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Re: [IRCA] 1100 Wobbler BigSig Alert; 14 0250Z MAR 06; PVZ
- Subject: Re: [IRCA] 1100 Wobbler BigSig Alert; 14 0250Z MAR 06; PVZ
- From: "Ira Elbert New, III" <ien3@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 16 Mar 2006 17:03:43 -0500
Sorry it's not the real thing...My Wife took the papers to be recycled
Sunday after we read them.
http://www.ajc.com/sunday/content/epaper/editions/sunday/travel_4431c28234eb80d0006c.html
OP 10 PLACES TO GO IN FLORIDA
An insider shares her hideaways, hot spots and wonders of nature, plus
legends and lore
Mary Thurwachter - Palm Beach Post
Sunday, March 12, 2006
Mary Thurwachter knows a little something about quick getaways. For 10 years
she's written about Florida travel for The Palm Beach Post.
She's cased all sorts of Florida joints --- from the Panhandle to the Keys
--- and found some hidden treasures.
When questioned, she confessed, spilling the beans about which getaways are
worth your time and money.
Here are her 10 favorite hideouts.
Cedar Key
Why I love it: Cedar Key (population 668) has slowly changed from a quiet
fishing and lumber village to a haven for artists and writers, retirees and
tourists who want to experience Florida the way it used to be. You can watch
birds (the bird count is high), but you won't find a movie theater or a
mall. There are no fast-food restaurants. And despite the fact that people
scoot about the town in golf carts (many with a dog riding in the passenger
seat), there is no golf course here, either.
Cedar Key is part of more than 100 islands (13 of which are designated as a
federally protected sanctuary). Paddle a kayak around this island and your
chances of seeing dolphins are good.
Best time to go: October is a good time and you can coordinate your visit to
indulge in the great fish dishes at the annual Cedar Key Seafood Festival.
For details, call 352-543-5600.
Favorite hangout: Old Fenimore Mill. Built on a site once home to the
Fenimore Steam Saw and Planing Co., the one- and two-bedroom furnished
apartments on stilts have sweeping views of the gulf. Rates start at $130
per night for a one-bedroom unit (reduced rates available for longer stays).
1-800-767-8354, www.fenimoremill.com.
Don't miss: Dock Street has good restaurants and a dozen fun art and gift
shops. Minutes away on Second Street, the heart of the "downtown district,"
there are more galleries and museums. The Cedar Key Historical Society
Museum on Fla. 24 at Second Street has a fascinating exhibit that shows the
town's history through photographs dating back to 1850.
Curious factoids: In the late 19th century, the town of Cedar Key was the
western rail head of Florida's first cross-state rail line. Its cedar trees
were used to make pencils. Cedar Key is the No. 1 producer of littleneck
clams in the United States.
Information: Cedar Key Chamber of Commerce, 352-543-5600, www.cedarkey.org.
Manasota Beach, Englewood
Why I love it: "Easy does it" is the mantra at Manasota Beach, where the
gopher tortoises are friendly and the shells gigantic.
At the Manasota Beach Club, a 25-acre Old Florida-style retreat on an island
between Venice and Boca Grande, the turtles have been known to show up at
guests' front doors. The slow-moving reptiles are adorable and never
overstay their welcome.
Humans, on the other hand, will be tempted not to leave the lush grounds,
with unpretentious beach cottages set among cabbage palms, live oaks and
palmettos.
Walk the miles of sandy beach, play croquet, tennis or basketball, splash in
the pool, hike on the nature trails or take the club's Hobie Cat out for a
sail. Golfers have access to a nearby private club.
Binoculars are a good idea if you like to watch birds. Guests have tallied
93 species on the property.
The Manasota Beach Club has its own library and books are cataloged by the
Dewey Decimal System. No librarians, though. Books are loaned using the
honor system.
Best time to go: During the winter season (Feb. 1-March 31), when rates
range from $270 to $480 per night (plus tax and tip) and include three meals
a day at the clubhouse.
Favorite hangout: At Manasota Beach Club, the Sanderling cottage, a
one-bedroom cottage on the beach with views of the gulf from the bedroom,
living room and the huge porch with its own private tanning deck.
Don't miss: A short drive north to Sarasota is Ringling Center for the
Cultural Arts, which includes the Museum of Art. 941-359-5700, ringling.org.
Shoppers will like St. Armand's Circle on Lido Key in Sarasota
(941-388-1554).
Curious factoid: In the 1930s, the Manasota Beach Club was a nudist camp
called the Palm Ridge Health Club. When the name changed, so did the policy
of allowing naked campers.
Information: 941-474-2614 or www.manasotabeachclub.com.
Captiva
Why I love it: It's so captivating! Once you get here, you'll want to stay
put. In part because of the things that aren't here --- no gas stations,
traffic lights, supermarkets or chain stores. In part because of what is
here: marinas, boating charters, restaurants and miles of sandy beach with
an abundance of seashells.
Yes, Hurricane Charley made an uninvited visit here in August 2004. The
storm brought down trees and damaged houses and other buildings, but workers
continue to make repairs and islanders are welcoming back tourists. The
number of shells may have temporarily dwindled, but the white sandy beaches
are wider and even more impressive.
Also to be found on Captiva: a general store, a day spa, retail shops and
galleries, a post office, a branch bank, an interdenominational chapel, a
small library and old cemetery. The foliage is gorgeous and pastel-colored
houses have fanciful names like Mermaid Place, Captivated, Shellusion and
Pink Paradise.
During the 1950s, the beaches of Captiva inspired Anne Morrow Lindbergh to
write "Gift From the Sea."
Best time to go: Summer or fall when rates are down and the snowbirds have
flown the coop. You'll still find an abundance of shells on the beach, but
the line at the Bubble Room is much shorter.
Favorite hangout: 'Tween Waters Inn. This 138-unit resort between the bay
and the gulf has everything from motel rooms to suites to deluxe cottages
with screened-in porches. There's a marina, a fine restaurant, a huge pool
and pool bar, a spa and a sandy beach with lots of shells. Rates range from
$275 to $690 a night and include breakfast. 1-800-223-5865,
www.tween-waters.com.
Don't miss: Go on eco-tours with kayaks and canoes or catch a boat for a
sunset cruise. Stroll through shops on Andy Rosse Lane (Captiva's main
drag). Watch the sunset from the Mucky Duck Restaurant. Have dinner or lunch
at the Bubble Room, where Bubble Scouts deliver behemoth entrees and
desserts in a kitschy '30s and '40s ambience. Take in the crab races at the
Old Captiva House. Visit the Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum.
Curious factoid: Raymond Burr (who played Perry Mason in the long-running TV
series) and weatherman Willard Scott, a part-time Sanibel resident, were
heavily involved in raising money for the Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum. The
current celebrity spokesman is Kevin Nealon --- formerly of "Saturday Night
Live."
Information: Sanibel-Captiva Chamber of Commerce, 239-472-1080.
St. Augustine
Why I love it: Chock-full of history and quirky tourist attractions, St.
Augustine is one of those places you leave with this feeling: "Hey, that was
fun and we learned something!"
The oldest European settlement in North America, St. Augustine was already
55 years old by the time the Pilgrims came to Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts
1620. Juan Ponce de Leon landed in St. Augustine in 1513 and took possession
of the area for Spain. In 1565, Pedro Menendez de Aviles was sent by King
Philip II to colonize the area. He landed on the Feast Day of St. Augustine,
which is how the city got its name.
Tourists have been coming to St. Augustine since the 1880s, thanks in part
to oil baron and railroad magnate Henry Flag -ler, the founder of Palm
Beach, and his railroad. The place to be is Old Town, a restoration of the
original city center.
Best time to go: There's no bad time, but visitors can cash in on great
savings at bed-and-breakfasts during June. Some inns offer three nights for
the price of two if you stay midweek. www.staugustine inns.com.
Favorite hangout: The St. Francis Inn. It's historic, beautiful, close to
everything, has a pool, off-street parking (a rarity here), great breakfast
--- and a ghost. Rates range from $129 to $289 and include a buffet
breakfast, use of inn bicycles, admission to the St. Augustine Lighthouse
and Museum, and 50 percent discounted admission to the Oldest House and
evening social hour. 1-800-824-6068, www.stfrancisinn.com.
Don't miss: Tour one of America's oldest man-made structures, the fort of
Castillo de San Marcos, and imagine how Spanish, British and American
soldiers protected the city of St. Augustine hundreds of years ago. Other
good stuff: ghost tours, trolley tours, horse and buggy rides, the Fountain
of Youth, the Lightner Museum.
Curious factoid: Visitors can expect oddities at Ripley's Believe It or Not,
but St. Augustine is full of them. The Lightner Museum has a 3-inch-high
shrunken head on display. (It was boiled down from its original size by the
Jivaro Indians in the early 20th century.) Also of note: Henry Flagler is
buried in Memorial Presbyterian Church. He built the lavish Venetian
Renaissance-style church to honor his daughter, who died from complications
in childbirth in 1889.
Information: St. Augustine Visitor Information Center: 904-825-1000.
Islamorada
Why I love it: You can pet a shark, sing with a seal, shop till you drop or
dance the night away in Islamorada. Sport fishing (bonefish and tarpon) is a
big draw here. Then again, you don't have to fish to love it here. The
beaches are beautiful, the shops are fun and the restaurants are memorable
(for yummy fish in a romantic ambience, try Pierre's at mile marker 81.5).
At the nearby Lignumvitae Key State Botanical Site, ranger-led tours can
teach you about the Keys' tropical flora and fauna. The World Wide Sportsman
(mile marker 81.5), a mega-mall for outdoor lovers, has a 46-foot replica of
Ernest Hemingway's boat, the Pilar, and a giant aquarium.
Islamorada, or the purple isles, is made up of the islands of Plantation
Key, Windley Key, Upper Matecumbe, Lower Matecumbe and the offshore islands
of Lignumvitae Key and Indian Key. It's about 82 miles from Key West.
Best time to go: Summer, after the Northern tourists thin out, or December
if you're looking to reel in sailfish and kingfish.
Favorite hangout: The Moorings, a former coconut palm plantation on one of
the longest, lushest private beaches in the Keys. Stay in one- to
three-bedroom cottages. The Moorings is a popular backdrop for fashion photo
shoots. Rates range from $250 a night for a one-bedroom cottage to $7,875 a
week for a three-bedroom villa. 305-664-4708, www.themooringsvillage.com.
Don't miss: Indulge your seaside thespian urges with a trip to Theater of
the Sea in Islamorada (84721 Overseas Highway). The old-time marine park has
dolphin and sea lion shows, collections of sharks and stingrays and other
marine-life programs. Reservations are required to swim with the dolphins or
stingrays. 305-664-2431, theaterofthesea.com.
Curious factoid: The most devastating occurrence in Islamorada's history was
the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935. The storm packed winds of more than 200 mph
and created turbulent seas that sent a 17-foot wave across Islamorada,
killing more than 200 people. After the railroad ties and other debris were
removed, a hurricane monument was erected at mile marker 81.
Information: 1-800-322-5397 or 305-664-4503.
Ocala
Why I love it: With its rolling meadows, moss-draped oak trees and
meticulously groomed ranches, the countryside is picture-postcard pretty.
Added to the magnificent landscape are some of the handsomest horses you'd
ever imagine.
Many of the horse-breeding farms are open to visitors. You can get nose to
nose with Florida racing legends like Mecke, Jeblar, Pistols and Roses,
Fortunate Prospect and, my favorite --- I once won $60 betting on him at
Calder --- Sir Leon.
Nearby springs (Silver and Rainbow) are gorgeous for picnics and boat rides,
and a tour of the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings historic home in Cross Creek
offers a splendid view of Florida in the 1930s.
Best time to go: Fall.
Favorite hangout: Jumbolair Inn & Country Club, a two-story Old South-style
mansion with its own horse barn, billiards room, pool, gym and jet airstrip.
John Travolta has a home in the development and lived in the B&B while his
home was under construction. Rates range from $230 to $395 per night.
352-401-1990, www.jumbolair.com/inn.htm.
Don't miss: Glass-bottom boat rides at Silver Springs, touring the Appleton
Museum of Art or "Big Daddy" Don Garlits' Museum of Drag Racing or swimming
at Rainbow Springs State Park.
Curious factoids: New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner has a
thoroughbred horse-breeding farm here and owns the Ramada Inn on Blitchton
Road at Exit 70 of I-75. The hotel's restaurant and bar, full of baseball
pictures and memorabilia, are stomping grounds for Yankees fans.
More than 75 percent of Florida's 600 thoroughbred horse farms are near
Ocala, making it one of only four major centers for thoroughbreds anywhere.
Information: Ocala/Marion County Chamber of Commerce, 352-0629-8051.
South Beach
Why I love it: Miami Beach's hottest neighborhood has fancy cars, art deco
gems, wild nightclubs and a great beach.
I like to walk along Ocean Drive to savor the balmy sea breezes and
people-watch. You never know who you might see. The trendy and famous hang
out here. P. Diddy and Gloria Estefan have homes in South Beach. Sightings
of Uma Thurman, Beyonce Knowles, Missy Elliott, Will Smith and several of
the Miami Dolphins aren't all that uncommon.
Favorite hangout: The Ritz-Carlton --- it's away from the crowds and noise
of Ocean Drive and a complete and magnificent restoration of the historic
DiLido hotel on Lincoln Road. Close to everything and a destination on its
own, the Ritz has soundproofed windows, a huge pool with water ballet and
tanning butlers to make sure guests don't get burned. Staffers fall all over
themselves to keep guests happy. Ritz-Carlton rates start at $329. Check for
Internet specials that include breakfast and valet parking. 1-800-241-3333,
www.ritzcarlton.com.
Best time to go: Friday or Saturday nights because there's water ballet in
the Ritz-Carlton pool.
Don't miss: Take a guided walking tour of Miami's art deco architecture.
Check out Lincoln Road, a 10-block pedestrian-only street with outdoor
cafes, nightclubs, art galleries and shops. Also, visit the Bass Museum of
Art, with more than 3,000 works of art and exhibitions featuring Miami Beach
design history and international architecture.
Curious factoid: In 1997, fashion icon Gianni Versace was gunned down by
Andrew Cunanan in front of Versace's rococo mansion on Ocean Avenue.
Tourists frequently stop to have their pictures taken in front of the
mansion, which has since become a club (Club at Casa Casuarina) with
membership-only access.
Information: www.miamiandbeaches.com.
Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island
Why I love it: A sense of Victorian splendor still exists in this small
fishing village. And we can, in part at least, thank Henry Flagler for it.
Flagler bypassed Amelia Island when he built his railroad and tourist hotels
along Florida's east coast. Because of it, mass modernization bypassed the
island, too.
Shaded by moss-draped oaks, the main street called Centre Street ends at the
Amelia River. There, shrimp boats rock with the tide at the Harbor Marina.
The downtown is a 52-block historic district dominated by Victorian houses
and churches along oak- and magnolia-shaded streets. Buildings date between
1873 and 1900.
Horse-drawn carriages, outdoor cafes and shops reflect an earlier, easier,
mall-free era.
The small-town atmosphere offers a great escape. No honking horns. No
blaring radios. And when it comes to shrimp, Bubba Gump (from "Forrest
Gump") comes to mind. You can order it a lot of ways. Barbecued shrimp.
Boiled shrimp. Teriyaki shrimp. Shrimp with pineapple. It's all good.
Another very cool thing about Amelia Island is that you can spend a night
(or many nights) in a lighthouse on the beach. They're condos, really, but
built like lighthouses, with great views. Rates start at $196 per night plus
tax. 1-800-872-8531, www.amelialodgings.com.
Best time to go: Early June is good because you can take in the Amelia
Island Chamber Music Festival. 904-261-1779,
www.ameliaislandchambermusic.org. Another great time is Christmas. The
town's B&Bs are part of a festive holiday tour and designed to make you feel
merry and bright. 1-866-426-3542, www.ameliaislandinns.com.
Favorite hangout: The Fairbanks House at 227 S. Seventh St. is the Ritz of
B&Bs here. 1-888-891-9882. Rates range from $170 to $385 per night, plus
tax. Of course, if you want a Ritz-Carlton, the island has one of them, too,
and it's been garnering awards in excellence for years. Rates start at $209.
904-277-1100.
Don't miss: On Centre Street, belly up to the bar at the Palace Saloon,
Florida's oldest bar, where Rockefellers and du Ponts toasted their
successes. Explore Fort Clinch State Park: One of the oldest parks in the
Florida park system, Fort Clinch was acquired in 1935. History re-enactors
talk about life as soldiers stationed at Fort Clinch. While you're there,
hike the trails, fish the pier, look for shells and sharks' teeth on the
beautiful beach, and take a swim in the ocean. 904-277-7274.
Curious factoid: From 1807 to 1878, Amelia was known as the "Spanish Hussy."
Five blocks in Old Town, named Ladies' Promenade, housed 50 saloons and
bordellos.
Information: Chamber of Commerce, 1-866- 426-3542.
Wakulla Springs
Why I love it: Edward Ball Wakulla Springs, a tourist favorite since the
1930s, has one of the largest, deepest freshwater springs on the planet.
Surrounded by 3,000 acres of virgin forest, the park has glass-bottom boats,
riverboats, an old-fashioned swimming area with diving ramp, a nature trail
and a historic lodge. Wildlife is abundant. Alligators and turtles are
easily sighted from the boats, and sometimes deer and turkey onshore. Almost
200 species of birds have been spotted.
Best time to go: Spring and winter, when headwaters are clear and you can
see the spring's huge opening, 100 feet wide and 60 feet deep.
Favorite hangout: Wakulla Springs Lodge, built by du Pont financier Edward
Ball. The lodge, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has an
ornate lobby ceiling and beautiful marble floors. Rates range from $85 to
$109, plus tax, per night. 850-224-5950.
Don't miss: Take a glass-bottom boat ride and watch as guides coax Henry the
pole-vaulting fish to leap over a pole 30 feet under water. Cool off in an
old-fashioned swimming hole. Have your picture taken next to Old Joe, the
alligator --- don't worry, he's dead.
Curious factoid: "Tarzan's Secret Treasure" and the "Creature From the Black
Lagoon" movie and its sequels were filmed here.
Information: 850-224-5950, www.funandsun.com/parks/Wakulla/wakulla.html.
Seagrove Beach
Why I love it: Seagrove Beach is almost 600 miles from West Palm Beach and a
time zone away. But it's worth the trip. Especially if you stay at
WaterColor Inn, a block south of a rare coastal dune lake surrounded by pine
forests. The vacation community of Seaside (where "The Truman Show" was
filmed) is to the east, Grayton Beach State Recreation Area is to the west,
and the sugar-fine sandy beaches of the Gulf of Mexico are south.
Guests have an instant view of the beach when they walk into the lobby. The
reception desk is there, but so is a game table with chess pieces ready. An
adjoining circular library is stocked with books, games and DVDs that guests
can borrow (all rooms have DVD and CD players).
The plan is for guests to feel as though they're in a friend's casual, but
elegant, beach house.
Guest rooms face the beach. Most have beach views, even from the showers.
Canoes, kayaks and bicycles are available to rent, too.
Each evening, maids deliver freshly baked cookies to each guest room.
Mornings, complimentary continental breakfast is served in the lounge.
At the resort's spa, guests who want pedicures are seated in a
NASA-influenced zero-gravity chair, while their feet are treated to a soak
in a copper tub. Robes and slippers are delivered to guest rooms before any
spa treatment, and then guests are whisked away to a dream world of peaceful
brush strokes of coconut milk, noni gel, lavender elixirs and geranium grape
seed body polish.
Best time to go: Fall, when the weather is still good and the kids are back
in school. WaterColor's annual "Taste of 30A" is held in October.
Favorite hangout: WaterColor Inn, of course, with 60 rooms with
entertainment armoire, minibar, two-line speakerphones with voice mail and
data ports, high-speed Internet access, cable television, business desk,
electronic safes and coffee maker. Adirondack chairs on each deck. Beach
club. Restaurants. WaterColor's 18-hole Camp Creek Golf Club, designed by
Tom Fazio, is six miles away and accessible via shuttle. Rates range from
$290 to $530 plus tax. 1-866-426-2656, www.watercolorinn.com.
Don't miss: Take a backcountry boat ride and fish with Bob Sanders. He knows
where the fish are and can help you catch 'em. 850-231-2441. Shop and dine
at Seaside, where there's always activity. Browse through the stacks at
Sundog Books and have a grilled mahi-mahi sandwich at Shades restaurant.
Curious factoid: Before this part of Florida's Panhandle went upscale, it
was nicknamed the "Redneck Riviera" because it appealed to the
working-class, Deep South crowd.
Information: 1-866-426-2656, www.watercolorinn.com.
Mary Thurwachter writes for The Palm Beach (Fla.) Post; e-mail her at
mary_thurwachter@xxxxxxxxxxx
CHARLES W. JONES / Staff
FLORIDA
Top beaches and places in Florida including: Fernandina Beach, St.
Augustine, Ocala, South Beach, Islamorada, Captiva, Manasota Beach, Cedar
Key, Wakulla Springs, and Seagrove Beach.
The destinations are pictured around a map of Florida.
Photos: WaterColor, Visit Florida, the Moorings, David Molyneaux, Manasota
Beach Club and JOEY IVANSCO / Staff
Bert New
Watkinsville, Georgia
Proudly Serving You Since 1964!
>From: Milspec390@xxxxxxx
>Reply-To: Mailing list for the International Radio Club of
>America<irca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>To: irca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>Subject: Re: [IRCA] 1100 Wobbler BigSig Alert; 14 0250Z MAR 06; PVZ
>Date: Tue, 14 Mar 2006 20:04:25 EST
>
>Bert -
>
>PO Box 633
>Englewood, FL, 34295-0633
>
> Thanks.
>
> Z.
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