It’s been forever since I was in the Keys (of South Florida fame), so thought I’d take an on line trip down the not so distantly storm damaged chain of islands that were strung together at the turn of the 19th into the early 20th century by a rail road that “went to sea and was damaged in a mid depression storm (another ‘caine) which ended the railway, which was soon replaced by a road way for motor cars which has managed to stay in existence ever since.

The Keys use to be the crazy place, one of the few real outposts that those of us who didn’t want to brave the coldness of Alaska, or the forgiveness of a strange language of a foreign port could escape to and still maintain their life in the all too straight “real” world, could escape to without destroying our bank accounts or digging out our passports.  But with each passing year when I continued to visit and now that I am just watching from afar, I fear that the horrors of civilization are taming, eviscerating and making extinct the spirit of those who use too live there–and the true free spirits have moved on to places (so few and far between) where there are still those who are original and free spirited.

So stating today I am going to start searching for those things I knew here to see what is left on this land that was once the home to pirates, wreckers,  wicked dolls and even x-ray techs with a taste of love with the unliving—to see how far it is sinking into the mainstream.  Maybe if there is enough left we can return there in reality—if not we can morn its passing

John Huston (The Maltese Falcon) directed this smart thriller about a gangster (Edward G. Robinson) who holds a number of people hostage in a hotel in the Florida Keys during a tropical storm. Humphrey Bogart is the returning war veteran who takes on the villains, and Lauren Bacall is on hand as one of the people on the wrong end of Robinson’s gun.

Tom Keogh

1972 33 1/3 Vinyl LP of 3 Record Set Original Concert For Bangladesh

First stop is Key Largo….it’s had a bridge to the mainland for several years before there was an Overseas Highway …they even made a movie of the same name  (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040506/)  —however the movie starring Humphrey Bogart was actually filmed by John Hurston on Hollywood back lot and except for a couple of place that were used—the only one  that I can find that’s still about today–The Caribbean Club (https://www.caribbeanclubkl.com/ )  and It was never one of my stops on the way to Key Weird—

While Hurston and Boggie never made it to Key Largo, something else they were both familiar with did:

The African Queen

http://africanqueenflkeys.com/index.html

Key West has had some interesting occupants—Homer Ludwig, reportedly a sailor that jumped ship in Key West in the 1870s and lived there for several years becoming a self proclaimed historian for the Keys—and eventually became a treasure hunter—eventually moving up the chain of island in search of this treasure, finally settling in Key Largo where he reportedly thought the treasure was to be found.  Once on Largo he went about building a house of drift wood and a boat for which he used to go to the village that at this time was Miami, to buy his favorite food sardines and crackers.  In 1908 while he was reportedly on his way to the mainland a storm came up and he and his boat were never seen again—leaving some who insisted that the treasure still remains on Key Largo.

Key Largo Underseas Park

• https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g34344-d218567-Reviews-Key_Largo_Undersea_Park-Key_Largo_Florida_Keys_Florida.html

51 Shoreland Dr
Key Largo, FL 33037

(305) 451-2353

My favorite part of this attraction which I have never been too but it looks worth a trip is the underseas hotel.  Located in the lagoon at Key Largo Undersea Park, Jules’  http://jul.com/    this is the world’s only underwater hotel! In addition to overnight stays in the Lodge, the Park offers a SCUBA training location in its Lagoon, with a depth of up to 30′ in a protected setting.  Some of their visitors have included Aerosmith’s Steve Tyler, actor Tim Allen and former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau!

and the island also boasts the First under seas Park

• John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
• http://pennekamppark.com/
• 102601 Overseas Highway (MM 102.5)
• Key Largo, FL 33037
• P.O. Box 1560
• (305) 451-6300

The park boasts nearly 500 species of fish and 50 varieties of coral.  For those who don’t dive there are also Glassbottom boat rides—and the famous Christ of the Deep

The Jewfish, Florida post office was opened on February 8, 1912 until May 31, 1921, when it was renamed Key Largo.

Alabama Jack’s

https://www.floridabeachbar.com/alabama-jacks

58000 Card Sound Road
Key Largo, FL 33037
(305) 248-8741

One of those funky places and a bit hard to find—that the Keys use to be known for

To get there take Card Sound Road heading out of Key Largo. Cross the toll bridge–you’ll need cash (was a $1)  Alabama Jack’s is on your left. 

and some other inhabitants you can’t miss are the Dolphins

Dolphins Plus Bayside

https://www.dolphinsplus.com/

101900 Overseas Hwy
Key Largo, FL 33037
Located at MM 102 Bayside
Toll Free: 1-866-860-7946

where you can swim with, even paint with the popular sea creatures

There’s also a

Florida Wild Bird Rehab Center

https://www.missionwildbird.com/

• 93600 Overseas Hwy,
• Tavernier, FL 33070
•  (305) 852-4486
• in case you prefer the feathered inhabitants.

   The 1639 Johannes Vingboons, a Dutch cartographer, chart labeled the island of Key Largo as “Caio dos 12 Ligues.” The Roggeveen chart of 1675 referred to it as “Caio dos Doces Leugnes (Key of 12 leagues).” The 1733 Spanish chart made during the effort to recover the treasure of the New Spain armada after its sinking off of the Upper Keys referred to Key Largo as “Cayo Largo.”  Another chart made in 1760 by J. Proctor also named it “Cayo Largo.” The William De Brahm chart of 1772 shows it as “Peninsular Larga.” Bernard Romans published a 1774 chart that used the specific words “Key Largo.” 

HISTORY OF
KEY LARGO

By Jerry Wilkinson