Diana Nyad is one tough lady. And she’d better be, because swimming 103 miles from Cuba to Key West is one tough task — a task not many 61-year-olds would attempt.

At 61 years old, Diana Nyad is poised to attempt a 103-mile swim from Cuba to Key West. (Photos by Haig Jacobs, Florida Keys News Bureau)

Diana hopes to begin her marathon swim any day now, but it won’t be the first time she’s challenged herself to attempt the feat. In 1978, when she was 32 years younger and a seasoned athlete, she didn’t make it.

Instead, battered and weak, she was hauled into a support boat by friends after spending more than 41 hours battling strong currents and punishing waves.

This time, she believes, will be different. And while having turned 60 might seem to be a disadvantage, for Diana Nyad it was just the inspiration she needed.

“Honestly, I have not been sitting around for all these 32 years thinking ‘my life is miserable without making it from Cuba to Florida’,” Diana said recently during a break in her final training in Key West. (Click here to view a You Tube video interview segment with Diana.)

Tough and savvy, Diana is motivated by the desire to shatter negative stereotypes about older people.

In fact, she’s a popular radio and television personality and author who lives in L.A. and looks far younger than her chronological age. Yet after celebrating her 60th birthday last year, she decided somebody needed to shatter the modern-day perception that older people are “past it.”

“I’m strong, I’m vital, I still feel relevant to my community, but you’re not made to feel that way at 60 in this society,” Diana said. “I want 60-year-olds to look at me and say, ‘You know that silly bumper sticker ‘60 is the new 40’? She’s proving it’.”

So she began training for the 103-mile swim — which, coincidentally, is estimated to take about 60 hours (yes, that’s an almost unbelievable two-and-a-half days).

As well as being physically and mentally challenging, the feat also involved logistical challenges that rivaled those of an Everest expedition. They included getting government permissions from both the U.S. and Cuba, and assembling a support team (it eventually grew to 37 people).

Diana's nonstop marathon swim is expected to take an incredible 60 hours.

Unlike her 1978 attempt, Diana won’t be swimming in a protective shark cage. This time, she’ll be accompanied by professional kayakers with electronic shark repelling devices — just in case.

In mid-July, with the details falling into place, Diana successfully completed a 24-hour swim in the Gulf Stream off Key West. And recently, she’s been staying in the island city, where the community has embraced her as she waits for the right weather conditions to begin the marathon.

“The people in town have been so generous to me,” Diana marveled. “The Southernmost Hotel has given me a free hotel room for as long as I’m here, the Key West Yacht Club is giving us a free boat slip for our boats … these generous donations from the good people here in the Keys have helped me enormously and I will be forever grateful.”

A seasoned athlete with tremendous physical and mental reserves, Diana believes she has a better chance for success now than she did during her first attempt 32 years ago.

She hopes to end the swim in Key West. But if currents sweep her closer to some other part of the Keys, that’s just fine too.

She’s got plenty of mental techniques to help pass the hours at sea, like counting her strokes in every language she knows and following the beat of metronomic songs. But ultimately, it will come down to her personal resilience and staying power … qualities Diana believes have only increased with age.

“I definitely am a little slower than I used to be but I think I have a better chance mentally, and in spirit and will, than I did before,” Diana said. “And after all, that’s what it’s all about out there — the will.”

May this tough, inspiring lady stay safe, stay focused, and emerge triumphant on the welcoming shores of the Keys.

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

If your summer seems steamier than usual, consider escaping to the Keys — where there’s nearly always a breeze and less humidity than mainland Florida. (Obscure fact: some orchid fanciers prefer growing their darlings in Miami instead of the Keys because orchids flourish in Miami’s “steam-room” humidity.)

There's no better way to beat summer heat than by slipping into the cool, clear water that surrounds the Florida Keys. (Photo by Bob Care/Florida Keys News Bureau)

Unlike most other areas of summertime America, the Keys are surrounded by the perfect antidote for oppressive heat — the refreshing waters of the Atlantic Ocean, Florida Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Wherever you find yourself along the island chain, you’re never very far from cool, clear saltwater.

For some hard-to-resist summer activities in, on and beside Keys waters, read on.

First, if you’re a diver, dive into adventure with the new Wreck Trek Passport Program — an incredible way to discover the Florida Keys Shipwreck Trail.

How does it work? Basically, it charts a course for certified divers to explore nine shipwrecks from Key Largo to Key West — the Spiegel Grove, Duane, Bibb, Eagle, Thunderbolt, Adolphus Busch Sr., Cayman Salvager, Joe’s Tug and Vandenberg (the trail’s southernmost and most recently scuttled vessel).

The 327-foot former U.S. Coast Guard cutter Duane, a Wreck Trek highlight, is located in 120 feet of water off Key Largo. (Photo by Stephen Frink/Florida Keys News Bureau).

When you book a dive at a participating Keys dive shop, you’ll receive a “passport” or log book for recording your dives — and once you’ve completed at least one plunge in each of the Keys’ five districts, you’ll earn a prize.

Complete all nine wreck dives, and you’ll be entered in a drawing for one of several grand prizes including dive-and-stay lodging packages. The program runs through New Year’s Day, 2012, so there’s plenty of time for a late-summer dive trip or two (or more!).

If you prefer your adventures ON the water instead of UNDER it, check out the popular kiteboarding scene in the Middle Keys — and particularly the Kiteboarding Shop at Hawks Cay Resort. (For those of you who don’t know Hawks Cay, it’s a VERY enticing resort “village,” complete with cozy rental villas, nestled on the 60-acre island of Duck Key just north of Marathon.)

Kiteboarding blends windsurfing, wakeboarding and kite flying — and the Keys climate is warm year-round so the ’boarding season never ends. (Photo by Richard Hallman/Hawks Cay Resort)

Kiteboarding in the area is amazing — buoyed by balmy weather year-round, ever-present breezes and shallow-water flats with seemingly miles of room to ride. Whether you’re a total novice or have some boarding experience, you’ll find courses, equipment rentals and excursions that suit your style at the Hawks Cay emporium.

Want to slip into cool water off a sandy beach? Then indulge yourself at one of the top beaches in America: the pristine sandy expanse at Bahia Honda State Park, ranked the number-two beach in the country in 2009 by TripAdvisor. The highly-rated beach (it has also earned “best beach” raves in a flurry of travel studies, plus kudos from “The New York Times”) is located on Bahia Honda Key in the Lower Keys.

Forget the freezer -- head for a refreshing summer spot like Bahia Honda State Park. (Photo by Bob Krist/Florida Keys News Bureau)

One of the island chain’s most popular camping and recreation areas, Bahia Honda offers deep near-shore waters for swimming and snorkeling. You’ll also find camping, picnicking, watersports, a marina and rental cabins — and a stroll along the Old Bahia Honda Bridge, a historic span that was once part of the fabled Overseas Railroad, reveals an incredible panorama of sea and sky.

*****

I have a slightly demented friend on the Florida mainland who, whenever he can’t stand the summer heat and humidity any more, marches into his kitchen, opens the freezer door and sticks his head inside.

Besides its detrimental effect on his ice cream and frozen food, this practice doesn’t seem to be good for his brain cells (note “slightly demented” above).

Therefore, based on personal observation, I don’t recommend his approach. Instead, save your brain cells — and head for a late-summer break in the Florida Keys.

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

San Diego Pride was two days of nonstop fun and Chicago’s Market Days event was outrageously busy. Lots of Key West vacationers stopped by my booth to tell me their fun vacation stories. They talked of amazing snorkel trips, great dinners, new friends, trips to Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas, and of their plans to return for another visit.

Historic Fort Jefferson and Dry Tortugas National Park, lying nearly 70 miles west of Key West, draw visitors eager to snorkel and swim in the cool, clear surrounding waters. (Photo by Rob O'Neal)

I answered so many questions about the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Many people thought that, if oil had hit anywhere in Florida, it was here in the Keys — but it has not had any physical impact on the state except in the far northwestern Panhandle region, which is hundreds of miles from our clear Keys waters. We are truly blessed that we’ve been out of harm’s way.

Back in Key West, the recent Bone Island Bare It All Weekend was a great event for our naturist men friends. The pool parties were jammed tight, the Equator’s toga party would have made Rome blush, and adult film stars performed with drag queens — it was a sight to see. Bone Island Weekend’s naked shoppers left with bags of clothing (I guess they can’t be naked all the time!).

Pool parties are a prime attraction at Key West's sizzling annual Tropical Heat festivities.

This event will be staged again the first weekend in December, so pack your bags (or your small carry-on, ‘cause you don’t need a wardrobe for this party).

Tropical Heat always takes place on the third weekend of August, and this year it was over the top. (Make your plans for next year soon, since the gay properties are generally packed.) This year’s Tropical Heat kicked off at the Island House with an all-male party featuring adult entertainers, an open bar and food.

Other events included a midnight skinny-dipping pool party at the Bourbon Street Pub Garden Bar with a live DJ, and daytime pool parties at Big Ruby’s, Alexander’s and the Island House. Next year’s event will be even bigger.

Keys fishermen harvest large numbers of lobsters, some of them startlingly big, from local waters. (Photo by Steve Panariello/Florida Keys News Bureau)

It’s been busy on our weekends here with block street parties, nighttime ghost tours, snorkel trips, and a full moon just before “mini lobster season” in late July.  We have eaten our fill of fresh locally caught lobster … fruits of the sea!  I prefer the Keys’ yellowtail snapper myself, but gee, I won’t turn down a couple of lobster tails.

Speaking of tails, Womenfest starts the day after Labor Day. Great entertainment includes pool parties, snorkeling and dolphin watching, jet skiing and island adventures. Among the headlining performers are Sister Funk, Emily Saliers from the Grammy-winning Indigo Girls, and comedienne Suzanne Westenhoefer.

After Womenfest comes Key West Bear Fest. Bears, cubs, otters, and fans will gather for a honey-filled weekend. Click here to find out about all the activities.

Womenfest headliners include singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Emily Saliers of the popular Indigo Girls.

It’s time for me to take a break, so I’m heading to the National LGBT Bar Association’s annual “Lavender Law” Career Fair and Conference in Miami Beach. Then it’s off to San Francisco for the National Lesbian and Gay Journalist Association’s 20th annual conference. If you plan to be at either event, stop by my exhibit — I’d love to see you and say hi!

(Steve’s current American Airlines mileage ticker: 2,483,787 miles promoting Key West to the LGBT world. Divided by 450 miles an hour, that means 5,520 hours in a can at 30,000 feet!)

Topics: Festivals, Key West, LGBT, Voices Main Archive

Attention, fellow crustacean fans: our favorite time of year has arrived. That’s right, August 6 marks the start of the eagerly anticipated Florida Keys lobster season.

Each year, Keys lobster lovers celebrate the start of the Florida lobster season. (All photos by Steve Panariello/Florida Keys News Bureau)

Surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, the Keys are a paradise for lovers of fish and seafood — and the word “paradise” is not an exaggeration.

Imagine a place where you can wander into virtually any restaurant and order plump pink steamed shrimp, fish and chips made with mahi-mahi so fresh it’s practically still swimming, or chilled stone crab claws with creamy mustard sauce. (Your mouth is watering, isn’t it? That’s what I mean by “paradise.”)

Topping the list of superlative Keys seafood is our native lobster, often called spiny lobster. I’m not obsessive about many things (okay, maybe Springsteen music and calico cats) — except, that is, Florida Keys lobster.

Keys spiny lobster tails are often served grilled, with each bite dipped into melted butter.

For fanatics like me, August 6 each year is a holiday to rival Christmas. We regard the local fishermen who harvest our clawless crustaceans much like kids regard St. Nick.

For those interested in statistics, the annual Florida lobster harvest is pretty impressive — and the Keys’ annual catch is even more so. In 2009, Florida’s commercial fishermen harvested some 4.2 million pounds of spiny lobster. The vast majority of it, about 3.9 million pounds, came from Keys waters.

As previously noted, Keys lobsters are clawless. But unless diners are clueless, once they bite into the sweet and tender meat of the tail, they won’t pine for the pincers.

The most popular way to serve our luscious lobster is grilled with melted butter — or, like its Maine cousin, steamed or boiled. While traditional northern trimmings might include boiled potatoes and corn on the cob, it’s not unusual to find Keys lobster paired with Cuban black beans and yellow rice.

For maximum enjoyment, eat it in one of our waterside seafood shacks or gourmet emporiums, while watching an orange-red sunset and sipping something tall and cool.

But if you’re not lucky enough to be in the Keys right now, try having spiny lobster shipped from an area fish market and savor the flavor at home — while plotting your next island escape.

Here’s my favorite recipe that, hopefully, will allow you to do just that.

Grilled Lobster Tails (Serves 4)

Ingredients: 1/4 cup olive oil • 1 tablespoon Key lime juice • 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest • 1 teaspoon dried tarragon • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper • 4 spiny lobster tails (about 8 ounces each)

Keys fish markets offer lobster fresh off the boats, ready for grilling and savoring with melted butter.

Preparation: Make the marinade four hours before grilling by combining the first five ingredients in a large bowl. Set aside.

Cut the lobster tails lengthwise through the meat but not the shell. Open each shell to expose the meat. Add tails to the marinade and coat well. Cover and refrigerate for two to three hours.

To grill, remove the tails from the marinade. Insert a metal skewer through each tail lengthwise to keep it from curling. Grill over high heat, three to four inches from the heat source, for five minutes per side — or until the shell is red and the meat is opaque white.

Remove the tail from the skewer. Use a knife or meat scissor to cut the tail in half lengthwise through the shell. Serve with melted butter — and, for an additional island touch, add a generous spritz of Key lime juice to the butter.

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

“Welcome to the trolley of the doomed,” intoned the veiled woman in elaborate black widow’s weeds.

Despite her misgivings upon meeting the ticket-taker, Kathy prepares to board the "trolley of the doomed." (Photo by Penn Alexander)

Oddly enough, that wasn’t my first clue that our upcoming tour wouldn’t be an ordinary sightseeing expedition. No, my first clue was the dried “blood” adorning the ticket-taker’s face, and his wolfish purple-lipped grin as he ushered us aboard the trolley.

Settling into my seat beside companions Penn, David and Kathy, I uneasily pondered the words on the vehicle’s side: “We’ll drive you to an early grave.”

Admittedly, the excursion was my idea. A fan of “Bones” reruns and other disturbing delights, I yearned to discover the spooky side of Key West on Old Town Trolley’s Ghosts & Gravestones “Frightseeing” Tour.

It was spooky indeed. We traveled past sites ranging from haunted 19th-century homes to saloons with resident specters while our “ghost hostess” recounted their histories — filled with tragedies, murders, burials, curses and other eerie events — in a sepulchural voice.

The trolley carries passengers through the darkening streets of Key West, which bears the lighthearted nickname of "Island of the Bones." (Photo courtesy of Historic Tours of America)

Kathy was particularly unsettled by the tale of Enriquetta Marrero, who loved her house so much that even death couldn’t drive her away.

Enriquetta lived with her husband, cigar baron Francisco Marrero, in a gracious Victorian home now called Marrero’s Guest Mansion. Unfortunately, Francisco also had a wife in Cuba — who, after he died suddenly, inherited the property and threw out Enriquetta and her children.

Enriquetta vowed that, despite the physical eviction, she would remain in spirit. Recent sightings by Marrero’s guests suggest she’s done just that.

As the trolley traveled through the darkening streets, our ghostly guide pointed out a grotto with protective power, related the secret past of a popular bar and, with grisly relish, discussed the dead children haunting a top tourist attraction.

Our black-garbed "ghost hostess" recounted horrible happenings with grisly relish. (Photo courtesy of Historic Tours of America)

We also heard a tale so bizarre that it made Penn shudder — that of Count Carl von Cosel, whose love for a dying Cuban girl in 1930s Key West had a grave-robbing twist. Penn was not happy to discover he shared a birthday with the count’s doomed darling.

(The well-documented von Cosel case spawned a book, “Undying Love,” written by local musician/attorney Ben Harrison. Believe it or not, he also composed a lively musical on the same subject.)

Yet even that saga wasn’t the evening’s weirdest. No, that honor goes to the creepy chronicle of Robert the Doll, and our “meeting” with him in an otherwise deserted Civil War-era fort.

The tale unfolded as we arrived at Fort East Martello Museum, a massive brick structure looming against the night sky.

This devilish-looking century-old doll has become a "paranormal pop star" who mystifies ghost- hunters even today. (Photo by Kathy Koontz)

Robert, whose “home” is a gloomy interior corridor near an authentic hearse, was given to local artist Robert “Gene” Otto, when Gene was a boy in 1904 (some say by a voodoo-practicing nanny or family maid).

Throughout his childhood, Gene blamed the doll for mischievous acts and bad behavior — and Robert remained his alter ego even when Gene grew up.

Naturally, the three-foot-tall straw-stuffed toy gained a reputation for eerie deeds — a reputation that increased exponentially when Robert moved to a secure glass case at the fort, where he’s rumored to ruin visitors’ photographs and cause unexplained events.

Called “a paranormal pop star” by our guide, Robert mystifies ghost-hunters and has appeared on the Travel Channel and Discovery Channel among others. He also starred at a recent paranormal convention, and even has his own very popular blog.

David's grin betrays his uneasiness as he and Kathy bid farewell to Robert. (Photo by Penn Alexander)

And Robert is one devilish-looking doll. His unblinking eyes seem to hold unnatural secrets, and his primitive face appears somehow malevolent. As we circled his glass case, Kathy and I were glad he was safely confined. Even Penn and David seemed pleased to re-board the “trolley of the doomed” for our homeward journey.

As it turns out, the four of us weren’t doomed (or driven to an early grave) after all. But thanks to our spine-tingling tour, we have a whole new perspective on Key West — and the reasons its longtime nickname is “Island of the Bones.”

Topics: Highlights, History, Key West, Local Color, Voices Main Archive

Twenty-four years ago, on the Thursday before Memorial Day weekend, my boyfriend and I left our home in central Florida, drove all night, and arrived at the end of U.S. Highway 1 just as the sun rose.

Key West resident Steve Smith, who has enjoyed the island's magic for more than 20 years, will share insights and adventures with blog readers.

Putting the top down on our car, I wondered what I smelled in the air. It was like a blend of flower blossoms and fresh fruit — sweet, delicious, but hard to identify. Later I discovered that it was a combination of frangipani, mangoes, and royal Poinciana blossoms.

Had I, a fourth-generation Floridian who had never been farther south than Islamorada, discovered a paradise? Well, six months later, with the help of my parents, we loaded a huge rental van and I drove to the island city I would call my home.

Now, 23 and one-half years later, I am just as much in love with Key West as I was that first day. Bicycling to my office I see the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, and the most delightful mixture of locals and visitors one could ever imagine.

Inga, an elegant "ambassador" for the funky and fabulous island of Key West, sports some delicious rainbow finery.

How does a person define where he or she lives? Over the years I have had rich conversations with men and women who have made Key West their escape for decades. The common denominator they’ve found is the easy welcoming lifestyle, being on an island far away from the real world, and being welcome everywhere they go.

What makes this island so intoxicating? I will try to share my thoughts with you as we travel together. There is magic here … the same magic that was here in the 70’s, the 80’s and the 90’s remains today. This is a place where it does not matter who or what you are, where you live or work, or who you sleep with.

I’m a lucky guy. My job takes me across the world promoting Key West to the LGBT market, encouraging gay men and women to visit our island, enjoy our hospitality, make new friends, and plan their next visit to our little piece of paradise.

I’m the ultimate brochure fairy — I fly all over the world telling my new friends how special our island is and how important it is to visit us.

Traveling with Steve, readers will discover the offbeat magic that characterizes Key West.

Recently I was at San Diego Pride, held in Balboa Park. What a great group of California and Arizona people I met. (Yes, Arizona — they say San Diego is Phoenix’s beach!?! Who would have known?)

I do my best to share my experiences with gay men and women around the world. Now I will be sharing my stories with you, the readers of our blog. Join me in my journeys and you can be part of the magic that makes Key West so special.

Next time I write you, I want to tell you about Bone Island Bare It All weekend, Market Days in Chicago and the upcoming fun events in Key West, my home — and I hope, soon to be your home away from home.                      – Steve

Topics: Key West, LGBT, Voices Main Archive

Since Key West’s earliest days, its atmosphere has encouraged rugged individualism — but few individuals stand out more than legendary shipwreck salvor Mel Fisher.

Adventurer Mel Fisher, shown here with some of his glittering discoveries, proved that the American dream is thriving -- at least in the Keys. (Photo provided by Mel Fisher's Treasures)

Mel, a former California chicken farmer, appeared in the Keys in 1968 and shortly afterward settled in Key West. His luggage consisted of one big dream — that of finding the sunken treasure galleon Nuestra Señora de Atocha, shipwrecked in a 1622 hurricane somewhere in Keys waters.

The Atocha’s cargo, according to its manifest, included a quarter of a million silver pieces of eight, some 30 tons of silver bars, and other riches destined for the coffers of Spain. Clearly, it was a worthy prize for any man.

Some people never really fit into Key West’s offbeat lifestyle, but others — like Mel — fit in immediately. With his drawling speech and seemingly limitless capacity for rum and Coke, he became a familiar figure on the island.

During the long years of searching for the shipwrecked galleon, there was little money to support Mel and his crew — which included his wife Deo and, eventually, children Dirk, Taffi, Kim and Kane. Still, enough treasure trickled in to keep their enthusiasm alive.

Mel and Deo Fisher were early SCUBA pioneers before they became shipwreck seekers. (Photo provided by Mel Fisher's Treasures)

After all, Mel reasoned, almost any day could herald the discovery of the Atocha’s main body of riches. “Today’s the day,” his well-known phrase of encouragement to his divers, began to appear on T-shirts all over Key West.

At long last, in July of 1985, “the day” arrived.

On July 18, Mel’s son Kane, then captain of the salvage boat Dauntless, discovered a 60-pound ballast stone, barrel hoops, copper ingots, and almost 1,000 silver coins in a deep-water area called Hawks Channel.

Two days later, on July 20, divers Andy Matroci and Greg Wareham dove down to investigate a promising area of the seabed. Facing them was a reef of what looked like stones. The duo went back up for a metal detector and dove down again. The metal detector went wild: it was a reef of silver bars.

Andy reached the surface first and yelled to the salvage boat, “It’s the ‘mother lode’! We’re sitting on silver bars!”

A diver examines gold bars and chains on the site of the Nuestra Se–nora de Atocha shipwreck about 35 miles off Key West. (Photo by Pat Clyne/Mel Fisher Maritime Museum)

Kane Fisher radioed back to Key West, “Put away the charts. We’ve found the main pile.”

They had found 1,041 silver bars and boxes of coins — 3,000 to a box. Almost immediately, shippers’ marks on the silver bars were matched to the Atocha’s cargo manifest, confirming the identification.

“It was surreal. I had spent most of my life looking for it, and all of a sudden there it was — all these silver bars piled up and sticking up out of the mud, and there were fishhooks snagged on them and lobsters living in the cracks between the silver bars,” said Kane’s brother Kim, who had begun tracking the Atocha with his family when he was 12 years old.

The excavation of what media dubbed “the shipwreck of the century” began. Divers and archeologists eventually recovered more than $400 million in gold and silver coins and bars, breathtaking religious artifacts, jewelry, weapons, pottery, navigational instruments, contraband emeralds and other incredible items.

Kim Fisher, son of the late Mel Fisher, displays a 23-karat gold bar recovered during the ongoing search for the remainder of the Atocha shipwreck. (Photo by Rob O'Neal/Florida Keys News Bureau)

Now, 25 years after the discovery of that “main pile,” people flock to Key West’s Mel Fisher Maritime Museum to view the Atocha treasure and artifacts housed there — and marvel at the triumph of the human spirit that their recovery represents.

Yet according to the vessel’s cargo manifest, much more remains to be found. After Mel’s death in 1998, his son Kim took over the family enterprise — and today he and his own son Sean supervise the ongoing search for the portion of the legendary shipwreck that still awaits discovery.

“We’re looking for the sterncastle of the Atocha,” explained Kim, who looks (and sounds) a lot like Mel. “There’s a lot of treasure still out there … 100,000 coins, 300 80-pound silver bars …”

The Atocha’s story — and the quest — continue.

Topics: Events, Highlights, History, Key West, Local Color, On the Water

When Brian Gordon Sinclair looks in the mirror before going onstage, Ernest Hemingway looks back. That’s because Brian, an award-winning Canadian actor and playwright, has spent the past several years researching, writing and performing one-man plays about the legendary author, presenting them each July at Key West’s annual Hemingway Days celebration.

Is this Ernest Hemingway? Or is it Brian Gordon Sinclair? (Hint: the bearded writer pictured here never lived in Key West.)

Hemingway, who lived and wrote in Key West throughout the 1930s, wasn’t Brian’s first major subject. Years ago, while tracing his Irish roots, Brian became fascinated with Irish revolutionary leader Patrick Pearse. After developing a successful one-man play about Pearse and the Irish Easter uprising of 1916, he began seeking another all-absorbing character.

“I wanted to find someone else to play who had that heroic quality,” he said. “I fell in love with the idea of being someone bigger than life, and standing on stage conveying theories and ideas that I could believe in with all my heart and brain.”

When Brian picked up Hemingway’s “A Farewell to Arms,” the author’s passion, prose and philosophy captured his imagination.

Backed by a crowd of “Ernest” supporters, Brian presents Canada's Hemingway On Stage Award during a past Hemingway Days celebration.

He had visited Key West previously on vacation, but returned with a purpose: to immerse himself in Hemingway’s life and experiences. He discovered the island’s Hemingway Days festival commemorating Ernest, visited the author’s Whitehead Street home and met “Papa” Hemingway Look-Alike Contest veteran Bob Orlin.

“It was the festival itself that attracted me,” Brian said. “If I was going to create a play, what better place to go than a place where they had a Hemingway festival?”

During that visit, though he hadn’t begun writing the script, he booked a Key West theater for the following year.

He also stepped into Hemingway’s skin for the first time. With his black hair and moustache, Brian resembled the author during his Key West years — so Bob Orlin convinced him to enter a “young Hemingway” contest at a local bar. He promptly won, using the prize money to continue his travels and research.

Brian Gordon Sinclair, in the persona of Ernest Hemingway, is surrounded by friends at La Terazza in Cojimar, Cuba.

When he began writing the play, however, a problem arose.

“My intention was to do one three-act play and that would be it,” said Brian. “By the time I got to the end of World War I, I already had enough for one play.”

Ultimately, “Hemingway On Stage” grew into a six-part series — each play exploring a facet of Ernest’s life and career, and each taking Brian onstage to create an intimate portrait of the iconic author.

As well as giving audiences new insights into Hemingway, the plays have brought a surprising benefit to their creator.

“Working on Ernest, with Ernest, has absolutely revitalized my life,” Brian reported. “His life encompassed so many different things that it became an adventure for me.”

Brian's in-depth portrayal provides audiences new insights into Ernest's complex and often troubled character.

Brian’s research has taken him to London, Paris, Spain’s Civil War battlefields and bullfighting rings, Hemingway’s childhood home in Illinois and many other places. He continues to present his plays in Key West where, like Ernest, he has found friends and inspiration.

“Everybody in Key West has treated me with such open arms and respect and kindness that I consider myself an honorary citizen of the place,” he said.

This year, Brian will step outside his six-part series to present a storytelling evening titled “Hemingway’s Hot Havana.” Ticket sales will benefit the Key West Art & Historical Society and the Hemingway Look-Alike Society Scholarship Fund.

He hopes to debut the final play in his “Hemingway On Stage” series during Hemingway Days 2011 — but that doesn’t mean he’ll say farewell to the author.

“Spiritually, I have become a friend of Ernest Hemingway,” Brian said, “and Ernest and I will be friends forever.”

Topics: Arts, Events, Festivals, Highlights, Key West, Profiles

In early June, Key West landscaper John Mumford and artist Rick Worth decided to set the stage for the island’s 2010 PrideFest celebration by painting the rainbow flag on a local landmark.

Key West landscape "artists" put finishing touches on a giant rainbow flag atop "Mount Trashmore." (Photo by Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau)

But this was no ordinary rainbow flag. For one thing, it measured 125 feet by 60 feet and required 87 gallons of paint. For another, the landmark they painted it on was a dormant landfill nicknamed “Mount Trashmore” — the highest and most visible landmass in the Florida Keys.

Big as their flag is (and according to my trusty calculator, it measures 7,500 square feet), it’s far from the largest rainbow banner ever displayed in Key West.

That title goes to a flag created in 2003 — one so massive that it stretched the entire length of the island city’s 1.25-mile Duval Street, from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean.

In addition to its startling length, the 2003 flag had another claim to fame. It was sewn in Key West by Gilbert Baker, a San Francisco artist who created the original rainbow flag in 1978, to commemorate the internationally recognized gay and lesbian symbol’s 25th birthday.

Gilbert Baker savors the moment as his 1.25-mile rainbow flag is unfurled down Key West's Duval Street. (Photo by Mike Hollar/Florida Keys News Bureau)

To construct the Key West flag, Gilbert (whose friends call him “the gay Betsy Ross”) spent three months on the island. He and a handful of dedicated helpers sewed approximately 17,600 linear yards of fabric — no easy feat, since that fabric weighed more than three tons!

Those of us who were lucky enough to witness the flag’s debut, the highlight of Key West’s PrideFest 2003, will treasure the memory for a very long time.

It took about 2,000 volunteers to unfurl the flag from one end of Duval Street to the other. The crowd that gathered to help and watch included gay and straight couples, people of widely varying colors and ages, families with children, and even people in wheelchairs.

Nancy Mathys of Key West couldn’t see the flag, but she was determined to be part of its unfurling. Holding her white cane, guided by a male companion, she stood in line with other volunteers waiting to carry Gilbert’s massive creation as it was pulled out of its support truck.

“I think it’s wonderful that so many people have come out,” Nancy said as she waited. “It’s a special day to be part of all this.”

Gilbert's flag stretches down Duval Street from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean in a sea-to-sea proclamation of pride and diversity. (Photo by Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau)

As well as honoring the rainbow flag’s birth, the Key West flag recreated Gilbert’s original eight-color design. Pink and turquoise, which couldn’t be reproduced commercially in 1978, were sewn into the mammoth banner along with the now-traditional red, orange, yellow, green, indigo and violet.

“I started crying when the father of the flag was speaking,” said Kelly Davis of Nashville as she watched volunteers carry the flag down Duval Street. “It’s touching how everybody’s just getting along in the community — this flag stands for everybody’s freedom.”

When the rainbow banner was completely unfurled, the crowd chanted “Gilbert, Gilbert” and “Key West, Key West” as Gilbert Baker dipped one end into the Gulf of Mexico. Meanwhile, Key West’s PrideFest organizers and community leaders dipped the other end into the Atlantic — making the flag a sea-to-sea representation of Key West’s pride and diversity.

“The rainbow flag is loved and cherished all over the world,” said Gilbert during the day’s celebrations. “It represents an idea of equality and justice for everyone.”

May that idea prevail as long as the flag is flown.

Topics: Events, Festivals, Highlights, Key West, LGBT, Local Color, Voices Main Archive

“Good Morning America” weather anchor Sam Champion ate dinner at the Hogfish Bar and Grill over Memorial Day weekend. And bicycled over to the beach at Fort Zachary Taylor State Park to catch a few rays. And, most important, did a live broadcast from Key West that helped counter persistent misperceptions that the Florida Keys had been physically impacted by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

Sam Champion, "Good Morning America's" weather anchor, lounges at the beach in Key West during his live broadcast May 31. (Photos by Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau)

As he waded off the beach at Key West’s Casa Marina Resort during the live broadcast, Sam had an important message for GMA’s millions of viewers.

“These coasts are clear,” he said before stretching out in a SunKat, which looks like an oversized floating lawn chair, at the water’s edge.

Behind him, kayakers and paddle-boarders enjoyed the water while a small black-and-white dog (I am not making this up) floated by on a boogie board under his owner’s watchful eye.

For those of us who love the Keys, the GMA broadcast was a welcome chance to show that, contrary to relentless rumors, the only oil on our beaches is suntan oil.

Even so, the Keys’ tourism economy has taken a substantial hit. Owners and operators of resorts, inns, fishing charters and dive shops have answered thousands of phone calls from potential visitors nervous about conditions in the Keys, and received countless cancellations.

The super-talented Monks of Phunk provided an island-flavored musical accompaniment throughout the broadcast.

That’s why the “Good Morning America” broadcast by Sam Champion and his “champion” crew was so important.

As well as watersports, the GMA live segments featured music by the fabulous Monks of Phunk, consisting of seasoned Keys musicians Keith Ricks, Chris Case and Matt Watson.

The Casa Marina’s executive chef, Erik Malzahn, tempted Sam with a taste of Key lime pie. While many pie lovers debate the merits of whipped cream topping versus meringue, Erik sidesteps the issue by using both.

Bobby Mongelli, owner of the popular Hogfish Bar and Grill, displayed a selection of Keys-caught seafood for Sam and his audience, ranging from stone crabs and sweet pink shrimp to whole yellowtail and blackfin tuna. (Sam and the crew became Hogfish fans after spending an evening sampling the laid-back emporium’s smoked fish dip and hogfish sandwiches.)

Hogfish Bar and Grill owner Bobby Mongelli (right) shows Sam examples of fish and seafood caught in Keys waters -- the "raw" material for tasty temptations prepared by Hogfish chefs.

Also displaying bounty found in Keys waters was Sean Fisher, grandson of legendary shipwreck salvager Mel Fisher, who showcased more than $4 million worth of gold, silver, emeralds and artifacts recovered from the shipwrecked 1622 Spanish galleons Nuestra Señora de Atocha and Santa Margarita.

Sean even draped a gold chain from the Atocha wrecksite around Sam’s neck — a chain weighing nearly three pounds!

In addition to the live shots, GMA aired a pre-taped segment spotlighting the negative economic impacts along much of the Gulf coast from the oil spill — despite an absence of physical impacts in most locations including the Keys.

Sam Champion models a gold chain recovered by Mel Fisher and his crew from the legendary Spanish treasure galleon "Atocha."

Among those interviewed for that segment were Captain Mike Weinhofer of Compass Rose Fishing Charters, Cece Roycraft of Dive Key West, Adelheid Salas of the Southernmost Hotel Collection, Casa Marina’s Kevin Speidel and Monroe County Commissioner Heather Carruthers, owner of Pearl’s Rainbow.

Throughout their visit, it was very clear that Sam Champion and his crew were captivated by Key West’s easygoing island vibe. In fact, the whole gang was spotted shooting a vignette while standing waist-deep in blue water off the Southernmost Hotel Collection’s Atlantic Ocean beach — fully clothed, toting camera gear, and looking like they were having a great time.

Topics: Events, Food, Highlights, Key West, Local Color, Voices Main Archive