Key West gem: the Hemingway House

Key West, Florida may be a tropical paradise surrounded by some of the most spectacularly clear blue waters that you’ll ever see, but that doesn’t mean that it is completely devoid of history and culture. In fact, the city is steeped in history ranging from the pre-Civil War era Fort Zachery Taylor to the mid-19th century lighthouse that is now a museum. But perhaps the most interesting historical attraction of them all is the Hemingway House, where the legendary Ernest Hemingway once lived and wrote many of his great works.

Hemingway moved to Key West, from Paris, in 1929, bringing his second wife Pauline along with him. He allegedly wrote A Farewell to Arms while living over a Ford dealership and awaiting the arrival of a new roadster that Pauline’s rich uncle purchased for them. In 1931, that same uncle bought them the now famous house, and the happy couple moved in and settled down to raise a family. The lived there together until 1939, when the not-so-happy couple divorced, and Hemingway moved to Cuba with wife number three.

Hemingway’s decade of Key West living was the most prolific period of his career in terms of cranking out manuscripts. Aside from A Farewell to Arms, he also wrote Death in the Afternoon, Green Hills of Africa, To Have and Have Not, For Whom the Bell Tolls, and a number of his famous short stories as well. Something about the warm ocean breezes and beautiful surf seemed to inspire his creative side. He was also introduced to deep sea fishing while living there, which became one of his passions and was obviously an inspiration for The Old Man and the Sea, which is perhaps his most famous book.

Strolling on to the grounds of the Hemingway House will make you feel like you’ve stepped back to a different era. The place looks almost exactly the same as it did when Papa, Pauline, and their two sons, Patrick and Gregory, lived there, right down to the furnishings inside. The circa-1930’s photos, books, art, and furniture all add to the ambiance of the place, and at times you can almost feel the spirit of Hemingway still walking the halls. This is especially true in his old writing studio, which is on the second floor of the carriage house out back. The old typewriter sitting on the writing table, amidst a host of treasures and trophies, gives visitors a hint of the magic that once inhabited those walls.
Of course, many of those visitors come not just to examine the artifacts of the house’s famous former resident, but to catch a glimpse of its famous current ones. The grounds of the Hemingway House are patrolled by an array of cats, each one a descendant of Hemingway’s original feline pets that lived with him and his family more than seven decades ago. There are nearly fifty cats living there and about half of them are polydactyl, that is to say they have six toes on their front paws. Sailors once believed that six-toed cats brought them luck, and the superstitious Hemingway agreed, adopting a number in his lifetime. The offspring of those cats are easily spotted lounging, pouncing, and parading about their lovely tropical home.

If you get the chance, be sure to take one of the guided tours of the the house as the guides are funny, engaging, and have a great grasp of the legends and lore of the place. For instance, they’ll point out the lovely water fountain made out of urinal that Papa dragged home from his favorite bar, Sloppy Joe’s, one night, or they’ll show you the replica of a cat sculpture given to Hemingway by Pablo Picasso. The priceless original was stolen from the house a few years back and smashed beyond repair by the thief who swiped it.

But perhaps the best story you’ll hear is about the beautiful 65-foot long swimming pool that dominates the backyard. As the story goes, in the late 1930’s, when Papa was away in Spain covering that country’s civil war, the boys convinced Pauline to put in the massive pool, claiming their father had always wanted one. Ten months, and $20,000 later, the pool was complete, much to the chagrin of the author who returned not long after it was finished. Needless to say, Hemingway was not happy, after all the entire house cost just $8000.

The legend has it that Hemingway then pulled a penny from his pocket and tossed it to Pauline, telling her she might as well have his last cent too. Pauline pressed that penny into the still wet cement, where it remains, under glass, to this day. A week later she divorced Papa, sending him packing to Havana.

Located at 907 Whitehead Street, right in the heart of Key West, the Hemingway House is a fun and interesting look at life on the island when Hemingway wrote, drank, and caroused his way through the streets. Admission is just $12 for adults and $6 for kids, and even if you hated your high school English teacher for making you read Hemingway’s work, you’ll probably still enjoy this enchanting place.

Beat the heat at the Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center

Sitting at the southernmost tip of Florida, the Keys are a chain of islands that mark the border between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. The waters that surround the more than 1700 islands are famous for their warm temperatures, stunningly blue colors, and diversity of wildlife. It is because of all those things, and more, that the waters are protected, making up the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Last week we told you how you could explore that sanctuary aboard a personal watercraft, but for those looking for a less adventurous, not to mention less expensive, option, you can simply drop by the Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center, located in Key West.

The Discovery Center is operated by NOAA and offers up three things that are often in short supply in Key West, namely free parking, free admission, and plenty of air conditioning. The Center has plenty of other things to offer beyond that however, giving visitors a chance to see what life is like in the Keys both above and below the water. The numerous displays on hand show the diversity of both the flora and fauna throughout the region and describe in detail how those natural elements co-exist to create such an amazing environment.

One of the most prominent of these displays is the Mote Marine Laboratory’s 2400 gallon “Living Reef” aquarium, which gives us a glimpse of the brightly colored and energetic marine life that thrives in the waters just off the coast of the Keys islands. These fish go about their lives just as they would in the open ocean, while we get to watch on from the other side of glass.
Not far from the Living Reef display is a much smaller, but more sobering one that comes in the form of a tiny aquarium that contains the beautiful, yet destructive lionfish. Native to the Pacific, the lionfish has become an increasingly troublesome invasive species in the Keys and throughout the Caribbean, as it eats everything it encounters and has no natural predators to quell its advance. Marine biologists at the Sanctuary have been studying the fish for some time and are formulating plans on how to manage these invaders, but they fear that it could become a major threat to the Keys ecosystem in the years ahead.

Another popular display at the Eco-Discovery Center is its mock-up of the Aquarius underwater ocean laboratory. The real Aquarius Lab is one of the few underwater research stations in the world and is located in the Keys as well, but the Center’s simulated one is as close as most people will ever get. Looking through the lab’s portholes makes it seem that you really are far beneath the surface of the ocean, complete with divers drifting by the windows as they go about their work.

If you drop by the Discovery Center, be sure to check out their 17 minute long film entitled Reflections. The movie, which was shot completely in High Definition, chronicles life in the Keys through the eyes of a young girl who grows up with a unique appreciation for the place she lives in. The underwater scenes are breathtaking and will delight and captivate visitors of all ages.

Located at the end of Southard Street in the Truman Waterfront, in Key West, the Eco-Discovery Center is easy to find and a great way to beat the tropical heat. It also happens to be very close to Fort Zachery Taylor, a popular Florida State Park. While you’re in the area, it may be worth swinging by that historic site as well.

Exploring the Florida Keys by personal watercraft

The Florida Keys are a bit of a hidden gem. Sure, Florida is a well known, and much loved, tourist destination, but the Keys dangle at he far southern end, stretching out into the sea, forming a barrier between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Many travelers never make it that far south, preferring to stop in the theme park that is Orlando or maybe wander down to Miami for the never ending beach party there.

Those who do make the trip south along scenic U.S. Highway 1 will be treated to quite a destination. The Keys are a fantastic mix of deep south hospitality and Caribbean charm that blends well to give the place its own unique feel. The islands have a laid back vibe that is quite contagious, and after just a day or two, you’ll be shopping for real estate and contemplating making a permanent move.

The more than 1700 islands that make up the Keys are sprinkled throughout the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, a 2800-square nautical mile area that stretches from the Atlantic to the Bay of Florida, and on to the Gulf itself. The Sanctuary boasts the third largest barrier reef in the world, and the only one of its kind in North America. It also happens to be home to more than 1800 different species of plants and animals, including sprawling fields of seagrass and thick copses of mangrove trees surrounded by beautiful deep blue waters.

The Marine Sanctuary is a place that begs to be explored, both above and below the water, and on a recent visit to the Keys, I was introduced to the perfect way to take in the sights there. Aboard a personal watercraft, aka a “jet ski”, visitors to the Sanctuary are able to gain access to places that are typically unreachable by any other means. The small, but powerful, vehicles are quick and agile in tight quarters, but really fast on the open water, and best of all, they’re simply a blast to ride. Especially in a setting as amazing as the Keys.
Now, I know what you’re thinking. Aren’t those personal watercraft incredibly bad for the environment? That was my first thought as well, and I wondered how they could possibly be allowed to operate inside a marine sanctuary. As it turns out, the PWC industry has seen some major technological advancements in recent years, and they are now one of the most environmentally friendly vehicles out on the water. In fact, today’s jet ski is 90% cleaner than the ones that were built a decade ago and they’re 70% quieter as well. The results are a fast and fun machine that is safe to take into even protected waters.

Just how environmentally friendly are these new watercraft? They’re so good that the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary has joined forces with the Personal Watercraft Industry Association to create the Blue Rider Ocean Awareness and Stewardship Program, which looks to raise awareness of environmental and ocean conservation efforts throughout the Keys and beyond. The program works directly with tour operators throughout the region, encouraging them to share their sustainable tourism approach with their customers while also introducing them to the incredibly beautiful, yet still fragile, Keys environments.

With all of this in mind, I was all set to hit the water and for my first excursion into the National Marine Sanctuary, I would be riding through the waters off Key West, the southernmost island in the chain. Enlisting a guide from Barefoot Billy’s, a local jet ski tour operator, and following a brief orientation on my watercraft, we were soon off on an early evening ride that would cover 27 miles, completely circling the island. Along the way, we made brief stops at a few points of interest, including a nearby Naval base and a private island with massive homes starting at $5 million.

Our guide also took us out onto the open water, and with a bit of familiarization with the watercraft, we were soon zipping across the waves at speeds approaching 50 mph. The PWC’s were very responsive and easy to maneuver, even as we crossed under one of the mile long bridges of U.S. Highway 1 and out into the Atlantic Ocean, where the choppier waters introduced an exciting new element to the ride. Hitting incoming waves at higher speeds caused the jet skis to catch plenty of air, making an already great ride all the more exhilarating. At times we would fly several feet into the air, skipping from one wave to the next. The Yamaha Waverunners we were riding certainly lived up to their names.

Despite the intense experience of the open water however, the highlight of the cruise was a decidedly low speed affair. The best part of the ride was when we cut the throttle back to idle levels, and simply drifted through the natural pathways that lead to the interior of the mangroves, which grow up out of the oceans themselves. Surrounded by those lush trees on all sides, while deftly navigating the waterways, was a sublime experience, and one that left a smile on my face long after we returned to shore for the evening.

Following my heart-thumping introduction to the Keys on the back of a personal watercraft, I was more than hooked and eager for more. So, the next day we made the 70 mile drive north along scenic Highway 1 to the lovely island of Islamorada, where we grabbed yet another set of Waverunners. This time our PWC’s were provided by a local rental service called Extreme Sports Florida Keys, and after filling out all the necessary paperwork, and once again getting acquainted with the vehicle, we set out for a completely different kind of experience from the one we had the night before.

Sure, it was still loads of high speed fun out on those amazingly blue waters, but this time we really left the town behind and rode into the very heart of the marine sanctuary. Maneuvering our watercraft around a number of small islands, we once again, slipped into the lush mangrove trees, which were more dense in this area, creating an actual covered tunnel to float under. While we drifted under the thick canopy of those branches, a variety of birds hung overhead and at one point a sea turtle paddled by, barely taking notice of our presence.

The waters surrounding Islamorada offered a bit more diversity than those around Key West. At times, they were just 1.5 feet in depth, which further demonstrated the PWC’s ability to reach places where much larger, and more ponderous, boats couldn’t go. This gave us access to some beautiful, yet remote, coral reefs, and with the water so clear, we could cut the engines and drift, while fish swam all about us. At one point I even had three nurse sharks pass directly beneath my jet ski, which was yet one more spectacular experience in a day filled with them.

After skimming across the calm waters to the west, we once again passed under the highway and entered the Atlantic Ocean, where we slalomed over the rougher waves for a time, before our guide gave us the signal to cut our engines and come to a stop. He then instructed us to pop open the storage compartments on the front of our watercraft, where we were delighted to discover he had stowed snorkeling gear for each of us. Moments later, we were fitting the masks to our faces and hopping off our Waverunners into the warm ocean waters. We then proceeded to spend the next 20 minutes, or so, exploring a colorful reef teeming with marine life. When we were finished, we simply scrambled back aboard our little water vehicles, re-stowed our masks and snorkels, and raced off once again.

Eventually, and very reluctantly I might add, we returned to shore, bringing an end to another aquatic adventure. But both rides through the Keys provided exciting and unique experiences that gave me the opportunity to visit the amazing environments there in an unusual and very unexpected way. Believe it or not, the personal watercraft not only deliver an exhilarating ride, but also allow you to get closer to nature than you might have ever thought possible. They truly are an outstanding way to explore the Keys, and I highly recommend the experience.