Sunday, November 26, 2006

The Tamiami Trail

The Tamiami Trail: "The Tamiami Trail is the beauty and the beast of Florida roads, a highway-time machine that passes through a paradise of primeval forests and toothy animals as well as canyons of strip-shopping malls and heart-stopping traffic. The Trail, which is the last 275 miles of highway US 41, connects Tampa with Miami.

Friday, April 25, is the 75th anniversary of the completion of the Tamiami Trail. Considered an amazing engineering feat, the Trail was built through sandy pines, oak hammocks and finally the inhospitable swamps of the Everglades. Finishing the Trail required a dozen years, $8-million, almost three million sticks of dynamite, and one stubborn ox named 'Blue.'

Motorists are unlikely to spot an ox these days. But the Trail remains an amazing place. It's our road to diversity, marrying old Florida with the new, low-culture with high. A motorist with a full tank of gas and a long day to spare can visit carnival folks, donate money to the homeless, admire fine-art masterpieces, select a shell lamp, buy a stamp at the nation's smallest post office and maybe, just maybe, see a black bear.

Trail travelers can pick their own tomatoes, soak in a hot spring or in a luxurious spa bath, eat lima bean stew and homemade biscuits, ride an airboat with a Miccosukee Indian, watch old Cuban men play dominoes and wade past an alligator. But not at"

Ybor City Chamber of Commerce

Ybor City Chamber of Commerce
Welcome to Ybor City, Tampa's National Historic Landmark District. Florida's Latin Quarter experience beckons you back to another era. Wrought iron balconies, globe streetlights, brick-lined walkways and the majestic architecture of cigar factories, social clubs and other unique buildings, provide a glimpse into an era rich with culture and history. Today, Ybor City is a shopping, dining and entertainment district where the ancient art of premium hand-rolled cigar making lives on. And, we also boast a nightlife as colorful as our Spanish Flamenco dancers.

Welcome to Sanibel Island.com!

Welcome to Sanibel Island.com!: "Have you ever. . .dreamed of being on a tropical island, your toes in the soft white sand, an expansive beach, swaying coconut palms, lush tropical foliage and beautiful crystal blue water. Imagine watching the pelicans and herons fish for their dinner, collecting “treasures from the sea”, pastel colored seashells, while the sandpipers scurry along the surfs edge.




Sanibel Island has everything one could wish for…excellent restaurants, accommodations, golfing, tennis, fishing, boating, shopping, bike paths, canoes, theatrical productions, the renowned J.N. “Ding Darling”National Wildlife Refuge & Bird Sanctuary. Since 1884 Point Ybel Lighthouse has guided seafarers to Sanibel Island’s shores."

Tampa Electric - Manatee Viewing Center

Tampa Electric - Manatee Viewing Center: "The center set an attendance record last season with approximately 270,000 visitors. See what the excitement is about daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through April 15, 2007. You can experience a tidal walkway showcasing vibrant Florida plants and birds, butterfly gardens, our educational building, and – when the water temperature of Tampa Bay falls below 68 degrees Fahrenheit – manatees. Come see all this and more. Admission and parking are free!"

Sarasota.com - About Sarasota

Sarasota.com - About Sarasota: "In the Sarasota area, you can enjoy the breathtaking sunsets, educational museums, operas, ballets, plays, golf tournaments, and boat races. You can join in tennis, lawn bowling, water skiing, shell collecting, bird watching, growing exotic tropical plants, university classes, golf, or boating.

Quality service is available from knowledgeable physicians, bankers, lawyers, investment brokers, lenders and insurance agents, who can help answer your questions about living and conducting business in Florida.

Sarasota, together with its neighbors to the north and south, Manatee County and Charlotte County, form the 7th-largest market in Florida. It is also Florida's third-fastest growing major market. With over 600,000 people, the Sarasota/Manatee/Charlotte area is one of the largest, most affluent markets in Florida. In the last 5 years, it has grown 4 times faster than the national average. The per capita retail sales are almost 20% above the national average. It has a strong base of retirement age people, about a third of the population, but the fastest-growing segment of the market is middle-aged adults and their children. It has approximately 1/4 the population of the Tampa/St. Petersburg area.

The beauty of Sarasota will get your attention on your first visit. If you see Sarasota first from the window of an airplane, the colors of the Gulf of Mexico"

Sarasota.com - Sarasota Florida where award winning beaches meet culture, art and great weather.

Sarasota.com - Sarasota Florida where award winning beaches meet culture, art and great weather.
My Home Town!

Naples Florida

Naples Florida: "Naples is the crown jewel of Southwest Florida -- nestled on the sun drenched beaches of the Gulf of Mexico. Naples is known for world class shopping, dining and abundant, challenging golf courses. It is also, only steps away from island seclusion or the untamed tropical wilderness of The Everglades. Boasting one of the nation's best sandboxes and calmest seas, Naples makes a splash with water lovers and recreationists. Friendly parks beckon sports enthusiasts and picnickers with lovely green spaces and recreational facilities.

"

Miami Beach Art Deco District

Miami Beach Art Deco District: "The southern end of the the 10-mile-long barrier island of Miami Beach is home to the Art Deco National Historic District, the only location in the United States to be so designated. It is comprised of a few dozen hotels and apartment buildings built primarily in the 1930's. These buildings are soaring examples of pre-war modernism with charactertic rounded corners and geometric ornamentation. The highlight of the district is the strip of hotels along Ocean Drive between 5th and 15th street.

While the area is thriving today, the southern region of Miami Beach has a less than perfect history. When the first buildings were completed in the 1920's during prohibition, South Beach soon became associated with liquor and gambling and attracted the likes of Al Capone. By the early 1980's, much of the Art Deco district had become a slum and a center for drug traffic. South Beach experienced an unprecedented revival in the late 80's which some partially attribute to the success of the TV show 'Miami Vice.' More likely, it was the result of the non-profit Miami Design Preservation League and its founder Barbara Baer Capitman. Today, almost all of the original buildings have been meticulously restored and painted in a colorful array of pastels. Known familiarly as 'SoBe' the area is now the chic-est place to be in all of Miami and Miami Beach and has been referred to as 'America's Ri"

Daytona Beach Area - History, Communities, Attractions, Travel Tips

Daytona Beach Area - History, Communities, Attractions, Travel Tips

St Augustine History - Oldcity.com

St Augustine History - Oldcity.com: "St Augustine History and Information

The mainland of the North American continent was first sighted by the Spanish explorer and treasure hunter Don Juan Ponce de Leon on Easter, March 27, 1513. He claimed the land for Spain and named it La Florida, meaning 'Land of Flowers'. Between 1513 and 1563 the government of Spain launched six expeditions to settle Florida, but all failed. the French succeeded in establishing a fort and colony on the St. Johns River in 1564 and, in doing so, threatened Spain's treasure fleets whic h sailed along Florida's shoreline returning to Spain. As a result of this incursion into Florida, King Phillip II named Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles, Spain's most experienced admiral, as governor of Florida, instructing him to explore and to colonize the territory. Menendez was also instructed to drive out any pirates or settlers from other nations, should they be found there.

When Menendez arrived off the coast of Florida, it was August 28, 1565, the Feast Day of St. Augustine. Eleven days later, he and his 600 soldiers and settlers came ashore at the site of the Timucuan Indian village of Seloy with banners flying and trumpets sounding. He hastily fortified the fledgling village and named it St. Augustine.

Utilizing brilliant military maneuvers, Menendez destroyed the French garrison on the St. Johns River and, with the help"

Wirecracker | Get out of your old cell phone contract

Wirecracker | Get out of your old cell phone contract: "What do we do?
We allow customers to free themselves from their current wireless contract with no penalties. We then activate new service with a wireless carrier of your choice.

How does this work?
We cancel your existing contract with your current carrier. We are a national reseller for wireless service providers. We have established relationships with the wireless carriers which enables us to switch your wireless service from one carrier to another. We ship your phones direct to you and you put your old phones in the same box and ship back to us with prepaid shipping.

Will I be charged the cancellation fee?
Yes it will show up on your last bill with your previous carrier. We cut a check for the cancellation fee directly to your carrier.

Do I need to sign up with a new carrier?
Yes. In order for us to pay your cancellation fee you do need to sign up with new service with us.

Can I keep my same number?
Yes you can keep your number but you need to contact us first to do this."

Mermaid Shows - Weeki Wachee Spring The only city of live Mermaids!

Mermaid Shows - Weeki Wachee Spring The only city of live Mermaids!: "The 'World Famous' Mermaids of Weeki Wachee Springs have been entertaining audiences since 1947. They perform two shows daily in the only underwater theater of it's kind! There is no tank or aquarium. The theater is built into the spring itself and the mermaids perform in this natural and pristine spring while visitors enjoy the show 16-feet below the surface of the water!

The mermaids perform with Florida's wildlife as a variety of fish, turtles, manatees and an occasional alligator frequent the spring and the show!
"

Silver Springs

Silver Springs
No matter what your age, there are plenty of rides and attractions at Silver Springs that will make you laugh, fill you with wonder, and provide a glimpse into what life was like here more than 10,000 years ago. Just as they did then, the springs pump out 550 million gallons of sparkling-clear water a day—enough to supply the entire city of New York.

FlyLady.net: Your personal online coach to help you gain control of your house and home

FlyLady.net: Your personal online coach to help you gain control of your house and home