Florida Travel Guide

Best Driving Route: A1A, a gorgeous oceanfront route that runs north up Miami Beach, through Sunny Isles and Hollywood into Fort Lauderdale (starting at Ocean Dr. and 1st St. in Miami, and merging onto Collins Ave. before running north), embodies the essence that is Florida. From time-warped hotels steeped in Art Deco kitsch to multimillion-dollar modern high-rises, A1A is one of the most scenic, albeit heavily trafficked, roads in all of Florida.
Best Place for People-Watching: Lunchtime at News Cafe on Ocean Drive is the quintessential South Beach experience—lunching at News Cafe is more of a spectator sport than a dining experience. What the Big Mac is to McDonald's, people-watching is to News Cafe, whose Ocean Drive location is one of the best sidewalk spots from which to observe the wacky, colorful mix of pedestrians on parade.
Best Place to Hear a Moonlight Concert: The Barnacle State Historic Site hosts a once-monthly, on or near the full moon (except July-Aug) concert in the backyard of its charming 1908 Coconut Grove bungalow, built on 5 acres of waterfront property. Listeners are welcome to picnic and bask in this sublime setting for a mere $5.
Best Place to Learn the Salsa: If the only salsa you're familiar with is the kind you put on your tacos, get over to Bongo's Cuban Cafe, the hottest salsa club north of Havana, where Miami's most talented salsa dancers will teach you how to move your two left feet in the right direction.
Best Place to Discover Your Inner Flipper: The Dolphin Research Center will teach you how to communicate with and touch, swim, and play with the mammals at the nonprofit Dolphin Research Center in Marathon Key, home to a school of approximately 15 dolphins.

Although it's the state nickname, describing Florida as the Sunshine State is like calling the former Today show hostess Katie Couric "perky." Sure, it's true, but not all the time—and it doesn't nearly begin to describe the state's other marketable assets. There's a lot more to Florida than just sunshine—and, yes, we get those pesky hurricanes. Weather aside, choosing the best of Florida is by no means simple. While millions of visitors flock here to escape the bleakness of winter and landlocked locations, they don't all come down for sun, fun, and Mickey Mouse. Granted, the promise of (mostly) clear skies and 800 miles of sparkling, sandy beaches is alluring, as are the animatronics and roller coasters in Orlando and Tampa, but there's much more to the state than that. In many ways, Florida is like a beautiful, blond beauty queen who everyone thinks is all fluff until they find out she's a Rhodes scholar. Read More

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What places would you consider a variety of people to go to for Thanksgiving? Some place fancy and perhaps romantic. Maybe a family get away?
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We will be visiting Pinellas Park/ Clearwater area end of Dec., and heard of a place to visit that we could see Manatees and would be an all-day thing to do. I can't remember the name of it tho. I was told it is north of Pinellas Park about an hour and 1/2 along the Gulf. Would love for anyone to give us ideas of what to do while we're visiting the area Dec. 26-Jan.3 Thank you
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Is there an ATV offroad tour anywhere in Florida?(Preferable on the beach!)
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