FLORIDA: THE SUNSHINE STATE
BY CLAY
LARROY
It
doesn't matter if you take a trip across the state line or the border, being
far from home can be exciting and also a bit stressful. When considering
traveling, it is important to think of the best mode of travel. Traveling by car can offer
many more sights and opportunities for side trips. Traveling by train can offer
a chance to relax and get some work done if they wanted. Planes can cover
ground fast but don't allow much movement and one cannot get off the plane in
flight. Each mode of travel has its own advantages and disadvantages to be
considered. When you want to plan a vacation contact me!
Miami “The Magic City”
About
Miami
Famed for its tropical climate, Hispanic culture and art deco
seafront, Miami has the glamour to rival LA but offsets any glitz with a gritty
urban edge.
Dominated by its proximity
to the Atlantic Ocean and its tended golden beaches, the city may seem brash at
first but it has much more to offer than bling, beach babes and celebrity fans.
Its eclectic architecture
should present clues as to its cultural and historical depth. Just look at its
diverse neighborhoods: Downtown Miami is a place of gleaming glass and steel
skyscrapers, while Little Havana is home to a thriving Cuban community. The
salty Port of Miami, meanwhile, is unlike either. This is where cargo ships and
Navy destroyers moor alongside gargantuan cruise ships in route to the
Caribbean.
Miami Beach is famous for
its glittering strip of vast hotels, palatial homes and glamorous locals. The
surrounding showy neighborhood of South Beach is instantly recognizable with
its candy-colored buildings set against a pure South Florida backdrop of
cloudless skies, dazzling blue ocean, pale sandy beaches and swaying palm
trees.
The city is swiftly
becoming a hub for culture too. The Wynwood Arts District and Miami Design
District are a case in point, as is the Biscayne Bay museum quarter. Frank
Gehry's New World Center is a spectacular example of post-modernist design,
while the wonderful Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) is alluring on a smaller
scale.
There's no shortage of
things to do outside Miami either. If the beaches lose their appeal, head west
to the Everglades, a sprawling flooded wetland which is home to thousands of
wild alligators.
Further up the coast is
Fort Lauderdale, with its Venice-inspired canals and vast cruise terminal,
while to the south is the wonderfully bohemian Florida Keys (or The Conch
Republic as it is known to some independently-minded locals). So whether you're
exploring the city center or relaxing in the sunny suburbs, Miami is one city
that never gets boring.
Tours
& Excursions
Tourist Information Centers
Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau
·
Brickell Key
701 Brickell Avenue, Suite 2700
Miami
33131
United States
701 Brickell Avenue, Suite 2700
Miami
33131
United States
·
+1 305 539 3000.
·
Mon-Fri 0830-1800.
Excursions
Everglades
·
America's second largest national park, the Everglades is home to
6,070 sq km (2,344 sq miles) of marshes, mangrove forests, freshwater and
saltwater areas and open grass prairies. Gator-spotting is one of the main
attractions in this vast subtropical wilderness, which is also home to an
abundance of rare plants, birds and animals - including wild orchids, Florida
panthers, ospreys, manatees and giant loggerhead turtles. Visitor centers are
run by the park authorities, which also lay on walking, boat and tram tours.
·
+1 305 242 7700.
The Keys and Key West
·
A cluster of small coral-and-limestone islands south of Miami, the
Keys offer some of the best sport fishing, scuba diving, boating, swimming and snorkeling
in the world. Key West is its quaint and festive jewel, offering myriad
museums, Caribbean-influenced restaurants and art galleries. Back towards
Miami, the main draw is Key Largo, which is home to a dolphin rehabilitation center.
It also has a protected marine park that shimmers with tropical fish.
·
+1 305 352 5397.
Tours
Kayak tours
·
The Blue Moon Outdoor Center offers a unique way to see Miami and
its outlying natural areas by kayak and bike. Self-guided tours and expedition
packages of varying length and difficulty are offered, most of which start in
the Oleta River State Park at the northern end of Biscayne Bay.
·
+1 305 957 3040.
Walking tours
·
Miami isn't always the easiest place to explore on foot but the
Miami Design Preservation League is hoping to change all that with daily,
90-minute walking tours of South Beach's art deco historic district departing
from its Art Deco Welcome Center. Self-guided audio tours are also available.
·
+1 305 672 2014.
REFERENCE SITES:
Miami is one of these great places
that is a really sensual, physically beautiful place.
Michael Mann
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