Florida Travel Mini Guide

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Downside:
- Developers are doing their best to build over everything green.
- Florida did have a problem with crime aimed at tourists, though this has improved recently. You still need to take care to conceal your 'just visiting' status in the cities.

When to Travel to Florida:
Best: Dec-March, warm, dry, very busy.
Worst : June-Oct, hot, humid and hurricanes [OK, maybe just the occasional storm, but they do stuff up beach holidays!
n.b. the north, especially inland and even the waters in the south can get a bit chilly during winter.

Main Attractions:

Beaches: East Coast | West Coast | Florida Keys

Southern Wetlands**
The southern part of the peninsula is dominated by Miami and the wetlands of the Everglades. It all terminates with the Florida Keys chain of islands.

Everglades National Park** a massive subtropical area offering a well-organised wetland experience though hardly massive amounts of wildlife apart from 'gators.
Travel is usually by air boat but canoeing is possible as is wading [go with a guide].
Miami*** a cultural melting pot combine with art deco buildings, a vibrant atmosphere, a little vice, a lot of nightlife, great cuisine and white beaches to make this a truly great city, open all hours, more info.
Florida Keys** [for sailing and diving**] running over 100 miles off the southern tip of the Florida peninsula these bridge connected islands are great for relaxing or viewing the marine life living off their reefs.
The islands running from Florida City:
Key Largo [a dive mecca especially John Pennekamp Coral Reef Park].
Islamorada [for diving].
Marathon [swimming with dolphins].
Big Pine Key and the lower keys [land based wildlife, especially National Key Deer Refuge].
It all ends at Key West [Hemingway territory, so it's an artsy environment, particularly Mallory Square in the evenings].

Inland Region***

Orlando*** some attractions can be found in the city, such as the Orlando Museum of Art, the Science Centre, Planetarium and American Folk Museum, but the really big attractions are nearby:

EPCOT Center has disappointing hi-tech 'future' displays but fun and educational world culture villages, including attractive ethnic restaurants, music and parade.
SeaWorld is great for marine shows for all ages.
Discovery Cove offers an artificial marine environment in which you may participate, including dolphins and a reef. For all ages.
Universal Studios stars with movie related rides, for teens+.
Island of Adventure simulates Jurassic Park, Comics heros, for teens+.
MGM Studios provides movie and TV based entertainments. Teens+.
Magic Kingdom [Disney] for classic cartoon characters, mainly kid oriented.
Animal Kingdom does wild safaris for kids large and small.

East Coast**
great beaches and worthwhile attractions:

Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral [NASA]*** superb exhibitions, space vehicles, media presentations and all things for all space cadets.
Daytona Beach* hard partying and fast racing in the city of speed; explore the huge beach and see the top action at the Daytona International Speedway during the 500 or wait for the Harleys to turn up during Bike Week.
St Augustine real history is to be found in the oldest house, the oldest wooden fort and the oldest wooden School House in this the oldest city in the USA.
Jacksonville classy Euro-style Southbank Riverwalk has some museums such as the Jacksonville Historical Centre and a Maritime Museum, two good parks; Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park and Little Talbot Island State Park, plus decent beaches.

West Coast**

St Petersburg [for surrealism***] a cultured town; Dali fans must visit the Salvador Dali Museum.
Fort Myers* a center of inventive greatness with the Edison Estate Museum and Henry Ford Home plus other museums; also Fort Myers Beach on Estero Island.
Tampa hosts a good aquarium and the excellent Busch Gardens for zoo, theme park and rollercoasters.
Sanibel and Captiva Islands** resorts and nature reserves that are very child and bike or canoe friendly; this area is extremely anti-developement. e.g there's no fast food or traffic lights.
Citrus County* [for manatees**] based around the Crystal and Homosassa rivers are protected areas rich in wildlife such as the Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park.

Activities:
Diving and Snorkelling: the Florida Keys, especially Key Largo and the Shipwreck Heritage Trail that's brilliant for scuba and sometimes OK for snorkelling; Orlando parks for artificial environments; Crystal River, Citrus County.
Aquatic Mammal Watching: dolphins at the Dolphin Research Centre, Marathon and at Ismoralda, Florida Keys; manatees at Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park and Blue Springs State Park.
Canoeing: Everglades National Park; the Keys especially John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, Key Largo.
Surfing: good swells from the Atlantic at: Sebastian Inlet and Monster Hole, Sebastian Inlet State Park; Patrick Airforce Base; Atlantic Beach, Jacksonville; Cocoa Beach and nearby First Peak break; St Augustine; Panama City.
Mountainbiking: Withlacoochee State Trail, Citrus County.

Major Festivals and Events:
Jan, 2nd weekend, Art Deco Festival, Miami Beach Art Deco District, 1920's-30's style music and parades.
February, Daytona 500, Daytona Speedway, Daytona Beach, racing cars, trucks and bikes the American way, round in ovals.
March, Bike Week, Daytona Beach, a festival of motorbike passion.
Sept, Surf Festival, Cocoa beach, near Orlando.

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