FLORIDA: THE SUNSHINE STATE
BY CLAY
LARROY
Make the most of your travel experiences. Taking a
cruise is a great way to see many different places when you travel. Cruises
offer many activities and things to do while on the ship, while offering you
the opportunity to explore different locations each time you arrive at a port.
Travel is a great opportunity to learn more things. Time spent abroad helps you
understand and appreciate diverse cultures. In addition, it encourages an
acceptance and tolerance of ways of life that differ from your own. When you want to plan a vacation contact me!
Sizzling beaches or a theme park bonanza might tempt you to
Florida, but there's more to the Sunshine State than golden sands and Disney
shows.
That said, Miami is a fabulous place to kick off your sojourn. The
city's sprawling South Beach delivers what the postcards promise: brightly colored
lifeguard huts, promenades of art deco architecture and a steady stream of
tanned bods. It's a place to pedal a powder-blue cruiser, sip overpriced
mojitos or shimmy in sultry clubs.
Miami's not all about the beach, though. Head to a Cuban block
party on Calle Ocho, take a dip in the Venetian pool at Coral Gables, or
peruses the wares in the Design District.
South of Miami, the Florida Keys archipelago is a
Caribbean-flavored getaway with beautiful beaches and clear blue waters. For
something wilder head to the sprawling wetlands of the Everglades National
Park, which are home to alligators, manatees and the endangered Florida
panther.
Along the Gulf Coast in western Florida, the cities of Sarasota,
Fort Myers and Naples serve up culture and tranquillity alongside stellar
sunsets, while Tampa and St Petersburg boast sweeping beaches and picturesque
historical sites.
And tucked in among the rolling hills of North Florida, the state
capital, Tallahassee, is a popular university town strictly Southern in tone,
and gateway to the stunning beaches of Panhandle.
Things
to see and do in Florida
Everglades National Park
Florida's Everglades make up the largest sub-tropical wilderness
on the United States mainland, and were designated a national park in 1947.
Both temperate and tropical plant communities are represented in the park's
610,684 hectares (1,509,000 acres), including cypress swamps, pinelands and
sawgrass prairies. Florida Bay, the largest body of water within the park,
covering 2072 sq km (800 sq miles), is home to fish, shellfish, coral and
sponges. The park is particularly well known for its abundant birdlife. Other
endangered species protected in the park are the Green turtle, the Key Largo
Cotton mouse, the American crocodile and the Schaus swallowtail butterfly. The
park's five visitor centers provide information on the flora and fauna in the
Everglades, as well as details of various park trails. Hiking and canoeing
trails start at Flamingo Visitor Center, Gulf Coast Visitor Center and Shark
Valley Visitor Center. Shark Valley Center also hires out bicycles and visitors
can take a narrated tram ride or a boat tour of the park.
Everglades National Park
Venture into the tangled
wildness and sweeping sawgrass prairies of Florida's subtropical Everglades
National Park (www.nps.gov/ever) by airboat tours, nature
trails and safari vans. The Everglades is the USA's third-largest national park
and home to wild alligators.
Go fishing
Cast out your line at the
'World's Luckiest Fishing Village', Destin's East Pass, for the best selection
of deep-sea fishing excursions on the northern Gulf Coast. Join sport fishermen
and anglers in The Keys (www.fla-keys.com) for some of the best
fishing off America's coast. Compete with world records for catches of
sailfish, marlin, kingfish, snapper, barracuda and grouper.
Head south
Drive south of Miami to
the Florida Keys, a long chain of coral reef islands linked by highway US-1
from Key Largo (www.fla-keys.com/keylargo) to Key West (www.floridakeys.com). The keys offer diving, fishing, swimming with dolphins,
eco-tours and birdwatching.
Hit the heritage trail
Tour St Augustine (www.floridashistoriccoast.com), the USA's oldest city,
originally settled by the Spanish. The town is a time capsule capturing nearly 500
years of fascinating history.
Island living
Explore Marco Island (www.marco-island-florida.com), an area of stunning
beauty and a retreat for the wealthy on the Gulf Coast. The exclusive island is
nearly nestled among the Ten Thousand Islands, a maze of mangrove isles that
stretch from Naples to the Florida Keys.
Jewish history
Walk through the Florida
Holocaust Museum (www.flholocaustmuseum.org) in St Petersburg, one of
the largest museums in the country and dedicated to the memory of millions of
innocent Jews who died or suffered in the Holocaust.
Life's a beach
Swim at New Smyrna Beach (www.nsbfla.com), billed as the 'World's Safest Bathing Beach' and 'Best Beach in
Florida'. Enjoy backwater fishing, fresh seafood, historical sites and museums,
and long seasons of sunshine. Get away to Fort Myers Beach, ideal for family
holidays with its safe, gently sloping shoreline and numerous activities.
Master strokes
Visit St Petersburg, home
to world-class museums, including the Salvador Dali Museum (www.salvadordalimuseum.org), which contains the
world's most comprehensive collection by this famous Spanish surrealist. See
the Ringling Museum Complex (www.ringling.org), the official State
Museum of Florida. It is a major attraction with superb old masterpieces and a
fine contemporary art collection.
National parks
Take a glass-bottomed boat
ride through mangroves and islands and out to tropical coral reefs rising 8m
(25ft) in Biscayne National Park (www.nps.gov/bisc).
Outta this world
Coincide a visit to Cape
Canaveral with one of NASA's space shuttle launches from the Kennedy Space
Center. See launchpads, astronaut training centres, museums and exhibits (www.kennedyspacecenter.com). IMAX presentations give
visitors the illusion of space travel.
Play golf
Tee off at one of southwest Florida's beautiful golf courses,
where there are more golf holes per capita than any other destination in the
USA.
Potter around
Experience The Wizarding
World of Harry Potter or the terrifying attack of a great white shark on the
Jaws Ride at Universal Studios, Orlando, (www.universalorlando.com).
Presidential paraphernalia
Explore the Florida
International Museum (website: www.floridamuseum.org), home to the largest
private collection of John F Kennedy memorabilia, including a recreation of
JFK's Oval Office.
Seaside visit
Relax in Naples (www.naples-florida.com), a charming city of
understated elegance, cosy beach cottages and 5-star resorts. Naples is also known
for its pristine shoreline and abundant wildlife.
Speed demons
Thrill to the sounds of
thunder at Daytona International Speedway (www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com) which hosts the famous
Daytona 500 race and the Winston Cup series each year.
Swim with the dolphins
For an unforgettable
experience, head for Key Largo or sign on for Dolphin Camp (www.dolphinsplus.com) and learn about these
amazing mammals from a resident marine biologist and trainers.
Take a spin
Drive down Ocean Drive and
Lincoln Road in Miami's South Beach past over 800 candy-coloured art deco
buildings in the Art Deco Historic District (www.visitsouthbeachonline.com).
Take the plunge
- Dive in and experience
the different watersports offered at Miami Beach (www.miamiandbeaches.com), including kayaking,
windsurfing, boogie-boarding and scuba-diving.
Walt Disney World Resort
Take the family to Walt
Disney World Resort (www.disney.go.com), the biggest amusement
park in the world. Visit Magic Kingdom; explore science at the Epcot Center;
take a safari adventure through Animal Kingdom; see the world of movies at
Disney MGM Studios.
Waterways
Cruise Fort Lauderdale's
canals and the Intracoastal Waterway by local water taxi past luxurious homes
of the rich and famous. Discover the city's Riverwalk (www.goriverwalk.com), a linear park linking
hotels, restaurants and attractions along the banks of the New River.
Wild encounters
Venture to Busch Gardens (www.buschgardens.com), a huge amusement park
in Tampa Bay featuring African wildlife. Giraffes, zebras and antelope roam
freely through the park's 24-hectare (60-acre) plain, next to thrilling rides
such as the Kumba.
Wings Over Miami
Catch an air show at Wings
Over Miami (www.wingsovermiami.com), a museum with an
extensive collection of military and classic aircraft on display.
REFERENCE SITES:
I love baseball. I'll probably
end up one of those old farts who go to spring training in Florida every year
and drive from game to game all day.
Steve Earle
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