Cheeca Lodge burned down!

[Neal Osborn]

I just found out that the historic Cheeca Lodge in Islamorada http://www.cheeca.com/, Florida burned down New Year’s Eve.

[Tim Angeli]

Neal,

I’m not from the Keys but I read about this a little while back and it was my impression that the fire, although severe, did not totally destroy the lodge.

[Mark Schafer]

Butwood Bob lives just down the road from there if he is still around here. I think I know the place I picked up a friends brother at mile 91 when we got asked to leave the lower keys before hurricane Dennis.

[Neal Osborn]

The Cheeca is where I learned to use my first DSLR!  

[h hoskins]

Its where Sandy Morett held the Florida Keys Flyfishing School.

[Rob Snowhite]

they are running spots for the lodge on vs.
business must still be viable

[fred marsteller]

I was in Islamorada at the time this happened, although I couldn’t go look after the fire.  Gossip in Mangrove Mike’s and other places was that damage was mainly limited to a smaller thatched roof building and that the main headache was finding housing for all of the people who were there during crunch time.  They’ll prolly be open again soon.

We rented a cottage for well less than any of the dog-friendly hotels would have charged us.  That’ll be our approach in the future – more money for the guides!

((BTW – the holiday season is NOT the time to visit Islamorada! Laid-back turns into grumpy – of course I was a bit grumpy when Lorei-Lei threw my dogs out!))

[james buice]

Burned down is a bit much, it did sustain some damage from a fire, mostly to the main office building. They’re putting ‘er back up and should be up and running 100% when the construction is complete. Not a nicer place to hang out in the Keys, just keep the drinks comin’.

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