It’s Friday, Key West! In today’s can’t-miss-weekend-plans edition: Hilton’s waterfront expansion, Swim Around Key West, and kitten yoga + a stacked lineup of events this weekend.
Your homeowners insurance has a blind spot: It covers your house if a tree falls on it. It doesn’t cover your furnace when it quits in January, your AC when it dies in July, or your water heater when it starts leaking on a Tuesday. Those are all classified as "normal wear and tear," and they're 100% on you. American Home Shield can help fill that gap for ~$1/day (even if your appliances and systems are really old) -- see what it covers.* |
01 — Worth knowing In the newsThree local stories this week, plus a few worth your money.
New waterfront stay option: Hilton plans a Keys expansion, converting Ocean's Edge Resort & Marina on Stock Island into a Hilton-branded waterfront escape that is accepting reservations now for stays beginning July 1, 2026 -- learn more about the resort.
Island events keep rolling: Memorial Day traditions already kicked off, and Key West Pride and Coralpalooza just wrapped. Up next, the Summer Solstice Celebration, 12.5-mile Swim Around Key West, and Key Lime Festival -- see summer events ahead.
A school leader’s legacy: After 34 years with Monroe County schools, Plantation Key School principal Lisa Taylor will retire at the end of June, capping 13 years leading campus construction, Irma repairs, and pandemic pivots -- read the full story.
The bill all retirees should double check: Car insurance. If you’ve been on the same plan for years, you might be paying way more than you need to. It’s an easy one to forget about, but switching could save you up to $600 this year. Case in point: I shopped around and ended up cutting my premium in half — this free comparison tool makes it easy.*
An emergency vet visit could cost you $7,000+ (ask me how I know 🙃). From the initial walk-in-the-door fee to x-rays, surgery, and aftercare, it adds up quicker than a chew toy turns into a crime scene. The good news? You could save thousands on your next vet bill with Lemonade*.
The slower you walk, the more it works: Tai Chi walking is trending online. Turns out it's centuries old — slow deliberate steps, paced breath, attention on the body. Thirty minutes a day burns fat, lifts your mood, and builds balance. No gym, no treadmill, no pounding on the joints. Take the quick quiz to see if it fits, then use code BASELOCAL for a discount on the coaching plan -- see how it works.* Highlights this week: |
02 — From our sponsor This summer, what if you didn't have to point at the menu?Not "menu Spanish." Not pointing at the photo and hoping. Ordering dinner like a local, talking the vendor down at the market, catching the punchline before anyone explains it. Babbel gets you there in ten minutes a day. Most people are holding real conversations within three weeks, because every lesson is built by 200+ language experts to get you talking early, not drilling flashcards you'll forget by lunch. And it works: 92% of users improved their proficiency in just two months, with 25 million subscriptions sold. Then there's the part that makes it a no-brainer. You pay once. A single lifetime subscription unlocks all 14 languages Babbel teaches, for every trip you'll ever take, with no monthly fee and no renewal quietly hitting your card next year. Get Babbel for 55% off through the end of June.* |
03 — On our radar
Local business spotlightNearby spots we'd actually send a friend to.
Need a real laugh? When Duval starts feeling like the same three stories on repeat, Comedy Key West hits reset with touring headliners, sharp locals, and the kind of intimate room where punchlines actually land. Book a night, let the A/C and belly laughs fix your week.
Midweek sunset reset: Skip the scroll and wander to Mallory Square for the nightly Sunset Celebration, where magicians, jugglers, local musicians and artists make the sun’s last act feel like a block party. Applaud the horizon, bump into neighbors, maybe grab something tasty, then float home a little lighter.
Link it, forget it: Permanent Jewelry Key West MAVKA welds dainty, custom-fit chains into bracelets or anklets that handle scooter runs, sweaty sunsets, and surprise swims. Bring a friend for matching zaps, pick your metal vibe, then let the tiny spark do its thing so you can skip clasps and stay effortlessly put-together.
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04 — Our recommendations
We got your backA handful of products and services we think are worth a look.
What if a workout left your joints looser, not sorer? Most exercise trades a little pain now for results later, but it doesn't have to. Chair yoga keeps you seated the whole time, so your joints loosen and your strength grows without the excessive impact. A quick quiz shapes it into a personalized plan that meets your body where it is and adjusts as you loosen up. *Find your starting point →
Google your own name and you'll probably find your home address: It's sitting on a people-search site right now, next to your age, your relatives, and your phone number, free for anyone to look up. Incogni gets it taken down. It contacts 420+ data brokers on your behalf, uses privacy laws to legally demand deletion, and keeps resending requests so your information doesn't creep back online. No hours of opt-out forms, it runs quietly in the background. *Remove my data →
The card that pays you to pay down debt: Most balance-transfer cards skip the rewards. Most rewards cards skip the long 0% intro APR. This one has both — 0% intro APR for 15 billing cycles on purchases and qualifying balance transfers (made in the first 60 days), plus 2% back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs and up to 6% in a category you pick. No annual fee, and there's a $200 bonus after $1,000 in spending in the first 90 days. *Worth a look →
Two sprays before bed, no more snoring? It really is that simple. No mouthpiece to wrestle with, no CPAP mask, no nose strips that peel off at 2am. This doctor-developed throat spray has been keeping sleepers quiet for 30 years, and first-time orders are 40% off right now. *See how it works → |
Have an event to share? We (and our readers) can't wait to hear about it! Submit an event → |
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05 — The event calendar Around town this weekendOur favorite events this weekend. Dates, times, and locations are subject to change. Always check official event pages before heading out.
🧹 Early Bird Clean Up @ Florida Keys Eco Discovery Center | Friday (6/12) at 8:00 AM – Early bird duty at Truman Waterfront means swapping chairs for grabbers with the Eco-Discovery Center. One swift hour sprucing up Bahama Village and the park, then breakfast treats, plus a peek at new exhibits to justify a second cafecito. Vests, buckets, and pickers provided.
🍵 Tea & Poetry @ Evolve | Friday (6/12) at 7:00 PM – Skip Duval and grab a teacup, then let your inner Bard breathe at a donation-based tea and poetry open mic. Original pieces only, so no boozy Dylan covers, just honest voices, warm cups, and a room that listens. Bring heart, not ego.
🏊 Swim Around Key West @ Higgs Beach | Saturday (6/13) at 6:45 AM – Our version of a stroll, only wetter: a 12.5-mile swim around the island with postcard views and gloriously salty water. Go solo, add fins or a mermaid tail, or split it in 2 to 6-person relays, with shorter bites from 6.1 miles to 800 yards.
🍍 Truman’s Tropical Fruit Festival @ Harry S. Truman Little White House | Saturday (6/13) at 9:00 AM – Trade pancakes for papaya at Truman’s Tropical Fruit Festival, a morning wander through mango, guava, and other juicy characters. Even Harry would approve of this island diplomacy, where sticky fingers, satisfied noses, and bragging rights for cutting a mango properly are the treaties that matter.
🧘 Kitten Extravaganza Week: Kitten Yoga @ FYT | Saturday (6/13) at 11:00 AM – This yoga class at FYT Key West surrounds your sun salutations with actual kittens, so yes, balance will be optional. Stretch, breathe, and surrender to purr therapy, gentle chaos, and the smug flexibility of tiny acrobats. You’ll leave looser, furrier, and strangely zen.
🗡 Annual Dagger Dive & TLWH Community Event @ Opal Key Resort & Marina | Saturday (6/13) – Annual Dagger Dive is splashing into the Conch Republic with reef time, easy camaraderie, and real purpose. Skip yard work, suit up, and support Task Force Dagger’s mission for wounded Special Ops members and their families. Finally, a reason to wear fins in public.
🐄 Sheriff's Animal Farm Open House @ Stock Island Detention Center | Sunday (6/14) at 1:00 PM – Only in the Keys do you visit a petting zoo at the jail. Swing by the Sheriff’s Animal Farm Open House on Stock Island for rescued critters, kid-friendly wonder, and that oddly wholesome Keys charm, then go home smelling faintly of hay, carrots, and contentment. Live music & entertainment:
Want more? Browse our full events calendar | Submit an event |
06 — Announcement Your homeowners insurance has a blind spotIt covers your house if a tree falls on it. It doesn’t cover your furnace when it quits in January, your AC when it dies in July, or your water heater when it starts leaking on a Tuesday. Those are all classified as "normal wear and tear," and they're 100% on you. American Home Shield can help fill that gap for ~$1/day (even if your appliances and systems are really old). *See what it covers → |
07 — The Key West report Weather forecastToday — High: 89°F — Low: 81°F — Precip: 22%
A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. East wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Later: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 81. East wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Tomorrow — High: 90°F — Low: 81°F — Precip: 18%
A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Sunny, with a high near 90. East wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Later: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 81. Chance of precipitation is 20%. This house is wild1022 Washington sits in sought-after Casa Maria with a 4/3.5 main house and two separate apartments for extra flexibility. Vaulted ceilings, high-end kitchen finishes, and a walk-in pantry give the main home a polished feel, while two suites include kitchenette-style wet bars. Decks, lush landscaping, and a sun-soaked pool round out this spacious, well-located property.
Take a peek inside → |
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