Category: Florida

Tampa, FL: Getting Ready & Getting There

Books:

    • Cigar City Mafia by Scott M. Deitche tells the tale of bootleggers, gambling, ringleaders, arsonists, narcotics dealers and gang murders―a variety of characters who flourished in the era known as Prohibition. Tampa, Florida was where they battled for supremacy of the criminal underworld.
    •  The Immigrant World of Ybor City by Gary R. Morimino & George E. Pozzetta  is a compelling attempt to assess the relationships over the last century among class, culture and community in the forging of the Italian experience in Ybor City.

Getting There – Drive if you must, or FLY.

    • Drive: It’s a long haul from just about anywhere other than the east coast.
    • Fly: My favorite airlines to Tampa are Southwest, Delta & American.

Miami, FL: Getting Around & Accommodations

Getting Around:

    • Lyft, Uber or taxis to and from the airport.
    • Lyft, Uber or taxis to get around the city. No need to rent a car and pay for expensive parking.

Accommodations – Most of these are historic/boutique in the Miami Beach area, but know that all hotels use surge pricing during major events.

MAP

Miami, FL: Eating & Drinking

Most of the restaurants listed here are old school or historic in some way. I have also added some excellent, farm to table choices. Enjoy!

MAP

 

Miami, FL: Things to Do

MAP

Key West, FL: Getting Ready & Getting There

Books – Lots to choose from:

Getting There – Just fly directly to Key West (with a few stops) or fly to Miami/Ft. Lauderdale and either drive or take a shuttle down to the Keys (approximately 4 hours).

Key West, FL: Getting Around & Accommodations

Getting Around:

    • To and from the airport, I prefer Lyft or Uber. No need to rent a car.
    • Lots of bicycles to rent if you don’t want to walk – I walk pretty much everywhere.

Accommodations:

Since Key West is a HUGE tourist destination, there are hundreds of small hotels and B&Bs. Options include:

MAP

Key West, FL: Eating & Drinking

Restaurants/Pubs/Bars – Just about every restaurant/bar in Key West has a thriving live music schedule. This is a long list mostly because I go here so often, I keep finding hidden gems:

MAP

Key West, FL: Things to do

Things to do year-round – Yes, it’s an island, but it’s full of life and history… lots of history:

Things to do seasonally – Two amazing music festivals each year, celebrating singer/songwriters are an excellent reason to visit:

MAP