THE FLORIDA KEYS & KEY WEST
New Hotels: Since 2014, 15 new properties have been added (or are soon to be) to the Keys’ accommodation offerings, with seven debuting in the last year, and two more set to open this summer. In addition, nine properties have undergone significant renovations and rebranding. Please see attached release for full details of new properties.
City Walking Tour: Brand new free app launched called ‘Walk Key West’ which features stories about 12 historic sites in the island city. Available to accompany walking tours of Key West, the app highlights details about the Custom House, Clinton Square, former Coast Guard headquarters, old Custom House, Sloppy Joe’s, the Fogarty, Curry and Porter mansions; the Oldest House, the Key West Woman’s Club, the Patterson-Baldwin House and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. The GPS, or global positioning system, tour include sites and properties with Key West Historic Marker Tour plaques. The app was produced by the Florida Humanities Council in partnership with KeyWestHistoricMarkerTour.org. Get the app at: www.flstories.org.
A brand new free hop-on, hop-off Duval Loop bus service will launch in Key West this summer. Featuring 16 stops, it will provide transportation around Duval Street, the Key West Historic Seaport and other attractions in the island city. The route is to run from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean, within a short walk of top tourist attractions. Operated by Car-Free Key West, initially the Duval Loop will operate Thursday to Sunday from 6 a.m. to midnight. Buses are to run every 30 minutes from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.and every 15 minutes from 10 a.m. until midnight. Visit www.carfreekeywest.com/duval-loop.
New cookery classes at the Key West Key Lime Pie Co. teach participants to make an authentic Key lime pie. The tangy treat, linked to Key West’s history, is believed to have first been created by ‘Aunt Sally,’ a cook for Key West’s first millionaire and ship salvager, William Curry, in the 1800s. Spongers and fishermen made it onboard their vessels with simple ingredients that didn’t require refrigeration. Running Fridays at 11 a.m, the class teaches participants how to create mini-Key lime pies of graham cracker crust, Key lime filling and whipped topping in a live kitchen. Prices are $20 per person for ‘students’ aged 5 and older. Children under age 15 must be accompanied by a paid adult for the hour-long classes. Classes take place at 511 Greene St. in Key West. Visit www.keylimepieco.com.
· Quirky Annual Event: Annual Hemingway Days (20-22 July 2017). Key West. The 37th annual celebration of the legendary author Ernest Hemingway’s work and lifestyle features literary readings, a short story competition, marlin fishing tournament, Sloppy Joe’s ‘Papa’ Hemingway Look-Alike Contest and more. Hemingway lived and wrote in Key West during the 1930s. Visit www.sloppyjoes.com for look-alike events or www.hemingwaydays.net for all other events.
More information: www.fla-keys.co.uk