Fall Festivals

As fall starts and the weather cools our thoughts turn to going outside and having some fun before the really cold weather sets in. This is the time to look around your area to see if there’s a state or county fair, fall festival, or some event in your town. North Carolina and Tennessee fairs are known for their apples and homemade quilts, German clubs all over America celebrate Oktoberfest this time of year and we have many Halloween events in Florida, some take place at out our theme parks. Many communities have events, a ‘boo at the zoo’ is always a safe bet for the family, so if you have a local zoo be sure to check.



Fall Festivals are always a great place to take the family, most of them have food and games, some have live music and midways with rides and prizes. You can get homemade pies, jams and jellies or quilts. You can see livestock shows, there maybe a chili cook off or some kind of eating contest, that's right good old fashioned American fun. There seems to be a new trend in festivals however. Some ask that you bring a can of food or a bag of gently used clothes for the needy, there is even a pumpkin festival where you bring your own carved pumpkin and they display them, it’s really cool. Another trend at fall festivals is health screenings; some of festivals are starting to include blood pressure, diabetes or glaucoma tests and at some, you can even get a flu shot. From the old tyme country fairs to the heath wise and socially conscious now is the time of year when all the fall festivals happen and everyone gets out and enjoys them, so find one in your area and go have some fun.

Cruisin'

If you’ve never been on a cruise you’re missing out on a really great vacation. I always ask people who tell me they’ve never been on a cruise, why not? I’m always amused when they tell me that they think they’d feel too confined or get bored. I’m telling you cruise ships now days are floating cities. Take the Allure of the Seas for example, it’s the newest ship of the Royal Caribbean’s fleet its 1,187 feet long and can accommodate 5,400 people, currently the largest cruise ship afloat. They have an ice rink, two surf pools and a Zip Line, the ship has seven "neighborhoods". The inside staterooms have balconies overlooking the park so you don’t get that ‘closed in‘ feeling. Disney’s newest ship, the Dream has a thrilling flume ride called the AquaDuck, the first-ever shipboard water coaster. There are many dining options from the chic to the family style the entertainment is Broadway caliber and the shops, don’t even get me started on them. There is so much to do and see on ships now days that you’ll never get bored and unless you spend a month on one I doubt you’d see everything either.



Florida has five different cruise ports and three Port Canaveral, Port Everglades and the Port of Miami are among the busiest cruise ports in the world, if not the busiest. From one of our ports you can easily reach anywhere in the world really but the Caribbean, being so close, is a popular choice. Cozumel, St. Thomas, San Juan, George Town, Belize City, Grenada and Barbados are just of few of the exotic destinations and or ports of call offered. A port of call is a place you cruise into for a day or just a few fun filled hours. Nassau has a great straw market, which is a place where you can purchase trinkets for the folks back home; when you come into Port Canaveral you’ll find it has a whole row of restaurants that offer some the best seafood you’ll ever eat and they’ve started a market place of their own. Key West is another popular port of call that has a little shopping area called Key West Bite, you come in on lower Duval Street which is the heart of everything fun going on in Key West. While in port you can also go on shore excursions which normally highlight the local sites like churches and museums but also include tours of harbors, diving and snorkeling trips. Then, after a day of shopping and or sight seeing, head back to the ship and on to more places and more adventures.
So, I hope you’d agree, on and off the ship cruises are a great vacation and one, I feel, everyone should experience at least once in their lives.

Spring Break

After the long hard winter of snow, sleet and freezing rain there is a ray of light, just head due south for some warmth, sun and sand because Spring Break is once again upon us. From the end of February to the middle of April each year many college students from all over the country and Canada flock down south, and especially to Florida, to thaw out and to give their brains a little R and R. In the Florida panhandle places like Destin and Pensacola are crowded with guys and girls looking for a good time a good tan and to hang out with thousands of people just like them.



In Panama City Beach a popular spot to be is Club LaVela. It is a massive club with many themed rooms that change all the time allowing them to stay on the cutting edge of nightlife. They host a whole month of Spring Break events and concerts during March. Their Concert Coliseum holds over 3,000 people, their huge pool and is where they host all sorts of contest like bikini, wet T-shirt, and male hard body contests during the day. MTV and many others have also hosted Spring Break events in the panhandle and all over Florida. If your look for happening but less crowed Spring Break spots Cocoa Beach and Fort Myers are gaining in popularity.



All along the East Coast of Florida hotels are packed as well. While Miami is always a popular spot no matter what time of year it is and two of the most popular Spring Break destinations are still Fort Lauderdale and Daytona Beach. Fort Lauderdale was popular in the 50’s and 60’s and still gets its fair share of the Spring Break crowd. Daytona Beach is also a great place to spend Spring Break, the live music, bikini, best buns and hot body contests are legendary. Spring Break is meant to be just that, a break from your studies, a break from the cold, a chance to get away and relax. Florida has anything and everything you could possible want or need to have a good time and a great break.

Home for the Holidays

Have you ever made plans to try and get home for Christmas from another state? If you have you know how difficult it can sometimes be, between the weather and the traffic, heading home for the holiday can be a down right battle. The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is the busiest travel time of the year overall. Between the weather and airlines over booking holiday travel can be quite an ordeal. When the weather gets bad airport closures affect everyone all over the country, flights get canceled and delayed, people miss connections it can ruin ones holiday spirit, but still we go.

According to Orbitz.com 2 of the most traveled to Christmas destinations happen to be right here in warm, sunny Florida. Miami is #10 and Orlando is #2 but the fact that Orlando is #2 can’t surprise many people; it’s one of the most traveled to destinations in the world any time of the year. The Disney parks and Universal Studios are common destinations but have you ever considered Christmas at Sea World? It’s a great place to learn about the oceans that surround our state on three sides and they have great holiday themed shows and a Christmas Luau. I’ve been to it, it’s great.



So why do we do it? Why do we risk getting stuck in some stuffy, smelly airport with tired, rude, strangers potentially eating bad institutional food out of styrofoam risking missing a delicious meal off our Grandmother’s china prepared by people who love us? Well that’s just it isn’t it – being with family. In 1954 Perry Como recorded that timeless classic (There's No Place Like) Home for the Holidays and apparently that’s how most people feel about it, get home to the ones you love at all costs.

It seems that some of the most popular, best loved movies about the holidays involve someone trying to get home. Two of the best are Planes, Trains and Automobiles starring John Candy and Steve Martin and who can forget poor little Kevin McAllister who gets left Home Alone while his family heads to France for Christmas, worse yet thieves try to break in and he has to defend his home. There were 4 movies in this series, it was pretty popular.

Another great thing about getting and being home for the holidays is all the local festivities and the hometown happenings where you meet up with old friends and people you haven’t seen since the last time you were home. One of my family’s traditions is to go around the neighborhoods looking at all the decorations and lights. Everybody puts up Christmas lights in Florida, there’s no reason not to, we don’t have bad weather and it doesn’t really get all that cold so things don’t blow down or fall over covered with snow. Our decorations keep longer; I think that’s why so many people put in the time and effort to do it.

Wherever you find yourself this holiday be it with family and friends or quietly at home I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday season.

Florida - the Winter Playground

Most people in Florida know what a ‘Snowbird’ is but for those of you unfamiliar with the term, it's a word used to describe people, usually from up North, who come down to Florida for the winter or longer. These people can come from as far away as Canada and as close as Alabama, they ‘nest’ from St. Petersburg to South Beach and all points in between. Some of them have homes here others rent for three to six months at a time and others just stay for a few weeks and we're happy to welcome them all.



South Florida, as you’d imagine, is probably the most popular place for the ‘rich and famous’ to winter. We have places like Fort Lauderdale which is known as the Venice of America because of its many canals and waterways and Palm Beach which is know for its fabulous designer shops and second to none accommodations. Then there is the crowing jewel, South Beach which is about as European as you can without hopping on a plane. South Beach is always a hot spot but in the winter, oddly enough, it heats up even more. Come down to South Beach in the winter and you’ll likely see a photo shoot on the beach or with one of the fabulous art deco hotels as the back drop. The sidewalk cafes are always busy, Mango's Tropical Cafe is a favorite any time of year, and all the hot night spots like the Mansion are always happening. Many famous people winter in SoBe, as it’s called, you may run into Donald Trump or some other famous familiar face, so be sure to stop and say ‘Hi’.