| In Key Largo, the Nut House has opened, offering Black Angus steaks, seafood, pasta, wine and champagne, and twice-weekly jazz and blues music. Proprietor Bill Ferns, who owns the adjacent Gyros King, and converted a retail area into a 45-seat dining room with full bar, satellite television and rows of tables set with bowls of peanuts. Friday and Saturday evenings feature live music. Located in the Pink Plaza at mile marker (MM) 103 bayside, the Nut House is open seven days a week. For more information, call (305) 451-0507.
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The Fish House owners are opening a new piano bar and bistro next door in Key Largo. It is slated to open at 5 p.m. daily, beginning in mid-December. Located at MM 102.5 oceanside. The Fish House is to feature a baby grand piano and handmade mahogany bar and trim. Owners C.J. Berwick and Doug Prew plan to have a live pianist nightly. For more information, call (305) 451-0650.
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A colorful 1950s-style resort has opened south of the Marathon Airport at MM 50.5 bayside. Jim and Leslie Rhyne of Islamorada purchased the Lagoon Resort and refurbished it to create a whimsical, Bahamian-influenced resort, now named Coconut Cay Resort and Marina. Offering cable television, fully equipped kitchens, waterfront cottages with barbecue grills, boat dockage outside the cottages or at the marina, and a large barbecue area at the sandy beach pavilion, this resort rests on its own private peninsula extending into the clear waters of Florida Bay. The resort pool overlooks the yacht basin and full-service marina. For more information, call 1-877-FLIP-FLOP or (305) 289-7672 or visit www.coconutcay.com.
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The 79-room Hampton Inn in Marathon is affiliated with the Best Western national chain. Rates are to remain the same at the Best Western Inn and Marina, according to General Manager Vicki Tashjian. For information, call (305) 743-9009.
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Two inns in Islamorada have new owners. Larry and Deb Gillis, who own the Key Lantern and Bluefish Inn, bought the Sunset Inn at MM 82 Bayside. Since April they have refurbished the 30 rooms with a fresh coat of paint, replaced furniture, shampooed carpets, installed smoke alarms and changed locks. The Sunset Inn sign, which dates to the 1950s, recently received historic designation from the local government and is slated for renovation. For information, call (305) 664-3454.
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The Island Rocket, a 50-foot catamaran with jetliner-type seating for 130 passengers, provides a new way of transportation for Miami residents visiting the Upper Keys and Islamorada.
The four-day-per-week daytrip shuttle departs Friday through Monday from Miami's Bayside Marketplace at 401 Biscayne Blvd. each day at 8:30 a.m. It then makes its way to Dinner Key Marina at 3400 Pan American Dr., Coconut Grove where it departs at 9:30 a.m.
Initial service is a three-hour ride to Holiday Isle in Islamorada. While cruising the bay waters, passengers enjoy beer, wine, soda and bar snacks. Upon arrival at Holiday Isle, optional activities include jet skiing, parasailing as well as an optional Stay and Play overnight package. The Island Rocket departs Holiday Isle at 6:30 p.m.
Rates are $48.50 per person one way and $89.50 per person round trip. Michael Dudek of Floribbean Hospitality Group, operators of the Island Rocket, hopes to expand service to Key West in early 2003.
For more information visit the Web site at www.firstladycharters.com or call (305) 445-8456.
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Conch On Inn at MM 89.5 bayside on Caloosa Street has a new owner. Don Zinner, owner of The Lookout Lodge located about a mile south of Conch On Inn, bought the eight-room property in late June. Since then, he has applied new paint, purchased new furniture and put in new landscaping, The roof is to be replaced in the coming weeks. For information, call (305) 852-9309.
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The Lignumvitae Christmas scheduled December 7-8 at the Matheson House on Lignumvitae Key offers visitors and residents the chance to experience an old-fashioned Keys Christmas, complete with a Spanish stopper tree decorated with handmade ornaments. Homemade cookies donated by volunteers enhance the Yuletide cheer. Located off the coast of Islamorada at MM 79 bayside, the island was the homestead of the Matheson family around the turn of the century. Charter boats take visitors to the island for the holiday celebration and nature tours of the lush grounds. Call the Friends of Islamorada Area State Parks at (305) 664-5574 or (305) 664-5241.
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There are no cats at the new Hot Tin Roof at Ocean Key Resort, but the cuisine more than makes up for the lack of feline company. Located at Zero Duval St., the restaurant features "Conch Fusion" cuisine blending Caribbean, Cuban and Floridian ingredients into dishes such as smoked mahi-mahi tostadas and a "cracked conch lollipop" with spiced rum syrup.
The raised, air-conditioned dining room sits on the resort's second level, with an outside palm deck allowing a spectacular view of the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean.
Ocean Key Resort incorporates deluxe rooms and Caribbean-style suites, one- and two-bedroom suites with ocean views or views of Key West's historic Old Town. Private balconies or terraces offer spectacular ocean and city panoramas, while rooms and suites are furnished with hand-painted armoires, unique furnishings and lively, colorful artwork. Suites offer fully equipped kitchens.
The Hot Tin Roof currently serves breakfast from 7:30 to 11 a.m. and dinner from 5 until 10 p.m. Reservations are recommended for dinner. For more information and reservations, call (305) 295-7056.
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Island House, Key West's all-male boutique hotel at 1129 Fleming St., is putting the finishing touches on a comprehensive $2 million renovation. Called "the best gay men's resort in the world" by "BOYZ" magazine, Europe's largest gay lifestyle magazine, the property now features enhanced outdoor and indoor spaces.
The multi-year renovation includes creation of a poolside café and bar with a full liquor license; a full health club and complete gym with free weights, weight machines and aerobic equipment; and an indoor spa area with sauna, steam room and indoor whirlpool. The new lobby incorporates an area with free high-speed Internet access for guests, as well as a small shop.
The property's three suites and 34 guest rooms feature new bathrooms, new wiring and plumbing, Italian ceramic tile floors, and thermostatically controlled individual air-conditioners with heat.
The new furnishings and décor at Island House feature leather-covered headboards and chairs, feather beds and down-filled duvets, original art, dark wicker, and colors that are masculine with an island flair. Each room comes equipped with a VCR and compact disc player.
For information and reservations, call 1-800-890-6284 (toll-free in the U.S. and Canada) or visit www.islandhousekeywest.com.
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International air service has returned to Key West with the November inauguration of Discover Air's regularly scheduled flights between Key West and Nassau, Bahamas. The debut marks the first time Key West has had regular international service since a March 1961, Aerovias Q flight from Key West to Cuba.
Discover Air's Key West to Nassau flights depart at 10:42 a.m. Thursday, Friday and Sunday of each week, with arrivals in Nassau scheduled at 12:05 p.m. Nassau to Key West flights are scheduled on the same days, departing Nassau at 4:05 p.m. and arriving in Key West at 5:28 p.m.
In conjunction with the service between Key West and Nassau, Discover Air also inaugurated regular Thursday, Friday and Sunday flights between St. Petersburg, Fla., and Key West. Flights are scheduled to depart St. Petersburg at 9 a.m. and arrive in Key West at 10:12 a.m. Flights from Key West to St. Petersburg are to depart at 5:58 p.m., with arrivals scheduled for 7:10 p.m.
Travelers fly in Discover Air's 19-passenger Jetstream 32 aircraft, the largest and fastest in its class. The airline plans to use 30-passenger EMB-120 Brasilias in the near future.
Along with the flights, the airline is developing vacation packages that include accommodations at select Keys hotels and resorts. Discover Air also expects to add a Saturday flight to its initial service, and expects to add Orlando to its Key West-Nassau operation.
For media information, call Yvette Hart Metzger or John Maher at (407) 381-9877. For general information and reservations, call 1-888-359-3247 or go on-line to res@discoverair.com.
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Visitors eager to discover Key West's rich maritime history can do so aboard the M/V Heritage, the island city's newest waterborne attraction. The 45-foot custom-designed Heritage, began operating Dec. 1, offering one-hour tours of Key West's historic harbor.
Sites of interest during the tour include Fort Zachary Taylor, a Civil War-era fortification; the Truman Naval Station; the Key West National Wildlife Preserve; and Mallory Square, once a thriving salvage wharf and today the home of Key West's renowned sunset celebration. Tours are fully narrated to showcase the island's connection to pirates, wreckers, spongers and fishermen, and the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard. Presented by Historic Tours of America and Yankee Fleet, Heritage Harbor Tours depart daily at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. from the Hilton Marina at 245 Front St. Cost is $12 per person. Reservations are not required, but are strongly suggested.
For more information and reservations, call (305) 295-8687. More information also can be found at www.historictours.com.
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The Frances Street Bottle Inn, 535 Frances St. in Old Town Key West, is celebrating its fifth anniversary by offering a special Romance Package throughout the year. The package includes four nights' accommodations, a sunset sailing cruise and dinner for two at one of three award-winning local restaurants, as well as a bottle of champagne, chocolates, a disposable camera and fresh flowers at check-in.
The Frances Street Bottle Inn has seven guestrooms, all featuring private baths, ceiling fans, tropical furnishings and artwork, and either king or queen beds. An expanded continental breakfast is served each morning, and guests enjoy a nightly social hour featuring selected beers, wines and hors d'oeuvres.
Built as a private home in 1879, the property has served as a corner grocery store, a church and boarding house, and the set of the Meteor Newspaper office in the short-lived television series "Key West." The inn takes its name from the owner's display of colorful antique bottles, most dating from before 1900, salvaged from Key West Harbor.
For more information and reservations, visit the property's Web site at www.bottleinn.com or call (800) 294-8530 or (305) 294-8530.
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In 1860, the U.S. Navy rescued more than 1,400 Africans from three slave ships captured in Cuban waters and brought them to Key West for sanctuary. While the majority of them were eventually returned to Africa, 295 died and were buried on the island's southern shore at present-day Higgs Beach, their graves forgotten with the passage of time. An exhibition telling the story of the Africans and the recently rediscovered burial ground - believed by experts to be the only cemetery of African refugees in the United States - is now open at Key West's Mel Fisher Maritime Museum, 200 Greene St.
The exhibit focuses on the Africans' arrival in Key West, the support provided by the city, the transatlantic slave trade and the research and archaeology that led to the rediscovery of the historic cemetery. Visitors can see artifacts from sources including the slave ship Henrietta Marie, excavated and conserved by the Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Society; historic portraits and maps; and video footage showcasing the roots of the infamous slave trade.
Exhibit elements touch on the surprising African involvement in the slave trade, Cuba's role, the U.S. Navy's efforts to stop the trafficking, and Key West at the time of the refugees' arrival. Highlights include a comprehensive video of the ground-penetrating radar survey performed in 2002 that pinpointed the Africans' graves.
Admission to the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum allows visitors to view the museum's internationally renowned exhibition showcasing the shipwreck of the Spanish galleon Nuestra Senora de Atocha. The museum is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, with tickets priced at $7.50 for adults and $3.75 for children. Group discounts are available.
For more information, call (305) 294-2633 or visit the museum's Web site at www.melfisher.org.
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Key West's Hilton Resort & Marina, 245 Front St., has recently partnered with classical guitarist Matthew Jampol to offer a weekly sunset celebration dinner and concert overlooking the waters of Key West Harbor.
Concert attendees are served a three-course prix fixe dinner at the Hilton's Bistro 245, choosing from menu items including tropical lump crab cakes, jerk-seared yellowtail snapper and filet mignon with thyme demi-glace.
Dinner can be served either before or after the 8 p.m. concert. Attendees who choose to dine before the performance have a bird's-eye view of Key West's nightly sunset celebration on the Hilton pier, featuring a variety of artisans and street performers.
The hour-long concerts take place at 8 p.m. in the Hilton's Harbor Walk Room, and feature Spanish favorites, Caribbean selections and original compositions by Jampol. A guest artist and headliner for 20 years, Jampol has appeared with the Yehudi Menuhin Concert Series and the Edinburgh Festival. Hilton Key West has 188 rooms and suites, each with a private balcony. Guests enjoy amenities including the property's pool and pool bar, sunset deck and restaurant, and fitness center, as well as beach privileges at Sunset Key, an exclusive private island resort associated with Hilton Key West.
Cost for the sunset dinner and concert is $55 per person. Reservations are required and can be made by calling (305) 296-3824. For more information about Hilton Key West, call (800) 445-8667 or (305) 294-4000, or visit www.hiltons.com.
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The owners of Key West's Washington Street Inn, 807 Washington St., have purchased the adjoining property, Casa Key West at 811 Washington St. According to owners Marcia and Dave Zensinger, combining the two properties provides a wider choice of room types.
The Washington Street Inn has 10 guest rooms - garden rooms with one queen bed and poolside rooms with kitchenettes. Casa Key West offers seven rooms - king bed suites with futons and kitchens, and queen bed studios with kitchens. Each property has a pool.
An expanded continental breakfast is served each morning at Casa Key West's pool, where guests are surrounded by banana trees, traveler's palms, fishtail palms and the garden's signature ponytail palm.
Midweek and honeymoon packages, as well as in-room or poolside massages, are available - as are new spa packages featuring massages and facials, champagne and monogrammed robes.
For more information about the Washington Street Inn and Casa Key West visit the properties' combined Web site at www.keywestestates.com or call (305) 296-0550; for reservations, call 1-800-TIME4KW or 1-877-4-CASAKW.
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Aqua is more than the color of the water surrounding Key West; it's a high-energy dance club that recently opened at 711 Duval St. The club welcomes everyone while focusing on serving the gay and lesbian community, and patterned, according to owner Jill McDonald, in the spirit of Key West's original Copa.
McDonald, who also owns the award-winning club Wall Street in Ohio, has renovated the property inside and out to create a venue with two interior bars, a stage and a garden bar complete with a waterfall.
Attractions include drag shows at 9 p.m. every night except Sunday and Wednesday, a happy hour from 2 to 8 p.m. daily, and a live DJ spinning video show tunes and encouraging patrons to sing along every Wednesday from 5 to 9 p.m.
Aqua is open from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday through Wednesday, and 2 p.m. to 4 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. The garden Tiki Bar is open Thursday through Saturday. For more information, call the club at (305) 294-0555 or visit www.aquakeywest.com.
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Visitors looking for an adventurous dining opportunity can now have dinner aboard a magnificent tall ship while viewing one of Key West's famed sunsets. The 125-foot schooner Liberty Clipper is currently offering Caribbean barbecue dinner cruises on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.
Cruises incorporate a barbecue feast that includes conch salad, Caribbean jerk chicken, grilled vegetable kabobs, black beans and annatto rice. The 2.5-hour cruise also features live music and an unparalleled sunset view. A full cash bar is available. Dinners are catered by Key West's Hard Rock Café.
Built in 1983, the Liberty Clipper is a replica of a 19th century clipper ship. The vessel, which remains in Key West through May each year, also is available for charter for weddings, special occasions, corporate groups and incentive activities.
Berthed at the Hilton Resort Pier, 245 Front St., the ship departs for its sunset dinner sails at 5 p.m. and returns at 7:30 p.m. Cost is $55 per person for adults and $25 per person for children 12 and under. For more information and reservations, call (305) 292-0332.
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Seascape Tropical Inn & Cottages, 420 Olivia St., is now offering "Bed, Breakfast & Boat" packages which include accommodations at the historic bed-and-breakfast inn and a customized boat charter aboard a 26-foot Power Cat.
The charters run from two to four hours, with no more than six passengers per trip. Guests may design their itinerary to include any combination of snorkeling, dolphin watching, harbor touring, sunset cruising, and/or SNUBA. Experienced snorkelers are encouraged to try SNUBA, which is similar to scuba diving, but requires no certification. Gear, soft drinks and snacks are included, as are personalized and informative guided tours of the waters surrounding Key West.
Seascape has five private guest rooms and a studio apartment, as well as two cottages comprising four units located one block from the main inn. Facilities include a heated pool and spa, two secluded sundecks, an outside breakfast patio and a tropical garden. Cottages feature private decks, whirpool spas and full kitchens. Seascape has been recommended by "The New York Times" and named the Best Value in all Key West Bed & Breakfasts by "Florida Keys Magazine."
For more information about the "Bed, Breakfast & Boat" packages, visit www.seascapetropicalinn.com, or call (800) 765-6438 or (305) 296-7776.
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Fort Zachary Taylor, a Civil War-era fort on Key West's Atlantic Ocean shore, is to be the venue for an exhibition of large-scale contemporary sculpture as more than 35 artists showcase their works in steel, stone and other materials.
Set in the 87-acre Atlantic-front state park named for the fort, "Art in the Park" is to kick off with a grand opening from 3 to 6 p.m. Sunday, January 12, and run through Saturday, Feb. 22. An evening fund-raiser featuring performance art, lighting effects and creative cuisine is scheduled for 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25, at the historic park.
Inaugurated in 1995, Art in the Park was the brainchild of park ranger Jim Racchi, an award-winning artist whose passion is environmental sculpture. Fort Taylor serves as its open-air venue each year, encouraging creative exploration while fostering an appreciation for Key West's unique history. Previous exhibitions have featured works by internationally recognized sculptors including Rosemarie Castoro, John Martini and Susan Rodgers. Art in the Park can be viewed from 8 a.m. to sunset daily. Visitors can enter the park through Truman Annex, past the intersection of Southard and Whitehead streets. Daily entrance fees, which include a pass that permits visitors to leave and return, are $1.50 per person on foot, bike or scooter; $2.50 for a car and one person, $5.00 for a car and two people and $.50 for each additional passenger.
For more information about Art in the Park, call (305) 295-3800 or e-mail artinparkkw@aol.com.
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