If you’re looking for a one-stop vacation spot in the Florida Keys , check out The Postcard Inn Beach Resort & Marina at Holiday Isle (PCI for short)! The Postcard Inn name may sound familiar; their first location is on St. Pete Beach. Now, they have a sister resort in Islamorada , a famous one at that. Holiday Isle was, and is, an icon in the Keys. Its famous Tiki Bar has attracted visitors for decades (I practically grew up here)! But over the years, the property became run down and worn out. To the rescue? Postcard Inn! PCI has all new rooms and suites overlooking the Atlantic. You’ll find comfortable, Americana-style d

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Postcard Inn at Holiday isle

Pensacola – Travel across the Santa Rosa Sound on the three-mile Pensacola Bay Bridge, and what you'll see first are shimmering water and pristine beaches. You might not even notice a pontoon boat in the water, the only indication that buried just 12 feet below the surface is a wreck of profound proportions. Here, not one but two Spanish ships, dating to 1559, are buried. And this juxtaposition of past and present is a part of Pensacola's charm that, like the Emmanuel Point I and II wrecks, hovers just below the surface. While St. Augustine can forever claim the banner of oldest continuously occupied European settlement in the United States, the Spanish actually landed in Pensacola six years earlier, in 1559. That Tristan de Luna's settlement was foiled as much by poor planning as by a hurricane is just one page in Pensacola's archives. University of West Florida marine archaeologists are still combing through the remains of the rare 16th century galleons, two of fewer than a dozen ever discovered. Centuries before the Europeans set sail, native tribes including Choctaw, Apalachee and Pensacola peoples lived, fished and traded in and around what would become Pensacola. When de Luna sailed in with 11 ships and some 1,400 soldiers and settlers, it was a trip sparked by Spain's ongoing effort to colonize Florida, an area that according to the Spanish crown extended north from what is now the Florida Keys all the way up to Newfoundland and west to what is now Mexico. Although not loaded with gold, the wrecks are treasure ships indeed, offering an invaluable portal into marine life and 16th century shipbuilding. “People don't realize the richness and diversity of culture, ethnicities and narratives that exists in Pensacola,” said Margo Stringfield, a resident of the city since 1983. Stringfield, a terrestrial archaeologist and assistant professor of anthropology at UWF, helps tell those stories as a consultant for Viva Florida 500 , a statewide celebration of the 500th anniversary of Juan Ponce de Le

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Pensacola’s Place in American History Explodes Beneath the Surface

My very first video shoot for VISIT FLORIDA was in Key West and one of my favorite memories from that trip was stumbling into the Florida Keys Seafood Festival. What a wonderful find! We walked over to Bayview Park and there were rows of food booths; the aromas immediately made my mouth water. Lobster, stone crab, soups, chowders – even fried Oreos. Everything a girl (and two kids and a video crew!) could want. This year marks the seventh annual Florida Keys Seafood Festival and you can celebrate the hard working commercial fishermen on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012. Hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and it’s again at Key West’s Bayview Park (at the corner of Truman Avenue and Jose Marti Drive). Admission is free . Here’s what on the menu: Fresh grilled Florida lobster Key West pink shrimp Fried fish Stone crab claws Smoked fish dip Conch chowder & conch salad Key lime pie Another cool factoid about this event is that all the seafood is prepared and served by the local fishermen and their families. Everyone is so friendly – and the music and entertainment is nonstop. I hope you’ll stumble into this festival in Key Wes t as we did. I know you’ll love it. If you go, post your photos at my VISIT FLORIDA Family Insider Facebook page . I’d love to see your family having fun in the Florids' southernmost city! For more info, log on to www.fkcfa.org or call 305-872-9026. See the article here: Florida Keys Seafood Festival

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Florida Keys Seafood Festival

The Island Grass Music Fest is about swaying to music in a tropical setting. It’s about sampling conch chowder it all of its glorious, steaming varieties. It’s about lending a hand to folks less fortunate than you. And it’s a for-sure that you should go! The event sways into Habitat for Humanity's Big Pine Key headquarters in the Florida Keys (mile marker 30.5 on U.S. Highway 1) 1-5 p.m. on Feb. 26, 2012 , promising a plethora of performances by renowned regional bands and entertainers as well as a competitive Conch Chowder Cook-off. The tasty, tuneful festival benefits Habitat for Humanity of Key West and the Lower Florida Keys. The entertainment lineup includes these favorites: Howard Livingston The Doerfel Family Billie Blues The Conch Chowder Cook-off includes categories for professional and amateur chefs tasked with creating standout versions of the Keys’ signature dish. Participants prepare five gallons of chowder; you get to purchase “tastes by the cup. Food, beer, wine and Pepsi products will also be available. Feeling lucky? Beach bunnies who like to bid can partake in the silent auction: it features awesome offerings. Smells like fun to me! Want more Sunshine State fun? Sneak a peek at my Facebook page . It features: Photos and videos Information about events Fun contests like “Guess the Beach” and “Write the Caption” Last minute event updates and beach news The opportunity for you to ask questions, post your own photos or dish about your own Florida adventures

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Florida Keys Music Fest and Conch Chowder Cook-off

Normally, I review one restaurant or meal at a time. This past weekend, however, deserves a recap of its own. Since my cousin was coming to town and we have many of the same interests, mainly revolving around eating, drinking and a love-hate relationship with running, I planned the eating and drinking (and a little running) . . . → Read More: Eating Key West

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Eating Key West

Babka at the Hog's Breath with Alison. For the past eighteen years the Hog’s Breath has put on the Hog Trot, a Thanksgiving weekend 5K race. This was only my second one. I signed up late, was congested and had both wine and margaritas the night before. There was no way it was going to go . . . → Read More: Hog’s Breath Hog Trot 5K

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Hog’s Breath Hog Trot 5K

The start of a really good night. This weekend we were invited to our friend’s house for his birthday. As he is a wine geek, too, there were bound to be some good selections. Of course we RSVP’d that we would be coming, and as they live an hour away, we would also be staying over. (I . . . → Read More: Blowout Birthday Bash

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Blowout Birthday Bash

Zonta 5K, where I was very, very slow This weekend was the 20th annual Meeting of the Minds (MOTM), the annual Parrothead gathering in Key West. No, I did not attend. However, every year there is a rumor that Jimmy Buffett will be playing a show sometime during the weekend. Every. Single. Year. It hasn’t been . . . → Read More: Zonta 5K and Meeting of the Minds

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Zonta 5K and Meeting of the Minds

Conch Spa Villa