee (by ldquocoffeerdquo I mean
ldquocoffee and an almond crois-santrdquo) is the Village Gourmet in Islamorada Good coffee to-die-for pastries and a water bowl for my dog
Whenever we have out of town guests we take them
on a sunset sail There is very lit-tle more beautiful than the Flor-ida Keys sunsets I like Danger
Charters Wind and Winendash small ships great service and a nice wine selection
I have two favorite restau-rants and on special oc-
casions like my birthday I may hit them both in the same day The Flaming Buoy Filet Co on Packer Street has a quiet neigh-borhood feel The food is great service friendly and they have a spicy chocolate quesadilla for dessert Donrsquot knock it lsquotil yoursquove
tried it Azur on Grinnell Street splits their awe-
someness across several meals
Brunch there is superb (Key lime pie stuffed French toast enough said) Dinner is equally wonder-ful with homemade gnocchi and fresh seafood
1
2
3
4
5
Photo credit uwe Seiler
Photo credit Matty yu
Photo credit rob orsquoneal
from the editors of
9
FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
The Road Less Traveled Driving the Florida Keys a Mile at a TimeRob OrsquoNealRobrsquos Website
Originally from Dayton Ohio Rob OrsquoNeal moved to Key West after graduating from The Ohio Insti-tute of Photography in 1996 Since landing in this tropical paradise to become a photographer with the Key West Citizen newspaper Rob has become a true local traveling the Keys by car by boat and by plane with the famed Blue Angels Some of his local work can be seen in his book Key West Photo Safari (website) filled with the beautiful (beaches wildlife flowering poin-ciana treas) and the bizarre (a pep-per car bats ghostly abandoned bars) His next project a compre-hensive photography study of Cuba will be out next
Whatrsquos to love about the Keys be-sides sunny skies ocean waves and Key Limes Rob says the dress code is definitely a plus
ldquoI love living here mainly because I hate wearing long pants I have two pairs one is a pair of jeans for
the rare cool night and the other is a pair of black dress pants I wear once a year while covering the American Red Cross Humanitarian of the Year Awards Otherwise itrsquos just shorts all year roundrdquo
Since most folks traveling down the Keys from Miami do so by car herersquos Robrsquos road map by mile marker Rob notes ldquoAll lsquorightsrsquo and lsquoleftsrsquo are in reference to driving down the Keys If you are leav-ing Key West and driving back up the Keys just reverse those rights and lefts The smaller mile marker numbers are closer to the Keys because they are listed from south to northrdquo
CARD SOUND ROAD
There are two ways from Miami Dade County to the Florida Keys or Monroe County One is the Florida Turnpike and the other is Card Sound Road which runs parallel to the turnpike and is
more scenic Itrsquos slightly longer than the main road but yoursquoll love being surrounded by the lo-cal ecosystem Therersquos a bridge in the middle and the toll is $100 If yoursquore hungry stop at Alabama Jacks Locals wax po-etic about this place-itrsquos the right mix of down home local joint and great food Check out their web-site wwwalabamajackscom
Photo credit rex lavoie
Photo credit uwe Seiler
Photo credit little Palm Island
10 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
M I L E 9 3
WILD BIRD REHABILITA-TION CENTERWebsite
On the right side of the road there is a large sign for the Cen-ter but itrsquos hard to see until the last minute This is a great all-volunteer organization taking in injured hawks owls herons sea gulls and more The rehabilitated birds are then released back into the wild
M I L E 9 7 8
KONA KAI RESORT
Website
In Key Largo on the bay side yoursquoll find Kona Kai an elegant 11-room resort thatrsquos also an art gallery and botanical garden Itrsquos been awarded several travel awards for service and amenties Each room features original art-work and the service manages to be personal and discreet all at once There are tennis courts and a small beach No little ones-guests have to be 16+ years of age
M I L E 9 8 2
PINK JUNKTIqUEFacebook Page
On the Oceanside is a well-stocked consignment shop A little pricey but cool stuff can be found from time to time
M I L E 1 0 2 6
JOHN D PENNEKAMP STATE PARK
Website
The parkrsquos Visitor Center has a 30000 gal aquarium that is fun to check out You can also snor-kel right off the beach which features a Spanish shipwreck just 100 ft off the shore The Park also offers snorkeling and SCU-BA diving trips Open from 8AM to 5PM daily
Photo credit little Palm Island
Photo credit nancy Johnson
Photo credit lynda Quintero-davids
11 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
M I L E 8 2
CHEECA LODGE
Website
A four-diamond property the Cheeca Lodge is an upscale re-sort that offers the right blend of luxury and relaxation with a love-ly staff and beautiful grounds
Whether you stay here or not Rob recommends dining at Nikai Sushi Restaurant on the proper-ty Try the Keysie Japanesie roll or the Big Kahuna
s
M I L E 8 3
THE DIVING MUSEUMWebsite
This is the perfect place for any-one who loves Scuba Diving There are alot of displays and information on the history of diving and a great gift shop for anything dive related
M I L E 8 4 9
WINDLEY KEY FOSSIL REEF GEOLOGICAL SITEWebsite
In the 1900rsquos this was an old rock quarry that was used to mine cor-al stone for the Overseas High-way Now it offers a few trails through the natural hammock of the Florida Keys Itrsquos great for a stretch of the legs while learning a little history Note The park is closed Tuesdays and Wednes-days
M I L E 8 6
RAIN BARREL ARTISANrsquoS VILLAGEHOME OF THE GIANT 40rsquo LOBSTER
Website
You canrsquot miss this just look for a 40rsquo lobster on the Bayside The Rain Barrel is a collection of small art galleries and shops that are individually owned and operat-ed Itrsquos a good place to pull over and browse for some fun souve-nirs like hand blown glass sculp-tures and jewelry
12 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
trail is named for the Golden Orb Weaver They are quite beautiful The trail takes you alongside the beach and into the hammock with transitioning ecology along the way They also have canoe rentals and a canoe trail mapped out
walk along the Boardwalk make sure you watch closely for the occasional large crabs scurrying back into their holes There are public restrooms here also
M I L E 6 7 5
LONG KEY STATE PARKWebsite
This little State Park is home to the Golden Orb Trail ndash an incred-ible walk through many different ecosystems If you look closely you may spot the spider that the
you can buy for $2 Bring your camera tarpon can be larger than 100 lbs
M I L E 7 3 5
ANNErsquoS BEACH
Need a rest stop or want to stretch your legs Stop at Annersquos Beach which has two entrances just sev-eral hundred yards apart that are connected by a boardwalk with a lot of little pavilions along it The sand is unusual it has tiny bits of coral and shell in it While you
M I L E 7 7 5
ROBBIErsquoS MARINA OF ISLAMORADAWebsite
Robbiersquos Marina is where you can rent boats or schedule excur-sions Trips to Lignumvitae Key on the Bayside and Indian Key on the Oceanside are offered here See Micah at the Kayak Shack hersquos a great musician and very knowledgeable about the area
Therersquos a fantastic eatery at the Marina-The Hungry Tarpon (wwwhungrytarponcom) Or-der fish tacos and then wander around back and feed the tarpon off the pier with buckets of fish
Photo credit Mklinchin
Photo credit Stephen radford
Photo credit Floridakeysgirlcom
13 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
M I L E 2 8 5
LITTLE PALM ISLANDWebsite
This boutique luxury resort is located on Little Torch Key and offers just 30 bungalows The hotel offers a water taxi service and plenty of romance Look for a brown road sign with an anchor on it The entrance to their shore station is on the oceanside One of the best dining experiences in the Keys is at their Dining Room Make a reservation and your ad-venture begins with a 15-minute boat ride to the most intimate and remote restaurants in the Florida Keys
M I L E 3 0
KEY DEER REFUGE NATURE TRAILWebsite
A little farther down from the Blue Hole in Big Pine Key there is a nature trail through the Key Deer Refuge which is located in the Big Pine Key Shopping PlazaActually the whole island of Big Pine Key is a Key Deer refuge but this particular trail is well marked It is about a mile long and takes you through a variety of different ecosystems Informative signs periodically dot the trail telling you about the native flora and fauna And itrsquos free
M I L E 3 0
BLUE HOLE Website
The Blue Hole is on Big Pine Key Turn right on Key Deer Blvd amp veer to the left-the low speed limit is because Key Deer can be found walking roadside espe-cially around dawn and dusk You will see the Blue Hole entrance on the left it is the only fresh water lake in the Florida Keys and be-cause of that you can spot some unique wildlife at times Yoursquoll likely see any number of rare wild birds alligators snakes and oc-casionally a Key Deer will wander up as well Sometimes therersquos a guide on duty but therersquos no published hours so just stop in
M I L E 5 3 5
SPARKYrsquoS LANDINGWebsite
At Key Colony Beach Marina in Marathon Sparkyrsquos might just have the best fish tacos in all of the Keys Try the Gratinee and Blue Cheese Chips
M I L E 4 8
THE TURTLE HOSPITALWebsite
This group saves and rehabs sea turtles all over the Keys and greater Florida They offer tours a few times a day The website also features a blog where you can read about individual turtles they have saved or are currently caring for
Photo credit rob orsquoneal
14 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
rays starfish and other aquatic creatures live Also across the marina yoursquoll see EP Daltonrsquos Ul-tralight The Ultralight is a fixed wing aircraft that allows you to see the entire area aerially Please note that EP can only take one person at a time but the views are stunning Check it out here wwwkeywestfloatscom
To get there exit at MM 17 and you will see Sugarloaf Lodge on the right Directly after you will see signs to ldquoSkydiverdquo turn right at that sign Towards the end of this little road you will see the old Bat Tower of Sugarloaf
M I L E 1 7
REELAX CHARTERSKEY WEST KAYAK TOURS AND EP DALTONrsquoS ULTRALIGHTWebsite
Andrea Paulson runs Reelax Charters in Sugarloaf Marina where you can book kayak tours to see all the beautiful wildlife we have in the Keys The super-friendly and knowledgeable cap-tain will anchor off a sandy beach and guide you through mangrove creeks where small sharks sting-
M I L E 1 7
BAT TOWER ON SUGARLOAF
A man named Perky built this bat tower in the 1920rsquos or 30rsquos He wanted to open a hotel on Sugar-loaf but found the mosquitoes to be abundant He commissioned a bat tower in hopes that bats would eat the mosquitoes Good idea in theory but after import-ing many bats for the task they soon flew away never to return
Ph
oto
cre
dit
ro
b o
rsquonea
l
Photo credit uwe Seiler
15 FLORIDA KEYS | GUEST LIST
The Key West Bucket ListDavid Sloan
David L Sloan quit his corporate job and moved to Key West in 1996 A former cruise ship GM he is the founder of Key Westrsquos Original Ghost Tour author of 10 books an artist musician and songwriter He lives in Old Town Key West with his macaw and pit bull David wrote The Bucket List
in response to the overwhelming number of guide books featuring paid advertorials for mediocre activities ldquoPeople are looking for adventures The Bucket List sends them down the right path and Key West takes care of the restrdquo
Step beyond the guidebooks and experience the Florida Keys like a local Herersquos a few of Da-vidrsquos gems for how to spend your time in Key West
1 Hand-feed a Tarpon
Save your food scraps from the Schooner Wharf Bar and feed them to the sea creatures lurk-ing below the docks Watch your fingers The tarpon take ldquohand-feedingrdquo literally 202 William Street (305) 292-3302 wwwschoonerwharfcom
2 STay in a HaunTed HoTeL
Bars are not the only things that go bump in the night Check into Marrerorsquos Guest Mansion and you may have a close encoun-ter with the mansionrsquos resident ghost 410 Fleming Street (305) 294-6977 wwwmarreroscom
3 SearcH for fLamingoS from a KayaK
While authentic flamingos are not as prevalent as the plastic variety found in Floridianrsquos front yards the search with Lazy Dog Kayak Adventures will leave you tickled pink 5114 Overseas High-way (305) 295-9898 wwwlazy-dogcom
4 caTcH your oWn LoBSTer
Why should fishermen have all the fun Skip the fancy restau-rants and hire 6-Pack Charters for a day on the water with Cap-tain Billy Rentz It doesnrsquot get any fresher than this (305) 240-0464 www6packkeywestcom
Photo credit longhorndave
16 FLORIDA KEYS | GUEST LIST
Hungry for more The Key West Bucket List includes 100 ways to have a real Florida Keys expe-rience Pick up a copy for your NOOK or Kindle at
wwwamazoncomauthorsloan
7 SLip inTo a pair of KinoS
Comfortable classy sandals made in Key West A staple for any local worth their weight in conch At 14 bucks a pair you wonrsquot want to slip them off (107 Fitzpatrick Street 305-294-5044 wwwkinosandalscom)
6maKe a Key Lime pie
Grab a few ingredients from Faustorsquos Food Palace and try your hand at this island favorite that comes together easy as pie 522 Fleming Street (305) 296-5663 wwwfaustoscom
5SuBmiT a crazy commenT To ldquoTHe ciTizenrsquoS Voicerdquo
Our local paper has an anony-mous comment column where lo-cals and tourists vie for bragging rights on the days most humor-ous or bizarre comment Phone in or e-mail your brief and enter-taining thoughts then let your friends on Twitter and Facebook know you have been published in Key West Key West Citizenrsquos Voice (305) 293-7900 voicekeysnewscom
Photo credit najwa kronfel
17 FLORIDA KEYS | BEST OF
Top 5 in the Keys
Stephanie Goldberg Glazer Florida Keys Girl Blog Website
Stephanie Goldberg Glazer is the Florida Keys Girl Her blog wwwfloridakeysgirlcom is fo-cused on life in Key West and be-yond covering traveling eating wine drinking and the crazy adven-tures of her dog Babka Stephanie is the co-host of 3 Loud Women and runs Your Personal Manager Inc a full service personal assistant company helping clients plan and enjoy their vacations
ldquoIt is hard not to love the Florida Keys and frankly I find anyone who claims they donrsquot a bit sus-pect With so many things to do (ldquorelaxingrdquo counts as doing) you can exert as much or as lit-tle effort as you like My favor-ite things to do typically revolve around eating drinking and merriment as evidenced by the
list and the constant thought of dieting lsquolaterrsquordquo
the FlorIda keyS toP FIve
The Keys have so many quirky restaurants and one
of my favorite spots to lunch while driving to or from Key West is Keys Fisheries in Marathon The food is great prepared to order (quickly) and when order-ing at the walk up window cus-tomers are identified by their fa-vorite movie or the like
My favorite place to stop for coffee (by ldquocoffeerdquo I mean
ldquocoffee and an almond crois-santrdquo) is the Village Gourmet in Islamorada Good coffee to-die-for pastries and a water bowl for my dog
Whenever we have out of town guests we take them
on a sunset sail There is very lit-tle more beautiful than the Flor-ida Keys sunsets I like Danger
Charters Wind and Winendash small ships great service and a nice wine selection
I have two favorite restau-rants and on special oc-
casions like my birthday I may hit them both in the same day The Flaming Buoy Filet Co on Packer Street has a quiet neigh-borhood feel The food is great service friendly and they have a spicy chocolate quesadilla for dessert Donrsquot knock it lsquotil yoursquove
tried it Azur on Grinnell Street splits their awe-
someness across several meals
Brunch there is superb (Key lime pie stuffed French toast enough said) Dinner is equally wonder-ful with homemade gnocchi and fresh seafood
1
2
3
4
5
Photo credit uwe Seiler
Photo credit Matty yu
Photo credit rob orsquoneal
from the editors of
10 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
M I L E 9 3
WILD BIRD REHABILITA-TION CENTERWebsite
On the right side of the road there is a large sign for the Cen-ter but itrsquos hard to see until the last minute This is a great all-volunteer organization taking in injured hawks owls herons sea gulls and more The rehabilitated birds are then released back into the wild
M I L E 9 7 8
KONA KAI RESORT
Website
In Key Largo on the bay side yoursquoll find Kona Kai an elegant 11-room resort thatrsquos also an art gallery and botanical garden Itrsquos been awarded several travel awards for service and amenties Each room features original art-work and the service manages to be personal and discreet all at once There are tennis courts and a small beach No little ones-guests have to be 16+ years of age
M I L E 9 8 2
PINK JUNKTIqUEFacebook Page
On the Oceanside is a well-stocked consignment shop A little pricey but cool stuff can be found from time to time
M I L E 1 0 2 6
JOHN D PENNEKAMP STATE PARK
Website
The parkrsquos Visitor Center has a 30000 gal aquarium that is fun to check out You can also snor-kel right off the beach which features a Spanish shipwreck just 100 ft off the shore The Park also offers snorkeling and SCU-BA diving trips Open from 8AM to 5PM daily
Photo credit little Palm Island
Photo credit nancy Johnson
Photo credit lynda Quintero-davids
11 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
M I L E 8 2
CHEECA LODGE
Website
A four-diamond property the Cheeca Lodge is an upscale re-sort that offers the right blend of luxury and relaxation with a love-ly staff and beautiful grounds
Whether you stay here or not Rob recommends dining at Nikai Sushi Restaurant on the proper-ty Try the Keysie Japanesie roll or the Big Kahuna
s
M I L E 8 3
THE DIVING MUSEUMWebsite
This is the perfect place for any-one who loves Scuba Diving There are alot of displays and information on the history of diving and a great gift shop for anything dive related
M I L E 8 4 9
WINDLEY KEY FOSSIL REEF GEOLOGICAL SITEWebsite
In the 1900rsquos this was an old rock quarry that was used to mine cor-al stone for the Overseas High-way Now it offers a few trails through the natural hammock of the Florida Keys Itrsquos great for a stretch of the legs while learning a little history Note The park is closed Tuesdays and Wednes-days
M I L E 8 6
RAIN BARREL ARTISANrsquoS VILLAGEHOME OF THE GIANT 40rsquo LOBSTER
Website
You canrsquot miss this just look for a 40rsquo lobster on the Bayside The Rain Barrel is a collection of small art galleries and shops that are individually owned and operat-ed Itrsquos a good place to pull over and browse for some fun souve-nirs like hand blown glass sculp-tures and jewelry
12 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
trail is named for the Golden Orb Weaver They are quite beautiful The trail takes you alongside the beach and into the hammock with transitioning ecology along the way They also have canoe rentals and a canoe trail mapped out
walk along the Boardwalk make sure you watch closely for the occasional large crabs scurrying back into their holes There are public restrooms here also
M I L E 6 7 5
LONG KEY STATE PARKWebsite
This little State Park is home to the Golden Orb Trail ndash an incred-ible walk through many different ecosystems If you look closely you may spot the spider that the
you can buy for $2 Bring your camera tarpon can be larger than 100 lbs
M I L E 7 3 5
ANNErsquoS BEACH
Need a rest stop or want to stretch your legs Stop at Annersquos Beach which has two entrances just sev-eral hundred yards apart that are connected by a boardwalk with a lot of little pavilions along it The sand is unusual it has tiny bits of coral and shell in it While you
M I L E 7 7 5
ROBBIErsquoS MARINA OF ISLAMORADAWebsite
Robbiersquos Marina is where you can rent boats or schedule excur-sions Trips to Lignumvitae Key on the Bayside and Indian Key on the Oceanside are offered here See Micah at the Kayak Shack hersquos a great musician and very knowledgeable about the area
Therersquos a fantastic eatery at the Marina-The Hungry Tarpon (wwwhungrytarponcom) Or-der fish tacos and then wander around back and feed the tarpon off the pier with buckets of fish
Photo credit Mklinchin
Photo credit Stephen radford
Photo credit Floridakeysgirlcom
13 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
M I L E 2 8 5
LITTLE PALM ISLANDWebsite
This boutique luxury resort is located on Little Torch Key and offers just 30 bungalows The hotel offers a water taxi service and plenty of romance Look for a brown road sign with an anchor on it The entrance to their shore station is on the oceanside One of the best dining experiences in the Keys is at their Dining Room Make a reservation and your ad-venture begins with a 15-minute boat ride to the most intimate and remote restaurants in the Florida Keys
M I L E 3 0
KEY DEER REFUGE NATURE TRAILWebsite
A little farther down from the Blue Hole in Big Pine Key there is a nature trail through the Key Deer Refuge which is located in the Big Pine Key Shopping PlazaActually the whole island of Big Pine Key is a Key Deer refuge but this particular trail is well marked It is about a mile long and takes you through a variety of different ecosystems Informative signs periodically dot the trail telling you about the native flora and fauna And itrsquos free
M I L E 3 0
BLUE HOLE Website
The Blue Hole is on Big Pine Key Turn right on Key Deer Blvd amp veer to the left-the low speed limit is because Key Deer can be found walking roadside espe-cially around dawn and dusk You will see the Blue Hole entrance on the left it is the only fresh water lake in the Florida Keys and be-cause of that you can spot some unique wildlife at times Yoursquoll likely see any number of rare wild birds alligators snakes and oc-casionally a Key Deer will wander up as well Sometimes therersquos a guide on duty but therersquos no published hours so just stop in
M I L E 5 3 5
SPARKYrsquoS LANDINGWebsite
At Key Colony Beach Marina in Marathon Sparkyrsquos might just have the best fish tacos in all of the Keys Try the Gratinee and Blue Cheese Chips
M I L E 4 8
THE TURTLE HOSPITALWebsite
This group saves and rehabs sea turtles all over the Keys and greater Florida They offer tours a few times a day The website also features a blog where you can read about individual turtles they have saved or are currently caring for
Photo credit rob orsquoneal
14 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
rays starfish and other aquatic creatures live Also across the marina yoursquoll see EP Daltonrsquos Ul-tralight The Ultralight is a fixed wing aircraft that allows you to see the entire area aerially Please note that EP can only take one person at a time but the views are stunning Check it out here wwwkeywestfloatscom
To get there exit at MM 17 and you will see Sugarloaf Lodge on the right Directly after you will see signs to ldquoSkydiverdquo turn right at that sign Towards the end of this little road you will see the old Bat Tower of Sugarloaf
M I L E 1 7
REELAX CHARTERSKEY WEST KAYAK TOURS AND EP DALTONrsquoS ULTRALIGHTWebsite
Andrea Paulson runs Reelax Charters in Sugarloaf Marina where you can book kayak tours to see all the beautiful wildlife we have in the Keys The super-friendly and knowledgeable cap-tain will anchor off a sandy beach and guide you through mangrove creeks where small sharks sting-
M I L E 1 7
BAT TOWER ON SUGARLOAF
A man named Perky built this bat tower in the 1920rsquos or 30rsquos He wanted to open a hotel on Sugar-loaf but found the mosquitoes to be abundant He commissioned a bat tower in hopes that bats would eat the mosquitoes Good idea in theory but after import-ing many bats for the task they soon flew away never to return
Ph
oto
cre
dit
ro
b o
rsquonea
l
Photo credit uwe Seiler
15 FLORIDA KEYS | GUEST LIST
The Key West Bucket ListDavid Sloan
David L Sloan quit his corporate job and moved to Key West in 1996 A former cruise ship GM he is the founder of Key Westrsquos Original Ghost Tour author of 10 books an artist musician and songwriter He lives in Old Town Key West with his macaw and pit bull David wrote The Bucket List
in response to the overwhelming number of guide books featuring paid advertorials for mediocre activities ldquoPeople are looking for adventures The Bucket List sends them down the right path and Key West takes care of the restrdquo
Step beyond the guidebooks and experience the Florida Keys like a local Herersquos a few of Da-vidrsquos gems for how to spend your time in Key West
1 Hand-feed a Tarpon
Save your food scraps from the Schooner Wharf Bar and feed them to the sea creatures lurk-ing below the docks Watch your fingers The tarpon take ldquohand-feedingrdquo literally 202 William Street (305) 292-3302 wwwschoonerwharfcom
2 STay in a HaunTed HoTeL
Bars are not the only things that go bump in the night Check into Marrerorsquos Guest Mansion and you may have a close encoun-ter with the mansionrsquos resident ghost 410 Fleming Street (305) 294-6977 wwwmarreroscom
3 SearcH for fLamingoS from a KayaK
While authentic flamingos are not as prevalent as the plastic variety found in Floridianrsquos front yards the search with Lazy Dog Kayak Adventures will leave you tickled pink 5114 Overseas High-way (305) 295-9898 wwwlazy-dogcom
4 caTcH your oWn LoBSTer
Why should fishermen have all the fun Skip the fancy restau-rants and hire 6-Pack Charters for a day on the water with Cap-tain Billy Rentz It doesnrsquot get any fresher than this (305) 240-0464 www6packkeywestcom
Photo credit longhorndave
16 FLORIDA KEYS | GUEST LIST
Hungry for more The Key West Bucket List includes 100 ways to have a real Florida Keys expe-rience Pick up a copy for your NOOK or Kindle at
wwwamazoncomauthorsloan
7 SLip inTo a pair of KinoS
Comfortable classy sandals made in Key West A staple for any local worth their weight in conch At 14 bucks a pair you wonrsquot want to slip them off (107 Fitzpatrick Street 305-294-5044 wwwkinosandalscom)
6maKe a Key Lime pie
Grab a few ingredients from Faustorsquos Food Palace and try your hand at this island favorite that comes together easy as pie 522 Fleming Street (305) 296-5663 wwwfaustoscom
5SuBmiT a crazy commenT To ldquoTHe ciTizenrsquoS Voicerdquo
Our local paper has an anony-mous comment column where lo-cals and tourists vie for bragging rights on the days most humor-ous or bizarre comment Phone in or e-mail your brief and enter-taining thoughts then let your friends on Twitter and Facebook know you have been published in Key West Key West Citizenrsquos Voice (305) 293-7900 voicekeysnewscom
Photo credit najwa kronfel
17 FLORIDA KEYS | BEST OF
Top 5 in the Keys
Stephanie Goldberg Glazer Florida Keys Girl Blog Website
Stephanie Goldberg Glazer is the Florida Keys Girl Her blog wwwfloridakeysgirlcom is fo-cused on life in Key West and be-yond covering traveling eating wine drinking and the crazy adven-tures of her dog Babka Stephanie is the co-host of 3 Loud Women and runs Your Personal Manager Inc a full service personal assistant company helping clients plan and enjoy their vacations
ldquoIt is hard not to love the Florida Keys and frankly I find anyone who claims they donrsquot a bit sus-pect With so many things to do (ldquorelaxingrdquo counts as doing) you can exert as much or as lit-tle effort as you like My favor-ite things to do typically revolve around eating drinking and merriment as evidenced by the
list and the constant thought of dieting lsquolaterrsquordquo
the FlorIda keyS toP FIve
The Keys have so many quirky restaurants and one
of my favorite spots to lunch while driving to or from Key West is Keys Fisheries in Marathon The food is great prepared to order (quickly) and when order-ing at the walk up window cus-tomers are identified by their fa-vorite movie or the like
My favorite place to stop for coffee (by ldquocoffeerdquo I mean
ldquocoffee and an almond crois-santrdquo) is the Village Gourmet in Islamorada Good coffee to-die-for pastries and a water bowl for my dog
Whenever we have out of town guests we take them
on a sunset sail There is very lit-tle more beautiful than the Flor-ida Keys sunsets I like Danger
Charters Wind and Winendash small ships great service and a nice wine selection
I have two favorite restau-rants and on special oc-
casions like my birthday I may hit them both in the same day The Flaming Buoy Filet Co on Packer Street has a quiet neigh-borhood feel The food is great service friendly and they have a spicy chocolate quesadilla for dessert Donrsquot knock it lsquotil yoursquove
tried it Azur on Grinnell Street splits their awe-
someness across several meals
Brunch there is superb (Key lime pie stuffed French toast enough said) Dinner is equally wonder-ful with homemade gnocchi and fresh seafood
1
2
3
4
5
Photo credit uwe Seiler
Photo credit Matty yu
Photo credit rob orsquoneal
from the editors of
11 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
M I L E 8 2
CHEECA LODGE
Website
A four-diamond property the Cheeca Lodge is an upscale re-sort that offers the right blend of luxury and relaxation with a love-ly staff and beautiful grounds
Whether you stay here or not Rob recommends dining at Nikai Sushi Restaurant on the proper-ty Try the Keysie Japanesie roll or the Big Kahuna
s
M I L E 8 3
THE DIVING MUSEUMWebsite
This is the perfect place for any-one who loves Scuba Diving There are alot of displays and information on the history of diving and a great gift shop for anything dive related
M I L E 8 4 9
WINDLEY KEY FOSSIL REEF GEOLOGICAL SITEWebsite
In the 1900rsquos this was an old rock quarry that was used to mine cor-al stone for the Overseas High-way Now it offers a few trails through the natural hammock of the Florida Keys Itrsquos great for a stretch of the legs while learning a little history Note The park is closed Tuesdays and Wednes-days
M I L E 8 6
RAIN BARREL ARTISANrsquoS VILLAGEHOME OF THE GIANT 40rsquo LOBSTER
Website
You canrsquot miss this just look for a 40rsquo lobster on the Bayside The Rain Barrel is a collection of small art galleries and shops that are individually owned and operat-ed Itrsquos a good place to pull over and browse for some fun souve-nirs like hand blown glass sculp-tures and jewelry
12 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
trail is named for the Golden Orb Weaver They are quite beautiful The trail takes you alongside the beach and into the hammock with transitioning ecology along the way They also have canoe rentals and a canoe trail mapped out
walk along the Boardwalk make sure you watch closely for the occasional large crabs scurrying back into their holes There are public restrooms here also
M I L E 6 7 5
LONG KEY STATE PARKWebsite
This little State Park is home to the Golden Orb Trail ndash an incred-ible walk through many different ecosystems If you look closely you may spot the spider that the
you can buy for $2 Bring your camera tarpon can be larger than 100 lbs
M I L E 7 3 5
ANNErsquoS BEACH
Need a rest stop or want to stretch your legs Stop at Annersquos Beach which has two entrances just sev-eral hundred yards apart that are connected by a boardwalk with a lot of little pavilions along it The sand is unusual it has tiny bits of coral and shell in it While you
M I L E 7 7 5
ROBBIErsquoS MARINA OF ISLAMORADAWebsite
Robbiersquos Marina is where you can rent boats or schedule excur-sions Trips to Lignumvitae Key on the Bayside and Indian Key on the Oceanside are offered here See Micah at the Kayak Shack hersquos a great musician and very knowledgeable about the area
Therersquos a fantastic eatery at the Marina-The Hungry Tarpon (wwwhungrytarponcom) Or-der fish tacos and then wander around back and feed the tarpon off the pier with buckets of fish
Photo credit Mklinchin
Photo credit Stephen radford
Photo credit Floridakeysgirlcom
13 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
M I L E 2 8 5
LITTLE PALM ISLANDWebsite
This boutique luxury resort is located on Little Torch Key and offers just 30 bungalows The hotel offers a water taxi service and plenty of romance Look for a brown road sign with an anchor on it The entrance to their shore station is on the oceanside One of the best dining experiences in the Keys is at their Dining Room Make a reservation and your ad-venture begins with a 15-minute boat ride to the most intimate and remote restaurants in the Florida Keys
M I L E 3 0
KEY DEER REFUGE NATURE TRAILWebsite
A little farther down from the Blue Hole in Big Pine Key there is a nature trail through the Key Deer Refuge which is located in the Big Pine Key Shopping PlazaActually the whole island of Big Pine Key is a Key Deer refuge but this particular trail is well marked It is about a mile long and takes you through a variety of different ecosystems Informative signs periodically dot the trail telling you about the native flora and fauna And itrsquos free
M I L E 3 0
BLUE HOLE Website
The Blue Hole is on Big Pine Key Turn right on Key Deer Blvd amp veer to the left-the low speed limit is because Key Deer can be found walking roadside espe-cially around dawn and dusk You will see the Blue Hole entrance on the left it is the only fresh water lake in the Florida Keys and be-cause of that you can spot some unique wildlife at times Yoursquoll likely see any number of rare wild birds alligators snakes and oc-casionally a Key Deer will wander up as well Sometimes therersquos a guide on duty but therersquos no published hours so just stop in
M I L E 5 3 5
SPARKYrsquoS LANDINGWebsite
At Key Colony Beach Marina in Marathon Sparkyrsquos might just have the best fish tacos in all of the Keys Try the Gratinee and Blue Cheese Chips
M I L E 4 8
THE TURTLE HOSPITALWebsite
This group saves and rehabs sea turtles all over the Keys and greater Florida They offer tours a few times a day The website also features a blog where you can read about individual turtles they have saved or are currently caring for
Photo credit rob orsquoneal
14 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
rays starfish and other aquatic creatures live Also across the marina yoursquoll see EP Daltonrsquos Ul-tralight The Ultralight is a fixed wing aircraft that allows you to see the entire area aerially Please note that EP can only take one person at a time but the views are stunning Check it out here wwwkeywestfloatscom
To get there exit at MM 17 and you will see Sugarloaf Lodge on the right Directly after you will see signs to ldquoSkydiverdquo turn right at that sign Towards the end of this little road you will see the old Bat Tower of Sugarloaf
M I L E 1 7
REELAX CHARTERSKEY WEST KAYAK TOURS AND EP DALTONrsquoS ULTRALIGHTWebsite
Andrea Paulson runs Reelax Charters in Sugarloaf Marina where you can book kayak tours to see all the beautiful wildlife we have in the Keys The super-friendly and knowledgeable cap-tain will anchor off a sandy beach and guide you through mangrove creeks where small sharks sting-
M I L E 1 7
BAT TOWER ON SUGARLOAF
A man named Perky built this bat tower in the 1920rsquos or 30rsquos He wanted to open a hotel on Sugar-loaf but found the mosquitoes to be abundant He commissioned a bat tower in hopes that bats would eat the mosquitoes Good idea in theory but after import-ing many bats for the task they soon flew away never to return
Ph
oto
cre
dit
ro
b o
rsquonea
l
Photo credit uwe Seiler
15 FLORIDA KEYS | GUEST LIST
The Key West Bucket ListDavid Sloan
David L Sloan quit his corporate job and moved to Key West in 1996 A former cruise ship GM he is the founder of Key Westrsquos Original Ghost Tour author of 10 books an artist musician and songwriter He lives in Old Town Key West with his macaw and pit bull David wrote The Bucket List
in response to the overwhelming number of guide books featuring paid advertorials for mediocre activities ldquoPeople are looking for adventures The Bucket List sends them down the right path and Key West takes care of the restrdquo
Step beyond the guidebooks and experience the Florida Keys like a local Herersquos a few of Da-vidrsquos gems for how to spend your time in Key West
1 Hand-feed a Tarpon
Save your food scraps from the Schooner Wharf Bar and feed them to the sea creatures lurk-ing below the docks Watch your fingers The tarpon take ldquohand-feedingrdquo literally 202 William Street (305) 292-3302 wwwschoonerwharfcom
2 STay in a HaunTed HoTeL
Bars are not the only things that go bump in the night Check into Marrerorsquos Guest Mansion and you may have a close encoun-ter with the mansionrsquos resident ghost 410 Fleming Street (305) 294-6977 wwwmarreroscom
3 SearcH for fLamingoS from a KayaK
While authentic flamingos are not as prevalent as the plastic variety found in Floridianrsquos front yards the search with Lazy Dog Kayak Adventures will leave you tickled pink 5114 Overseas High-way (305) 295-9898 wwwlazy-dogcom
4 caTcH your oWn LoBSTer
Why should fishermen have all the fun Skip the fancy restau-rants and hire 6-Pack Charters for a day on the water with Cap-tain Billy Rentz It doesnrsquot get any fresher than this (305) 240-0464 www6packkeywestcom
Photo credit longhorndave
16 FLORIDA KEYS | GUEST LIST
Hungry for more The Key West Bucket List includes 100 ways to have a real Florida Keys expe-rience Pick up a copy for your NOOK or Kindle at
wwwamazoncomauthorsloan
7 SLip inTo a pair of KinoS
Comfortable classy sandals made in Key West A staple for any local worth their weight in conch At 14 bucks a pair you wonrsquot want to slip them off (107 Fitzpatrick Street 305-294-5044 wwwkinosandalscom)
6maKe a Key Lime pie
Grab a few ingredients from Faustorsquos Food Palace and try your hand at this island favorite that comes together easy as pie 522 Fleming Street (305) 296-5663 wwwfaustoscom
5SuBmiT a crazy commenT To ldquoTHe ciTizenrsquoS Voicerdquo
Our local paper has an anony-mous comment column where lo-cals and tourists vie for bragging rights on the days most humor-ous or bizarre comment Phone in or e-mail your brief and enter-taining thoughts then let your friends on Twitter and Facebook know you have been published in Key West Key West Citizenrsquos Voice (305) 293-7900 voicekeysnewscom
Photo credit najwa kronfel
17 FLORIDA KEYS | BEST OF
Top 5 in the Keys
Stephanie Goldberg Glazer Florida Keys Girl Blog Website
Stephanie Goldberg Glazer is the Florida Keys Girl Her blog wwwfloridakeysgirlcom is fo-cused on life in Key West and be-yond covering traveling eating wine drinking and the crazy adven-tures of her dog Babka Stephanie is the co-host of 3 Loud Women and runs Your Personal Manager Inc a full service personal assistant company helping clients plan and enjoy their vacations
ldquoIt is hard not to love the Florida Keys and frankly I find anyone who claims they donrsquot a bit sus-pect With so many things to do (ldquorelaxingrdquo counts as doing) you can exert as much or as lit-tle effort as you like My favor-ite things to do typically revolve around eating drinking and merriment as evidenced by the
list and the constant thought of dieting lsquolaterrsquordquo
the FlorIda keyS toP FIve
The Keys have so many quirky restaurants and one
of my favorite spots to lunch while driving to or from Key West is Keys Fisheries in Marathon The food is great prepared to order (quickly) and when order-ing at the walk up window cus-tomers are identified by their fa-vorite movie or the like
My favorite place to stop for coffee (by ldquocoffeerdquo I mean
ldquocoffee and an almond crois-santrdquo) is the Village Gourmet in Islamorada Good coffee to-die-for pastries and a water bowl for my dog
Whenever we have out of town guests we take them
on a sunset sail There is very lit-tle more beautiful than the Flor-ida Keys sunsets I like Danger
Charters Wind and Winendash small ships great service and a nice wine selection
I have two favorite restau-rants and on special oc-
casions like my birthday I may hit them both in the same day The Flaming Buoy Filet Co on Packer Street has a quiet neigh-borhood feel The food is great service friendly and they have a spicy chocolate quesadilla for dessert Donrsquot knock it lsquotil yoursquove
tried it Azur on Grinnell Street splits their awe-
someness across several meals
Brunch there is superb (Key lime pie stuffed French toast enough said) Dinner is equally wonder-ful with homemade gnocchi and fresh seafood
1
2
3
4
5
Photo credit uwe Seiler
Photo credit Matty yu
Photo credit rob orsquoneal
from the editors of
12 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
trail is named for the Golden Orb Weaver They are quite beautiful The trail takes you alongside the beach and into the hammock with transitioning ecology along the way They also have canoe rentals and a canoe trail mapped out
walk along the Boardwalk make sure you watch closely for the occasional large crabs scurrying back into their holes There are public restrooms here also
M I L E 6 7 5
LONG KEY STATE PARKWebsite
This little State Park is home to the Golden Orb Trail ndash an incred-ible walk through many different ecosystems If you look closely you may spot the spider that the
you can buy for $2 Bring your camera tarpon can be larger than 100 lbs
M I L E 7 3 5
ANNErsquoS BEACH
Need a rest stop or want to stretch your legs Stop at Annersquos Beach which has two entrances just sev-eral hundred yards apart that are connected by a boardwalk with a lot of little pavilions along it The sand is unusual it has tiny bits of coral and shell in it While you
M I L E 7 7 5
ROBBIErsquoS MARINA OF ISLAMORADAWebsite
Robbiersquos Marina is where you can rent boats or schedule excur-sions Trips to Lignumvitae Key on the Bayside and Indian Key on the Oceanside are offered here See Micah at the Kayak Shack hersquos a great musician and very knowledgeable about the area
Therersquos a fantastic eatery at the Marina-The Hungry Tarpon (wwwhungrytarponcom) Or-der fish tacos and then wander around back and feed the tarpon off the pier with buckets of fish
Photo credit Mklinchin
Photo credit Stephen radford
Photo credit Floridakeysgirlcom
13 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
M I L E 2 8 5
LITTLE PALM ISLANDWebsite
This boutique luxury resort is located on Little Torch Key and offers just 30 bungalows The hotel offers a water taxi service and plenty of romance Look for a brown road sign with an anchor on it The entrance to their shore station is on the oceanside One of the best dining experiences in the Keys is at their Dining Room Make a reservation and your ad-venture begins with a 15-minute boat ride to the most intimate and remote restaurants in the Florida Keys
M I L E 3 0
KEY DEER REFUGE NATURE TRAILWebsite
A little farther down from the Blue Hole in Big Pine Key there is a nature trail through the Key Deer Refuge which is located in the Big Pine Key Shopping PlazaActually the whole island of Big Pine Key is a Key Deer refuge but this particular trail is well marked It is about a mile long and takes you through a variety of different ecosystems Informative signs periodically dot the trail telling you about the native flora and fauna And itrsquos free
M I L E 3 0
BLUE HOLE Website
The Blue Hole is on Big Pine Key Turn right on Key Deer Blvd amp veer to the left-the low speed limit is because Key Deer can be found walking roadside espe-cially around dawn and dusk You will see the Blue Hole entrance on the left it is the only fresh water lake in the Florida Keys and be-cause of that you can spot some unique wildlife at times Yoursquoll likely see any number of rare wild birds alligators snakes and oc-casionally a Key Deer will wander up as well Sometimes therersquos a guide on duty but therersquos no published hours so just stop in
M I L E 5 3 5
SPARKYrsquoS LANDINGWebsite
At Key Colony Beach Marina in Marathon Sparkyrsquos might just have the best fish tacos in all of the Keys Try the Gratinee and Blue Cheese Chips
M I L E 4 8
THE TURTLE HOSPITALWebsite
This group saves and rehabs sea turtles all over the Keys and greater Florida They offer tours a few times a day The website also features a blog where you can read about individual turtles they have saved or are currently caring for
Photo credit rob orsquoneal
14 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
rays starfish and other aquatic creatures live Also across the marina yoursquoll see EP Daltonrsquos Ul-tralight The Ultralight is a fixed wing aircraft that allows you to see the entire area aerially Please note that EP can only take one person at a time but the views are stunning Check it out here wwwkeywestfloatscom
To get there exit at MM 17 and you will see Sugarloaf Lodge on the right Directly after you will see signs to ldquoSkydiverdquo turn right at that sign Towards the end of this little road you will see the old Bat Tower of Sugarloaf
M I L E 1 7
REELAX CHARTERSKEY WEST KAYAK TOURS AND EP DALTONrsquoS ULTRALIGHTWebsite
Andrea Paulson runs Reelax Charters in Sugarloaf Marina where you can book kayak tours to see all the beautiful wildlife we have in the Keys The super-friendly and knowledgeable cap-tain will anchor off a sandy beach and guide you through mangrove creeks where small sharks sting-
M I L E 1 7
BAT TOWER ON SUGARLOAF
A man named Perky built this bat tower in the 1920rsquos or 30rsquos He wanted to open a hotel on Sugar-loaf but found the mosquitoes to be abundant He commissioned a bat tower in hopes that bats would eat the mosquitoes Good idea in theory but after import-ing many bats for the task they soon flew away never to return
Ph
oto
cre
dit
ro
b o
rsquonea
l
Photo credit uwe Seiler
15 FLORIDA KEYS | GUEST LIST
The Key West Bucket ListDavid Sloan
David L Sloan quit his corporate job and moved to Key West in 1996 A former cruise ship GM he is the founder of Key Westrsquos Original Ghost Tour author of 10 books an artist musician and songwriter He lives in Old Town Key West with his macaw and pit bull David wrote The Bucket List
in response to the overwhelming number of guide books featuring paid advertorials for mediocre activities ldquoPeople are looking for adventures The Bucket List sends them down the right path and Key West takes care of the restrdquo
Step beyond the guidebooks and experience the Florida Keys like a local Herersquos a few of Da-vidrsquos gems for how to spend your time in Key West
1 Hand-feed a Tarpon
Save your food scraps from the Schooner Wharf Bar and feed them to the sea creatures lurk-ing below the docks Watch your fingers The tarpon take ldquohand-feedingrdquo literally 202 William Street (305) 292-3302 wwwschoonerwharfcom
2 STay in a HaunTed HoTeL
Bars are not the only things that go bump in the night Check into Marrerorsquos Guest Mansion and you may have a close encoun-ter with the mansionrsquos resident ghost 410 Fleming Street (305) 294-6977 wwwmarreroscom
3 SearcH for fLamingoS from a KayaK
While authentic flamingos are not as prevalent as the plastic variety found in Floridianrsquos front yards the search with Lazy Dog Kayak Adventures will leave you tickled pink 5114 Overseas High-way (305) 295-9898 wwwlazy-dogcom
4 caTcH your oWn LoBSTer
Why should fishermen have all the fun Skip the fancy restau-rants and hire 6-Pack Charters for a day on the water with Cap-tain Billy Rentz It doesnrsquot get any fresher than this (305) 240-0464 www6packkeywestcom
Photo credit longhorndave
16 FLORIDA KEYS | GUEST LIST
Hungry for more The Key West Bucket List includes 100 ways to have a real Florida Keys expe-rience Pick up a copy for your NOOK or Kindle at
wwwamazoncomauthorsloan
7 SLip inTo a pair of KinoS
Comfortable classy sandals made in Key West A staple for any local worth their weight in conch At 14 bucks a pair you wonrsquot want to slip them off (107 Fitzpatrick Street 305-294-5044 wwwkinosandalscom)
6maKe a Key Lime pie
Grab a few ingredients from Faustorsquos Food Palace and try your hand at this island favorite that comes together easy as pie 522 Fleming Street (305) 296-5663 wwwfaustoscom
5SuBmiT a crazy commenT To ldquoTHe ciTizenrsquoS Voicerdquo
Our local paper has an anony-mous comment column where lo-cals and tourists vie for bragging rights on the days most humor-ous or bizarre comment Phone in or e-mail your brief and enter-taining thoughts then let your friends on Twitter and Facebook know you have been published in Key West Key West Citizenrsquos Voice (305) 293-7900 voicekeysnewscom
Photo credit najwa kronfel
17 FLORIDA KEYS | BEST OF
Top 5 in the Keys
Stephanie Goldberg Glazer Florida Keys Girl Blog Website
Stephanie Goldberg Glazer is the Florida Keys Girl Her blog wwwfloridakeysgirlcom is fo-cused on life in Key West and be-yond covering traveling eating wine drinking and the crazy adven-tures of her dog Babka Stephanie is the co-host of 3 Loud Women and runs Your Personal Manager Inc a full service personal assistant company helping clients plan and enjoy their vacations
ldquoIt is hard not to love the Florida Keys and frankly I find anyone who claims they donrsquot a bit sus-pect With so many things to do (ldquorelaxingrdquo counts as doing) you can exert as much or as lit-tle effort as you like My favor-ite things to do typically revolve around eating drinking and merriment as evidenced by the
list and the constant thought of dieting lsquolaterrsquordquo
the FlorIda keyS toP FIve
The Keys have so many quirky restaurants and one
of my favorite spots to lunch while driving to or from Key West is Keys Fisheries in Marathon The food is great prepared to order (quickly) and when order-ing at the walk up window cus-tomers are identified by their fa-vorite movie or the like
My favorite place to stop for coffee (by ldquocoffeerdquo I mean
ldquocoffee and an almond crois-santrdquo) is the Village Gourmet in Islamorada Good coffee to-die-for pastries and a water bowl for my dog
Whenever we have out of town guests we take them
on a sunset sail There is very lit-tle more beautiful than the Flor-ida Keys sunsets I like Danger
Charters Wind and Winendash small ships great service and a nice wine selection
I have two favorite restau-rants and on special oc-
casions like my birthday I may hit them both in the same day The Flaming Buoy Filet Co on Packer Street has a quiet neigh-borhood feel The food is great service friendly and they have a spicy chocolate quesadilla for dessert Donrsquot knock it lsquotil yoursquove
tried it Azur on Grinnell Street splits their awe-
someness across several meals
Brunch there is superb (Key lime pie stuffed French toast enough said) Dinner is equally wonder-ful with homemade gnocchi and fresh seafood
1
2
3
4
5
Photo credit uwe Seiler
Photo credit Matty yu
Photo credit rob orsquoneal
from the editors of
13 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
M I L E 2 8 5
LITTLE PALM ISLANDWebsite
This boutique luxury resort is located on Little Torch Key and offers just 30 bungalows The hotel offers a water taxi service and plenty of romance Look for a brown road sign with an anchor on it The entrance to their shore station is on the oceanside One of the best dining experiences in the Keys is at their Dining Room Make a reservation and your ad-venture begins with a 15-minute boat ride to the most intimate and remote restaurants in the Florida Keys
M I L E 3 0
KEY DEER REFUGE NATURE TRAILWebsite
A little farther down from the Blue Hole in Big Pine Key there is a nature trail through the Key Deer Refuge which is located in the Big Pine Key Shopping PlazaActually the whole island of Big Pine Key is a Key Deer refuge but this particular trail is well marked It is about a mile long and takes you through a variety of different ecosystems Informative signs periodically dot the trail telling you about the native flora and fauna And itrsquos free
M I L E 3 0
BLUE HOLE Website
The Blue Hole is on Big Pine Key Turn right on Key Deer Blvd amp veer to the left-the low speed limit is because Key Deer can be found walking roadside espe-cially around dawn and dusk You will see the Blue Hole entrance on the left it is the only fresh water lake in the Florida Keys and be-cause of that you can spot some unique wildlife at times Yoursquoll likely see any number of rare wild birds alligators snakes and oc-casionally a Key Deer will wander up as well Sometimes therersquos a guide on duty but therersquos no published hours so just stop in
M I L E 5 3 5
SPARKYrsquoS LANDINGWebsite
At Key Colony Beach Marina in Marathon Sparkyrsquos might just have the best fish tacos in all of the Keys Try the Gratinee and Blue Cheese Chips
M I L E 4 8
THE TURTLE HOSPITALWebsite
This group saves and rehabs sea turtles all over the Keys and greater Florida They offer tours a few times a day The website also features a blog where you can read about individual turtles they have saved or are currently caring for
Photo credit rob orsquoneal
14 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
rays starfish and other aquatic creatures live Also across the marina yoursquoll see EP Daltonrsquos Ul-tralight The Ultralight is a fixed wing aircraft that allows you to see the entire area aerially Please note that EP can only take one person at a time but the views are stunning Check it out here wwwkeywestfloatscom
To get there exit at MM 17 and you will see Sugarloaf Lodge on the right Directly after you will see signs to ldquoSkydiverdquo turn right at that sign Towards the end of this little road you will see the old Bat Tower of Sugarloaf
M I L E 1 7
REELAX CHARTERSKEY WEST KAYAK TOURS AND EP DALTONrsquoS ULTRALIGHTWebsite
Andrea Paulson runs Reelax Charters in Sugarloaf Marina where you can book kayak tours to see all the beautiful wildlife we have in the Keys The super-friendly and knowledgeable cap-tain will anchor off a sandy beach and guide you through mangrove creeks where small sharks sting-
M I L E 1 7
BAT TOWER ON SUGARLOAF
A man named Perky built this bat tower in the 1920rsquos or 30rsquos He wanted to open a hotel on Sugar-loaf but found the mosquitoes to be abundant He commissioned a bat tower in hopes that bats would eat the mosquitoes Good idea in theory but after import-ing many bats for the task they soon flew away never to return
Ph
oto
cre
dit
ro
b o
rsquonea
l
Photo credit uwe Seiler
15 FLORIDA KEYS | GUEST LIST
The Key West Bucket ListDavid Sloan
David L Sloan quit his corporate job and moved to Key West in 1996 A former cruise ship GM he is the founder of Key Westrsquos Original Ghost Tour author of 10 books an artist musician and songwriter He lives in Old Town Key West with his macaw and pit bull David wrote The Bucket List
in response to the overwhelming number of guide books featuring paid advertorials for mediocre activities ldquoPeople are looking for adventures The Bucket List sends them down the right path and Key West takes care of the restrdquo
Step beyond the guidebooks and experience the Florida Keys like a local Herersquos a few of Da-vidrsquos gems for how to spend your time in Key West
1 Hand-feed a Tarpon
Save your food scraps from the Schooner Wharf Bar and feed them to the sea creatures lurk-ing below the docks Watch your fingers The tarpon take ldquohand-feedingrdquo literally 202 William Street (305) 292-3302 wwwschoonerwharfcom
2 STay in a HaunTed HoTeL
Bars are not the only things that go bump in the night Check into Marrerorsquos Guest Mansion and you may have a close encoun-ter with the mansionrsquos resident ghost 410 Fleming Street (305) 294-6977 wwwmarreroscom
3 SearcH for fLamingoS from a KayaK
While authentic flamingos are not as prevalent as the plastic variety found in Floridianrsquos front yards the search with Lazy Dog Kayak Adventures will leave you tickled pink 5114 Overseas High-way (305) 295-9898 wwwlazy-dogcom
4 caTcH your oWn LoBSTer
Why should fishermen have all the fun Skip the fancy restau-rants and hire 6-Pack Charters for a day on the water with Cap-tain Billy Rentz It doesnrsquot get any fresher than this (305) 240-0464 www6packkeywestcom
Photo credit longhorndave
16 FLORIDA KEYS | GUEST LIST
Hungry for more The Key West Bucket List includes 100 ways to have a real Florida Keys expe-rience Pick up a copy for your NOOK or Kindle at
wwwamazoncomauthorsloan
7 SLip inTo a pair of KinoS
Comfortable classy sandals made in Key West A staple for any local worth their weight in conch At 14 bucks a pair you wonrsquot want to slip them off (107 Fitzpatrick Street 305-294-5044 wwwkinosandalscom)
6maKe a Key Lime pie
Grab a few ingredients from Faustorsquos Food Palace and try your hand at this island favorite that comes together easy as pie 522 Fleming Street (305) 296-5663 wwwfaustoscom
5SuBmiT a crazy commenT To ldquoTHe ciTizenrsquoS Voicerdquo
Our local paper has an anony-mous comment column where lo-cals and tourists vie for bragging rights on the days most humor-ous or bizarre comment Phone in or e-mail your brief and enter-taining thoughts then let your friends on Twitter and Facebook know you have been published in Key West Key West Citizenrsquos Voice (305) 293-7900 voicekeysnewscom
Photo credit najwa kronfel
17 FLORIDA KEYS | BEST OF
Top 5 in the Keys
Stephanie Goldberg Glazer Florida Keys Girl Blog Website
Stephanie Goldberg Glazer is the Florida Keys Girl Her blog wwwfloridakeysgirlcom is fo-cused on life in Key West and be-yond covering traveling eating wine drinking and the crazy adven-tures of her dog Babka Stephanie is the co-host of 3 Loud Women and runs Your Personal Manager Inc a full service personal assistant company helping clients plan and enjoy their vacations
ldquoIt is hard not to love the Florida Keys and frankly I find anyone who claims they donrsquot a bit sus-pect With so many things to do (ldquorelaxingrdquo counts as doing) you can exert as much or as lit-tle effort as you like My favor-ite things to do typically revolve around eating drinking and merriment as evidenced by the
list and the constant thought of dieting lsquolaterrsquordquo
the FlorIda keyS toP FIve
The Keys have so many quirky restaurants and one
of my favorite spots to lunch while driving to or from Key West is Keys Fisheries in Marathon The food is great prepared to order (quickly) and when order-ing at the walk up window cus-tomers are identified by their fa-vorite movie or the like
My favorite place to stop for coffee (by ldquocoffeerdquo I mean
ldquocoffee and an almond crois-santrdquo) is the Village Gourmet in Islamorada Good coffee to-die-for pastries and a water bowl for my dog
Whenever we have out of town guests we take them
on a sunset sail There is very lit-tle more beautiful than the Flor-ida Keys sunsets I like Danger
Charters Wind and Winendash small ships great service and a nice wine selection
I have two favorite restau-rants and on special oc-
casions like my birthday I may hit them both in the same day The Flaming Buoy Filet Co on Packer Street has a quiet neigh-borhood feel The food is great service friendly and they have a spicy chocolate quesadilla for dessert Donrsquot knock it lsquotil yoursquove
tried it Azur on Grinnell Street splits their awe-
someness across several meals
Brunch there is superb (Key lime pie stuffed French toast enough said) Dinner is equally wonder-ful with homemade gnocchi and fresh seafood
1
2
3
4
5
Photo credit uwe Seiler
Photo credit Matty yu
Photo credit rob orsquoneal
from the editors of
14 FLORIDA KEYS | EXPLORE
rays starfish and other aquatic creatures live Also across the marina yoursquoll see EP Daltonrsquos Ul-tralight The Ultralight is a fixed wing aircraft that allows you to see the entire area aerially Please note that EP can only take one person at a time but the views are stunning Check it out here wwwkeywestfloatscom
To get there exit at MM 17 and you will see Sugarloaf Lodge on the right Directly after you will see signs to ldquoSkydiverdquo turn right at that sign Towards the end of this little road you will see the old Bat Tower of Sugarloaf
M I L E 1 7
REELAX CHARTERSKEY WEST KAYAK TOURS AND EP DALTONrsquoS ULTRALIGHTWebsite
Andrea Paulson runs Reelax Charters in Sugarloaf Marina where you can book kayak tours to see all the beautiful wildlife we have in the Keys The super-friendly and knowledgeable cap-tain will anchor off a sandy beach and guide you through mangrove creeks where small sharks sting-
M I L E 1 7
BAT TOWER ON SUGARLOAF
A man named Perky built this bat tower in the 1920rsquos or 30rsquos He wanted to open a hotel on Sugar-loaf but found the mosquitoes to be abundant He commissioned a bat tower in hopes that bats would eat the mosquitoes Good idea in theory but after import-ing many bats for the task they soon flew away never to return
Ph
oto
cre
dit
ro
b o
rsquonea
l
Photo credit uwe Seiler
15 FLORIDA KEYS | GUEST LIST
The Key West Bucket ListDavid Sloan
David L Sloan quit his corporate job and moved to Key West in 1996 A former cruise ship GM he is the founder of Key Westrsquos Original Ghost Tour author of 10 books an artist musician and songwriter He lives in Old Town Key West with his macaw and pit bull David wrote The Bucket List
in response to the overwhelming number of guide books featuring paid advertorials for mediocre activities ldquoPeople are looking for adventures The Bucket List sends them down the right path and Key West takes care of the restrdquo
Step beyond the guidebooks and experience the Florida Keys like a local Herersquos a few of Da-vidrsquos gems for how to spend your time in Key West
1 Hand-feed a Tarpon
Save your food scraps from the Schooner Wharf Bar and feed them to the sea creatures lurk-ing below the docks Watch your fingers The tarpon take ldquohand-feedingrdquo literally 202 William Street (305) 292-3302 wwwschoonerwharfcom
2 STay in a HaunTed HoTeL
Bars are not the only things that go bump in the night Check into Marrerorsquos Guest Mansion and you may have a close encoun-ter with the mansionrsquos resident ghost 410 Fleming Street (305) 294-6977 wwwmarreroscom
3 SearcH for fLamingoS from a KayaK
While authentic flamingos are not as prevalent as the plastic variety found in Floridianrsquos front yards the search with Lazy Dog Kayak Adventures will leave you tickled pink 5114 Overseas High-way (305) 295-9898 wwwlazy-dogcom
4 caTcH your oWn LoBSTer
Why should fishermen have all the fun Skip the fancy restau-rants and hire 6-Pack Charters for a day on the water with Cap-tain Billy Rentz It doesnrsquot get any fresher than this (305) 240-0464 www6packkeywestcom
Photo credit longhorndave
16 FLORIDA KEYS | GUEST LIST
Hungry for more The Key West Bucket List includes 100 ways to have a real Florida Keys expe-rience Pick up a copy for your NOOK or Kindle at
wwwamazoncomauthorsloan
7 SLip inTo a pair of KinoS
Comfortable classy sandals made in Key West A staple for any local worth their weight in conch At 14 bucks a pair you wonrsquot want to slip them off (107 Fitzpatrick Street 305-294-5044 wwwkinosandalscom)
6maKe a Key Lime pie
Grab a few ingredients from Faustorsquos Food Palace and try your hand at this island favorite that comes together easy as pie 522 Fleming Street (305) 296-5663 wwwfaustoscom
5SuBmiT a crazy commenT To ldquoTHe ciTizenrsquoS Voicerdquo
Our local paper has an anony-mous comment column where lo-cals and tourists vie for bragging rights on the days most humor-ous or bizarre comment Phone in or e-mail your brief and enter-taining thoughts then let your friends on Twitter and Facebook know you have been published in Key West Key West Citizenrsquos Voice (305) 293-7900 voicekeysnewscom
Photo credit najwa kronfel
17 FLORIDA KEYS | BEST OF
Top 5 in the Keys
Stephanie Goldberg Glazer Florida Keys Girl Blog Website
Stephanie Goldberg Glazer is the Florida Keys Girl Her blog wwwfloridakeysgirlcom is fo-cused on life in Key West and be-yond covering traveling eating wine drinking and the crazy adven-tures of her dog Babka Stephanie is the co-host of 3 Loud Women and runs Your Personal Manager Inc a full service personal assistant company helping clients plan and enjoy their vacations
ldquoIt is hard not to love the Florida Keys and frankly I find anyone who claims they donrsquot a bit sus-pect With so many things to do (ldquorelaxingrdquo counts as doing) you can exert as much or as lit-tle effort as you like My favor-ite things to do typically revolve around eating drinking and merriment as evidenced by the
list and the constant thought of dieting lsquolaterrsquordquo
the FlorIda keyS toP FIve
The Keys have so many quirky restaurants and one
of my favorite spots to lunch while driving to or from Key West is Keys Fisheries in Marathon The food is great prepared to order (quickly) and when order-ing at the walk up window cus-tomers are identified by their fa-vorite movie or the like
My favorite place to stop for coffee (by ldquocoffeerdquo I mean
ldquocoffee and an almond crois-santrdquo) is the Village Gourmet in Islamorada Good coffee to-die-for pastries and a water bowl for my dog
Whenever we have out of town guests we take them
on a sunset sail There is very lit-tle more beautiful than the Flor-ida Keys sunsets I like Danger
Charters Wind and Winendash small ships great service and a nice wine selection
I have two favorite restau-rants and on special oc-
casions like my birthday I may hit them both in the same day The Flaming Buoy Filet Co on Packer Street has a quiet neigh-borhood feel The food is great service friendly and they have a spicy chocolate quesadilla for dessert Donrsquot knock it lsquotil yoursquove
tried it Azur on Grinnell Street splits their awe-
someness across several meals
Brunch there is superb (Key lime pie stuffed French toast enough said) Dinner is equally wonder-ful with homemade gnocchi and fresh seafood
1
2
3
4
5
Photo credit uwe Seiler
Photo credit Matty yu
Photo credit rob orsquoneal
from the editors of
15 FLORIDA KEYS | GUEST LIST
The Key West Bucket ListDavid Sloan
David L Sloan quit his corporate job and moved to Key West in 1996 A former cruise ship GM he is the founder of Key Westrsquos Original Ghost Tour author of 10 books an artist musician and songwriter He lives in Old Town Key West with his macaw and pit bull David wrote The Bucket List
in response to the overwhelming number of guide books featuring paid advertorials for mediocre activities ldquoPeople are looking for adventures The Bucket List sends them down the right path and Key West takes care of the restrdquo
Step beyond the guidebooks and experience the Florida Keys like a local Herersquos a few of Da-vidrsquos gems for how to spend your time in Key West
1 Hand-feed a Tarpon
Save your food scraps from the Schooner Wharf Bar and feed them to the sea creatures lurk-ing below the docks Watch your fingers The tarpon take ldquohand-feedingrdquo literally 202 William Street (305) 292-3302 wwwschoonerwharfcom
2 STay in a HaunTed HoTeL
Bars are not the only things that go bump in the night Check into Marrerorsquos Guest Mansion and you may have a close encoun-ter with the mansionrsquos resident ghost 410 Fleming Street (305) 294-6977 wwwmarreroscom
3 SearcH for fLamingoS from a KayaK
While authentic flamingos are not as prevalent as the plastic variety found in Floridianrsquos front yards the search with Lazy Dog Kayak Adventures will leave you tickled pink 5114 Overseas High-way (305) 295-9898 wwwlazy-dogcom
4 caTcH your oWn LoBSTer
Why should fishermen have all the fun Skip the fancy restau-rants and hire 6-Pack Charters for a day on the water with Cap-tain Billy Rentz It doesnrsquot get any fresher than this (305) 240-0464 www6packkeywestcom
Photo credit longhorndave
16 FLORIDA KEYS | GUEST LIST
Hungry for more The Key West Bucket List includes 100 ways to have a real Florida Keys expe-rience Pick up a copy for your NOOK or Kindle at
wwwamazoncomauthorsloan
7 SLip inTo a pair of KinoS
Comfortable classy sandals made in Key West A staple for any local worth their weight in conch At 14 bucks a pair you wonrsquot want to slip them off (107 Fitzpatrick Street 305-294-5044 wwwkinosandalscom)
6maKe a Key Lime pie
Grab a few ingredients from Faustorsquos Food Palace and try your hand at this island favorite that comes together easy as pie 522 Fleming Street (305) 296-5663 wwwfaustoscom
5SuBmiT a crazy commenT To ldquoTHe ciTizenrsquoS Voicerdquo
Our local paper has an anony-mous comment column where lo-cals and tourists vie for bragging rights on the days most humor-ous or bizarre comment Phone in or e-mail your brief and enter-taining thoughts then let your friends on Twitter and Facebook know you have been published in Key West Key West Citizenrsquos Voice (305) 293-7900 voicekeysnewscom
Photo credit najwa kronfel
17 FLORIDA KEYS | BEST OF
Top 5 in the Keys
Stephanie Goldberg Glazer Florida Keys Girl Blog Website
Stephanie Goldberg Glazer is the Florida Keys Girl Her blog wwwfloridakeysgirlcom is fo-cused on life in Key West and be-yond covering traveling eating wine drinking and the crazy adven-tures of her dog Babka Stephanie is the co-host of 3 Loud Women and runs Your Personal Manager Inc a full service personal assistant company helping clients plan and enjoy their vacations
ldquoIt is hard not to love the Florida Keys and frankly I find anyone who claims they donrsquot a bit sus-pect With so many things to do (ldquorelaxingrdquo counts as doing) you can exert as much or as lit-tle effort as you like My favor-ite things to do typically revolve around eating drinking and merriment as evidenced by the
list and the constant thought of dieting lsquolaterrsquordquo
the FlorIda keyS toP FIve
The Keys have so many quirky restaurants and one
of my favorite spots to lunch while driving to or from Key West is Keys Fisheries in Marathon The food is great prepared to order (quickly) and when order-ing at the walk up window cus-tomers are identified by their fa-vorite movie or the like
My favorite place to stop for coffee (by ldquocoffeerdquo I mean
ldquocoffee and an almond crois-santrdquo) is the Village Gourmet in Islamorada Good coffee to-die-for pastries and a water bowl for my dog
Whenever we have out of town guests we take them
on a sunset sail There is very lit-tle more beautiful than the Flor-ida Keys sunsets I like Danger
Charters Wind and Winendash small ships great service and a nice wine selection
I have two favorite restau-rants and on special oc-
casions like my birthday I may hit them both in the same day The Flaming Buoy Filet Co on Packer Street has a quiet neigh-borhood feel The food is great service friendly and they have a spicy chocolate quesadilla for dessert Donrsquot knock it lsquotil yoursquove
tried it Azur on Grinnell Street splits their awe-
someness across several meals
Brunch there is superb (Key lime pie stuffed French toast enough said) Dinner is equally wonder-ful with homemade gnocchi and fresh seafood
1
2
3
4
5
Photo credit uwe Seiler
Photo credit Matty yu
Photo credit rob orsquoneal
from the editors of
16 FLORIDA KEYS | GUEST LIST
Hungry for more The Key West Bucket List includes 100 ways to have a real Florida Keys expe-rience Pick up a copy for your NOOK or Kindle at
wwwamazoncomauthorsloan
7 SLip inTo a pair of KinoS
Comfortable classy sandals made in Key West A staple for any local worth their weight in conch At 14 bucks a pair you wonrsquot want to slip them off (107 Fitzpatrick Street 305-294-5044 wwwkinosandalscom)
6maKe a Key Lime pie
Grab a few ingredients from Faustorsquos Food Palace and try your hand at this island favorite that comes together easy as pie 522 Fleming Street (305) 296-5663 wwwfaustoscom
5SuBmiT a crazy commenT To ldquoTHe ciTizenrsquoS Voicerdquo
Our local paper has an anony-mous comment column where lo-cals and tourists vie for bragging rights on the days most humor-ous or bizarre comment Phone in or e-mail your brief and enter-taining thoughts then let your friends on Twitter and Facebook know you have been published in Key West Key West Citizenrsquos Voice (305) 293-7900 voicekeysnewscom
Photo credit najwa kronfel
17 FLORIDA KEYS | BEST OF
Top 5 in the Keys
Stephanie Goldberg Glazer Florida Keys Girl Blog Website
Stephanie Goldberg Glazer is the Florida Keys Girl Her blog wwwfloridakeysgirlcom is fo-cused on life in Key West and be-yond covering traveling eating wine drinking and the crazy adven-tures of her dog Babka Stephanie is the co-host of 3 Loud Women and runs Your Personal Manager Inc a full service personal assistant company helping clients plan and enjoy their vacations
ldquoIt is hard not to love the Florida Keys and frankly I find anyone who claims they donrsquot a bit sus-pect With so many things to do (ldquorelaxingrdquo counts as doing) you can exert as much or as lit-tle effort as you like My favor-ite things to do typically revolve around eating drinking and merriment as evidenced by the
list and the constant thought of dieting lsquolaterrsquordquo
the FlorIda keyS toP FIve
The Keys have so many quirky restaurants and one
of my favorite spots to lunch while driving to or from Key West is Keys Fisheries in Marathon The food is great prepared to order (quickly) and when order-ing at the walk up window cus-tomers are identified by their fa-vorite movie or the like
My favorite place to stop for coffee (by ldquocoffeerdquo I mean
ldquocoffee and an almond crois-santrdquo) is the Village Gourmet in Islamorada Good coffee to-die-for pastries and a water bowl for my dog
Whenever we have out of town guests we take them
on a sunset sail There is very lit-tle more beautiful than the Flor-ida Keys sunsets I like Danger
Charters Wind and Winendash small ships great service and a nice wine selection
I have two favorite restau-rants and on special oc-
casions like my birthday I may hit them both in the same day The Flaming Buoy Filet Co on Packer Street has a quiet neigh-borhood feel The food is great service friendly and they have a spicy chocolate quesadilla for dessert Donrsquot knock it lsquotil yoursquove
tried it Azur on Grinnell Street splits their awe-
someness across several meals
Brunch there is superb (Key lime pie stuffed French toast enough said) Dinner is equally wonder-ful with homemade gnocchi and fresh seafood
1
2
3
4
5
Photo credit uwe Seiler
Photo credit Matty yu
Photo credit rob orsquoneal
from the editors of
17 FLORIDA KEYS | BEST OF
Top 5 in the Keys
Stephanie Goldberg Glazer Florida Keys Girl Blog Website
Stephanie Goldberg Glazer is the Florida Keys Girl Her blog wwwfloridakeysgirlcom is fo-cused on life in Key West and be-yond covering traveling eating wine drinking and the crazy adven-tures of her dog Babka Stephanie is the co-host of 3 Loud Women and runs Your Personal Manager Inc a full service personal assistant company helping clients plan and enjoy their vacations
ldquoIt is hard not to love the Florida Keys and frankly I find anyone who claims they donrsquot a bit sus-pect With so many things to do (ldquorelaxingrdquo counts as doing) you can exert as much or as lit-tle effort as you like My favor-ite things to do typically revolve around eating drinking and merriment as evidenced by the
list and the constant thought of dieting lsquolaterrsquordquo
the FlorIda keyS toP FIve
The Keys have so many quirky restaurants and one
of my favorite spots to lunch while driving to or from Key West is Keys Fisheries in Marathon The food is great prepared to order (quickly) and when order-ing at the walk up window cus-tomers are identified by their fa-vorite movie or the like
My favorite place to stop for coffee (by ldquocoffeerdquo I mean
ldquocoffee and an almond crois-santrdquo) is the Village Gourmet in Islamorada Good coffee to-die-for pastries and a water bowl for my dog
Whenever we have out of town guests we take them
on a sunset sail There is very lit-tle more beautiful than the Flor-ida Keys sunsets I like Danger
Charters Wind and Winendash small ships great service and a nice wine selection
I have two favorite restau-rants and on special oc-
casions like my birthday I may hit them both in the same day The Flaming Buoy Filet Co on Packer Street has a quiet neigh-borhood feel The food is great service friendly and they have a spicy chocolate quesadilla for dessert Donrsquot knock it lsquotil yoursquove
tried it Azur on Grinnell Street splits their awe-
someness across several meals
Brunch there is superb (Key lime pie stuffed French toast enough said) Dinner is equally wonder-ful with homemade gnocchi and fresh seafood
1
2
3
4
5
Photo credit uwe Seiler
Photo credit Matty yu
Photo credit rob orsquoneal
from the editors of
Photo credit rob orsquoneal
from the editors of
