Rejoice and Celebrate Life in the Florida Keys & Key West
Every year, many thousands of visitors flock to the Florida Keys & Key West — the continental United States’ southernmost island chain — to celebrate life and its milestones. With sunrise on one side of the islands and sunset on the other, the Keys are an ideal place to romance, celebrate and share memorable moments.
Spotlight: Christopher Peterson, North America’s Famed Female Impersonator
Super-talented female impersonator Christopher Peterson brings to life dozens of celebrity icons for Key West audiences — including Joan Rivers, Bette Midler, Lucille Ball and Marilyn Monroe. Christopher developed and stars in his one-man show, EYECONS, at the island's famed La Te Da Cabaret.
Recording a Legend: “A Mother’s Love” by Coffee Butler and Cliff Sawyer
Coffee Butler is a Key West treasure. The 90-year-old musician recently released an album with vocalist Cliff Sawyer, backed by a cast of stellar Key West musicians -- a collaboration that has been called a Key West version of the phenomenal Buena Vista Social Club. In words and photographs, guest blogger Ralph De Palma chronicles the story of the album's release.
Four Don’t-Miss Spots to Encounter Keys Wildlife and Wonders
Whether you’re intrigued by marine mammals, sea turtles, wild birds or the plants that add lushness to the Florida Keys landscape, you can indulge your interest at the island chain’s many environmental attractions. Among them are the Florida Keys Wild Bird Rehabilitation Center, the Turtle Hospital, Florida Keys Aquarium Encounters and the Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden — four "must-visit" spots in the colorful Keys.
‘Free to Be’ in the Florida Keys
Imagine a subtropical island paradise in the continental U.S. where year-round temperatures average 77.8 degrees Fahrenheit. Where LGBTQ travelers are free to be themselves wherever they go, Tennessee Williams helped establish the rich cultural community, and the locals' favorite beach is affectionately nicknamed to salute Elizabeth Taylor. Luckily, that paradise is real — and it’s Key West.
Rachel Bowman, the Lionfish Queen
Rachel Bowman, a dedicated pole spear huntress, is the Florida Keys’ only female commercial lionfish fisherman. She spears several thousand lionfish each year, removing as many of the invasive species from Keys waters as she can. Visitors can help the cause by ordering lionfish in local restaurants, where their delicate and delicious light white meat makes them a popular culinary choice.
Athlete Ends 5,400-Mile Run from Alaska at Key West’s Southernmost Point
A 31-year-old athlete jogged up to Key West’s Southernmost Point marker just before 3 p.m. Monday, Nov. 5, successfully concluding a nearly unbelievable feat: an almost 5,400-mile cross-continental run that began in Alaska. Pete Kostelnick, an ultramarathon runner who lives near Cleveland, began his incredible journey July 31 at Anchor Point on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula — the westernmost end of the North American highway system.