Coral Gables

Developed by George Merrick in the 1920's, Coral Gables was one of the first planned communities.  The main commercial street, Miracle Mile, is filled with wonderful little bistros, French pastry shops and lined with palm trees throughout.  Many of the original structures are still in place and represent the Mediterranean Revival Style. 

Many of the streets are lined with very large, old Ficus Trees.  They provide shade and beauty.  We also noticed our first Royal Poincianas trees which also can be found in the Keys (not pictured here).

The Biltmore

The Biltmore is the most iconic building in Coral Gables and is a perfect representation of the Mediterranean Revival style.  We wanted to eat a classic French lunch before heading to the Keys and heard that the Biltmore was home to the finest French restaurant in the entire state!  Unfortunately, the Palm d'Or is not open for lunch.  We will most certainly return on our next trip to Miami to showcase the exciting cuisine created by Michelin starred and James Beard "rising star" nominee, Chef Gregory Pugin.

The interior courtyard is a plush garden oasis and home of their al fresco Italian restaurant Fontana.

The second level just off the upper lobby overlooks and en cadres the courtyard.  This area was also in a scene of Bad Boys starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence.   Numerous other tv shows and movies have also been filmed here.

Just off the courtyard, the grand ballroom is perfect for weddings, large private functions, or corporate banquets. 

The main lobby is stunning with its interior columns and intricate designs.

Two large open-air bird cages sit center in the main upper lobby allowing guests to view the beautiful birds indigenous to Florida.  They also enhance the lobby with their beautiful songs and chirps, allowing one to feel as if they are in an exotic place.

The outdoor swimming pool is enormous and completely surrounded by palm trees.  It also includes waterfall dive platforms, private cabanas, and service.

The 7 Mile Bridge - The Keys

True Lies, Red Dragon, Miami Vice, Dexter, Burn Notice, Aerial America - Florida and many other films and television shows were filmed along this route in one location or another.  Due to its immense beauty, it is easy to understand why.  The section of the bridge blown up by Harrier jets in True Lies is clearly visible to this day and pictured above.  The color of the water is breathtaking!  At one point along the bridge, it looks as if the road comes to a point in the distance.

The Conch Republic (a.k.a. Key West)

These beautifully colored Key West Roosters and Chickens are everywhere!  They are as much a part of the landscape as the vegetation and sea!  They are also protected and therefore can not be harmed in any way.  We love them, but understandably, most locals don't.  There are many arguments made for or against their presence.  It seems for now, they are to stay.

The Hemingway Estate

The Polydactyls of the Hemingway Estate

The Hemingway House is home to 50 or more polydactyl cats.  We made inquiries to adopt one but were informed that the cats make their home at the museum and are not available for adoption.  We asked the docent if he knew each cats name, and he said, "yes, of course!  Most all of us do and it takes a little time."  Each one seemed to have a unique personality:  one was a diva, wanting to be noticed by laying on the table in the middle of a room that has a large tour group passing through every 20 minutes but when it comes time for a photo shoot - wants nothing to do with it!  Another relaxes on top of the cash register in the museum shop, and lackadaisically turns around to see who is going to bother her, another is so affectionate it wants to lay in everybody's lap...most slowly wonder around or sleep.

The Hemingway Estate

The grounds of the estate are covered in lush and often dense vegetation reminiscent of a jungle adventure story.  The foliage provides plenty of shelter and shade for the polydactyls and bi-pedals walking or lounging around.  The grounds are also covered with indigenous flowers and trees, which create a very secluded and intimate environment.  It is very easy to meander the gardens and completely relax in such a serene setting.

The home sits on the highest point in Key West (according to our tour guide) at an elevation of 16ft.  Constructed entirely of limestone blocks 15" squared, (one such block may be viewed in the lower right corner of one of the above photos) it is also one of the few homes to completely withstand all of the hurricanes over the centuries.  The limestone used in the construction was taken from directly under the home, thereby leaving a giant hole in the ground:  thanks to this, it was very convenient to build a very rare basement that would never flood (the cutting of the limestone went 14 feet below the surface).  The basement was used to cool off on extremely hot days (prior to the pool) and later as a wine cellar.  As the home was built prior to air conditioning, the interior ceilings are 17 feet high so as to allow hot air to rise.  There is also a shutter system on the windows that allows for air flow while preventing direct sunlight from entering the home during peak hours.  The elevated veranda surrounding the home, common to southern homes, also provides shade as well as air flow.

The interior of the home was and is still today famous for its luxury:  Hard wood floors, crown molding throughout, authentic chandeliers often made of hand blown glass, original tiles, and irreplaceable art are just a few of the elegant elements of the home.  Many of the furnishings were directly shipped from Paris and other locations where the Hemingway's lived or traveled. 

While living in Key West, Hemingway needed a very private, secluded place where he would not be disturbed under any circumstance to write his novels.  With a wife and children running around the home, the main house was impossible.  Therefore, Hemingway built a wrought iron bridge from the upstairs back veranda to the second level of the guest/pool house (the walkway would later be destroyed in a hurricane and the exterior pool house stairs in place today would replace it).  Hemingway lived in this home throughout most of the '30's, which was the greatest depression the world has ever known. During that period, from his sanctuary, he wrote the majority of his life's greatest works.  In so doing, the Hemingways were flush with funds -more than they knew what to do with during the depression years.

Hemingway loved to box.  So much so that he installed a boxing ring in his backyard and used it very frequently.  It was one of his greatest passions and he sincerely loved to do it.  He would box and then go to Sloppy Joe's Bar (aptly named by Hemingway and others because Jose was sloppy with the ice and left puddles on the floor - something Hemingway found to be sloppy) or go to Sloppy Joe's and bring someone back for a fight.  Pauline, Hemingway's second wife (and best friend in Paris of his first wife, Elizabeth) didn't mind this but thought a pool might be a better use of space, especially for the children and often hot summers.  Hemingway liked the idea as well, however building a pool was extremely expensive!  Having paid only $7000 for the entire home itself, neither could reconcile a $20,000 pool and the idea was abandoned.

In the mid '30's, Hemingway started spending considerable time with Pauline's best friend, Martha Gellhorn.  Most of the time, it was rather discrete and Pauline surely had her suspicions.  However, when Hemingway was sent to Paris to cover the Spanish Civil War, Ms. Gellhorn followed.  The affair continued immediately and with abandon.  They became the "it" couple of Paris - hitting the city of lights in all its glory from restaurants to night clubs and word quickly found its way back to Pauline.  Pauline and Hemingway had always had a very cantankerous relationship with loud, screaming fights, but when Pauline learned of the affair, she hit the roof and was consumed with rage!   So, while Hemingway was away in Paris, she spent the $20,000 and - without informing Hemingway - built the pool!  When Hemingway returned from Paris, he was consumed with rage!  A huge fight ensued and it just so happened that Hemingway had a single cent in his pocket.  The fight ended with Hemingway screaming at her that if she is going to spend his money, she might as well have his last cent!  And he removed the penny from his pocket and threw it at her as he stormed off to Sloppy Joe's!  It bounced off her and landed in some drying cement where it remains to this day (pictured above).  Pauline wanted it permanently encased so that she could have bragging rights to having taken Hemingway for his very last cent.

The pool itself was an architectural feat!  At the time, there was only one other pool in Key West and it was the local public pool.  Hemingway's pool was the first private pool in Key West and the only one within 100 miles.  In order to have it filled with water, they had to dig below the limestone bedrock until they hit sea water and then had the sea water pumped into the pool.  The Hemingways also installed evening lights under the water to illuminate the pool, which was a delight to all guests.

The Little White House

The Little White House is an active White House.  This means that any former or sitting President of the United States may show up, even unannounced, and occupy the premises.  Unfortunately, this also meant that for our visit, Secret Service forbade photography and it is for this reason that we only have exterior shots (it would be another month from our visit before the White House in Washington, D.C. would allow photography and thus presumably here as well). 

 After a very challenging first year in office, Truman was exhausted and his physician ordered him to take a vacation.  President Truman thus sailed the Presidential Yacht to Key West and during the voyage became horribly sea sick - for the 10 remaining trips to Key West, not once more would he ever sail to the Little White House.  Instead, he'd have the yacht brought down and he would travel to Key West via alternative means (the yacht was an absolute necessity as it provided additional accommodations for guests as the Little White House was not large enough to completely accommodate the entire entourage). 

Mrs. Truman was a proper Midwestern lady who didn't like drinking nor gambling - President Truman was a man who did.  As part of President Truman's recuperation, he was also given a prescription to imbibe (and when questioned by his wife, he would claim to be following doctors orders!).  In the downstairs lounge area there is a round table that can be used for having tea or sitting around for breakfast.  However, this is a hidden poker table - the top may be lifted to reveal a felt table with ashtrays at each seat made of recycled artillery shells.  President Truman treated this room as his man cave and often hosted very late night games of poker.  On some occasions when there weren't enough men to play, he would pull a man from the navy base to spend the evening playing poker.

President Truman's 11 trips to Key West were fun events for everyone; especially as the President invited the press to participate and would often joke with them about some of their silly questions.  He would commonly ask a reporter what they had for breakfast to the amusement of everyone!  This showed the very gregarious nature of the President who loved a relaxed environment.  Upon arrival, the uniforms (suits) came off and casual attire was the order of the day.  This casual attire and its style of shirts became known as The Key West Uniform.  They quickly became a national trend with several publications showing the President on vacation - with such publicity, companies would send him outrageously styled shirts just to see if he would wear them!  He received so many that he would dump them all into a pile on a table and tell his staff and reporters to take whichever ones they liked.  To have fun with this, President Truman would often have crazy shirt contests - to see who could wear the craziest, wackiest shirt (a few are hanging in the museum). 

President Truman was a sincere man with ideals.  Each morning he made his own bed.  He made sure to write a letter daily to his wife when she wasn't with him and responded to as many correspondences as he could in the morning.  He would pay for his own things and should anything go wrong - he would take responsibility.  He is the one who coined the phrase, "The buck stops here!" 

A great deal of official and historical business took place at the Little White House:  President Taft stayed here en route to inspect the Panama canal (then under construction); during World War I, Thomas Edison stayed 6 months and invented/perfected 41 weapons including the invention of anti-submarine mines; General Eisenhower held a series of meetings that resulted in the creation of the Department of Defense; President John F. Kennedy came and consulted with British Prime Minister Harold McMillan over the Cuban Missile Crisis; Secretary of State Colin Powell managed the Armenian-Azerbaijan Peace Treaty; President Jimmy Carter held a family reunion in 1996 and in 2005, President Clinton came with his wife for a weekend get-a-way.

The Mel Fischer Maritime Museum

Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale...a tale of a fatefull trip....
- The Ballad of Gilligan's Isle

The sinking of the Spanish galleons Atocha and Santa Margarita altered the course of history - making it impossible for the Spanish to finance the remnants of its struggling empire in a time of national crisis - the 30 Years War.  The nation saving funds settled on the floor of the Keys, in the holds of the Atocha.  This single event was the spearhead that transitioned Spain out of it's world dominance.

After being lost completely to time and the seas, the Atocha was thought to be gone forever - however, Mel Fischer knew she existed and he knew - give or take - where Poseidon consumed her.  Knowing she existed and with the passion and tenacity of a hungry Bon Vivant, he never quit!  He would spend 16 years looking for her, lose family in the endeavor and then once he'd find her, spend another 10 years in Federal court fighting to keep her.  Ironically, or perhaps fatefully, the Atocha would be found 10 years to the day after the passing of Mel Fischer's son, who was the victim of an accident during the search.

Spanish galleons required powerful defenses again Buccaneers, Pirates, and Privateers, (not all are the same).  This canon could fire over a mile but most likely didn't need to...as far as we know, the Atocha never once experienced battle at sea. 

This shows the veracity and ferociousness of the storm that sank the Atocha.

The Atocha's treasure was one of great value and pride.

All of these weapons were recovered through underwater archeological endeavors.  Common in their day, today they are an exciting reminder of a nostalgic period in history, often revered through our imaginations or Hollywood films.

Out to Sea (82 Miles from Cuba) Champagne Sunset Cruise

On the Champagne Sunset Cruise we passed the old Submarine base, now guarded by a historic World War II Cutter.  Several of the Bon Vivants have family members that served in America's submarine fleet and feel a strong sense of pride and admiration - especially when in the presence of passed or present dolphin bases.  In stark juxtaposition to the Cutter, America's newest and relatively still secret, close-shore high speed anti-cartel ship sometimes docks when in need of resupplying. 

The Sunset Cruise takes us 8 miles out into the sea over the world's third largest coral reef (only submitting to that of Belize and Australia's Great Barrier Reef).  It is something to realize one is closer to Cuba than the nearest Walmart.

The glass bottom provides ample viewing of the beautiful coral reef.  One is able to see Barracuda, Hog fish, Grouper, Sharks, and a conundrum of beautifully colored coral fish.  We were aptly educated on Fire Coral.  Fire Coral looks like lettuce but with white/lighter tips.  What makes this coral unique is the longevity of its poison: if you make the error in judgement to touch it, you will experience excruciating burning pains for as long as a week and in some victims, the experience is permanent.  However, should you recover, return 5 years later and forget your error (Darwinism will take care of you), and brush along the Fire Coral again but only to be burned in another -different location of your person - both the new sight AND the original site will burn with equal intensity!

Coral is a living organism and should you desire to take some of it home with you as a pet, you will get what you deserve!  First, it will die in your suitcase and then decompose - resulting in a rather rude aroma that can not be removed from any of your clothing! There is also another risk in taking one as a pet - assuming you don't make it that far (wisdom is already in question) - should you be caught removing coral from its natural habitat, you are likely to receive a fine in the several thousands of dollars depending on the ounces you have taken (as the fine is directly proportional to the amount).  Best not to touch the coral.

Along the reef, about a mile apart, one can see small little oil rigs.  These are quit the contrary and have nothing to do with the exploitation of the reef....these are mile markers of the reef itself and can be seen from the southern end of Fort Lauderdale all the way past Key West.

The Sunset

The sunset IS the attraction!  and with it...a party!

Charming acts such as this are ubiquitous along the wharf...and everyone is family friendly.

The Counter-Culture Quirkiness of the Conch Republic - tongue-in-cheek

Islamoralda Key

This little burger joint had typical food but outstanding views!