KBTV

Behind the Scences of the Production of "Maestros and Marauders in Marathon (Key!), Florida" Part 1

Have you ever thought about how a script is written and what it looks like? Well here's your chance to take a sneak peak in to the production of an episode of the Watercooler Diaries!

[KATE ON CAM] Hi. I'm Kate Bohner for the "WatercoolerDiaries"on KBTVonline. Thanks for joining our Florida in Focus series as we peek in on a sprawling, sleepy, sea-faring town that marks the midpoint of the archipelago at Florida's southern tip known as The Keys.

Marathon ... it's a Mecca for laid-back vacationers seeking an authentic honky-tonk adventure filled with quaint motels as colorful as the fish that fill the ubiquitous waters surrounding the loosely knit chain of islands that make up this tropical paradise.

[KATE OFF CAM/ON VOICE OVER][BROLL AND KATE VO WITH MONTAGE OF KEY'S PICS PLUS A COOL MAP MADE BY KIRST] Our journey began at 6:30 a.m. when the KBTV team set off for the Florida Keys. No, we weren't hitting Key West [K GRAPHIC OF CRZY DRUNKEN REVELERS ON DATURA STREET] (KATE PAUSE)...We wanted something a little more relaxing, so we settled on a destination nestled in the middle keys.

As the Turnpike narrowed to a two-lane road at US1 the air got lighter, the light got brighter and the road-side marinas became to tempting not to get out and stretch our legs. Of course, with the ulterior motive of a photo op. [RUN PICS AT OUR FIRST STOP. BARRY SEE KBTVONLINE@GMAIL.COM FILE WITH SAME HEADINGTK].

[KATE STILL V/O] … Forty-five minutes latter we hit our destination...the Sea Dell Motel. Although the place was newly remodeled...with brand new refrigerators, microwaves and high speed wireless Internet access....the exterior harkened back to a simpler time...that of station wagons packed with children, dogs, inflatable rafts and soda pop-filled coolers.

[KIRST GRAPHIX OF OLD-TIME VACATIONERS AND PICS AND VIDEO OF THE SEA DELL]

My expectations for the stretch of road between Miami and Key West were pretty low. We're talking cheesy T-shirt shops, 10-foot plastic mermaids and rusted beer cans dotting the shoulder of US1. What we found, however, was an entirely different scene.

[KATE STAND UP ON SOMBRERO BEACH] Marathon, situated mainly on Vaca, Fat Deer and Grassy Keys, is a 10-mile-long island city at the midpoint of the Florida Keys island chain. Locals call their home "the heart of the Keys" for geographic reasons, but also to reflect the old-Keys lifestyle they enjoy among the spectacular fishing diving snorkeling and sailing. This quaint tropical key has spruced itself up with new parks, the impeccably maintained Sombrero Beach, and a newly renovated airport – the largest in the Keys! These improvements were made with careful thought toward maintaining the simple, sea-faring tradition that gives Marathon its character.

Fresh fish is the local fare and dozens of ramshackle marine-style restaurants pepper both coasts on either side of Route 1. A favorite local spot [RUN PHOTO OF FISHER GUYS AT BAR] is Keys Fisheries, Market and Marina. [PHOTO MONTAGE OF THE PLACE] Tucked away at the end of 35th street on the Gulf side, this little full-service fish market turns out to be more than just a grab-and-go joint. Instead, picnic tables topped with giant rolls of paper towels, old bay seasoning and hot sauce line the dock. There's a full bar, raised two stories above the place...giving you a panoramic view of the gulf. And the food...simple and spectacular...fresh filet of blackened grouper on a bun with homemade spicy tartar sauce....coconut-batter-fried shrimp with a mango salsa....and a tangy Caesar salad.

We decided to take in some of the local art we'd seen around town. And that's when we met Rocky Farris one of the 28 artists whose work is featured at the Bougainvillea House Art Gallery....this cooperative … which captured an almost ‘60s-ish feel … is owned and operated by the artists.

[BITE OF ROCKY SAYING SOMETHING NOT SNIPPY]

[KATE ON CAM] After the interview I walked out with one of Rocky’s photo-surrealist prints – one of 10 – featuring a blow fish morphing into a coconut. [RUN FAUX KATE WITH PAINTING PIC TK] Then Rachael...always the consummate producer...reminded us we had a plane to catch.

[BROLL OF PLANES AND THE AIRFIELD WITH KATE VO] We buzzed out to Marathon's private airport to meet the Sea Dell Motel owner, Harry Caplan, a former real estate developer, salesman and current pilot and self-described "commercial-handy-man."

After a few pre-flight checks and a refuel [PHOTO OF KATE PUMPING GAS] his INSERT PLANE NAME HERE was ready to go. [BROLL OF PLANE TAKE OFF] Soon Rachael and I were gazing at Marathon and the middle keys from thousands of feet up. The view was amazing. The different keys looked like emeralds dotting a sea of turquoise. [PICS TAKEN FROM PLANE]

Once our 20 minutes of perfect panoramic views had come to a somewhat screechy close (KATE DISPLAYS MOCK SURPRISE ON CAM), we headed back to the Sea Dell for a chat with Harry about how someone who helped develop $2 billion dollars in real-estate projects ended up owning a motel in a sleepy little place like Marathon.

[BITE FROM HARRY]

… [KATE COMES OUT OF THE BITE WITH A SMIRK … AND KATE ON CAM] … Harry Caplan? He was just a smidgeon of the “local culture.”

[KATE ON CAM] Tune in next time for the second installment of our trip to the middle keys. Watch as Kate…quite literally…rubs elbows with a couple of dolphins…both descendents of the dolphin TV icon Flipper. [MAYBE TEASE WITH A FEW SEC OF FOOTAGE FROM THE FLIP CAM OF K AND KRIS GETTING READY TO GO. Thanks for joining Part 1 of our Florida in Focus … "Maestros and Marauders in Marathon (Key!) … I’m Kate Bohner for the WatercoolerDiaries on KBTVonline.

And as a bonus we've included pictures!

posted by J.P. @ 6:30 AM