Twenty-five years ago, on May 18, 1991, two queens met on a remote island 70 miles west of Key West. Okay, actually there was only one genuine queen present at Fort Jefferson in Dry Tortugas National Park. But the other was certainly a queen to me, and to the citizens of the Conch Republic (a/k/a the Florida Keys & Key West).
In the Florida Keys, where the day-to-day business of living is easy, extraordinary creativity thrives. You'll find scores of freethinking spirits who, in the island chain’s nurturing atmosphere, indulge their talent for crafting wares as individualistic as they are.
The United States’ National Park Service celebrates its 100th birthday in 2016. And if you’re visiting the Florida Keys, you have a great opportunity to learn, discover and be inspired by two national parks that can be reached from the island chain.
In Key West, festivals are staged every month, celebrating everything from mouthwatering Key lime pie and succulent Florida lobster to Gay Pride. And one event, the campaign for Fantasy Fest king and queen, is a fundraiser that's important to the entire community.
Loaves of stale Cuban bread, a governmental border checkpoint, and a request for a billion dollars in foreign aid played major roles in the Florida Keys’ secession from the United States and the formation of the independent Conch Republic.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Each January, the Florida Keys hosts a group of severely injured soldiers who use special bicycles to ride segments of the Overseas Highway during the Wounded Warrior Project's Soldier Ride.