ART: Florida Beaches

The first thought that comes to mind when anyone thinks of Florida is its sunny beaches with pristine sands. Hardly surprising when there are nearly nine hundred miles of beaches! One could, start at Jacksonville Beach on the Atlantic Ocean and go down to Fort Lauderdale and Miami to the tip of the peninsula and St Augustine. Then one could go up again on the other coast to Panama Beach, South Walton and Pensacola on the Gulf of Mexico.

Everyone probably has a few favorites, probably because of the memories associated with the vacation. How does one pick the best? That really depends on what are one’s interests and priorities. There are family friendly beaches like Daytona where kids can have a ball in the perfectly safe waters. Daytona in the right season offers the fascinating opportunity to watch the hatching and emerging of the baby sea turtles from the eggs of the endangered sea turtles that nest there. The journey of the young ones from the shore to the water is fascinating and fraught with danger from predatory birds.

Places like Sunny Isles Beach have playground equipment for young children in beachfront state parks along the shore. Many beaches have attractions close to the shores that adults would enjoy like the glamorous Miami Beach. Still others are unspoiled by modern distractions and facilities like some of the beaches in Martin County, north of Palm Beach. The natural beaches, all on barrier islands, have nothing but sand and sea, perfect for quiet relaxing vacation. There is not a high-rise in sight.

Perhaps one of the most romantic places to be in Florida is St. Augustine at the very tip of the peninsula. Here you can watch the sun rise over the horizon of the Atlantic Ocean in the early hours of the day and as the evening comes to an end you can see the golden ball dip into the Gulf of Mexico. It is hard to decide which is more beautiful- the golden dawn at sunrise or the rosy dusk at sunset!

North Beach at Fort De Soto Park is a favorite – it has something for everybody. Made up of five interconnected islands off the southern tip of the Pinellas peninsula, it offers miles of sand, great fishing, canoeing, kayaking, bird-watching, biking and walking trails. There is even a historic fort nearby.

Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman, affectionately known as Dr. Beach, picks the top ten beaches in the country every year based on a number of environmental factors. His top choice for 2006 is Florida’s Caladesi Island State Park with its three 3 miles of nature trail, sailing and fishing opportunities. One of the few natural islands along the Gulf Coast, Caladesi´s white sands is accessible only by boat. There are miles of kayaking through mangroves.

Here a sample of Florida holiday villas and Florida apartments on Holiday Velvet:

» Mi Casa e su Casa: Florida apartment, up to 8 people, from $600
» Gulf Coast FL Beach: Florida villa, up to 6 people, from $185
» My Paradise Home: Florida villa, up to 6 people, from $100

ART: Vibrant Miami!

Pulsating, vibrant Miami! Its very name conjures images of golden beaches, high fashion, high energy and glamour. Maybe it is the result of the constant media glare on visiting celebrities to this glamorous city or the influence of watching endless reruns of Miami Vice, the attraction of Miami to visitors is probably next only to that of New York and Los Angeles.

South Florida is great region to take a vacation for a multitude of reasons and one of them certainly is Miami, nestling between the Everglades and Atlantic Ocean on Miami River. It is towards the southern tip of the peninsula and practically surrounded by water.

Rent a car on arrival at Miami International Airport as driving is the best way to get around the city. Rental companies offers cars at very competitive rates as public transport in the city is pretty unimpressive. You can also land at Fort Lauderdale which is less crowded and offers cheaper fares and in just twenty minutes you can be in downtown Miami.

A large city divided into several districts each with its unique flavor, Miami is very multicultural. Over sixty percent of the population of Miami is Hispanic and it is not for nothing that Miami is called the Gateway to Latin America and the Capital of the Americas. Cubans, Nicaraguans, Colombians, Venezuelans, Puerto Ricans, Argentineans, Ecuadorians, Brazilians, Dominicans, Haitians, and Mexicans make up the cosmopolitan mix. Castro’s takeover in 1959 brought a change not only to Cuba , it changed Miami forever. A steady influx of refugees from Cuba changed the ethnic composition of the city entirely. Now there is a neighborhood in Miami called Little Havana.

South Beach with its famous beachside promenade lined with Art deco buildings is not actually within Miami, but Miami Beach is just as glamorous. Celebrity spotting is big pastime here. The city is not just about glitzy expensive boutiques and restaurants and scintillating nightlife. You can just as easily have a great Cuban meal for a song and shop at down to earth places.

Home to several major international political and trade events and Awards ceremonies, Miami’s Coconut Grove Expo Center has something going on all the time. Yes Miami is a big business center too!

Despite its image as a playground for adults, kids can have great time here at its several animal parks and science museum and of course enjoy the water sports! The Parrot jungle is a private collection of over two hundred varieties of colorful parrots, parakeets and macaws. Not to be missed is the seaquarium with its extensive collection of marine life including dolphins and whales. The Deering Estate at Cutler is a little known nature park in Miami which hardly a hundred people visit a day. This unspoiled retreat in the heart of the city is a haven with a number of rare plants, tropical hardwood hammocks, and the endangered Rockland pine.