One of Key West’s most talented residents is Gary Marion (aka “Sushi”), who entertains nightly on the second floor of the popular LGBTQ hangout 801 Bourbon Bar with the “Sushi and the 801 Girls” show. Over the years, Sushi has become a drag icon who's known worldwide for her “Red Shoe Drop” appearances on CNN’s annual New Year’s Eve television program.
Donie Lee, Key West's chief of police, is a widely admired officer and the island city's first openly gay police chief. As one of the unique community's many LGBTQ city officials and guiding spirits, this fifth-generation Key West resident plays an integral role in helping protect the place called paradise.
Key Largo Bike and Adventure Tours offers a diverse menu of cycling treks, including a Key Largo to Key West ride, for people of varying fitness levels. Founded about seven years ago, the company specializes in popular excursions such as the Two-Day Tour to Key West, two 100-mile challenges called the Florida Keys and Hemingway Century rides, an Islamorada Bike Tour, the Bike and Beer Tour, and Taste of the Keys.
Daniel Skahen is the executive director of the renowned Key West Business Guild and a longtime resident of Key West. He also fought successfully for the legalization of gay adoption in Florida. In his “free time,” he can be spotted welcoming travelers at the guild’s LGBTQ Visitor Center at 808 Duval St. So what does Daniel like best about living in Key West?
Imagine savoring Key lime pie French toast for brunch. Or dining on braised beef rib gnocchi with vegetables, mushrooms and pecorino. Those are just two of the specialties at Key West's Azur Restaurant, where chefs/owners Drew Wenzel and Michael Mosi create delicious, innovative dishes inspired by their experiences throughout the world.
Captain Finbar Gittelman, a roguish Florida Keys seafarer, bears a slightly unnerving resemblance to the fierce Barbossa from “Pirates of the Caribbean.” Owner and master of the majestic Schooner Wolf, he’s also the venerable First Sea Lord and Supreme Commander of the Keys’ picturesque Conch Republic Navy. Yet despite his imposing titles, most people simply call him “Finbar."
Old Road Gallery, owned by artists Dwayne and Cindy King, is a working studio and gallery that overflows with handcrafted pieces of pottery, bronze and copper. It’s also an outdoor sculpture garden. And each day visitors, invited to take a tour, stroll through winding trails and learn about artistic techniques and styles.
There’s a woman living in Islamorada who’s likely the envy of sportsmen of all ages. Her name is Dianne Harbaugh — and as well as organizing several respected Florida Keys fishing tournaments each year, she's also a pilot, an expert angler, and the first woman in the world to land a blue marlin on fly.
Mario Sanchez depicted the Key West of his youth, and its often eccentric inhabitants, with intricate detail and affectionate humor. The late Mario was called the greatest Cuban-American folk artist of the 20th century, and he was recently inducted into the Smithsonian American Art Museum -- the first Key West artist to earn this honor.
Karly Venezia, director of sales and marketing at Islamorada’s iconic 22-acre Islander Resort, has spent more than half her life working for resorts in Key West and Islamorada. She also has an unusual paddleboarding companion: her Rhode Island Red chicken, Loretta, whose on-the-water exploits created a social media sensation.