No one can deny that 2020, and its holiday season, are different than any other year in memory. Whether grief and loss, economic fears or the stress of isolation, almost everyone is feeling the effects of the world’s coronavirus pandemic. Yet even so, it’s possible to find occasional bright spots that bring hope.
GayCities.com has unveiled an innovative lineup of categories for its "Best of 2020" awards — and the Florida Keys & Key West are nominated in three of the nine categories. Support the easygoing island chain by voting for Higgs Beach, Fort Jefferson and Dry Tortugas National Park, and the iconic Overseas Highway road trip.
With an abundance of colorful subtropical fruits and flowers, the Florida Keys are rich in soothing organic and sustainable ingredients for luxury skin care and bath products. Easily ordered online, these products make great holiday gifts — providing a way to create an at-home spa experience that evokes warm, fragrant memories of the Keys.
With so many good restaurants in Key West, ranging from intimate bistros and gourmet emporiums to waterfront seafood spots, the choice can sometimes be bewildering for visitors. What's the best tactic for finding an island-style culinary gem? Ask a local resident for recommendations — and they’ll likely include the Flaming Buoy Filet Co.
Tastes and flavors of the Florida Keys are embedded deeply in the memories of visitors far and wide, so why not surprise family members and good friends this season with delicious gifts of edible or sippable Keys creations? Gifts of food from the island chain are sure to delight even the pickiest recipients.
These days, many people find satisfaction and purpose in helping others in need — including two Key Westers who are longtime volunteers for a heartwarming local organization. “Cooking With Love” exemplifies the spirit of the upcoming holiday season, and gives back to the community in the Florida Keys’ true "One Human Family" fashion.
In Key West’s historic Old Town, free-roaming chickens and roosters are a colorful part of daily life. Traffic stops to let hens and their babies cross the road, visitors coo and cluck as they snap photos of the meandering fowl, and the crowing of roosters provides a raucous soundtrack to everyday activities.
A small group of Key Westers recently gathered (properly masked, of course) to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the "One Human Family" motto that was born on the island — and officially name a local landmark the One Human Family Pavilion. The unifying phrase proclaims that all people are equal and all are connected.
Fans of Key West’s Fantasy Fest can enjoy two streaming events that showcase the masking and costuming festival’s creativity and spirit — despite the cancellation of the Oct. 16-25 in-person celebration to guard against coronavirus spread. A virtual variety show and mini-parade, scheduled Oct. 16 and Oct. 24, raise money for local nonprofit organizations.
Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park is renowned for a picnic area shaded by Norfolk pines and cooled by ever-present breezes, and a long Atlantic-front beach that Key Westers call one of the island’s best-kept secrets. But it’s the Civil War-era fort itself, once nicknamed “Fort Forgotten,” that really makes the park unique.