- Enjoy beautiful views of the islanders' sanctuaries as well as fascinating stories and histories of the grounds where gardens now grow - Venture off the beaten track and follow this garden path throughout the island of Key West

"Sparks fly for a second time when award-winning photographer and prodigal son Alejandro ends up back home, forced to face the familia--and the girl he left behind--for the first time in years. Can these two Key West natives learn to put away old hurts and embrace a new future under the tropical sun?"--

An illustrated book on Key West's famous Conch houses. History, architectural traditions, floor plans and exploded views, construction methods, hard to find items, gingerbread patterns, tropical flora included.

Describes building styles found in Key West, the southernmost of the Florida keys, and identifies the Spanish, Victorian, and Caribbean influences on the local homes.

"Lucy makes my toes itch! I can't wait to get out and explore all the destinations she describes."--Sandy Huff, author of Paddler's Guide to the Sunshine State "By using modern technologies like GPS coordinates and internet resources, 50 Great Walks in Florida brings the genre of tour guides clicking and screening into the twenty-first century."--Lars Andersen, author of Payne's Prairie: A History and Guide From the deepest swamps to the most civilized sidewalks, 50 Great Walks in Florida features the best short, but significant, outdoor jaunts in the Sunshine State. Experienced tour guide Lucy Tobias fills each page with fascinating local history and vivid descriptions of the sights and sites encountered along the way. 50 Great Walks in Florida is divided by geographic regions and each section includes at least one beach or wetlands walk, a historic walk, a garden walk, a place to see wildlife, and one locale with an unusual natural feature. Included are the Vietnam Memorial, Gulf Islands National Seashore, Coca-Cola Town, Ybor City Fresh Market, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, and even a ghost tour! Tobias recommends additional activities for each walk and offers suggestions for where to stop nearby, including local restaurants, to enhance the regional and cultural experience. This handy guide includes comprehensive locator maps, listings of trip essentials, and useful warnings about possible dangers such as poisonwood sap. These manageable walks will appeal to tourists in search of the real Florida, as well as to residents who want to become better acquainted with their state but still be done in time for lunch. Though shoes may be required, backpacks are not.

Two incredible books in one. Haunted Key West tells tales from ten of Key Wests favorite hauntings including the ghost of Ernest Hemingway, the lady in blue and the ghost of US. Strange Key West takes you beyond the supernatural with amazing stories about voodoo curses, bizarre cemeteries and a grotto that protects the island from hurricanes.

The Straits of Florida is a 110-mile sea passage between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean bordered on the northern side by the Florida Keys and the Florida Reef. In its waters, along the reef, and on desolate keys, thousands of men and women have died in shipwrecks, attacks by natives, sea battles, and pirate boardings. Few of their stories have survived, but those that have tell gripping tales of their struggles against the perils of the sea and the onslaughts of men. This book presents a selection of such stories during the age of sail from the time Spanish navigators discovered the Straits to the end of the Second Seminole War in 1842. Excerpted from ships' logs, captains' diaries, court-martial transcripts, and newspaper accounts, the stories in this volume—a companion to The Florida Keys, Volume 1: A History of the Pioneers—will make you glad you live in a modern world. Read harrowing tales of the cruelty and torture inflicted on mariners at the hands of bloodthirsty pirates; of pistol and cannon battles between merchant ships and wayward privateers; and of the hardships endured by some of Florida's earliest settlers. Sprinkled with hand-drawn illustrations, photographs, and maps depicting the lay of the land during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, this book presents a scholarly, historically accurate account of life on the Keys and in the perilous Straits of Florida during the age of sail. An index and extensive bibliography are included. Next in series > > See all of the books in this series

ÒIf you want to successfully add more bold fronds and a tropical style to your landscape,ÊDesigning With PalmsÊis the comprehensive book for you.Ó ÑGardenistaÊ Palms are a landscape staple in warm, temperate climates worldwide. But these stunning and statement-making plants are large, expensive, and difficult to install, resulting in unique design challenges.ÊIn Designing with Palms, palm expert Jason Dewees details every major aspect of designing and caring for palms. This definitive guide shares essential information on planting, irrigation, nutrition, pruning, and transplanting. A gallery of the most important species showcases the range of options available, and stunning photographs by Caitlin Atkinson spotlight examples of home and public landscapes that make excellent use of palms.

A history of Key West through its street names.

Today, on the Keys between Key West and the mainland, some 40,000 residents and thousands of visitors fish, swim, sail, and dive in the crystal clear waters off a tropical reef; relax in the sun and cooling trade wind breezes; and sleep in the air-conditioned comfort of their homes and hotel rooms. On these same islands, as short a time as 80 years ago, fewer than 300 inhabitants tried to eke out a living without benefit of electricity, running water, radios, or telephones. Tormented by clouds of voracious mosquitoes and no-see-ums, broiled by the tropical sun, they lived in thatched-roof homes regularly flattened by hurricane winds. Weeks would go by before some passing sailboat brought them news of the outside world or their relatives. The stories of these hardy pioneers and their predecessors, as far back as the Native Americans who lived on the Keys at least 1,000 years ago, are told, many for the first time, in this book. As vividly portrayed as if they were characters in a novel, these true-life inhabitants of the Florida Keys will capture your admiration as you share in the dreams and realities of their daily lives. Includes Don Diego, a Spanish-speaking native who led in shipwreck plundering in the early 18th century; Jacob Housman, an unscrupulous wrecking captain who amassed a fortune and lost it when Indians burned his town to the ground; Dr. Perrine, a scientist who was killed by Indians; the African Americans who made charcoal for the stoves of Key West; and the indomitable Lily Bow, who eked out a living on remote Cudjoe Key. Next in series > > See all of the books in this series