Salsapalooza in Florida
May 16th, 2012
If you are one of those who can’t resist the Latin rhythms and you start moving your legs as soon as the sound of congas, trumpets and timbales is within earshot, you must go to Florida in August.
Best March Ever for Florida Tourism
May 15th, 2012
While the recession shows limited signs of real abatement, we the people nevertheless seem to be bucking the trend. Mainly because we’re going places. Places mainly in Florida. Initial data suggests the state’s tourism sector has had its best March on record.
Tourism is widely being regarded as one of the few remaining recession-busters. Results emerged last week from the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO; a UN agency promoting responsible and accessible tourism) showing international tourist arrivals had increased by 5.7% in January and February this year.
Tourism Week
The US Administration is making the most of this. As part of its ‘National Travel and Tourism Week’ last week, the National Travel and Tourism Strategy was announced with plans to welcome in 100 million international visitors (spending an estimated $250 billion) a year for the next decade.
In a press statement Sam Gilliland, vice-chair of the US Travel and Tourism Advisory Board said: “The National Travel and Tourism Strategy marks a watershed moment for our country. It represents formal recognition of the national importance of travel and tourism and its status as a powerful economic, job creating and cultural engine.”
Top Five Attractions in Florida
May 14th, 2012
What do you think about when you think about Florida? Can you name five unavoidable places to visit while on holiday in the Sunshine State? Is there more to Florida than beaches, alligators, space shuttles and friendly mice? All these answers and more in the following article:
Wreck Diving off Florida Keys
May 11th, 2012
It was an ominously dark April night back in 1942 when the Benwood, a Norwegian freighter of one Captain Torbjorn Skjelbred was passing Key Largo Florida. Bearing its important cargo of phosphate rock from Tampa Bay, north to Norfolk, Virginia, the ship had been making good speed but was forced to hug the coast, three miles abeam of shore for fear of German U-boats hunting in the area. All was quiet that night and the evening seemed to be passing uneventfully, but as it happened, that same night, the Robert C. Tuttle was sailing towards Atreco, Texas under the auspices of Captain Martin Johansen. Johansen had also heard the rumours of U-boats, and he too was not taking any chances. Like Skjelbred, he was forced to sail blacked out in order to avoid being spotted by the feared submarines. As a result of its blackout, the Robert C. Tuttle was therefore likewise sticking close to the shore to enable it to navigate by the twinkling lights of the Keys.
Mermaids or Monsters? – Florida’s Magical Manatees
May 10th, 2012
Legend has it that it’s the Manatee, or Sea Cow, that lies behind many of the reported accounts of mermaid sightings by sailors in days of yore. Well taking a look at these hefty beasts, mariners back then must have been suffering from a serious case of seasickness, sent into a delusional cabin fever by all that sun and saltwater. Either that or the ladies who used to hang around the docks in those days left a lot to be desired, if these creatures could appear attractive by comparison!
“Instead of stubbornly attempting to use surrealism for purposes of subversion, it is necessary to try to make of surrealism something as solid, complete and classic as the works of museums” – Salvador Dali.
Well it seems that Dali achieved this ambition at least, something you’ll be well aware of if you make the fascinating trip to the Dali Museum, St. Petersburg on your trip to Florida. If you are starting to feel a bit like one of the world-renowned painter’s famous melting clocks out in the Florida sunshine, then the cooling shade of this wonderful museum could be just what you need.
Dangerous Beauty: Florida’s Natural Wonder the Panther
May 8th, 2012

Look at them eyes… Mountain Lion, of which the Florida Panther is a sub-species
Florida is a land of sunshine, Disney, and Miami. But because of its incredibly blessed geographical position, it is also a land of stunning natural beauty: the beaches on the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico shores, yes, but also wonderfully green parks, forests and swamps. One of the latter is the famous Big Cypress Swamp, crucial for the health of its neighbour, the Everglades National Park. The swamp is some 730,000 acres large, and it is home to a very diverse flora and fauna community.






