7 Ways to Savor Spring in Key West
Slip away to the southernmost outpost in the continental U.S. this spring to soak up the salt air, sweet breezes and irresistibly laid-back vibe.
Slip away to the southernmost outpost in the continental U.S. this spring to soak up the salt air, sweet breezes and irresistibly laid-back vibe.
Captain Karen Luknis of Venus Charters cut power to the Suzuki engine as I watched her Pro-Line coast across Garrison Bight to a gentle stop at the dock, after helping another group of clients make lifelong memories.
Many of the Florida Keys most appealing festivals and events celebrate visual, performing and literary artists’ passion and talent. And while each one is different, they all spotlight the Keys’ vibrant history, natural richness, and irresistible vibe that inspires creative spirits.
Captain Lain Goodwin, owner of Dirty Waters Charters, knows that muddy waters — where fresh water spills from Florida Bay’s backcountry and Everglades National Park into the Gulf of Mexico’s salty waters — are rich with the world’s best fishing.
Key West has inspired creative types for decades, and perhaps none so much as painters. I know at least a dozen men on the island whose passion is capturing on canvas the island’s landscapes, wildlife and people.
Not unexpectedly, given its exuberant community of artists, Key West is home to a diverse variety of galleries. One of the earliest established — and still flourishing — is Guild Hall Gallery, an artists’ cooperative located at 614 Duval St.
David Kaufelt’s greatest accomplishment, and the one that made perhaps the most lasting impact, was founding the superb and critically acclaimed Key West Literary Seminar. In early February, a national literary landmark was dedicated in his honor on the island he loved.
Discover Key West through the appreciative eyes of a visiting writer from North Carolina, as he experiences the island’s highlights and hotspots and soaks up some welcome winter sun.
Nothing exemplifies the size, diversity, and exuberant creativity of the Florida Keys arts community more than the 2016 Connections Project mural. The mural, which stretches 24 feel long, is a mosaic featuring small canvases by nearly 400 Keys artists and arts-minded residents.
For thousands of scuba divers and snorkelers who visit the Florida Keys annually, and want to log amazing dives along the continental United States’ only living coral barrier reef, there’s no better place to do it than Islamorada.