Re: [IRCA] 1100 Wobbler BigSig Alert; 14 0250Z MAR 06; PVZ

["Ira Elbert New, III" <ien3@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I grew up in Valdosta, Georgia, which is just north of the FL border in 
south central Georgia. We have Gophers all over the place there too! My 
Parents have "tamed" a few and they will eat fruits and vegetables out of 
their hands.

Now that the weather is getting warmer, the Armadillos are coming out and 
getting into everything. I'm sure they would eat into antenna lines or 
ground lines.

Bert New
Watkinsville, Georgia
Proudly Serving You Since 1964!

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


_______________________________________________
IRCA mailing list
IRCA@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://arizona.hard-core-dx.com/mailman/listinfo/irca

Opinions expressed in messages on this mailing list are those of the original contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the IRCA, its editors, publishing staff, or officers

For more information: http://www.ircaonline.org

To Post a message: irca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx