1.) Key West is the Southernmost City in the continental U.S.. Being the last Key in the chain of Florida Keys it  is only 90 miles to Cuba. We are closer to Cuba than the nearest Walmart!

•  2.) The area of Key West is only 2 miles by 4 miles. This means almost everything is walking or biking distance!

3.) Key West is the only continental city that has never had a frost! That is due to it’s tropical climate, comparable to the Caribbean!

4.) Key West is home to North America’s only living coral reef. The majority of the coral reefs in Key West are found in under 20 feet of water. Here the  water is crystal clear and calm- perfect for diving and snorkeling!

5.) Nightlife on the famous Duval Street  goes until 4am.Key West also has more bars per capita than any other U.S. city!

6.) Three Civil War forts and an operating U.S.Presidential retreat are all on the island, all available to tour  for any history buffs! 

7.)  In 1985 Mel Fisher and his team found the sunken treasure of Nuestra Senora de Atocha and the Santa Margarita, the Spanish galleons that sank off of Key West during a hurricane in 1622. Today most of his $450 million dollar find made up of silver and gold bars, emeralds,  jewelery, and artifacts are on display at the Mel Fisher Museum.

8.) Some famous people who have found Key West and decided to call it home include: Ernest Hemingway, Harry Truman, Jimmy Buffett, Winslow Homer, James Audubon, Tennessee Williams, Kelly McGillis, Dale Earnhardt JR, and Ralph Lauren.

9.) Every evening people head to Mallory Square to catch the famous Key West Sunset. While waiting for the sun to dip below the horizon performers, musicians, artists, and vendors entertain the crowds.

10.) Just as some cities have squirrels and chipmucks, Key West has free roaming roosters!

There are so many reasons to visit Key West – what will yours be????

Feeling inspired to write your true love a song today? a poem …. love note …. ok … AT the very Least TEXT someone you love some XOXO’s !  Its February 14th – and we woudl be remiss if we didn’t post a LOVE Note on our Blog Today!

Google’s Gift today to all who are Searching for LOVE or anything for that matter …. made me smile this morning  …enjoy some  Google Love

Love is what ever you make it …. however you show it …a wee little note tucked into a pocket or a lunch box …. a heart in the steam on the bathroom mirror…. or some writing in the SKY  ….to the one you love its really not the ‘SIZE’ that matters on valentines day … its the thought that counts!

whatever the message … and however you send it … its only ‘one’ soul mate that knows how to say it best to ‘their’ other  …

smooches, xoxo’s …hearts … flowers …sign language, home made cookes, a love song,  a fine bottle of wine …roses… or daisy’s …you catch my drift …. could be a ROCK from the beach where you  first met ….or a Diamond from Tiffany’s …. the true Value must be in the giving …and the centiment on Valentine Day!!!

So … we wish you a Kiss To Build a Dream On …Today and every day!   It could be an exciting but nervouse first kiss, a steamy ‘spice things up’ kind of Kiss ….or a Timelless Embrace … just make it perfect and make it your own!

Cheers!  To a Happy Valentines Day!

What’s loud, colorful, energized, and makes you say “What in the….!?” 

It’s the  Key West Caribbean Queen Junkanoos!

The Caribbean Queen Junkanoos are one of my favorite “secrets” of Key West! They are the perfect way to revitalize a  meeting, transition into a new space, and kick off a mamba line!

We’ve Got the Keys recently had the Junkanoos lead a group of 350 guests from an awards dinner at the Casa Marina Resort to an after party in an adjacent ballroom. Guests did not know what to expect as the Junkanoos came running in with whistles blowing, drums beating, and an energy that makes you want to leave your seat!

Guests enjoying the Junkanoos

It took no time at all for the guests to join the party with feathered masks, noise clappers, and party beads that were used as centerpieces!

The Junkanoos are just one of the many fun ways We’ve Got the Keys can help you add that “special something” to your next Key West incentive program!

Vegetable Martini

Be done with the old serving tray and offer guests individual veggie portions with dressing in martini glasses-classy!

Tomato Soup Shooter

Tomato soup and grilled cheese are winter favorites! Spice this classic dish up with bite size pieces on top a tomato soup shooter!

Shrimp Cocktail anyone?

Add a side of fries to your cheeseburger sliders!

This fun take on cookies and milk is perfect for all ages-yum!

Try any of these fresh takes on classic recipes and make your  party  the talk of 2012!

TOP TEN WEDDING TRENDS!

1. Vintage Weddings 
Couples are choosing a more elegant and sophisticated look. Wedding décor represents vintage patterns, invitations scripted calligraphy and customs monograms. Vintage cars to the old Hollywood style look gowns.  Vintage florals, table decor and linens!  We love it All!

2. Metallic Grey is the New Black
Move over black – grey is the new “it” color. Grey pairs well with any color. From stylish suits for the groom and his boys to lovely grey bridesmaid dresses. We started to see grey become more of a popular choice for stationery, linens and decor just to name a few. Combine it with a soft pink or yellow for a classic look or keep it modern and match it to black, navy or purple for a stylish fresh take.

 3. Embracing your Ethnic Backgrounds 
Guests love when the wedding couple embrace their heritage and showcasing more ethnic style in their wedding.  We find this in the form of religious and cultural practices and traditions being observed, cultural attire by all attendees, ethnic foods were being served and wedding décor features bold cultural prints.

4. Charitable Favors
We know this has staing power - donating money to a charity in lieu of  wedding favors.  Our brides and grooms choose charities that they were either involved in or that were near and dear to their hearts. Giving back never goes out of style!

5. Artful – Photography
Gone are the days of the styled and posed photo shoot! Couples are looking for more non-traditional location shoots, old school glamour shots and of course more visually interesting candid photography.

6.  Candy Stations: You always remember your favorite candy as a kid…now it’s time to incorporate it into your big day! Candy bars, candy buffets & candy stations are the sweetest thing to happen to a bride since the cupcake. Brides are requesting candy stations at their engagement parties, showers & wedding receptions because they are budget friendly, a popular treat, can blend with any decorator’s color scheme and are available in wide variety of flavor options. …really who doesn’t love candy!

 7. “Green” Invitations
Couples are certainly more eco-conscious and we help them find ways to reduce their carbon footprint.  From 100% recycled paper to even paperless wedding invitations, couples go green! Couples also rely on websites like weddingwire.com or theknot.com to manage their guest lists, seating charts, registry’s and more!

8.  Island Wedding Gowns & Bridesmaid styles!
Here in Key West we get to keep it strappless – flowing and beachy all year round!  We do think that open back dresses are the trend for this year … bring your ‘sexy back!’   For our Bridesmaids – we love to see the Bride choose her color and let the girls choose the style that suites them individually!  …and don’t forget the Brides Shoes … WILD ..FUN ..Bright …you name it – go for it!

9. Food Trucks
Food trucks! Who would have thought a food truck would be popular at a wedding. But, these are not your local hot dog stands. Food trucks have become a popular trend for events period!  Elaborate, five star meals are being prepared from these gourmet kitchens on wheels!  This is especially popular with outdoor weddings. Guest can interact with different food stations, from appetizers, to entrees to dessert. This is a real crowd pleaser!

10. Outdoor Weddings
What can we say … Key West is the Place for Outdoor  Weddings!!  Couples are looking for non-traditional locations that showcase their personal style, or have sentimental value to them. More couples were looking for extravagant backdrops to their weddings ceremonies, and uniqe spaces for their receptions like rooftop restaurants, lavish gardens and of course the tropical beaches.

Yes, you will look this silly too!

I have seen Fred and his fleet of planes cruise the sky on a daily basis, I have worked with countless programs that offered rides to their guests, I am even a sucker for adventure BUT until Monday I had never experienced a Biplane ride-and what an experience it was! At a cool 500 feet we cruised the Key West beaches, flew over the surrounding islands, we spotted shipwrecks, sharks, and a stingray all in 10 minutes!

Aerial View of a shipwreck off Wisteria Island

The ride had a perfect balance of excitement and safety. Fred has over 24,000 hours of flight time and is a veteran air show participant so even though you are flying in an open air cockpit with just a seat belt, you know you are in good hands!

Sightseeing Biplane Rides to mild for you?, Well Key West Biplanes also offers Aerobatic Flights where you will reach speeds of up to 215mph and endure hammerhead turns, rolls, and stalls ! This ride will knock the socks off any thrill seeker, even Samantha Brown from the Travel Channel had to experience it for herself while visiting Key West! Click on the photo below  and get ready for the show!

Some creative ideas to make it your own:

Instead of wedding cake- stack up some of your favorite Krispy Kreme Donuts

Place cards- choose simple cards and find a family friend that does calligraphy

Table Names- name them after places you both have traveled, favorite movies, or special dates….example…May 4, 2011- First Date

Favors- place a handwritten note on each napkin naming a charity in which you have donated.

Cuisine – include items on the menu that are uniqe to your culture – or simply your family favorites.   We had a groom who lived for ‘corn dogs!’ …so we  inclued ‘mini corn dogs’ to serve at cocktail hour!    … or have the caterer make ‘Grandma’s seceret recepie Pie for dessert!

However you decide to make it your own just remember when the music is over and the getaway car arrives, you’ll be off to Happily Ever After with your husband at last!

We’ve Got the Keys – was founded in January of 2004 – and my friends and family would ask me what do you do exactly?? I would say “I’m a DMC” …. I was sure that visions of famous rappers came to mind …

According to the Association of Destination Management Executives (ADME) we are :
A professional services company possessing extensive local knowledge, expertise and resources, specializing in the design and implementation of events, activities, tours, transportation and program logistics.

Yes – thats more like it! We are the smiling faces – ready to Welcome you to Key West, and ensure you and your guests have the most fantastic expereince while you are here visiting our Island Paradise!

The majority of all DMC’s are local, privately owned, single location businesses! Providing a la Carte services for conventions, corporations – incentive travel programs and meetings. We work with meeting planners from around the US and the world for that matter – as their Local Expert in Key West! Once the Travel and Hotel accomodations are established – we get to work coordination, managaging and detailing all the services that need to come together to make the meeting or incentive program come to life!

There is no limit to what we can do – Creativity is the name of the game for us! We produce one of a kind expereinces that our clients could not have found on thier own – that will help attendees connect with one another, refresh, regroup, brainstorm, network …teambuild …just plan feel appreciated and invigorated!!

Now that We’ve Got the Keys – has been around for a while – my friends consider me more like “Mary Poppins”

My Team an I have always got a magic bag of Tricks to handle any situation that comes our way …and a ‘spoon full of sugar’ to sweeten every ‘hosptality challenge’ we may be presented with! Not to mention all the FUN we have entertaining our clients …we are thrilled to be the Perfect Hosts for every Key West Group!

So what is there to do in Key West during the height of summer? Well here are five different  ways We’ve Got the Keys helped their Corporate Incentive Clients beat the heat!

1.) Charter a Seaplane with Key West Seaplane Chartersout to the Dry Tortugas. Located 70 miles off the coast of Key West, the Dry Tortugas are part of the national park system and are only accessible by Ferry or Seaplane. Because the surrounding waters of the  Dry Tortugas are protected, they are home to some of the best snorkeling in the United States! 

Dry Tortugas National Park

2.) Visit the local (air conditioned!) museums. Truman’s Little White House, Mel Fisher Maritime Museum, and the Butterfly & Nature Conservatoryare all must-see’s when making the rounds.   The Hemingway House & Museum is also not to be missed! Because this is not an air conditioned museum the best time to visit the Hemingway House is earlier in the morning or just before they close (hours of operation are 9am-5pm).

 3.) Get out on the water and enjoy the Fury Ultimate Adventure! This all day adventure (10am-4pm) offers jet skiing, parasailing, snorkeling at the reef, and Fury’s own water park! Don’t worry about packing snacks because this trip also includes a continental breakfast and buffet lunch!

Fury Water Adventures' Water Park

 4.) Feel the breeze in your hair while seeing Key West from above in a 1942 Waco UPF-7 Biplane! Key West Biplanes has island, reef, and sunset flights available so you can see all the best Key West has to offer!

Key West Biplane

5.) Grab a refreshing drink (or two!) at some of Key West’s famous watering holes! Let’s face it, you have not REALLY experienced Key West  until you have quenched your thirst at Sloppy Joe’s, Captain Tony’s , Irish Kevin’s, The Lazy Gecko, or one of the many other bars on Duval Street. And the best way to see them all is on the Best of the Bars Scavenger Hunt!

The Famous Sloppy Joe's Bar

 Key West is the perfect destination year round and We’ve Got the Keys to help you enjoy it all!

His upbeat enthrallment with the island is still as strong as ever and he most definitely keeps up the high energy throughout the duration of the tour. Now this tour isn’t just like any other tour – Lloyd taught me so many things about the island. It’s a tour that takes you off the beaten path – one that doesn’t stop at famous landmarks like Sloppy Joe’s, the Southernmost Point, etc… but rather through the quiet historic streets of Old Town.

Our first stop was at Nancy’s Secret Garden – a place I had never heard of until then! They call it the rainforest of Key West – home to many endangered tropical flora and all different kinds of parrots! Nancy was there and told us about her birds, let us hold them, and we even got to watch them eat/take apart nuts! It was really neat. Those birds literally cling onto her, acting as if she’s their mother!

All along the way, Lloyd would stop and show us the different tropical fruit that hung from the trees. We tried so many different kinds and I loved every one! I also finally figured out why he brought a machete… he carries coconuts with him on his bike, and lets us try fresh coconut and coconut water!

Myself and the other group members laughed constantly. He’s full of funny jokes, surprises, and trivia – the tour never gets old. He ended up getting the nickname, “mayor”, because every single person he rode by knew him!

We also stopped at the wildlife refugee hospital and got to see the turtle pond! Lloyd brought some turtle food with him and he fed the little creatures – one actually got out of the water, crawled over to him, and Lloyd put the food right in his mouth! You definitely saw the “little kid” inside of  him – he lit up and was grinning from ear to ear.

After about 2 hours meandering around town, we eventually made our way back to the start. We all thanked him for such an amusing, yet informative trip and wished him well. I highly recommend going on this tour before you leave Key West. You’ll learn so much about the ins and outs of this island – it’ll make you want to stay here forever