FLORIDA.

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Author: Cooke, Patrick

Key Largo: When has Key Largo not had a golden age? The well-to-do have been coming to this 27-mile-long island since the 1600s, when Spanish armadas billowed by, bursting with gold and silver. Today, the island standard for luxury is the opulent OCEAN REEF CLUB, a 4,000-acre member-owned resort featuring two championship golf courses, beach and tennis clubs, and its own airstrip for private jets. (The Secret Service and the FBI have named the resort the most secure community in America.)

From December I through 4, Ocean Reef will celebrate how the other half--its half-lived when it hosts the 12th Annual Vintage Weekend, a showcase of the finest automobiles, motor yachts and aircraft from the 1900s to the 1970s. And a finer collection you won't find anywhere. Past participants have included a 1929 60-foot John Wright motor yacht, a 1950 Lincoln Cosmopolitan and a 1941 Boeing Stearman N2S-2 aircraft.

Although Ocean Reef is a private club, Vintage Weekend visitors are welcome to stay at the 142-room Ocean Front Inn. There are a variety of restaurants on the property ranging from formal to casual, including the very fine Ocean Room at the hotel itself.

Rates from $195. (305) 367-5874, www.oceanreef.com.

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By Patrick Cooke