Tag: Florida Travel

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Three January Food Festivals for Forgetting Your New Year's Resolutions

January 11, 2012 at 10:54 AM | by | Comments (0)

January is kind of a slow and sleepy month, but even if it’s not quite harvest time that doesn’t mean that there aren’t plenty of foods to celebrate. There’s spicy stuff, sweet stuff, and everything in between...so here’s our picks for three fun food festivals that might be worth your time this month:

· Kumquat Festival – Dade City, Florida:
Of course the Sunshine State is known for oranges and grapefruits, but they’re also pretty darn awesome at growing kumquats. Dade City wants to share their love for the little orange fruits, and each year they invite like 40,000 friends to come check things out. This year’s festival is scheduled to run from 9am to 5pm on January 28—that’s a Saturday—and it’s free for all to enjoy.

Kumquat ice cream, kumquat pies, and kumquat cookies are just some of the special delicacies on display for sampling and snacking. Organizers are expecting around 350 different vendors to set up shop in the city’s downtown, so expect the usual arts, crafts, car shows, and entertainment in addition to all the tasty treats. There’s recipe contests too, and there’s even a chance to do your thing in hopes of scoring the title of Miss or Mister Kumquat.

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The Price Tag for Tampa Airport's Renovation is $30 Million Buckaroos

December 16, 2011 at 11:11 AM | by | Comments (0)

We love oversized checks and construction equipment, and both of those things are now slowly making their way to Tampa International Airport. In total the airport is planning to spend around $30 million to refresh and update some of its terminals, and we’re sure we’re not the only ones who enjoy an airport concourse with a fresh coat of paint.

Some of the airport signs, restrooms, and flooring are approaching 40 years old, so officials want to make sure everything is renovated before it's too late. Some of the updates have been made a priority, as they’re hoping to get at least half of the bathrooms fixed up before the end of next summer.

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Legoland to Build Itself a New Water Park for Summer 2012

December 6, 2011 at 8:44 AM | by | Comments (0)

Legoland in Florida still has its new theme park smell, but it’s already time to upgrade. The Lego bricks aren’t looking forward to the hot and humid summers, so they’re adding a brand new water park. Officials had mentioned this during the park’s October debut, but now we know that’s it’s all on scheduled and ready to arrive in time for the 2012 summer season.

Obviously there will plenty of spots to splish and splash for the kiddos, and as with the rest of the park it’s going to be tailored to the likes of loves of little ones. Some of the attractions planned for the new waterpark include a Lego Wave Pool, along with something they’re calling Twin Chasers—where you and a buddy twist and turn through intertwined tube tracks.

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What Not To Do At Art Basel Miami Beach: The Top Five Newbie Mistakes

December 2, 2011 at 10:44 AM | by | Comments (0)

Art Basel is now underway in Miami; technically the center of it all is South Beach, but there are fairs and exhibitions and installations and events all over the city. We'd like to tell you not to drive because traffic is a bee-yotch but then, taking a cab is not the best idea if you want to save some money to buy art.

With no good public transport options to get around, other than slow and unreliable buses, Miami's best bet for transport during this time may be a scooter or our old friend, DecoBike.

As for what not to do, we've got some tips in that department, too. Right this way...

5. DON'T forget the satellite fairs: It's not all about the official show—Art Basel Miami Beach, at the Miami Beach Convention Center—although the art fair is worth browsing even if you don't have deep pockets. (Keep your eyes peeled for celebs. Names as varied as Will Ferrell and Sylvester Stallone have been spotted.) But definitely make time for some of the more manageable, potentially more interesting, side fairs that have cropped up in the shadows of ABMB. The best include NADA, Scope and Design Miami/.

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SeaWorld Plans to Get Chilly in 2013 with Interactive Penguin Attraction

November 17, 2011 at 12:51 PM | by | Comments (0)

SeaWorld Orlando is located right in the middle of a theme park battleground, and they’re not going to just sit back and let Universal Studios and Walt Disney World have all the fun. They’ve already built new coasters and other attractions, but another round of upgrades and improvements might just keep Shamu ahead of Harry Potter and Mickey Mouse.

For one of the park’s largest expansion ever the place is going back to its roots, and they’re doing even more stuff with the animals. SeaWorld is planning to add a new penguin exhibit, but it’s going to be a little bit different than visiting the zoo. Arriving towards the beginning of 2013—Antarctica — Empire of the Penguin—will bring a whole new array of shops and restaurants to the park along with plenty of penguins.

Of course the centerpiece will be a brand new attraction, but one of the many highlights is the plan to introduce some frigid temperatures to park visitors—like Antarctica cold. They’re still finalizing what exactly the new ride will feature, but they’re promising “closer-then-ever animal connections” with “state-of-the-art interactive ride technologies.”

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Headphones On: Miami's South Beach Now Has Its Own Audio Tour

November 3, 2011 at 9:26 AM | by | Comments (0)

Models steal children, tell story about 'uncle Gianni'.

It's easy to think that everyone knows the stories that make South Beach the glitzy, sleazy, underdressed spectacle it is, but luckily a brand new company, Discovery Miami Beach, has come along to educate the uninitiated with a new self-guided audio tour—one that 'showcases 29 of the most important places in South Beach’s past and present.'

Of course, this includes a stop outside the Versace Mansion--now known as The Villa By Barton G. You can't go inside unless you want to have a very fancy meal or rest your head on a $1,000-a-night pillow, but you can take a peek at the photos our sister site HotelChatter snapped beyond the gate last fall.

As for the story about how Gianni was slain right there on the steps along Ocean Drive--how's that for education, kids?!

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The Miami Zoo's Escaping Indian Rhino Wants to Meet You

October 14, 2011 at 4:19 PM | by | Comments (0)

It's not exactly the Bronx Zoo Cobra escape, but over the weekend the Miami Zoo's Indian Rhino Juanpur took a little stroll outside his enclosure. Apparently a zoo official had left the door unlocked (seriously) and so Juanpur—nicknamed "Johnny"—was able to bump it open and wander around.

The 4,640-pound animal enjoyed his freedom for just under half an hour before he was successfully herded back to where he lives. By all accounts he was nonchalant throughout the "incident," displaying the kind of confidence that being a two ton animal provides.

All of which is the perfect excuse for us to again point you in the direction of the Miami Zoo. The park last came up when we were doing a roundup of five things to do in South Florida, at which point we described it as one of the top zoos in the country.

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Live From The LegoLand Florida Opening

Where: 1 Legoland Way [map], Winter Haven, FL, United States, 33884
October 14, 2011 at 10:40 AM | by | Comments (3)

Theme park openings are awesome, and today we plan to bring you all the latest and greatest as the fine folks of Legoland take the cellophane off their latest park in Winter Haven Florida and let us take a look around today.

It is media day, and Legoland Florida was kind enough to invite us and let us have a look around a day before the park opens to the public.

Miniland, Aqua Wave Racers, and maybe even some Lego Battles await -- so sit back relax and get ready to be awash in the inimitable Lego color palette -- live blog style.

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'Avatar' Set To Debut At Walt Disney World But Not 'Til Like 2016

Where: FL
September 27, 2011 at 8:06 AM | by | Comments (0)

Harry Potter better watch out, as there’s another movie coming to the middle of Florida before too long. Walt Disney World and James Cameron are teaming up to bring the world of Avatar to the theme park resort.

Details are kind of limited right now, as the initial announcement was more of just the Disney-folks and the Avatar-people getting together to shake hands and exchange signatures. We do know that the new attractions and rides are coming to a new section of the Animal Kingdom theme park, and that the blue people will be invading the park towards the end of 2015 or the beginning of 2016.

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Not Familiar With 'Comefly?' Well, They're Flying Nonstop From Florida To Denmark

September 13, 2011 at 9:30 AM | by | Comments (0)

Every once in a while we seem to come across some new-to-us airline, and this week it’s some kind of charter dealio that’s flying nonstop from Florida to Denmark. You’d think a likely city pair would be something like Miami to Copenhagen, but that’s not the case. This airline is crossing the Atlantic with the sole purpose of linking Fort Myers, Florida and Aalborg, Denmark.

The flights will operate once a week—on Mondays—starting on December 19 and running through April 9 of next year. If you’re looking to hitch a ride just talk to the folks over at Comefly, because they’re the ones in charge. Although, it’s actually Monarch Airlines that are the ones responsibility for doing the flying of the airplanes. Confused? Yes, we were too, especially with the less than awesome English translation of the website—but hey—they tried.

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Blue Water, Bikinis and Bahia Honda State Park in the Florida Keys

August 18, 2011 at 3:35 PM | by | Comments (0)

If you’re driving to the Florida Keys from pretty much anywhere else in the Sunshine State, you’re going to navigate the final stretch of US-1 for around two hours. Once you’re outside of Key Largo the turquoise waters start to show their true colors, but with your eye on a final destination at the end of the road you’re usually too focused to stop. However, if you’re going to pull off for a little time to splish and splash we have to recommend Bahia Honda State Park. Just pay attention to the mile markers, because if you blink you just might miss the entrance to the beach.

This state park sits at around mile marker 37 in the Florida Keys, and from what we saw on our recent stop, it might just be the best place to take a break between Key Largo and Key West. The park is open each and every day of the week form 8am until sunset, and admission will set you back $8 per vehicle under the assumption that your car is filled with passengers—it’s just $4 if you’re venturing in all by yourself.

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You've Never Heard of Them, but ArkeFly Jets from Amsterdam to Florida

July 6, 2011 at 1:45 PM | by | Comments (0)

Amstel Light just not cutting it anymore? If you need a dose of the stronger brew, or another of Amsterdam's unique offerings, there's now a new way to get to the Netherlands from Florida. On June 24, Dutch airline ArkeFly launched a non-stop service between Amsterdam and Orlando. SoFla gets a piece of the action, too, with the flight continuing on to Miami International before flying non-stop back to Amsterdam.

The new routes, which will operate Mondays and Fridays, make ArkeFly the only Dutch airline to offer non-stop service to Orlando and Miami.

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