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Florida Reviews

pentiumiv007998MouthShut Verified Member
Sikar India
Florida is heaven of beaches
Feb 24, 2016 12:40 PM2513 Views (via Mobile)

Hello Guys I am reviewing Florida a nice place in USA


Despite the fact that it gets terribly hot and sticky in July and August, Florida has a ton to offer as a spot to live or a spot to visit. I generally sort of considered Florida three unique states. North Florida is a considerable measure like south Georgia in that there are a ton of moving slopes, towering oak trees hung with Spanish Moss, shelter streets and a portion of the best substantial mouth bass angling in the nation. From Jacksonville on the Atlantic drift west on I-10 to Tallahassee and after that on west to Pensacola on the western side of the beg and on the Gulf of Mexico, there are a considerable measure of enormous hardwood trees and pines and streams. Jacksonville is a port city with heaps of delivery in and out in addition to there is a great deal of Navy action in the range. tallahassee is the state capital and the center point of state government. Tallahassee is likewise the home of the Florida State University Seminoles and their mentor Bobby Bowden. Florida State has been the most dominating football group in the country for the decade of the 90s. Tallahassee is additionally home to Florida A&M University which is one of the chief overwhelmingly Black colleges in the US. Pensacola is a Spanish engineering mecca and Pensacola Naval air Station is the home of the BLUE ANGELS, the Navy's accuracy flying group. Just toward the southeast of Pensacola and toward the south west of Tallahassee is Panama City Beach. This is an extremely prevalent zone for spring break for the school kids and has some wonderful white sand shorelines. The focal part of the state is the citrus belt and has a percentage of the best oranges and grapefruit you will ever taste. All you see for miles in a few spots is citrus forests. Focal Florida likewise has some lovely springs and spring nourished lakes like Weeki Wachee and Cypress Gardens. Focal Florida is additionally amusement park paradise. Only outside of Kissimee is Walt Disney World and Epcot Center and Florida Sea World. On the westside in Tampa is Busch Gardens with its wild creatures in regular natural surroundings and some great rides as well. I for one such as Busch Gardens more than Disney World. Likewise on the east drift is Cape Kennedy where they dispatch all the space shots. The southern piece of Florida is more like what the vast majority consider when they consider Florida. Shorelines and Palm trees. Likewise there is the Everglades National Park. This is a great many sections of land of marsh and ought to be seen on an air pontoon voyage through the region. Travel south out of Miami on US Highway 1 and in the end you will go to the interesting town of Key West. This was the home of Ernest Hemingway and his house is currently a historical center open to people in general. Make sure to get some conch chowder and conch squanders while you arrive. They are nearby delights produced using an ocean shelled mollusk. They are extremely divine. You may likewise need to attempt a bit of REAL Key Lime Pie. Key West is the main spot in the US where you can stroll from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico in around fifteen minutes. Interestingly, Key west and Pensacola are around 250 air miles separated, however in the event that you drive from Pensacola to Key West, it is more than 900 miles. A man could without much of a stretch spend a month seeing Florida. There is a considerable measure to do and no make a difference where on the planet you are from, There are individuals of your ethnic foundation in Florida.


Thank You.


ranjana86MouthShut Verified Member
Mumbai India
The little Sunshine state
Dec 04, 2015 09:39 PM2595 Views (via Mobile)

Truly a paradise on earth, the little sunshine state is truly a marvel. I've been to two major cities here- Orlando and Miami. Both are excellent in their own ways:) Orlando is more of amusement parks while Miami is more of a nature trail. I loved both!


Airport: Orlando international airport is stunning to see! The airport is beautifully decked up with the theme kf the parks. One of the prettiest airport i've seen. Miami is well comnected by two airport Miami International airport and Fort Lauderdale airport. Both are good and decent airport.


Best time to visit: October to May


Places to see:


Orlando


-All the Disney Parks


Specifically loved Epcot, Islands of Adventure(REAL FUN!), Sea world and Downtown Disney.


-Epcot has all famous cities of the world in miniature form. Also beautiful lush gardens which is a treat to the eyes.


-I had loads of fun at Islands of adventure. The Harry potter ride was a helluva fun! Something of a once in a lifetime ride. Also loved the famous Butter Beer(Must Have!). The Spiderman ride was also fun!


-Sea world has a beautiful dusplay and interaction with everything sea. I loved the penguins areas and places where we could feed the animal. Very well kept area!


Miami


-Must Visit: Everglades National Park


This area is covered with water and grass. But with the help of a air boat, this area can be accessed. We saw alligators in their natural surroundings. They also allow you to hold a small pet alligator Snappy in your hand. That was fun!


-South Beach: the famous beach where all celebrities, both known and unknown party! A bit crowded for my taste, but then you have to be here, to party great!


-Famous malls like Aventura, Dolphin and few others where you can get good discounts. I purchased a handbag and few tops that were dirt cheap!


-Little Havana- Good restaurantsvtoveat authetic cuban food


-Holocaust memorial: A stunning statue of a hand and people crawling on it, that depicts what happened during holocaust.


-Biscayne bay cruise to see the famous residencies along Millionaire's row.


Since both cities I visited was with a tour, we stayed at hotels provided by them and both were pretty decent.


At Orlando: Clarion Inn(3star hotel that also provided free breakfast) This hotel is walkable distance from downtown disney, another plus point.


At Miami: La quinta Inn which again was decent and provided free breakfast.


Last word: Perfect place in summers to chill out and spend some quality time. Totally Recommending!


FL United States of America
Best Tourist Attractions - Miami
Apr 16, 2009 03:35 PM12906 Views

Miami is one the most refreshing American city for any visitor in this season. It has exciting climatic conditions and have warm, sunny, tropical climate. The most popular attraction there is Miami Beach. Miami Beach is the best tourist attraction that I found for sports lovers. For sailing, diving, golf and windsurfing Miami is a great place to visit . It is one of the best places in Florida and travelers keep moving in and around Miami.


Miami main tourist attractions is the south beach, it is the coolest place in the whole planet. and is the most desired spot of Miami sight seeing list. It has many fabulous restaurants owned by great celebrities such as Emilio Estefan and Gloria.


There are many unforgettable historical hotels on south beach. Undoubtly, this place is filled with skyscrapers, financial institutions and commerce.


If you are planning for your trip in this month, then please visit travel.worldmapsinfo.com to know more about it.


YOUR RATING ON

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A Trip to West Palm Beach
Jun 27, 2006 11:24 PM3692 Views

It just so happened that I was given the opportunity to visit Florida- West Palm Beach to be precise on some Company work. Of course it wasnt the best time of the year to be out of Canada when it was summer and Florida was coming close to the hurricane season, but I was pretty excited to visit the Sunshine State. Florida is surrounded by the ocean on all sides and so there is the clean air that prevails and a gentle wind with mild temperatures can be expected all the day. Of course being the wrong time of the year, I did experience some very strong gale force winds and heavy showers accompnaied by some real spectacular lighting bolts.



Getting there


Getting to Florida is easy as it is a popular destination and almost all airlines have convenient connections. The West Palm Beach International airport is huge and has an organised air about it. The car rentals are all easily accessed and as the airport sts on the I-95, the entire state can be easily reached. West Palm Beach is almost midway in the state so getting to Miami or Orlando takes almost the same time. There is always a lot of construcion on, so one needs to be careful- there are all sorts of cops- and they are very liberal while handing out tickets- they are very big on speed limits.



Attractions


There are lots of beaches and many are private too. The beaches are a favourite place for the tourists and locals alike and they are a real eyeful especially on the weekends. The City Place is a unque area which has some high end stores, movie theatres, road side cafes, restaurants and the like. It also has some apartments where people actually live. The place really comes alive in the evening and is a popular place to hang out. Some bands set up their stuff and one can enjoy the music whlie walking around. Almost all types of shopping complexs and malls can be found. BrandsmartUSA is very unique to Florida and one can get real good deals especially on the electronic stuff. The low cost alongwith the rising Canadian $ and very low taxes(only 6%) make it very attractive to pick up stuff. If one is away from Canada for more than a week, one can bring in 750$ worth of goods without paying duty, so it works out good.



Eating out


Eating out is a pleasure since one can get a variety of cusine at very reasonable prices. The service is very good generally and the tips range to between 12-15%. Again the low taxes come to the rescue. There are a lot of immigrants from Mexico, the Carribean and the Latin Amerca settled in the area so you find that kind of authentic cusine at real low prices. The places may not be tops on ambience, but can serve great food. The atmosphere is very good and adds to the dining experience.


General Thoughts


I went with a lot of expectations and can safely say that they all were fulfilled. I had a real blast and enjoyed every minute of the two weeks I could get. I was booked at the Comfort Inn West PalmBeach and I was pretty happy with the service they provided. I found the people very nice, friendly and willing to help. The general laid back attitude should not be construed to be representative of their professionalism which comes out tops. They are hard working and believe in enjoying themselves. The Heat won the NBA while I was there and the West Palm Beach people celebrated alongwith their Miami cousins. I would recommend a visit to this beautiful place for anyone who wants to have a holiday at a fairly reasonable price with the sun thrown in. I for sure am getting back here soon- maybe this winter to get some sun while Canada is enveloped in a snow blanket!!



Key Biscayne, a little beach paradise in a big cit
Jun 15, 2006 12:23 AM4145 Views

This is my adopted home town. I am from Spain and have lived in many countries and cities. Yet, in my experience, key biscayne offers the best that all places (except for Paris) can offer. Key biscayne is separated from the big and cosmopolitan city of Miami by two bridges and a very large nature park. The trip from Miami is a 6 mile (9 KM) ride next to beaches and tropical forests.


Its 12,000 people inhabitants are mostly from Latinamerica. So, most restaurants in the island serve Latin meals. The island does not have night club, cinemas, or most of the attractions you expect in an American tourist town. The reason is that Key biscayne is really a "family" town at the beach. Its beaches have clean sand that stretches for miles. Swimming, wind surfing, boating, parasailing, riding bicycles and walking are the main attraction. Key Biscayne is just as good a place for a family vacation as it is a great place for outdoors activities. This is a great place to visit, and an even better place to stay.


Stay in a Walt Disney Resort Hotels cheap
Aug 17, 2005 03:36 AM4125 Views

Before we went on our first trip to Walt Disney World, I was prepared to shell out more than $4000 for the trip....that is until I found a hidden gem....a website called mousesavers.com. On this site more than 5 years ago, I found the way to stay in a WDW resort hotel (hotels owned by Disney) for $109.00 per night. The mousesavers site posts special codes that you can use to get the rooms this cheap and believe me there is a huge difference between staying in a hotel around Disney World and staying on Disney property. The resort we chose when we first went to WDW was Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort, we got a King bed, so with tax etc...our room was $109.00/night, but rooms with double beds was something like $89/night. The Caribbean Beach Resort (CBR) is a Moderate. Disney has a few categories for their hotels, Value (All Star Sports/Music/Movies/Pop Century), Moderate (CBR/Port Orleans/Coronado Springs) and Deluxe (Grand Floridian/Animal Kingdon Lodge/Polynesian/Contemporary/Boardwalk/Beach & Yacht Club). At various times in the year, Disney puts out codes that you can use to get huge discounts on room only reservations or even special packages. You call their Central Reservations Office (CRO) and tell them where you want to stay and then give them the code to get your discount. We have never paid the outrageous rack rates they charge since we found the mousesavers site. For those of you planning a trip, I encourage you to check out this totally FREE website, it has everything you need to plan an affordable trip to WDW. For those of you that have never stayed at an actual WDW resort, let me tell you...it is nothing short of wonderful. It's not a like a hotel, it is like a vacation within a vacation because the resorts are beautiful. For those with children, I would suggest the value resorts, you can get those rooms for as little as $49/night at certain times throughout the year. You get free transporation to every Park in WDW including downtown Disney. I highly recommend CBR if you like tropically themed settings...my favorite deluxe is The Boardwalk Inn, I have gotten that one at 169.00/night using a code. So check out http: http://www.mousesavers.com and also https://disboards.com for sites that can help you plan everything from your resort to rental cars and help you to save big bucks....these sites are totally free.


Florida IS the best travel destination!
Feb 21, 2005 09:05 AM3095 Views

I don't think you can possibly find a more diverse spot to travel than Florida!



South Florida offers the Everglades National Park where you can observe the natural habitat of truly distinct animals, alligators are fascinating.


South Beach has hip and trendy people, great food and an exciting wild nightlife. Jal-alai is a must see...you can bet on which team will win throwing pelotas very fast against a wall...kinda like handball except with a long basket strapped to your hand! Always bet a 1-2-6 trifecta...wins alot for some reason!


Disneyworld and all of greater Orlando is a family feast for entertainment, fun and fantasy! Then you can hit Port Canaveral and take a cruise for a few days! Or head the other direction and hit Tampa...great food, shopping and beaches...cruises now too!


On the northeast coast, you can visit St. Augustine and take in the history of Florida and Ponce de Leon and the fountain of youth! Continue north and Jacksonville beckons with a metro feel.


Up in the Panhandle (because sideways Florida looks like a flat pan) you'll find the Capital of the state Tallahassee...where the Capitol building is...get it...different spelling! Now the terrain changes and starts getting a little hilly, beautiful live oak trees with spanish moss hanging down...the beginning of the southern ''y'all'' flair, home of some great college football at Florida State University.


To the west is the new vibrant town of Destin, the fastest growing area in Florida and the beaches, world-class fishing and great shopping make it a popular destination for families and singles. Farther west is Pensacola, still struggling to recover from the hurricanes of '04.


You name it, Florida has it!


The Land of Disney
Jan 22, 2005 09:10 AM2814 Views

In a week, I will be two years old in Florida. On my way from Memphis to here, I had mixed feelings of nervousness and excitement. Now as I write this, I can definitely say that I made the right choice. Florida is not called the tourist state without any reason. It has every ingredient to make for an ideal vacation destination for all age groups. Let us start from the most popular tourist spot in the state.


Walt Disney World: It is every kid?s dream to visit Disney at least once in lifetime. The land of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, a theme park and resort located southwest of Orlando in the heart of Florida is the single largest crowd puller in Florida. Much has been said about it in other reviews on Florida, the best one to check out would be the one by Cousin2 at https://mouthshut.com/review/Florida-18878-1.html.


Universal Studios: Located on the outskirts of Orlando, it is a theme park with various rides related with the popular movies presented by the production and distribution house. The rides here are really thrilling and the best one to check out is Shrek, a 4-D ride. And the list includes ? Revenge of the Mummy, Terminator 2 (3-D), ET adventure, Men in Black ? Alien Adventure and the terrifying roller coaster Earthquake ? The Big One.


Kennedy Space Center: 45 miles east of Orlando, it is US? premier gateway to Universe and world?s only launch pad for space shuttle. Visit to the center includes a museum, abandoned space shuttles and several other exhilarating experiences. It is a must visit for those who are really into exploring Space. I was fortunate enough to be able to witness live shuttle launch on the day I visited the center. The NASA scenes in Swades were shot at Kennedy Space Center.


Everglades National Park: Located on the southern tip of Florida, Everglades National Park (ENP) is the only subtropical preserve in North America. The park has typical tropical atmosphere, rich bird life and tones of alligators. ENC has been designated as a World Heritage Site, an International Biosphere Reserve, and a Wetland of International Importance.


Key West: Southern most tip of United States, the place known as gateway to Central America. The place is more popular among youth and and the reasons are water sports, dolphins, gorgeous beaches and of course beautiful sunsets. Key West is inarguably the most beautiful area in Florida. And if you are driving to Key West, you may want to spend a night in a small satellite of Miami, Coconut Grove, famous for its night life ? it is the most popular destination for young trucks ? polled as #1 popular dating spot in the state.


Your Gateway to Caribbean and Grand Bahamas Islands: Fort Lauderdale is your gateway to these hot tourists destinations. Both of these are quite popular among honeymooners and believe it or not the place from where the cruise ships depart is only quarter of a mile from my home.


There are several other attractions in Florida and since the state has been blessed with enormous amount of ocean on three sides, the beaches are the second strongest magnet attracting tourists to the state. Florida?s economy is thriving due to tourist flocking the state every year in winter months and that has allowed the state to do away from Income Taxes coupled with low sales taxes.


Some dos and don?ts:


~The best time period to visit Florida is October to April. From May to September the weather turns tropical and it practically rains everyday. And the days when there are no clouds, scorching sun with inordinately high UV rays will eat your skin. Sunscreen lotion is a must all year long.


~Public transportation is dismal. The best and cheapest way is your own car. Now you must exercise some cautions while indulging in road travel here.


~There are several toll roads and tolls in some popular destinations such as Orlando run immoderately high. However, you may end up losing valuable time and gas (it is getting expensive here, $2.00 per gallon) by opting for freeways.


~Proper planning of routes, continuous update on traffic and weather is must. Check your local radio listing for traffic and weather stations.


~Since, several tourists venture on a road trip without proper planning, you will definitely bump into someone driving at 40 MPH on a 45MPH minimum speed limit highway. Add to that retirees who can barely see at the age of 80 driving on a 2-lane freeway. Add to that youngsters like me in their 20s driving at 90MPH on a 70MPH maximum speed limit highway.


~Orlando Airport is extremely beautiful, in fact it has been voted as the most beautiful airport in US. And my experience with several airports in the world including, New Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Frankfurt, Paris, Amsterdam, Atlanta, Cincinnati, New Ark, JFK International Airport and LaGuardia Airport in New York, Memphis, Knoxville, Nashville, New Orleans, Houston, Tampa, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville and Orlando airports endorse the finding of the poll. (The worst airport according to me is Frankfurt ? avoid it at any cost).


~If you are planning to go to Key West, make sure that you check on the activities occurring in the area. We did not do it and on the day of our visit, there was a gay festival underway and we had to flee the place within two hours. Do not go to Key West in last week of October ? the week of Fantasy Fest. It is the Florida version of infamous New Orleans Mardi Gras.


~On your way to the South Florida ? a three word sentence may come quite handy ? ?no hablo español?(I do not speak Spanish). Areas south of Fort Lauderdale are quite dense with Cuban population and there will be places where people will start talking with you in Spanish, since Indians look quite like Hispanics.


And for more information, you can visit the official Florida website myflorida.com ? and if you happen to visit Florida, you will be damned if you forget to contact me. Happy travelling.


burton on trent United Kingdom
FLORIDA-HURRICANE
Sep 15, 2004 10:32 PM2423 Views

Title : Florida hurricane


Review : This is the hotel of the world. The wyndham orlando resort international drive. The boss of this hotel and his employees need to be rewarded for their bravery and commitment towards their guests. It takes a lot for organizing a huge hotel like this and preparing it for a hurricane.. 2 days before we did not know what to do nor where to go, suddenly one morning the domestic services posted a note under our door. It stated you are in good hands and will you join us in the conference room for your safety.


I could not believe my eyes, games for the children,, food buffets, wide screen for tracking every move the hurricane made, coffee, staff four fold to the norm. Boy Y have never seen such organisation in my whole life. What ever we think about the americans being better and bigger than us, is a very true saying. I have seen this with my own eyes. This being my 12th visit. I will never ever be concerned going to florida again any time of the year. The wyndham orlando resort international drive, this hotel and the staff are just wow !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


CHIMA STEAK HOUSE
Jan 15, 2004 12:10 AM4793 Views

For an Desi website, this review might just be sacrilege, but this place deserves a shout out around the globe…….


A younger cousin to the Fogo’da’chao Brasilian gaucho Chuerrassiera ( porturguese’ for Steakhouse) … it has hit the dining circles of ultra fashionable Miami-Ft.Lauderdale crowd with much aplomb ….


So I landed up there with a date for the scoop on the food… and here we go


The Brazilians have taken over Il Tartufo's old space on Las Olas, and all I can say is, wow. Chima Brazilian Steakhouse of Uberlandia, gaucho country midway between Brasilia and Sao Paulo, has transformed a rather tired old Florida restaurant into a chic, sleek shrine to carnivores. It very well may be the prettiest or sexiest restaurant in Fort Lauderdale.


Open just under two months, Chima (pronounced she-ma) already is drawing crowds. We're led to our table and immediately greeted by our waiter, Dalvo, a charming fellow who explains the rules of the game. There will be no menu, he tells us (though there is an extensive, international wine list). Instead, anything the kitchen prepares is ours for the asking. He takes the order on palm pilot… no papers here


But first, perhaps a caipirinha made with Brazil's own cachaça, a sugar-cane-based spirit, or a caipiriosa, same basic recipe but made with less-volatile vodka. A barman wheels over a cart and begins furiously muddling limes and mashing strawberries. Mind you these babies creep up on you real fast


About a dozen meats on enormous churrasco skewers are in constant rotation through the dining rooms, each managed by a waiter who looks for all the world like a gaucho in white shirt, scarf and baggy black bombachas bloused over black boots( brazilan cowboys). The meats are sliced at your table and you're encouraged to take as much as you like.


Most are beef -- top sirloin, bottom round, filet, strip steak, flank steak -- but there is also pork loin and ribs, chicken drumettes or meat cubes wrapped in bacon, and lamb chops. Even a lovely salmon fillet makes the rounds, but don't miss the linguica, described accurately enough by Chima as ''delightful Brazilian pork sausages, seasoned and roasted to perfection.'' Small dishes of mashed potatoes and creamy, cheesy spinach are brought to the table for us to share.


More sides, acompanhamentos, are on the salad bar, a humongous affair fairly overflowing with stuffed tomatoes, Gorgonzola mousse, tabbouleh, smoked salmon, steak carpaccio, cheeses, olives, fruit and, oh yes, some lettuce too.


There is more food than a Roman wedding feast.. and more meat than your heart can desire.. veggies and vegans stay away..


My tab ended up being…


Dinner for 2 including desserts $130.00 Drinks $30.00 Bottle of KRUG reserva 98 Pinot Nior $88.00 all inclusive with tip $300.00


Orlando - The City of Dreams!
Sep 25, 2003 07:03 PM2102 Views

Note: This review is on Orlando, a part of Florida. Since MS does not have city based systems for US cities, I write this review here! :). Excuse the stink - this review is a year and half old now!


This truly is a city of dreams! Unlike New york, this one is absolutely spacious. In fact, traveling within this city without a transport is a big head ache. The city is superbly built with such cleanliness that it will shock you. And add to that some sun, beaches and the theme parks, this becomes the hottest destination in US to visit. Ditto for us too! We spent nearly 6 days in Orlando, and believe me we couldn’t see half the things we would have liked to see!!!


Places I visited


Disneyworld


Universal Studios


A little bit of Orlando city itself.


Hotels and Lodging


Every major hotel chain heard or unheard of exists in this city. In fact half the city is made up of hotels. EVEN THEN, at peak times, ALL hotels might run FULL!!! Nonetheless, on a decent day, you might find lodging in a good hotel. It’s a good idea to book your hotels atleast one month earlier so that one gets the best deals on rates. Ideally, if you book one month earlier through websites, you will end up with a deal for a family suite for just 61$ dollars!!! ( believe me, that’s what we took!). Every hotel runs their bus service to all the major tourist destinations, and they are all well timed. However it’s a good idea to take the first available shuttles. There are taxis in plenty and are surprisingly affordable, but take them if you miss your shuttles.


Righto! Accommodation done! Now lets get down in detail to which places I visited and the first hand account of the same!


DISNEYWORLD


Disney is definitely a World of its own. Spread across a massive 53000 acres of land, this is a city in itself. Walt Disney brought this land for 6$ per square foot at the time of inception, and now the very same square foot there costs nearly 300,000 to 1 million dollars!!!(did I hear a gasp!). The Disney world consists of four kingdoms, a sea world, a downtown, a resort, and some other places as well.


The four kingdoms are the magic kingdom, the animal kingdom, epcot and the Disney/MGM studios. And man! What massive kingdoms are they! Each one of them is colossally huge and will eat up a entire day to actually take a look. And even then, don’t be surprised at the end of the day if you manage to miss something in each of those parks! Every park has its own charm, their great rides and the themes which are so prominently displayed in all of the parks. The ambience in all the theme parks is just wonderful to say the least, and you never feel tired inspite of walking the whole day.


tip:Arrive early! By the middle of the day each of the parks get packed and each of the rides will take a long time to get to. However there is a good way out. Each ride has something called as Fast pass which as the name suggests gives a fast pass to the ride at the specified time. It’s a good idea to take fast passes for rides you wanna see at a specific time and then roam around other places instead of waiting in the lines.


The cost of visiting all the 4 parks is 50$ for a day. And believe me, its worth every single penny of those 50$ dollars. You also get 4 day, 5 day and 8 day passes too for all the theme parks. Ours was a 4 day pass worth 200$ for each person.


Transportation is no problem. Your hotel shuttles usually come to pick you back. Else, taxis are available in plenty.


Rides and Stuff not to be missed:Space Mountain, Its hard to be a Bug (3D show), All the broad-way shows and the musicals, Tower of Terror, Aerosmith Roller coaster, The Jurrasic world, Kali river rapids, The 3D puppet show and the Indiana Jones show. Also, don’t miss all the ending shows at night which are full of fireworks and stuff. The best show is at Disney MGM studios which is Fantasmic featuring a laser show on a fountain backdrop. This is one show not to be missed!


UNIVERSAL STUDIOS


If Disney can do it, so can we seems to be the motto of these guys. However, its not as huge as Disney. But then it is! The universal studios are divided into two theme parks - The universal studios and the The great adventure island


The universal studios has all the rides associated with their underlying movie themes like ‘twister’, ‘MIB’, ‘ET’ and stuff. The island adventure on the other hand has all the roller coaster rides and the stuff. The park also has ‘jurassic park’ which is simply awesome! The rides are great too!


You cannot see Universal too in one day. It’s a good idea again to buy a 2 day or 3 day passes. The universal world also has its own downtown and clubs where u can enjoy at night. Seeing all of them will literally take another 2 days! The cost of a 2 day pass is around 90$ and for a single day single park entry is 50$. Though, unlike Disney, I think the ticket price is quite high ( I mean, you don’t feel your 50$ worth here).


The rides which are not to be missed are the The E.T adventure, Back to the Future ride, and The great roller coaster. Just don’t miss them when you come here. However, Universal studios is not as good as the Disney world studios.


ORLANDO


The city is beautiful full of jazzy buildings and fountains all over. The downtown unlike other places is quite nice and spacious. There are several great companies too, and Orlando does host one of top 10 research laboratories of science in U.S. The kennedy space center is also very near, and again, visiting the center is going to take up another day of your trip! We didn’t visit it though because of the days constraints on us.


The food in this city is awesome. The food is dominantly Mexican and my! How I love Mexican. The people are very good and polite. However, you will find many Mexicans here. The night life is good, and safe too! There are some awesome discs here too but the days weared us out so much that this was out of the question!!


Overall


This is one city you JUST CANNOT afford to MISS it! You MISS coming to this city, you probably haven’t seen the BEST of this country!


Happy Holidaying!


Note: I could write another half a review on Miami too - however its half as enjoyable as Orlando when it comes to family, and when it comes to friends, its thrice more enjoyable for obvious reasons :). In Miami, there is only one place to go with friends (the emphasis is on 'friends'), that is South Beach! Its nothing but Drool-maya!


My little corner in Florida
Jul 10, 2003 09:10 PM2199 Views

Ahh the Sunshine State. Palm tree lined boulevards. Blue skies. Beautiful beaches. In other words, tropical eye candy! That is Florida in a nutshell. Having lived in Central Florida for 4 years, I would have to say this is certainly one of the nicest places in the United States to live in. The town I live in is called Palm Bay and is about an hour south east of Orlando. It is a quiet little town nestled between Interstate 95 (a familiar expressway to most east coasters) and the Atlantic Ocean. Palm Bay is the sister city to the more well known port town of Melbourne (which is often confused for it's more famous Australian namesake). Running through the east side of these towns is the Indian River that separates the mainland from the beaches. Needless to say, you will find many beachside attractions - from surf shops to beachside hotels and nightclubs! To start with, there is the beach itself for the adventurous surfer or the type that just wants to enjoy some sun. The Indian River is a popular area - on the east side of it is the Melbourne Pier which is a social hangout - a haven for romantic couples and also a popular spot to do some fishing! There are many activities that you can enjoy - like renting jet skis to go for a little cruising in the river or renting a canoe and flexing those biceps as you explore the sights around you. If you are the more laid back type, you can enjoy teeing off at the green in the Country Club golf course. For those people who enjoy a little evening life - there are a lot of little outdoor bars and nightclubs for you to choose from. Remember the song Ice Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice? There's a part in it where Vanilla Ice talks about A1A - Beachfront avenue. Well that's where all the action is. You could hang out at one of the beachside bars that line A1A - like The Ichubods Grill or The City Tropics Bistro or if you want to get your groove on there's an array of nightclubs to choose from. There's Coral Bay sitting right by the Indian river, you have club Jamaica Me Crazy at the beachside Holiday Inn, and for the mainlanders there's club Sanctuary. And here's the best deal about living here. All the great tourist attractions in Florida are no more than a 3 hour drive away! Starting with Orlando. Every kid's dream. With all its theme parks and bustling nightlife - Orlando is a happening town - and all that is just an hour's drive away from here. Then about 30 minutes north is the awesome Kennedy Space Center which is another huge tourist hub for you wannabe space explorers. Further north about a 2 hour drive away from here is Daytona Beach which is famous for it's drive through beaches and of course, for all you racing fanatics, there's the Speedway for NASCAR racing. 2 hours west is Tampa, another major city famous for some breathtaking beaches, a bustling downtown area and the famous Busch Gardens. 3 hours south is Florida's metropolis - Miami. Miami with it's world famous South beach, a dazzling array of nightclubs(The Coconut Grove is party central for all you club hoppers - if you are looking for a little variety), seaquariums and other attractions is always a great place to be. Here's how I would rate living here. If you're looking to live in a place that is quiet yet at the same time offering you the opportunity to go and enjoy life in the fast lane, this is the place for you. Among other things, Central Florida is a very affordable place to live - with the absence of state tax - and being a tourist destination primarily, living here will work out well for you. The downside though is if you're a techie, jobs are a little harder to come by in these parts - even though I might add this scenario is quickly changing. If you're in the entertainment business, or in the hospitality industry Central Florida offers you some great opportunities. For the benefit of Indian readers looking to move this way, Orlando has a fairly big South Indian community - called the Muthamizh Sangam of Central Florida. This community organizes various cultural events on popular Indian holidays (like Pongal, Diwali etc) and gives the Indian community living in these parts a chance to socialize and get to know each other. It is also a great way to help you get set up if you're deciding to move here.In all, Florida rocks - and if you are just visiting - you'll never get enough of it.


Florida - where the Sun always shines
Feb 05, 2003 04:02 AM3015 Views

Florida is home to the current world champions in football – the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Sun always shines in this “Sunshine State”. The tropical weather is comfortable, the state has no income tax and the real estate prices are relatively inexpensive – no wonder it is a haven for senior citizens.


The Geography


It is shaped like a pan (with a short panhandle and a deep pan). It is bound by the Gulf of Mexico in the West, the Atlantic Ocean in the East, the Florida Keys in the south and by the State of Georgia in the North.


# The Panhandle


There are some excellent beaches with white powdery sand and blue sea – famous among them is Panama City.Tallahasse is the state capital and has some fine government buildings.


# The West Coast


The most important area is Tampa Bay which has the cities of Tampa, Clearwater and St.Petersburg. This area is a major commercial center and besides the beaches also boasts of the Ybor City which has a lot of Cuban and Hispanic influence. The Tampa port is busy and has regular cruises along the west coast and to Mexico. There is a famous Salvador Dali Museum for the art lovers and a visit to Sunken Gardens with tropical birds and forests is a rewarding experience.


Just south of Tampa are the cities of Sarasota (home of Monica Seles), Naples and Ft.Myers. These are beautiful areas for vacationing and retiring.


# The Alligator Alley


This is 100 miles of straight road (no exits) through the famous Everglades which is a swamp of sawgrass and which maintain the eco balance to the flora and fauna in the area including rare birds and of course alligators. One can see several alligators sun bathing on the banks – a beautiful sight as long as there is enough distance between you and them. One can ride the everglades on specially designed crafts and it is advisable to carry cans of mosquito repellent – these areas are infested.


# The East Coast


It starts with Jacksonville in the north (almost bordering with Georgia) which is a commercial center with shipping and banking as main industries and traveling south one gets to Daytona Beach which is famous for the Daytona 500 speed racing and also the spring break festival. Here the beaches are special because the sand near the ocean is so packed that one can drive on the sandy beach next to the ocean – a truly unique experience. Next comes the space coast starting with Titusville and Cape Canaveral. The Kennedy Space Center is worth a visit – I did witness one rocket launch and it is awesome – once in a lifetime kind of experience. Continuing south – one travels through the West Palm Beach area – which had become famous during the last presidential elections and it is also famous for housing some of the rich and famous during the winter months – including JFK. Each of these majestic bungalows are architecturally different and have their own private beach. Just south of West Palm Beach is Boca Raton – literally meaning “mouth of the rat” - a plush neighborhood in itself and close to Delray Beach which has some fine tennis coaching schools and is home to Chris Evert.


The next stop is Ft.Lauderdale and then Miami – both of them are commercial centers which have a strong Hispanic community. Miami is the gateway to Latin America and the International Airport is one of the busiest and the biggest in the country. Miami is also a major seaport with regular cruises to the Bahamas and the Caribbean.


# The Florida Keys


The Keys are a string of islands starting from the end of Miami all the way up to the last of the keys which is Key West – an excellent place for scuba diving, snorkeling and watching beautiful sunsets (it reminded me of sunsets in Kanyakumari at the confluence of the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal). Going into the ocean in a glass bottom boat is a recommended to see the coral reefs. Cuba is only 90 miles from here and there is a pillar marking the southernmost point of the US. The drive on US 1 through the keys is beautiful with clear blue waters on both sides. A special mention should be made of Key Largo made famous by the Humprey Bogart’s film of the same name. Also Ernest Hemingway spent some time in Key West.


# Central Florida


The main city is Orlando which is a tourist center and includes the Disney Land attractions of Epcot Center, Magic Kingdom and also includes the Universal Studio and the Sea World. Another important town is Gainesville which is more of a university town. This is the main region which grows oranges and sugarcane.


The Weather


It is warm right through the year except for some northern areas which do become cold during the winter. Normally it does not snow in this state. This state is well known for its Hurricanes. The hurricane season starts on June 1 and ends on Nov 30. This is when the National Weather Center in Miami keeps track of all the tropical depressions starting in Africa and moving westwards and also some in the Gulf of Mexico. Each storm is named starting from A-Z – these names are all pre-defined. The last major hurricane to hit the state was Andrew which was of category 4 and which did lots of damage to Miami and Homestead Airforce base. I did visit the Miami zoo which still shows some of the effects of Andrew on the tress. Expect a lot of rain in those months – it pours and also there is a lot of lightning. The Tampa Bay area is referred to as the lightning capital of the world.


Snow Birds


This is a unique phenomenon in this state which begins after Thanksgiving (last week of Nov) and lasts upto Easter (in April). Residents from the cold regions of the US – the Northeast and the Midwest and Canada make their way to Florida to hibernate here during the winter months and then return to their homes at the beginning of spring. Florida enjoys a boom in tourism during these months.


Retirement community


Many people prefer to retire in Florida and it encourages people to come down and settle here. The real estate is relative cheaper, there is no state income tax and the weather is pleasant. Also there are several retirement communities.


Sports


All the major sports franchises are represented here. Football is represented by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Miami Dolphins and the Jacksonville Jaguars. Basketball is represented by the Miami Heat and the Orlando Magic. Hockey is represented by the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Florida Panthers and Baseball by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. College sports for football and basketball is very popular and has a huge fan following. Many of the national base ball teams have their spring training in Florida because of the weather.


I guess I have captured the spirit of Florida. If your travel plans bring you to the US, plan a visit to this Sunshine State.


Go Orlando Go
Jan 13, 2003 04:15 AM2413 Views

I was thinking of writing this review much earlier but somehow I totally forgot about it. I was doing what has become my favourite pastime these days which is reading reviews at MS ( I have so much catching up to do!) when I saw this review about Florida..and I thought what the hell..I should write a review about this fabulous place.


First some background details about how I landed up in Florida. It was the last week of Dec 2002 and of course no one even goes to office in the last week of Dec as everyone is using up all their allocated leaves. So we all planned a trip to Florida. Since we planned the trip so late, we didn't get the flight tickets we wanted(read slightly cheap ones :D ) and besides it was holiday season which makes it highly unlikely to get tickets so late, so we went by car. So four of us went by car all the way from NJ to Florida. The trip according to Mapquest was supposed to last 17 hrs or so,but it took us more than 24 hrs to get to Orlando,Fl...aided in no small measure by the fact that it was snowing horrendously in NJ late in the evening on 25th when we left and most of the McDs, Dunkin Donuts' etc seem to close early on that day. So we had to like take quite a few exits before we would actually find a shop that was open at night! Anyways we made it to Orlando late at night the next day, had an okay sleep and went to Magic Kingdom,Disneyworld.


Magic Kingdom is one of the kingdoms in DisneyWorld. I didnt see the the others...also we didn't have the time for all that. Magic Kingdom consists of Fantasyland, Frontierland, Adventureland, Tommorrowland etc. You get to Magic Kingdom either by ferry or monorail,we went by ferry and came back by monorail..u can try the other way round and M2M with details of how it is different :)


You enter the world through Main St,USA which has all these shops selling souvenirs and has a town square and all that stuff. First thing we did on getting the map of Magic Kingdom was find out which were the best rides, we were looking for the ones which warned about physical damage,speed,caution etc :)..basically most of them are rollercoasters.We figured we should go for that first and then take all the ''wussy'' ones. Seems like everyone who comes there thinks the same way. There were huge queues for


all of those rides. Luckily there is this concept of Fast Pass where u can use ur entry ticket and get a pass which u can use in a particular time slot to enjoy those rides without standing in a queue. So we were able to use that. In case you are going to Magic Kingdom look for all the rides that have FP (Fast Pass). They are the best ones and most of them satisfy the ''non-wussy'' criteria I laid out some time ago :)


Let me see, go for Big Thunder Mountain Railraod which is in Frontierland I think, everything in Tomorrowland rocks particularly a high speed rollercoaster whose name I can't remember( if some one knows tell me so that I can update this part). Also there is this excellent horror ride (again I forgot the name,damn) where u see all kinda spooky stuff. Positively amazing. Just remember what I said, look for the FP sign near the ride or show.


THose are not the only things to look for in Magic Kingdom. Since we went in the last week of Dec, there was this superb parade in the afternoon which had Mickey Mouse,Minnie Mouse,Donald Duck.Goofy and the others in a parade along with Santa Claus. That was so beautiful. I felt like I was a kid all over again. And late at night before closing for the day there was another splendid parade this time to commemorate 100 or 150 yrs of Disney(forgot the number...guess I am getting older lol) I was informed that every day one disney character is the central character in the parade. The day I was there, the character turned out to be everyones favourite mermaid,Ariel. She turned up with all the others in the tale. Also there was this beautiful girl who played Cinderella (dreamy look in my eyes lol)


Just one thing about this place is if you are a vegetarian you don't have much choice.Maybe I didnt look around too much but I decided I would eat the first veg thing I would find and ended up eating popcorn for lunch in the afternoon. Night was better and I was a bit more resolute so I looked at the map a bit closely and found a McD, I picked up some french fries from the McD. Another great thing,not to do with Disney but Florida in general was that I roamed around without wearing a jacket..I know folks back home may find this funny..but here in the US ,the sun's primary function is to provide light not warmth hehehe. So many times, the sun will be blazing away,but once u step out you can feel the cold in the air. Oops I digressed. Oh yeah and the lighting at night is fabulous,particularly the castle is amazing at night with its everchanging colours.


DisneyLand is a great place to go irrespective of age or gender. I enjoyed it as much as anybody else and I was 22 years old when I went there and I was the youngest. Now I am 23..this is 2003 you see,a minor technicality :) Also there are so many cute babies running around..that sight itself fills one with so much joy. My friend became a little bit too excited and focussed his camcorder on a beautiful little baby which was raising a ruckus in its pram. Soon enough the father started waving his finger at us...talk of paranoia...duh I again lost what I was saying. Oh yeah, DisneyWorld is a great place to go in Orlando. There is Universal Studios also,but I decided to write about Disney because kids are gonna have more fun here. I recommend Florida in general,Orlando in particular and DisneyWorld to everyone who read this review.


Please note that this review covers Disneyland only..there are other tourist attractions in Orlando such as SeaWorld, Universal Studios etc that I saw and enjoyed but can't write about due to the word limit.


Just in case u r interested the return trip to NJ took even longer..that is because we missed the exit to Baltimore( we ended up taking A instead of B or the other way round or something like that) and ended up going all the way to Washington DC..talk of losing direction!..there was no exit at all after the exit we missed! After some roaming abt we found ourselves near some restricted area to boot! Luckily we were able to calm our collective nerves and reach home. Phew! Some trip that was!


Thanks for reading.


Florida Dreamin'
Oct 30, 2002 12:45 AM2344 Views

I have been to Florida many times and have to say it is the best place around for a fun packed holiday. I will attempt to explain why without boring you to tears!


Florida is on the south-east tip of the USA, around nine hours flight time from the UK. It has a tropical climate, warm all year round with practically unbearable humidity in the summer months. Bearing in mind that the hurricane season runs from June to November, I would say that the best time to visit is April or May, when it isn't unbearably hot, the humidity is relatively low and the crowds in the theme parks aren't too bad.


Getting there:


Is pretty easy. There are flights out of the UK nearly every day. The majority of charter flights from the UK land at Orlando Sanford Airport, which is about an hours drive away from Orlando. This can be inconvenient, especially if, after a nine hour flight, you have to drive in rush hour traffic. Just make sure you have plenty of change for the toll roads (there are about four from the airport).


International Drive is where the majority of the action is. Sea World is situated at the bottom and Universal is situated in the middle with BELZ factory outlet at the very top. It is also where the majority of the hotels and restaurants are.


Shopping:


For me, this was the best thing about Orlando. There are numerous retail outlets, the best and most famous being, BELZ and the Mercado.


I highly recommend BELZ. It is easily accessible from I-Drive on the I-RIde (75 C each trip). It has loads of top quality items from stores such as GAP, LEVIS, REEBOK, NIKE and CALVIN KLEIN all at rock bottom prices. Girls take your credit cards!!


Eating out:


The choice is endless. I-Drive has dozens of different restaurants to suit every taste and budget. I would recommend the breakfast at Ponderosa which is all you can eat for $3.99. Bargain! Also highly recommended is Sizzlers. A word of warning of you are going to Florida, buy all of your holiday clothes a size larger than normal, as you will definitely put on weight! The portions are huge!


Theme parks:


This is what the majority of people go to Orlando for - the great theme parks. From the kiddie (and adult) thrills and spills at the Disney parks such as Epcot, Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom to the brilliant Sea World and finally Universal.


My personal favourites were Islands of Adventure and Sea World. Islands of Adventure is a brand new theme park with exciting rides. Amongst the best are The Incredible Hulk, DR Doom's Fearfall and Duelling Dragons. If you want to beat the crowds, get there for opening and at the entrance to the park instead of turning left like everybody else and rushing to the Spiderman ride, turn right and do Duelling Dragons first, then onto Dr Doom's Fearfall and finally, The Incredible Hulk. This will leave you the rest of the day to spend at your leisure.


And finally: (I hear you sigh with relief!)


Its standard practice to tip at least 15-20% of the total bill in restaurants and bars. However, you don't mind this as the service is usually very good. Taxi drivers also expect to be tipped.


If you even look under 30, I would advise you to take some ID when going out to buy alcohol as they have very strict laws about underage drinking in Florida.


And finally, remember the 6% tax that is added to bills.


I hope this review is some use to anyone considering going to Florida. Feel free to comment on it. I would like to know how to improve on it! This is only my third review.


:-)


Miami United States
Key West - Fun in the sun
Jun 22, 2002 02:07 AM3363 Views

Key West, Florida is a great place to visit if...you like beautiful sunsets, white sandy beaches, and lots of bars with friendly people.


Let me start out by saying our visit to Key West started with a beautiful drive. We came from Hollywood, Florida so it took us about four hours to drive to mile marker ''0''. (the southern most tip of United States) Thank God for air conditioning in the car. Anyway, the drive is a beautiful mix of ocean-lined roads and bridges. As far as the eyes can see is beautiful ocean.


Once we arrived there, we drove around the island. It doesn't take long since it is not very big. There are numerous restaurants and bars that specialize mostly in seafood. We had lunch which was pretty expensive. (about $40.00 for two of us) Since we were not familiar with the place, we didn't know where the less expensive restaurants were. Anyway, the food was good and the view of the ocean was beautiful.


After lunch, we went to the famous Duval Street. That is where everyone gathers just before the sun goes down to watch the infamous sunset. It is spectacular. There are vendors there selling everything from jewelry to homemade crafts. There are also people performing in the streets. Some dancing, some putting on plays or skits. It is very entertaining.


We only stayed one day, but if we had stayed longer, there are many things to do there. You can take a tour on a glass bottom boat. Or rent mopeds (little motorbikes) to ride around the island on. There are many places to swim and relax in the sun.


All in all, I would say Key West is a great place to visit. I don't know if I would want to live there, but for a vacation it would prove to be very relaxing and enjoyable.


somewhere United States of America
St. Augustine Florida, A Great Place To Visit!
Jun 11, 2002 11:37 PM6160 Views

My husband and I recently went to St. Augustine Florida for a couple of days while he was on vacation, just to get away from home for a little bit. You see we are only 45 minutes away from St. Augustine and we can go at anytime. However, we don’t, but I sure do wish that we did. This is a wonderful place to go!


A Little History


St. Augustine was founded in 1565 by Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles. It is the oldest permanent European settlement in the continental United States. For 235 years it was the political, military and religious capital of the Province of Florida form which Spain exercised jurisdiction over a vast region.


Now the old streets of St. Augustine are narrow because the Spaniards believed that the sea breeze would help keep things cooler with a narrow street, which it did, but they also believed the narrow streets would make it harder for the enemy to get down into the city. There are several houses that you will see that have no doors opening out into the streets. The Spaniards designed the houses like this to keep the enemy out as well.


Ponce de Leon name Florida, “La Florida” in 1513 a few years before St. Augustine was founded by Menendez. Menendez built the Castillo de san Marcos Fort, which was never and has never been taken. And in 1821 Spain cedes Florida to The United States. And that is when St. Augustine became a part of the United States of America.


The Old Jail and St. Augustine’s Florida Heritage Museum


The Old Jail was completed in 1891 and housed prisoners for over 60 years. It is massive Queen Anne style stucco on brick building and on the National Registry of Historic Places. It is one of the few surviving 19th century facilities in the state and is the oldest government building in St. John’s County Florida. When you take this tour will see the inside of the jail in which you will see the sheriff’s quarters where he and his family lived adjacent from the prisoners. You will also see cells for both male and female. You will also learn about the Justice System during that time period. And you can get your picture taken with Big Joe, the last Sheriff on the Old Jail. He was 6’8” and weight 320 lbs.


St. Augustine’s Florida Heritage Museum is the history of civilized men on the continent, which began here at the Oldest City in the United States. At the Heritage Museum you will see a timeline of St. Augustine where you will learn how the city grew and prospered under the Spanish, British, French and American rule. These events shaped the State of Florida over 4 centuries. This was also the building of Flagler’s Railroad that started here and ended up in Key West Florida.


Flagler College


The Flagler College use to be the Ponce de Leon Hotel. Henry Flagler built it as a hobby, he thought it would be fun to own a hotel. When he got through with it, he had dumped more than 2 million dollars into it and only the wealthy could afford to stay there. The hotel is the first to have working water and lights. Thomas Edison came and designed the lights and water system for the hotel. The hotel is lined with 24 carat gold overlay through out. To build the hotel today it would cost over a billion dollars. The walls are 12 inches thick and were poured one foot at the time. As were building during that time because that was the only way. You can see the lines in the walls on each of the block poured buildings, which indicate that they were built during that time period. Built in 1887/88.


The dining room seated over 800 guest and has stained glass windows by Tiffany, which are still there today. Those windows are worth over 25 million dollars today. They are surrounded by bulletproof glass to protect them, they are still in their original origin and are over 100 years old! The dinning room is still used today by college students around the world. Some of the original chairs are still used as well. This dinning room is to die for! There are 16 points in the dinning room that your conversation can be heard, even a whisper! Flagler designed it this way because he was nosey of people’s business.


The college now allows you to tour certain parts. We first got to see the “lobby” of the hotel. The ceilings in each room are magnificent! I can’t even describe them there are so beautiful and breathtaking. The tile on the lobby floor was laid by 50 men working 8-hour shifts around the clock, totaling 150 men. When the floor was completed Flagler was told it was the most perfect floor ever seen. Well he would not have that! because to be perfect was to be like God, and he said that no one is like God (and we are not!) So, he changed two pieces of tile in the floor to make the floor imperfect. (Perhaps one day you can see which two pieces were changed)


The hotel rooms are now dorms for the students and you must have at least a B average to attend the college. Liberal Arts only! It houses around 1800 students year round. Each room has it’s own fireplace as well. Flagler believed that when people came to stay for the winter months, which was Jan. to April, that they should have their own attendant. The hotel held 700 or so guest at one time and each one of them had their own attendant for the duration of their stay. This attendant took care of each need of the family they were assigned, even in the middle of the night!


The Lightner Museum


This was once a hotel as well. Flagler had it built so that those who could not afford the Ponce de Leon Hotel would have a place to stay. William Lightner bought it from the Flagler family and later it was turned into his museum where you can see wonderful, old, expensive items from all over the world that he purchased or things that were given to him as gifts. This is one of the most expensive displays of items in the country. It is highly guarded. The world’s oldest and largest pool is here. There is a ballroom on the top floor and you can look down and see the old pool. The pool area is now covered with shops. The pool was a block long. There are weddings held there today on the outside grounds. And Lightner is buried on the grounds. In the time Flagler built it you could stay there for $4.00 a day. The Ponce de Leon would cost you $25.00 a day, payable in advance and no refunds! You have to remember in 1887, when the Ponce de Leon was finished, that was a lot of money.


How I feel


We really enjoyed walking down St. George Street. And it was great to hear about the history once again. The churches that Henry Flagler had built or helped to build are just beautiful. He had a church built in memory of his only daughter and granddaughter, who died. The baby 2 days after the birth, and the daughter within 2 weeks of childbirth. The Presbyterian Church was built just under a year and is still used today. Flagler paid over 1 million dollars to have it built, and he gave the men a big bonus for building it just under a year. There were 10,000 men who worked around the clock 24/7.


Flagler and his daughter and one of his wives are buried there inside the church. So is the baby. There is a place for his estranged son. The church has the oldest Organ with over 10,000 organ pipes in the States. And to hear it is just simply one of the best things you will ever hear. The inside of this church is one of the most beautiful that I have seen in the States.


I hope that this has helped in some kind of way.


God Bless!


©LKD 2002


SUN, SURF AND FUN - lots and lots of fun
Jun 11, 2002 09:28 PM2210 Views

We moved to Florida three years ago.


At first, being a NY born and bred brat, I was hesitant. I thought of Florida to be too hot, too buggy and too boring. After all, I am not in my twenties and we were not moving to a ''hot spot'' like Ft. Lauderdale during Spring Break.


I am 50+ and we were moving to the southwest area of Florida. Particularly an area called Punta Gorda Isles, located about 40 minutes north of North Fort Myers and about one hour south of Sarasota (two hours south of Tampa).


We bought a piece of land and contacted a builder to ''custom'' builder the place where we would spend our retirement days.


Whoa....wait a minute! Did I say retirement? Well, let me tell you about Punta Gorda Isles!


I don't think the word retirement applies here. Yes, it is true that there are some elderly folks around, but to my surprise, we have more folks who are between the ages of 45 and 60 who are as spry as when they were in their early twenties.


The street where I live (we are on a canal), holds a variety of people from airline pilots to computer programmers to owners of Internet Providing services. We have accountants, musicians, carpenters and truck drivers. There are also nurses, market managers and writers. We have them all and you know what? It's great.


I have never met a friendlier group of people anywhere. Most of them are not retired; the musicians play every weekend (and often will play free at the parties thrown by the neighbors); although the nurses are officially retired, they have kept their licenses upgraded and provide free assistance to those who are in need.


I could go on and on, but here in Punta Gorda Isles, retirement is a thing that seems not to exist.


Along with our neighbors, we boat, fish, go dancing, go to dinner. We each have pools where frequent ''pool parties'' are held. And speaking of parties: well - our New Years Even party was the talk of the town! We did the conga line around the pool, played games, sang (LOUDLY) until 2AM and laughed till our bellies hurt. (and who says we're old!)


Then we have our restaurants - one of the best is The Captains Table at Fisherman's Village. The food is great and offers a pleasant variety of dining choices with reasonable prices.


For a more informal atmosphere and great Italian food, we choose Monte's. From the outside, it looks like a small pizza place, but the food it terrific and, again, the prices are fantastic.


Karl Ehrmers is another good restaurant, especially when you're in the mood for German Cuisine.


The Whiskey Creek Grill has the best steaks and the atmosphere reminds you of an old west saloon.


There are so many places to go and things to see: Babcocks Wild Animal Farm - and I mean wild! It's a buggy ride though a swamp where you are sure to see wild boars and alligators.


We have our moonlight and sunset cruises, aquarium museums, shell factories, hang glide rides, spring training baseball field, beaches on the Gulf of Mexico and so many other attractions.


All this and without the loud crowding of spring breakers looking for a wild time.


It's easy to see why the 50+ generation fell in love with the southwest section of Florida. With the great fishing, beaches, food and friendly people, I have found my home.


Actually, I've found a piece of Heaven I can call my home.


Come visit the southwest corner of Florida. Trust me! You won't be sorry.


Dagenham England
NorthWest Airlines
May 23, 2002 09:51 PM2623 Views

We went to Florida in March and I have to say Florida is a beautiful place, I loved every minute of my time there, however, as this is the place to air my views then air it I will. Never fly by Northwest Airlines, I would rather walk to Florida then fly by them. Every flight we took to Florida via Detroit was delayed. The first was a 12 hour delay from Gatwick and all we got was a phone card - yes you heard right. Yes, the one hour flight to Fl was by first class but with what we went through it was the least they could do. Even our baggage was delayed because the doors to the plane would not open, it was one catastrophe after another, and delays on both flights on the way back home too. They have not even bothered to answer my letters. Please dont travel by them any other airline but not them. You will thank me for it.


Miami - The Spirit of Florida!
May 07, 2002 12:46 AM8808 Views

So guys, I am back after a long break. I call it a 'Well deserved break! The past few months have been a dizzin' blur of travel & only travel for me and with other responsibilities hogging the limelight, I was unable to devote time to mouthshut.


Anyways, No regrets. I have been wanting to write about this impressive rocking city I visited twice last year. MIAMI. Supposedly the most popular tourist destination in the state of Florida for the international crowd; apart from the city 'Orlando' ofcourse which is obviously popular too with the kids because of 'Disney Land'.


The moment I landed at the Ft Lauderdale airport, I was dazed to find every single person in shorts and sleeveless tees..Boy! I WAS on a HOLIDAY afterall!! ''Life was laid back in this city!'' That's what I thought!!


Drive down the lanes and a row of colorful painted houses...ranging from pinks, greens & lavenders catches your eye!! Dainty & pretty ain't it? Well, there's more, All roads are dotted by the most luscious variety of palm trees...Miami is green and colorful and a replica of the State Kerala(In India).


Coconut Groove: Miami has a blend of Cuban-latin population. Spanish is a very commonly spoken language here. 'Coconut groove' is a great hangout-buzzing area, with shopping, music and great food.


Seaquarium: Miami seaquarium or the Sea world is very impressive.It has the killer blue whale and tons of other animal(sea-lion, dolphin)shows and some thrilling water rides.


Beaches & nightlife: The slow morning life is totally transformed into a jazzy, buzzing and crowded life at night. In other words, 'Nightlife in Miami totally rocks'!. The Miami beach stretches upto 10-12 miles.


The water is absolutely gorgeous..with white clean sand dotting the shore. Running parallel to the Beach is a dazzling stretch of dance-clubs, restaurants, you name it, you'll find the best clubs here. Believe me!


The South-beach is another very popular beach which is extremely crowded with tourists. Its a great place for swimming and tanning (not recommended for the already tanned lot!)


Miami Port/Bayside: My favorite hang out spot, now that I live here. This area by the port is buzzing with live entertainment, great food and colorful shops around. I recommend taking the boat ride which takes you around the popular 'Star islands' where u get to see magnificient, beautiful & scenic homes owned by some well known personalities. The Miami Port/Bayside is truly a great place to visit and relax on a weekend. One can also witness the gigantic cruise ships go by.


If you are on a long vacation, driving down to Keys, is another great option. Keys is a set of islands and the Key West island marks the southern most tip of the United states.


You can take a ride on a glass bottom boat to see LIVE CORALS, a rather thrilling & unique experience! The boat takes you about 10 miles in the ocean and then stops at a particular spot & one can get to see a stretch of beautiful vibrant live corals from the glass bottom boat..


Best time to visit: Miami is warm throughout the year. but the best time to visit would be from December to March. Also The Miami festival called as the Carnival starts around the end of March.


July to November is hurricane season, so it is better to avoid visiting during this time.


The only downside for some, might be the hot scorching heat, but that's the price one has to pay to visit such a wonderful city.


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