January 2013 Florida Destination Guide

A Canadian’s Guide To

Florida It’s Beachin’ Florida’s Best Sand

Doing Dali & Daytona Mickey, Manatees & Mermaids Plus: Highlights From Around The State A Special Supplement To The JANUARY 2013 Issue Of

Florida’s East Coast Paradise SALES • Oceanfront/Riverfront Properties • Homes & Condominiums • Investment Opportunities • Pre-Construction Openings

RENTALS • Short and Long Term Rentals • Nightly, Weekly & Monthly Rates • Vacation Homes & Condos • Ocean & River Front/Area’s Largest Selection

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3509 S. Atlantic Avenue

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Northwest Florida’s Gulf Coast, Florida’s best kept secret, lies along sugar-white sandy shores that greet emerald green water. This tropical stretch of beaches is home to days spent deep-sea fishing, golfing on top-rated courses, shopping, dining on local cuisine and soaking in the sun on the beach or beside a resort pool... and ResortQuest has a place for you close to all the action. With the unexpected spaciousness, amenities and freedom of a fully furnished beach home or condominium... You’ll be comfortable whether your travels include two people or twenty. Call about our long term stays and low winter rates!

877-422-9204 \ WyndhamVacationRentals.com

2009, 2010, 2011 & 2012

It’s Always Florida’s Warmth Covers Much More Than The Weather

By Lindor Reynolds

Emerald Coast CVB

Postcards from Florida inevitably feature Long, Smooth Beaches, groves of perfect orange trees, a grinning cartoon sun, or stretches of pastel-hued hotels. The clichés are true, of course, because Florida is filled with natural attractions and manmade wonders to lure visitors.

Postcard-perfect Florida beach.

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Paddling and wildlife viewing.

But Florida is much more than ever-expanding theme parks and souvenir stands. It has a 500-year history that began when explorer Juan Ponce de Leon arrived on the state’s east coast. In 2013, the state will feature all sorts of attractions and celebrations to mark the anniversary. They’re calling it Viva 500 and it’s the perfect time to explore the state.

Florida’s documented history didn’t begin when Walt Disney decided to build a theme park in Orlando, or when the Weeki Wachee mermaids first flipped their tails in giant tanks. More than 12,000 years ago, the American Indians were the region’s pioneers. Spain claimed Florida in 1513 and their explorers helped develop the area. Add the French and the English to the mix and Florida became (and remains) a multi-cultural mix.

This guide will lead you through Florida’s past and its bright future. There’s something for everyone in the Sunshine State. Want history? Go straight to the splendour of state capital Tallahassee, a lovely southern city on the Forgotten Coast, boasting both a Spanish Mission and the legacy of prohibitionist Luella Knott. The Museum of Florida History is a 21-hectare complex blending nature, wildlife and culture. The 150,000 annual visitors now span all age groups interested in what Florida looked like before they paved the swamps and caused the indigenous people to disappear.

Combine your visit to the capital with a drive to Panama City Beach for a field trip to the Florida mythology of eternal sunshine and good old boys.

It’s a casual and fun spot filled with gorgeous stretches of beach, fresh crab in the restaurants and a laid-back feeling. A civic official says the town motto is “real, real fun beach.” And it is, as are so many spots along the 2,880 kilometres of coastline.

You’ll learn all about those beaches in this guide, from spots where families love to gather, to the amusing Daytona Beach, once the Spring Break capital of America and still a site where cars drive right along the flattened sand. If you want to collect shells, head to Sanibel Island. You’ll soon be doing the “Sanibel stoop” and bending over to gather the sea’s treasures. If you want the see-and-be-seen beach, Miami Beach is the place to be. Destin, Clearwater, and Fort Lauderdale are just a handful of the family-friendly spots.

Canadians love Florida not just for the terrific weather and superlative beaches, but also because of its theme parks. You can start with the majors – Walt Disney World, Universal Studio’s Orlando Resort and SeaWorld – and move on to slightly less

famous but still fantastic parks. Astronaut for a half day, any one? How about the chance to play with lots and lots of Lego at Legoland?

Florida has its big cities, with their attractions and excitements, but there are countless smaller places to visit. Visitors should try to combine two or three destinations. If you’re in Miami, make the drive to funky Key West, stopping for fresh key lime pie at Mangrove Mama’s on Sugarloaf Key along the way. A trip to Tampa could include a visit to the top-ranked beaches in small town Dunedin. If you find yourself in Pensacola or Tallahassee, travel the Emerald Coast and visit Seaside, the picture perfect town featured in Jim Carrey’s movie The Truman Show. Orlando and its thrills should be accompanied by the down home feel of New Smyrna Beach. You can fish, surf or just lay back and enjoy the sun. A trip to northern Florida can incorporate a visit to St. Augustine with its centuries-old buildings that include the mammoth Castillo de San Marcos, a 17thcentury Spanish fortress. If you want it, Florida has it.

Many Canadians come to Florida for the great outdoors. This is the place for fantastic wildlife viewing, paddling, fishing and boating. You’ve got the option of either freshwater or saltwater fishing in Florida. The state bills itself as “the fishing capital of the world” and everyone from trophy hunters to casual anglers will agree. If you prefer to view your wildlife from a car window or on foot, consider the 3,200-kilometre Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail. There are nearly 500 sites throughout the state, a self-guided highway tour promoting conservation education and viewing activities. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission works to sustain millions of acres of rugged land to keep native wildlife in their natural habitat.

Prepare for your trip by perusing this guide. Add in a few books written by Florida authors (Dave Barry, Carl Hiassen and Mark Lane are good places to begin), and pack your sunblock. There truly is something for everyone in the Sunshine State.

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Walt Disney World.

Lee Country VCB

Walt Disney World Resort

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Museum of Florida History.

Key lime pie.

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CULTURE

Dali

Visit Florida

Doing

From Sublime To Intriguing, Discover Florida’s Cultural Treasures

By Donna Carter

Salvador Dali Museum, Inc. St. Petersburg, Florida

With the Sunshine State’s worldwide reputation for theme parks and beaches, first time visitors are often surprised to discover a vibrant arts and culture scene that includes a wealth of top-notch museums, opera, theatre, performing arts, world class symphony and a number of fascinating cultural attractions.

The Salvador Dali Museum, St. Petersburg.

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Remember “The Big Top”

Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum in Key West.

The John and Mabel Ringling Estate, Sarasota.

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Daytona Beach Museum of Arts and Sciences.

Movie Mania

The annual Florida Film Festival, headquartered at Orlando’s Enzian Theatre, is scheduled every spring. The 10-day event has premiered some of the best current, foreign and independent cinema for more than 20 years. The Festival includes more than 160 films, 100 visiting moviemakers, film stars and numerous fun and food events. For movie lovers, this is a must-attend affair. Throughout the year the Enzian also hosts a number of other film events including the Jewish Film Festival, a kids film fest and a South Asian Film Festival.

With at least 300 museums of every size from small to grand, Florida is a museum-lovers nirvana. There’s everything from kids’ museums to outdoor museums, military and history museums, and even one on Amelia Island housed in a former jail. Indeed, the choices are endless. Some have unique attractions such as the Daytona Beach Museum of Arts and Sciences (MOAS) which houses the largest collection of Cuban art outside of Cuba. Much of the collection was donated to the museum by former Cuban President Batista prior to his fall from power in 1957. In addition, for people unaware that mammoth mastodons once roamed the Florida landscape, MOAS provides an awakening with its awesome four-metre tall skeleton of a giant ground sloth. Other museums across the state are dedicated to the history and memorabilia associated, for instance, with water skiing, fishing, police weaponry, the Holocaust, seashells and certainly last but not least the famous Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island, 30 minutes east of Orlando.

A Cultural Experience

The Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum.

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On Stage

Enzian Theatre, Orlando.

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The state’s music and performing arts scene is both well developed and plentiful. It’s safe to say there isn’t a single Florida metropolis that doesn’t have live theatre and musical performances. Daytona Beach’s Peabody Auditorium regularly hosts renowned groups including the London Symphony Orchestra, and in Fort Lauderdale, the Grand Opera Season at the beautiful Broward Center for the Performing Arts presents all-time favourite classics like The Magic Flute, La boheme and La Traviata. In Miami, the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts features everything from film to ballet and various musical performances. From Panama City Beach in the north – where its historic Martin Theatre offers everything from stand up comedy to live theatre and music – south to

St. Augustine is the only Florida community with a real living history museum that incorporates an entire portion of the city. Its Old Town section features cobblestone streets lined with centuries-old buildings where costumed interpreters depict life as it was in the mid-1700s.

A cornerstone of this historic enclave is the mammoth Castillo de San Marcos, a 17thcentury Spanish fortress deemed to be the oldest of its kind in the United States. Featured exhibits here include ancient weaponry and military reenactments in period costume.

A Multitude Of Museums

New & Notable

The 2011 opening of the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg was a huge addition to this popular waterfront city and Florida in general. The museum, of course, is named after the Spanish artist considered the world’s greatest surrealist painter. Dali died in 1989 and today the largest collection of his works outside of Spain is housed in the stunning $36 million, 6,317-square metre facility containing 96 oil paintings, at least 100 watercolours and drawings, and more than 1,000 sculptures, photos and other objets d’art.

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Unique & Charming

Sarasota CVB

One of several attractions on the John and Mabel Ringling Estate at Sarasota is the family-friendly Circus Museum that traces the illustrious history of the famous Ringling family circus.

Museum displays include rare posters and handbills, dazzling costumes, ornate circus wagons, plus an extension of the museum houses the world’s largest miniature circus diorama. Also on the property, the John and Mabel Ringling Museum of Art features an impressive sculpture garden and 21 connecting galleries containing priceless works by masters such as Rubens, El Greco and Gainsborough. Another highlight of the estate is John Ringling’s former Venetian-style mansion, Ca d’Zan (meaning house of John) where narrated tours illustrate the life of the greatest circus impresario who ever lived.

the Florida Keys, the Sunshine State’s performing arts scene rivals the best in the nation.

On the Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation, its Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum is a living history venue where visitors learn about Seminole traditions and culture dating back to the mid-1800s. Located west of Fort Lauderdale in Florida’s heartland, the museum is home to 30,000 artifacts and archival items including 40 life-size figures depicting activities such as hunting, dancing and canoeing.

Surrounded by Everglades flora and fauna, the outdoor part of Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki features a long boardwalk leading to a living history village where Seminole artisans and tribal elders can be observed creating beadwork, basketry, woodcarving, clothing and other traditional art forms. There are also regular reenactments of Seminole rituals and ceremonies.

A much different cultural experience is provided at the Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum in Key West, the largest city in the state’s famous South Florida Keys. Here, people can view the Spanish Colonial-style residence where the celebrated author spent a decade writing some of his greatest novels.

Hemingway was an avid collector of 17th- and 18th-century Spanish furniture and the house still contains many of his original furnishings. w

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BEACHES

Sand-Sational Playground Endless Sunshine & Silky Sand Are Just The Start Of A Florida Vacation

By Donna Carter

Sanibel Island.

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The Lee County CVB

Whoever coined the phrase, “life’s a beach,” had to have been thinking of the Sunshine State. With 2,880 kilometres of coastline dotted with hundreds of awesome beaches, Florida is truly a beach lover’s paradise. Moreover, no two are exactly the same meaning there’s plenty of diversity and choice.

There are options for everybody including high-activity beaches, family favourites, secluded sandy coves, popular shelling beaches, and even a beach on which people can drive cars.

Miami’s famous South Beach has a reputation that extends to the far reaches of the planet. This is Florida’s epicentre of glitz and glamour where its spectacular beachfront is flanked by world-class restaurants, swanky shops and one of the hottest nightclub scenes in the nation. It’s a gathering place for the rich and famous and it’s also a place vacationers come to join in the excitement of one of the most fashionable “in” spots in the U.S., where a spectacular beachfront is the icing on the cake.

Playing The Shell Game

Several Florida beaches offer good shelling, however, the Gulf Coast’s Sanibel Island is renowned for its shell abundance. It’s so popular with shell hunters the name “Sanibel stoop” is used to describe the bent-over posture of people regularly combing the beachfront.

Moreover, Sanibel and its sister island of Captiva are deemed to be among the world’s top shelling locations. Other statewide locations include aptly named Shell Island off northwest Florida’s Panama City Beach, plus Venice Beach south of Sarasota, and Jupiter Island on the mid-Atlantic Coast.

Family Favourites

Snorkelling, kayaking, beach volleyball, and even horseback riding in ocean surf are among the beach activities that make memorable family vacations. The upper Gulf Coast town of Destin is among the multitude of places with a kid-friendly waterfront. This quiet, family-oriented community’s wide, white sand beach is ideal for everything from sandcastle building to swimming in the emerald green waters that lap its shoreline. Indeed, excellent family days can be had at scores of Sunshine State beaches including those at Amelia Island, Siesta Key, St. Petersburg and Clearwater. Other good places to lay down family beach towels are the Atlantic Coast’s Delray Beach, Gulf Coast Naples, Tampa and Fort Lauderdale – to name just a few.

Rare & Unusual

The Daytona Beach area is one of the few places anywhere that people can drive vehicles on beaches – a tradition here that dates back to the early 1900s when

the wide, hard-packed sand stretching south from upper Ormond Beach to Daytona and Ponce Inlet was Florida’s first racetrack. In fact all kinds of land speed records were set here in the early days of beach racing. Even NASCAR races were once held on the beach until Daytona’s now famous Daytona International Speedway was established. Today, the speed limit for leisurely beach driving is 10 mph and is restricted to dedicated driving lanes. There are 13 auto access ramps between Ormond Beach and Ponce Inlet.

Lovely To Look At

In addition to a delightful web of inland canals, Fort Lauderdale has one of the prettiest beachfronts in the state. Its more than 37 kilometres of pale, sugary sand are pure eye candy and the city has gone out of its way to take advantage of this great natural asset. The building of an attractive, 3.2-kilometre-long wave-wall and a signature beachfront promenade

were part of a multi-million-dollar beautification project that resulted in the creation of one of the finest and most impressive waterfronts in all Florida. Flanking the promenade is a host of shops, restaurants, sidewalk cafes and entertainment venues. Of course, the beach remains the star of the show where vacationers indulge in snorkelling, surf fishing, scuba, beach volleyball, windsurfing and jet-skiing.

Unique & Unusual

Blowing Rocks Preserve.

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Visit St Petersburg/ Clearwater

Not all Sunshine State beaches are ribbons of silky sand. Some of Florida’s rocky shores represent an entirely different kind of beachfront.

These are places where swimming may be limited but water-carved sea caves are fun to explore and tidal pools beg for splashing. One of the best-known craggy shorelines is found at the Blowing Rocks Preserve off the midAtlantic Coast on Jupiter Island. Here, at high tide, wave after wave pounds away at sea caves shooting 15-metre-tall geysers into the air. While these impressive water shows are certainly engaging, the limestone shoreline of Blowing Rocks is entertaining in other ways: spotting loggerhead and leatherback sea

turtles, inspecting small fossils, meandering through tunnels of sea grape, snorkelling and scuba diving. Other rocky shorelines are found at the Washington Oaks Gardens State part north of the Palm Beaches, as well as Big Talbot Island State Park east of Jacksonville.

Nature

On the Atlantic Coast south of Melbourne, along a 32-kilometre stretch of beach defined by coastal dunes is the 115-hectare Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge where its protected environment is the most important nesting site for loggerhead sea turtles in the Western Hemisphere. It’s also a minor nesting spot for leatherback turtles, the largest and rarest of all turtles on the planet. Weighing upwards of 544 kilograms each, they are among the more than 15,000 sea turtles that annually arrive at the Archie Carr Refuge to nest and hatch their young. Nesting months occur from April through September and Refuge volunteers provide guided walks for visitors wanting to observe and learn about this phenomenal ritual.

Small Town Charm

Visitors who prefer small town beaches over Florida’s big city waterfronts can vacation in communities like New Smyrna Beach. This laid-back town on the central East Coast that began in the mid-1700s as a seaside plantation has 21 kilometres of pristine, white sand shoreline and a community vibe that is Miami’s pure “down home.” spectacular The small, friendly beachfront. town of Dunedin north of Tampa likewise has a small town atmosphere and a waterfront that’s the doorway to two of Florida’s top-ranked beaches: Caladesi Island and Honeymoon Island.w

Sea turtles arrive to nest.

Daytona Beach.

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Hip, Hot & Glitzy

Fort Lauderdale.

www.sunny.org

Caladesi Island.

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Destin.

A profusion of birds.

Lee County VCB

Florida’s Big

of the world” because of its diversity of species, great weather and year-round fishing. You can fish in fresh or saltwater, and aim for anything from trophy fish to a catch for your dinner. Florida boasts more than 7,700 lakes, 17,000 kilometres of rivers and over 3,600 kilometres of tidal shoreline. Visit Florida claims you’re always within reach of a place to “wet a line.”

The state proudly boasts more International Game Fish Association records are set in Florida than anywhere else in the United States.

Bird Watching

Birders love the 3,200-kilometre Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail. Naples, in southwest Florida, draws Flocks Of Birders With Its Profusions Of Migratory Birds and a number of very rare species. The state is a perfect combination of protected wetlands, subtropical climate and a deep commitment to wildlife preservation. South Florida’s massive Everglades National Park is a paradise for birders and wildlife observers of all descriptions.

Also note that if you’re cruising out of Cape Canaveral, it’s worthwhile to take an extra couple of days and explore two of the area parks that are noted on the Great Florida Birding Trail.

5

When adventurers go on safari to Africa, they hope to see the Big 5 – lion, African elephant, Cape buffalo, leopard and rhinoceros. Florida has its own Big 5 list: Alligators: There are about one million alligators in Florida. They live in freshwater environments, like swamps, marshes and rivers. Visitors are most likely to see one in an alligator farm or park.

Florida panthers: A sighting is rare because there are only about 100 panthers left in the Florida population. If you’re very lucky, you might catch a glimpse in the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge, Big Cypress National Preserve, or Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park.

Manatee: An aquatic relative of the elephant, manatees are found in the warm waters of shallow rivers, bays and coastal waters.

They like to play, body surfing or barrel roll in the water. People either find them exquisitely ugly or oddly appealing.

Turtles: 90 per cent of all U.S. loggerhead nesting takes place in Florida between April and September. It’s a thrill to (carefully and respectfully) observe a nesting site.

Dolphins: Discovery Cove Orlando offers the Visit Florida chance for a one-on-one dolphin encounter where you learn about dolphin behaviour, wade into the dolphin lagoon and actually “ride” a dolphin.

Miami’s Seaquarium also offers a swim-along Dolphin Encounter.

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Hiking

With its terrific climate, reliable sunshine and gorgeous natural surroundings, Florida Is A Mecca For Hikers. There is more botanical diversity here than in any other state of the American east coast and thousands of kilometres of hiking trails. Start in the tropical climate of the southern Keys and work your way up to the pine forests of the Panhandle. You can take short self-guided trips, plan overnight excursions or follow segments of the well-kept National Scenic Trail.

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Kayaking & Canoeing

Florida has A Number Of State-Designated Paddle Ways and a favourite is the Wakulla River, a 16-kilometre spring-fed river 30 minutes south of Tallahassee. You might see osprey, turtles and even manatee. The famed Suwanee River starts in Georgia and meanders some 331 kilometres before reaching the Gulf of Mexico.

It’s easy to access, lined with cypress, pines and palmettos and offers great places to camp.

The Florida Sea Islands Trail offers four rivers and their salt marshes. It’s a great northeast location for coastal saltwater paddling. Local outfitters can give you advice and match the skill of your party with the waterway.

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THEME PARKS

SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment

SeaWorld Orlando.

You’ll Be

Amazed

Busch Gardens.

Dinosaurs & Dolphins, Lions & Mice – Florida Theme Parks Have It All

By Lindor Reynolds

Let’s face it: The Mouse dominates the Florida amusement park scene.

Walt Disney World is synonymous with Orlando to many visitors and for good reason. It’s the world’s most-visited entertainment resort, drawing millions of visitors annually. But Walt Disney World isn’t the state’s only amusement park. Travel a little further afield and you can commune with dolphins, dinosaurs and even visit a theme park version of the Holy Land.

It’s Still Magic

SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment

Let’s start with the main attraction: Walt Disney World is made up of four theme parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom), two water parks; and Downtown Disney, a dining, shopping and entertainment Mecca. Add in accommodations that range from a campground to luxury villas and you’ve got every budget, age group and interest covered.

It’s possible to hit the Walt Disney World highlights in three days if you plan carefully and are prepared to skip some of the classic attractions.

Still, it would be tough to miss Space Mountain and Splash Mountain, even if it gives you extra time for the thrills of the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror or the magnificent Expedition Everest. Older attractions are well-maintained and there’s always something new and

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Kennedy Space Center

Chip Litherland Photography

Weeki Wachee Springs State Park.

Legoland.

Walt Disney World Resort.

fabulous opening. The Magic Kingdom is probably the park most people think of first, home to Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, Tomorrowland, and the recently expanded and revamped Fantasyland. There’s pixie dust in the air.

Stay for at least one parade, watch the fireworks and gape at the castle. In-the-know visitors search for the hidden Mickeys subtly placed around the parks and hotels. disneyworld.disney.go.com

Universal Appeal

Once you’re in the Orlando area, a trip to Universal Studio’s Orlando Resort is a must.

The park is made up of Universal’s Islands of Adventure (where you’ll find the Wizarding World of Harry Potter), Wet ‘N Wild water park, and Universal Studio for thrill rides like Men In Black Alien Attack and Transformers: The Ride – 3D opening this summer. The Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit roller coaster takes riders straight up 17 storeys and plunges them back down again. The backstage movie peeks are fun, and the rides are unparallel in their sophistication and technical wizardry. A bonus in hot summer months is the movie theatres, featuring new films and lovely air-conditioning. If you’re a movie buff, you’ll love wandering around the back lot sets. Plan for at least two days of fun. universalorlando.com

Under The Sea

SeaWorld is another classic Orlandoarea attraction. You’ll see sea lions up close, watch dolphins at play and maybe work up the nerve to caress a stingray.

Insiders book the behind the scenes tour, a 90-minute educational experience.

SeaWorld also has thrill rides (Journey To Atlantis is a favourite). Expect to get wet (often, very wet) at some point. Pack a rain poncho and a waterproof camera. seaworldparks.com

Flickr/Daniel Oines

© 2013 Universal Orlando Resort

Walt Disney World Resort/David Roark

Kennedy Space Center.

Universal Orlando Resort.

Marineland Dolphin Adventure, located near St. Augustine, offers guests the chance to swim with dolphins in its 4.9 million-litre tanks. If you’re not up for the swim, you can observe the dolphins through windows. You can also touch and feed the dolphins. marineland.net

rhinos and other animals. The park is divided into sections designed to resemble famous wildlife preserves. You can drive through the Florida equivalent of Ruaha National Park, the southwest African plateau of Kalahari Bushveldt and Mozambique’s Gorongosa wildlife area. lioncountrysafari.com

To Infinity & Beyond

Out Of The Ordinary

Kennedy Space Centre is not really an amusement park, but it is endlessly entertaining to anyone with a fascination for space exploration. The centre, a short drive from Orlando, offers live theatre, interactive experiences and multimedia presentations to teach visitors about worlds beyond our own. Book well in advance for the half-day Astronaut Training Experience (ATX) or the very cool Lunch With An Astronaut. kennedyspacecenter.com

Blocks Of Fun

LEGOLAND, a 45-minute drive from the Orlando theme parks, is a 60-hectare theme park designed for families with kids aged 4 to 12. There are more than 50 rides, shows, attractions and a LEGOLAND water park.

Visitors can build their own LEGO raft and float on it down a lazy river. Little ones can drive LEGO cars and boats. Guess what they sell in the gift shop? legoland.com

Out Of Africa

Busch Gardens is the preeminent Tampa area attraction. It’s an African animal-based theme park with a thrilling sky ride over the grounds and the popular Serengeti Railway taking visitors around the exotic animal-filled plain. There are traditional adrenaline-pumping rides, like the log flume Stanley Falls screamer, and the up close (but behind thick glass) Edge of Africa animal viewing. buschgardens.com Lion Club Safari (in West Palm Beach) calls itself a cageless zoo. Visitors drive through the theme park to see giraffe, antelopes, bison,

Silver Springs theme park (and Wild Waters Water Park) is east of Ocala, a 90-minute drive from Orlando. Visitors can take a glass bottom boat ride over dozens of species of fish, alligators, clams, ands crawfish.

The Lighthouse Ride offers a birds’ eye view over Silver Springs and a playground recreates a 1800s riverboat. The “reptiles of the world” show introduces visitors to crocodiles, alligators, turtles and other coldblooded creatures. silversprings.com Another slightly offbeat attraction is Weeki Wachee Springs State Park (45 minutes north of Tampa, two hours west of Orlando), best known for its live mermaid shows.

Women dressed in fins perform underwater in an aquarium-like setting. The park includes a Buccaneer Bay water park, animal shows and boat rides. This is Florida mythology at its best, an attraction that should be past its prime but still reeling them in. weekiwachee.com Dinosaur World (Plant City, about an hour from Orlando) offers 150 life-size dinosaurs in its outdoor theme park. The animatronics dinosaurs are the main draw, but visitors can also see fossils in the indoor museum, including dinosaur eggs and raptor claws. The fossil dig lets you search for your own relics. dinosaurworld.com The Holy Land Experience near the major Orlando theme parks, bills itself as “a living, biblical museum that takes you 7,000 miles away and 2,000 years back in time.” It may be the only theme park selling healing anointing oil in its gift shop. holylandexperience.com w

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The Lee Country CVB

SOUTH FLORIDA

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Southern Arts

From Swamp Buggies To Art Villages, Discover Southern Florida’s Many, Many Attractions

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By Graham Templeton

Think South Florida and you think Miami, of course. Red-hot nightlife, world-class performing arts, superb shopping – the city is hot, hot, hot.

But there is much more to discover. Like the Fort Myers Film Festival, or Bradenton’s Village of the Arts. How about Naples Swamp Buggy Parade or the Gay Key West Trolley Tour? Cruisers know all about the charms of Fort Lauderdale, anglers in the know talk about Port Charlotte and old time visitors know all about the special sunsets in the Keys. Check it out.

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Fort Myers is home to an impressive arts scene.

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SOUTH FLORIDA

Fort Myers’ slogan is “Do tomorrow what you can’t fit in today,” and they have clearly taken the theme to heart. From leisurely canoe rides down Sanibel’s many gentle rivers to a visit to the Norman Love Chocolate Salon, this is a place to slow down and unwind.

In particular Fort Myers is renowned for its impressive arts and culture scene, with several large-scale arts exhibitions bringing entrants and enthusiasts from all over the country. Its live music venues attract big-name stars but also middleweight performers with unique and experimental sensibilities. While some other areas of Florida focus on squeezing every instant of excitement from the day, Fort Myers offers a selection of more tranquil options.

The Fort Myers Film Festival is a growing attraction now in its third year of operation that is attracting progressively larger and more sophisticated crowds each year and is quickly becoming one of the South’s most sought-after venues for filmmakers of all levels. Those attracted to Sanibel by the festival find no shortage of other pastimes, however; in particular be sure to check out Theatre Conspiracy, a renowned theatre troupe that stages plays both modern and classic. From top to bottom, Fort MyersSanibel is a destination for anyone with a yearning to inject some culture into their travelling experience.

For more information visit www.FortMyers-Sanibel.com.

Bradenton

With only a bit of coastline and a relatively large population, most people expect Bradenton to be a business centre or a residential hub – and it is both of these

things. With a population greater than the city of Tampa, it has created for itself a cultural legacy and reputation as distinct as anywhere else in Florida.

Most notably, the village of the arts stands out as florida’s largest art colony and the centre of the arts community in Bradenton county. With more than 200 of its specially zoned homes, which also double as designated studio space, the Village of the Arts is a stimulating stop for arts-loving travellers. The artist in residence system has been taken to an extreme, with literally hundreds of artists and their families closely cohabitating in an open and artistically expressive way. Shows, shops and street performances are just the beginning of what you’ll find lining the streets of Bradenton’s Village of the Arts.

Some of the houses in this area are over 100 years old, and many of the city’s best examples of architecture can be found within its borders.

Bradenton is bordered by the Manatee River, which has influenced much of the city’s development. With abundant riverfront property, the estuary has inspired such cultural features as the Manatee Players, a national award-winning theatrical group.

With stagings of everything from Legally Blonde to A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum, the Players have a reputation for delivering high-quality productions that delight the whole family.

And at just US $26 for a front-row ticket, it’s an easy choice for a fun and affordable night out in Florida.

That’s just the beginning of Bradenton’s thriving arts scene, however. In fact, there are so many small venues and easily overlooked gems that the city has started a series of guided art walks. With various

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Florida’s largest art colony, Bradenton.

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Kids Stuff The varied and accessible attractions in South Florida are perfect for bringing the kids along. Just saying “animal park” doesn’t do justice to attractions like the Everglades Alligator Farm, which hosts alligator wrestling shows and even a baby alligator petting area. Likewise, the term “kids water park” is likely to conjure images of toddlers in armballoons, while the reality of Palm Beach’s Rapids Water Park runs from the kid-friendly lazy river to the epic Big Thunder slide. The Miami Seaquarium has its own performing Killer Whale named Lolita. themes focusing on areas of the city or types of art, these walks give locals and visitors alike a look at one of the most renowned and productive arts scenes in the state.

Bookending the clusters of independent arts experiences are the larger museums and galleries, of which Bradenton as many.

For more information visit www.bradentongulfislands.com.

Naples

Head to Naples at just about any time of the year, and you’ll run into either the lead-up to or wind-down from the famous Swamp Buggy Races. Held three times annually, these classic battles take a traditional Florida mode of transport and soup them up. In the period before airboats, swamp buggies were the only way to navigate the thousands of miles of untamed swampland, torqued-up beasts with the power to push off against muddy swamp bottom and through thick bog water. Today the design has progressed to make the buggies into oddball technological marvels with oversized tires and over-powered engines. For about US $20 admission each January, March and November, you can attend this wonderful show of competition and progress.

All the advanced engineering hasn’t diminished their cultural significance, however. There’s even a Swamp Buggy Parade, with a Swamp Buggy Queen and vintage models dating back to when the vehicles were called Dirt Dobbers and TumbleBugs. The Swamp Buggy Races at Florida Sports Park still attract enormous crowds. The grounds feature authentic Floridian cuisine like banana fritters, guava pie and, of course, a good spicy jambalaya.

Shopping ‘til you drop in world-class Miami.

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Escape. Naturally.

Just listen to the quiet voices of nature as you stroll along beautiful beaches, paddle miles of Blueway Trails and coastal waterways, cast a line into the bay, or sail into a sunset.

Charlotte Harbor, Punta Gorda and the Gulf Islands – get here fast, then take it slow.

For your free visitor’s guide, visit www.CharlotteHarborTravel.com or call 1-800-652-6090.

Days Inn Port Charlotte Highest Rated Days Inn featuring 37” TVs. Centrally located in a park-like setting under century old oak trees.

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Fort Lauderdale’s downtown core. And for and venues, like Lighthouse those who have a taste for boat watching, Court, becoming “all welcome” there’s also the Pelican Landing, one of establishments – meaning that they are open to heterosexuals as Fort Lauderdale’s “best kept secrets” and a place from which to watch the yachts, well. While this is good news for cruise ships and cargo vehicles move straight travellers looking for new throughout day. venues, Key West remains one of Fort Lauderdale also has a unique twist America’s premiere destinations on fine dining in the form of the Galleria Mall for LGBT culture. Gay travellers, dining area, which combines the selection along with for anyone looking to of a food court with the quality of a dining immerse themselves in an active, quarter. The Blue Martini, Piazza di Giorgio effervescent city culture, should Market, The Eatery and specialties like head to Key West Godiva Chocolates are just a few of the From the bluntly named major attractions in this old-meets-new Gay Key West Trolley Tour to culinary attraction. the even-more-bluntly named For more information visit Gay Spring Break, Key West is www.sunny.org. overflowing with events geared at, or run by, the local LGBT Miami community. Key West’s summer Miami’s multicultural landscape is the Pride parade is one of the largest backdrop for an equally varied shopping and most elaborate in North America. Make experience. The Bayside Mall lures many sure to visit the Gay Key West Visitors a traveller south of the adventure parks, Center, which will furnish travellers with offering a mall-like shopping experience maps and guides to the city focusing on the without the interior design; the Bayside needs of LGBT travellers.

Mall isResort an open-air shopping destination File name:tothe Atlantic With whole streets dedicated gay bars with over 150 shops, restaurants and and other LGBT businesses, Key West lounges from The Disney Store to the Hard has to make a special effort to present a Rock Café. welcoming face to straight or uninterested Bayside isn’t the only mall that can travellers. Now, more and more city features make use of Miami’s naturally gorgeous are encouraging “allies” to join in the fun by making Key West their next destination.

An initiative to make the city less exclusive has already resulted in a number of events and straight-only drink specials. Key West has restyled itself as the fun, flamboyant South Florida has a varied stock of destination for everybody. solutions for those itching to get out For more information visit on the links. Jacaranda golf club near www.GayKeyWestFl.com.

Fort Lauderdale is one particularly high-quality and affordable option, an Fort Lauderdale open 36-hole property that is divided Whether they know it as “Fork” Lauderdale or Lauderlicious dining, most travelling into a West half for long drives and an foodies know that Southern Florida is East for working on the short game. a necessary food stop in the city of fort Together, these two courses were lauderdale. with over 500 eateries ranging named Club of the Year by the South from trendy independent cafés to luxurious Florida PGA. local steakhouses, Fort Lauderdale is one The Key West Golf Club brings of the premiere culinary destinations in the the city’s typical charm to the greens, Eastern United States. featuring meticulously designed “America’s Best” hamburger, as voted courses studded with all variety of

by GQ Magazine, resides exclusively in local plant life. Recently renovated and Fort Lauderdale at the LeTub Saloon. The redesigned by designer Rees Jones, secret? Fresh everything.

Maintaining the reputation for quality this beautiful course is also a premiere is the renowned steakhouse Council Oak golf destination in its own right, with and luxury restaurant Da Campo Osteria, challenging fairways and a variety of both of which have garnered praise for tough putting greens. being both authentically Floridian and highly Naples also has a long history approachable. with golf, apparently beginning its The Blue Moon Fish Company combines notoriety among fans of the sport this with an unbeatable view of the canals, when a single-engine airplane began most famously on its water-level candlelit using local fairways as landing dining patio. If that’s not enough, try their strips. Such eagerness to get on the “dock and dine” experience from the deck of a small water taxi or private craft. Enjoy course is understandable given what a romantic dinner as gondolas and ferries Naples has to offer. slide past the dancing nighttime skyline of

Canalside dining in Fort Lauderdale.

Combined with one of several local food festivals, like the Stone Crab Festival, Naples is a great place to get a taste of authentic Floridian culture.

If just watching the buggies isn't enough, there are swamp buggy tours of the bayous, a high-powered look around Florida’s famous flooded fields.

For more information visit www.paradisecoast.com.

The Florida Keys/Key West The famously gay-friendly municipality of Key West has gone straight in recent years, at least partially, with an increasing number of previously exclusive clubs

The Atlantic Hotel & Spa The premier Luxury Boutique hotel on Fort Lauderdale Beach. 124 oversized guest rooms, all with balconies and kitchenettes. Stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean. 10,000 sq. ft. full service spa and salon. 5th floor heated outdoor pool with ocean view café. 24 hour complimentary fitness center. East End Brasserie Restaurant & Lounge. 24 hour room service. AAA Four Diamond Award. Only 6 miles to airport & 2 miles to cruise port.

For more information:954-567-8020 / www.Atlantichotelfl.com

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SOUTH FLORIDA

Bob Krist/Florida Keys News Bureau

500th Anniversary

Another spectacular Key West sunset.

scenery, however; The Falls takes the concept of an outdoor mall even further.

The central outdoor area features an enormous artificial waterfall, along with several other distractions for spouses and children alike and allow some real shopping to get done.

Closer to the east coast lies the Mall of the Americas focusing less on Western luxury items than Cuban and Mexican stores and restaurants. The food and retail

options at the Mall of the Americas are noted for being unique, and attract visitors from close by and around the world.

One increasingly popular shopping destination is miami’s design district.

This neighbourhood, which promotes itself as “dedicated to innovative fashion, design, architecture and dining experiences” has recently expanded its retail operation to let shoppers buy some of what the district creates.

Miami is of course world famous for what’s possible once the shops close up; the nightlife, particularly along Miami Beach, is not to be missed.

Celebrity locations like Mynt Lounge provide the area’s famous star-power, but it’s the raucous all-night clubs that attract the most people. Favourites like Cameo and Mansion are great events, but the beauty of Miami Beach nightlife is the quality of the more humble experiences.

Even smaller clubs are generally packed with enthusiastic travellers who have come solely to have a good time in Miami Beach.

For more information visit www.miamiandthe beaches.com

Port Charlotte The Port Charlotte area has a few claims to fame, but probably the most eccentric is its status as the Shark Tooth

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For the 500th anniversary of Florida’s first exploration by Europeans, as well as the introduction of its name by the crew of Ponce de Leon, South Florida will be celebrating along with the rest of the state. Tall ships will sail from Cuba to Miami, paying tribute to the Spanish explorers and providing a historical spectacle for onlookers at the shore. Several other historical events are planning, with heritage trips recreating some of the trials of early North American explorers.

South Florida will also give a long and wide-spread salute to the North American tribes were displaced in the years following the initial arrival of Europeans. Cultural and other events will help to remember the society that existed in the state all those centuries ago. For travellers, there’s no better time to head to Florida to soak up not just its modern culture, but its history as well.

Capital Of The World. Walk the beaches of Charlotte County and keep your eyes peeled for dark specks in the sand – they could be shark teeth! Their tourism guide says you are “guaranteed” to find a shark’s tooth, and almost certainly several.

Once you’re done collecting teeth, head over to the Fisherman’s Village near Charlotte Harbour to use some teeth of your own, and bite into local seafood.

The village also features maritime shops and more conventional retail, but the real wonder is a regular live entertainment performed from the tip of the pier.

Of course, commercial fishing is also a major attraction in such an historic fishtown, and several fishing events draw enthusiasts from around the region, every year. A great place to catch grouper, tarpon, redfish and snook, the Charlotte Habor is Florida’s second-largest open water estuary. As a result, it’s known as a gold mine for fishermen with both abundant fish stocks and open enough regulations to allow just about every angler ample time to cast a line.

Keeping with the theme of fish, the MLB Tampa Bay Rays (despite their home city being to the north) train and practice in the Port Charlotte area, at the newly renovated Charlotte Sports Park. The Rays attract baseball fans from around the world, as do the major league feeder team the Charlotte Stone Crabs.

For more information visit www.charlotteharbourtravel.com

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Central Florida Is THE Place For Hot & Cool Adventures

By Graham Templeton

Sure there are beaches in Central Florida. Lots of them, with miles of white sand and perfect blue waters. But there are also theme parks galore with rides that will get your heart pumping and artistic endeavours that will touch your soul. There is fine dining, cosmic adventure and off-road drama.

Read on.

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St Petersburg/Clearwater

Known to residents as “St. Pete”, St. Petersburg is such a powerful destination in Florida that it houses its county’s official offices – despite the fact that the actual county seat is the neighbouring town of Clearwater.

St. Pete has such clout in part because it’s been so successful in attracting business and tourism, with more than its fair share of beach and luxury real estate. Much is also due to the vibrant art scene, though, which earned the city top spot in American Style’s list of the best mid-sized cities in America.

Painters, glass blowers, movie directors and most other artists will find refuge in the two newly expanded arts hubs: the Morean Arts Center and the Museum of Fine Arts.

The Florida Craftsmen Gallery is also in St. Petersburg, where travellers can wonder at the quality and precision possible using just bare human hands. The first Friday of every month is an official event that features free live jazz throughout the downtown area.

When you’re done, head to neighbouring Clearwater for dinner at the Brown Boxer, a pub known for its live music and dogs-welcome policy. Its namesake, Hoot the Dog, still visits from time to time. File name: Knights Or, if you’re in the mood for something a little quieter, try The Moon Under Water, a renowned pub that emphasizes atmosphere and topquality cuisine. Featuring a large, gardened patio and impressive heritage architecture, The Moon Under Water is perfect for couples looking for a romantic site or anyone searching for one of the best pub experiences in St. Petersburg.

For more information, visit www.visitstpeteclearwater.com.

to stay the night in one of the three rustic cabins available for rent.

Not every outdoor activity in Tampa has to do with wildlife, however, and one good way to see the human world, as well as Florida’s beautiful landscape, is with a hot air balloon ride.

North Tampa has several balloon tour operators, including American Balloon Rides.

For more information, visit www.visittampabay.com.

Orlando Orlando has its nickname, “The City Beautiful”, on its official seal. That’s really saying something, but some large proportion of those who visit the city never end up seeing all that much of it. They spend their entire vacations in the city’s world-leading theme parks like Walt Disney World and Universal Studios.

One little-known fact about Orlando is that it is one of the more bustling shopping hubs in Florida. Its shopping district (basically the

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Tampa

Make reference to ‘Tampa’, and most people think of surfers and beach resorts. The sundrenched city has become a frontman for Florida’s sunny reputation. However, while Tampa may naturally lend itself to sunbathing, there’s a whole industry dedicated to getting you beyond the beach.

Canoe Escape is a popular option for those looking to do some ‘eco-travel’, as it lets you set out into the vast area of preserved wilderness surrounding the Hillsborough River. Monster gators, along with snakes, turtles, otters and birds of prey, are common sightings on most river trips. The choice of a two, four- or six-hour trip lets you decide just how into the experience you really want to be.

The world-famous Florida Aquarium is also the launching point for daily Wild Dolphin Ecotours, which cruise through Tampa Bay with its host of resident bottlenose dolphins. The tour is also the best way to find and view the Bay’s endangered manatee population.

Big Cat Rescue is another no-brainer for wildlife fans, home to more than 150 exotic cats from lynx to lions. Real feline fanatics will want

Canadian Traveller 60

Inn

500th Anniversary The first European settlement in the modern United States was in Florida.

Specifically, Spanish explorers first made ground and named the place La Florida in 1513, more than 200 years before the formation of the union. With 2013 just around the corner, Central Florida is planning to take the anniversary very seriously.

Expedition Florida 500 retraces the route of the pioneer Spaniard Juan Ponce de León, whose first steps on North America laid the foundation for the travels of some of America’s most influential explorers. As you move along the trail you may witness the firing of Spanish cannons in Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park, or you might help to bury one of the hundreds of time capsules distributed by the Florida government to commemorate the event. In fact, Florida has set up a number of heritage trails to tell the many stories of early east-coast settlement. There is a heritage trail focusing on the experiences of the Native American, Spanish, French, Black, Jewish and Cuban communities. These trails originate all over the state, but are centralized along the coast near Tampa, with a few running further inland, nearer to Kissimmee and Polk County.

CENTR AL FLORIDA

whole downtown area) features dozens of local stores alongside major outlets from department stores like Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdales.

The real shopping destination, however, is Winter Park. A small, centrally planned suburb of Orlando, Winter Park features a single main street lined with everything from civic buildings to country clubs. And peppered between these buildings? Stores galore. This is the up-scale shopping district, reflecting the posh lifestyle of the magnates who founded Winter Park as a resort town before slowly turning it into a cultural centre.

Best of all, Orlando has a number of deals specifically for Canadians. Proof of Canadian citizenship is required, but your passport will earn you up to 15 per cent off at businesses from Boggy Creek Airboat Rides to Arnold Palmer’s Bayhill Club & Lodge. Even adventure tours such as Bob’s Balloon Flights offer major discounts – and Bob’s includes a free video and glass of champagne!

Speaking of champagne, Canadian shoppers in Orlando will earn a complimentary champagne makeover at Neiman Marcus, and complimentary

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Airboat rides, a quintessentially Floridian activity.

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coupon books at a number of commercial and outlet malls. Orlando Premium Outlets is one of the biggest and most diverse outlet malls in Florida, and now there’s two of them in the Orlando area! Both offer the same discounts for Canadians, and between them they cover just about every mainstream shopping need a Canadian traveller might have.

Not everyone is looking for major names, or even the most modern styles, and for those shoppers Orlando has an assortment of smaller and more unique shops. The Etoile Boutique specializes

in hand-made fashion, home décor and accessories. You’ll never find anything quite like it again, a theme you’ll find common to many shops in Orlando’s up-and-coming Milk District. Peppered with shops, food carts, and independent cafés, the Milk district is sure to satisfy any shopper looking outside the malls and outlets.

Meanwhile, the downtown area is home to numerous other shopping attractions, including the posh Zou Zou Boutique, while delivers high fashion in a luxury setting.

Check out all the Canadian discounts at www.visitorlando.com/en-ca.

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CENTR AL FLORIDA ORLANDO, FL

Kissimmee

DISCOVER PLAYTIME EXPLORE RELAXATION

Just a quick drive south of Orlando is Kissimmee, a mid-sized city that has styled itself as the ultimate launching point for any Florida vacation. With a central location and a focus on transit and general accessibility, Kissimmee is an attractive option for just about any kind of trip. The city shares Orlando’s Canada-specific deals, and is a great place from which to stage a park-hopping vacation or an outdoor adventure through mainland Florida’s underappreciated wilderness. After all, not every inch of Florida is coastal, and Kissimmee is a great place to explore some of the state’s inland wonders.

The Disney Wilderness Preserve is one popular hiking destination, and houses hundreds of threatened species, from birds to fish to large mammals. The nature trail

can be hiked on foot or a park employee can drive a tour in an off road buggy. Either way, the park offers an up-close look at some of the North America’s rarest and most elusive species.

Not all hiking is about wildlife spotting, however, and another solution for outdoorsy travellers is the emerging pastime of geocaching. The Kissimmee area has hundreds of these treasures, these hidden rewards in a globally distributed game of hide and seek.

Online maps show the location of bundles left in hard-to-reach areas, the endpoints of hiking trails, or truly off the beaten path. Different caches offer different levels of difficulty, and Kissimmee has made sure there are ample prizes for everyone.

For a less strenuous afternoon, try a Boggy Creek Airboat ride. This quintessentially Floridian

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activity lets you cruise peacefully by flocks of watering birds, or crocodiles lazing in the sun.

Kissimmee also has the largest balloon ride operator in the United States, Orlando Balloon Rides, with the largest fleet of balloons. One featured package sees passengers take flight for a three-to-four-hour sunrise adventure featuring

Champagne and a full breakfast upon landing.

And, kids fly free.

Don’t let the adventure stop once the sun goes down, though; for dinner, you can head over to Medieval Times to watch a jousting competition with a period-accurate dinner of pheasant and roast potato. Just the other

Astronaut Training Experience, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

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side of Kissimmee, travellers find a similar dinner experience in the Arabian Nights Dinner Attraction, which features a full-scale production of the Arabian Nights play. One amazing feature of this performance is the use of live animals – more than 60 horses of 14 different breeds use the world’s largest

permanent equestrian arena. They share the stage with acrobats, actors, daredevils and the storytellers who move your traditional meal along.

If, however, you prefer a dinner experience that draws from more recent history, there’s always Capone’s Dinner and Show, which

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recreates an authentic prohibition era speakeasy cabaret. Live music and dance, as well as whole-room sing-alongs are just the beginning, and a fitting end to a day of adventure in Kissimmee.

For more information, visit www.visitkissimmee.com.

Polk County

Polk County is a central Florida region that is close enough to the major attractions to serve as a launching point for most Florida vacations, but far enough away that it has cultivated tourism attractions all its own.

There is a thriving collection of museums, particularly with regard to aviation. The Florida Air Museum hosts more than 50 vintage, sport and military aircraft, and is home to the Howard Hughes Aviation collection and the Florida Aviation History wall. For about US $10, aviation enthusiasts can see the museum’s whole array of planes including Second World War fighter planes. One major attraction has been the experimental Lockheed XFV-1 “Vertical Riser,” a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft that has come to dominate the museum’s plaza.

Near the Air Museum is the Fantasy of Flight, a far-reaching project to showcase both the reality and history of aviation. Multiple simulators put you in the cockpit an array of classic planes while real aircraft provide shows each and every day – the Fantasy of Flight is the only attraction in the world to offer daily flight displays. With one of the world’s largest collections of vintage aircraft, including gems like a P-51C Mustang used by the Tuskegee Airmen, and a B-26 Marauder.

Not all of Polk County’s museums are focused on aviation, however. The Polk Museum of Art offers a wide variety of exhibitions, on everything from classical paintings to vintage celebrity portraits, to ancient pottery. Their February exhibition of Florida artists promises to bring together some of the region’s most culturally significant pieces, of both Spanish and Native American origin.

For more information, visit www.visitcentralflorida.org.

Space Coast

Florida’s Space Coast is the destination for anyone interested in space, engineering, or the great achievements of mankind. With both the John F. Kennedy Space Center and the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station within its coastal borders, Space Coast has been the launching point for the majority of all human work off our planet’s surface.

In 2011, the Kennedy Space Center ended its run as the first and only pad from which NASA launched its shuttle missions. In fact, it has been used for every manned space flight in NASA’s history. While NASA has not ruled out a return of the shuttle program, or some other similar manned program, for now the

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legendary space centre functions mostly as a managerial hub and an explosive destination for inquisitive travellers. Want to get up close and personal with the struts that helped land the first humans on the moon? Or see the control room that has guided satellites to all eight planets?

Kennedy Space Center is your destination.

Guided tours take travellers right into the control rooms where America’s greatest scientific achievements and defeats were written. More than that, many of the labs, workshops, and factory floors are open, where you can watch real equipment being manufactured, and real history being made.

Once you’re done looking through the space centre, head over to the US Space Walk of Fame, an historic tribute to the scientists and astronauts who worked on missions such as NASA’s Gemini and Mercury projects. The Walk is also one of the most popular viewing areas for new launches, featuring wide green patches, a riverwalk and a clear view all the way to Cape Canaveral. The Space Walk of Fame Museum has a world-leading collection of NASA memorabilia, featuring large

scale models of the Apollo landers, actual space-suits taken into space, and even moon rocks retrieved by NASA astronauts.

Not all machines with wings fly all the way into space, however, and aeronautics enthusiasts shouldn’t miss the Valiant Air Command’s Warbird Museum and Tico Airshow. This tribute to the aviation industry’s last 50 years, with several preserved aircraft from the Vietnam War and the Second World War, capitalizes on the interest generated by NASA’s nearby launch pad. Regular Fly-In Breakfasts give a chance for local aircraft enthusiasts to meet one another over a plate of steaming hotcakes. The Tico airshow is just the icing on the cake, but with everything from modern fighter formations to an appearance from the last flying B-29 bomber, it is delicious icing, indeed.

For more information, visit www.visitspacecoast.com.

Daytona Beach Daytona Beach is a year-round family friendly resort town. It is built largely around the tourism industry, and not just thanks to the more than 200,000

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NASCAR fans who flood the city every year for the Daytona 500. Daytona Beach has a thriving economy bringing the thriving motorsports tourism industry to an even wider audience, and making even the most intimidating machinery fun and inviting for the whole family.

First and foremost, of course, there are the races. Daytona is host to dozens of major regional, national and international motorsports races, from the mighty Daytona 500 to the 24 Hours of Daytona endurance race, to the Bike Week event for two-wheeled riders. Across the board, these events offer family friendly activities, from caricatures and temporary tattoos to clothing stalls and driving equipment. Small rides and fairs also dot the beachfront landscape, enticing passers-by with cotton candy and the promise of huge stuffed mammals.

Professional racers aren’t the only ones who can have fun on the track, however. Several speedways, including Speed Park Motorsports, allow adventurous travellers to take owned and even rented vehicles out on professionallevel tracks. Many of the speedways are used by real motorsports events, and for a true NASCAR fan nothing can compare to racing the same tracks as the greats.

Alternatively, the Richard Petty Driving Experience lets travellers actually get on the tarmac at the great track, the Daytona International Speedway. For just US $135, you can ride shotgun in a real NASCAR vehicle while it whips around one of the world’s most famous tracks and professional speeds. For a greater fee, you can actually take the wheel yourself for eight, 16 or 24 laps. Students receive safety and basic driving training, as well as tips from professional drivers with years of experience on the track. At the end, there’s even a certificate and a breakdown of your performance on every lap.

Once you’re done living the NASCAR experience, though, there are still tours of the Daytona International Speedway, one of the United States’ most important locations in racing. After viewing the track itself, head to the attached Daytona 500 Museum to see the race’s long and storied history. The museum features gloves and helmets from famous drivers, photo-essays about racing’s greatest moments, even whole-car cross sections that lay bare the vehicle’s innards.

Nearby is the Living Legends Auto Racing Museum, which is less focused on the Daytona 500 than on racing history in general. With a wide variety of vintage racing vehicles from all over the world, the Living Legends museum offers a distinctly different experience,

Golf Courses Whether golf is a midday time-filler or an all-consuming passion, Central Florida has the answer. On one extreme are the casual courses like Eaglewood Golf Club and Boggy Creek golf, with walk-in schedules and quick, nine-hole courses. On the other side, there are reservation-only courses like Marriott’s Grande Pines Golf Club, which cater to the true golf fanatic.

Central Florida has an array of golf resorts, which go so far as to integrate golf into the vacation experience. When the greens are just a quick stroll from the hotel’s front door, you find yourself spend significantly more time on the links. And if all that practice isn’t enough to keep the score down, Florida boasts some of the world’s premiere golf tutors and schools, including the famous Ben Sutton Golf School, which has been running since 1968.

with boxcar racers and memorabilia from the birth of automotive racing as we know it today. It’s just another facet of motorsports covered in Daytona, making it one of the world’s premiere auto-racing destinations.

Visit www.daytonabeach.com/for more information.

New Smyrna Set amid bustling tourism hubs and resort towns, new Smyrna is often overlooked due to its size. However, this small coastal city of just 22,000 residents has been named one of America’s best small cities for the Arts, and has a well-cultivated reputation as a metropolitan cultural hub.

In that spirit, The Hub on Canal Street is a newly opened cultural attraction that has already made waves despite just nine months in operation.

With 22 studio spaces leased to 36 artists working in a variety of media and styles, The Hub is a feast for arts-lovers. It’s got creative writers and dancers, potters and painters, indie filmmakers and musicians. Any

artistically inclined traveller will find something interesting here.

And Canal Street has a wide appeal for any artsy tourist. The street is known as New Smyrna’s up and coming cultural drag, with a number of studios and small theatres. The Canal Street Historic District hosts a monthly First Saturday Art Stroll and Gallery Walk, along with several annual festivals. And parking is free.

Flagler Avenue also has a cluster of interesting cultural spots, however, like Palms Up Pottery and Galleria Di Vetro – A Unique Experience in Glass.

One local favourite on Flagler Beach is Jonah’s Cat’s Art Gallery. Billed as “a place where smiles appear as soon as folks walk through the door”, this gallery features the works of Samuel Ruder and John Hostetter, in particular their bright and colourful drawings of cats.

The Atlantic Center for the Arts offers classes in both creation and understanding of art, as well as several galleries and temporary exhibits of its own.

Visit www.nsbfla.com for more information.

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Northern Shores From The Emerald Coast To The Historic Coast, Northern Florida Is In A World All Its Own

By Graham Templeton

Panama City Beach CVB

Did you know St. Augustine is the oldest European settlement in North America? It was 500 years ago the Spanish landed and the state of Florida has celebrated ever since. What’s to celebrate up here? How about historic sites, both Spanish and aboriginal? What about miles and miles of stunning beaches, tranquil towns, military history and unbelievable fishing? Find out more.

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Another fine North Florida beach.

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St. Augustine

(the Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Museum is within the walls of historic Castle Warden).

Meanwhile, the Lightner Museum is housed within one of America’s oldest hotels and showcases St. Augustine’s true antiquity.

Having charged itself with displaying the “Wonders of the Gilded Age” through the story of St. Augustine, there is so much history on display.

For more information visit www.floridashistoriccoast.com.

Jacksonville By land area, Jacksonville is the largest city in the continental United States, and certainly the biggest in Florida. As a result, the sprawling metropolis has everything

Preserving history in St. Augustine.

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from beachfront properties to forested reserve parks, and something to fill just about any traveller’s needs. Still, its culture and larger significance within Florida is based on more than mere geography; Jacksonville is also a centre of Floridian culture, history, and education.

The Ritz Theatre and Museum is a good example of Jacksonville’s eclectic cultural scene, a 400-seat theatre with a small, attached museum. The Ritz focuses primarily on African American history and cultural communication, featuring folk art and history exhibits from the community.

This sort of cultural diversity is a big part of Jacksonville’s commitment to being the most inclusive destination in the southern

FloridasHistoricCoast.com

Established in 1565 by Spanish explorer and admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, St. Augustine is the oldest continually populated European town in the United States.

Unsurprisingly, the Oldest City in America has more than enough historical travel options to keep visitors satisfied; stone forts that predate the nation itself are a particularly popular stop. The local wax museum immortalizes several historical tableaux, freezing in time the landing of the Spanish explorers and the history-shaping actions they took on their first several landings along the newly-dubbed Floridian coastline.

Even St. Augustine’s commercial museums have a flair for the ancient,

Canadian Traveller 74

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NORTH FLORIDA

United States. Heritage centres exist for everything from Chinese immigrants to multi-generational Jacksonville fishermen.

The most elaborate of these is the Trail of Florida’s Indian Heritage, a nonprofit, statewide network of ancient and contemporary Indian sites in Florida.

The trail regularly features free speaking engagements from some of Florida’s top educators and commentators on the topic.

Additionally, the trail itself is made up of wellplanned routes for rewarding walks through the past of Florida’s Indian heritage, and its increasingly threatened present.

Art is a major focus in Jacksonville tourism. The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens is one of the largest collections in the state and a tribute to the meticulous collecting of the late Ninah M.H. Cummer.

With nearly 5,000 pieces on display it will take travellers some time to chew through, but assuming there’s still a bit of daylight left there are ample options for more artistic stops. Broadway in Jacksonville runs a regular event called the Artist Series, which has showcased local and regional artistic talent for almost 50 years; today, a sizable portion of the artists who break out of

Golf Flagler County has been described as the “Pebble Beach of Florida”, and with good reason. Several courses in the Flagler area were designed by golf’s biggest names, like Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson.

Of course, nothing can compare to Ponte Vedra, a municipality near St. Augustine that is home to The Players Championship and the PGA Tour. Many PGA champions have made their home in Ponte Vedra, due mostly the abundance of professional courses and of great Florida weather.

Meanwhile, Jacksonville serves all needs, from high end private country clubs to open pitch-andputt family courses.

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Jacksonville is another such effort to help launch budding Floridian talents, and once again travellers get to reap the rewards.

Jacksonville is a place steeped in history and culture, and which has no trouble sharing its social riches with visitors from all over the world.

For more information visit www.VisitJacksonville.com.

Tallahassee

Florida’s capital city also happens to be its quintessential college town, a relatively quiet municipality that (ironically) empties around Florida’s Spring Break busy season. It is consistently named one of America’s best cities in which to live and features a thriving arts scene; it starts at the Tallahassee Regional Airport where you pass the Artport Gallery showcasing local and regional artists on your way out.

B Sharp’s Jazz Café is one great venue, and Tallahassee’s only traditional jazz club featuring both local and national talent. With gourmet appetizers, coffees and wines, the café runs out of the 1921 Historic Woman’s Working Bank Building. If even that doesn’t satisfy your search for artsy travel activities, the Back Talk poetry Troupe is one of Florida’s better-known slam poetry groups.

For a less verbose form of expression, try the African Caribbean Dance Theatre.

As you might expect of any state capital, Tallahassee’s capitol buildings and their many attendant museums and galleries are enough to fill even a lengthy vacation. The Goodwood Museum and Gardens is one example with beautiful heritage architecture.

For more information visit www.visittallahassee.com.

Panama City Beach

Though it has fewer than 8,000 permanent year-round residents, Panama City Beach boasts over six million traveller visits each year. That’s possible because Panama City is built literally from the ground up to accommodate the tourism business, with its geographical blessing of long, white sand beaches. The city boasts that it’s renowned for its amazing beach experiences, and given the sheer number and popularity of them, it’s hard to argue.

The city certainly has enough awards under its belt. St. Andrews State Park has been named to several lists of America’s top beaches, popular not just for its long and flawless sandy beaches but for the lunch areas that abut them, and the piers that protrude from them into the water. The piers, for both fishing and lounging, are among the most scenic in the world, and combined with a wonderful town full of fun and affordable cuisine, and of course the Florida sun rising from clear over the water, it's clear why this is a major American beach destination.

Panama Beach also bills itself as the perfect starting point for a scenic drive to Mexico Beach, a nearby beach that’s close enough for a day-trip, but far enough away to offer some distinctions from Panama City’s other luxurious beaches. The land is less developed than the beach-front properties closer to the city core, and residents refer to the area as a slice of Mexico itself. And don’t worry if you’re yearning to take a dip in the sea, since the area was designed with just that in mind; whether you’re in a shop or a restaurant, you’re never more than a fiveminute walk from the water.

The beaches are only half the attraction for sea-faring travellers to Panama City. It also boasts one of the world’s greatest densities of bottlenose dolphins. They come, like the fishermen, for the abundance of trout, mackerel and other fish. Sightings are common along the shore, and even more common from the deck of a boat. Combined with a thriving scuba and snorkel tour industry, these wondrous sea creatures are the perfect highlight to one of America’s best beachfront destinations.

For more information visit www.VisitPanamaCityBeach.com.

Emerald Coast

Emerald Coast stretches along almost 38 kilometres of white-sand beach and runs through five different counties, which makes it one of North Florida’s most diverse localities. The sand is made up of pure Appalachian quartz, giving the water a distinctive emeraldgreen colour.

Destin is known as the World’s Luckiest Fishing Village, and the name is well earned; the waters are stocked with all manner of fun and fighting aquatic game. Fishermen who venture out into deeper water will be rewarded with sailfish, marlin, wahoo and other deepsea fish. However, inshore fishermen can also expect ample weight on their lines, especially in the form of cobia, bluefish, tarpon and mackerel.

No aquatic survey of Florida is complete without considering its greatest reptile. Gator Beach makes for a fun family vacation into the world of large and hungry alligators. Visitors can feed the beasts as well as view educational

Kids Stuff North Florida has as many options for the kids as for the parents. While you browse open-air clothing stores along the Jacksonville beach, let the kids enjoy a game of laser-tag at Adventure Island, or Florida’s only uphill water coaster at Adventure Landing. Or take a short drive over to the St. Augustine Alligator Farm, with its more than 2,700 gators making it the world’s most complete collection of crocodilians.

Take a walk along the easy trails of the coast of South Walton then let the kids go beach combing on the terrific white Florida sand. www.alligatorfarm.com shows about their odd and varied ways.

Gator Beach recreates the natural habitat of these animals and strives to educate the public on their needs, and how to safely deal with them in the wild.

So much to do, any given time.

There are so many ways to enjoy Jacksonville.

Find great vacation deals, packages and more at www.VisitJacksonville.com.

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Just down the beach is the world’s oldest continually operating live marine show, Florida’s Gulfarium. It’s best known for its regular live shows with trained dolphins and sea lions, as well as displays containing most other forms of aquatic wildlife found in Florida’s gulf. When you’re done touring, be sure to return to the dolphin enclosure for some quality time with the sea-faring mammals, as the Gulfarium also offers poolside “meet and greets” with the aquarium’s biggest stars.

For more information visit www.EmeraldCoastFl.com.

South Walton South Walton is a collection of 15 beaches stretching along the coast in North Florida, an absolute no-brainer of a destination for anyone looking for the quintessential Floridian beach experience. However, South Walton also features a number of off-coastal activities geared toward occupying those few moments travellers might not want to spend on the sand.

First, there are the spas. Many of them line the beach areas, just a quick sandaled stroll from the water, and many capitalize on this sort of spontaneous walk-in business with enticing deals and buy-now offers. Still, most of the spa treatment in South Walton is of the traditional sort, scheduled, and includes everything from aromatherapy to deep, stress-relieving massage. You don’t even have to leave the beach area to get to Grayton Beach Massage, and the attractions just keep coming as travellers move inland.

Serenity by the Sea Spa focuses on both physical and spiritual health and wellness.

Soak in a salt-infused hot tub or enjoy cleansing facial scrubs before heading for a trip to the gym and a relaxing rub-down.

On the other side of the spa spectrum is Salon Centric, a family-oriented relaxation centre with solutions for every member of the family.

The pampering can only last so long, however, and after you’ve gotten loose and limber, there’s still the matter of the rest of the day. Fortunately, spread liberally in and among the spas, cafés and restaurants, South Walton has any number of diverse shopping solutions. Bridging the gap nicely between luxuriating and purchasing is L’Occitane, where visitors have been buying virtually any sort of scent or skincare product since the mid-seventies. Then there’s one of Florida’s more distinctive shopping experiences, the Market Shops at Sandestin, which offer the feel of a well-manicured resort. This impeccably landscaped outdoor shopping centre has more than 30 stores, each addressing some under-served segment of the shopping world, from innovative kitchen gadgets to gourmet chocolates.

Emerald Coast Parkway is studded with small boutiques and independent bookstores, and is known particularly as a hotspot for antique hunters. Try Summer House Village Antiques and Decoratives for a classy and high quality answer to bigbox retail. South Walton does have its fair share of such department stores, however, and Emerald Coast Parkway is also home

Visit Florida

Cummer Museum, part of the vibrant northern arts scene.

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500th Anniversary North Florida is home to America’s oldest city. Cultural and educational events will be hard to miss in the early weeks of 2013, exactly 500 years after Ponce de Leon's arrival. Major focus will be given to the Spanish and Native American traditions, and their roles in shaping early Floridian history. Several local forts and historical sites are running extra tour times, as the anniversary brings interest in the state’s long and influential history to new heights.

to Silver Sands Premium Outlets. Silver Sands is a collection of over 100 designer outlet stores, and one of the ultimate Floridian destinations for those couture summer fashions.

For more information visit www.VisitSouthWalton.com.

Pensacola

Pensacola has been designated by the Nature Conservancy as a hotspot for biodiversity, and is particularly known for its number and assortment of colourful birds.

Foremost on the list of endangered birds native to the Pensacola area is the Snowy Pover, a small and finch-like bird that’s considered one of the luckiest sightings on a Pensacola nature tour.

The Edward Ball Nature Trail makes for great walking or biking, and runs near a series of small rivers that give Pensacola claim to the title of “Canoe Capital of Florida”. There’s no better venue from which to go bird watching, and more than that there’s no better way to see the varied geography of the Florida coastline.

Guided tours are run on foot, by kayak and via small watercraft, and can be geared towards either ecological education or more leisurely wildlife spotting. Common sightings include sunning otters, jumping dolphins, and swimming sea turtles. You don’t have to wait for the underwater wonders to breach the surface for you, however, as ample scuba and snorkel opportunities exist to take you into the alternate world of the undersea.

One favourite area is the Perdido Watershed, which houses an unknown number of rare and endangered species of fish, bird and insect. From starfish to octopus, Florida’s biodiversity is just as rich on the river and ocean floor as it is on land and in the sky.

For more information visit www.visitpensacola.com.

There’s a secret right next to Orlando.

It’s about being a tourist and a local at the same time.

It’s about going from thrills to tranquility in a matter of minutes.

It’s about stretching your imagination, your legs and your dollar.

And it’s about feeling right at home in the middle of the most exciting place on earth.

Kissimmee. The gateway to fun.

TM

Plan your vacation at experiencekissimmee.com/canada

Boggy Creek Airboat Rides Glide across the Central Florida Everglades and get up close with wild alligators, turtles and birds.

We offer two locations, convenient hours and even night tours for a different view of the wetlands.

For more information or to book your tour, visit bcairboats.com Orlando Balloon Rides View Florida as you’ve never seen it before. Hour-long flights feature stunning sunrise views, a champagne toast and full breakfast buffet. For more information or to book your flight, visit orlandoballoonrides.com

W r. at. Waves.

Here’s your invitation to warm up and chill out in the genuine side of Florida.

Discover unspoiled island beaches and seaside villages enticing with a laid-back ambience. Enjoy the entertainment and culture of a historic downtown. Or touch nature on an eco adventure or guided tour of a Florida winery or real, working farm.

It’s the perfect winter getaway, just south of Tampa Bay.

Download the free Bradenton Area mobile app at the iTunes store.

BradentonGulfIslands.com