When she paddled ashore on a Key West beach not long ago, she was sunburned and exhausted — and as joyfully triumphant as a 27-year-old woman could ever be.

Cynthia Aguilar cried with joy as she ended her incredible 103.2-mile prone paddleboard marathon on a Key West beach. (Photo by Rob O'Neal, Florida Keys News Bureau)

That’s because, when she reached that beach, South Florida lifeguard Cynthia Aguilar became the first solo prone paddleboarder ever to cross the Florida Straits — paddling an astonishing 103.2 miles in just 29 hours and 12 minutes.

Making her feat even more remarkable is the fact that prone paddleboarding doesn’t involve actual paddles.

Instead, participants in the sport propel themselves through the water using their hands and arms.

When she landed, Cynthia dragged her paddleboard onto the beach as crowds of supporters erupted in wild cheers, then hugged her parents while tears streamed down her face.

When a friend uncorked a bottle of champagne and moved to pour it over her head in celebration, Cynthia grabbed it and doused her bright yellow paddleboard instead — sharing her victory with the board that was her “partner” in the historic journey.

Cynthia became the first prone paddleboarder to complete a voyage across the Florida Straits -- and did it in just 29 hours and 12 minutes. (Photo by Rob O'Neal, Florida Keys News Bureau)

“Everybody here kept me going to prove that anything is possible no matter what,” she said breathlessly as members of her support crew took turns enveloping her in jubilant embraces. “You’re knocked down, you get up, you keep fighting — you keep paddling no matter what.”

Strong and wiry, yet surprisingly small, Cynthia believes the phrase “keep paddling” also describes the best way to conquer life’s struggles — like the daily struggles of the Make-A-Wish Foundation kids she designed her crossing to benefit. It also inspired the name of the nonprofit she started.

And it certainly describes her unswerving determination to complete the Florida Straits crossing even after an initial attempt failed.

Cynthia first tried to paddle across the straits in September 2010. However, she encountered such strong currents and suffered so many Portuguese Man o’ War stings that she and her crew were forced to end the effort after 17 hours.

Cynthia's strength and determination kept her going even after a previous attempt to make the crossing was unsuccessful. (Photo by Presley Adamson, Florida Keys News Bureau)

“The greatest challenge for this attempt is letting go of the past, moving on and doing what I need to do at this moment, which is cross this body of water,” she said as she left Key West just before the 2011 crossing.

A seasoned endurance paddleboarder, she completed a 58-mile solo paddle in 2007 from Bimini to Dania Beach, Fla., in approximately 19.5 hours. And even after 2010’s unsuccessful Florida Straits attempt, she wasn’t about to give up on her dream.

“I know what went wrong last time, and not finishing last time made me even more determined. I’m meant to do it,” Cynthia said as she boarded the catamaran that carried her to a spot just outside Cuban waters, where she began the 2011 paddle. “That was a trial run the first time; this is the real run now.”

Cynthia's supporters welcomed her with joy and open arms when she completed the crossing -- which benefits the Make-A-Wish Foundation. (Photo by Rob O'Neal, Florida Keys News Bureau)

During the 2011 run, as she stroked her way across the straits on her board, she was trailed by the catamaran and a yacht carrying a support crew, supplies and a documentary film crew chronicling her incredible journey. Like her crossing, the documentary will benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Florida.

And when Cynthia finally completed her marathon paddle, landing on that Key West beach, her success sparked such shared joy that it practically shimmered visibly in the air.

With true grace of spirit, she credited her victory to her team, her well-wishers, and even the elements.

“This year the gods, the ocean {and} mother nature were on our side,” said Cynthia Aguilar — whose athletic feat, determination and generous heart make her one of the most inspiring visitors ever to arrive on Key West’s shores.

Topics: Highlights, Key West, On the Water, Profiles, Voices Main Archive

Summers don’t slow down very much here in Key West, so many of us take off for rest and recreation. This month I spent a couple weeks in the United Kingdom, visiting places my husband Paul frequented before moving to the U.S.

Husband Paul heads down to the water's edge in Bournemouth during the U.K. adventure.

We started in London, staying in the High Street Kensington neighborhood. Lucky for us, we were a block from the Olympia Exhibition Center where that was hosting the “Doctor Who” Experience. Paul grew up with the “Doctor” and introduced me to the series several years ago — it’s the longest running sci-fi series in television history. Never did we expect to enter one of the Doctor’s “TARDIS” or fight with the “Daleks” (to learn what I’m talking about, check out the show for yourself). Needless to say, Paul was enthralled.

While in London we visited with Gareth Davis, a frequent Key West visitor, who is in charge of editorial content for The Travel Channel International. We also spent time with Aidan Conway of SKY Television and Frank Bond, and we caught the West End musical hit “Jersey Boys” in Soho.

We then explored Bournemouth and Brighton and their beaches. We found it really startling to see people at the beach in sweaters and jackets, but that’s not unusual for the area. (When you visit us here in Key West, leave those things at home!)

This U.K. beach at Weymouth looks a LOT different than the sun-drenched Keys beaches -- and there's something different about the sky, too!

If you know the Duchess and Lulu, you know they write a blog called “Across the Pond” about happenings in the U.K. They also own a flat here in Key West, and you can see them in their outrageous outfits during Fantasy Fest.

Just an FYI reminder: Key West’s totally over-the-top Fantasy Fest is set for Oct. 21-30, ending on the last full weekend of October, and it’s a can’t-miss event. Its highlight is a lavish twilight parade that takes place Saturday, Oct. 29 — and survivors gather Sunday for “The Fat Lady Sings” tea dance at favorite hangout La Te Da.

But first, the dog days of summer bring us many other entertaining things to do here on the island.

August offers Tropical Heat, a weekend event that was recently named one of the top 10 “end of summer gay events for 2011” by gaytravel.com. The sizzling long weekend features a kick-off party at Big Ruby’s with food, drinks and a DJ; and pool parties at The Equator Resort, Bourbon St. Pub and the Island House among other events. Comedian Paul J. Williams hosts all the fun.

Comedian Paul J. Williams hosts the antics at Key West's lively Tropical Heat.

Womenfest follows September’s Labor Day weekend, starting Sept. 6.  For well over 20 years, Key West has welcomed women for this annual party for lesbians and their friends.

During the festival enjoy golfing with palm trees and iguanas, jet skiing, dolphin watching, clothing-optional pool parties, live music including the Deblois Milledge Band from the House of Blues in Los Angeles, and the “Curiously Strong” comedy show starring Gloria Bigelow, Julie Goldman, and Jackie Monahan. Then hit the beach for the 14th Annual Beach Blanket Butch and Beach Blanket Babe contest co-presented by She Magazine.

Before that, I’m off to Chicago for Northalsted Marketdays.

You’ll find the Key West booth in the midst of the fun Aug. 13 and 14, so stop by to say hi and get your Key West handshake!

Topics: Events, Festivals, LGBT

Life’s lessons present themselves unexpectedly, and this week mine came via the smiling face of a U.S. Army Special Operations Command soldier whose physical body was marred by war but whose positive outlook is as big as the ocean. His unflagging spirit reminded me what a great blessing family togetherness is.

Just seven months after he lost both legs and full use of his right arm following an attack in Afghanistan, Army Chief Warrant Officer Scott Schroeder was reintroduced to scuba diving with his wife and son who were learning to dive in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

Scott, his wife Laura and teenage son Zach — all from Clarksville, Tenn. — were part of a trip coordinated by Task Force Dagger Foundation, a Texas-based nonprofit organization. Established in 2009, the nonprofit provides opportunities for wounded warriors to become certified to scuba dive after sustaining life-altering injuries during military service.

“The Task Force Dagger Foundation is unique in that it allows the families to bond together by letting them participate in all the events,” Scott said. “A lot of foundations out there are very good at taking care of us wounded warriors, but not all of them include the family — and this one does.”

Scott, who’s 45 years old, sustained his injuries last December when his vehicle rolled over a hidden roadside bomb (which he described as 50 pounds of homemade explosives) in a rural province of Afghanistan.

Scott Schroeder, a U.S. Army Special Operations Chief Warrant Officer severely wounded in Afghanistan, examines a brain coral while scuba diving in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. (Photo by Bob Care, Florida Keys News Bureau)

“When I was hurt, it wasn’t just me that was hurt,” he said. “It impacted the entire family.”

Before his injuries, Scott had contacted Task Force Dagger Foundation’s managing director Keith David, with whom he’d served in the early 90s, about donating his time and energy to the organization to help wounded comrades.

“I said I want to be a part of {the foundation} monetarily, with my time, with everything. I think about retiring, and this is one way for me to give back after a 24-year career,” Scott recalled.

He never thought he would be on the receiving end of the foundation’s mission.

“I originally thought I was going to be on the giving end,” he said. “I’m blessed that they were there to help me … help us recover together as a family.”

Keith David said Task Force Dagger Foundation’s family focus sets it apart from other organizations.

Scott Schroeder, center, scuba dives with his son Zachary, left, and wife Laura in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. (Photo by Bob Care, Florida Keys News Bureau)

“We try to assist when there’s a need,” he said. “One of the things we try and do is help them heal as a family unit.”

This trip to the Florida Keys was a first for the Schroeder family.

Despite being scuba certified in the late 1980s, Scott had to take a refresher course — primarily to adapt his knowledge to his new capabilities. Special hi-tech prosthetic “swim legs” helped propel him through the water during his dive on a shallow reef with his wife and son.

“It was so cool, like you’re in an aquarium,” Laura Schroeder said of the reef fish, barracuda and conch they spotted on their first ocean dive. “I thought the Keys were all about margaritas and salt.”

Although the diving is rehabilitation for him, Scott said he gets to do things he wouldn’t normally do while stuck in a hospital — getting on and off boats, walking up and down the beach and the dock — activities that I, and probably most of us, take for granted.

“Any ‘first’ we get to do as a family is a big event, and to be out here and to be able to dive with them on their first time is just great,” Scott said with a beaming smile. “You can see their eyes light up inside their masks while they’re down there.”

Topics: Big Pine Key & Lower Keys, Highlights, Islamorada, Key Largo, Key West, Marathon, On the Water, Voices Main Archive

According to divers at the annual Lower Keys Underwater Music Festival, held recently in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Elvis Presley never died. He simply took his act underwater.

"Eel-vis Presley," portrayed by diver Eric Rolfe, strums on a colorful faux guitar during the Lower Keys Underwater Music Festival. (All photos by Bob Care, Florida Keys News Bureau)

Divers costumed as “Eel-vis,” “Bob Marlin,” “Joss Stone Crab” and other rock-and-rollers “performed” beneath the waves for an audience of more than 500 divers and snorkelers at the offbeat festival.

In addition to brightly-painted underwater guitars, their undersea jam session featured “fishy” instruments such as a “sax-eel-phone,” “clambourine,” “trombonefish,” and “wahoo kazoo” sculpted by talented Lower Keys artist August Powers.

Not only did participating divers and snorkelers enjoy watching the iconic “rockers” in action — they also had the opportunity to view the colorful marine life that inhabits the continental United States’ only living coral barrier reef, which parallels the Florida Keys.

“I’ve never had a snorkeling experience like this,” marveled first-time festival participant Gail Coad of Sarasota, Fla. “It’s just like a magic show with the different beautiful tropical fish.”

Samantha Langsdale, dressed as a mermaid, blows air through a "musical instrument" sculpted by Lower Keys artist August Powers.

Staged by Keys radio station U.S. 1, the quirky Underwater Music Festival featured melodies broadcast into the undersea realm via speakers suspended beneath boats at the reef. It took place at Looe Key, a part of the marine sanctuary about six miles south of Big Pine Key.

“Sound underwater is incredible because you can sense it with your entire body,” advised festival director and founder Bill Becker of U.S. 1. “You can feel it coming through your head and your chest — it actually comes from all directions.”

The broadcast playlist included ocean–related tunes such as the Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine,” Jimmy Buffett’s “Fins,” and even familiar themes from the film “Jaws” and television’s wacky “Gilligan’s Island.”

FYI, it wasn’t just human participants who appeared to be rocking at the sub-sea songfest.

“The fish seemed to enjoy the music as much as I did,” said Gail Coad. “They almost were dancing in unison to the melody — and the music just kind of surrounds you.”

"Eel-vis" and his mermaid backup singer jam beneath the sea during the offbeat underwater songfest.

Veteran festival participant Samantha Langsdale, who wore a vivid green mermaid costume and jammed with “Eel-vis,” reported that she made some undersea “friends” during the festival.

“I believe the parrotfish family has accepted me,” Samantha confided after returning to the surface. “We have similar colors.”

As well as being a one-of-a-kind event for divers and snorkelers, the Underwater Music Festival included diver awareness messages promoting preservation of the Keys’ unique coral reef ecosystem.

“We have a lot of fun, we dress up in costumes, but there’s a serious side,” said Bill Becker. “Coral reef conservation is the message.”

To all the divers and snorkelers who take the festival’s lesson to heart, and pledge to protect the Keys’ underwater wonderland, “Eel-vis” might add his own message: “Thank you … thank you very much.”

Topics: Big Pine Key & Lower Keys, Environment, Events, Festivals, Highlights, Local Color, On the Water, Voices Main Archive

Summer is here in the Keys and it’s the time of year we look to the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico for refreshing adventures. While most of South Florida experiences daily showers, the Keys are so far removed from the mainland that the rains usually pass us by.

Knowing how to "cook the catch" is a skill ... though it leaves you dependent on those whose skills center on boating the catch.

Many people don’t realize that Key West lies around 156 miles southwest of Florida’s mainland (and only about 90 miles from Cuba). And, no, we can’t see the lights of Cuba on clear nights — but we can catch the fun on Duval Street after the sun goes down.

One of the many questions I’m asked is if I enjoy fishing. Fish is one of my favorite foods, but I rarely do the fishing myself.

Captain Karen and Captain Debra run Venus Charters, one of our gay-owned excursion boats, and would love to have you join them on a fishing trip. Captain Karen’s reputation for fishing is equaled by her skill in leading snorkel and dolphin-watching trips. And if you’re looking for a commitment ceremony, both captains Karen and Debra can fulfill your wishes for a wedding on the water.

I love the girls of Venus Charters, but will enjoy my fish at one of the local restaurants like Seven Fish, a small and intimate eatery on Elizabeth Street.  There they serve the best fresh catches daily. (Reservations are a must as the restaurant has limited seating for their renowned, palate-pleasing meals.)

A group of friends prepares to embark on a fun-filled Blu Q cruise in Key West waters. (Photo courtesy of Blu Q)

A new fun waterfront spot is the Boathouse Restaurant, owned and operated by the same people as Duffy’s Steak and Seafood, Pisces, and Abbondanza. The Boathouse is on Key West’s historic harbor beneath the Commodore, another seafood and steakhouse from the same group — a casual restaurant totally open to the water.

Take a stroll along the harbor walk before or after dinner, and you will pass Sebago Catamarans, the Blu Q, and the Yankee Freedom Dry Tortugas Ferry. For many years Sebago has hosted a “Women Only” sunset champagne cruise every Thursday, as well as daily “Island Ting” adventures and sunset and snorkel trips.

The Blu Q offers snorkeling and kayaking trips with picnic lunches for guys, as well as sunset sailing trips for all every day. Join them on a 40-passenger catamaran and experience the Keys as never before (clothing optional, of course).

If you’re a history buff, you can tour Fort Jefferson, a Civil War fort that lies 70 miles west of Key West in the Dry Tortugas — reachable via the Yankee Freedom high-speed ferry. This day trip starts at 8 a.m. and returns at 5 p.m.  Enjoy a continental breakfast before you depart and a buffet lunch at the fort.

Fort Jefferson, lying on a tiny island in the Dry Tortugas nearly 70 miles west of Key West, is a favorite spot for visitors eager to snorkel the cool, clear waters. (Photos by Rob O'Neal)

All you need is a towel, camera, and sunscreen as the Yankee Freedom provides all the gear AND freshwater showers. Tour the largest brick structure in North America and imagine being a Union soldier during the Civil War, stationed on this rock. Swim and snorkel around the fort, catch some sun, and head back to Key West for dinner and unique nightlife.

Have you ever wanted to fly?  Key West now offers a “James Bond-style” jetpack flying experience. After a brief training with the crew learning how to take off, fly, hover, and land, you will soar over the ocean, powered by jets of water!

Look for me at San Diego Pride July 15-17 in Balboa Park, and at Northalsted Marketdays in Chicago August 13 and 14.  I’ll be looking for you with all the information you need to plan your next visit to the Florida Keys!

Topics: Environment, Food, Key West, LGBT, On the Water

If you’re craving a Florida Keys food fix but can’t make it down to the island chain right away, savor some “virtual dining” with the Travel Channel’s “Man v. Food Nation.” Show host Adam Richman samples signature Keys dishes from three favorite local restaurants in a taped episode that debuted July 6 and reruns nine times through July 18.

At the Key Largo Conch House, the show stages the Conch Republic Fritter Contest to determine who can eat the most conch fritters in 15 minutes. Below, watch Adam coach an engaging — and unexpected — underdog contestant in how to chow down on the classic Keys appetizer.

Other eateries spotlighted include the Hogfish Bar & Grill on Stock Island, where Adam enjoys the “Killer Hogfish” sandwich of locally caught fish in a casual waterfront atmosphere. FYI, the Hogfish is a must-visit spot for its great seafood (especially world-class smoked fish dip), friendly crowd of regular customers, and wonderful old-Keys vibe.

And what would a food show be without dessert? Musician and Florida resident Vanilla Ice joins Adam at Key West’s Blue Heaven to taste the historic spot’s towering meringue-topped Key lime pie (see below). He also explains why the Keys are home to the best Key lime pie anywhere.

Scheduled episode airtimes and dates (all Eastern/Pacific time) are 11 a.m. Saturday, July 9; 9 p.m. Sunday, July 10; 12 a.m. Monday, July 11; 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 13; 12:30 a.m. Thursday, July 14; 11:30 a.m. Saturday, July 16; 9:30 p.m. Sunday, July 17; and 12:30 a.m. Monday, July 18.

Be warned, however: watching is guaranteed to whet your appetite for your own food-focused Keys exploration.

Luckily, the Key Largo Food & Wine Festival is coming up July 29 through Aug. 7, Florida lobster season begins Aug. 6 and Key West Lobsterfest is set for Aug. 12-14. So make reservations now — and get ready to savor the flavors of the Florida Keys.

Topics: Big Pine Key & Lower Keys, Food, Highlights, Key Largo, Key West, Restaurant Picks, Voices Main Archive