Hide your Honeyhole...Here Comes Lobster Mini-Season

Tickle Stick...Check...Net ...Check...Gloves ...Check ....Secret GPS Lobster Spots (AKA Honeyholes) Check!
OK! It's time for Mini-Lobster Season!!!  Get The Butter!

Come and Get 'Em!!! Photo courtesy of Capt. Matt Bellinger of Bamboo Charters

Yes it's that crazy two days in July here in The Keys where boat gas prices soar, and Johnny Law is just itching to cite violators who don't measure or exceed their catch.

Hoards of marine hunters motor down here boats in tow like pilgrims to Mecca to hunt for our tasty crustations and catch a post dive buzz at the Tiki Bar.

For the uninitiated, Lobster Mini Season is always the last Wednesday and Thursday in July that gives recreational harvesters an edge on the commercial guys who cant start fishing until August.

It's also a great weekend for real estate as many people, especially mainlanders finally say, "I need a place down here!"  And that, my friends is when your Humble Conchquistador springs into action!  With all the great deals down here there is something for everyone.

From Mobile and Manufactured homes to Oceanfront Estates, The Florida Keys offer you your own customized Island Oasis.

So come on down, know the rules, grab some bugs (local slang for Lobster), grab a beer, and then call me to grab a slice of paradise.

Oh yeah and since you read this far I am going to share with you my faithful reader on of my favorite spots! Trust me this is a Major Gift as Spots are super secret!!! But hey...I am a benevolent Conchquistador.

Try Hog Rocks off Key Largo GPS  N24 59.550 W80 27.440.  7-15 feet down under the rocks.

Put the experience and expertise of The Conchquistador to work for you!
For more information on the outstanding real estate opportunities that exist in the Keys, call me at 305.439.7730 or email me at DropAnchor@TheRealEstateConch.com.

Ready to create your own no-hassle shopping cart of available Properties in the Florida Keys, with multiple search capability? Click here: ConchMLS.com .

The Zane Grey Radio Show in The Florida Keys

Take a listen to the Local radio Show that I sponsor on 103.1 Sun FM in the Florida Keys on Iheart radio worldwide. Coming live from the Zane Grey lounge with drink specials, give aways, and some free appetizers. Every Wednesday night 6-7 PM.

Dougie Is at The Zane Grey Radio show Tonight
6p - 7p upstiars at World Wide Sportsman mm 81.5
bayside Islamorada, every wednesday.
Comp apps for everyone. Drink specials too.
Captn Matt Bellinger in the air chair alongside Dougie .
Like old times come on out and join us
Listen on our sister station sun 103.1 or sun103.com or iHeart radio
Free giveaways too!

Yes, I know it's now the Postcard Inn at Holiday Isle and yes the renovations have been outstanding, but it will always be The Holiday Isle to me.
This locale was the sight of so many of my Sunday afternoons. At the Tiki  Bar, at The Sand Bar, at The Float up Pool Bar....hmmm lot of bars...lol  A ritual really.  A Keys-z somewhat debauched detachment from reality.  All for the price of a Rum Runner.

And the man who really MADE Holiday Isle that great escape was Joe Roth Jr.  I saw this article today from the FreePress and was delighted to see that The bridge will be in his honor.  Very well deserved indeed!

Joe Roth’s name to be added to Islamorada’s Whale Harbor Bridge

BY ROBERT SILK Free Press Staff rsilk@keysnews.com
During the 1980s and ’90s, Joe Roth Jr. transformed Holiday Isle Resort from a quaint but struggling hotel into an Upper Keys icon that drew revelers from around the region and beyond.
This week, nearly two years after Roth’s death, the Village Council is slated to take one of the final steps in getting the bridge at Holiday Isle’s doorstep marked in his honor.
Under a bill passed by the Florida Legislature this year, the Whale Harbor Bridge is already slated to become the Whale Harbor Joe Roth Jr. Bridge when the fiscal year begins on July 1. The passage of that formal commemoration of Roth was the culmination of an effort that started at the urging of the Village Council in late 2010 and was then championed in Tallahassee by state Sen. Larcenia Bullard, D-Miami, and state Rep. Ron Saunders, D-Key West.
Now the process circles back to the Village Council. On Thursday, May 24, the council will vote on a formal resolution calling on the Florida Department of Transportation to erect the Roth sign.

Whale Harbor Sand Bar right off the Holiday Isle

Assuming passage, the sign would likely go up in about eight weeks, said FDOT spokesman Brian Rick.
Roth’s son, Joe III, said the family is excited that the marker could soon become a reality.
“I think it is a fitting honor for him, given that he brought so much to the community, and he brought so much to that area of Islamorada, and he gave so much back to the community,” Roth III said Monday.
Roth Jr., who was 63 when he succumbed to cancer, was part of a three-man partnership that purchased Holiday Isle at a courthouse auction in 1983. In the decade-and-a-half that followed, his gregarious ways and flair for promotion helped make the Coney Island-motifed Windley Key lady a South Florida icon.
Roth tripled the size of the Isle’s World Famous Tiki Bar, developed the concept for the Rum Runners cabana bar and saw the potential of Bartenders’ Bash, the late spring party for hospitality workers that would go on to both bedevil and enthrall Islamorada for many years.

Michael Trixx Hi-Energy Rock Magic at it's Best!!! Keys Style.

I LOVE MAGIC!!!

Photo from Michael Trixx Facebook page

And down here in the Keys, we have one of the very best Magicians I have seen in quite sometime.
Michael Trixx features his hi-energy Rock/Magic show at a variety of venues here in the Upper Keys, with a standing gig at Gilbet's, sundown on Saturdays.  He is definitely someone to keep your eye on.

Tuedays, he is at the Lor e Lei in  Islamorada.  If you are down here on those days, take my advice and check him out, and enjoy the show, so you can say I saw him when....

Ready to make some real estate disappear???
Put the experience and expertise of The Conchquistador to work for you! For more information on the outstanding real estate opportunities that exist in the Keys, call me at 305.439.7730 or email me at DropAnchor@TheRealEstateConch.com.
Ready to create your own no-hassle shopping cart of available Properties in the Florida Keys, with multiple search capability? Click here: Conchmls.com .

The Conch Republic : 30 Years Strong!!! We Seceded Where Others Failed! An Insider's Perspective.

 The Keys declared their independence from the U.S. calling themselves the 'Conch Republic' in: 

           1982                              

What prompted the Keys secession from the U.S.?

           Border Patrol roadblocks and inspection points

After secession from the U.S., the president of the Conch Republic requested: 
           One billion dollars in foreign aid from the US

I remember it like it was yesterday, 1982, the Mariel boatlift had just recently transported almost 100,000 Cuban dissidents and prisoners onto our shores, and square grouper was pouring in just as fast. 

Money and Blood flowed as freely as the new Rum Runners at Holiday Isle. A new type of buccaneer had emerged hauling Mary Jane and Cocaine from Cuba to Key West, and not to mention people.

It was painfully obvious what was going on. Hell, they would flaunt it at places like the Tiki Bar where they would drive up in their Maserati's to the Holiday Isle, climb into their forty footer, Cigarettes, start the roaring engines and smile like peacocks, as the gentry would wonder.."How many bales would fit in there???.

Still from the new documentary Square Grouper. 

It was seductive to watch these new Buccaneers, getting rich quick.  The first song I ever wrote was at 15 called "Modern Day Pirate" and some of the very lyrics are contained in the 3 preceding paragraphs. (Ah  Didn't know the Conchquistador was a songwriter??

But we the people were not the ONLY ones watching.. So was THE MAN!!
And in 1982, The Man decided to throw up road blocks in Florida City at the entry to the Keys...really pissing off our individualistic Conchs!!!

Search and seizure was the name of the game, and like the piratey rebels that we are ...protest soon followed...in the form of secession from the United State of America!!! Yes we became a sovereign nation...The Conch Republic!  Somewhat in jest, and tongue in cheek, yet still with some bite.  They were squeezing the gentry in order to flush out the bad guys.

Backups that lasted hours soon ensued, and the MAN did not think our ploy was funny ...AT All.

So now, here we are 30 years later and the Conch Republic is now just a state of mind and a flag and trinkets sell to tourists to take home to Kansas.

But 30 years ago it was a big FU and proudly hoisted Middle Finger to the Federal Government, that epitomized the soul and character of this 130 mile island chain.

Yes....I remember it well....

Work with an agent who was part of the Original Conch Republic.  Put the experience and expertise of The Conchquistador to work for you! For more information on the outstanding real estate opportunities that exist in the Keys, call me at 305.439.7730 or email me at DropAnchor@TheRealEstateConch.com.

 Ready to create your own no-hassle shopping cart of available Properties in the Florida Keys, with multiple search capability? Click here: Conchhomes.com .

For Our Clients We Are Holding Our First , Reel Appreciation Invitational - Family Fun Fishing Tournament In The Florida Keys! A Tournament, a Party and Most Importantly A Thank You!

A Tournament, a Party and Most Importantly A Thank You

The Reel Appreciation Tournament is an exclusive invitation-only event open to  American Caribbean and Marr Property Buyers and Sellers and their family. 

This is an Upper Keys Event.

Our goal is to extend our appreciation to all of our clients. Our business success depends on you. The Florida Keys is a special place filled with special people. We aim to have fun while enjoying the waters of the fabulous Florida Keys

Let's get fishing!

Two event filled days starting with Friday night's Captain's Meeting and Cocktail Party complete with a cooking demonstration by Chef Ben of the the famous Ziggie & Mad Dog's restaurant featuring delicious and easy preparation of local fishes of the Florida Keys.

A fun filled day of fishing for everyone in the family. Head out for the day into the Florida Keys Bay Backcountry or the Atlantic's Offshore, fishing for your favorite species. Earn tournament points with the fish that you catch for the day.

Saturday night's Award Dinner will give you the chance to socialize and relax with the choice of cooking your own catch or enjoying a delicious paella dinner. Either way, enjoy the day and the fabulous Florida Keys.

Meet our family of agents at American Caribbean and Marr Properties and allow us to show our thanks to you, our clients.

This is gonna be a blast!!!

Work with an agent who appreciates his clients!! Put the experience and expertise of The Conchquistador to work for you! For more information on the outstanding real estate opportunities that exist in the Keys, call me at 305.439.7730 or email me at DropAnchor@TheRealEstateConch.com. 

Ready to create your own no-hassle shopping cart of available Properties in the Florida Keys, with multiple search capability? Click here: Conchmls.com .

Holding An Oscar ...In the Keys...and Watching a Really Deserving Family Get a Home... Does It Get Any Better???

I'd like to thank the Academy, my Agent, and Harvey Weinstein....

With Producer Jon Landau's Oscar for Best Picture, Titanic.

OK, OK...so it's not MY Oscar but it IS Jon Landau's Best Picture Oscar for Titanic!!

Talk about a great evening!
Saturday was the Habitat for Humanity of The Upper Keys' Annual Cocktail and Fundraising Party, this year hosted by Uber Film Producer Jon Landau (Titanic, Avatar, True Lies), at his exquisite Oceanfront Islamorada Estate.

Our firm is extremely active in Habitat, with one of our agents on the Executive Board for Habitat, and our firm co-sponsoring this event.

The Conchquitador's favorite First Mate, Michelle with  Producer Jon Landau

Jon was kind enough to let me pose with his Oscar when he gave my wife and I a private tour of his home to show us the renovations that he recently completed.  What a Super Guy,  and a very valued addition to our local community.

Jon also served as guest auctioneer auctioning off several items that really added to the coffers $$$!

The Food was fantastic, donated and catered by several of our local restaurants such as Tasters, Mangrove Mikes, and Braza Lena. And of course this being The Keys, Alcohol DID flow...and flow...and flow....lol.
Add to this a Beautiful, balmy Keys evening with a hint of a breeze and superb live music.

The real highlight of the evening though, was the extraordinarily gracious thank you given by the Bautista Family who are the recipients of  the first Habitat House to be located in Islamorada.

The Bautistas' New Home!!!

What a story...a hard working family of four who where living in a rental property that had toxic black mold and a landlord who couldn't seem to care less. Their son was consistently ill and times became very tough.
These folks applied to Habitat, went though the screening process, met the criteria, and were offered the opportunity to invest "Sweat Equity" to earn themselves a home. "Sweat Equity" meaning an investment of time, effort and HARD WORK in contributing to the building of this and other Habitat homes.

Now, Habitat has minimum guidelines on how much time, hours and effort are needed to qualify to earn a home.
The Bautistas invested 5 Times the minimum of Hours!!!! Almost 2500 hours!!!  Talk about grateful, and most of all, talk about DESERVING!!!

So yes, a wonderful evening indeed, with a fantastic feeling of giving back!

So again, I would like to thank the Academy, My Producer Jon Landau, My Agent American Caribbean, Habitat for Humanity of The Upper Keys, and most of all ...The Bautistas.

I'm The King Of the World!!

Work with an Award Winning Agent .  Put the experience and expertise of The Conchquistador to work for you! For more information on the outstanding real estate opportunities that exist in the Keys, call me at 305.439.7730 or email me at DropAnchor@TheRealEstateConch.com.

Ready to create your own no-hassle shopping cart of available Properties in the Florida Keys, with multiple search capability? Click here: Conchmls.com .

Hollywood Comes to The Keys for Charity! Producer Jon Landau Opens His Exquisite Home for Habitat Cocktail Party.

WOW, This is exciting!! I am so Very Excited to be going to this event!!

This Friday Night, March 2nd, Mr. Jon Landau, One of Hollywood's  all time most successful film producers and Keys resident is opening his very own Keys Estate to host the Habitat for Humanity's Cocktail Benefit, co-sponsored by our firm American Caribbean Real Estate.

Mr. Landau is partners with uber film director James Cameron, and has won Academy Awards and Golden Globes for the films, Titanic and Avatar, two of the most successful films of all time.  And I must say he is just one of the most down to Earth Guys you will ever meet, and has become a very active Keys Resident.

Our firm, American Caribbean Real Estate, recently sold him the beautiful Bali High Estate on Plantation Key. 

He apparently fell in love with the Keys while filming Arnold the Governator's film, True Lies, wherein Jaime Leigh Curtis had that famous Helicopter scene off the old 7-Mile Bridge.

Tickets are still available and proceeds go to a great cause.  So come out, and hang with Hollywood Elite!!

Ready to be treated like a star??? Put the experience and expertise of The Conchquistador to work for you! For more information on the outstanding real estate opportunities that exist in the Keys, call me at 305.439.7730 or email me at DropAnchor@TheRealEstateConch.com.

Open up Your Wallets Because There Are Fantastic Deals to Be Had!! It's Time for the 17th Annual Gigantic Nautical Flea Market in Islamorada!

It's This Weekend!!!!
Do you need bumpers for your boat?  New rods or reels??? A spinnaker perhaps???
How about snorkel gear, davits or a boat lift???
If you do, or even if you don't  you've GOT to check out the 17th annual Gigantic Nautical Flea market this Sat and Sun the 25th  and 26th at Founders Park in Islamorada, produced by the Upper Keys Rotary Club.
There's something for everyone.

This is always a fantastic event and strategically scheduled for the weekend after the Miami Boat Show.   Because this Flea Market has become such a nationally recognized event, many vendors who attend the Miami Show stay an extra week and join ours!

So from home decor items to nautical jewelry to the nut's and bolts (and I do mean that literally) of boat maintenance, there are deals to be had and you're gonna love it!

For more information, visit giganticnauticalfleamarket.org

Work with an agent with an eye for value!!  Put the experience and expertise of The Conchquistador to work for you! For more information on the outstanding real estate opportunities that exist in the Keys, call me at 305.439.7730 or email me at DropAnchor@TheRealEstateConch.com.

Ready to create your own no-hassle shopping cart of available Properties in the Florida Keys, with multiple search capability? Click here: ConchMLS.com .

Break out Your Fig Leaves...It's The Garden of Eden Festival, This Saturday in Islamorada

Garden of Eden Festival This Saturday in Islamorada

Break Out your Fig leaves!!

This Saturday, February 4th,in our own Garden of Eden, Islamorada

The Center for Green Studies presents: The Garden of Eden Festival at Founders Park from 9am until 6pm. 

The keynote speaker will be Captain Skip Bradeen of the Blue Chip II. 

They will be offering solutions to the community on how to turn our lives green. Festival visitors will discover techniques using renewable resources and earth sustainable human lifestyles at booths offered by local businesses and community organizations. Fig leaves are required! Come and do something about our planet Earth! Food, Refreshments and Fun for the young & the young at heart. Call 305-852-0570

Put the experience and expertise of The Conchquistador to work for you! For more information on the outstanding real estate opportunities that exist in the Keys, call me at 305.439.7730 or email me at DropAnchor@TheRealEstateConch.com.

Ready to create your own no-hassle shopping cart of available Properties in the Florida Keys, with multiple search capability? Click here: Conchhomes.com .

Shula Burger - The Perfect Burger??? Don Shula Opens New Burger Chain, With First Store In Islamorada, at Holiday Isle!!

OK, so Yes He IS a Living Legend.  Hell, he even has a Freeway Named After Him!!!
He's Had the only Perfect Season in Football.
His Steakhouses make the Perfect Steak (mmmmm the Porterhouse, said ala Homer Simpson)
Now, Don Shula is trying his hand at The Perfect Burger...The Shula Burger!
Set to debut right here at his new flagship Shula Burger restaurant at Postcard Inn and Marina at Holiday Isle!
So VERY Happy to see Holiday Isle coming back with a vengeance!!! A Major part of my, and many of our lives down here.

Check out this article in Forbes.com

Larry Olmsted, Contributor

"NFL Legend Don Shula Tackles Burgers And Fries

Miami Dolphins Coach Don Shula celebrating his record 325th win. 

The winningest coach in NFL history, Don Shula is also the only one with a perfect season on his resume. Shula’s Miami Dolphins won Superbowl VII in 1972 and went 17-0 on the year. This was the highlight of perhaps the greatest coaching career ever, one that began after a lengthy stint as an NFL player for the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Colts, and Washington Redskins before switching to management and winning two Superbowls with the Dolphins en route to 347 career wins, a record that still stands today. Shula retired from the Dolphins in 1995 but hardly retired, trading the pigskin for cowhide and opening the successful Shula’s Steakhouse chain, a carnivore’s paradise that competes directly with the likes of the Palm, Ruth’s Chris, and Morton’s in the high-end red meat national arena.
The coach has enjoyed the same kind of success in the restaurant business that he did in the NFL. There are now 16 Shula’s Steakhouses nationwide, plus another 16 under the Shula’s 2 Steak & Sports, Shula’s On the Beach, Shula’s Bar & Grill, and Shula’s Grill 347 (get it?) labels.
Despite all the teams he played for, and all the teams he coached with, Shula is inseparable from Florida, where he is and will always be football royalty, so it is only fitting that his newest concept is debuting in the Sunshine State. Next week (December 12) will see the opening of the first Shula Burger on Islamorada in the Florida Keys. As Shula notes, “South Florida has been the backdrop for much of my career on and off the football field, and this location captures why so many of us call it home.”
The new restaurant is part of the new Postcard Inn Beach Resort & Marina at Holiday Isle. This hotel is a sister spinoff to the historic Postcard Inn at St. Pete Beach on Florida’s Gulf Coast, a historic icon more than half a century old, and was created by an $11 million facelift of an existing hotel. Islamorada is a world-renowned sportfishing destination, and one of the things that makes the marina here appealing. The hotel is trying to maintain a low key and laid back Florida Keys feel while offering modern technology, amenities and luxury rooms – in other words, your iPad will get WiFi but you can go to Shula’s Burger in flipflops.
The burgers will be made from a proprietary beef blend including ground short ribs and brisket, and clearly a fan of the pun, one of Shula’s signature ingredients is “perfect seasoning.” The menu’s highlight reel includes The Don, combining two American classics, a burger and a hot dog, on one bun with pickles, onion sauce, American cheese, ketchup and yellow mustard. More stylish and esoteric is the Wine Country, topped with roasted peppers and tomatoes, fresh goat cheese and balsamic greens. The burger offerings range from standard to surprisingly inventive, the appetizers reflect the flavors of the tropics and Caribbean basin, and it’s cheap, with burgers from just $6.99.
For now the only place to try the burgers is at the Postcard Inn, and for his legions of Miami area fans, that is not a tough road trip. If successful – and who would bet against the combination of a famous and beloved sports figure with a proven track record in beef-centric dining teaming up with America’s favorite food? – Shula’s Burger will be franchised and rolled out across the country. So if you can’t get to Islamorada anytime soon don’t fret – I have a feeling Coach Shula plans to bring his burgers to you."

Work with an Agent with a Taste for Great Deals! Put the experience and expertise of The Conchquistador to work for you! For more information on the outstanding real estate opportunities that exist in the Keys, call me at 305.439.7730 or email me at DropAnchor@TheRealEstateConch.com.

Ready to create your own no-hassle shopping cart of available Properties in the Florida Keys, with multiple search capability? Click here: ConchMLS.com.