Lighthouses, those stoic, sturdy, silent sentinels perched on treacherous rock outcroppings in the swirling sea, atop protruding reefs and perilous shoals, or guiding the way to the safe haven of a protective harbor, do more than guide, protect and rescue seafarers – they captivate the imagination. 

Like a siren’s song, they call to us.  By day, we are compelled to climb to the very top to gaze out to sea, hoping to see we know not what. In the pitch black of night the unique rhythmic cadence of their flashing beacon signaling out into the unknown is at once haunting and comforting.   

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Of all the creatures in the sea, dolphins, hands down, win the popularity contest.  We are inexplicably drawn to them, we personify them, we see ourselves in them!

They appear playful, curious; they show off, display a certain joie de vivre, and even look us right in the eye – all personality traits we claim as our own!   Like us, they’re mammals, and are therefore warm-blooded, have lungs that breathe air, give birth to their young and nurse them.  Add these facts - they have large brains, live in complex societies, help one another, learn from experience.  It’s no wonder we’re intrigued. Continue Reading »

The Green Flash, not a comic book character, but an atmospheric event -  that startling glint of neon green that appears just for a second on the upper curve of the sun just as its last little sliver dips under the horizon.  An optical sunrise or sunset atmospheric phenomenon, it lasts but a second or two and is the piéce de résistance of an etheral event, if you are lucky enough to see it.    

So elusive and mystical, it’s the stuff of movies and books.  It’s the soul released in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End; an indication of true love in Jules Verne’s 1882 book Le Rayon Vert (The Green Flash).

Florida Keys Sunset

Key West, the southernmost point in the United States, with its awesome sunsets and unobstructed views of the flat ocean horizon, is an ideal place to try to catch it…if you can. 

Sunsets all over the world are glorious phenomena – firery orange over a tropical sea, cool mauve, blue and silver streaks over a northern sky, golden hued haze through desert sand, saturated shades of coral overpowering for the moment the silhouette cut-outs of majestic mountains.  Sunsets, wherever they are, are magical, mysterious, unpredictable, yet consistently there, and the human response to them is universal.   

They have the capacity to hold us spellbound.  Regardless of who we are, or how many we’ve seen, we never tire of them. Never the same twice, each contains an element of surprise.  We may know precisely what time they’ll occur, but what they’ll look like is a mystery even as they unfold.  

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Truman White House, Key West Florida

Truman Little White House – Key West, FL.
What do Cynthia McKinney, Ralph Nader, Chuck Baldwin, Bob Barr and  Gloria LaRiva have in common?  They are all running for President  along with John McCain, Barack Obama and a host of others!

With less than a month away until the general election, the Harry S Truman Little White House, Florida’s only presidential museum, proudly opens a new exhibit entitled “Every Four Years”. Learn about the US Electoral College as well as see a large collection of pro and con presidential buttons used by Democrats and Republicans to encourage the selection of their candidate for President in the 2008 election.

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Walk on the unusual side – take a tour of a historic cemetery, graveyard or burying ground. Macabre, moving, or appealing, these silent cities have fascinating stories to tell.  Beneath fieldstone, granite, marble and bronze, lie superstition and belief, tragedy and triumph, romance and scandal, humor and sadness, politics and war.

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In the Florida Keys, there’s water, water, gorgeous turqoise-hued water, everywhere – but where are the beaches?  If you’re expecting expansive, picture-postcard beaches for sunbathing, swimming, shelling, you’ll find those on the “mainland,” but not in the Keys.

Lined up like green gemstones over crystalline water for 120 miles, the islands of the Florida Keys offer awesome water activities: incredible snorkeling and diving on the magnificent coral reef, deep-sea fishing in the azure Gulf Stream, kayaking ecotours through mysterious mangroves, snorkel safari tours in the pristine backcountry, exciting wild dolphin sighting adventures, bonefishing on endless flats, reef discovery from glass-bottom boats, romantic cruises aboard sailing schooners but, contrary to expectations, there a few “traditional” beaches.

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To me, visiting Key West, Florida is not so much about a place as an attitude. A mindset… more than an address. I think of Ernest Hemingway and Jimmy Buffett. I think of the Conch Republic declaring independence from the U.S. in 1982 with a hail of stale Cuban Bread. I think of the Cat Man and the Gymnast in Mallory Square. I think of Sloppy Joe’s, the Hog’s Breath Saloon and the Green Parrot bar.

Here you can dare to be different. Here you find citizens of the planet, pirates in training and artists of every stripe.  Laid back doesn’t really capture the essence of the Keys, does it? Eccentric, funky, colorful and relaxing all describe this island; which seems more Caribbean than Floridian.

People come here to be what they aren’t at home. They come here looking to chill out, blow off steam, or forget the past. They come here hoping to find themselves or reinvent their lives. Some just come here for fun. In Key West, Florida anything is possible. Those that live here watch the endless parade of humanity go by and smile. See you there…

More Key West pics here.

The Conch Tour Train in Key West, Florida rolled out in 1958. Today, it’s still going strong and for many is an icon of the Key West vibe. What started out 50 years ago with one train and two people has grown to 14 trains and over 33 cast members now. People from all over the world enjoy and remember a ride on this great tour. So, raise a toast today to 50 years of fun, education and entertainment Key West , Florida style.

Happy Birthday, Conch Tour Train!

Just came across a Historic Tours of America team visit pic from Pat Croce’s Pirate Soul Museum in Key West, Florida. We were previewing it when it first opened and I have been back many times. It sort of combines acting and storytelling like our Shipwreck Historeum and the treasures of Mel Fisher’s Maritime Museum with an enhanced, rollicking pirate theme.

Of course, the Johnny Depp, Pirates of the Caribbean, clone helps and snappy technologies imagineered inside are great but what I like best is the storytelling and authentic artifacts like the flag in the photo. This is one of only two, known, surviving Jolly Roger pirate flags in the world! In a fairly small space they have an astonishing collection of rare and interesting pirate regalia.

This just might be the museum attraction of the future combining authentic objects with recent technology, good storytelling and solid performance. It really strikes all of the senses. The debate rages on. It is important to preserve our past but I favor showcasing it in the most interesting way possible. (The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois and the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia are good examples.)

I predict with shrinking audiences and increasingly short attention spans that this trend will blossom and morph. “Don’t bore me!” is the battle cry from today’s guest.

What can you do to be more interesting? Let me know.

Just attended the Florida Attractions Association Conference at Hawk’s Cay Resort on Duck Key, Florida and heard some great speakers like Judy Randall and Josh Hallett.

The main message this year was that attraction audiences are changing their needs in some very fundamental ways and the Industry needs to keep up. Research is showing that travellers want more choices and less structure than in the past. The ways people communicate a good or bad experience have accelerated and mushroomed on the Internet. “Word of Mouth” on steroids! Folks don’t just tell their friends, they tell the whole world. Obviously, this can work for or against an attraction and the bottom line is we are seeing more transparency at these facilities. Better sweep that sidewalk.

A great experience involved Theater of the Sea in Islamorada, Florida. Hands down the best Dolphin show I have seen! The grounds are beautiful and the animals there are healthy and enthusiastic. Parrots, Dolphins, Turtles, Sharks, Fish, Sea Lions, Seals and more. The natural setting is wonderful and the staff there is top notch. A real treat.