Even during the heat of summer, Florida's got plenty of cool attractions.
July 11-12: MangoMania Tropical Fruit Fair, Pine Island. A celebration of mangoes and other tropical fruit grown on the island. $6 adults, free for children 9 and younger. At German-American Social Club. 239-283-4842; www.mangomaniafl.com.
Maybe you no longer remind yourself to head outside and look north, hoping to catch the rockets' red glare or smoke contrail as a Space Shuttle lifts off. After more than 110 of the launches, many of us have grown blasé.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER VISITORS COMPLEX Hours: 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. year round, except Dec. 25 and certain launch days. Allow 5-8 hours, including the bus tour, which departs every 15 minutes.
A Gulf Coast city that's known for its restaurant scene is welcoming several fine new arrivals.
The only thing the children won't get at our top 10 family-friendly resorts is bored.
Two Florida strands qualify as ``Best Beaches'' College spring-breakers might be the real experts on the world's best beaches, but officially speaking, FIU professor Dr. Stephen Leatherman gets the title of Dr. Beach. His evaluations are a bit more scientific than that of your typical college reveler, factoring in 50 criteria, including sand quality, safety, and environmental management.
In Florida's Theme Park Central, everything's looking up this summer. Literally. At Universal Studios, SeaWorld and Disney, park visitors swoop, fly and float in new attractions.
My son was graduating from high school and turning 18 all within the same week. It called for a major celebration, but didn't require a lot of thought on Aaron's part. He had been planning this since he and his buddy took early morning surfing lessons at Disney World's Typhoon Lagoon and learned that you can rent the surfing experience for 3 hours, 100 waves, and up to 25 people.
When two Ws are set to open within 24 hours of each other in South Florida, you know the hotel industry has been on a bit of a building binge.
Out-of-towners get a good look at our home on trolley tours and narrated cruises. Why shouldn't we?
Forget the airline tickets and passports. All you need for these trips is an overnight bag.
Given our agricultural heritage, it's no surprise that Florida hosts dozens of food festivals worth the drive. Most are in winter -- but one comes up soon. Here are a few worth pondering:
FRANCE: WELCOME BACK The Riviera's Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat, closed for an extensive expansion project, is set to reopen May 15 for its next 100 years. The project by acclaimed designer Pierre-Yves Rochon included renovations to the hotel's public areas, guest rooms and suites, as well as the building of The Residence, a new sea-front wing with eight suites, each with its own plunge pool, and 16 sea view rooms with private terraces. The Grand-Hotel will also introduce a spacious Spa and sea-front...
To reserve campsites at state parks, see www.reserveamerica.com. Fort De Soto Park, Pinellas County: County park with 238-site, full-service campground that seems to have been created with families in mind. Amenities include picnic tables, grills, fresh water, electricity, washers, dryers, sanitary disposal stations, modern restrooms, showers, play areas and a camp store. The park has more than 7 miles of waterfront recreation, including two fishing piers, nature trails, paved bike trail and a canoe...
The sailboat heeled to its starboard side as it sliced through a narrow, finger-shaped inlet off the Gulf of Mexico. Its sails loomed above me, and from where I sat at the stern, confidently steering the vessel between passing boats and a palm-dotted shoreline, I could see across the sparkling, emerald-green water to a rocky outcropping. Here, hundreds of pelicans sunned themselves in the tropical heat of the day.
Florida's innkeepers will make you feel right at home while you're on the road.
Eat your way north from New Smyrna Beach to St. Augustine.
Several brand new attractions have opened around the state, and a couple of old stalwarts have a brand new look.
If you're opting for a summer vacation that's closer to home this year, you may find some very attractive vacation bargains. A sampling of summer deals in Florida follow. Terms of all packages and deals are subject to change without notice.
There's more to AIA than waterside restaurants. Don't worry, this is not just a string of tourist towns that will slow you down. There's enough variety in beaches and barrier islands and small-town atmosphere to make some of it part of the National Scenic Byway Program.
SARASOTA: MOVIE TIME The stars will be out on Florida's Gulf Coast March 27-April 5 for the Sarasota Film Festival. More than 200 films from around the world will be screened and fans will get plenty of chances to mingle with the celebs at events including ''Luncheon under the Banyans'' on April 2 and the ''Night of 1,000 Stars'' on April 3. Among the celebs expected this year: Steve Buscemi, David Carradine, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Illeana Douglas, Antonio Ferrera, Joe Pantoliano, Bill Paxton...
BRADENTON: ARTS ALIVE! Massage, fresh coffee, books, folk art and friendly people -- it's all part of the Village of the Arts, a 240-acre district of bright Old Florida houses near downtown where artists both work and sell. Most galleries are open Thursday-Sunday, but for the full effect (including live music), check out the monthly Arts Walk the first Friday night and Saturday of each month. Go April 3 and you can catch the Pittsburgh Pirates v. the Twins in a Spring Training match at nearby McKechnie...
Do you have a favorite attraction with the grandparents, a great close-to-home hotel for a weekend getaway, a favorite spa or romantic restaurant? We want to know!
FLORIDA AND ARIZONA: PLAY BALL! Opening day for Major League Baseball is April 6, but you don't have to wait that long to see your favorite teams. Spring training games begin Wednesday and run through April 5 for Florida's Grapefruit and Arizona's Cactus leagues. One hot ticket this year may be March 12 face-off in Port Charlotte between the 2008 World Series rivals, the Tampa Bay Rays and the Philadelphia Phillies.
L.A. too far to go? You can find plenty of movie magic in Orlando. Though Florida's version of Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure haven't had as much screen time their Hollywood cousin, you'll still have plenty of chances to ''ride the movies'' at Universal Studios with the newly opened Simpsons Ride, Revenge of the Mummy and Men in Black Alien Attack. At Islands of Adventure, attractions include the Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man ride, Juraissic Park River Adventure and the delightful...
The most ''boaring'' day of my life? That's an easy one. The afternoon I spent at Rosas Farms feasting on a wild-boar extravaganza created by chef Al Rosas.
Disney World's specialty is fantasy, but a new attraction opening Feb. 14 will deal in real-life dreams. The American Idol Experience, a near-exact replica of the theater the American Idol TV show uses, will give singers a chance to audition, perform and maybe even get a spot to try out for the real Idol. It is located in Diney World's Hollywood Studios park, formerly known as MGM.
The Gasparilla Inn & Club is the idyllic setting for a preppy daydream. Imagine: Wake in a guest room on the third floor of Grandmother's gigantic, rambling beach house. Run down the wide, hardwood hallway, slide down the banister, slip past the sitting room where the flamingo in the Audubon print presides over a sea of pink-and- green floral chintz and white wicker furniture.
The rest of the nation may be shivering, but in Florida, even our coldest winter days are temperate. For wildlife -- as for humans -- the Sunshine State is a refuge. Sandhill cranes, manatees, white pelicans, roseate spoonbills all come to Florida in winter. What isn't here: the swarms of mosquitoes that breed in standing water during the summer rainy season.
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