<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="0.92">

<channel>
<title>Florida Keys and Key West</title>
<link>http://www.fla-keys.com/</link>
<description>The Official Florida Keys and Key West Web Site is your Premier Travel Guide to the Florida Keys: Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon, Lower Keys, Key West.  Accommodations, Real Estate, Diving &amp; Snorkeling, Fishing &amp; Boating, Museums &amp; Tours, Restaurants &amp; Bars, Theaters &amp; Art Galleries, Events and more.  Brought to you by the Monroe County Tourist Development Council.</description>
<language>en</language>

<copyright>Copyright 2009, Monroe County Tourist Development Council</copyright>
<managingEditor>josie@newmanpr.com</managingEditor>
<webMaster>todd@keywest.com</webMaster>
<pubDate>Sat, 07 Nov 2009 04:00:00 EST</pubDate>
<lastBuildDate>Sat, 07 Nov 2009 04:00:00 EST</lastBuildDate>

<image>
	<title>Florida Keys and Key West</title>
	<url>http://www.fla-keys.com/rss/images/flakeyslogo2.gif</url>
	<link>http://www.fla-keys.com/</link>
	<width>144</width>
	<height>91</height>
</image>

<item>
	<title><![CDATA['VANDENBERG' SINKS AGAIN]]></title>
	<link>http://www.fla-keys.com/news/news.cfm?sid=7554</link>
	<description><![CDATA[ORLANDO – They sunk the Vandenberg again Thursday.

Okay. It wasn’t the real Vandenberg. That’s securely on the ocean floor, about 6.5 miles to the south of Key West and already home to more than 40 species of marine life.

The same scale model of the Vandenberg, used to establish the technical protocol for the actual May 27 Vandenberg scuttling, was sunk in the Scuba Demonstration Pool at the Dive Equipment Marketing Association’s annual convention in Orlando.

Reefmakers and Stevens Inst]]></description>
</item>

<item>
	<title><![CDATA[NEW BRIDGE RUN SET FOR NOV. 14 IN KEY LARGO]]></title>
	<link>http://www.fla-keys.com/news/news.cfm?sid=7490</link>
	<description><![CDATA[KEY LARGO, Florida Keys – For more than 25 years, the annual Seven Mile Bridge Run has attracted sold-out fields with participants eager to run across the convergence of the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico in the Florida Keys.


Now, running enthusiasts can add a second Keys bridge run to their calendars.


Organizers in Key Largo are full-swing into  planning the Jewfish Creek Bridge Run, a half marathon and 5K run/walk set for Saturday, Nov. 14. The event is to be held in conjunction w]]></description>
</item>

<item>
	<title><![CDATA[BILLFISH BOWL SET FOR FLORIDA KEYS FEB. 4-6]]></title>
	<link>http://www.fla-keys.com/news/news.cfm?sid=7549</link>
	<description><![CDATA[KEY LARGO, Florida Keys -– Two-time Super Bowl winning coach Jimmy Johnson is to combine two of his favorite sports –- football and fishing -– into one event Feb. 4-6, with the Gridiron Greats Billfish Bowl in the Florida Keys.

The tournament is slated to begin a few days before Super Bowl XLIV is to be played at Landshark Stadium in Miami.

The event benefits Gridiron Greats, a charitable organization chaired by former Chicago Bears’ coach Mike Ditka that provides financial assistance and ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
	<title><![CDATA[CHEFS DISH IT UP AT KEY LARGO’S 28TH ANNUAL COOK-OFF NOV. 12]]></title>
	<link>http://www.fla-keys.com/news/news.cfm?sid=7543</link>
	<description><![CDATA[KEY LARGO, Florida Keys – Chefs with a wide gamut of experiences are testing their best recipes in preparation for the Key Largo Chamber of Commerce’s 28th annual Key Largo Cook-Off. This culmination of culinary creativity is set for Thursday, Nov. 12, at the Holiday Inn, mile marker (MM) 100 in Key Largo. 
	

Amateurs, professionals and plain ole’ egg flippers can compete in the showdown’s five categories including soups and chowders, appetizers, entrees, desserts and sides and salads. 
	
]]></description>
</item>

<item>
	<title><![CDATA[ARRGH! PIRATES TO PLUNDER KEY WEST NOV. 28-DEC. 6]]></title>
	<link>http://www.fla-keys.com/news/news.cfm?sid=7544</link>
	<description><![CDATA[KEY WEST, Florida Keys — The historic seafaring town of Key West is to become a pirate stronghold Saturday, Nov. 28, through Sunday, Dec. 6, when “brethren of the coast” and lively wenches invade the island for the 10th annual Pirates in Paradise festival. 


Pirates in Paradise offers a packed roster of events for children and adults intrigued by the Florida Keys’ seafaring history and culture. Highlights include living history encampments, a plank-walking championship, nautical excursions a]]></description>
</item>

<item>
	<title><![CDATA[KY-MANI MARLEY TO HIGHLIGHT ISLAMORADA’S
BAYJAMA REGGAE FEST NOV. 21
]]></title>
	<link>http://www.fla-keys.com/news/news.cfm?sid=7547</link>
	<description><![CDATA[ISLAMORADA, Florida Keys — Ky-Mani Marley, son of legendary reggae icon Bob Marley, is set to headline BayJama Reggae Fest Saturday, Nov. 21, at the TIB Bank of the Keys Amphitheater in Islamorada Founders Park, located at mile marker 87.
	

The second youngest of Bob Marley’s 11 children, Ky-Mani Marley fuses world music with hip-hop, blues, rock and grass-roots sounds while remaining true to his Jamaican culture.
	

Other highlights of the musical event, scheduled for 4-11 p.m., include ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
	<title><![CDATA[MARATHON’S AVIATION DAY SET FOR NOV. 14]]></title>
	<link>http://www.fla-keys.com/news/news.cfm?sid=7517</link>
	<description><![CDATA[MARATHON, Florida Keys — The Florida Keys Chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association is to sponsor its Aviation Day at the Florida Keys Marathon Airport Saturday, Nov. 14, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The family-oriented event is free and open to the public at the airport, located at 9400 Overseas Highway bayside. 


Designed to intrigue everyone interested in aviation, this much-anticipated annual event showcases several types of aircraft including World War II military aircraft (War Birds),]]></description>
</item>

<item>
	<title><![CDATA[KEY WEST PROPERTY NAMED TOP U.S HOTEL BY CONDE NAST
]]></title>
	<link>http://www.fla-keys.com/news/news.cfm?sid=7551</link>
	<description><![CDATA[KEY WEST, Florida Keys -- The <a href="http://www.marquesa.com">Marquesa Hotel</a> in Key West, Florida, has been selected as a winner in the Condé Nast Traveler 2009 Readers’ Choice Awards in the category of “Top Hotels: United States Small Hotels,” the complete list of results to appear in the November issue.  
	

According to the magazine’s editors, readers gauged personal and recent travel experiences to rate every (hotel) service crucial to travelers, saying they ‘discovered the coolest ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
	<title><![CDATA[VACATION IN KEYS AND GET A FREE COMPANION AIRFARE CERTIFICATE]]></title>
	<link>http://www.fla-keys.com/news/news.cfm?sid=7532</link>
	<description><![CDATA[Florida Keys vacationers can get a free companion airfare certificate, good for future passage on five legacy U.S. airlines when they stay in a room for two or more nights at participating Florida Keys accommodations.

           
The promotion is valid through <b>March 31, 2010</b>.

           
Keys properties included in the program are listed <a href="http://www.fla-keys.com/freeairfare/">here</a>.

           
While area tourism officials hope visitors will utilize the companion fa]]></description>
</item>

<item>
	<title><![CDATA[HEARTY TASTES ON TAP AT ISLAMORADA’S
SECOND ANNUAL ‘WINE ON THE WATER’ 
]]></title>
	<link>http://www.fla-keys.com/news/news.cfm?sid=7531</link>
	<description><![CDATA[ISLAMORADA, Florida Keys — Sun, warm sand and sea breezes swirl together with the sumptuous taste of fine wines, beers and spirits during Islamorada’s second annual Wine on the Water, set for Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 14-15. 
	

Open to the wine- and beer-loving public, the event is to be staged at the Islander Resort, mile marker (MM) 82.1 oceanside, and presented by the Upper Keys Rotary Club. The weekend is to feature wines from around the world, including Spain, Germany, Austria, France, ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
	<title><![CDATA[KEYS OVERSEAS HIGHWAY IS "ALL-AMERICAN"]]></title>
	<link>http://www.fla-keys.com/news/news.cfm?sid=7530</link>
	<description><![CDATA[FLORIDA KEYS -- The Florida Keys Overseas Highway, from north of Key Largo to Key West, is now an All-American Road.

The designation was announced recently by U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and a plaque was presented by Victor Mendez, administrator of the Federal Highway Administration, during a ceremony in Washington, D.C.

The Keys highway is the only All-American Road in Florida. It's the highest recognition possible under the National Scenic Byways program established by the U]]></description>
</item>

<item>
	<title><![CDATA[PARROT HEADS TO ROOST IN KEY WEST NOV. 5-8]]></title>
	<link>http://www.fla-keys.com/news/news.cfm?sid=7524</link>
	<description><![CDATA[KEY WEST, Florida Keys — When internationally acclaimed singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett wrote “I Have Found Me a Home” about Key West, he described riding his old red bike to “the bars and the beaches of my town.” Thursday through Sunday, Nov. 5-8, the island popularly credited as the inspiration for the entertainer’s hit “Margaritaville” is to host as many as 3,500 of his Parrot Head fans for their 18th annual Meeting of the Minds convention.
	

The 2009 convention is themed Floridays, recal]]></description>
</item>

<item>
	<title><![CDATA[KEYS BOOGIE EXPECTED TO BRING 250 SKYDIVERS
TO ‘DROP IN’ ON MARATHON
]]></title>
	<link>http://www.fla-keys.com/news/news.cfm?sid=7525</link>
	<description><![CDATA[MARATHON, Florida Keys — Many visitors land in the Keys by car, boat or plane, ready to enjoy a warm, gentle tropical breeze. But about 250 visitors will feel a 120-mph breeze when the Keys Boogie skydiving weekend comes to Marathon.


Continuing through Sunday, Nov. 8, the Keys Boogie brings jumpers from Florida and beyond to the Keys to “drop in” on America’s only tropical island chain. The event is hosted by Skydive Sebastian, a recreational and educational skydiving center located in Seba]]></description>
</item>

<item>
	<title><![CDATA[WARM-WEATHER ISLAND ART FEST TO OFFER HOLIDAY CHEER IN LOWER KEYS

]]></title>
	<link>http://www.fla-keys.com/news/news.cfm?sid=7522</link>
	<description><![CDATA[BIG PINE KEY, Florida Keys — As well as balmy temperatures and scores of visitors eager to escape frigid northern air, the holiday season in the Florida Keys is characterized by enthusiastic celebrations. 


From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, Lower Keys visitors can experience that holiday exuberance, enjoy live music and choose one-of-a-kind gifts created by local artists at the Big Pine & Lower Keys Island Art Festival. 


The annual open-air fair is to take place on the wooded gro]]></description>
</item>

<item>
	<title><![CDATA[ADRENALINE ADVENTURES ON THE WATER]]></title>
	<link>http://www.fla-keys.com/news/news.cfm?sid=7442</link>
	<description><![CDATA[FLORIDA KEYS - Thrill seekers who want 365 days' worth of sun, surf and sea can get their blood pumping in the Florida Keys both above and below water. 


<b>KITEBOARDING</b>  

Catch air and go fast with this exhilarating alternative to surfing. The safe environment of the Keys offers a unique opportunity for anyone to learn the sport of kiteboarding. 

Throughout the islands, people are immersing themselves in the kiteboarding lifestyle - feeling the wind power riders for miles at heart]]></description>
</item>

<item>
	<title><![CDATA[CHEECA LODGE GETS READY FOR DEC. 15 RE-OPENING]]></title>
	<link>http://www.fla-keys.com/news/news.cfm?sid=7519</link>
	<description><![CDATA[ISLAMORADA, Florida Keys — A major Florida Keys luxury resort is poised to reopen after a 2009 New Year’s Eve fire that heavily damaged its main lodge.

<a href="http://www.cheeca.com">Cheeca Lodge & Spa</a> has been closed to the public since Jan. 1, while the shell of the main lodge was torn down and plans were developed for a replacement.

Recently, a “topping off” celebration marked the highlight of an intensive 90-day major construction project that features 62 concrete, pre-greened mod]]></description>
</item>

<item>
	<title><![CDATA[ADVENTURERS TO CYCLE THROUGH FLORIDA KEYS
DURING NOV. 7-14 BUBBAFEST
]]></title>
	<link>http://www.fla-keys.com/news/news.cfm?sid=7501</link>
	<description><![CDATA[FLORIDA KEYS — Bicycling enthusiasts can pedal through the Florida Keys on one of America’s most scenic highways during the 200-mile BubbaFest Bike Tour, set Saturday through Saturday, Nov. 7-14.


The fully supported seven-night bicycling adventure was created by retired police sergeant Bubba Barron, who has pedaled across America from the Atlantic to the Pacific, to enable fellow cycling fans to discover the Keys’ environment and attractions while enjoying their favorite sport. 


BubbaF]]></description>
</item>

<item>
	<title><![CDATA[AIRTRAN TO BEGIN ECONOMICAL KEY WEST JET SERVICE DEC. 17 ]]></title>
	<link>http://www.fla-keys.com/news/news.cfm?sid=7500</link>
	<description><![CDATA[KEY WEST, Florida Keys — Beginning Thursday, Dec. 17, visitors to Key West can take advantage of AirTran Airways’ nonstop jet service between Orlando and the island city. 


The AirTran flights, to be offered four times per week, will inaugurate the first scheduled service to Key West by a major low-cost carrier.


The airline plans to use 137-passenger Boeing 737-700 aircraft for the route.


As well as nonstop Orlando flights, AirTran is to offer direct same-plane service from Atlanta]]></description>
</item>

<item>
	<title><![CDATA[DIVE AN AWESOME THREESOME]]></title>
	<link>http://www.fla-keys.com/news/news.cfm?sid=7439</link>
	<description><![CDATA[FLORIDA KEYS - Established by the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, the Florida Keys Shipwreck Heritage Trail was created to encourage an appreciation and understanding of the Keys' maritime heritage. 

Early shipwrecks and vessels intentionally sunk to create artificial reefs serve as refuges for fish, delicate corals and invertebrates, and playgrounds for divers. Among this string of notable wreck sites, stretching from Key Largo to Key West, is an "awesome threesome" for advanced- and]]></description>
</item>

</channel>
</rss>
