Monday, July 26, 2010

Choosing The Right Destination For Your Florida Adventure

By Jesse Henson

The state of Florida is located in the southeastern region of the US, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the north. The landmass is a large peninsula with the Gulf of Mexico to the west and the Atlantic to the east. It is nicknamed the "Sunshine State" because of its generally warm subtropical climate in the northern and central areas and a true tropical climate in the south. The state has four large urban areas, a number of industrial cities and many small towns. It has over 18 million residents making it the 4th most populous state in the US. Tallahassee is the capital, Jacksonville the largest city and Miami is the largest metropolitan area.

Florida is a major tourist destination. Orlando, Florida is home to Disney World, Universal Studios and Sea World. Miami and its metropolitan area is a world-renowned cultural and international hotspot. The entire state of Florida is surrounded by beautiful waters and beaches and is clustered with lakes and natural beauty inland. Trying to decide what location is best for your Florida adventure is at once simple and complex: almost any choice will be a good one, however there many options to consider.

Some animal attractions to consider:

SeaWorld Orlando -- As the world's premier marine adventure park, SeaWorld Orlando features 200 acres of world-class shows, thrilling rides and unforgettable animal encounters.

Butterfly World, Fort Lauderdale: a tropical rain forest that features exotic butterflies from around the world.

Caribbean Gardens, Naples - Wildlife zoo set amidst tropical gardens featuring big cats, primate expedition cruises, safari canyon and an alligator bay.

Discovery Cove - Orlando - A day of adventure brings a lifetime of memories as you swim with the dolphins, snorkel through coral reefs, and glide among stingrays.

Florida's best beaches:

Siesta Beach - Second only to first-place winner Hanalei Bay in Hawaii, is Siesta Beach. Siesta Beach on Siesta Key in Sarasota is a public beach located at the south end of Beach Road.

Cape Florida State Park - A little over a mile of wide, sandy beach front offers visitors exceptional Atlantic swimming year-round.

Perdido Key is a barrier island in the Florida Panhandle that provides wide, white sand beaches.

St. George Island State Park is surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico and Apalachicola Bay. These nine miles of undeveloped beaches and dunes provide the perfect natural setting for a wide range of activities including camping, hiking, fishing, swimming and sunbathing.

St. Joseph Peninsula State Park is located on St. Joe Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Known as a popular birding area, it offers a wide variety of recreational activities: boating, saltwater fishing, camping, canoeing and hiking.

Popular cruises:

Captiva Cruises - Captiva Island - Watch dolphins frolic, enjoy a Florida sunset, collect shells or visit Cabbage Key, Useppa, Boca Grande or Cayo Costa on scheduled cruises with first class service.

Jungle Queen - Ft. Lauderdale - Located at the Bahia Mar docks on Fort Lauderdale Beach, this paddle wheeler has been travelling Florida's waterways for over 50 years and has three different cruise offerings.

Scenic Cruise - St. Augustine - Enjoy a unique view of St. Augustine available only from the water. Partially narrated tours to enjoy St. Augustine's historic land marks and natural sites of interest.

Show Queen Cruise - Clearwater Beach - Discover Florida's marine wildlife and take advantage of the photo opportunities on either the sightseeing or island buffet lunch tour.

Sweet Liberty - Naples - Narrated scenic tours through Naples Bay and Gulf of Mexico waters with plenty of photo opportunities along the way.

The options listed above are really just the tip of the iceberg. There are literally hundreds of attractions to see. The best advice would be to sit down, make a list of all the possibilities you might like to visit and then plot a course on a map. Using push-pins to mark your locations, you will begin to see the outline of your itinerary. Eliminate the outliers and focus on achieving maximum density of attractions if transportation is an issue. If not, then perhaps you could plot a tour down the coastline, or end up somewhere inland. With a few short hours of preparation, you will be ready to embark upon one of the most temperate and sun-filled adventures of the season!

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