FLORIDA TRAVEL

Thar's some fine eatin' down on the farm

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 taps into 'American Idol' mania

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.

INNSIDE REPORT: GASPARILLA

Kick off your shoes and unwind in high style at this comfortable Gulf side resort

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.

FLORIDA

It's prime time to visit our natural wonders

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.

Tackle Tampa, Super Bowl city

Super Bowl hits Tampa officially on Feb. 1 for the fourth time in history -- and this year. Festivities start days before the Big Game -- and many of the town's best bets last long after the fourth quarter ends in Raymond James Stadium. In honor of Super Bowl's 43rd year, here are 43 top options if you plan on visiting the Tampa Bay area at Super Bowl time.

FLORIDA

Key Largo is a quick drive and a world away from home

Get off the main road that cuts through Key Largo and you're suddenly in a Florida wonderland.

INNSIDE REPORT: NAPLES, FLA.

Not to be putting down the Ritz, but its little neighbor's got a lot to offer

In the shadow of the impeccable, five-star Ritz-Carlton, the Vanderbilt Beach Resort glistens like the sea that laps into its sandy shoreline.

Miami's smart new hotels

So what'll it be? The place with the six infinity-edge swimming pools or the one with the bathroom chandelier that doubles as a shower head? The resort where beach butlers roam the premises with champagne carts or the hotel where no guest even on the most scorching of days is far from a chilled facial towel?

Miami's House of Versace

For years, the iconic South Beach mansion best known as the place Gianni Versace lived and died was open only to the privileged few.

Art sites around the Sunshine State

As the annual Art Basel-Miami Beach visual feast approaches, you might wonder why any art-lover would venture north of the Broward-Palm Beach line. Between the Art Basel fair at the Miami Beach Convention Center, 20-plus satellite fairs and first-rate exhibitions at local museums, you'll get an eye-full right here at home.

VENICE

Retirement community gets hip new feel

New shopping, galleries and theater have brought a modern side to historic Venice.

ORLANDO

Universal theme park's just frightful -- and that's a good thing

Haunted houses, spooky shows and scary rides are just part of the fun at Universal Studios' 18th annual Halloween Horror Nights.

Sunshine and solitude: Kayaking on the long, lonesome Blueway

The two-man kayaks lurched forward, backward, sideways. They spun around, bumped into one another and drifted into a thicket of mangroves.

ORLANDO

What's hot -- and really cool -- in theme park central

The new Icebar on International Drive is just one reason to visit Orlando this fall.

TAKING THE KIDS

A menu of options for eating smart at Disney

You'll want to decide where to dine before you go -- in fact, you'll want to make reservations.

APALACHICOLA

Old Florida still lives in sleepy Panhandle town

Apalachicola hasn't found its perfect demographic yet -- and that's a good thing.

DINING

Dining: A sea-faring dine-around of Florida's piers

I like towns anchored by a fishing pier, like a rib cage that guards the heart of the community and tethers it to the sea. Somehow, it feeds the soul.

Theme parks: Loews Royal Pacific Resort

Everything about Loews Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando is large, starting with the sprawling lobby. The island-themed resort has three towers and more than 1,000 guest rooms, including 51 suites. During our one-night visit, we allotted plenty of time to walk from our room -- in Tower 3 -- to the pool, the lobby, the restaurants and the parking lot.

Theme park prices are up, but look for deals

South Florida parents making that end-of-summer dash to the theme parks are in for sticker shock: One-day adult ticket prices have hit $75 -- plus tax.

Sanibel Island for summer break

When school lets out, my husband, Rich, and I like to pack up the kids for a ''state-cation,'' a three- or four-day jaunt to somewhere in Florida where we can take advantage of summer deals.