Danilo Alayon is a fifth-generation “Conch” born and raised in Key West, an avid diver, a self-taught artist and proud grandson of the creator-painter of the island’s famed Southernmost Point buoy.

Danilo has embraced a unique form of artistry: he converts old, nicked and rusty scuba tanks into sustainable and luminously colorful works.

Through his original creations, Danilo draws attention to the Florida Keys’ underwater marine life with brilliant paintings of marlin, whales, dolphins, grouper, sea turtles and coral.

Danilo hails from a large Key West–rooted family that includes a brother and 12 first cousins. As a student in the island city, he was known for winning school art contests.

After high school, Danilo held a variety of jobs that included working at a yacht club kitchen and his family’s plumbing business. Today, he paints during about half of his working time and also tackles landscape design projects.

Now 35 years old, Danilo began painting scuba tanks about five years ago after a client suggested it as a commission. One collector, who doesn’t dive, has purchased five. The artist also paints spearfishing guns, guitars and canvas works.

Inspired by internationally renowned marine life artist Wyland, Danilo has collaborated with Hawaii-based artist Walfrido Garcia on a dive tank project on the Big Island and Maui. Danilo also created a colorful abstract 4-by-7.5-foot painting in the lobby of the Wyvern Hotel in Punta Gorda, Florida.

“I believe art can be taught, but I also believe you are born with (a talent),” he said. “I’m self-taught, but always learning new things.”

Although he recently purchased property in Port Charlotte, Florida, where some of his family members are relocating, Danilo can be found frequently around town and at Art on Duval Key West at 714 Duval St.

He and wife Ashley have three children: Alina, 14; Danilo, 11; and Austin, 7. In the near future, he hopes to open his own gallery.

Keys Voices: When did you first come to the Keys and why? 

Danilo Alayon: I was born in Key West in 1987. My home has always been Key West.

KV: What aspects of the Keys environment or way of life matter most to you? 

DA: The preservation of our coral reefs. Without them, all life would cease to exist. The coral reefs are also what give the Florida Keys their special beauty.

KV: Who or what inspired you to become passionate about respecting and protecting the Keys’ natural world? 

DA: My inspiration for creating my artwork is highly influenced by the creation all around us. I also have been inspired to create by spending many hours with my grandfather Danny Acosta, who is a sign painter and who has made his mark in Key West for many years. He is the original creator and painter of the Southernmost Point buoy that every tourist stops to take a picture with. 

KV: How does that passion influence your work? 

DA: When I create new pieces of art, it doesn’t feel like a job. I only paint from personal inspiration, without a deadline, so that the work doesn’t feel forced.

KV: What are some ways, personally or through your work, that you connect with or help to protect the local environment and unique lifestyle? 

DA: I hope that people will fall in love with the marine life and seascape pieces I create and see the beauty this world has to offer. It may move them to recycle more or leave less of a carbon footprint. In one way, I am trying to do this personally by painting old scuba tanks instead of them being trashed into a huge landfill. I create works of art that people can enjoy in their homes for many years.

KV: What keeps you energized, challenged or focused on your path? 

DA: My family and the natural world of the Keys help to provide inspiration.

KV: What do you hope your positive environmental actions will accomplish? 

DA: Change, so that our children grow up and are able to experience the beauty of creation.

KV: What’s your favorite natural or eco-friendly activity in the Keys? 

DA: Fishing, diving and spending time with family at the beach.

KV: What message do you want your actions and example to communicate to people you encounter? 

DA: Awareness that we all can do a little — and if we all do a little, in turn we will accomplish a lot.

The community of Marathon, located in the Middle Florida Keys, features wonderful wildlife rehabilitation facilities, a lively performance theater and a variety of cozy inns, luxury resorts, waterside vacation homes, RV parks, marinas and casual dining emporiums.

When you visit the Middle Keys, you’ll also find creative spaces, natural attractions, scenic parks, trails, sightseeing spots and historic sites that make for an appealing blend of heritage, culture and nature. For example …

Crane Point Hammock Museum & Nature Trail. Recently listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this 63.5-acre tract at 5550 Overseas Highway (mile marker 50.5) is one of the most important archaeological sites in the Florida Keys — it even contains evidence of prehistoric Indian artifacts, and once was the site of a Bahamian village. The attraction’s on-site Adderly House, built in 1904 as a classic Bahamian-style home, is the oldest Keys house outside of Key West (and it’s listed on the National Register too).

Also on-site stands a bright-red Florida East Coast Railway train car, located at the site of Marathon’s original train station, and the Crane House that dates back to 1954. The Crane House, renovated in late 2021, is the Keys’ first venue outside of Key West to earn the Historic Florida Keys Foundation star designation. Surrounding the Museum of Natural History of the Florida Keys and the Florida Keys Children’s Museum are a kayak launch, shaded nature trails and natural habitat for birds and butterflies. Ask about the completely unique “fish pedicure” — you’ll be glad you did!

Marathon Wild Bird Center. Within Crane Point’s captivating flora is the small facility whose volunteers and local veterinarians have rescued or protected an amazing 22,000-plus wild birds such as hawks, ospreys, spoonbills and egrets. Injured birds are nursed back to health and released. Visitors not only help this very worthy center by exploring, but also support efforts through donating medical supplies including bandages and tapes, bird carriers, fresh fish and bird food (as well as money).

Marathon Community Theatre. Started as a small community group in 1944, the theater has grown to perform many shows each year — all spotlighting a talented group of local residents. Comedies, musicals, dramatic presentations and readings are offered at the popular spot, with most productions staged between October and April (“The Rocky Horror Show” debuts Oct. 27). The theater is located at 5101 Overseas Highway, mile marker 49.5 oceanside.

Old Seven Mile Bridge. Enjoy one of the Middle Keys’ most iconic experiences: cycle, walk, run, rollerblade, view marine life and watch sunrises and sunsets along a 2.2-mile section of the famed Old Seven Mile Bridge. The venerable old bridge, originally the centerpiece of the Florida Keys Over-Sea Railroad that was completed in 1912, parallels a contemporary bridge that’s part of the Keys’ Overseas Highway. Nicknamed “Old Seven,” the oft-photographed 2.2-mile span reopened to pedestrian recreation in January 2022 after a multiyear restoration. Essentially a linear park, it’s the gateway to historic Pigeon Key.

Pigeon Key. Lying beneath the Old Seven Mile Bridge at mile marker 44.8, Pigeon Key formerly served as a camp for laborers constructing the iconic bridge. The tiny island now features a museum, offers opportunities to picnic and snorkel, and hosts a marine science research program for school-age children. Daily tours are available. Reach Pigeon Key by walking or bicycling the Old Seven Mile Bridge, or by riding the recently launched visitor tram designed to resemble a train.

Shady Palm Art Gallery & Photography. Savor a leisurely exploration of this one-stop-shop emporium located at 2888 Overseas Highway. Owners Barry and Lori Gaukel feature only Keys artists, artisans and creative minds in the spacious gallery and gift shop. Each of over 50 local artists creates bold, unique pieces that include paintings, prints, jewelry, pottery, woodcarving, coconut art and much more. Shady Palm is the perfect place to purchase a memento to remember your Middle Keys visit.

Want to discover more enticing attractions in Marathon and the Middle Keys? Just click here and then start planning your visit!

Marine artist Lisa Lee Herman, owner of Gallery of the Arts Islamorada, is known throughout the Upper Keys for her gyotaku — the ancient Japanese art form for recording a catch.

Lisa greets her gyotaku-seeking clients, and the prized fish they want to preserve, at the dock following their angling excursions. She uses nontoxic inks to painstakingly press the fish on kozo paper, or traditional Japanese mulberry paper, and later details colorful embellishments at her studio-gallery in Tavernier.

She also expresses her creative talents in ways ranging from acrylic painting to teaching piano.

Lisa graduated from the University of Central Florida with a degree in psychology and music. In addition, she studied color photography and abstract painting at Scotland’s Edinburgh College, and studied and performed classical piano throughout Belgium and France.

After college, Lisa moved to Chicago and managed an art materials store — until the cold winters motivated her return to Florida. In late 2016, she opened her Florida Keys gallery.

Today, Lisa’s work can also be seen at Islamorada’s Green Turtle Inn and Kaiyo Grill & Sushi, and through Oct. 3 at the Florida Keys History & Discovery Center.

Lisa married Islamorada boat captain Jeff Tharp in a California vineyard in late August. They live in historic Tavernier, and she plans to expand her gallery.

Keys Voices: When did you first come to the Florida Keys and why?

Lisa Lee Herman: My family has been part of Islamorada since the early ‘60s — so since I was born. I was raised in Fort Lauderdale, and we visited our little spot in paradise nearly every weekend.

KV: What aspects of the Keys environment or way of life matter most to you?

LLH: I grew up fishing with my family, so I absolutely have to live near the water. What I love most about the Keys is the community. We’re all here because we share a common love for the ocean. The Keys’ environment is so unique — from the adorable Key deer, all the birds, flowers, insects, all alongside stunning coral reefs.

KV: Who or what inspired you to become passionate about respecting and protecting the Keys’ natural world?

LLH: My dad always showed us the coolest reefs to snorkel and the best spots to fish. I learned quickly how to respect the ocean and its creatures. Being able to handle fish, and release them, had me hook, line and sinker!

KV: How does that passion influence your work or profession?

LLH: My passion for the ocean and its influence on my art are 1000% connected. My art is produced mainly from species we get to then enjoy at the dinner table. Celebrating your catch with friends and family is so wonderful; keeping a piece of art made from that fish is really special. 

KV: What are some of the ways, personally or through your work, that you connect with and/or help protect the local environment and unique lifestyle?

LLH: I’ve always been a friend to all critters on land or at sea. I feel most called to protect and spread the love and knowledge of our increasingly fragile oceans. I contribute time, art and donations to local causes. I bring a small bag every time I walk my dog and try to pick up any little pieces of plastics or trash. I know it’s cliché, but it’s so true: if we all do a little, we can do a lot.

KV: What keeps you energized, challenged and focused on your path?

LLH: The love and support from my family, my husband Jeff, the community and charter boat captains. Gyotaku, a challenging and ever-changing form of art, is never boring! Each species of fish is completely different from the next.

KV: What message do you want your actions and example to communicate to people you encounter?

LLH: My goal is to capture the beauty and uniqueness of each fish onto paper for all to enjoy. That translates to conservation: only take what you need. It breaks my heart to see people limit out, day after day after day, just for the sport of it. Everything in the ocean is connected to us. I want our next generations to see that.

KV: What’s your favorite natural or eco-friendly activity in the Keys?

LLH: Paddleboarding! It’s such a fun and peaceful way to get up close and personal with our natural world without any disturbances.

KV: What do you hope your positive environmental actions will accomplish?

LLH: To spread my knowledge and appreciation for this style of art and its origins, and how important our oceans are to each of us. Looking at the fishes preserved in this unique way hopefully strikes a chord in us all to find joy and respect for all species.

Do you love Stock Island? You should, because the Florida Keys island that lies just across Cow Key Channel from Key West has a lot going for it — a cutting-edge cultural and culinary scene, seafaring heritage, contemporary waterfront lifestyle and unpretentious charm. And that’s what you can experience during the 2022 I Love Stock Island Festival, scheduled Wednesday through Sunday, June 15-19.

The family-friendly Father’s Day weekend fest combines food and libation events, art strolls, “dad-focused” fun, live music and other events that showcase the island’s oceanside spirit and tight-knit community.

The heart of the Florida Keys commercial shrimping industry, Stock Island is defined by a rustic authenticity that flavors its colorful marinas, shops and galleries, working waterfront and popular bars and restaurants.

Stock Island’s unique heritage, by the way, dates back to an era far before the Keys attained their present-day fame. Local lore says the island’s Safe Harbor was a staging area for the Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba in 1961, and a ferry that once connected Key West and Havana departed from a dock across from the landmark Hogfish Bar and Grill.

Stock Island’s seaport roots are illustrated by the commercial shrimp boats tied up at its docks, and the sight of shrimpers offloading cargoes of sweet pink shrimp. The island’s marinas are also headquarters to world-class charter fishing captains and frequented by dedicated anglers.

And Stock Island also features two thriving waterfront resorts that host visitors eager to embrace the eclectic atmosphere. That atmosphere — and the community and its easygoing pleasures — await attendees at the I Love Stock Island Festival.

Among Wednesday’s attractions are a self-guided tour of Stock Island’s food trucks and a quirky “dad-off” competition followed by a “dive-in” movie (yes, really!) poolside at Oceans Edge Resort & Marina.

Shrimp lovers can satisfy their cravings at Thursday’s ShrimpStock, enjoying fresh local shrimp prepared in multiple mouthwatering ways, presented overlooking the water at The Perry Hotel.

Friday’s schedule includes the “Taste of Stock Island Food Tour,” a guided exploration of local cuisine beginning at 4 p.m. Traveling via trolley, guests stop at nine Stock Island restaurants and hotspots to savor small plates and beverage pairings (yum!). Plus, chefs and owners will be on hand to offer a hearty welcome.

Both Friday and Saturday, festivalgoers can stroll through the Stock Island Arts District — discovering talented local artists and artisans in their studios, as well as galleries featuring work in richly diverse mediums.

Saturday also brings a culinary and craft beer extravaganza that blends offerings from Cayo Hueso Brewing with a five-course feast from the talented chefs at Roostica Wood-Fire Pizzeria. And if you’re a music fan, check out  the rhythms of “LiveStock on the Rock” at Sloppy Joe’s Dockside at The Perry Hotel.

Among Sunday’s highlights are Father’s Day yoga with Salute to the Sol at The Perry, a Father’s Day brunch, the final day of a family-fun fishing tournament and guided van tours spotlighting the unique history that underlies Stock Island’s appeal.

As enticing as those events are, the festival schedule also contains several other offerings. To check them all out, just click here. And once you experience them, you’ll realize why so many Florida Keys visitors are enthusiastically proclaiming, “I love Stock Island!”

Known for creative, colorful and sometimes quirky artwork, as well as a rich diversity of handcrafted artisan wares, the Florida Keys are recognized throughout the world for artistry inspired by stunning seascapes and landscapes.

Artists are lured to the Keys, a 125-mile-long island chain like no other, because of the color-drenched natural scenery — and also because of the deep collective creative spirit that’s richly apparent from Key Largo to Key West.

This season, the Keys feature fresh-air strolls that explore the matchless talent, fascinating work and unique lifestyles of skilled local artists.

So where and when can you experience the outdoor splendor of “art strolling” in the Keys? Check out some highlight opportunities here.

In Islamorada, the next Third Thursday Morada Way Art Walk is the evening of Feb. 17. Within a six-block corridor between mile markers 81 and 82 in the village’s thriving Morada Way Arts & Cultural District is a favored local scene for gallery shopping, imbibing and nibbling. Participants include Morada Way Clay, Jessica Ann Art, Rum Brush and Limelight Studio/Gallery among others. And if you can’t make the February event, don’t worry — subsequent art walks are scheduled March 17, April 21, May 19, June 16, July 21, Aug. 18, Sept.15, Oct. 20, Nov. 17 and Dec. 15.

The Stock Island Art Stroll on Saturday, Feb. 12, includes tours of off-the-beaten path art studios on the Lower Keys’ Stock Island — where the fast-growing creative community is becoming one of the most distinctive attractions. Stops feature a variety of eclectic shops and studios with multiple artists in disciplines ranging from sculptures to woodworking, mosaics and fabric art. Additional Saturday strolls are slated March 12, April 9, May 14, June 11 and July 9.

Art aficionados can enjoy popular Key West gallery strolls including Walk on White, a monthly tradition that dates back to 1999 and showcases the island city’s White Street Arts District. Upcoming strolls are slated Thursday evenings on Feb. 17 and March 17, featuring Stone Soup Gallery, Shade Ceramics and Shutter Photography, Harrison Gallery and many other don’t-miss arts emporiums.

Monthly 1st Fridays on Fleming happenings take place in picturesque downtown Key West and are scheduled Feb. 4, March 4, April 1 and May 6. The events, with different offerings each month, encourage strolling, sipping and shopping at locally owned galleries and businesses in the “Fabulous 500 block” of Fleming Street.

Also in Key West, you’ll find strolls to satisfy a passion for literature, architecture and history. In fact, they’re the subject of several guided walking tours including the two outlined here.

The Old Town Literary Walking Tour takes participants past sites, landmarks and hangouts of world-renowned writers — such as Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams, Shel Silverstein, Elizabeth Bishop and Robert Frost — who lived or spent considerable time in Key West. Tours are currently offered on Fridays and Sundays (private tours are available on request), and they provide a fascinating overview of the island’s indelible place in American literature.

Architecture and history buffs are sure to enjoy the Key West Art & Historical Society’s Saturday morning Architectural Walking Tours celebrating the 200th anniversary of Key West’s settlement on March 25, 1822. The next walks are scheduled Feb. 5 and Feb. 26. Historic landmarks, including the renowned Custom House Museum at 281 Front St., and architectural styles are highlighted.

As well as art and cultural strolls, a variety of galleries throughout the Keys are well worth exploring. Among them are Shady Palm Art Gallery & Photography in Marathon and Artists in Paradise Gallery on Big Pine Key.

For additional options, click here to access a detailed guide that features some 50 Keys galleries. And for more information about artists and cultural events throughout the island chain, visit fla-keys.com/culture/ and keysarts.com.

In the 1970s and early 80s, Key West was an end-of-the-world seaport outpost — something like a Wild West town, but with palm trees and blue water. Unsurprisingly, its residents were the outlaw kind: independent, irreverent and possessed of a fierce integrity. The kind, in other words, that fit right into such an environment.

Some still remember those days in Key West — days when one island mayor water-skied to Cuba just to prove he could do it, when many local government employees were under indictment or investigation for one thing or another, when smuggling pot was considered more of a mom-and-pop hobby than a crime, and when the island seceded from the Union and became the Conch Republic to protest an unjust government roadblock.

It was also a time of enormous creative and experiential promise. Every evening as the sun went down, the sense of excitement and expectation was strong enough to be nearly visible. You just knew something outrageous was about to happen around the next corner, and you simply had to be there to watch it unfold.

That’s the Key West memorialized in “Home at the End of the World,” a book lovingly brought to life by Rita Troxel. Subtitled “Key West tales from the 70s and 80s by those who lived it,” the book is a collection of first-person recollections by several dozen slightly bewildered survivors of that tumultuous era, all curated by Rita — herself a fellow survivor who wanted to preserve the spirit of the island’s freewheeling past.

“The project is a culmination of 17 years of collecting stories and photos from family, friends, friends of friends, and near strangers — although no one was really a stranger back in the magical days of Key West in the 70s and 80s,” explained Rita, who moved to the island in 1974 and was one of the founders of an acclaimed local theater troupe.

The volume she assembled has drawn praise from literary luminaries including South Florida novelist Carl Hiaasen, who wrote, “There’s no better way to capture the weird, wild, magical Key West of the 70s and 80s than in the words of the people who lived it, loved it, and miraculously managed to remember it. The island is one of those rare places where the true stories outshine the lore.”

The book also touches on some of the musicians and renowned authors who helped shape the creative renaissance of the era — when Key West watering holes were populated by the likes of Phil Caputo, Jim Harrison, Hunter Thompson, Jimmy Buffett, Thomas Sanchez and even Tennessee Williams. Under the spell of the island’s undemanding equality, they forgot their fame and mingled happily with resident fishing guides, smugglers and treasure hunters seeking 17th-century shipwrecks.

The tales are complemented by photographs, some beautifully composed by professionals, and others snapshots cherished for the memories they evoke. The Awesome Foundation, which awarded a grant to the book, describes the images as “a lovely, wacky and weird family album from a time of innocence, deep and lasting friendships, fast living and crazed debauchery.”

Available through Books & Books at The Studios of Key West (and other Florida Keys outlets), “Home at the End of the World” is edited by Rita, Jamie Alcroft and  Lynne Bentley-Kemp, who also designed the book.

Quite simply, it’s a must-read for everyone who loves (or seeks to better understand) the island. Because beneath Key West’s modern-day facade, a renegade heart still beats — a heart that’s one of the major reasons for the place’s enduring appeal — and this book pays tribute to it.

The Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden is generally a hotspot for birding enthusiasts, since it’s a haven for scores of resident and migratory species. But those species might not include crows this fall — because the 15-acre habitat is currently the setting for the “Scarecrows in the Forest” exhibition, a lighthearted display of recycled art creations.

The imaginative exhibit features scarecrows crafted out of natural and recycled materials by local artists, students and other community members, and installed in special spots on the property. Celebrating the 85th anniversary of its founding this year, the unique open-air “living museum” is acclaimed as the only frost-free subtropical natural conservation habitat and native plant botanical garden in the entire continental United States,

“The exhibit was conceived as an example of recycling and artistic talent,” explained Misha McRAE, executive director of the garden. “Each year, we showcase scarecrows and other forms that fit into the natural beauty and backdrop of the garden.”

As well as enhancing the garden’s attractions, some of the cleverly crafted figures are a reminder that Halloween is approaching fast. For example, visitors to the garden are likely to be startled by a new face in the place — a skeletal fellow supposedly selling “ice scream” in flavors ranging from Boo Berry to Vampire Vanilla.

Each scarecrow, Misha added, is “a surprise around the corner. Each sculpture is a lesson to all guests — using creative talent — on the importance of recycling and repurposing.”

Rules of the exhibit state that scarecrows must be freestanding, no more than 6 feet tall and able to withstand outdoor weather conditions. Visitors to the garden can expect to encounter figures including a winsome pirate lass, a wannabe “royal” and a graceful “island spirit” dressed in beads and native vegetation.

Even without the serendipitous scarecrows, the Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden is a living wonder that’s well worth exploring. Located at the gateway to Key West, just off College Road at mile marker 5, it was developed during the 1930s by the U.S. Federal Emergency Relief Administration as a showplace for visitors.

These days it’s overseen by the Key West Botanical Garden Society Inc., and it recently received a prestigious honor: Botanic Gardens Conservation International’s Accreditation Certificate recognizing that it holds to the highest international arboretum standards. The garden was lauded for noted achievements in plant conservation, collections management, horticulture, public education, community and cultural activities, conservation actions and sustainability among other elements.

The unique preserve shelters over 529 species of plants native to the Florida Keys, Cuba and the Caribbean, including many threatened and endangered species. Rich in biodiversity, it features two wetland habitats, national and state champion trees, two butterfly gardens, the aforementioned resident and migratory birds, nature trails and boardwalks, seasonal flowers and many other attractions. Green and serene, it’s a sanctuary for nature lovers and those simply seeking a place for relaxing, reading or quiet contemplation.

“It’s always a great day at the garden,” Misha McRAE advised. “It’s a walk back in time to enjoy open spaces, breathe in fresh air and soak up nature — and I invite everyone to explore it.”

“Scarecrows in the Forest” can be viewed through Nov. 30. But please note that it’s not just an exhibit; it’s also a contest with prizes for the top entries — and garden visitors can cast votes to determine the “best in show” winner.

Jimmy Buffett discovered Key West in November of 1971, brought by fellow troubadour Jerry Jeff Walker and his lady, a former Florida Keys resident, for a brief impromptu visit.

Not long afterward, Jimmy returned and settled in — and began writing songs that not only energized his musical career, but came to define it. Along the way, he inspired millions of people to share his love for the easygoing subtropical island.

As well as being Jimmy’s home during some of his most productive years, Key West — and its people, laid-back lifestyle and cheerfully outlaw vibe — became the subject of some of his most enduring tunes.

Now, 50 years after Jimmy’s fateful first trip to the island city, Key West native Scott Atwell has unveiled a fascinating book titled “Buffett Backstories: Fifty Years, Fifty Songs.”

Scott, a seasoned broadcaster and PR specialist, got the idea for the book while hosting an all-Buffett weekly radio program on a local FM station. Each week, the program featured an in-depth exploration of the origin of one of Jimmy’s songs — often accompanied by interviews with people who had inspired or witnessed the tunes’ creation.

“As the stories gathered,” Scott wrote in the book’s preface, “it soon occurred to me that I would have collected fifty backstories by the time we were celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of Buffett’s first visit to my hometown.”

The book does indeed feature the history behind fifty songs. Because of Jimmy’s fondness for Key West as a subject, many of them involve his experiences, adventures and “partners in crime” on the renegade island of the 1970s and early 80s. And in chronicling the songs’ genesis, Scott paints a vivid picture of an unforgettable place and time.

Jimmy’s lyrics are rich in references to Key West spots such as Fausto’s Food Palace and the Chart Room Bar. His songs memorialize Key West characters like the late Captain Tony Tarracino, a colorful former mayor featured in “Last Mango in Paris,” and the late Phil Clark, whose real-life exploits unfold in “A Pirate Looks at 40.”

All find their way into the pages of “Buffett Backstories” — as do mentions of Key West’s hardscrabble shrimping industry, long-ago square dance club called the Nautical Wheelers, and the role the Old Seven Mile Bridge (the centerpiece of the Florida Keys Overseas Highway) played in the writing of Jimmy’s biggest hit, “Margaritaville.”

In fact, Scott also relates that the first public performance of “Margaritaville” took place in Key West.

Fittingly, in the mid-1980s Jimmy founded the Margaritaville Store in the island’s funky waterfront enclave of Lands End Village. A Mecca for his fans, the store is now located beside his original Margaritaville Café on Duval Street. His unmarked yet renowned recording studio, Shrimp Boat Sound, overlooks the former shrimp docks.

Today, though Jimmy’s brand has expanded far beyond stores and cafés, Key West remains the geographical focus of the “Margaritaville mystique” embraced by his fans.

And there’s no better way to celebrate the 50th anniversary of his arrival in the island city than by delving into “Buffett Backstories.”

Engaging and well-written, with an undeniably authentic tone, the book features a foreword by Jimmy’s longtime tour manager, Bob Liberman. It also contains a guide to some of the Key West sites that had meaning in his musical history.

So pick up a copy, grab a cold one and start reading — because “Buffett Backstories” is a world-class treat for fans of Jimmy Buffett and the island that became his inspiration.

The bearded brotherhood of Hemingway Look-Alike Contest winners gained a new member July 25 in Key West, home of legendary author Ernest Hemingway during the 1930s. Zach Taylor, a 63-year-old white-bearded Georgia man, won the contest that highlights the island’s annual Hemingway Days celebration after an astonishing three-way tie.

An electrical and plumbing supply company owner from Ambrose, Zach triumphed over 136 other entrants to earn the title of “Papa” — the nickname Hemingway adopted for himself.

Zach likened the look-alike contest to a “family reunion,” particularly after the cancellation of the 2020 competition because of the coronavirus pandemic. His victory was especially meaningful since his late father-in-law Carlie Coley won in 2000.

“Hemingway has been a fixture of ours since we started coming down to the contest,” explained Zach, whose wife Sheryl and mother-in-law Bennie Nell Coley were on hand to help celebrate his success.

As well as having a Hemingwayesque appearance, with piercing eyes and a healthy beard, Zach said he shared the author’s passion for fishing, hunting and the life of an outdoorsman.

Look-Alike Contest entrants were judged by past winners at Sloppy Joe’s Bar, a watering hole frequented by Hemingway, as they paraded onstage and took turns attempting to prove that they best represented the author who loved Key West.

Some even sang or recited poetry as they pleaded for victory. Saturday night’s finalists included seven-time competitor David “Bat” Masterson (a former winner of Key West’s Conch Shell Blowing Contest), who accompanied a self-penned tune on the harmonica and conch shell.

Hemingway Days honors the literary legacy and vigorous lifestyle of the author, who produced “For Whom the Bell Tolls,”  “To Have and Have Not” and other classics during his Key West years.

He also participated in vigorous sporting activities that included pursuing marlin in Florida Keys waters and refereeing boxing matches at what is now the popular Blue Heaven restaurant — as well as meeting friends for drinks and lively discussions at Sloppy Joe’s.

“You know, everybody has read ‘The Old Man and the Sea’ and things like that, that he wrote, but coming down here, you start to see bits and pieces of a man you knew nothing about,” Zach said after his win was announced. “I think Papa would be proud of what’s been accomplished in his name in a town he loved so well.”

In addition to the Look-Alike Contest, Hemingway Days events included a zany “Running of the Bulls” that must be seen to be believed, the three-day Key West Marlin Tournament and a short story competition directed by Hemingway’s author granddaughter Lorian Hemingway.

Speaking of short stories, the new “Papa” wasn’t the only winner during Hemingway Days. Madison Bakalar from Somerville, Massachusetts, earned top honors in the Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition, the festival’s longtime literary highlight.

Her story “So This Is How We Go” was named the finest among 785 entries submitted by writers from around the United States and around the world. The story chronicles an approaching global catastrophe and its effect on a solitary young woman.

“It speaks to what the world has been through in regard to isolation,” said Lorian Hemingway, who founded the renowned short story contest 40 years ago and has directed it ever since. “It’s emotionally accessible without going over the top.”

According to Lorian, the entry particularly impressed the judges for its ability to combine universally human emotions about loss with a finessed gallows humor.

Heartfelt congratulations to Zach Taylor and Madison Bakalar — one who looks like “Papa” and enjoys similar outdoor pursuits, and one who shares his passion for telling meaningful stories in a uniquely evocative way.

Thanks to them, and to everyone else who participated in the contests or celebrated Hemingway Days, Ernest Hemingway’s legacy lives on in Key West.

… Perhaps I should call you Papa, since that’s the persona you created down here in Key West, but I admire your work so much that it seems too presumptuous.

You may think it odd that I’m writing you this letter, since you’re presumably now typing on that great battered Royal in the sky (I can’t, somehow, believe you’ve graduated to a laptop or iPad like so many of your literary legatees).

The fact is, though, I’ve spotted you in Key West once or twice since you departed this life for pleasanter “islands in the stream” — outside Sloppy Joe’s, and on Whitehead Street near your house (you were staring bemusedly at the long line of visitors waiting to get in).

So I know that, on occasion, you escape the celestial realm and return to the place where you lived and raised (excuse the reference) a little hell during the 1930s. And that’s why I’m alerting you about something you might want to slip away for.

You’re probably aware that Key West has changed since your day, but you might not be aware that you’re regarded as its literary patron saint. In fact, some 40 years ago, a fellow named Michael Whalton created a festival here honoring your work and lifestyle. Hemingway Days, it’s called, and this year it takes place July 20-25.

(FYI, it attracts a lot of people who look surprisingly like you and hang out mostly at Sloppy Joe’s …)

Anyway, one of the most anticipated events during this July’s Hemingway Days is the announcement of the winner of the Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition. (If you actually DO use a laptop or an iPad, check it out online at shortstorycompetition.com.)

Your granddaughter Lorian is critically acclaimed for authoring three fine books (look for her memoir “Walk on Water” in that great bookstore in the sky), though her writing is more lyrical than your spare-to-the-bone style.

Lorian shares your love of Key West, and her short story contest offers cash awards — useful whether you have or have not — and recognition to emerging writers. And it’s so popular that it typically gets 1,000-plus entries every year from all over the world.

This year’s contest winner will be announced during an event set for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 21 (yes, your 122nd birthday) at the Key West Library. By the way, in one of those coincidences that make real life stranger than fiction, your first love Agnes von Kurowsky actually moved to Key West and worked at the library after you left the island.

The announcement is paired with the Key West Poetry Guild members’ reading of your poems and their own work — which you should find interesting, since poetry helped launch the career that made you a legend. The guild is a longstanding literary presence in Key West, and some of its members have become quite renowned.

The evening will also include the first public reading of the short story competition’s winning entry. And though Agnes is long gone, you might enjoy wandering around the library — its local history department is particularly fascinating.

Of course, the readings and announcement are certainly not Hemingway Days’ only cultural events. For example, there’s a virtual presentation by author and scholar Dr. Ashley Oliphant titled “Key West to Bimini: Hemingway’s Big-Game Fishing Evolution.” (Remember your passion for marlin fishing in the Gulf Stream?)

And you’ll probably want to tag along on the twilight walking tour of some of your favorite Key West spots, led by Dr. Oliphant and artist/writer Beth Yarbrough.

Plus two Hemingway “museum days” are scheduled at the Custom House Museum, showcasing a lot of the items you left behind when you departed Key West in late 1939.

But honestly, Mr. Hemingway, if you can’t get your head out of the clouds, don’t fret about missing these events (or even Hemingway Days itself). I’ll tell you a secret: most attendees will believe you’re there in spirit anyway.

With admiration,
A Fan