By Irene Moore
More long weekend getaways, Miami road trips , sure to usher out the off season on a high note. For Part 1 with more ideas for October, click here.
FOR ART & ARCHITECTURE LOVERS
Venice (3 hrs. 28 min.)
Nov. 11-14
Sarasota becomes a museum-in-motion as pavement artists from around the world come together to participate as performing artists at the Sarasota Chalk Festival. Hundreds of artists use streets and sidewalks as their canvas and pastel chalk as their medium, creating oversized traditional and 3D illusionistic paintings. The theme this year is “The Arts,” as artists of all ages and skill levels get down on hands and knees to recreate old masterpieces alongside original works of art. The public interacts with the artists as they go about their work. Musicians, dancers, mimes, magicians, theatrical and street artists add to the festivities. There are food trucks and beer gardens, as well as a craft and fine art display.
Other Things to Do:
Go to an Architecture Festival: SarasotaMOD Weekend, November 11-13, presented by Sarasota Architectural Foundation, this 3rd annual architecture festival celebrates Sarasota School architect Victor Lundy with tours, presentations and parties. sarasotamod.com
Explore Architecture: Discover The Sarasota School of Architecture movement, a legacy resulting from innovative architectural design by Paul Rudolph Walker Rudolph and other noted architects of the school between 1940 and the late ’60s.
The Sarasota Architectural Foundation commemorated the Paul Rudolph Walker Guest House by constructing a replica last year on the grounds of The Ringling Museum of Art. Said to be the area’s best-kept secret, the replica is based on the original house built in 1952 on Sanibel Island, Florida. Through April 6, 2017.
sarasotaarchitecturalfoundation.org/walkerguesthouse
FOR CLASSIC FILM BUFFS AND BOGIE LOVERS
Key Largo (1 hr. 30 min.)
October 12-16
Hosted by Stephen Bogart, son of Bogie and Bacall, this film fest honors the best of Bogie’s films and the golden age of cinema. This year it’s the 75th anniversary of “The Maltese Falcon” and the 70th Anniversary of “The Big Sleep.” The larger-than-life films are shown on the big screen as they’re supposed to be seen: in traditional movie theaters and outside on a giant screen under the stars. See the Bogart classic “Key Largo,” in the same location where Bogie navigated in the movie. The festival features cocktail receptions with Bogart’s Gin, round table discussions, a display of family memorabilia, film intros from experts, Saturday evening dining and dancing, and, a closing brunch on Sunday.
bogartfilmfestival.com
Other Things to Do:
Cruise On A Movie Icon: Bogie fans will want to take a cruise on the original African Queen, docked in Key Largo. africanqueenflkeys.com
Diving & Snorkeling: Key Largo is the dive capital of the world. As part of the 2,900-square-nautical-mile Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Key Largo features six unique Sanctuary Preservation Areas. Nowhere on earth has more friendly fish than Key Largo, creating an absolute paradise for underwater photographers. Don’t miss Christ of the Abyss, an 8 1/2 foot, 4,000-pound bronze sculpture of Jesus Christ that stands in 25 feet of water off of Key Largo. fla-keys.com/keylargo
FOR REVELING AND BARHOPPING
Key West
October 21-30
Fantasy Fest is an annual 10-day party that is the wildest extravaganza around. Fun loving revelers from around the globe bring their creativity and imaginations to Key West for 10 days filled with libations, excitement, wild costumes (or practically nothing at all), culminating in the Fantasy Fest Parade. This year’s theme is certainly scary: “Political Voodoo & Ballot Box Barbarians.” You’ve gotta go at least once.
Other Things to Do
Barhopping: Don’t miss local bars like the Hog’s Breath Saloon—it’s been a popular Key West watering hole with locals and visitors for nearly 25 years. hogsbreath.com
Visit The Ernest Hemingway Home: The home was built in 1851 in the Spanish Colonial style. It was in great disrepair when Ernest and Pauline Hemingway undertook a massive restoration and remodeling on the home in the early 1930s, turning it into the National Historical Landmark that thousands of tourists visit today. hemingwayhome.com
Watch for more ideas on Miami road trips in November.
