Tag Archives: Florida

Florida, Miami Beach, Plan, South Beach, Trip Ideas

South Beach: 10 Reasons to Go

June 17, 2014

A major hot spot for a tropical escape, South Beach is a hub for fashion and fun, sun and surf, food and drink, art and music, parties and all-nighters. It’s a place where everything is done with a big splash of glitter and glitz. From a morning jog along Ocean Drive to afternoon shopping on Lincoln Road to cocktails at hotel bars life is good here. But once the sun sets, the mood changes as the neon lights go on and diners fills up outdoor cafes, followed by hipsters on the prowl for some wild after-dark fun.

1 See and Be Seen

Since its rebirth in the 1980s South Beach has been a magnet for the glitterati. Stars, from Madonna to Cameron Diaz, strutted their stuff on Ocean Drive and in the clubs—back then. Today you’re more likely to spot the next reality TV star and the hyped-up celeb sports figure making the scene. But one thing for sure, SoBe is a hot place to get noticed—day and night— and there’s no shortage of folks in search of the limelight.

2 City that Never Sleeps

This town rocks 24/7. From the sunrise-watching all-night party crowd, who never slept, to the early morning athletes pumping up their muscles on beach workout bars, action is round the clock. You can play all day, dine at night, hit the clubs, party at the after-hour spots and start all over again the next day, with a jolt of super-strong Cuban coffee to get you going.

3 Beach Bunnies

The best action is on the sands at Lummus Park skirting Ocean Drive. Claim your spot and take in a volleyball game as buff guys and gals spike the ball. Walk the stretch and check out the funky art-deco lifeguard stands or just soak up the warm rays. When thirst sets in, cross the street to any of the open-air bars and cafes for an ice-cold beer or better yet, a mojito.

4 Lincoln Road

This pedestrian mall is where locals and visitors mingle. Umbrellas shade the outdoor tables on the promenade, which are prime spots for people watching. Another favorite pastime is dog walking and the parade of pooches never stops. Restaurants serve everything from seafood to ropa vieja, microbrews to lattes. Shopping on the west end is a tad more upscale with Brazilian designer boutiques and art galleries scattered about.

5 Party Time

Things start late in South Beach, so don’t even think of arriving before 10 p.m., in fact, midnight is more the hour when the party starts heating up. No matter what your budget, there are bars and clubs for everyone, from the red-velvet-rope nightclubs with neon lights and pumping house music to the old dive bars, where a game of pool and a cold beer are all you need.

6 Killer Fashion

The fashion show never ends on South Beach so get ready for your catwalk debut. Dressing is part of the scene. Whether it’s the latest bikini, hippest shorts with a trendy T-shirt or the flashiest hip-hugging dress with stilettos, this is the place to strut your best stuff. And if you don’t have SoBe-style attire, there are plenty of stores with outrageously cool clothing on just about every block.

7 Events Galore

South Beach plays host to top events, starting with Art Deco Weekend in January, a celebration in the art-deco historic district with wild parades and art displays. In February the South Beach Wine and Food Festival brings Food Network chefs and their entourages for 10 days of feasting and partying. In April international polo players and their ponies arrive for the Miami Beach Polo World Cup, played right on the sands. May’s Fashion Week packs SoBe hotels with long- legged models and dazzling fashion shows. In December Art Basel spills into South Beach, filling the Miami Beach Convention Center with the world’s best contemporary artwork.

8 Foodie Scene

There are more restaurants packed into this 23-block-long stretch than you’d think—and new ones are opening constantly. The popular sidewalk dining along Ocean Drive draws huge crowds, but on the side streets you’ll find gems with starred culinary ratings, and if you head to the South of Fifth neighborhood, you’ll encounter a quieter more sophisticated dining scene.

9 Perfect Pitch

The New World Center, an architectural masterpiece designed by Frank Gehry, is where the New World Symphony and its artistic director, Michael Tilson Thomas, make music. A cultural stop for any visitor who appreciates the arts, the center even has an outdoor element: SoundScape, a park where the public can watch free concerts from within the performance hall that are projected onto the building’s vast 7,000-square-foot exterior wall.

10 Art-Deco Hotels

Despite all the fanfare going on, it’s the art-deco thread running throughout South Beach that gives the area its distinct look. Take a walking tour with the Art Deco Preservation League or tour on your own schedule with a walk down Collins Avenue to pop in and out of the National, the Raleigh, the Delano and the recently refurbished SLS hotels. The smaller art-deco boutique properties are just as stunning with portholes, eyebrows and pastel colors from the early 1900s architectural movement.

St. Regis Bal Harbour, Miami Beach, Florida

Florida, Miami Beach, Plan, Trip Ideas

Miami Beach: 10 Reasons to Go

June 16, 2014

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We’re talking Miami Beach (not South Beach) that gorgeous stretch of golden sand where the beaches are less crowded, the resorts more luxurious and the pace slower and more relaxed. The long slender barrier island is tucked between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway. While super-sleek towers, a mix of residential condominiums and skyscraper hotels, skirt the shore side, marinas and recreational watercraft make the inland waterway a favorite with those out for a day of boating fun.

1 The Ultimate Drive

Head north on Collins Avenue out of the congested South Beach area to discover the rest of Miami Beach. Driving the palm tree-studded barrier island you’ll pass through one amazing neighborhood after another, each with its own personality, architectural style, history and beach. This is where smaller communities like North Beach, jam-packed with local color, a band shell for evening concerts and mom-and-pop shops, rub shoulders with newer upscale stretches like Sunny Isles Beach, where contemporary high-rises create a sparkling skyline against the Atlantic Ocean.

2 The Icons

Topping the list of Miami Beach icons is the Fontainebleau hotel. A major renovation in 2008 refreshed this architecturally significant property (think 1950s modern style) and preserved design elements created by its original architect, Morris Lapidus. The exterior’s signature cheese-hole design and a black-and-white bow tie-patterned lobby floor, designed after Lapidus’ sartorial style of always wearing a bow tie, are still impressive after all these years. On this same stretch from 22nd to 63rd streets, Millionaire’s Row and a hotbed for luxury real estate, sits the Eden Roc, another mid-century Lapidus resort hotel.

3 Beachside Boardwalks

Power walk, jog or just stroll along the boardwalk that begins at Indian Beach Park at 46th Street and Collins Avenue and runs south to 23rd Street. Sea grape trees and blooming scrub cover the dunes that separate the boardwalk from the beach. The backyards of Collins Avenue hotels skirt the other side, so you can take a peek at poolside glamour—or just gaze at the gorgeous water- and-sand vistas.

4 High-Rise Heaven

Ultra-slick 50-story condominiums and hotels rise up between the asphalt and the Atlantic Ocean in Sunny Isles Beach, a town that calls itself Florida’s Riviera. Its progressive architecture is mind-boggling. And it’s no surprise that Donald Trump is one of the forces behind these magnificent buildings. You’ll ooh and aah at the soft curves and oval shapes of his Trump Palace and Trump Royale that stand apart from old-school straight lines. But also keep an eye out for the newest tower construction that promises cutting-edge designs in this beachfront community recognized for its outrageous architecture.

5 The Quieter Stretch

Once north of South Beach, the long golden shoreline of Miami Beach is less hectic. Vintage hotels mix with newbies as you travel Collins Avenue all the way to Golden Beach. The scenery changes from shops and restaurants to parks, green space and marinas and on every resort’s beach, you’ll find plenty of lounge chairs, water sports and sand castles.

6 Well-Heeled

The Bal Harbour enclave has always been a luxurious destination, where spending lots of moola at the Bal Harbour Shops, as high-style fashion models parade around in the latest designer duds, is de rigueur. But with the new over-the-top St. Regis opening its doors across the street, visitors have more good reasons to put Bal Harbour on their lists. The resort’s art collection alone is worth a visit, but then there’s the hotel’s signature Bloody Mary served at the iconic King Cole Bar that’s impossible to resist.

7 Catching the Big One

Haulover Park Marina has quick access to the deep seas of the Atlantic Ocean (two minutes from the ocean, six minutes from fishing), which means get ready to cast a line and reel in some serious game fish. Charter boats, with all the bells and whistles, line the Intracoastal side of the marina and head out daily.

8 Pamper Palaces

There’s no shortage of luxury spas on Miami Beach. You’ll find the most innovative spas in the mega resorts starting with the Fontainebleau where a ritual water journey, including a rain tunnel and deluge shower, gives you a new appreciation for H2O. Or book yourself into the Canyon Ranch Hotel & Spa, a health resort totally dedicated to your well-being.

9 Reach-for-the-Sky Views

Ride the elevator, enter your room, pull back the draperies and gasp. The taller hotels with breathtaking views of beach and cityscape stand ramrod tall on Collins Avenue north of South Beach. The Setai (38 floors), One Bal Harbour (18 floors), St. Regis Bal Harbour (27 floors), Trump International Beach Resort (32 floors) and Acqualina Resort & Spa (52 floors).These hotels are favorites with anyone looking for big doses of luxury and style.

10 North Beach

Not quite on the tourist’s radar, North Beach is known with the locals for its reasonably priced restaurants. So if you want a break from trendy, cool, hip dining establishments, this unassuming neighborhood on Miami Beach has some Latin American restaurants, pasta places, beer gardens and even weekly food truck gatherings that will surprise.

Florida, Play, Sanibel Island, Trip Ideas

Bicycling on Sanibel Island

May 26, 2014

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One of the best and easiest ways to navigate the 11-mile-long island is by pedal power, especially in season (Nov. to April) when traffic can move at a snail’s pace. Shared-use bicycle paths crisscross Sanibel Island, so to get the lay of the land visit the Shared Use Path Welcome Gazebo on Periwinkle Way. The open-air wood structure, with a tin roof, has a large map of the island’s 22 miles of bike paths. It’s also a good starting point.

The asphalt paths are similar to sidewalks that run parallel to the roadway; they range from 6 to 12 feet wide and are used by both pedestrians and bicyclists. Since Sanibel has an average elevation of four feet, bike riding is effortless. Anyone, from kids to seniors, can enjoy the outdoors whether on a leisurely ride or serious workout.

Pedal along the main commercial thoroughfare, Periwinkle Way, and stop to check out the shopping plazas tucked behind foliage off the road. Most have bicycle racks. You’ll find jewelry stores with shell-inspired charm bracelets, boutiques with island clothing and outdoor cafes for breakfast, lunch or a pick-me-upper snack. After refueling ride to the Sanibel lighthouse at the eastern tip.

Heading west, the conservation corridor route travels parallel to Sanibel-Captiva Road and passes by J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge. Pedaling alongside tropical flora you’ll hear birdsong in the early morning and enjoy the natural green surroundings at any hour. Bicycle traffic is light, and there are few driveways to worry about.

Florida, Plan, Sanibel Island, Trip Ideas

Best Shelling Beaches on Sanibel Island

May 26, 2014

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It may surprise you, but Sanibel Island is actually made of shells-Mother Nature’s creation over thousands of years. When gardeners start digging and planting they often find whelks and clam shells. The east-west stretch of the island’s southern shore is like a shovel scooping up imports from the Caribbean and other southern waters, making all of the Gulf-side beaches excellent places to find seashells galore, especially at low tide. Here are five beaches from east to west where you can start your hunt.

Lighthouse Beach

Sanibel “stoopers” comb the island’s shores for seashells. Photo: Lee County

Sitting on the narrow tip of the island’s eastern end is Lighthouse Beach. Its shore wraps from San Carlos Bay to the Gulf of Mexico and is known for its abundance of smaller shells. A functioning historic lighthouse, plus a fishing pier and a nature trail through native wetlands, are more reasons to visit this beach.

Gulfside City Park

For a public beach, Gulfside City Park is usually not crowded. Walk a mile or so in each direction to look for shells, and if you’re lucky you’ll even find a sand dollar or two. Wooden boardwalks make it easily accessible, and the adventurous can follow the bicycle path to an old hidden cemetery.

Tarpon Bay Road Beach

Located mid-island, Tarpon Bay Road Beach has high sands, giving the beach a different look. A walk along the shore will turn up an assortment of seashells, as well as hotels and condos. However, keeping with city codes only low-rise buildings are allowed, so don’t expect any towering condominiums to cast shadows on the sunny beach. It’s also a dog- friendly spot so Fido is welcome to dig for shells too—as long as he’s on a leash.

Bowman’s Beach

A day’s bounty for the serious shell hunter. Photo: Dave Meardon

Pristine and quiet, this secluded white beach is sans hotels. Shuffling and digging through piles of shells is the major pastime here, followed by sunset viewing. Located up island on the northwest end, Bowman’s Beach offers a wider stretch of sand that lends itself to power walking if you can ignore all those gorgeous shells that seem to scream: “Pick me up.”

Blind Pass Beach

Considered the best spot to find larger shells, Blind Pass Beach is a favorite with serious shell seekers. You might even want to take a long-handled net or shell scooper and wade knee-deep into the water to scoop shells off the bottom. This usually turns up an interesting bounty, including an occasional live shell that has to be returned to the sea. The beach sits on the northwest edge of Sanibel, where a bridge crosses over to Captiva Island.

Florida, Plan, Sarasota, Trip Ideas

Sarasota: 10 Reasons to Go

May 9, 2014

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A visit to this Gulf-side city and its islands combines culture with beach time, making it hard to choose between viewing masterpieces at one of Florida’s most impressive art museums or frolicking barefoot on soft sandy shores, where drum circles and sand sculptures entertain beachgoers. So whether you turn urbanite one day and beach bum the next, you’ll find plenty of ways to make your stay in Sarasota stimulating, yet super laid-back.

1 Island Hop

Sarasota’s barrier islands are an adventure for sunseekers eager to explore by car and foot. Visit five Gulf islands, starting on Longboat and Lido keys, the farthest north islands. Then zigzag your way, traveling back and forth over bridges and causeways between island and mainland, to Siesta Key, Casey Key and Manasota Key.

2 Cruise the Sarasota Bay

Marina Jack in downtown Sarasota is the place to set sail into the Sarasota Bay. Take your pick from a dolphin-and-manatee watch cruise, a sightseeing cruise or a sunset cruise. You can even book a lunch or dinner cruise on the sleek two-story Marina Jack II.

3 Tour the Ringling

This elegant cultural complex is home to the Ringling Museum of Art, where everything from ancient antiquities to 20th-century paintings is displayed in jewel-tone-painted galleries. But there’s more. The Circus Museum, with its miniature model of an early 1900s circus city, is a history lesson on the Greatest Show on Earth. Cà d’Zan, John and Mable Ringling’s 1926 home, shows off Florida’s version of old-world architecture with its perfectly restored Venetian Gothic design. You’ll also want to meander through Mable’s rose garden; look for the Diana Princess of Wales rose.

4 Dine Downtown

Sarasota is notorious for its indie restaurants and downtown is a culinary hub where you can walk from one to another. So plan to enjoy at least one meal here, whether it be breakfast at The Savory Street International Café & Bakery (order the French Crater: scrambled eggs with ham, brie and bacon in a homemade bread bowl), lunch at Nancy’s Bar-B-Que (North Carolina-style pulled pork with slow-smoked baked beans) or dinner at Mozaic (Mediterranean-influenced dishes like duck leg confit couscous with poached pears and pheasant hazelnut sausage).

5 Shop and Stroll St. Armands Circle

Three blocks from the Lido Key beach, St. Armands Circle is the place to spend a Sunday afternoon. Walk the circle and its arteries; you’ll be tempted by fabulous signature prints at Lilly Pulitzer, classic nautical sportswear at Island Pursuit and cutting-edge designs at Foxy Lady. Art lovers with a penchant for marine life art stop at the Wyland Galleries. When you’re legs can’t take another step, grab a sidewalk table at Café L’Europe, order a glass of chilled white wine and people watch.

6 Tour Exotic Gardens

The highlight at the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is the Tropical Conservatory. Among the epiphytes you’ll see in this warm and humid greenhouse are species you won’t find at your local Home Depot’s garden shop. Think rare orchids and bromeliads nestled into the greenest foliage that makes you feel like you’re in a rainforest.

7 Catch a Show

Fondly called the “Purple People Seater” by locals, the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, painted a vibrant shade of purple, sits on the edge of Sarasota Bay. In a town where life revolves around the cultural scene, this Sarasota theater delivers stellar lineups season after season. Not only Broadway musicals and the Sarasota Ballet, but pop concerts and performances by comedians the likes of Joan Rivers and Bill Cosby draw both residents and visitors.

8 Bicycle Siesta Key

Siesta Key Bike & Kayak rents beach and road bikes near the intersection of Midnight Pass Road and Stickney Point Road, the crossover to Siesta Key. From here pedal south under the shade of wide-spread banyan trees and peek into the backyards of beachfront Mediterranean-style homes and cozy bungalows. Bicycle north of Stickney Point Road and you’ll reach Siesta Key Village, where you can poke into shops or cool down with a cone of Key lime ice cream at Big Olaf Creamery, an ice cream shop run by the Amish.

9 Beat the Drum

You haven’t really been to the beaches of Sarasota until you’ve participated in a sunset drum circle. Men of all ages assemble with their bongos and tom-tom drums, beating out a boom-boom rhythm as hundreds form a circle and dance on the sand to celebrate the Gulf’s glorious sunset. The unpredictable, informal drum circle is usually held on Casey Key’s Nokomis Beach on Wednesday and Saturday.

10 Loll on the Sand

Everyone needs a beach day and Siesta Key is the most sought-out stretch for its powder fine sand and dramatic crescent shape. Bring a chair and spend the day. Stroll the shore and you’re sure to find some impressive sand sculptures by resident “artists,” who are regulars on Siesta Key’s beach.

Florida, Plan, St. Augustine, Trip Ideas

St. Augustine: 10 Reasons to Go

May 9, 2014

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If someone told you St. Augustine is a town for history buffs, they’re right-and wrong. Northeast Florida’s gem is way more than timeworn forts and buildings (even though it has those and they’re pretty amazing). It’s a city of old-world elegance, exquisite architecture and brick- lined streets you can travel by horse-drawn carriage or explore on foot. And when you tire of that there’s a golden-sand beach and stretches of wilderness just a short drive away.

1 History, History, History

This is Florida’s birthplace where Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon came ashore in 1513 and named the land Florida or “place of flowers.” Since his claim, the French, British and Spanish all took turns at establishing settlements here. Well preserved, St. Augustine is a history lesson on Florida.

2 Architecture Flashback

Not only the Europeans left their mark on the town with Spanish colonial structures like the Oldest House built in the early 1700s. Visionary Henry Flagler came along in the late 1800s and built gorgeous churches with byzantine detailing and luxury hotels in the Spanish Renaissance Revival style that put Florida’s tourism industry in motion. The city’s centerpiece is the Ponce de Leon Hotel, now Flagler College, which still stands in full splendor along with Flagler’s other hotels.

3 Bed-and-Breakfast Bliss

This is the land of bed-and-breakfasts, and one B&B is more inviting than the next. Nestled in the side streets and across from the Intracoastal Waterway, these homes, most built in the early 1900s, are designed and decorated to celebrate a bygone era. Expect the ultimate: lots of lace, four poster beds, bric-a-brac touches, that quintessential wraparound porch and an elegant breakfast.

4 Made for Walking

Park your car and forget it. This a town designed for those who want to stroll, meander and just plain walk. The compact historic district’s brick-lined streets are jammed with shops, cafes and historic buildings. Sitting on the edge of Matanzas Bay, St. Augustine enjoys cool breezes off the water in summer when temperatures soar to the 90s. In winter months, highs in the 60s provide perfect walking weather.

5 Sights to See

Map in hand, you can navigate the streets on foot or board the Old Town Trolley and hop off and on as you please. There’s no shortage of historic sites, with the Castillo de San Marcos, a fort on the bay built from coquina, being a crowd pleaser. Reenactments add fun to a visit. Or stop at the Fountain of Youth, an archeological park that documents the area’s past. For a twist on traditional history take a tour of the Old Jail, where stories of past criminals portray the town’s darker side. And for those who want a paranormal experience, there’s always the ghost tours through haunted back alleys and old buildings.

6 A Romp with Nature

Spend an afternoon outdoors at Anastasia State Park, a short drive across St. Augustine’s landmark Bridge of Lions. From wooden boardwalks that cross sand dunes spiked with sea oats, you’ll get a view of the mighty Atlantic Ocean. At the park’s Salt Run, windsurfers, paddleboarders and brown pelicans show off their skills. You can also head north from the city to Guana River State Park, a stretch of Old Florida wilderness on the edge of the ocean, where you’ll have the beach pretty much to yourself.

7 Surf’s Up

Whether you want to hang five or just frolic in the waves, nearby St. Augustine Beach has that old-fashioned beach-bum vibe. No sleek high-rises will steal your sun, so spread a blanket and soak up the rays. It’s also a favorite stretch with fishermen, who reel in dinner from the municipal fishing pier, and bicyclists, who rent beach cruisers and pedal along Highway A1A, stopping for cold drinks, ice cream and seafood at the beach bars along the route.

8 Shopping Spree

A treasure trove, historic St. Augustine is chock-full of shops tucked in every nook and cranny. At the stores on St. George Street and its arteries, you’ll find whimsical gifts, handmade chocolates, exotic spices, hand-rolled cigars and more. Vintage-centric merchandise is plentiful in the antiques and collectible shops on San Marco Avenue, where shipwreck artifacts, estate jewelry and antique furniture are on display in Victorian homes-turned-shops.

9 Whoa Boy

The clip-clop of horses’ hooves as they pull vintage carriages through St. Augustine’s brick streets is heard from sunrise to nightfall. Almost impossible to resist the romantic tug of riding in one of yesteryear’s horse-drawn carriages, most visitors sooner or later give in to the urge and take a whirlwind tour of the historic district. Drivers eagerly share their animated version of the city’s past with passengers.

10 Holiday Spectacle

During Nights of Lights (mid-November to end of January) the city is adorned with 3 million tiny lights, and you couldn’t choose a more festive time to visit. At events like the Bed and Breakfast Holiday Tour, innkeepers open their doors to show off their homes decked with garland and Victorian Christmas trees. The Holly Jolly Trolley, a Yuletide-version of the Old Town Trolley tour, travels past the city’s most extravagant light displays. But the best part: Passengers view the spectacle like never before through 3-D glasses.

Amelia Island, Florida, Plan, Trip Ideas

Amelia Island: 10 Reasons to Go

May 9, 2014

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If you love long expanses of shoreline where miles of white caps turn into waves and hit the beach, and the ocean breeze and salty sea air tickle your nose, then Amelia Island, the last barrier island on Florida’s northeast coast (45 minutes from Jacksonville), has a spot for you right on the sand.

1 The Big Beach

There are beaches all up the east coast of Florida’s peninsula, but none compares to Amelia Island’s 13-mile stretch. It’s pristine, it’s water sport-friendly, it’s meant for long walks and it’s never crowded. Weathered walkovers preserve the sand dunes studded with sea oats that give this beach its natural beauty.

2 Get Outdoors

Kayaking the inland marshes is a good workout as well as a rendezvous with nature as you spot herons, egrets and other long-legged waterfowl. If you like the view from above, try a stand-up paddleboard for a different perspective on nature. Those eager for strenuous exercise can rent bicycles and tackle the mountain bike trails at Fort Clinch State Park.

3 Cast a Line

Fishermen need to look no further than the shore for good fishing. Grab a chair and a pole and try your luck at surf fishing, a daily pastime on Amelia Island’s sandy stretch. Or you can fish along the Cumberland Sound, where finger jetties provide excellent haven for game fish. There’s even a half-mile-long fishing pier that divides the Cumberland Sound from the Atlantic Ocean, where anglers reel in the catch of the day.

4 Go Old School

Not actually a beach, but a sweet little island town with a friendly vibe, historic Fernandina Beach boasts an old-fashioned main street that’s home to candy stores, book shops, clothing boutiques and even a year-round Christmas store. The old Palace Saloon, where Rockefellers and Carnegies celebrated their good fortune, still stands as one of the best watering holes on the block. Off of Centre Street are well-preserved Victorian homes with wraparound porches and gingerbread trim dating back to the turn of the 19th century.

5 Double Dose of Nature

If you didn’t encounter enough nature on the beach, head north to Fort Clinch State Park. A choir of cicadas greets visitors on the main road that passes through a tunnel formed by the branches of oak trees. Its northern point is wrapped by the Atlantic Ocean and Cumberland Sound so there’s more beach and a jetty. Besides six miles of nature trails lined with saw palmetto and sabal palms, the park has a Civil War-era fort where reenactments serve as history lessons.

6 Those Pink Crustaceans

A fun time to visit Amelia Island is the weekend of the Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival. The May event celebrates the town’s history as the birthplace of the modern shrimping industry in the United States. Parades, arts-and-crafts exhibits, concerts and even the crowning of a “Miss Shrimp Festival” are reasons to come. But the best reason is to sample the local shrimp, prepared in more ways than you can count.

7 Room at the Inn

Fernandina Beach is known for its bed-and-breakfasts run by friendly innkeepers. Standouts include the Fairbanks House, an impressive 1885 Italianate home with blooming gardens; the Addison on Amelia Island, three antebellum-style buildings surrounding a courtyard; and the Hoyt House, an elegant 1905 Queen Anne-style 10-bedroom manse. The historic architecture and furnishings are amazing, but the gourmet breakfasts make for tough competition.

8 Big is Better

If you like sprawling resorts where you can find plenty to do without having to get in the car and drive, then the Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort is your destination. Its 1,350 acres is a sanctuary where flora and fauna thrive. A picturesque golf course plays through tidal marshes, the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway. Stroll the 3.5 miles of beach at dusk and then take your pick from restaurants serving everything from burgers and beer to fine Southern cuisine.

9 Giddy Up

Horseback riding on the beach, right along the water’s edge, is a signature thing to do on Amelia Island. Seriously, where else in Florida can you ride a horse with names like Porsche, Gem, Diamond and Coral and watch the sun come up or feel the ocean breeze cool your skin as you trot along the sands?

10 Eeriest Beach

Go search for one of Florida’s most mysterious beaches. South on Highway A1A, nestled between Amelia and Little Talbot islands is Big Talbot Island State Park. A ladder on a small bluff descends to a secret stretch where sun-bleached branches of fallen oaks and cedars, now giant driftwood relics, are scattered. The silver skeletons of trees covering the beach have a mystifying appeal that earned the area the eerie moniker: Boneyard Beach.

Florida, Miami, Plan, Trip Ideas

Miami: 10 Reasons to Go

May 9, 2014

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Miami is one of few major cities that have a tropical vibe-warm temperatures and an abundance of palm trees-yet its urban pull is so intense you just might forfeit the beach for art, culture, sports and incredible dining.

1 An Artsy Side

Talk about being on the cutting edge of the art scene, Miami’s Wynwood Arts District, once an abandoned warehouse area north of downtown Miami in no-man’s land, was resuscitated in 2009 thanks to international graffiti artists commissioned by urban developer Tony Goldman. Meander along the sidewalks, where every building is covered in some of the coolest street art from caricatures to social messages. Art galleries, bars, restaurants and a coffee shop that roasts its own beans round out the scene, making Wynwood a hot spot to visit especially during Art Basel in December.

2 Design District

This is a neighborhood where uber home-design stores, the latest restaurants and more recently high-style stores (think Cartier, Louis Vuitton and Hermes) morph together to create an urban center oozing with its own fashion sense. Walkable streets and window displays make shopping in the Design District a main activity. Come at night and the restaurants are packed with city-chic diners, known for their adventurous palates.

3 Sports Fix

A coveted ticket to a Miami Heat basketball game at the downtown American Airlines Arena is reason to go urban. But the Marlins Ballpark, one of the country’s most modern and high-tech stadiums, is where traditional baseball is turned on its head. A retractable roof opens and closes in 13 minutes so rain or shine the game goes on. And South Beach’s iconic Clevelander bar sets up shop here with an actual swimming pool from which you can watch the game.

4 The Latin Beat

The influence of the Latin community in Miami permeates the city. But the core can still be found in the Little Havana neighborhood, settled by exiled Cubans in the early 1960s. Cigar shops, Latin art galleries, botanicas, bakeries and Cuban restaurants, serving some of the best ropa vieja, tres leches and Cuban coffee around, provide a concentrated dose of Latin culture for anyone looking for it.

5 Killer Cuisine

When it comes to up-and-coming chefs in the Southeast United States, the spotlight’s always on Miami. The culinary talent in this town makes for an innovative dining scene that is constantly evolving. And it’s more than the well-executed and delicious dishes; restaurant interiors get more glamorous with each new opening.

6 Showtime Miami-style

An architectural landmark, the Ardrienne Arscht Center for the Performing Art is an angular behemoth in downtown Miami. Just as its size is impressive so is the lineup of shows from Broadway productions to performances by Miami’s four resident companies—opera, ballet, symphony and orchestral academy—and entertainment in genres from jazz to pop. Don’t like big? Downtown Miami’s got small. Catch a show at the historic Olympia Theater at the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts, where the ornate décor of a 1926 silent movie palace charms, complete with its star-studded ceiling.

7 Urban Sands

Even though Miami’s a big metropolis, it still has its share of beaches, and they’re like secret gems tucked in unexpected places. Highlights include the sandy shores of Key Biscayne’s Crandon Park, where Miami’s skyline looms in the distance. On the island’s south side, Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park’s shoreline faces the open Atlantic Ocean. Head to Coral Gables’ Matheson Hammock Park and you’ll find a man-made atoll lagoon, which feeds from Biscayne Bay and has its own beach.

8 Chic Sleeps

Hot spots to lay your head when you want to stay on the mainland include Miami’s downtown hotels, where the Mandarin Oriental, Four Seasons, Epic and JW Marriott are as tall and sophisticated as you can get. Venture out of the downtown and the Mayfair in Coconut Grove has an art nouveau-esque touch and a rooftop lounge with views of Biscayne Bay. The historic Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables never gets old; the 1920s Mediterranean Revival building is one of those grande dames that seems to never age.

9 Flashback

Facelift after facelift has kept Miami looking young, but in reality it has some amazing historic place to visit, starting with Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, the opulent winter retreat and Baroque mansion of Chicago industrialist James Deering. History buffs will enjoy the Venetian Pool, Freedom Tower, Coral Castle and others.

10 Going Tropical

Another touted Miami treasure is the Fairchild Botanic Garden for a close look at the world of tropical plants—palms, cycads, orchids and fruit trees, from cacao and durian to mangosteen and vanilla orchids. Head farther south to the Fruit and Spice Park in Homestead for tropical edibles—160 varieties of mangos, 75 varieties of bananas, plus jackfruit, papaya and star fruit—that grow well in South Florida’s warm climate.

Florida, Ft. Lauderdale, Plan, Trip Ideas

Fort Lauderdale: 10 Reasons to Go

May 9, 2014

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Walk Fort Lauderdale’s famous beach and travel its endless canals by boat to discover this town’s sunny personality, then hit fashionable Las Olas Boulevard after dark to sample another side of this Florida city.

1 Boats and More Boats

It’s not just Fort Lauderdale’s delightful location on the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean that makes it a vacation hot spot for boaters of every variety, this town has a maze of canals that beg to be explored. Waterfront residents dock everything from speedboats to mega-yachts in front of their Florida manses. Rent a boat for the day or come in the fall when the nautical crowd descends on the city for the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show and shop for your own.

2 Biggest Cruise Port

Port Everglades can justifiably boast some of the best-designed terminals in the world that can move thousands of passengers from curb to ship in 10 to 15 minutes. Disembarking is just as quick and easy, which is why Fort Lauderdale is one of the most preferred ports for vacationing cruise passengers as well as cruise ships that call here. Plus its terminals are decked out with stunning public art that puts other terminals to shame.

3 Where the Boys Are

Atlantic Avenue is one of the hottest beach strips in Florida. Folks have been cruising this stretch since the 1960s when the movie Where the Boys Are put Fort Lauderdale on the map. Walk it, bike it, skate it, drive it—or just hang out on its sands. Along the pedestrian-friendly street you’ll find bars serving rainbow-colored frozen drinks, swanky hotels like the W and the Ritz-Carlton, bikini shops and even a museum with tropical gardens.

4 Las Olas Boulevard

A fashionable hub, Las Olas Boulevard is packed with personality. We love it best at night when palm trees wrapped in twinkle lights give it a romantic aura and sidewalk tables at 30-plus outdoor restaurants fill up with beautiful people. Book a room at the historic Riverside Hotel right on the boulevard so you can step out your door and shop, dine and enjoy the live music scene at your leisure.

5 Diver’s Jackpot

Off Fort Lauderdale’s coast divers find a natural three-tiered reef system that begins in 20 feet of water, just 100 yards from shore at its closest point. Making the destination even more diver friendly are 75 artificial reefs that been placed on the ocean’s floor over the past 20 years and serve as magnets for fish and reef life. From Deerfield Beach in the north to Hallandale Beach south of Fort Lauderdale, dive sites are plentiful, along with dive charters that depart from Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina.

6 Museums and More

Fort Lauderdale may not come to mind when you think of museums, but surprise, surprise, the mix of cultural venues in this town is quite eclectic. Start with the IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame & Museum and the International Swimming Hall of Fame Museum for the lowdown on the two sports. At the Bonnet House Museum and Gardens, the story of Fort Lauderdale’s early beginnings is told through this preserved historic home. In downtown Fort Lauderdale, you’ll find the Museum of Art and the Museum of Discovery & Science.

7 Place Your Bets

Gaming—horses, casinos and jai alai—are all nearby temptations for those who feel that Lady Luck is on their side. Horse racing and casino fun happens at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach. Put on your poker face because there’s a game—plus slots and Black Jack—at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood. For those who find the speedy game of jai alai from the Basque country of Spain intriguing enough to wager their hard-earned money, ball games happen at the Dania Casino & Jai Alai. And if you’re not the gaming type, then check out the bars, lounges, music and other nightlife options at all three venues.

8 Water Taxi

Much more than a means of transportation, Fort Lauderdale’s Water Taxi is an open-air sight-seeing boat that you can hop on and off as you ply the waters through Millionaire’s Row. En route you’ll pass Mediterranean-style mansions tucked in canals and the latest yachts docked out front. The guide’s commentary is a who’s who of the rich and famous that call Lauderdale home.

9 Events

There’s no shortage of events that give you a good reason to visit, but among our favorites is the Las Olas Wine & Food Festival in May, when local culinary talent lines Las Olas Boulevard and shows our taste buds what they got. In December, top rating goes to the Winterfest Boat Parade. One hundred vessels dressed in thousands of holiday lights cruise up the New River and Intracoastal Waterway to the delight of crowds. And of course the biggest is Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, a fall event partly responsible for the city’s moniker Yachting Capital of the World.

10 Stay on the Beach Side

A room on Fort Lauderdale’s famous Atlantic Avenue makes the trip so worthwhile. You can go hip and stay in an uber chic tower at the W or go classy by booking at the Ritz-Carlton in a building designed architecturally to resemble a cruise ship. If you want to be on the sand, then the family-owned Lago Mar Resort and Club, a five-minute beach walk away from the bustling Atlantic Avenue scene, is private and relaxing—a great place for both couples and families.

Florida, Key West, Plan, Trip Ideas

Key West: 10 Reasons to Go

May 9, 2014

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The No. 1 reason people come to Key West is to have fun-it’s as simple as that. T-shirts, shorts and a pair of flip-flops will do. Key West’s nickname, the Conch Republic, has a comedic ring to it, hinting that this island is a place where almost anything goes (including a possible succession from the union in 1982). So get ready for some serious fun. You’re on island time now.

1 Old Town

The bustling Old Town is a national historic district, with Victorian charm and tropical gardens. A grid of narrow streets with homes from the 1800s and a mix of cultures from the Bahamas, Cuba, Europe and the Eastern Seaboard give it its intriguing history. Three places worth visiting are Mel Fisher Maritime Museum, President Harry S. Truman Little White House and Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum. Or, heck, just find a bar and chill.

2 Two-Wheel Paradise

You’ll get your share of exercise in this town, but not on two feet. Take your pick from a rental bicycle or scooter and ride with the wind in your hair as you exploring the island on a cool set of wheels. Just watch out for the chickens crossing the road.

3 Sunset Hour

Nowhere else in Florida is the setting of the sun celebrated with so much fanfare as in Key West. Mallory Square on the Gulf of Mexico is where tightrope walkers, fire eaters and jugglers entertain, and vendors with carts of local artwork and beaded jewelry hawk their wares. The shoulder-to-shoulder crowd may be toasting the end of a good day on Key West, but as the fire ball slips below the horizon, the party’s really just beginning.

4 On and Under the Water

There’s no limit to the choices for getting out into the Atlantic Ocean or Gulf of Mexico. Start at the Historic Seaport at Key West Bight and take your pick. Adventurers find dolphin-and-shipwreck snorkel trips on catamarans and snorkel trips to the reef by kayak. Fishermen can book charters—deep sea fishing, flats fishing or light tackle trips. The leisure traveler has several sunset sails from which to choose—we opt for the champagne sunset cruise.

5 Duval Street

Key West’s main drag, Duval Street, runs from bayside on the Gulf of Mexico to ocean side on the Atlantic, and you can easily walk the entire stretch. It’s the heartbeat of Key West. During the day it’s a shoppers’ and early-bird drinkers’ street, at dusk it welcomes diners and the five o’clock somewhere crowd and by dark it turns into a serious party scene.

6 Duval Crawl

Bars and drinking go hand in hand, a Key West tradition that one might say began with Ernest Hemingway at Sloppy Joe’s, the author’s favorite bar back in the 1930s. Only today there are more bars and more people doing the “Duval Crawl.” Whether you join the official Duval Crawl event to hit the watering holes or do your own freestyle crawl, drinking and making friends is what happens nightly on Duval Street.

7 Seafood

The catch of the day is always fresh and plucked from surrounding waters. The local hogfish makes a killer fish sandwich, the grilled Key West pink shrimp get a thumbs-up and a basket of conch fritters is a must.

8 Events

There’s never a shortage of events going on in Key West. But the big ones you need to book in advance are July’s Hemingway Days, with its Ernest Hemingway look-a-like contest; and October’s Fantasy Fest, a wild 10 days of outrageous costumes, parades, parties and borderline mayhem.

9 Hop On, Hop Off

Tired tootsies? Short on time? The Old Town Trolley to the rescue. This is the easiest way to take in as much of the island as possible—or just get the lay of the land. The ding-dong of the trolley is heard all over the island as it makes its way to 12 stops from Mallory Square to the Southernmost Point of the Continental U.S.

10 Stay the Night

Key West boasts some of the most interesting innkeepers, who run the bed-and-breakfasts, inns and guesthouses. Besides maintaining the architecture and history of these buildings—a ship captain’s home, a Caribbean cottage, a Victorian mansion—they make sure laughter accompanies your stay with daily happy hours.