History of Islamorada's Cheeca Lodge

Buried in an article about the rising prices of real estate in the Florida Keys is the interesting story behind Cheeca Lodge, which is undergoing a major transformation/renovation. “The lodge, now managed by RockResorts, was built in the early 1960’s after a hurricane destroyed its predecessor, the Olney Inn, where Harry S. Truman was once a guest. The name was derived from a merger of the names of the two new owners, Cynthia (better known as Che-Che) and her husband, Carl Twitchell (an heir to the A.& P. supermarket fortune). The resort soon took on something of a celebrity cachet. Frequent guests included Sam Snead, Ted Williams and Bing Crosby. More recently, former President George Bush has often been a guest — so much so that the resort holds an annual bonefish tournament in his honor.” Charles Passy in The New York Times. (Thanks to reader David Dalu for this link.)