Okay, get ready to sell everything you own and move to Key West to live "The Life". Think I'm crazy? Watch this video and let the lyrics of this song and atmosphere of the bar soak into your island soul. Then you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. Key West is like a drug. You visit once and it grabs at you. You visit again and it becomes hard to leave. You visit again and it becomes part … [Read more...]
General store, brothel, bait and tackle, bar and restaurant; No Name Pub on Big Pine Key in the Florida Keys has been many things throughout the years. Brothel? Yes, brothel. Adds to the character of the place doesn't it. I was able to pay No Name Pub a visit for the first time this past weekend. My only regret was not being able to stay longer...and try their pizza! It all started back in … [Read more...]
What does Arnold like saying..."I'll be back." I'm not sure if it exactly fits, but I like quoting Schwarzenegger movies so we'll roll with it. The Conched In Key West Pub Crawl is coming back to make its mark on 2012 and the wheels are already in motion to make it bigger and better than last year. If you happened to of been hit in the head by a falling coconut and don't remember what the … [Read more...]
Pigeon Key, one of the Florida Keys' hidden gems, lies nestled beneath the Old Seven Mile Bridge and provides a window on life in the Keys a century ago. The tiny island is to take center stage during January's Keys-wide celebration honoring the centennial of the Florida Keys Over-Sea Railroad, lauded as the most unique railway in the world upon its completion. Just over two miles west of … [Read more...]
Subtropical Key West is widely credited with inspiring singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett's smash hit "Margaritaville" and other tunes. Thursday through Sunday, Nov. 3-6, some 3,500 of Buffett's "Parrot Head" fans are to spread their wings on the island during their 20th annual convention. The convention is titled "Don't Stop the Carnival," recalling Buffett"s album and stage play based on the … [Read more...]
It gets hot in the Florida Keys, shirt drenching, sweat dripping hot. They only thing you can do is run and jump into that beautiful water or mix yourself up a refreshing Boat Drink! I mean you could go for ice water or Gatorade, but those drinks have no business being on this island blog now do they. Pull out the rum and saddle up for a great Boat Drinks video Castaways! Mr. Coastlines & … [Read more...]
Drugs, suspense, human relationships, murder and life on the rock - Below Mile Zero by author Brooke Babineau is a thrilling tale of guy who tries to get his life right but instead discovers the dark under belly of Key West. I'm not much of a fictional novel reader, I tend to stick to light magazines with pretty pictures. What can I say, I'm a simple soul. Below Mile Zero however, pulled me in … [Read more...]
Key West is a small island but it's bursting at the seams with things to do, to see, to buy, to marvel at. Many people visit the island via a cruise ship and only get to spend a precious few hours ashore, so you better make them count! Get out your pen and paper and get ready to jot down these 5 things you must do if you're only spending one day in the Conch Republic! 1. Hit the Beach Key … [Read more...]
Inspiring, rejuvenating, breathless beauty, those are the words that come to mind when I think about Bahia Honda State Park in the Florida Keys. This time last week my toes were buried in the white sands of this park, a needed pit stop on the way to Key West. I'd been driving by this island park for years and never stopped before, I now realize that I'd been making a big mistake. This episode … [Read more...]
The more and more I travel to the Florida Keys the more I think I could live there. It really wouldn't take all that much effort to pull the trigger, but I'll save this Havana daydream for another post. Last weekend was spent in Key West, participating in the Conched in Key West Bar Crawl. The event started out as just some online friends wanting to get together in a beautiful place like Key … [Read more...]
Key Largo, the gateway to the Florida Keys. It's also one of the top sport fishing destinations in the world. I'm not much a fisherman though, those damn fish steal my bait every time, so I've decided that watching others fish with a boat drink in hand or finding a nice beach bar to chillax at is more my speed. Enter the Big Chill, Jimmy Johnson's Big Chill of Key Largo. Sadly, it seems like I … [Read more...]
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Who I am and Why I Write - Close your eyes and remove yourself from the everyday. Picture your toes sinking into the sand as the waves kiss your ankles and listen to the coconut palms rustle in the gentle sea breeze. That’s a nice feeling isn’t it? I live a little bit of that life and want to share my tropical dreams with you. My name is Ryan and I hale from the land-locked, can’t get any further from the ocean, state of Kansas. I moved to laid back southwest Florida back in 2001 and have … Read More
