RonFrank
Contributor
Everglades, Big Cypress - Billies Swamp Safari
This is about an hour west of Ft. Lauderdale. They offer air boat tours, Swamp Buggy tours, have a small zoo, and a Seminole indian village that is kida cool. We spent one night in a chickee.
This is a Chickee Hut. They are screened, a couple have a dock out back overlooking the swamp, and they rent cheap!
Here is the view from an Airboat tour.
Yes you can hold the little ones at some places!
Wild Hawk in the Everglades
Clearwater Beach Area
The East Coast of FL has better diving, but IMO the West Coast has MUCH better beaches. We often stay on Treasure Island next to John's pass. From there one can do Tampa Bay attractions (like the Aquarium), dolphin boat tours, Deep Sea fishing, nature walks, or just enjoy the beaches. One of our favorite beach spots is Honeymoon Island north of Clearwater. Another is the Ft. Desoto area. You will see plenty of birdlife, shelling is great, and it's a wonderful place to relax.
Dolphin Tour off of Treasure Island, don't get this wrong, these are wild.
Heron at St. Johns Pass
Ft. Myers Beach
Ft. Myers beach is similar to the Clearwater area, but each place is different. The
area offers pleanty of good food, entertainment, fishing, and relaxing on the beach. If you do a bit of homework, you can find HUGE shrimp for under $10 a pound. We stayed HERE, and I highly recommend it.
A favorite spot in that area is Lovers Key, a wonderful Island. You can rent kayaks, bikes, hike or just relax on the shore. I'm VERY sure Bulla can tell you ALL ABOUT IT!
Sunset at Ft. Myers
Ft. Lauderdale
Ft. Lauderdale is a great area. The beach is great, and one can dive two different reefs from the shore. The east coast beaches are not quite as nice as the west coast, but they are different. If you are looking for more of a city feel Ft. Lauderdale beach, and Miami both have it. There is good boat diving here, and all up and down the East Coast from Jupiter to Miami. Jupiter is one of my favorite boat dives in FL.
Key Largo
I love the FL Keys! The Gulf on the West, the Ocean on the East, and wonderful diving along miles of reef full of marine life. IMO do NOT miss the FL. Keys if you are visiting, it would be a tragedy! There are no beaches to speak of here, but if you love the sea, this is the place to be.
JewFish on the City of Washington
Molassas Reef
Conch Reef
Orlando
We always spend at LEAST one day in the Orlando area. What can I say, there is a lot to do, and it is generally all good! We enjoy Mickey, and even if it's pricy, and crowded, it's still very unique and a great way to spend the day. However I do think they need a *I survived DisneyXXX* Tee! There are so many attractions in the area, it's impossible to list them all, and it's difficult to go to FL, and not spend at least a day or two in Orlando.
Tommorowland at night.
Seaword has some Amazing stuff, like Shamu!
This is about an hour west of Ft. Lauderdale. They offer air boat tours, Swamp Buggy tours, have a small zoo, and a Seminole indian village that is kida cool. We spent one night in a chickee.
This is a Chickee Hut. They are screened, a couple have a dock out back overlooking the swamp, and they rent cheap!
Here is the view from an Airboat tour.
Yes you can hold the little ones at some places!
Wild Hawk in the Everglades
Clearwater Beach Area
The East Coast of FL has better diving, but IMO the West Coast has MUCH better beaches. We often stay on Treasure Island next to John's pass. From there one can do Tampa Bay attractions (like the Aquarium), dolphin boat tours, Deep Sea fishing, nature walks, or just enjoy the beaches. One of our favorite beach spots is Honeymoon Island north of Clearwater. Another is the Ft. Desoto area. You will see plenty of birdlife, shelling is great, and it's a wonderful place to relax.
Dolphin Tour off of Treasure Island, don't get this wrong, these are wild.
Heron at St. Johns Pass
Ft. Myers Beach
Ft. Myers beach is similar to the Clearwater area, but each place is different. The
area offers pleanty of good food, entertainment, fishing, and relaxing on the beach. If you do a bit of homework, you can find HUGE shrimp for under $10 a pound. We stayed HERE, and I highly recommend it.
A favorite spot in that area is Lovers Key, a wonderful Island. You can rent kayaks, bikes, hike or just relax on the shore. I'm VERY sure Bulla can tell you ALL ABOUT IT!
Sunset at Ft. Myers
Ft. Lauderdale
Ft. Lauderdale is a great area. The beach is great, and one can dive two different reefs from the shore. The east coast beaches are not quite as nice as the west coast, but they are different. If you are looking for more of a city feel Ft. Lauderdale beach, and Miami both have it. There is good boat diving here, and all up and down the East Coast from Jupiter to Miami. Jupiter is one of my favorite boat dives in FL.
Key Largo
I love the FL Keys! The Gulf on the West, the Ocean on the East, and wonderful diving along miles of reef full of marine life. IMO do NOT miss the FL. Keys if you are visiting, it would be a tragedy! There are no beaches to speak of here, but if you love the sea, this is the place to be.
JewFish on the City of Washington
Molassas Reef
Conch Reef
Orlando
We always spend at LEAST one day in the Orlando area. What can I say, there is a lot to do, and it is generally all good! We enjoy Mickey, and even if it's pricy, and crowded, it's still very unique and a great way to spend the day. However I do think they need a *I survived DisneyXXX* Tee!
There are so many attractions in the area, it's impossible to list them all, and it's difficult to go to FL, and not spend at least a day or two in Orlando.
Tommorowland at night.
Seaword has some Amazing stuff, like Shamu!
