Remember the pugnacious pax de deux Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn played out in the 1951 classic The African Queen? Now you can be more than a bystander.
After languishing in Ocala, the 100 year-old iconic vessel used in the movie underwent a $70,000 restoration and is back in the water again, transporting people on 90-minute canal rides from the Holiday Inn Key Largo.
This is no mere boat folks. Aside from its filmatic connection, the vessel sports a long and storied history. Built back in 1912, the year Titanic sunk, the ship was originally named Livingstone. Serving the fabled British East Africa Rail Company, she shuttled cargo, hunters and mercenaries along the Ruki River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Director John Huston saw her and temporarily pulled her from service for the movie. In 1968 the ship was stripped of all gear, and shipped to San Francisco. Then, she found her way to Ocala. Now, she’s set to find her way into your imagination.
Give your imagination really free rein and head to another Key’s adventure May 4 through 13. That’s when the Key West Mystery Fest debuts.
If you love whodunits, revel in solving puzzles, or fancy yourself a lower-case Sherlock, this is the event for you. See a world-premiere play. Indulge in interactive puzzles. Meet the creator and writer/producer of TV’s “Monk.” Rub elbows with leading mystery authors.
The centerpiece of the festival is the debut of the play “Home Exchange” at the Waterfront Playhouse.
We all need our own little worlds into which to escape, our own islands in the sun. The Florida Keys provide precisely that. All you have to do is give in and come on down.
Story by Jerry Chandler
