The Florida Keys and the Highway that goes to the Sea
The Overseas Highway, sometimes called the Highway that Goes to Sea, is a modern wonder. It is the magic carpet by which visitors from Florida's mainland can cross countless coral and limestone islets through that special world of the Florida Keys.
The highway — the southernmost leg of U.S. 1 — follows a trail originally blazed in 1912 when Henry Flagler extended his Florida East Coast Railroad from Miami to Key West.
The highway was begun in the late 1930s & The Florida Keys — which now host more than three million visitors annually — became an easily accessible tourist destination by car and bus.
And what do these visitors see?
Key Largo
Key Largo, called the first of the Florida Keys, because of its northernmost location along the Florida Keys chain, is an hour's drive from South Florida's two major airports. Yet it is a world away.
Home to two state parks, a national park, a national marine sanctuary, Key Largo boasts some of the most fascinating botanical scenery in the state.
Also visit the 'African Queen, the boat made famous in the Humphrey Bogart film of the same name.
Islamorada
Our Village of Islands is situated between the saltwater wilderness of Everglades National Park in one direction and North America's only coral barrier reef and the deep blue waters of the Florida Straits in the other.
This might be the only place on Earth where it is possible to catch a sailfish in the morning, and then venture into the backcountry in pursuit of bonefish, permit, tarpon, snook and redfish in just inches of water.
With a fleet of highly-skilled recreational fishing captains, Islamorada's reputation as The Sport Fishing Capital of the World is well earned.
Marathon
This quaint tropical city is conveniently situated in the middle of the Keys island chain.
Located mainly on Vaca, Fat Deer, and Grassy Key, Marathon is a 10- mile-long family-oriented island community rooted in a heritage of fishing, and reflects the old-Keys lifestyle that residents, snowbirds and visitors enjoy so much.
It is maintaining this simple, seafaring tradition that has made Marathon so special, celebrated through the community's annual family-friendly seafood festivals.
Big Pine Key and the Lower Keys
If you've had enough of an overcrowded and weary world, the islands of the Lower Keys are the place for you.
Here, you can snorkel or dive over the Looe Key coral reef, ride a bicycle through Key Deer country, or take a fishing adventure in the back country or troll the deep blue waters beyond the reef.
At the end of the day, you can trade stories with family and friends at one of this area's tiki bars, RV parks, campgrounds, quaint resorts or licensed vacation homes. The Earthy fragrance of mangrove forests and wetlands is never far away.
Key West
Discover a city where real estate titles date back to the Kings of Spain.
Stroll the palm-lined streets and discover gingerbread mansions, tin-roofed conch houses, the John Audubon House and Ernest Hemingway's home.
Walk in the footsteps of Thomas Edison, Lou Gehrig, Harry Truman, and Tennessee Williams.
Gaze at the fabled treasure of the galleon Atocha. Discover tomorrow's fine art treasures by Key West's well-known and unknown artists
Buster Simpson: Art Antioxidant
Buster Simpson, an artist active since the late 1960s, has worked on major infrastructure and planning projects, site-specific sculptures, museum installations, and community interventions. Simpson was born in Saginaw, Michigan, and attended the University of Michigan, where he received his MFA in 1969, and later, the Distinguished Alumni Award in Architecture and Design. Simpson is a recipient of numerous awards, including NEA fellowships and the Americans for the Arts Public Art Award in 2009. “I prefer working in public spaces. The complexity of any site is its asset, to distill, build upon, and reveal, the challenge is to sharpen the conjunction between poetry and place.”
Simpson has exhibited at The New Museum, MoMA PS1, Seattle Art Museum, The Hirshhorn Museum, Capp Street Project, International Glass Museum, and a recent retrospective at the Frye Art Museum. Simpson’s work is included in numerous public commissions throughout North America.
This University of Michigan Bicentennial event is presented with support from Chelsea River Gallery.
10 Best Places to Visit in Florida - Travel Video
When most people think of Florida, they think of sunshine, theme parks, orange juice and alligators. But this former Spanish colony, which became the 27th state to enter the Union, is much more than that. Bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Gulf of Mexico on the other, it has mile upon mile of white sand beaches. Its moderate climate makes it a popular tourist destination all year round. An overview of the best places to visit in Florida.
Rare Shark Feeding Frenzy in North Carolina
On Thursday, October 9 at around noon, while at a retreat at Cape Lookout National Seashore off the coast of North Carolina, the leaders of One Harbor Church witnessed a shark feeding frenzy. The men were out fishing for the evening’s dinner when they stumbled across more than 100 sharks attacking a school of blue fish. As seagulls and pelicans joined in on the meal, the men began to cast into the surf, catching fish without the use of bait. For more than five minutes, the sharks were observed swimming in and out of the surf, some of which became beached in the fury. Donnie Griggs, the cameraman who captured the footage, is an avid waterman who spearfishes, dives, swims and surfs at Cape Lookout often. We want it to be clear that Cape Lookout and the surrounding beaches of Eastern North Carolina are extremely safe for swimming. The presence of these sharks and large schools of fish is actually a sign of a very healthy ecosystem.
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Public Meeting: The C-43 West Storage Reservoir Water Quality Feasibility Study
Reflections a History of Sarasota
A history of Sarasota, Florida, produced by Access Sarasota.
October 22, 2019 – BCC Regular Meeting
Agenda available at: