Who were the monarchs that reigned over Key West's 2017 Fantasy Fest celebration? "King" Paul Murphy, "Queen" Destiny Montgomery, "Duke" Bucky Montgomery and "Duchess" Vicki Hodgson — a royal family that earned their titles by raising more than $129,000 for the Florida Keys' AIDS Help organization!
Thousands of Jimmy Buffett's fervent "Parrot Head" fans are gathered in Key West, widely known as the cradle of Buffett’s creativity, to celebrate his music and the “Margaritaville mindset” it inspires. This “Keys Voices” column looks back at a surprise concert Jimmy performed during the Parrot Heads' visit in 2011 — and his spontaneous comments that revealed an undiminished affection for the island city.
Once the stone crab season began Oct. 15, the savory claws started starring on the menus of top Keys restaurants — triggering a virtual stampede of savvy seafood aficionados. That's because the claws contain sweet and scrumptious meat that’s among the Keys’ most popular (and deservedly famous) delicacies.
Key West’s renowned Fantasy Fest, scheduled Oct. 20-29, is more meaningful than ever this year. Why? Because it demonstrates Florida Keys residents’ spirit, resilience and determination to celebrate life and creativity -- even after Hurricane Irma’s unwelcome visit in early September.
A welcome sight lifted the spirits of many weary Florida Keys locals returning home in the weeks after Hurricane Irma’s Sept. 10 passage through the beloved island chain. That sight was “Fred," a salt-sprayed Australian pine tree that's growing out of a roadbed on the historic Old Seven Mile Bridge.
Michael Marrero, executive director of the popular Key West Theater, is an award-winning playwright, photographer and filmmaker whose drama “Locura” was recently part of a historic Cuban-American theatrical exchange -- one of the first such exchanges between the two countries in half a century.
People from around the world are drawn to the Florida Keys, hoping for one-of-kind encounters with some of the unique animals, birds and marine creatures that call the Keys home. Whether observing rare birds, getting up close to a bottlenose dolphin or “meeting” a sea turtle in a world-class “rehab” center, there are plenty of ways to make lasting wildlife memories.
Early August marks the start of the Florida Keys’ annual commercial lobster season -- so it's time to savor the sweet, clawless local lobsters in restaurants ranging from waterside seafood shacks to gourmet emporiums. Some foodies even design their own “lobster quest" to sample chefs’ crustacean creations at a variety of eateries from Key Largo to Key West.
Experience an in-depth sojourn in the subtropical Florida Keys & Key West, and you’re likely to discover some fascinating indigenous species in hidden, tucked-away gardens nestled throughout the 125-mile-long island chain. Here’s an intriguing look at five gardens well worth exploring.
There’s a new “Papa” Hemingway in the island city where legendary author Ernest Hemingway lived during the 1930s. White-bearded Texan Richard Filip won the 2017 Hemingway Look-Alike Contest, the undisputed highlight of Key West's annual Hemingway Days celebration.