New Travel Writer Destination: Squidoo

Squidoo is not new, of course, it's just new to this copywriter. I discovered the site a few years ago, joined and never pursued it. I think I just didn't understand its value.

A friend recently mentioned the site to me, and I thought; perfect; someplace to create more content and support some of the sites I love and manage.

But what caught my imagination was the opportunity to also make a little extra income. We all like that, don't we? Income generated from pay per click advertising is pooled and distributed to lens owners (pages on Squidoo are called "lenses") according to lens rank and traffic. Squids (lens owners - yeah, I know it's kind of silly; and kind of cute) can also earn income through affiliate sales via Amazon and eBay.

Since I love to write, am fascinated by Key West, its houses and its colorful history I've started with a few lenses on local topics.

• Oldest House and Gardens - visiting this free Key West museum offers visitors to the Southernmost City a glimpse of the life of early settlers. The gardens offer a quiet respite from the noisy sprawl of Duval St. Arguably Key West's best free attraction. Of course, as a volunteer tour guide for the house, I might be a little biased ... but come let me show you around and convince you.
  
• Ernest Hemingway in Key West - The 20th Century's most important American novelist was an avid sportsman. His love of deep sea fishing, the tropical clime and the laid back attitude of Key West, kept "Ole Hem" coming back. The author invited his friends to visit him in the "St. Tropez of the poor," and the Mob followed, putting the Southernmost City on the map.
• The incredible architecture of homes in Key West is a large part of the allure of the Isle of Bones.
• The heart and soul of the middle Florida Keys is the quiet vacation haven of Key Colony Beach, a jewel of an island city off the Atlantic side of the Overseas Highway. A long causeway keeps the island quiet, yet the amenities of the more commercial Marathon are just a few minutes by car.

I plan to follow up with more local travel lenses, including:

• My favorite local restaurants;
• The best homes to tour - Hemingway House, Audubon House, Curry Mansion, Little White House;
  
• Sunsets and Celebrations
• A version of my post on Free Things To Do in Key West.
• Bone Island history

Come visit me on Squidoo and see what I've written lately.