Search results for 'Florida'

Snowbirds looking to escape the cold, but who prefer a temperate rather than tropical climate, will find the best of both worlds in Santa Rosa County, along Florida’s Panhandle. The destination has a plethora of affordable rental condominiums and homes, and RV campgrounds.

From our home base in Everglades City, we headed out to get an up close look and feel of the Everglades. We wanted to photograph its beauty and somehow understand how this amazing “River of Grass” works. We went in February so there were few bugs and temperatures were between 55º to75º. We walked on boardwalk trails, drove our car way back non-paved roads and took a 2 hour boat ride. What we found left us amazed. The interconnections between the animal and plant life with the salt and freshwater underline the international importance of this natural wonder.

As part of our 36^th Anniversary celebration, we headed off on a 25-day road trip to Florida. We wanted to revisit some of the places we discovered on our honeymoon in 1979. At the top of our list were The Everglades. We wanted a home base because we wanted to spend a couple of days in the area exploring and taking photographs. We chose the Everglades City Rod and Gun Club as our place to land. It is the Western Gateway to The Everglades National Park.

Glamping is a great way for the whole family to enjoy the camaraderie of traditional outdoor camping with the glamour of hotel amenities. The offer below from Westgate River Ranch (located near Orlando, Fla.) is great to keep in mind with Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and several three-day holiday weekends right around the corner!

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop playing”. This is the mantra of LEGO.  Yes, those famous LEGOs!  You probably played with them when you were a kid; then your kids played with them, and now, if you have grandchildren, they are playing with LEGOs too.  I love LEGOs. There is something so creative and personal about them. As Jorgen Vig Knundstop, Head of LEGO’s Corporate Management explained on YouTube: “There are many solutions to the same problem, and you have to imagine your own solution.”  

Florida is known as the Sunshine State, and as the southernmost state in the continental USA, there are endless stretches of coastline dotted with white sand beaches. Although that’s true, there is so much more to this sunny destination! Head to the Florida Keys and spend a full day in Hemingway’s haunt — Key West. Travel through the natural splendor of the Everglades, stopping the Everglades National Park, an International Biosphere Reserve and UNESCO World Heritage site. This is a prime habitat of alligators and other wildlife so keep your cameras handy! Additionally, this tour stops in Naples, situated on the Gulf of Mexico, historical St. Augustine and Cocoa Beach. Come, feel the warmth of Florida!

A mother-son duo from Ireland are starring in a new television series airing on the rebranded Discovery Life Channel on Thursday nights (10e/9c), a series that takes reality television and bravery to a whole new level. 

Are you tired of cool, cold, and totally freezing days of winter?  If you are anything like me you could use a little bit of Florida Sunshine.  Mid Spring (after Easter week) is a great time of year to visit Walt Disney World due to lower crowds, nice temperatures, and one of my favorite events…

The Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival 2015

Ready to escape the winter blues? A visit to Florida’s Panhandle is worth the trip!

Legoland has entered the amusement park market in Florida.  The newest, and largest Legoland is located 45 minutes from Tampa and Orlando.  The park, and adjacent water park has been open for a few years, but Summer 15 will start with a blast with the opening of the Legoland Hotel.  The hotel will be highly themed and have room for a family of 5.

When I was a young girl, my mom would take me to pick fresh blackberries. We would both come home and make pies and jam. To this day, blackberries are on the top of my favorites. As I started traveling by car throughout the US, I always had an urge to stop if I saw a farm stand or farmers market come up on the roadside. Wherever my address has been, you will see me at the local farmers markets. They are all so different, so unique and special and have become a way of most of our lives.

Ft. Lauderdale Beach is a narrow, long area of sand on the Atlantic side of Florida.  It’s an area that is easy to travel to with an international airport 20 minutes from the beach.  The hotels are across the street from the main beach area, which gives easier access, and a less touristy feel.  Sidewalks are everywhere, and I noticed quite a few signs for “service animal relief centers”.  The pace in Ft. Lauderdale seems more laid back, and chilled than many other beach locations.  There is a water taxi, lots of local tours on the water, tons of dining and shopping options (think Los Olas) and more.

With the chill hitting the air and the thoughts of last year’s cold winter, Susie is directing her thoughts to a trip to south Florida for warmth, sun and sand. One property that is in one of the lists of top pet-friendly locations is located just north of Miami in Lauderdale by the Sea and provides access to a good portion of south Florida and a stay on the Atlantic coast.

When I mention Florida, do your thoughts go to the southern part of the state? Most people do, but if you haven’t explored the northeastern region, you’ve missed a lot of history and beauty.

Now that it is officially fall, temperatures across the country are starting to drop. While it’s initially exciting to dig the scarves and sweaters out from the back of the closest, it won’t be long until we miss the sunshine! Now is a fantastic time to start planning winter trips to go visit friends in retirement communities in warmer parts of the country. 

In order to enjoy traveling, we need to stay fit and healthy, so Peggy Buchanan from Santa Barbara, California keeps us on track during Healthy Aging Month.

Five Photography Tips from Richard and Amy Lynn, the authors, photographers, and publishers of The Sarcastic Lens:  An Ordinary Couple’s Photographic Journey through the Animal Kingdom.

A few miles south on US29 from our home base in Everglades City, we discovered Chokoloskee Island. It is a wonderful Off the Beaten Path spot with great food, photography, fishing and the historical and mysterious Smallwood Store. 

I have strong memories from my childhood vacations to Keystone Heights in north central Florida to visit my dad’s mom and family. Once each trip we would head off to Saint Augustine in my great- uncle’s Cadillac. I remember the huge old fort, the smell of the ocean, and the trees of unknown origin. Last winter, we stopped for an afternoon on our way to Seabrook Island, South Carolina. My return trip brought back these great memories and much more. 

Growing up on the Gulf Coast of South Florida, lighthouses were not part of the landscape.  I  saw my first—St. Augustine Light, built in 1789—on a family trip to the other side of the state, and was enthralled. Both by the light and its keeper, both keeping house and keeping ships, crew, and cargo safe from the perils of the sea.

Le Marais Steakhouse is historic, so naturally the restaurant’s new cookbook:  Le Marais: a Rare Steakhouse Well Done, released on July 18, 2023 is historic as well.  Located in Manhattan’s theater district for 21 years, Le Marais remains the only Kosher French brasserie in New York City. Observant Jewish and even non-Jewish clientele have been coming since inception to dine on its French cuisine with North African and Portuguese influences. I personally had never been to the restaurant before, but I had passed it many times over the years. Finally, I was inspired by the cookbook launch to fully immerse myself in this multi-cultural yet very New York, dining experience. 

How we love our travel – all of us have heard and are aware of the devastating health effects of the Zika virus – especially for women who have become infected while pregnant.  While reviewing the recent media coverage – it finally has hit our Miami shores – it just dawned on me how important to tell my grown children to be very careful – for the spread, though slow, and authorities continue to try to quell any alarm or concern for Americans, the fact is that it has reached US soil and I quickly sent an email to my grown children to be forewarned when they travel not only international but also within the US.  One can never be too careful!

Hey Boomers! Did you ever find your lost shaker of salt? If not, I think I found it on the Hollywood Beach Boardwalk at the Margaritaville Beach Resort. That's right Parrotheads, Jimmy Buffet's hotel opened in November, 2015, so if you haven't made your way to the tropical paradise yet, I suggest you pack your beach ball and get moving. It's only fifteen minutes from Fort Lauderdale airport, which usually has great deals from a variety of cities.

Ahh – spring is in the air, the stores have the bathing suits on display – it must be time for Spring Break! Back in the day, we all headed south to Ft. Lauderdale. Now, it seems Mexico is the place to be on either coast. Well, that is all well and good, we had our time to party, but we still want to experience Spring Break, just perhaps not in the same way we did in our twenties. Winter has had its way with us, so we long for some sun and fun, but don’t necessarily want to be where the “kids” are. Well, I have just the spot for you!