Vol. 2, No. 6

April 2006

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Photo by Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau

Meteorologist Kennard "Chip" Kasper examines forecast computers at the new Key West weather forecast office while visitors tour the facility.

Free Tours of New Weather Office Top New Visitor Offerings in the Keys

BY CAROL SHAUGHNESSY
and BOB SERATA
Florida Keys News Bureau

FLORIDA KEYS — Many visitors are drawn to the Florida Keys by the sunny subtropical climate. Now they can learn about that climate during free weather education tours led by meteorologists at the new National Weather Service forecast office in Key West.

The 8,000-square-foot, $5.1-million forecast office, located at 1315 White St., was dedicated in March and is the newest of 122 weather offices in the United States.

Each tour begins in the facility’s lobby, where participants can view monitors that show current weather conditions in the Keys, forecasts, tidal data, radar and satellite images and weather education videos.

Visitors then get an in-depth look at the office’s operations area, where meteorologists at four large work stations monitor approximately 20 computers that provide information about local and national weather conditions and trends.

Tours are scheduled Monday through Friday between 10 a.m. and noon. For more information, and to make reservations for groups including school groups, call (305) 295-1316.

Java in Key Largo
Tucked behind native gumbo-limbo and lignum vitae trees sits the comfortable wrap-around porch of the Key Largo Coffee House & Cyber Café, MM 100.2 oceanside in Key Largo.

The coffee house is a public Wi-Fi hot spot. Laptop computer users can connect their computers wirelessly to the Internet, and read and send e-mail, at no charge. Manager Jonathan Dreaver is on hand to assist with any connection issues, and the café offers the use of its Internet-connected computer to those without laptops.

The café is known for its rich, flavorful coffees, fresh pastries and generous lunch and dinner platters. A variety of smoothies, lattes and teas are served. Many of the dinner menu items come from favorite recipes of Dreaver’s mother, including Mrs. Dreaver’s spaghetti and meatballs and a lobster bisque.

The coffee house is open every day but Wednesday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. For reservations or information, call (305) 453-4844.

Islamorada Gourmet Cruises
Visitors to Islamorada can now enjoy an intimate, private dinner on the water while watching the sun dip below the horizon with Islescapes Gourmet Dinner Cruises. On the upper deck of Captain Alex Aller’s custom-restored 33-foot Carver Mariner, guests are delightfully pampered and deliciously served.

Gourmet cruises are available for lunch or dinner, with menu choices that include such delicacies as crabmeat-feta stuffed portobello mushrooms or potato-goat cheese tart for starters, followed by rosemary-mango or warm mushroom salad, then brandied mango-chipotle grilled grouper or yellowtail acqua pazza for the entrée. Dessert choices include crème brulee or decadent strawberries hidden under minted white chocolate whipped cream.

The boat departs from Robbie’s Marina, MM 77.5 bayside in Islamorada.

Custom charters, extended cruises, bay tours and weddings can be accommodated as well. For reservations and more information, call (305) 923-3319 or (305) 664-9814.

Chef James Henahan “shadows” one of his creations.

“Shadow” Cooking in Marathon
Chef James “Shadow” Henahan has brought his world-class skills to the new restaurant at Tranquility Bay Resort, MM 48.5 bayside in Marathon. Butterfly Café features Henahan’s take on island cuisine, with a focus on quality and local ingredients including fresh-from-the-dock seafood.

Appetizers include crispy lobster Thai sticks, somen noodle stir-fry or Keys crab cakes, smoked tomato jalapeno relish; salads include grilled portobello, watercress, shaved fennel and aged Manchego or iceberg wedge, spiced nuts, Maytag bleu and mango balsamic.

Main courses like sugarcane-spiced glazed dolphin, horseradish crusted Florida grouper, Caribbean seafood paella or Cuban spice grilled double-cut pork chops are favorites of locals who have discovered Shadow’s culinary artistry.

Reservations are highly recommended. For reservations and information, call (305) 289-0888.

Kayak at Night
Nature lovers can slip through the silent backcountry waters off Key West and the Lower Keys in a kayak, discovering the flora and fauna that make up the unique Keys ecosystem, on Blue Planet Kayak Tours’ starlight tour. All excursions are led by an environmental scientist.

Night kayaking typically offers cooler temperatures and calmer winds than daytime paddling — as well as a quiet, serenity-inducing experience on the water. In addition, the red mangrove forests in the backcountry appear mysterious and enchanting when explored at night.

Tours begin approximately 45 minutes before sundown so paddlers can view a Keys sunset while watching birds such as pelicans, cormorants and ibis flock to a mangrove rookery for the night. After dark, each kayaker is provided with a headlamp with an adjustable beam to allow the viewing of nocturnal marine life such as lobster, shrimp and octopus while traversing the shallow backcountry waters.

For information and to book an excursion, call (305) 294-8087 or click here.

Photo by Mike Marrero Playing the role of the devil, James Hilferty leads visitors on daily "Goosebumps & Ghosts Rock-N-Walk Tours."

Spooky Side of Key West
The spooky side of Key West is revealed in the new Goosebumps & Ghosts Rock-N-Walk Tour that departs twice nightly from the Pegasus Hotel, 501 Southard St. at the corner of Duval.

Led by a costumed angel and devil, the tour combines theatrics, history and fun into a 75-minute stroll to haunting sites in the island city’s Old Town district. Railroad baron Henry Flagler’s cursed second wife, the bizarre count whose obsessive love for a doomed Cuban girl extended well beyond her death, and the evil doll that haunted a Key West artist are among the tales recounted along the way.

Goosebumps & Ghosts is scheduled at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. nightly. Cost is $17 per person for adults and $8 for children when booked direct or through the concierges at most island properties. Reservations are required since space is limited. Participants are asked to arrive 10 minutes prior to the departure time.

For information and reservations, call (305) 766-3356.

Wicker Guesthouse Has New Owners
The Wicker Guesthouse, located at 913 Duval St. in Key West’s Old Town, has new owners who plan to upgrade all rooms with new furnishings and accessories while retaining the relaxed Florida Keys atmosphere that has characterized the property for more than 20 years. Additional improvements are to include a complete redesign of the landscaping to enhance the tropical atmosphere, incorporating waterfalls and indigenous flowers.

For more information, click here.

Ahoy Mateys! The Rum Barrel is Now Open
Motivational guru, author and part-time Key West resident Pat Croce has expanded his Pirate Soul Museum, which contains nearly 500 authentic buccaneer artifacts, with the addition of the pirate-themed Rum Barrel restaurant and bar. Located at 528 Front St. next to Pirate Soul, the Rum Barrel evokes the atmosphere of a tavern from piracy’s golden age (1690 to 1730).

The adjacent Rum Barrel is open for lunch and dinner, and can seat approximately 200 people in indoor and outdoor dining areas. Its full selection of cocktail offerings includes more than 100 rums and a nautical “grog.” The “get your hands dirty” menu features pirate-themed items like smoked turkey legs and salmagundi stew as well as local seafood selections, burgers, appetizers and hearty salads.

For more information about Pirate Soul click here.

Albury Court Opens
Albury Court, 1030 Eaton St., is the newest member of the Historic Key West Inns family of small heritage properties. Comprising 21 rooms, the upscale boutique hotel is located in the heart of Key West’s renowned Old Town, just two blocks from the Historic Seaport.

The adults-only property is geared toward couples seeking a romantic escape. Its four buildings surround a private courtyard featuring lush tropical landscaping and a waterfall splash pool. A continental breakfast is served every morning.

For more information, click here.

Key West Hotels Get Four Diamond Honors
La Mer Hotel and Dewey House Hotel, located in Key West at 504 and 506 South St., have been awarded the prestigious AAA Four Diamond rating for 2006. The rating signifies that the properties meet extensive AAA quality criteria and offer a wide array of amenities as well as a high degree of hospitality and service.

For details, click here.

BY BOB SERATA
Florida Keys News Bureau

Photo by Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau Offshore powerboats race past the Seven Mile bridges at the 2005 Marathon Offshore Grand Prix.

MARATHON, Florida Keys — Two days of high-speed boat races and three days of rock concerts are on tap for Florida Keys visitors and residents when the Marathon Offshore Grand Prix rolls into the Middle Keys Thursday through Sunday, May 18-21.

The Grand Prix weekend is to open Thursday, May 18, with a Bash at the Bridge festival and concert, beginning at 6 p.m., at the City of Marathon Amphitheater, mile marker (MM) 49.5 oceanside, the site of all scheduled concerts.

The Edgar Winter Band and Kansas have been signed as headliners for Thursday; on Friday, Rick Derringer and Alto Reed get top billing and on Saturday, the main act is to feature Mark Farner, formerly of Grand Funk Railroad and Kosmo, the band started by former members of Boston.

For race fans, free admission to the dry pits is available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Florida Keys Marathon Airport, MM 51 bayside.

Racing is set to begin at 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, with more than a dozen classes racing in the Super Boat International/American Power Boat Association-sanctioned event.

There is no charge for general viewing of the races at Marathon's Sunset Park, MM 47.

A special VIP tent, offering an extensive buffet and a shaded viewing area, costs $75 per person per day. Children under 12 are admitted without charge when accompanied by a paying adult.

Concert tickets are available for $20 per person per night and are to be available on site.

For the latest schedules and information, visit the Marathon Offshore Grand Prix Web site.

To find out about area accommodations, call the Greater Marathon Chamber of Commerce at (800) 262-7284, or examine this Web site.

For more travel information on the Florida Keys:
www.fla-keys.com