November 22nd, 2010
Jimmy Buffett sings a song about Christmas where Santa delivers your presents in a canoe, yes that’s the way Santa does it here in Florida. Floridians decorate differently too, because while we do deck our halls we also deck our decks and masts with lights. We enjoy our boats year round and once they are twinkling with lights from bow to stern and every inch in between we take them out and show them off. Christmas boats parades happen all over Florida and are a great way to get the whole family in the holiday spirit. Here is a list of upcoming boat parades, look for one in your favorite area.
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September 20th, 2010
Spooky, FL – There’s a cold wind beginning to howl out of the north, after it shakes the leaves from their trees it causes us all to give a little shutter, and it’s because we know Halloween is on the way. Here in Florida, from Jacksonville to Key West we are hanging up our cobwebs and dusting up our windows getting ready to celebrate Halloween. Whether it’s a local haunted house, boo at the zoo or a major theme park event like Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween for the little ones or Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights for the older ones be sure to check our list and find out what’s going on near you and enjoy the spooky fun.
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August 3rd, 2010
The summer is almost at an end; soon the kids will be bogged down with all sorts of homework projects and looking forward to Christmas break. Before all that happens though there is still time to get in one last summer trip. We here in Florida have many water and amusement parks, tons of islands to play on and around, many historical places to visit with forts to explore and even the Panhandle beaches are much better, places like Panama City Beach have been free of oil for the last two weeks.
St. Augustine, a Family Getaway for Everyone
The historic district of St. Augustine is full of small shops, restaurants and coffee shops. Peek into doorways to find craftsmen who are knowledgeable in the trades of times past. The Spanish fort Castillo de San Marcos is a “must not miss” St. Augustine attraction. The National Park Service maintains the Fort on 20.5 acres and keeps it open every day except Christmas. Two major trolleys serve downtown St. Augustine, so getting around is easy for everyone!
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Cocoa Beach, Sun and Fun at the Beach
The beach is just the beginning in Cocoa Beach, there are many other things to see nearby such as Cape Canaveral, Port Canaveral and Kennedy Space Center where you can also watch a Space Shuttle or Rocket Launch. Another great place to visit is Jetty Park where you can fish, go camping, watch the cruise ships or just hang at the beach.
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Daytona Beach, Plenty of Things to Do
When someone says Daytona, one of three things may spring to mind. If it’s cars it’s the Daytona International Speedway or maybe that you can drive on the beach. Daytona Beach’s vibrant shoreline, lined with hotels, motels, condominiums and houses, attracts over 8 million tourists each year. Hotel and motel rooms in all price ranges and are plentiful through the end of summer.
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Beat the Heat at a Water Park
Few places in America get hotter than Florida in the summer. Fortunately no matter where you’re planning to vacation, there’s a water park close by cool off and refresh yourself.
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Aquatica the South Seas-inspired waterpark features attractions from serene to extreme. Aquatica joins sister parks SeaWorld and Discovery Cove to create a trio of immersive marine life adventures found nowhere else in the world.
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Tourist and locals alike head to Places in Orlando for some of the coolest water parks in the world. Many theme parks offer discounts to affiliated water parks when you purchase a ticket. Also during the summer there are always promotions with coupons from merchants, fast food restaurants and soft drink manufacturers making your water park adventure a bargain.
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July 19th, 2010
PlacesAroundFlorida.com announces our new Northeast Florida Beaches section. Florida has over 1250 miles of beautiful coastline and more than 90% of our beaches are oil free. And now has never been a better time to visit Florida beaches with many offering lodging discounts and other promotions. The beaches of Northeast Florida have always been popular with visitors from Georgia, North and South Carolina, but with the oil from the BP-Deepwater Horizon disaster impacting the Florida Panhandle, PlacesAroundFlorida.com has recently visited and added new popular beach destinations for Florida visitors.
Northeast Florida Beaches Have Not Been Affected by the BP Oil Spill
The beaches of Northeast Florida are over a thousand miles from the oil spill and are located just off Florida’s I-95. Whether you’re looking for an unspoiled natural beach at one of Florida’s State Parks or the resort lifestyle with all of the amenities, you’ll find it in Northeast Florida. Here are just a few.
Amelia Island – Fernandina Beach
Amelia Island is a lush beautiful island, with many miles of beaches and several state parks that have trails great for hiking, biking and nature watching. Fernandina Beach is the northern most east coast beach in Florida and has been an important seaport from early on, which is evident in its Victorian-era architecture and charming historic district. One of the most popular resorts is Amelia Island Plantation. This 1350 acre AAA Four Diamond resort on Amelia Island overlooks the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Intracoastal Waterway on the west.
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Jacksonville Beach
Jacksonville Beach is a great place to spend a few days, as it will take you that long to see it all. The beaches are nice and wide so I guess that’s why they made the pier’s boardwalk so nice and wide. Along with the hanging out on the fishing pier, you can browse the shops at the boardwalk, ride your bike or rollerblade along, but be sure to watch for people, because this place is always crowded, day or night.
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Ponte Vedra Beach
Ponte Vedra Beach is known for two things, posh resorts and pristine golf courses, but they do have great beaches as well. The beach there is wide and sandy, great for laying out getting a tan or looking for shells, as lifeguards watch over all guests. Just south of Jacksonville, this world class resort is a favorite east coast beach.
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Anastasia State Park
Anastasia State Park is near St. Augustine and welcomes thousands visitors from all over the world every year to enjoy its many natural wonders. Anastasia’s four miles of beautiful beaches attract walkers, joggers, fishermen, surfers, kayakers, bicyclists and water sports enthusiasts.
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Flagler Beach
Along Florida’s east coast tucked in north of Daytona Beach you’ll find Flagler Beach; once a sleepy little fishing village Flagler Beach has flourished in to a vibrant seaside community while maintaining much of its original charm. The big ‘Flagler Beach’ emblazoned across the roof of the Flagler Beach Municipal Pier Restaurant is and has been a draw to the pier for a long time and is arguably the most familiar sign on the beach.
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Of course there are many other Beaches in Florida to visit and there’s no better way to cool off this summer than a visit to the beach.
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June 14th, 2010
Grab your sunglasses and beach blanket and plan your trip to Florida now because nobody celebrates our nation’s birthday like we do in the Sunshine State. From the Panhandle to the Florida Keys and everywhere in between cities and towns will be celebrating with a day of family fun topped off with fabulous fireworks displays. Check out these events to find one near you.
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February 7th, 2010
Florida is a great place for a Valentine weekend getaway with your Sweetie. There are many romantic cities that offer carriage rides through them, day or night, many have very romantic Bed and Breakfast Inns or five star resort spas where you can enough a nice couples massage or other pampering treatment. There are also many islands dotted along both of Florida’s coasts, some very secluded and private. No matter what you’re looking for or what you have in mind as quality time you’ll find it here in warm, sunny Florida.
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December 8th, 2009
In Florida we do things a little differently for New Years Eve. Instead of a big ball dropping like they do up there in New York City, we drop a big orange in Orlando and a Conch Shell in Key West and we’re just as likely to toast the new year with a Rum Runner as champagne. No matter how you choose to celebrate the arrival of 2010, here are some suggestions of places to go and things to do in Florida for New Year’s Eve.
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December 2nd, 2009
Christmas time in Florida is celebrated differently than our neighbors to the north. Even with all the things to do in Florida, most of us still miss the snow, so we have to be more creative and therefore tend to go overboard with light and holiday displays. We even have Christmas Boat Parades, where captains decorate their vessels with lights and everything from sleighs to small castles.
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June 11th, 2009
This year the party’s back on for the Fourth of July in Florida. Last summer the country was dealing with $4.00 a gallon gas, this year we’re a little more optimistic and gas prices are lower. So let the fun resume and Celebrate America. Get ready to “pop off” a little Independence, grab your blankets, flags, family and friends and head on out to one of these spots and celebrate the United States of America.
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September 29th, 2008
By Kirby Collins
Scary Places, FL – During October the wind starts to howl through the trees and somewhere in the distance, bells hung in a church tower mournfully begin to toll… well maybe not. After all this is Florida, but that doesn’t mean Floridians don’t enjoy a cooler October and go all out for Halloween. From the Panhandle to Key West, Florida boasts what many believe are some of the most haunted cities in the nation. Whether you believe or not, Halloween is a perfect time for to find a costume and get ready to Monster Mash, so be sure to get out and get scared at a few of these popular events.
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