Freediving

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adventure
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ESSENTIALS
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Freediving
Explore The World
The Ultimate Freedom
Freediving
MM 20-10
Keys Crawl
REWIND: treasure hunting
January 2016
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this issue
From A Cozy Island Cottage
To A Luxurious Waterfront Estate...
Let Us Show You!
8
Essentials: Gearing Up for Adventure
10
Southernmost Appeal: Cuba
19
Rewind: Treasure Hunting
22
Island Charm: Freediving
30
Local Flavor: Crawling the Keys, 10 Miles at a Time
38
Essentials: Cocktails
Experience the Best in Boats
and Service at Caribee
Publisher’s note:
Here we are beginning year four of our wildly successful
magazine, unwind. To say that molding unwind into the
preeminent, locally-produced lifestyle magazine in the Florida
Keys has been an adventure would be an understatement.
So, there’s no better way to launch 2016 than with our
Adventure issue.
This issue features even more exciting and interesting topics,
like freediving, a quickly emerging alternative to scuba-diving,
one that literally takes your breath away. We explore treasure
diving and the thrill of uncovering riches hidden underwater for
centuries. And we’re taking you on an exclusive journey into
Cuba, a new, mysterious, and intriguing destination, just miles
from our shores. But this new vacation option is not without
its challenges, so we provide some insight on what you may
experience if you venture there.
Finally, as we approach the final destination of our 110-mile
crawl down the Keys, we take time to sample some of the more
interesting locales just short of Key West, in mile markers 20-10.
Here’s to a prosperous, happy and healthy new year, and
remember, always find time to unwind!
If you have feedback, photos or ideas for future issues, please
send them to: [email protected]
Enjoy!
THE FLORIDA KEYS
A Special publication produced by the
Keynoter Publishing Company
81610 OVERSEAS HIGHWAY
ISLAMORADA, FLORIDA KEYS 33036
Publisher: Richard Tamborrino
Creative Director: Emily Pulis
Sales & Business Development Manager: Valerie Serra
Advertising Coordinator: Joanne Pulis
Production Manager: Todd Swift
Contributing Writers: Alyson Crean, Jana Vandelaar,
Ellen T. White
unwindFloridaKeys.com | 305-743-5551
P.O. Box 500158, Marathon, FL 33050
Cover Photo: Andrew Eales, Formula Freediving, Marathon
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Goal Zero Flip 10 $30, West Marine in Marathon,
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8
unwind | January 2016
namaste
Regardless of the activities you
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tennis, etc.—practicing yoga
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breathe easy
A scuba essential. This unique,
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2016 Fishing Seminars Starting at 6pm
January 7th & 21st, February 4th & 18th,and March 3rd & 17th
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WRITTEN & Photographed BY
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Get to Cuba, seasoned travelers say, before
Americans bring in their golden arches
and serve up Cuban coffee in a Starbucks
on one of Havana's corners.
Since travel restrictions to the island 90
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Cuba has become the hip new destination,
the jewel of the Caribbean for those
10
unwind | January 2016
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January 2016 | unwind
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unwind | January 2016
HOUSE OF WORSHIP
Cathedral de la
Havana of old
Havana, one of eleven
Roman Catholic
Cathedrals on the
island of Cuba.
HAVANA HARBOR
Revelers in
the rain on the
Malecon, the
seawall that
protects Havana.
LIMITED
CONNECTION
Wifi “hot-spots”
include hotel lobbies,
where Cubans without
internet log on.
ART
EVERYWHERE
Havana explodes
with art and any
surface becomes
a canvas.
willing to forfeit luxury for possible
adventure. When the trade embargo
lifts, what then? The fear is that U.S.
investment will turn Cuba into a kind
of Disneyland.
For me, Cuba was a distant dream, an
“I'd love to” but “not likely” destination.
When a friend offered a place on a small
group tour of Havana leaving last fall,
I jumped at the chance. The New Yorkbased Fundacion Amistad, a nonprofit
promoting Cuban-American ties, put
the agenda in place. Fundacion board
member Michael Connors, a “big game
hunter” in Cuban art and design, offered
his insider's view and access.
By day, Connors promised, we would
go in search of Havana's museums,
galleries and artist spaces, a few not on
the radar of Cuban authorities. Coming
off the Havana Biennial in May 2015,
Cuba revels in its growing reputation for
sophisticated, contemporary art—as edgy
and accomplished as anything you'll find
in Miami or New York. It's a paradise for
collectors on limited budgets.
all. However, our air-conditioned rooms
Flexibility, Connors had urged in
were stocked with fluffy towels and tiny
more than one advance e-mail. The
bottles of shampoo, not to mention crisp
old Cuba—in all its ruined beauty and
sheets and impressive quantities of
poverty—readies itself for change.
toilet paper.
Still, nothing is much altered since the
Internet access is not reliable. Only 5
floodgates opened. Online tips advise
percent of Cubans have access, among
travelers to bring their own toilet
them, hotels. However, logging on is a
paper and pack their sheets; Cuban
constant challenge.
hotels, they report, can't always get
In an
the “amenities.” And
introduction
bring cash.
Only 5 percent of Cubans
to Havana, we
Eleven of us
have internet access,
walked from
landed at Jose Marti
among them, hotels.
Parque Central
International Airport
down the city's
on a scorching day in
famous El Paseo de Prado, a spectacular
late October. We were met by a comfy,
elevated plaza designed by French
air-conditioned Havana Tours bus and
landscaper J.C.N. Forestier in 1929.
Renier, a local English-speaking guide
Sugar accounted for the extraordinary
who ran interference for Connors while
wealth of those who built the gorgeous
we toured.
Beaux Arts mansions that line the city's
“Anything is possible,” Renier was fond
sometimes cobblestoned streets and
of saying, “but nothing is guaranteed.”
thoroughfares. After the revolution of
Indeed, the more than an hour it took to
1959, well-heeled Cubans fled Fidel
check into the El Capri, a mid-level hotel
Castro's communist regime. Their
in Havana's Vedado section, made some
homes were confiscated and handed
of us wonder if we had reservations at
January 2016 | unwind
13
Southernmost APPEAL
PRACTICE
MAKES PERFECT
Dance students
rehearse at ISA, the
school of art built
at the outset of
the Revolution on
the golf course of
the former Havana
Country Club.
TREASURED
The restored Museo
Napoleon houses one
of the most important
collections from the
18th & 19th centuries
preserved in the
Western hemisphere.
ARTISTIC
EXPRESSION
The work of Cuban
artists often refers
back in some way to
their island nation.
What you need to know
HUMBLE
SURROUNDINGS
Squatters live
without electricity
in mansions
abandoned after the
Revolution.
over to the proletariats.
Today, these mansions collapse at the
rate of one every three days. Squatters
live in some without water or electricity.
Still, Ralph Lauren would kill for paint
colors that approximate the pastel
patina of these faded beauties.
The grand family home of Josie, a
friend of Connors on whom we dropped
in, had been cleaned up for Rihanna's
recent Vanity Fair shoot. Nonetheless,
FROZEN IN TIME
The kitchen of an
old family mansion,
untouched since the
‘50s, where Rihanna
did a shoot for
Vanity Fair.
Cuba Travel 101
disintegrating plaster left wide swaths
of the ceiling rebar exposed. Josie,
approaching 90 and living alone, was
happy to accept CUCs, the tourist
currency, to keep the electricity on.
For all the disintegration of Havana,
incredible jewels of architecture
remain largely intact. The Bacardi
Headquarters Building is an Art Deco
shrine; its splendor makes its New York
City rival, the Chrysler Building, look
somewhat tired. The facades of the
presidential palace (now the Museum
of the Revolution) and Havana's Great
Theater compete with those in major
metropolises anywhere in the world.
As for small masterpieces, the Museo
de Artes Decorativas and the Museo
Napoleon are advertisements for the
kind of exquisite cultural legacy that
Cubans are eager to keep alive.
Photos are banned in many places.
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and American movie stars. The Hotel
Among those is the headquarters of El
Sevilla, a Neo-Moorish structure in the
Museo National de Bellas Arts (National
historic heart of the city, preserves this
Museum of Fine Arts) — a modernist
past with faded photos of habitues
structure completed in 1955. Its spiral
such as Al Capone, Frank Sinatra, Ava
ramps lead to galleries upon galleries
Gardner and Ernest Hemingway. Cuba's
of Cuba's modern and contemporary
legendary cigars and rum, once banned
art. Why, we wondered, had we never
for import to the U.S., can come home in
heard names of extraordinary artists
your suitcase today.
such as Armando Menocal or Wilfredo
Hemingway lived in Cuba for 22 years
Lam before?
— longer than he spent in Key West,
Much of the contemporary art at the
few realize. On the outskirts of Havana
Museum of Fine Arts takes wry shots
at Finca Vigia (Lookout House), he wrote
at Cuba's communist regime — often
“The Old Man and the Sea,” “A Moveable
with a humor that appeals to American
Feast” and “Islands in the Stream,” and
sensibilities. Fidel's iron grip has
alternated mistresses as often as salsa
apparently been somewhat loosened
partners. The books, art and mounted
under the leadership of brother Raul.
trophy heads are
In the old days, a
just as he left them
Cuban could be
Hemingway lived
55 years ago —
detained for uttering
in Cuba for 22 years —
including scribbles
Castro's name aloud.
on the bathroom
Cubans referred
longer than he spent in
wall, a record of his
to Fidel by pulling
Key West, few realize.
weight, which he
on their chins to
obsessively noted
indicate his beard.
every morning.
Some still take the precaution today.
We learned that every building in
That Cuba is stalled in the 1950s
Cuba has a complicated story.
accounts for so much of its charm. The
In the heady early days of the
colorful old Chryslers and Fords that
revolution, Fidel and Che Guevara played
Cubans still drive will surely begin to
golf on the course of the abandoned
disappear once the embargo lifts — a
Havana Country Club. Cuba's new
crying shame. They were the height of
president had a dream that morning:
automotive luxury in 1958. Now, still
He tasked architect Ricardo Porro with
picturesque, these cars are missing
building a bold, new National School
critical parts. This is no deterrent to
of Art (known as ISA), a design that
Cubans who drive, many with the top
Castro disavowed within the year. By
down in fedoras, sunglasses and Sunday
then utilitarian Soviet architecture
clothes. We had a harrowing ride home
was deemed more appropriate to the
one night in a taxi without brakes.
revolutionary spirit.
In its heyday of wealth, the island
Cuba's aspiring artists nonetheless
was a mafia stronghold and the tropical
took up studies at ISA, as they do today,
playland of tycoons, gamblers, writers
Cuba is a mere 90 miles off Key
West. Still, getting there is nothing
like hopping a plane to Cincinnati.
You'll need a visa, for one, and to
travel under the auspices of a travel
agency with a general license. Cuba
Travel Services in Miami is a reliable
choice. Of 12 licensed categories,
“people to people educational
activities” is a common designation for
leisure travelers coming from the U.S.
Working through CTS, the New
York-based Fundacion Amistad,
a nonprofit that fosters CubanAmerican ties, planned our tour.
“Plan now for next year,” advises
Christy Alcedo, Fundacion
Amistad's program director. To
avoid the heat, late December to
March is the optimum time.
Unless you have family on the
island, forget traveling spontaneously.
“Securing rooms at hotels,
planning group visits to museums,
getting restaurant reservations can
take months,” Alcedo says. Internet
into Cuba is uneven and phone
service spotty, even on landlines. In
Cuba, by the way, your cell phone
won't work at all.
There are two Cubas: One for
tourists and the other for residents.
Cubans are not permitted above
the lobby of Havana's hotels. When
Cubans travel on the island, they stay
in far less-expensive casa particulars,
single rooms in private houses.
Padadars and state-run restaurants are
beyond the reach of Cuban budgets.
Even currencies are separate: Tourists
spend the Cuban convertible peso,
known as CUCs; nationals deal in the
Cuban peso, or CUPs.
Bring plenty of cash on your
travels, which you can change into
CUCs at your hotel. The exchange
rate of dollars for CUCs is roughly
100 to 90. American credit cards
are permitted, but the infrastructure
is such that few establishments are
equipped to run the charge.
January 2016 | unwind
15
Southernmost APPEAL
PINK COUPE
The author, Ellen
T. White, considers
taking a spin in a
matching car.
SYMBOLIC
STATEMENT
Artist Kcho’s work
always incorporates
a boat, a play on the
fact that Cubans
aren’t permitted to
own one.
in the incomplete, brick structures,
designed to resemble bare breasts from
the sky. “You can feel the dreams in this
room,” a traveling companion whispered
as we watched the determined faces of
young dancers rehearsing, sweat pouring
off their bodies. At ISA's School of
Plastic (Fine) Arts, young artists sell their
ceramics out of the kiln and paintings off
their easels even as they dry.
It's artists that become Cuba's
privileged 1 percent. In a country where
doctors and lawyers make on average
$20 a month, artists have the prospect
of landing income from international
THE BAND PLAYS ON
Virtually every hotel,
bar, and restaurant
in Cuba features live
music, such as this
tea-time band at the
Hotel Sevilla.
sources. There are no middlemen on
these deals (or tax consequences, for
that matter). Collectors buy studio work,
which is later delivered, rolled up, in
the case of canvases, to hotel lobbies.
Collectors wire money to the artist's
family member in the U.S., which comes
back through Cuba as a legal remittance.
It's critical to not leave an identifying
trail of paperwork.
Among Cuba's most celebrated artists
is Kcho, an ISA alum and, according
to some sources, a Fidel favorite.
Kcho provides free Internet to the
area surrounding his sprawling urban
WINDOWS THAT PROTECT THE
INSIDE FROM THE OUTSIDE.
compound and exhibits the works
of his compatriots in air-conditioned
galleries. He is credited with reviving
this formerly blighted neighborhood
of the city. His work, in collections
in museums all over the world, is
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within reach of only the most affluent
collectors. Where we bought art, we did
so from artists still on the rise.
Art, music, salsa dancing? Whatever
your reason for being in Havana, it's
important to have a water-downed
daiquiri at the Hotel Floridita, where
a lifesize sculpture of Hemingway
holds court at the bar. And to take
a walk through Old Havana's four
squares — the plazas de San Francisco,
Vieja, de Armas and de la Cathedral —
particularly if you're interested in Cuba's
colonial architecture. At the H. Upmann
Factory, watch as Cubans roll cigars by
hand. In the morning readers deliver
newspaper reports to workers over a
microphone. At 1 p.m., they return to
read a novel aloud.
From La Cabana — the third largest
fort in the Americas and a fine example
of colonial Cuban military architecture—
we gazed across the sweep of Havana
Harbor. That Cubans aren't permitted
to own boats accounts for its eerie
emptiness. Join locals on the five-mile
Malecon, the seawall that protects
Havana from stormy waters. At dusk it
becomes Cuba's biggest couch. Even in
the rain, you'll find locals socializing—the
IN NEED OF REPAIR
Restorations are in
progress of Havana’s
gorgeous Beaux Arts
mansions, which
collapse at the rate of
one every three days.
low-cost alternative to clubbing at night.
Do not, however, go to Cuba looking
for gourmet fare. Chic new paladars
(privately owned, as opposed to staterun, restaurants) are cropping up all over
the city. The food can be lackluster and
overcooked, even inedible sometimes.
Exceptions were La Cocina de Lilliam,
a breathtaking garden spot, and La
Guarida, the setting of the Oscarnominated film “Fresna y Chocolate”
(“Strawberry and Chocolate”).
Good luck, though, getting a table.
You'll need to book now if you want to
be seated by next winter.
REWIND
There's gold in them thar waters
Keys treasure hunting can fulfill your wildest dreams
WRITTEN BY Alyson Crean
The Florida Keys prove one thing over
and over again: Your wildest dreams can
come true. Where else can you dress like
a pirate, dive on a teeming barrier reef
and find real sunken treasure?
Keys waters are strewn with
shipwrecks, and rare is the individual
who has not fleetingly dreamed of
finding the glimmer of gold and gems
under these turquoise blue waters.
Several Spanish fleets, returning
from South America and laden with
riches, were lost in Florida waters when
violent hurricanes came through. Two
particularly wealthy fleets—the Tierra
Firme fleet in 1681 and the fleet of
1733—for centuries fueled the dreams
of treasure hunters.
In 1985, treasure hunter Mel Fisher
validated those dreams when he
discovered gold bars, silver coins, gold
chains and a plethora of emeralds
under 55 feet of water just a few miles
off Key West. For years, the late Fisher,
who died in 1998, fueled the hunt
for the treasure with his undaunted
motto: Today's the day.
The Atocha, which sunk in 1622,
is not the only sunken treasure in
the Keys though it may be the most
accessible to the dreamer. Several
other wrecks' locations are part of
the Florida Keys National Marine
Sanctuary Shipwreck Trail. They are
accessible to dive and explore but
are national historical preservation
areas, and any
archeological
finds must
FANNING
remain at the
FOR GOLD
Treasure hunters
site.
dig in on dive sites
The San Jose,
throughout the Keys
off
Marathon,
for the slow, careful
process of searching
is another
for lost bounty.
such site. But
don't expect an
intact sunken
galleon. A catastrophic end, warm
water and the centuries combined to
dissolve most Florida wrecks to piles of
ballast and ghostly trails of scattered
artifacts encrusted in marine life.
January 2016 | unwind
19
REWIND
FRUITS
OF THEIR LABOR
Divers return from
a Mel Fisher Dive
Adventure with
a sampling of
uncovered items
from below.
WORKHORSE
Mel Fisher's boat
the J.B. Magruder
was central to many
salvage operations.
JACKPOT
Diver Steve
Santen in 2010
with a coin he
found in Keys
waters.
GIANT STRIDE
The search for
riches begins
for an optimistic
treasure diver.
20
unwind | January 2016
hunters to go it alone. But Mel Fisher
The San Pedro, also a member of the
explored important territory during
galleon fleet that went down in 1733,
years of litigation that finally made it
is sunk just off Lower Matecumbe Key
to the U.S. Supreme Court. The bottom
near Indian Key. It, too, is protected
line: The easiest and most practical way
and the ship is off limits to treasure
to realize that dream of hunting sunken
hunters. But that doesn't stop the true
treasure is to team up with the Mel
treasure hunter.
Fisher crew.
Survivors of the San Pedro are said
Though hundreds of millions in
to have swum to nearby Indian Key,
riches have been salvaged by Fisher's
smuggling gold or an emerald along the
operation, the rear of the Atocha (the
way. Some believe there's a chance that
stern castle) has yet to be found. Kim
a gold coin or emerald could have been
Fisher, Mel's son, is carrying on the
scattered in the mile of sandy bottom
family tradition,
between the wreck
following the trail
and Indian Key.
Hundreds of millions
of the shattered
Another member
in riches have been
Atocha.
of that doomed fleet
salvaged by Mel Fisher's
Shawn Cowles,
sunk near Long Key.
operation.
the investor
The Angustius was
relations manager
heavily salvaged in
for Mel Fisher's Treasures, says the
the 1970s. Gold and silver coins may
stern castle was the wealthiest part of
still be scattered between the wreck
the ship where clergy, the captain and
and the Long Key Bridge, but poor
the wealthiest passengers' quarters
visibility and strong currents have
were.
made the going rough.
“According to the ship's manifest,
Another member of the fleet, the El
there are still 17 tons of silver bars
Infante, rests under the waters of Key
missing,” he said.
Largo. A treasure salvor named Art
So how can you become a member
McKee worked that wreck for more
of this team? For $3,000, you can
than 20 years. Still, occasional coins can
participate in the week of a lifetime.
be found in nearby reefs and snorkelers
The Atocha Dive Adventure includes
can see the remaining ballast pile from
lodging and diving, and the participants
the vessel.
can keep anything they find up to
Federal laws and state oversight
$3,000 in value.
make it difficult for private treasure
PHOTOS courtesy of Mel Fisher's
“This program is hugely successful,”
Cowles said. “It's very exclusive. We
take just six divers at a time on six
trips per year.”
The trail the salvors have been
following has continually turned up
relics. Participants on the dive week
have found coins, emeralds, gold rosary
beads and gold bars. But wealth isn't
the only treasure. Weapons, china and
tools were also lost with the ship and
lay in 30 to 50 feet of water.
If a week is just not enough to quell
your thirst for adventure, become an
investor. For $12,500 an adventurer can
become part of the team for a year. You
can dive the Atocha or sift for emeralds.
You get to keep the first treasure you
find as long as it's no more than six
times the value of your investment. And
at the end of the year, the treasures are
divided up between investors.
“This is definitely a bucket-list
adventure,” Cowles says. “We spend
$3.5 million a year putting those
boats out working the site, and
SCOURING
THE SAND
Treasure hunters
patiently search
the ocean bottom
for artifacts and
treasure.
these partners are going with us. I'd
say a good 50 percent of them find
something. And you get that sense of
excitement, like playing the lottery:
Any day could be the day.”
It's a good time to join, Cowles
says. “We think we're in the area of
the stern castle because we're finding
expensive jewelry and religious
artifacts. A couple of years ago we
located the admiral's personal seal.
That's a good indication we're near the
wealthiest part of the ship.”
HOME INTERIOR SHOWROOM
COASTAL FURNISHINGS
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(305) 451-1181
HOURS:
MON - FRI: 9AM - 5PM
SAT: 9am - 3pm
82681 OVERSEAS HWY
ISLAMORADA
FLORIDA, 33036
ISLAND CHARM
The ultimate freedom
Freediving is a
natural alternative
to scuba
WRITTEN BY Richard Tamborrino
W
Freediving appeals because it's recreational,
liberates divers from scuba equipment and allows
for greater mobility in the water.
22
unwind | January 2016
FREE FLOATING
Great depths
in underwater
exploration can be
achieved naturally
through freediving.
ith all the exhilarating sports to witness or
experience, freediving is one that literally takes
your breath away.
The undersea world that surrounds the Florida Keys
can be explored in a variety of ways. Scuba-diving and
snorkeling in a range of depths as shallow as eight feet
to technical dives on wrecks as deep as 300 feet are
accessible throughout the Keys.
While freediving—diving without benefit of air
tanks—has been around since humans themselves, it's
becoming more attractive for underwater exploration.
Europe adopted freediving much earlier because
it's illegal to spearfish using a scuba tank in many
European countries. And while it's taking hold firmly
among young people in the U.S., freediving appeals to
all age groups because it's recreational, liberates divers
from scuba equipment, is less expensive than scuba
and allows for greater mobility in the water.
So says Andrew Eales, co-owner and instructor at
Formula Freediving in Marathon.
“To recreationally enjoy the ocean,
I'd much rather be freediving,” Eagles
says. “In my 10 years living in the Keys,
I probably have done two tank dives
versus thousands of freedives, and that
was only to get scuba-certified.”
Ancient cultures practiced
freediving to gather food, harvest
resources like sponges and pearls,
reclaim sunken valuables and help
military campaigns. In ancient times,
the absence of devices like scuba
equipment made freediving the only
option to reach appreciable depths.
Commercial freediving may have
begun in ancient Greece, off Kalymnos.
By using weights of as much as 33
pounds, sponge-divers would descend
to depths up to 98 feet for as many as
five minutes to collect sponges. Sponges
weren't the only valuable harvest to
be found on the sea floor; the harvesting of red coral
as well as retrieving a variety of valuable shells or fish
could also be harvested that way.
The Ama divers in Japan began pearl diving about
2,000 years ago and continue to do dives to depths
beyond 66 feet. At one time there were upward of 29,000
PHOTOS BY Andrew Eales
January 2016 | unwind
23
BYE, BYE LIONFISH
Eradicating invasive
lionfish through
spearfishing serves
an important need in
the Keys.
UP CLOSE
AND PERSONAL
A Spearcrazy Charter
boat freediver nailed an
impressive wahoo, partly
because he was able to
get much closer to his
prey than he would have
using scuba.
ISLAND CHARM
spearfishing + Freediving
Freediving is gaining traction as
a preferred way to spearfish. Fish
tend to get closer since there are
no air bubbles and more natural
movement is occurring. There is a
growing contingent of locals who
wouldn't operate any other way.
Capt. James Simcic, who
runs Spearcrazy Charters out of
Captain Hook's Marina in Marathon,
conducts spearfishing trips with one
catch: It's a freediving-only charter.
As a level 2 freediver who has
maxed out at 132 feet and a true
Conch who shot his first fish at
8 years old, he's committed to
freediving. Simcic pre-qualifies his
charter guests by verifying their
freediving certification, reviewing
spearfishing regulations for both
the ocean and the bay and, most
importantly, to know the different
species and what can be speared
versus what's off limits.
Simcic believes that growing up
in the Keys made him more aware of
the spearfishing do's and don'ts.
“I once speared an African
pompano on the Thunderbolt, which
is in federal waters. My boat was
pulled over in state waters and I had
to show my GPS coordinates to the
[state marine officer] to show where
I speared the fish because it's legal
in federal waters but not in state
waters,” Simcic recalled.
Conversely, it's OK to spear hogfish
in state waters but not federal waters.
The two most common types of
spears used are the pole spear and
the Hawaiian sling. The sling is akin
to a bow and arrow with the energy
stored in the rubber tubing rather
than in a wooden or fiberglass bow.
The pole spear consists of a pole,
a spear tip and a rubber loop. Pole
spears are sometimes confused with
Hawaiian slings but the tools differ.
Simcic is optimistic freediving's
growth will continue. He is certified
through Performance Freediving
Instructors, which is essentially to
freediving what PADI (Professional
Association of Diving Instructors) is
to scuba diving and says that PADI
is getting started on developing its
own freediving instructor course.
PHOTOS BY James Simcic & Jose Debasa
course under the guidance and safety
such divers in Japan and Korea.
his instruction provides.
Those divers faced the same
Breathing technique is the most
problems as divers today, such as
important aspect of learning how to
decompression sickness and blacking
freedive. Eales teaches the static apnea
out during a breath hold. Because
breath-hold discipline that teaches
of these dangers, freediving, while
efficient, relaxing and safe breathing
enjoyable, could be deadly.
techniques that discipline the body
Today, freediving is both competitive
to operate without breaths for longer
and recreational. The two approaches
periods of time.
have distinctly different training
The body undergoes several
regimens and physical requirements.
adjustments when oxygen is not
Regardless of the discipline, freediving
being continually pumped in. The
is not as simple as learning to hold
mammalian diving
your breath and
reflex, where the
descend down
heart rate lowers
through the water.
Breathing technique is the
itself automatically
Competitive
most important aspect of
as the lungs
freediving can take
learning how to freedive.
are deprived of
divers to unheard
breaths, optimizes
of depths and is
respiration when underwater for
only for the most skilled. Participants
extended periods of time. The body
strive to set world records and stretch
compensates while without breaths
the limits of human endurance. “Some
to shift blood-flow away from the
people are obsessed with the [depth]
more so than the experience,” Eales says. extremities and redistribute it toward
vital organs such as the heart and
Eales says the human body is built
brain. So while we have the built-in
to freedive. The level 1 Freediving
capability to freedive, harnessing the
Instructors International introductory
skill requires training.
course, which he teaches at his
There are many misperceptions about
Marathon shop, certifies a diver down
the physical capabilities required to
to 66 feet for three minutes on a single
learn to freedive. “You don't have to be
breath of air. He says students of all
an athlete to dive,” Eales says. “Recently
ages and skills are able to complete the
January 2016 | unwind
25
ISLAND CHARM
Old Island Restoration Foundation
Key West House Tours
BEST OF
BOTH WORLDS
The opportunity
to spearfish while
exploring a deep
wreck site is an
underwater daily
double.
What Eales loves about it is its simplicity.
dive of 204 feet.
“Everything about freediving is natural.
Eales was certified as an F.I.I. instructor
Nitrogen is still being absorbed by the body
by Martin Stepanek, a 13-time freediving
at depth but far less than while scuba diving
world-record holder. Before making
because repetitive breathing of compressed
freediving a vocation, Eales earned a
air underwater is what causes nitrogen to
certificate in underwater crime-scene
accumulate”. Because of that difference,
investigation while attending Florida State
divers can surface at
University, graduating
higher speeds and avoid
with a degree in criminal
“Everything about
a safety stop to off-gas
intelligence analysis.
freediving is natural,"
excess nitrogen.
“I was certified in
says Eales.
Unencumbered
underwater forensics.
by gear, a freediver
So if a boat sank or a car
can experience interactions with marine
was submerged, or even if a body had to be
animals in a way unlike that explored while
retrieved from underwater, I was trained
scuba diving. Freedivers love the freedom
to handle that,” he says. Having spent so
and the tranquility the sport offers.
much time in the water, he eventually
The safety of it is similar to scuba diving;
started freediving.
Januar y 15-16, 2016, 4-8pm
February 12-13, 2016, 10am-4pm
March 11-12, 2016, 10am-4pm

Tickets and Information online at
www.oirf.org
e-mail: [email protected] or call (305) 294-9501
PHOTO BY James Simcic
we certified a 73-year-old part-time Keys
resident to 96 feet in a level 2 course. He
wanted to be able to spearfish more freely.”
Austrian Herbert Nitsch is considered
one of the most preeminent freedivers
in the world. His techniques, equipment
and training have been regarded as both
innovative and controversial.
Other famous freedivers include
Francisco “Pipin” Ferreras, a Cuban
freediver renowned for his achievements
in deep freediving and his wife Audrey
Mestre, an equally accomplished freediver
who died in 2002 while attempting a 545
foot dive in the Dominican Republic.
Then there's Mehgan Heaney-Grier, a
part-time Lower Keys resident who set
the U.S. women's record in 1997 with a

Conch Shell Blowing Contest
March 5, 2016, 12 noon
Fun for the whole family!
ily!
ISLAND CHARM
having a dive buddy and staying within
arm's length of a surfacing diver are
both prerequisites. Participants are
discouraged from scuba diving and
freediving in the same day because the
nitrogen your system absorbs during
scuba diving can cause an embolism (air/
gas bubble in the bloodstream), which a
quick freedive ascent could release.
And an important distinction from
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scuba diving is keeping watch on a
freediver for 30 seconds after he or
she surfaces. This is because there is
a delay from when oxygen enters the
body, goes into the lungs and blood
stream, and makes it to the brain.
So if you're ready to shed the
scuba equipment and take a stab at
freediving, there's a whole ocean out
there waiting to be explored.
PATRIOTIC SALUTE
This group of young
men make the sport
of freediving look
effortless.
STICKING
TOGETHER
Freediving buddies
stay within arm's
length as they begin
to surface.
PHOTOS BY James Simcic & Andrew Eales
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81532 Overseas Highway | Islamorada, FL 33036
Waterfront Vista Dining with Spectacular Sunsets!
Open Daily from 11:00 a.m. for Lunch & Dinner
ZANE GREY LOUNGE
Live Entertainment Every Night!
Tuesdays are Jazz Night starting at 6 pm
305-852-2960
2357 Overseas Hwy - Marathon
(305) 743-8316
www.houstonair.com
Call Houston Air for all your air condtioning needs, from service to
replacement we can do it all. Ask about our healty air options.
Licensed and Insured CAC 1815697
LOCAL FLAVOR
Take 10 and unwind
WRITTEN & Photographed BY Jana Vandelaar
A Key Largo Landmark for Over 25 Years!
NATURAL BEAUTY
The view from
Fish in the Lower
Keys has the perfect
blend of beauty
and tranquility.
MAMA'S KEY LIME
Even the no-name
bear at Mangrove
Mama's loves
the homemade
key lime pie.
30
unwind | January 2016
of a landmark for tourists, residents
Mile Markers 20-10
and even lost boaters trying to find the
This journey through the Florida
shoreline in rough weather.
Keys feels like a great romance coming
Fat Albert is actually one of nine
to the end. We always knew the magic
Tethered Aerostat Radar Systems or
couldn’t continue on indefinitely, but
TARS. Their primary mission is to
we still embraced it and got to know
provide low-level radar surveillance/
the ninety miles intimately. Like a
aircraft detection, helping federal
fireworks show, these 10 miles have
agencies protect the U.S. borders by
some amazing colors and will touch
intercepting drug smugglers and other
your heart, preparing you for the
illegal activities.
explosive final 10 in our next issue.
Fat Albert has a rich history with
21 - Fat Albert – The Blimp
some fascinating stories. Some of
Sometimes you have to step back
them are like fish stories – a little
before you can move forward. We are
hard to believe, but fun to hear about
doing just that by introducing our
anyway. For example, in 1984, Fat Albert
readers to Fat Albert, which
snapped free of its tether because of
can be found on Blimp Road
inclement weather. Its towline dragged
(of course). Since it is tethered
along the ground, snagging anything
2
at 10,000
in its path – trees,
1
feet in the
telephone wires,
Fat Albert can be found
air, and watches
and, believe it or
on Blimp Road (of course)
over the lower Keys
not, a 28-foot boat
like a ginormous
as well.
white angel, Fat Albert must be
This “story” varies, as one version
included in this portion of our crawl.
states a lone fisherman hung on to the
Even though it’s in the air, Fat Albert
sides of the boat as it began rising out
has managed to become somewhat
of the water, up to 10,000 feet. Another
96311 Overseas Highway
Key Largo, Fl 33037
Two Restaurants, one Key Largo location. Mile Market 102.4
Both restaurants specializing in fresh seafood and fresh fish
from local commercial fisherman filleted daily on premise
Open Daily!
Lunch 11:30 am to 4 pm
Dinner 4 pm to 10 pm
102401 Overseas Hwy
305.451.4665
Enjoy the nautical atmosphere of the Fish House Restaurant
& Seafood Market, An authentic Keys dining experience
Ellie Donofrio (305) 394-2901 Cindy Donofrio (305) 394-0724
keyscountryrealty.com
[email protected]
keyscountryrealty.com
[email protected]
Enjoy the tropical atmosphere of The Fish House
Encore Restaurant and Sushi Bar!
Tropical Outdoor Dining • Lounge Dining
Indoor Dining • Live Entertainment
Carol Betts Keller
305-394-1767
[email protected]
Alicia O. Lozano 305-896-7974
paradisefound.com
[email protected]
Restaurant & Sushi Bar
Open for dinner 5 pm
Reservations
305.451.0650
102341 Overseas Hwy Key Largo
LOCAL FLAVOR
GOOD PLACE
The Good family
has run the
seductive Sugarloaf
Lodge for over
four decades.
ALL ROADS LEAD HERE
No matter where you
come from or where
you've been, all roads
lead to Mangrove
Mama's.
CRAZY COCKTAILS
A newer waterfront
dining option is Fish,
which has a great
selection of delicious
drink concoctions.
LOCK AND LOAD
The Big Coppitt Gun
Club welcomes
shooting enthusiasts
looking to sharpen
their skills.
version says the boat carried four
fishermen with Fat Albert occasionally
lifting the boat up into the air as well,
until a Navy jet shot the blimp down.
The facts may have gotten a bit
distorted over the years, but it’s still a
great story. Like most of the locals with
crazier stories of their own, Fat Albert
belongs here. We not only depend on
it, but Fat Albert has found its way into
our hearts.
20 - Mangrove Mama’s
drinks, like Angry Banana and Strawberry
Shortcake Martini, pop with a new
energy that gives your heart that extra
beat. Fish is a new kid who’s suddenly
become the heartthrob of the town.
10.5 - Big Coppitt Gun Club
weather. As they say, “If the water
gets too high, we’ll simply take off our
shoes and continue drinking…” and
enjoying the entertainment offered
seven days a week.
Mangrove Mama’s also has a great
Bloody Mary bar on Sunday mornings.
Clearly, the only thing missing is a
proper name for their giant bear. Maybe
after a few Bloody Mary’s…
17 - Sugarloaf Lodge Restaurant &
Tiki Bar
Who knew a pineapple from Hawaii
The only thing that beats a fabulous
would be the beginning of something
dessert is a giant bear hug from one
as beautiful as Sugarloaf Lodge?
of the proprietors of the restaurant.
According to its website,
Mangrove Mama’s offers both to
“Sugarloaf gets its name
their customers. They’ve used
as it was once a Pineapple
the same award-winning recipe
2
1
Plantation and grew a sweet
for their delectable key lime pie
0
7
white pineapple from Hawaii
since the restaurant’s inception,
known as the ‘Sugarloaf.’”
and they have a huge, seven-foot bear
Owned for more than four decades
permanently tucked in the back corner.
by the Good family, it’s obviously full of
Surprisingly, he’s been there for years
love. The Good family even grew up with
but still doesn’t have a name.
Sugar, a bottlenose dolphin, who happily
Mangrove Mama’s was originally built
entertained
to be a home for the
everyone for
Flagler Railroad rail
years.
stop agent in 1905
Sugarloaf Tiki Bar has
Today, there
before morphing
become a favorite for
are
still plenty
into a gas station.
locals who love Tuesday’s
of activities to
Today it’s the
Tutu Trivia Night.
enjoy such as
ultimate Keysie
kayaking, paddle
restaurant, complete
boarding, painting, biking, yoga classes
with funky hand-painted signs, a gazebo,
on the beach and even skydiving! And, if
banana trees and outstanding food.
your tummy needs some love, try their
Lobster Reubens and blackened mahi
restaurant called Sugarloaf Pizza, which
tacos are the secret long-time favorites.
also serves breakfast. All 31 rooms have
Mangrove Mama’s delivers anything on
complimentary dockage that overlook
their menu, including their homemade
the bay with views that make hearts soar.
pizza, which is nice to know for those
Sugarloaf Tiki Bar has become a
rainy days.
favorite for locals who love to participate
But most locals still like to go to
in Tuesday’s Tutu Trivia Night, so if
Mangrove Mama’s despite inclement
32
unwind | January 2016
you happen to be in town or staying
with them on a Tuesday, don’t forget to
pack an extra tutu. Bring one for your
dog too-too, as Sugarloaf Lodge is pet
friendly. Obviously Sugarloaf Lodge was
aptly named — after all, a pineapple is
the symbol for hospitality.
17 - The Bat Tower
Whether you love bats, historical
landmarks or crazy stories, the
Sugarloaf Key Bat Tower is worth reading
about. It was built in 1929 by
developer Richter Clyde Perky
for $10,000 to attract bats and
1
then, in effect, have them eat
7
the mosquitoes that swarmed
the Keys at the time.
Essentially, it was the first mosquito
repellent invented. Sadly not a single
bat has ever been recorded inhabiting
the 30-foot tower, but it still stands
today, miraculously surviving many
devastating hurricanes over the years.
It is now listed in the National Register
of Historic Places. Your heart can’t help
but fall in love with any attempt (albeit,
a failed attempt, but still… Perky’s heart
was in the right place) to find a natural
solution for mosquito control.
crapshoot. Inspired by its history, current
owners, Gary and Olga embraced and
adopted Baby's name and opened up
Baby’s Coffee at its current location.
Today, once an innocent tourist or
local happens to stop at Baby’s Coffee
for a caffeine fix, they are hooked and
will never be able to drive by this place
again without stopping. It’s better than
the taste of love itself.
14.5 - Fish
If you yearn for a new love, Fish is
the place to visit. Business partners,
McKnight, Moline (owners of two other
successful Key West restaurants) and
Gwynne just opened the waterfront
property in October 2015, and it has
already captured the hearts of
the locals.
Their vision for Fish is to
1
give the lower Keys a “unique,
4
casual, fine dining experience”
and they pull it off with relaxed guests
dressed in shorts and summer dresses
enjoying crazy delectable items like a
Tuna Tartare Taco appetizer followed by
a Stuffed Pork Loin (panko crusted pork
tenderloin stuffed with bacon and egg,
chorizo sausage, garlic, onion, cheese and
key lime sour cream… wow!) Even their
Some people love flowers, some
people love guns. Big Coppitt Gun Club
welcomes customers over 18 on a walkin basis. They have everything
you need – ear protection,
guns, targets, ammunition, eye
1
protection, etc., so it’s easy for
0
you and a buddy (or a loved one)
to pop in and share one of their six lanes.
Believe it or not, this is one place in
the Keys where they discourage low-cut
tops and even flip-flops. Shells are hot
as they drop out of the guns, and if they
fall down open blouses or onto exposed
toes, the victims quickly learn a new
dance. Big Coppitt Gun Club calls it the
Shell Dance, and it might not be worth
learning the moves… especially if you
want to impress that loved one.
KEYS TROPICAL
WINDOWS
& DOORS
Lu nch, Din ner &
Fa bulou s Su nsets!
305-853-1124
Licensed & Insured
Monthly
Polynesian
Luau &
Pig Roast
Party
15 - Baby’s Coffee
It’s hard to find a person who
doesn’t love a good cup of coffee
first thing in the morning, and Baby’s
Coffee makes Starbucks look
like a bunch of copy beans
instead of coffee beans.
1
In the 1920’s, a Cuban family
5
owned the original buildings
on Duval Street and named them Baby’s
Place after their son, Baby Rodriguez. He
eventually turned it into a cantina where
Ernest Hemingway was reputed to play
Daily Happy Hour • Sunset Celebration
Nightly Entertainment
Private Events
RECOMMENDED
305-453-5004 • www.snooks.com
Key Largo MM 99.8 Southbound Lane Behind Traffic Light
Serving Monroe, Dade, Broward
and Lee Counties
Commercial & Residential
[email protected] • MM 92.5 • Tavernier, FL
LOCAL FLAVOR
TUCKED away
A reputed
smuggler's haven
way back when, the
Geiger Key Marina
and Fish Camp still
hides today among
thick mangroves.
FLORIDA KEYS REAL ESTATE
Key Largo
305-451-1500
Big Pine
305-735-4322
GONE BATTY
The Bat Tower was
one of the first
attempts to control
mosquitos almost
a hundred years ago.
Their website describes it best: “An old
Florida Fish Camp… the way the Keys
used to be.”
Although Geiger Key Marina is
surrounded by big open water, it’s
tucked away in thick mangroves, which
supports an old story that this area was a
base for smugglers back in the day. It was
a perfect place to bring the smuggled
square grouper (marijuana bales) on
10.5 - Geiger Key Marina & Fish Camp
When PEOPLE Magazine featured
Food Network’s Curtis Stone’s Best
Beachside Restaurants, Geiger Key
Marina & Fish Camp was
included. No big surprise.
Geiger Key Marina has been
1
operating for more than 50
0
years and obviously knows the
secret to success – keeping it authentic.
land and stash it in the lush mangroves.
Today, in vast contrast, you will only find
a top-rated RV site, paddleboards, kayaks
and, more importantly, peace.
Sit back and enjoy a Geiger Punch
— a drink loaded with lots of different
rum, blackberries, raspberry vodka and
pink lemonade — at their waterfront
restaurant, Fish Camp. Enjoy a grouper
cheek appetizer, the hogfish tacos and
PERFECT TEN
Both their location
and their prime rib
make Bobalu's a hit
with locals.
Islamorada
305-664-4637
Sugarloaf
305-745-1856
Marathon
305-289-5670
Key West
305-292-2923
www.c21Schwartz.com
Real Estate Sales, Property Management & Vacation Rentals
Each office is individually owned and operated.
Marathon
305-289-5670
Key West
305-292-2923
the conch salad — just a few of the
locals’ favorites and probably why Curtis
Stone fell in love with Geiger Marina.
10 - Bobalu’s
LOGICAL LOCALE
There's no better
place for the
tethered blimp, Fat
Albert, to reside
than on Blimp Rd.
FLORIDA KEYS REAL ESTATE
Key Largo
305-451-1500
Big Pine
305-735-4322
Islamorada
305-664-4637
Sugarloaf
305-745-1856
JAVA JOINT
Baby's Coffee has
both a rich history
and an equally rich
selection of delicious
coffees.
Tina and Steve, the owners of
Bobalu’s call it the Perfect Ten because
they are located directly on mile
marker 10. Before moving from
Central Florida, Steve won
17 Golden Fork Awards and
1
0
was titled King of the Wings.
His prime rib is still missed
in Citrus County since they took over
Bobalu’s in June 2014.
Fortunately, Central Florida’s loss is
our gain. Steve arrives at 4 p.m. sharp
every day and makes a succulent prime
rib to serve as the nightly special —
which always sells out before they close,
so get there early. And Tina reminded
us that no one cooks fish better than a
fisherman (Steve’s passion), so definitely
try their stuffed grouper or be sure to
bring in your own catch and have it
cooked up by the man himself.
It’s even easier to fall in love with
Tina’s homemade desserts. Her key lime
pie with meringue topping is always
a favorite, but her four-layer cakes
manage to sell out faster than Steve’s
prime rib. Babolu’s is like a delicious
hug… a place to go when you’re missing
your family. The minute you step inside,
you’ll feel at home.
We’ve officially made it through 100 miles
and learning every secret and nuance has
somehow made our love for the Keys deeper than
ever. Even though we are coming to the end of
the road—the southernmost road in America—
we still have mile markers 10-0 to cover in the
next heart-stopping issue of UNWIND.
www.c21Schwartz.com
Real Estate Sales, Property Management & Vacation Rentals
Each office is individually owned and operated.
MARKET
MARKET
Florida Keys Showcase
Florida Keys Showcase
Experience, Professionalism and Service You Can Count On.
Dreaming of Island Living?
Searching for Luxury or
Casual Keys Living?
I can Assist You...
Brenda Alexander,
Marine Propeller Sales & Repair
roker
ssociAte
MRI
Scanning
Dyno Balancing
Mobile Welding
Serving
Key Largo to Key
West
zoe
@zoeinthekeys
.com
B
A
305.393.2888
Broker Associate
.zoeinthekeys.com
www
305-414-8721
[email protected]
islaMorada
Vacation Rentals
Long Term Rentals & Sales
Andi Saylor, Owner/Broker
MM 83.2 Old Highway
Islamorada, Florida 33070
305-664-8808
KeysHolidayRentals.com
WWW.ISLANDFLASH.COM
Keys
305-743-6732
geminiprinting.com
Residential & Commercial
Dreaming of Island Living?
Searching for Luxury or
Casual Keys Living?
I can Assist You...
Brenda Alexander,
305-414-8721
[email protected]
305-481-5156
KeysIslandSales.com
ISLAND FLASH
BEAD DESIGNS
Florida Keys Showcase
MARKET
305-664-0799
islandelevatorinc.com
BEADS • SUPPLIES
NEW CONSTRUCTION
STRUCTURAL SHELLS
REMODELING
RESIDENTIAL
COMMERCIAL
Rhonda L. Simonds-Brewer
JohnCRS,
Esslinger
GRl,
Broker/Partner
Local
KnowledgeGlobal
& Expertise
Your Exclusive
State Certified
Connection
In The
General
Contractor
Upper
Keys.
Office: 305.664.8900
305-393-0513
Cell: 305.664.6665
[email protected]
islandvillaconstruction.com
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
CUSTOM JEWELRY
Mon. - Fri. 10:30 AM - 5 PM
Sat. 10 AM - 2 PM
305-853-0855
Plaza 88 • 88005 O/S Hwy
Books-Magazines-Flyers
Business and Greeting Cards
All Types of Printing Done
On Premises using the
Latest Technology and
in House Graphics
305-664-8808
KeysHolidayRentals.com
Product Name
To Go Here
Each Office Is Independently
Owned
and Operated.
TOOLS
• LESSONS
Broker Associate
Vacation Rentals
Long Term Rentals & Sales
Andi Saylor, Owner/Broker
MM 83.2 Old Highway
Islamorada, Florida 33070
81888 Overseas Highway, Islamorada, Florida 33036
www.floridakeysnativeconnection.com
Elevator Service/Repair
Modernization
Installation
•
•
•
•
•
• F lorida
Books-Magazines-Flyers
Business and Greeting Cards
All Types of Printing Done
On Premises using the
Latest Technology and
in House Graphics
We Are.
Local Experts
Patti Stanley
Broker Associate, Top Sales Agent
305.393.4433
[email protected]
Mary C. Williams
305-481-5156
KeysIslandSales.com
COMING SOON!
Marine Propeller Sales & Repair
MRI Scanning
Dyno Balancing
Mobile Welding
Serving Key Largo to Key West
Mary C. Williams
Elevator Service/Repair
Modernization
Installation
305-664-0799
islandelevatorinc.com
305-743-6732
geminiprinting.com
WWW.ISLANDFLASH.COM
ZCOMING
oe M
ayclin
SOON!
GIORGIONE
Greater
Marathon
FINE ART GALLERY
Chamber
March 12-13, 2016
Weekly Wine & Painting Parties!
Marathon Community Park
Enjoy
seafood,
Comefresh
join FL
theKeys
fun and
paintlive
entertainment,
over 200 vendors,
with a former Rockette
cold
beer, wine,
kids games/rides,
& Broadway
Entertainer.
40th Original Marathon Seafood
Festival! Sea you there!
305-407-0225
305-743-5417
www.giorgionefineart.com
MarathonSeafoodFest.com
BEADS • SUPPLIES
TOOLS • LESSONS
CUSTOM JEWELRY
Mon. - Fri. 10:30 AM - 5 PM
Sat. 10 AM - 2 PM
305-853-0855
Plaza 88 • 88005 O/S Hwy
GIORGIONE
FINE ART GALLERY
of
Oil paintings, Commerce
giclees, commissions.
ISLAND FLASH
BEAD DESIGNS
Product Name
To Go Here
Rhonda L. Simonds-Brewer
GRl, CRS, Broker/Partner
Your Exclusive Global
Connection In The
Upper Keys.
305-393-0513
[email protected]
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
Oil paintings,
giclees, commissions.
Weekly Wine & Painting Parties!
Come join the fun and paint
with a former Rockette
& Broadway Entertainer.
305-407-0225
www.giorgionefineart.com
ESSENTIALS
H •O •M •E
Cocktails!
Home Ownership Means Everything
2
with a kick
We have a variety of home
loan programs to help you:
n
n
n
n
3
4
1
1 Fig Flip
A classic cocktail is
re-invented. The fig flip
includes an egg white to
provide the foamy top,
which was the way the
drink was prepared
in the 1700’s. Combine
cane sugar, fresh lemon
juice, Willett Bourbon, fig
puree and ice together
to form a decadent treat,
just like in olden times.
Enjoy: At Oo-Tray in
Islamorada.
2 Tiki Cocktail
Adventure here if you
will! The Tiki cocktail is
back, with a mix of light
and dark rum, brandy,
orgeat syrup, orange
juice and pineapple
juice. Then it’s set on
fire to create both a
showpiece as well as
a hearty cocktail.
Serves 2-4.
Enjoy: At the Pilot
House in Key Largo.
3 Grande Cornita
Get a double shot of
Mexico in this fun
cocktail! It combines
tequila, triple sec, lime
juice and a Gran Marnier
floater with a mini-Corona
to form a refreshing
escape from
the real world.
Enjoy: At Tranquility Bay
in Marathon.
Purchase a new home: primary,
secondary or investment.
Refinance to lower your current
rate.
Construction to perm loans with
one-time closing.
Purchase a home and renovate.
Call or visit our mortgage
experts today.
Key Largo Office
100150 Overseas Highway
Key Largo, FL 33037
305-451-5733
Tavernier Office
91390 Overseas Highway
Tavernier, FL 33070
305-852-0516
4 Banana Bread
Old Fashion
This delicious twist on an
old favorite starts with a
sugar cube and Fee
Brothers Black Walnut
Bitters. That's muddled
together with 2.5 oz. of
Jim Beam Black, 3/4
oz of Banana du Bresil (a
Brazilian Banana Liqueur)
and topped with a dash
of Saint George Spice
Pear Liqueur.
NMLS#441254
CommunityBankFL.com
Enjoy: At Caroline’s
Other Side in Key West.
Member FDIC LENDER
EQUAL HOUSING
38
unwind | January 2016