Courtesy of the Big Pine & Lower Keys Chamber of Commerce

The Florida Keys’ living coral reef is widely known for its marine diversity, not for subterranean music or seductive mermaids. Except, that is, during the Lower Keys Underwater Music Festival.
 
This unique event draws several hundred divers and snorkelers to enjoy the sound of music in the Keys…underwater.

Staged by Keys radio station US 1 Radio 104.1 FM, the submerged songfest typically features ocean- and water-themed selections ranging from the Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine” to humpback whale songs and “water music” created by local musicians.           

The music is piped underwater via Lubell Laboratory speakers suspended beneath boats positioned above the reef. Organizers say the sound quality is extremely clear, with an ethereal effect caused by the sound waves’ transmission through water.

Bizarre reef denizens can be sighted during the event. Past festivals have featured “The Snorkeling Elvises,” a longhaired mermaid with a harp, an offbeat “Alice in Waterland” tea party, and an underwater band complete with tuba.

Besides its quirky popular appeal, the Underwater Music Festival carries a serious message of reef preservation, incorporating diver awareness and ways to enjoy the reef while minimizing impacts on the underwater environment.

Divers and snorkelers interested in participating can reserve space on boats run by Lower Keys dive operators or launch their own boats from public ramps and marinas in the area.

This year the event is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, July 9. The underwater concert takes place at Looe Key Reef, an area of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary approximately six miles south of Big Pine Key.

Find event information at the Big Pine & Lower Keys Chamber of Commerce website: www.lowerkeyschamber.com

South Beach’s Ocean Drive is prime people-watching terrritory. And Pelican Cafe, which sits right on the strip, is one of the best places to catch an ever-changing glimpse of life in SoBe. Here, you’ll see it all: bronzed beach babes ala Victoria Secret; hunky guys with sculpted physiques; swaggering, flamboyant hip-hoppers, stylish Hollywood celebs complete with entourages (and the ever-present paparazzi); and pasty Midwestern tourists gawking in awe. The food isn’t bad, either. 826 Ocean Drive; 305-673-1000.

—Shannon Roxborough

—Shannon Roxborough

—Shannon Roxborough

Nothing says romance like an alfresco meal. And The Royal, at the stylish Raleigh Hotel in the South Beach Art Deco district, elevates outdoor dining to an artform. Known mostly to hotel guests, the restaurant’s outdoor terrace exudes tropical glamour, allowing patrons to dine on grilled American classics beneath a lantern-lit lush garden landscape. This idyllic, sophisticated spot has in-house Patio and Martini bars. The latter offers martinis (of course), mixed drinks, spirits and cigars. <em>1775 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; 305-612-1162.
Sure, Buena Vista Bistro is a bit out of the way (on a less-than-premier section of 2nd Avenue fringing downtown’s Design District). But what this charming dining den lacks in location it more than makes up for with everything else. From brunch until midnight, Claude Postel, a Paris-born, Michelin-starred seventh-generation chef, serves moderately priced comfort food (most entrées range from $10 to $18; sides and desserts, $3 and $4, respectively). Daily specials are scrawled on the blackboard and budget wines on a mirrored wall. What makes it so romantic? It’s French bistro, silly. <em>4582 N.E. 2nd Ave., Miami; 305-456-5909.
If your idea of romance is casual, bold decor and culinary adventure, Tap Tap is for you. Decorated with brightly-painted murals, this South Beach mainstay specializes in pleasingly flavor-packed Haitian food. Best of all, it’s downright cheap (few things on the menu top $10), meaning you’ll have plenty of cash left over to splurge on some after-hours fun at one of the city’s many posh night spots. <em>819 5th Street, Miami Beach; 305-672-2898</em>.

—Shannon Roxborough

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<p>Mention Waldorf and hotel in the same sentence and one thing springs to mind: the Waldorf-Astoria, New York City’s legendary landmark that is, to much of the world, synonymous with luxury. But names can be deceiving. A case in point is South Beach’s <a href=”http://www.nileguide.com/destination/miami/hotels/waldorf-towers/374326” target=”_blank”>Waldorf Towers</a>. While it sounds like the original, it’s not at all affiliated. And in contrast to the Astoria’s staid, old-world elegance, the Waldorf Towers Hotel is decidedly more modest. But its clean, comfortable rooms and location on Ocean Drive in the heart of the SoBe Art Deco district make it popular with travelers who want to be close to the action.<em> 860 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach; 305-531-7684</em>.</p>
<p>—Shannon Roxborough</p>

It’s well-known that Miami is a popular escape for stylish travelers interested in the latest trends in art and fashion. What’s lesser known is that the city is also a storied destination equally attractive to lovers of history and architecture. Sponsored by HistoryMiami (formerly the Historical Museum of Southern Florida), guided tours—led by knowledgeable academic Paul George, a professor of history at Miami-Dade College—highlight Miami’s architectural history: the two-hour Downtown Miami History Walking Tour, provides an insider’s perspective on the city’s Art Deco, Streamline Moderne and Spanish Mediterranean Revival architecture; and Dr. George also takes participants on a three-hour exploration of the interesting past of one of Miami’s most charming hidden neighborhoods through his Secrets of Spring Garden Tour. For more information about these or the wide range of coach and walking tours offered by the museum, call 305-375-1621 or e-mail citytours@historymiami.org.

—Shannon Roxborough

Celebrity-watchers kept a close eye on troubled actress Lindsay Lohan last weekend, as she did a Plum Magazine cover shoot on the roof of the Raleigh Hotel in Miami Beach. But for travelers, the real news is the hotel itself. Designed and built in 1940 by the architect Laurence Murray Dixon, whose work and influence left an indelible mark on South Beach’s historic Art Deco District. Dixon created a stylish hotel with a striking facade, chic interior filled with period furnishings and scultped lagoon-style pool that is considering a jewel of modernist design. It’s a perch well worth considering the next time you’re in town.

—Shannon Roxborough

Less than an hour north of Miami sits Boca Raton, a picturesque and well-to-do seaside resort town that relatively few tourists venture to. But for in-the-know vacationers, Boca is one of southern Florida’s best places to enjoy the good life, including crowd-free beaches, high-end shopping and great dining. For anyone who’d like to know more, in the March 20 edition of my Getting Away newspaper column, “Boca Raton, Florida: An Elegant Slice of Paradise,” I profile the city as a second home destination, featuring a couple who purchased a vacation property there for future retirement.

—Shannon Roxborough

Inspired by the owner’s trips to several well-known cities south of the border, Rocco’s Tacos and Tequila Bar dishes up authentic Mexican cuisine and custom margaritas in an atmosphere that feels like the real McCoy (thanks to much of the decor being imported from Mexico). Starting just over three years ago with a single location in West Palm Beach, the eatery later opened a spot in Boca Raton to rave reviews (including a mention last year by Kelly Ripa on Live with Regis and Kelly). Last month, Rocco’s Tacos increased its presence with an outpost in Fort Lauderdale. Same great food, personable service and interesting drinks. The only thing different is the address: 1313 East Las Olas Boulevard, Ft. Lauderdale; 954-524-9550.

—Shannon Roxborough