FEATURE FLORIDA
UP CLOSE & PERSONAL BY PAUL OSWELL
“You couldn’t get a greater contrast than the two most famous landscapes in southern Florida. My five-day fly-drive tour bought me the bling of Miami’s rich and famous, and the zing of an up-close encounter with the Everglades' best-known resident – the alligator. From the Ocean Five Hotel, I explored
the A-list environs of Miami’s Bayside and took an ocean cruise around some of the most awe-inspiring local residences. From there, it was on to the slightly less
salubrious but incredibly fascinating Everglades National Park, where the best of the region’s wildlife can be discovered, including birds, bears and, of course, your resident neighbourhood alligator. You can even have your photo taken
with one of the gators – all as part of a professional handling show, of course. I ended the tour with some snappy boutique shopping and an Art Deco tour, back in trendy South Beach.”
Cheetah Run’ which puts guests a
whisker away from the fastest land animal. The Museum of Science and History (MOSH) in Jacksonville has opened Florida’s largest digital planetarium. The new addition includes a 60-foot dome theatre offering a total- immersion entertainment experience. New hotels are boosting the bed stock
across the state. Major 2010 openings included the 391-room Coco Key Hotel and Water Resort in Orlando, with its own water park, the funky Daddy O in Miami Beach, the Jimmy Buffet-endorsed Margaritaville Hotel in Pensacola Beach and the 485-room Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Beach
Hotel, a reimagining of the famous Yankee Clipper Hotel from the 1950s.
Tourism Talk
COLIN BRODIE, director Visit Florida UK “Things are looking very
positive for Florida. We did have a bit of a shaky start to the year, which mirrored last year, however our overall performance is still strong. "There is still quite a late bookings
market, but thanks to some pretty strong early sales I would like to think that we’re better placed than most for this
calendar year. We will certainly continue to
compete aggressively for what
business there is out there. “Our summer business remains
broadly level year on year through both Orlando and Miami and Tampa, which is largely driven by high-revenue family bookings. Easter and the peaks are pretty much sold out, but there is still availability in the off-peaks. "I’m fairly confident that we will have a
better year and our overall numbers will be slightly up year on year.”
L to R: A 'gator in the hand is worth two in the swamp; wave riding on the Gulf Coast; Sunset and sails off Sarasota, in southwestern Florida
VOTED SOUTHWEST FLORIDA’S “BEST FACTORY OUTLET SHOPPING CENTER” TWELVE YEARS IN A ROW OVER 140 TOP DESIGNER AND BRAND NAME OUTLETS • COVERED WALKWAYS • DINING
COME TO THE VISITOR INFORMATION KIOSK TO RECEIVE A $10 MIROMAR OUTLETS GIFT CARD* *While supplies last. Must show valid European passport in order to receive a $10 Miromar Outlets Gift Card. One gift card per household. Restrictions may apply. Offer good thru 12/31/11.
INFO: (239) 948-3766 •
www.MiromarOutlets.com HOURS: Monday-Saturday: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. LOCATION: I-75, Exit 123, Corkscrew Road/Miromar Outlets Blvd. In Estero, between Naples & Fort Myers
24 April 2011 •
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