Vince DiLoreto
Today, Key West is known as a party town without a care in the world, but for 13 days in October 1962, it very easily could’ve been the location of the first shot of the end of the world.
Today, in that small house on Whitehead Street that sold tickets and started an airline is no longer the headquarters of Pan Am. In fact, Pan Am no longer exists. But the First Flight Island Restaurant & Brewery is brewing aviation-inspired beers. In addition to their beers, they also serve great food. Something the airline was known for. Drinks flowed freely for passengers who were served lobster dinners while flying to every continent except Antarctica.
Called Florida’s First Magic Kingdom, it was built in the middle of the gilded age as a tourist destination long before the resorts that are here now. You might say it was within these walls that Florida tourism began. Built between 1888 and 1891, it was Florida’s first effort into the resort business.
Southern charm and hospitality, peaceful summer evenings, and its’ natural beauty make Hendersonville, North Carolina, and the surrounding area an ideal spot for adventure. Around milepost 389 on the Blue Ridge Parkway is the exit for US 25. Follow this route south as it winds through small towns to Hendersonville. Stay here as a base camp, or jumping-off point, for your adventures in western North Carolina.
Gruene Hall! Famous for all the right reasons. The town’s meeting place, high school graduations, and Saengerfests. You don’t know what a Saengerfest is? Me neither, but I found out it’s a German singing festival. And what it’s most known for, is a concert venue for some of Country music’s biggest stars. And where some other stars got their start.
Located in Cape Canaveral about halfway between Port Canaveral and the beach, sits the Florida Space Coasts’ only small-batch distillery. But it isn’t a story of generations of family members and centuries-old recipes handed down. No, it began with two brothers and a dream. A dream to make hand-crafted spirits using only the very best Florida-based ingredients. And using some of the most advanced equipment in the business.
