Into the Clear, Blue Water: Diving Florida

The 1,700 islands that compose the Florida Keys stretch for 150 miles from Miami to the Sunshine State's southernmost tip, bordering the only living barrier reef on the continent. The clear, calm seas, diverse marine life, brilliant coral ridges, and as many as 5,000 shipwrecks make for a diving enthusiast's dreamland—but don't let Florida's flagship scuba and snorkeling destination overshadow the state's copious spring dive sites.

The near-perfect visibility of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, the nation's first underwater preserve, makes Key Largo the most popular diving and snorkeling destination in the United States. The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, which starts at Key Largo and stretches the full length of the islands, and the Statue of Christ of the Abyss, an eerily beautiful and massive structure resting 25 feet below the ocean's surface, amplifies this distinction. The labyrinthine series of canyons and channels along the Molasses Reef in the Upper Keys, home to sea turtles and eagle rays, should not be missed. The Pillar Patch, where coral rises up from the floor like cactus, and the shipwreck-littered Elbow also rank high on the must-see list of divers in the Upper Keys. For a more natural and untouched Keys experience—save the unavoidable glitz of Key West—head to the Lower Keys, where the Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary houses an incredible array of coral and marine life in a meager 5.3 square nautical miles. Stargazer, the world's largest underwater sculptured reef, sits five miles off Key West, replicating the intricate series of star constellations once used to navigate the seas.

But if you're anxious to find a diving experience different from the crowded Keys, Florida's porous limestone terrain, particularly across the central region and the Panhandle, has created more divable springs than any other state in the nation. There are as many as 1,000 springs within this area; some reside on private lands, while others are protected inside state parks and preserves. Blue Springs in Orange County, where manatees migrate from the St. Johns River, has a 120-foot throat where gar, tilapia, and bass lurk. Rock Springs in Apopka gushes from the bottom of a limestone bluff, while Alexander Springs is the only scuba-sanctioned spring in Ocala National Forest. Ginnie Springs, the best privately owned spring system with water that Jacques Cousteau described as "visibility forever," offers opportunities to swim, snorkel, dive, and camp. Certified cave divers, meanwhile, should migrate to Peacock Slough, composed of two major springs, six sinkholes, and a number of earthen depressions.

Source : http://away.com/

Take a Picnic Basket When You Vacation in Florida

Picnic baskets contain all the essentials for a family meal except the food. Flatware, plates, glasses, napkins and a table cloth are generally included with every picnic basket. You will find some baskets that are so well equipped that they also include wine glasses, bottle opener, cutting board and cheese knife. Some picnic baskets also include plastic bags for the trash and dirty dishes. All you need to do is add in your favorite foods and you are ready to hit the roads.

I find it odd that people will not plan ahead with their meals. They know that they are going to have to eat but they won't plan what or where they will eat.

Florida tourists have no problem finding places to spend their money on food. This state seems to be overwhelmed with dining options. With the numerous parks, rest stops and outdoor dining opportunities it seems a shame not to take full advantage of these.

Theme Park Dining

The most expensive places to eat in Florida are our theme parks. Be prepared to spend a minimum of $10 - $15 per person per meal at a theme park. That means a family of 4 will spend $40 - $60 per meal inside one of the Florida theme parks. Do a couple of those per day and you will quickly spend the vacation budget on food rather than fun.

But did you know that every theme park also has a policy that allows you to exit the park to go to your car? That's right. You can exit the park, grab your picnic basket, eat your family meal and then return to the park when you are done. While you are heading back into the park you are all smiles as you just saved yourself about $50.

Watch a Shuttle Launch

One of the most awesome sites you can see in your life is a shuttle launch from Cape Canaveral. The power and beauty of a launch is something that still brings traffic to a stop all around Central Florida. We live 45 miles away in Orlando and we still stop and watch the launches from our homes or from the side of the road.

Imagine how wonderful it would be to watch the launch from your picnic spot in Jetty Park in Cocoa Beach, Florida or the National Seashore in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Either of these parks provide a great view of the launch and both are close enough that you can hear the rockets as they burn.

Go "Toes Up" on the Beach

Florida is a huge peninsula that is surrounded on 3 sides by the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. The hundreds of miles of beach can never be explored in a lifetime of trying. What may come as a surprise to you is the varying types of beaches that you will find.

In Daytona you will find the sand is packed hard enough to drive on. Just south of there in New Smyrna you will find the beach sand soft and banked high so you can't get a car onto the beach.

On the west coast you will find some beaches made up of millions tiny shells and others the powdery sand that you can easily sink into.

All of these beaches have something in common. They all are perfect for a picnic meal with your family. Pack you lunch and be sure to take along the sun screen. You may even want to take along a Frisbee or a kite for the kids to play with while you set up the family meal.

And when the meal is done you can lay back and relax while the kids build a sand castle or go swimming in the ocean.

No matter where you go in Florida you will find picnic areas, parks and beaches that will welcome you and your family to dine. You already know that you are going to eat out when you vacation in Florida. Plan ahead and you will enjoy your vacation more, eat for less and make lasting memories for your family.

Source : http://www.ezinearticles.com/

Florida RV SuperShow at Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa Jan 16 - 20

The Florida RV Trade Association (FRVTA) will host the 23rd Annual 2008 Florida RV SuperShow, Wednesday, January 16 through Sunday, January 20. The Florida RV SuperShow will again be held at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa, Florida.

The 2008 SuperShow will break the record for both manufacturer’s space and supplier’s booth space. “We will have more Supplier’s booths than ever before and a record amount of Manufacturer space,” said Marketing Director David Kelly. “With the addition of new entertainment and more seminars, we’re anticipating record crowds this year. We’re also renewing the 2-day pass so the public will have two full days to see everything at the SuperShow at no additional cost.”

The theme of the 2008 Florida RV SuperShow is “Where Do You Want To Go?” With more families looking into RVing as a travel option and with all the travel options for RVers, “Where Do You Want To Go?”, seemed like an appropriate theme for the 2008 SuperShow. With a record amount of RVs on display and educational seminars, the SuperShow is the place to trade-in your old RV or get all the information you need to get acquainted with the RV lifestyle. And some of Florida’s finest campgrounds and resorts will have booth exhibits to show attendees the best camping opportunities found
anywhere.

A favorite of all visitors to the SuperShow is the FREE entertainment. From clowns and unicycle riders to Barbershop Quartets and BagPipe Bands, the SuperShow has enough entertainment to keep everyone busy the entire day. New to the SuperShow this year is the Arneberg’s Super Dog Show with tricks and surprises. And take advantage of the FREE shuttle service inside the SuperShow that will carry visitors from exhibit to exhibit.

Seminars are presented throughout the day at the SuperShow making it easy to attend the ones you want to see. National RV Writers Joe and Vicki Kieva host two seminars daily. “Choosing an RV; A Logical Approach” helps you decide which RV is right for your particular lifestyle and “Full Time & Extended RV Travel” explains how RV travelers deal with banking, bill paying, telephone communications, e-mail, mail forwarding, medical care and other concerns while on the road for extended periods of time. Other daily seminars include John Holod Productions presentation of “Alaska RV Adventure: Highway and Ferry”, “RV Adventures to the Gulf Coast and Baja Mexico” and “East Coast RV Adventure: Maine to Key West”.

The Super Rally celebrates its 18th year at the SuperShow. This RV rally is opened to any and all RV clubs and the general public and includes a number of amenities including FREE admission to the SuperShow all five public days, meeting facilities for your club, FREE coffee and donuts every morning and seminars. Three nights of entertainment and refreshments are also included and will feature a “A Song in My Heart” music by Kay and Ron Rivoli and a fun evening with the amazing violin talents of The Stephanie Ann Show.

See the “World’s Largest” RV Sand Sculpture and Camping World will have a huge display of parts and accessories. The F.L.O.W. Mobile will be on-site from the Florida Driver’s License Bureau for all your Florida Driver’s License needs and on Saturday and Sunday the McGruff’s Safe Kids Total Identification Program will be at the show with free child identification packets for parents.

Admission to the SuperShow is only $8.00 for adults and that includes a second day admission for the cost of one day and children under 16 are FREE. The SuperShow hours are Wednesday - Saturday 9am – 6pm and Sunday 9am – 5pm. Wednesday is Senior Citizens Day with seniors receiving $1.00 off the cost of admission (not valid with other discounts).

Source : http://www.placesaroundflorida.com/

Reasons to Tour Florida by Tour Bus

There are many reasons why the best way to travel and tour Florida is by tour bus and we’re going to list them here. For one, if you’re traveling in a group, especially so if the group is especially large, get a tour bus so that everyone comes and goes in a group. This way no one gets left behind while the others are busy exploring the richness of Florida. The tour bus will take care of all your traveling needs while ensuring that you are comfortable in the tour bus. Why bother with having to drive yourself there individually when you can hire a tour bus to get to where you want to go in Florida. And Florida is much too beautiful a place to spend worrying about traveling – so, that’s the number one reason why hiring a tour bus in Florida makes perfect sense.

Another reason why you should hire a tour bus whenever you get to Florida is because Florida tour bus fees are not expensive at all! Most people are turned off the idea because the first impression that they get about Florida tour bus is that they’re expensive. This doesn’t have to be so. There are many different types of tour buses being offered and all you have to do is to pick a tour bus that is suitable for your group of people. The smaller the tour bus, the cheaper it is.

And besides, having a tour bus at your beck-and-call in Florida means that you get that special personalized service that is not possible otherwise. I mean, a whole tour bus in Florida just for you! You don’t this kind of feeling driving yourself around in a rented car. Imagine the kind of memories you will have of Florida if you hired a tour bus.

Remember, the most important thing is that everyone needs to be happy and everyone should get the chance to explore Florida as much as they can. The only way to do this is to hire a tour bus and take ‘traveling woes’ out of your holiday. Throw the compass and map away because with a Florida tour bus – you don’t need them. Just sit back and relax while the tour bus takes you all around Florida and you lap up as much sun-bathing time as you can.

Source : http://ezinearticles.com/

Citizen's Planning Bill of Rights Author Hopes to Restore Public Confidence in Florida's Comprehensive Plans

Calling their attention to ''growing citizen dissatisfaction with the way we're dealing with growth-and-development issues,'' Florida Department of Community Affairs (DCA) Secretary Tom Pelham urged state legislators to pass his Citizens' Planning Bill of Rights, which could restore public confidence in the effectiveness of comprehensive plans and defuse the increasingly assertive Hometown Democracy movement's push for a referendum on a ''draconian'' constitutional amendment that would make any major plan changes dependent on a community vote.

Even if the movement misses the February 1 deadline for placing the amendment on the 2008 ballot, residents are likely to continue such efforts ''at the local level all over our state,'' Secretary Pelham cautioned the Senate Community Affairs Committee, stressing, ''They think the plans are changed willy-nilly. They think the commissions are in the pockets of developers.''

The commissions, reports Orlando Sentinel writer Aaron Deslatte, amend local plans 12,000 times each year, with a record of 208,000 single-family home permits issued in 2005 declining to 146,000 last year and probably further now.

Under the secretary's proposed bill, he writes, the state would review large residential projects that include affordable housing within 40-50 days rather than in several months, steer more growth to urban areas by easing or removing requirements for greater developer-ensured road capacity, require local governments to give residents more notice before proposed comprehensive plan changes, and ''let cities and counties change their comprehensive plan less often -- and require a supermajority vote to approve the changes.''

Hometown Democracy co-founder Ross Burnaman, a Tallahassee lawyer who helped Secretary Pelham implement the state's 1985 growth-management law during his earlier DCA tenure in the late 1980s, doubts lawmakers' receptiveness.

''I don't trust the Legislature,'' he said. ''Since 1985, the Legislature's done nothing but butcher a good piece of legislation.''

Others question whether the proposed reform could appease the public.

''There's a general frustration by people who come down to the county commission meeting to speak about something they think is important, then get three minutes at midnight,'' observed longtime developer lobbyist Wade Hopping. ''They end up feeling like it's not a fair deal. That's going to be a hard thing to fix.''Source : http://www.smartgrowth.org/