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Some great reasons to visit Key West now!

Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009

First of September. Labor Day weekend coming up, dog days behind us. Kids back in school. Summer’s over.

footprintsinsand1 So, how was your staycation?

Staycation? Puh-lease! While we support everyone’s trying to make the best of our current sagging economy, we’re betting that playing tourist at your local strip mall this summer has not likely fulfilled your wanderlust.

You need a little adult R&R … and you need it NOW … a PLAY-cation!

Now, obviously, economic realities can’t be ignored. It’s probably not the right time to drop a bundle on an African photo safari. Let’s be realistic. But that doesn’t mean you have to completely deprive yourself.

If you have access to a little accumulated vacation time and cash, you may want to invest some of it in a fall getaway to Key West, while crowds are thin and you can experience the place like a local. That’s right, invest it. The return, in terms of sanity and relationship maintenance, is priceless. This is about you, and sustaining your increasingly illusive positive attitude. Can you really afford to neglect these things?

Seems everybody dreams of visiting Key West. But in recent years, prices on everything have continued to climb. Not now. Key West attractions, accommodations, and even restaurants have adjusted their prices to reflect the times. Like those of our visitors, local businesses here have been impacted by the prevailing economic climate this summer. So everyone here is doing everything they can to deliver exceptional value and make your escape to Key West an experience that you’ll want to repeat. Prices are now on your side. You can cover the basics or the indulgences at some serious savings.

People are still traveling; they’re just doing it a little more frugally – or should we say, creatively. That might mean reserving one of the less-fancy rooms at that great little B&B you have marked as a favorite on your computer. Driving scenic US1 down the Keys, instead of flying (although there are some great airline deals out there right now). Traveling mid-week, when demand is lower, crowds are thinner – and generous savings are to be found. Grabbing lunch from a beach vendor (hey, you’re there anyway, right?) or a cozy picnic dinner in the garden of your guesthouse instead of pulling out all the stops at a fancy restaurant. Cost-cutting ideas are endless.

However you choose to stretch your vacation dollar, one thing is for sure: the formerly inaccessible is now within reach. Your Key West travel dream is closer to reality now than it has been in years. Consider the opportunity. Such great values may not be seen again soon!

So come satisfy that “don’t worry, be happy” craving in your soul. The legendary laid-back attitude that “is” Key West waits for you here, at the End of the Road. What more perfect time than now to get some sand in your shoes?

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Leaping Lizards, Annie!

Tuesday, August 4th, 2009

Gecko's faceMartin, the Geico Gecko is alive and well and hiding out in our garden at Coccoloba … with friends!

About a year ago, I caught a glimpse of a large, poison-green streak against the brownish-gray trunk of a palm tree, just outside the French doors where I was standing. Looking closer, I was fascinated to observe a lizard, about 8 inches long, with neon orange-red spots on its back. Much larger than the ubiquitous anoles we see skittering about by day and the geckoes to be found catching their dinner near the lights beside the garden gate at night, this fellow was strangely self-confident (perhaps it was as curious about me as I about it). It allowed me to ease open the door and approach it for a closer look. It was unlike any other lizard I’d observed. This strikingly beautiful and out-of-place visitor was definitely a newcomer.

A few months later, another was spotted on the soffit of one of the casitas near the pool. At first I thought it must be the same one, but this one was less elongated and its spots slightly less pronounced.  Now I was really curious.

Giant Madagascar Day GeckoA little internet research revealed that they are Phelsuma madagascariensis grandis: Giant Madagascar Day Geckoes (– yes, just like that cute little Cockney-accented guy you see on TV, selling insurance)! They are called day geckos because they are diurnal — active during daylight hours.  A species occasionally seen in the exotic pet trade, “ours” have presumably either escaped or been released, and find our garden inviting.

Native to Madagascar, an island in the Indian Ocean, male specimens can grow to 12 inches. They are not a threat to humans, feeding on arthropods and nectar. And they are reputed to love honey.

Typically found in rural areas, such as coconut plantations and mangroves, in 2002, a study produced sightings on Grassy, Big Pine, Plantation, and Little Torch Keys. I’m here to tell you that they have now moved to town!

They are territorial and non-social, so I am wondering about the significance of having at least two adult speciments living in such close proximity in the garden. Could we have an established pair?

In recent months, sightings of the Madagascar Day Gecko in the garden at Coccoloba have become more common, and now there has been the addition of a mysterious new night sound. When I first heard it, I assumed it was a frog. But night after night for a long time, now, it has been there, in the same place, emanating from an invisible host.

The sound is distinctively two syllables, though it varies slightly in tone and clarity. Maybe it’s an old-wives tale, but I’m told that geckoes get their name from a kind of chirping they make by clicking their broad tongues against the roofs of their mouths. It sounds like “gec-ko, gec-ko” – or something of that sort.

Could this be our Madagascar Day Gecko? If so, while it is active in the daytime — and chirping away at night — when does it sleep? Does it chirp in the daytime, as well, but the sound goes unnoticed among ambient noises? Anyone out there reading this, feel free to share your knowledge!

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Upstairs at Louie’s

Friday, June 26th, 2009

louies_wholeTucked between Dog Beach and Jimmy Buffett’s former Key West home — back when he was a mere wandering minstrel — is Louie’s Backyard, long a favorite restaurant of tourists and locals alike. The food is good, but it’s the view and the ambience that steal the show here. The “backyard” is actually a multi-tier deck, the lower portion built right out over the water, providing a spectacular panorama of the Atlantic Ocean. That’s where you will find the bar – known as the Afterdeck — and there isn’t a more relaxing place to be at the end of the day. There is something magical about salt-scented breezes, the gentle music of waves lapping at the shoreline, and silhouetted sailboats on the horizon, out for their own sunset celebration.

Recently, Louie’s added a tapas, wine, and martini bar on the second floor, called “Upstairs at Louie’s”. That’s where we met friends a couple of weekends ago, to sample the menu, share some good times, and generally check things out. Featuring that drop-dead gorgeous view, the atmosphere is welcoming and relaxing, the small-plate menu imaginative, and the prices much more recession-friendly than the more formal restaurant downstairs.

And what a nice surprise to find that local wine connoisseur, Nicole Garcia, was our server … no, make that hostess. Her attentive demeanor, expert recommendations, and genuine concern for our having a good time made the evening one of the most enjoyable in recent memory. img_5314-2

If you aren’t sure what you want, she will let you sample wines until you find the perfect one – not in a random way, but listening closely to your feedback. Uncanny how she does that, each offering improving on the last. Like fine-tuning. And that is exactly the process by which she introduced me to possibly the best medium-priced red wine I have ever had. At $9 a glass ($36 a bottle), I felt it was an excellent value … restaurant prices considered, of course.

Now, I’m no wine snob. I’ve even been known to consume my share of those that don’t come in bottles (my wine-drinking sisters and I call it Box-O-Wine). But I’ve always been a particular fan of the good Italian reds. Following her lead, I discovered Briccotondo Barbera, from the Piedmont region.  Nicole described it as a light-bodied wine similar to pinot noir.  It was, indeed, lighter than the sangiovese-based Tuscans that so often come to mind when thinking “Italian red wine”, but I found it to be a bit more full-bodied than a pinot noir … in my estimation, a delightful bridge of the two … and a perfect match for my palate that evening. Gorgeous ruby-red in the glass, and so mellow that I drank way more than I should have.

Nicole came to Key West in 2000 and worked for Louie’s for almost two years. After a short stint in Spain, she returned to Key West and managed the White Tarpon, a package store and wine bar over at the Historic Seaport (we locals call it “the bight”), where she became interested in wine. Through self-study and courses, she has become quite knowledgeable, though she will tell you, in her modest, self-effacing way, that she is still learning every day.

She earned her Culinary Arts degree from Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago, a certificate from the Mastery of Wines from Florida International University, and has completed the introductory course from the Court of Master Sommeliers. She has even produced her own series of wine-tastings at various venues about town, here in Key West.

Last summer, Louie’s lured her back, to open Upstairs at Louie’s.  Here she has found that she can marry her experience and knowledge of food and wine, while meeting people who share her passion, and – in her own words — the view isn’t bad either.img_50721-1

When you get a chance, go see her. Foot of Vernon Street, at Dog Beach. Upstairs. And try the Briccotondo Barbera.

 

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Key West photos!

Saturday, June 20th, 2009

Our friend, Jim, who is a Recovering Innkeeper, has come out of “retirement”. We knew it was just a matter of time.2009-05-23-11a No one here in Key West ever really retires; they just go on to the next creative adventure.  Sometimes the inspiration needs a bit longer than other times to incubate, but the result is unavoidable.

After stockpiling photos chronicling his 10 years in Key West, and having taken a brief hiatus after passing the Ocean Breeze Inn on to its present owner, he has unveiled his next venture (and secret passion): Jim’s Island Photography!  All the views you see in this blog entry are his.

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Jim’s new biz is the perfect showcase for his talent of capturing the essence of life here on our little island home, adrift closer to Cuba than “America”.  He speaks about his work: “What I would say about the pictures, I guess my reason for taking them revolves around the fact that our lives in Key West are spent outdoors. More so than anywhere else that we have ever lived. That through these photographs of the colors, sights and scenes of Key West I hope that the viewers can get a sense of how we feel about this island, the island lifestyle and why everyone gets so attached to it.”

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One of our guests once described Key West as “seductive”. We think Jim’s photos show you why. We here who call Key West home have certainly been just that. Seduced.  And most of us wish we had given in to that siren’s song even sooner than we did.

New pictures are being added to Jim’s website daily. He can make the photos any size you like, and even print them on canvas, so they look like a painting — and they are quite affordable.

So spray on some heavy seduction repellent and have a look at his new website:  http://www.jimsislandphotography.com.  We think you’ll like what you see there!

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A romantic tropical escape!

Wednesday, June 17th, 2009

thumbnailaspxIn our ten years of shepherding The Tropical Inn from an OK-but-not-much-else-going-for-it-except-its-location property to the unique boutique inn it is today, we have developed quite a nice reputation as being the place to stay if your Key West getaway is of the romantic nature. So lately we have been getting an unusual number of requests for “elopement packages”. OK, that tells us there’s a demand we need to fill. So, with a little help from my friend, Eileen, over at Weddings To Go,  I put something together that we think is a winner, at a great price. It’s on the Key West Wedding page of our website now. Have a look.

This led me to thinking.  Even though we almost always have a wedding/elopement or honeymoon couple in the house, we have just as many anniversary celebrations going on. So I thought, OK, I’ll just whip up an nice anniversary package, as well. So I did.  That’ll be on the Weddings page very soon (still working out a few details), so check back if it’s not there by the time you read this.

thumbnail-2aspx1That done, I was surfing around the net for some inspiration of how to present these new features on our blog, when I stumbled across this entry, while googling for “romantic tropical escapes”! This was written in January, but we had no idea it had been published!  While the article reads as if The Tropical Inn is ON the beach (we’re actually on Duval Street  – the nearest and best beach being “Ft. Zach”, about a half-mile away), we’re flattered that the author chose us to spotlight. I’ve copied-and-pasted the article here for your enjoyment:

Romantic Escapes to Florida Beach Areas By Alesandro Fillini

Nothing is more romantic than walking hand in hand down the beach with the one you love. If you agree, romantic beach escapes in Florida should be at the top of your list of things to do.

Florida is a escape paradise. With miles of sandy beaches, perfect climate and many other attractions to bring visitors here, Florida is a favorite destination for both couples and families. While many families may choose to stay close to the inner part of the state, near Orlando and the Walt Disney World Resort, couples have their pick of where to stay in this tropical state. Spots on the beach are especially lovely for couples who want to spend sometime together relaxing, and romantic beach escapes Florida are perfect for honeymoons or any special occasion.

One spot in the state that is especially great for romantic beach escapes Florida is the Florida Keys. This grouping of small islands (there are actually about 1700 of them) is a hotspot for lovers and couples who want to spend some time enjoying the beach during the day and partying during the nightlife. Reachable by US Highway 1 (over several bridges and other roadways) most of the Keys that are inhabited are great places to stay and enjoy the atmosphere. However, for most people, when they think about the Florida Keys, they are really thinking about Key West.

One of the most romantic beach escapes Florida Keys has to offer is in Key West at the Tropical Inn bed and breakfast. This Inn houses 11 different guest rooms, with seven of the rooms being suites. The Garden Cottage Suites (of which there are three) include such amenities as high bamboo cane ceilings, stone tile floors, hot tubs and even lagoon spas. The décor in these rooms is very tropical, done with imported furniture, fabrics and wall hangings to enhance your stay in style. All rooms include private baths, air conditioning, luxury linens and bath amenities. Also included are such high tech touches as high speed Internet and LCD TVs in the suites.

The Tropical Inn is located close to everything in Key West, in fact, they boast that you won’t need to use your car. Breakfast is served each morning, and you can enjoy it with just the two of you on your private patio, or poolside if you prefer. The Inn also is happy to help couples to plan weddings, for the ultimate in romantic escapes. You can choose to get married at the Inn or at many other locations around the Keys, and the concierge service at this bed and breakfast will be happy to help you make plans.

A romantic beach trip to the Florida Keys is sure to be a escape to remember. You could choose this location to elope, or for a honeymoon, or just because – no matter what the reason, Key West makes a great romantic destination.

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The Royal Poinciana

Saturday, June 13th, 2009

One of the most photogenic – and so, often-requested — rooms here at The Tropical Inn is the Poinciana Patio.  It is also the one whose name is almost always mispronounced. When we ask a prospective guest about room preference and they start to sound it out, we gently interject the correct pronunciation (poyn-see-anna), with a knowing smile.

The room’s namesake is the Royal Poinciana tree, which happens to be coming into its annual glory here as we ease into summer. A flight into Key West at this time is a most amazing sight. The island seems to be ablaze – explaining why some other common names for Royal Poinciana include Flamboyant Tree, Flame Tree, and Red Flame.  

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A native of Madagascar, it is without question among the most beautiful flowering trees in the world. Long a personal favorite, I first became aware of it as Allen and I explored the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, many years ago. At the time, I didn’t know what it was called, just that it was the most exotic tree I had ever seen.

The immense canopy, its spread approximating its height, was aflame with blooms reminiscent of cattleya orchids, in orange-red clusters the size of beach balls. The bunches were so thick that the overall effect was of a solid mass, edging out even the arching fronds of lacy, fern-like leaves that are, in their own right, quite engaging.  

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We didn’t see another for many years. Then, lo and behold, when we assumed stewardship (no one ever truly owns historic structures … a subject for a blog entry of its own) The Tropical Inn, there was an enormous Poinciana completely covering the neighboring yard and providing a spectacular backdrop to the patio view from the glass wall of “Room Six” – later to be rechristened the “Poinciana Patio”, in its honor. The following spring, we tried our best to figure out a way to save the grand specimen and install a pool, as well. When it became obvious that a decision had to be made between the two, as is too often the case, the “bottom line” won.

Shortly thereafter, we moved into a compound we now call Coccoloba. There, peeking over the fence from the adjoining yard to check out its new neighbors, was another majestic Poinciana. A more perfect “garden ornament” could not have been planned or hoped for. And this time, the pool and tree are far enough apart to peacefully coexist.

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After a couple of months of intense and voluminous bloom (we’ve noticed that the older the tree gets, the more prolific its output … is there a metaphor here), the flowers will drop and the tree will re-foliate its wide, spreading branches with delicate, mimosa-like compound leaves. The wind-born leaflets will, in the coming months, persist in blanketing the surface of the pool like miniature fairy wings.  But that is a small aggravation, compared to the dense green dappled shade that will be so welcome as summer deepens.

This festive adornment of our little piece of Paradise is tolerant of salt air and occassional drought, not fussy as to soil conditions, has no pests and thrives on very little attention. How often does one encounter such extravagant beauty that asks only for enough space to happily preen for its admirers?

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“We don’t have a town drunk … we all take turns!”

Thursday, June 4th, 2009

450px-sunset_with_coconut_palm_tree_fiji2We heard this first while sitting in the sand under a coconut palm … enjoying the balmy breeze off the ocean at sunset … sipping a cold …. (I know, I know … but it really was that idyllic!!!) … while waiting for our favorite Nashville songwriter and friend, Chuck Jones, to perform at the Casa Marina.

Check out this infectious video of Key West’s new official song, by James T. Slater, introduced at this year’s Songwriters Festival, about a month ago!

What, no Key West address?  No problem, mon … we’ll loan you ours!

 

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Our Ship is Sunk!

Saturday, May 30th, 2009

She was a grand old dame. Now, after more than a half-century of globetrotting, she’s sitting on the sandy ocean bottom, 150 feet down, about seven miles south of Key West. And she’s still maintaining her unshakably dignified presence. Over a decade of seemingly interminable political wrangling, fundraising, permitting, and environmental compliance — and an ultimate cost approaching $9 million — culminated in a blink, as she slipped gracefully beneath the turquoise surface.

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The project was the concept of local Captains Joe Weatherby and Sheri Lohr, both avid scuba divers. On Wednesday morning, a brilliant sun cut through the haze of sugar cane fields being burned off in Cuba as a host of supporters, interested onlookers bobbing about in boats on the periphery of the mandated 1-mile safety zone, and anxious divers were on hand to applaud their persistence. In the end, it took less than two minutes for the retired 523-foot-long U.S. missile tracking ship, Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg, to settle into her final resting place.

Commissioned in 1944, she once tracked space launches off Cape Canaveral and monitored Soviet missiles during the Cold War. The final leg of her international travels brought her to Key West, towed here from Norfolk, VA, to be sunk as an artificial reef in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary – and the southern anchor of the Florida Keys Shipwreck Trail. She scuttled perfectly upright, as engineers intended, but the vessel’s two enormous tracking antenna dishes became dislodged, and anxious divers had to be detained from their explorations until contractors could re-secure them yesterday. The new attraction for sport divers and anglers opened to the public this morning at first light. To learn more, check out www.bigshipwrecks.com – they have a link to some great video footage. And when you come to see her for yourself, plan to stay at The Tropical Inn, right at the midpoint of Duval Street, in the heart of the historic district!

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It’s Mango Season in Key West!

Thursday, May 28th, 2009

mangoes-on-treeWhile most of the country has just heralded the “official” arrival of summer with Memorial Day celebrations, we here in the Keys have a special harbinger of the languid months to come.  As  temperatures and humidity levels creep upward, they spur the ripening of a uniquely tasty and eagerly awaited annual tropical treat:  Mangoes!!!  

Our friends, Jim and Linda, recently built an addition to their home, which proved to have an unexpected surprise.  A clerestory window under the roof peak in the new indoor-outdoor living room frames an evergreen view of the high branches of their neighbor’s mango tree. So, throughout the winter months, we marveled as we were treated to gracious hospitality, good wine, and a succession of observations that we’ll call “Mango 101”. 

We have had an especially dry winter, which tends to stress the trees and make them produce prolifically.  The first flush of bloom came early in the year.   A halo of shaggy flowering bracts soon gave way to long, naked stems that made the entire treetop bristle.  Next came the young fruit that was somewhat comical in appearance — like tennis balls stuck onto the ends of long spikes.  As winter turned to spring (yes, we really DO have seasons here!), the “spikes” started to droop under the weight of the developing fruit, ultimately transforming themselves into long, down-turned stems, with a perfect, seductively tantalizing orb at the end of each one. 

This week, the ripe mangoes began to drop, blanketing the ground. (Funny – on the tree they had a purple hue; in hand, they shade from a luscious golden yellow to, well … mango color.)  Now, mangoes don’t have a long “shelf life”, so the neighbors began giving them away.  And because Jim and Linda received so many, they shared the bounty with us. 

Best of all, they are the special variety that only ripens early in the season.  Even-textured, unbelievably sweet, and heavenly scented, they will spoil you for other varieties. They may even turn you into a Mango Burglar (ask Allen about how to convert your pool net to a harvesting tool!).  Unlike their larger, mid-to-late summer cousins that can be stringy and sometimes have very little taste, these mangoes are the Real Deal!

In India, its indigenous home, the Mango tree plays a sacred role.  It is a symbol of love.  Some even believe that it can grant wishes.  We are wishing for a long season for this particular tree.  As long as the generosity of its owners and our friends continues, Tropical Inn guests will be treated to fresh mangoes, mango bread, mango salsa, mango tarts, mango compote …

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“Clothing Optional” in Key West?

Wednesday, May 27th, 2009

It’s the naked truth. Rarely a week goes by that we don’t get a question about whether our property or pool is clothing optional.  While it is not (Allen says, “submit pictures and we will decide on a case-by-case basis”!), it is obvious that no-tan-lines swimming and sunbathing opportunities are increasingly in demand.

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No doubt, Key West’s popularity in the international tourism market has something to do with this.  You’ll see nudity at most any beach along the Mediterranean–or at least toplessness, where the lifestyle is not only accepted, but downright mainstream.   So  why not in Key West?  Isn’t that in keeping with the funky, live-and-let-live nature of our community?

Until the demise of local icon, Atlantic Shores, which fell victim to the rising real estate market and is now an upscale condo hotel, it was, for roughly 20 years, Key West’s own haven of counterculture.  A veritable institution, it held the clothing-optional market niche.  The laid-back pool bar was a hangout for locals and tourists alike, where naturists, strip club performers, next door neighbors, and the just plain curious populated the pool and pier daily to sip cocktails and get an allover tan.  It was the type of place that personified the One Human Family philosophy of Key West, where no one cares if you are rich or poor, gay or straight, clothed or with nothing to hide.

beach_nudity2Now there’s a movement afoot to designate a clothing optional beach in Key West.  The Key West Innkeepers Association recently took a poll of its members and found overwhelming support.  Such seems to be the prevailing opinion, at least of the tourism-related sector of the community.

Don’t count on The Tropical Inn going “clothing optional”, but we’ll be backing the movement to designate a beach especially for our guests who prefer birthday suits to swimsuits!

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