A gate flies open, and out bursts a bucking bronco, a cowboy on its back. For several minutes the untamed horse lurches and veers. Watching from the stands, I wonder how sore the cowboy's neck and back will be in the morning.
March 25-29: Islamorada Invitational '10. At Whale Harbor Marina, mile marker 83.5. Kiteboarding festival includes competitions, photo contest and lessons. 9 a.m. daily. $50 four days of event access per participant, $10 for beachside pig roast, free to watch kite and paddling competitions. 305-853-5483, www.sevensports.com.
Hammered by Hurricane Charley, the 120-year-old Gulf Coast town is back and better than ever.
When Universal Studios opened Islands of Adventure, the second of its big attractions in Orlando, it hoped that by jamming super-scary roller coasters, Jurassic Park, Spiderman and Dr. Seuss into one fun park, it would at last pose formidable competition to Walt Disney World.
The alligator lying across the trail was not moving for me. I had a heavy backpack on and was less than two miles from the end of a two-day hike. The gator was only about six feet long, but I wondered if its stubbornness to move from the pitted limestone of the Florida Trail was because there was no water for retreat. As I stood there it opened its mouth to reveal all its teeth, its sides collapsed like a squeezed bagpipe and out came a hiss like a choir of snakes tuning up for a performance.
Feb. 27-March 7: Purple Isles Art Guild Show, Key Largo. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily, at Key Largo Library community room, Tradewinds Plaza, mile marker 101.4 oceanside. 305-852- 0668; www.purpleislesartguild.com.
It will open in April, or maybe in May. It will have real snow and magic wands, or not. Real or plastic owls might take your mail.
The $32.8 million Tampa Museum of Art, which opened to the public Feb. 6, rises on the historic banks of the Hillsborough River across from a Moorish, late-19th century, minaret-topped University of Tampa building that once served as headquarters for officers waiting to be deployed to the Spanish American war in Cuba. Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders passed through here.
In the beginning, there were Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden, and they were in North Florida -- or so some say. More believable is another beginning attributed to Torreya State Park: It was Florida's first state park, established in 1935. From that start, the Florida Park Service has grown to become one of the nation's largest state systems with 160 parks.
Two decades ago, Eatonville used its link to Harlem Renaissance writer Zora Neale Hurston to get noticed by the world. Now, as the community attempts to transform itself into a major African-American cultural destination, leaders are struggling to define the small town's identity in the famous author's shadow.
Jan. 28-31: Food and Wine Festival, Key West. 305-292-1622; www.keywestfoodandwinefestival.com.
Dave Pagano started his life as a pirate a few years back wearing a white linen shirt with puffy sleeves and open neckline. Then he bought a bandanna, a dreadlock wig, a musket replica, a sword, a knife, and this year, $500 worth of beads.
Why wait for Valentine's Day to enjoy a getaway with your honey? After all, what's more romantic than cuddle weather?
If I were a brown pelican, flying high above the Gulf Islands of Florida, I imagine that I would see thin strips of land trimmed in white, surrounded by water as clear and blue as the cloudless sky above.
History and nature have combined in a little-known park which was once the major Confederate military base in north Florida near the end of the Civil War.
Prepare to linger with the native Floridians at Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park.
Open since July 2, the W South Beach is the chain's 31st location and is now considered the global flagship. While many W locations are remodels of existing hotels, this one -- a condo-hotel -- is ground-up new construction. Every room in the 20-story building has a balcony set at a 25-degree angle with an ocean view.
Every winter Paynes Prairie Preserve near Gainesville draws a host of migratory birds.
Enchanted by Iron Mountain -- 298 feet above sea level -- Edward W. Bok built the Singing Tower in the late 1920s.
Cliff and Leah Patton went camping on Lion Country Safari's grounds with their two granddaughters thanks to the annual passes they just bought. As Palm Beach Gardens residents, they own almost all major Florida theme park passes including Sea World, Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, Busch Gardens, Aquatica and the recently acquired Lion Country Safari.
The lobby has mesquite driftwood floors and an aquarium with a rare red-carpet anemone from the South Pacific. One spa wall is textured to look like ocean waves. And the rooms feature marble bathrooms, designer furniture and fine Egyptian bedding.
With tourist season still about six weeks away, Miami attractions are hoping to draw in local residents with two-for-one and other discounted admissions. You could consider a visit an early scouting mission for friends and relatives from up north.
Kids tired of experiencing the same old roller coasters have a new ride to tackle. Walt Disney World's ''Sum of All Thrills'' is the first ride in Epcot's Innoventions pavilion, where businesses sponsor educational attractions and hawk their brands.
My postman's eyebrows popped into his hairline as he handed me a lavishly painted coconut affixed with a postage stamp and my address. ''Wow!'' he mouthed in awe. ''Wow, wow, wow.''
Oct. 1-3: U.S. Waveski Championships, Melbourne Beach. At Sebastian Inlet State Park. Contest dates and times vary according to surf conditions. 321-984-4852; http://uswaveski.com/sebastian.html.
Sarasota is an arts-crazy place, a Florida Gulf Coast city justifiably proud of its cultural riches.
While Universal and Busch Gardens might scare you silly with their Halloween events, Disney World and SeaWorld offer more kid-friendly events.
Scott Horowitz relaxes by the water during vacations. Most of his family's trips are to the beach resorts where he may ''hang out'' or Jet Ski. And for 17 years, the Southwest Ranches resident has opted to take his vacations in Florida.
The Nobel Peace Center in Oslo this week opens From King to Obama focusing on Martin Luther King Jr. and how the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s paved the way for Barack Obama's historic election. ''There are many obvious similarities between King and Obama in terms of their values, their political strategies and in their rhetoric and public impact,'' says Bente Erichsen, director of the center. King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 when he was just 35 years old, the youngest ever Peace Prize laureate.
A massive Hogwarts castle will loom over The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, slated to open in the spring at Universal's Islands of Adventure in Orlando.
RSS|
My Yahoo|
Newsletters|
Widgets|
Mobile|
Alerts|
Twitter
Terms of Service| Privacy Policy| About our ads| Copyright| About The Miami Herald| About the McClatchy Company| Corrections| Contact Us| Advertise
Partners: El Nuevo Herald| Newspaper in Education| WLRN | Miami Herald News| CBS4 WFOR-TV| More
Copyright 2010 Miami Herald Media Co. All rights reserved
