Great Florida Vacation Ideas

Beachfront in Florida takes on two different meanings, depending on what you’re looking for.  Let’s take a quick look at both ways to describe these vacations in Florida.

Beachfront — As in Beaches

We’ve got an awful lot of beachfront in Florida – a lot of beautiful beaches, not to mention some of the best in the nation.

Our Florida beaches are divided between those that are on the Atlantic Ocean and those on the Gulf of Mexico.  Beachfront in Florida on the Atlantic side is quite different from that on the Gulf.

The Atlantic beaches, especially those around Cocoa through Daytona, tend to have more surf than those on the Gulf, but that’s not always the case.  The waters in South Florida through the Keys tend to be calmer (especially the Keys), almost to the point of having no surf at all.

The Gulf coast beaches are closer to the South Florida / Keys, as far as the amount of surf.  This means that while you won’t be out on a board, these beaches are excellent for swimming.

In Southwest Florida, you might also do some snorkeling, although that’s not usually the case further north (waters tend to be a bit cloudier).

The Panhandle Florida beaches are famous for their width and the sugar sand that’s present — softer than the “crunchier” sands of the Atlantic.

Beachfront in Florida – Resorts

A lot of Florida vacationing has to do with staying at a beachfront hotel or resort.  The good news is that there are lots to choose from!

Which one to choose?  Your best bet is to pick the beach, then take a look at the resorts. But not to worry, here are a few ideas.

The Shores Resort in Daytona Beach is one that routinely gets high marks for location (on the beach, naturally) and amenities.  If you like a more active beach, then Daytona is a great destination, and The Shores Resort is a great pick.

If you’re thinking more along the lines of Southeast Florida, then you might want to consider the Hilton Beach Resort in Fort Lauderdale.  It’s on the beach and close to all kinds of goings-on in the city as well.

Sunset Beach Resort on Sanibel Island. If you’re looking for peace and quiet, you’ll find it here on Sanibel at this resort. It’s not swank like a Hilton, but it’s clean, comfy and the staff is friendly.

So there are a few ideas for beachfront in Florida resorts.  I know there are tons more, so I’ll just have to make a lot more posts on various Florida beaches, and list more hotels/resorts at each.

But for the meanwhile — enjoy!

Disney World is known for being ever-changing in the theme parks, with characters, attractions and more.  In all my years as a Disney employee and then as someone who just loves Disney, I can say that what goes around, comes around.

So what’s my reason for this?  If you’re of a certain age, you  might remember one of the big shows at EPCOT was Captain EO, starring none other than Michael Jackson.  If you do remember, you’re in luck — you can see it again, as it’s been brought back to EPCOT.  If you don’t remember…you’re still in luck!

Captain EO is a 17-minute musical/theatrical/special effects show, obviously featuring Michael.  George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola also had a hand in it.  It has been cleaned up and pumped up, with all the new technology we now have.

And Now for Something New

That was the old, and here is the new for Disney World.  In the Magic Kingdom, there is something new called “The Pirate’s League”.  It’s a package for youngsters 3 years and up that lets them be transformed from a Disney guest to a pirate (argh!).

There are two packages — “First Mate” and “Empress”, both of which are $29.95.  So what does your little pirate get for this?

• Choice of facial effect (5 to choose from)
• Reversible bandana
• Earring and Eye Patch
• Sword and Sheath
• Temporary Tattoo
• Unique Pirate Coin Necklace
• Personalized Pirate Oath
• Official Pirate Name
• Removable Teeth (First Mate) or Makeup, Nail Polish and Face Gem (Empress)
• Participation in a daily Adventureland Pirate Parade

I’m guessing this will be a big hit, especially with Halloween coming up soon!  Oh and one more thing — make a reservation if you want your little one to be transformed, as you will most likely need one.

Speaking of Halloween…

Starting September 14, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party will start showing up in the Magic Kingdom once again.  This is an “after hours” party, and requires a separate admission.

But can you imagine trick-or-treating at the Haunted Mansion?

Anyway, on 24 nights between September 14 and November 1, the magic Kingdom closes early, then re-opens from 7 PM to 12 midnight with Mickey and friends hosting the party.  There’s a special parade and fireworks show, plus all kinds of Halloween-style special effects throughout the park.

That’s it for today — catch up with you again later!

Florida vacationing in the Fall is really a nice time to be here.  The hot, humid weather is gone and the mornings are softly crisp.  The days are comfortably warm, and it feel wonderful to be outside.

Here are some vacations in Florida ideas for late September through mid November.

Central Florida Theme Parks

With the exception of the week leading up to Halloween, the big Central Florida theme parks — Disney, Universal and Sea World — are uncrowded.  The weather is gorgeous, making your stroll around the parks enjoyable.  And the lines, where they even exist, are short.  Oh, and the hotel rates are low as well!

Florida Panhandle

While not exactly beach weather, North Florida gets crisp starting in October most years.  It’s a great place to take advantage of the State Parks in the Panhandle.  Whether you are just spending a day on the trails or in the water, or have decided to add some camping fun, it’s lovely.  And yes, you’ll see some tree leaves changing color — just not as spectacularly as it does further north.

North Florida

It’s not quite beach weather here either, except maybe in September.  But if you love walking the beaches, searching for shells or just relaxing to the sound of the waves, Fall is a great time.  And if you like attractions, St. Augustine has plenty.  In fact, it’s about now that you want to start visiting the Alligator park (a little too, um, aromatic in the summer).

Florida Vacationing — South Florida and the Keys

Well, it’s pretty much beach weather down here, especially in the Florida Keys.  The hotel rates are still fairly low, but they will take an upward spike after about the second week in November.  The days tend to be warm (low 80′s), and the nights can get nippy at times (50′s).  Now is the time to visit the Shark Valley entrance to the Florida Everglades — the birds are migrating and the park is full of wildlife.  And better yet — the mosquitoes are pretty much gone!

Vacations in Florida

Obviously, these aren’t the only ideas for vacations in Florida in the fall.  I’ll be talking a little more about specific places in later entries, though.  Meanwhile, get set for some great Florida vacationing time!

Universal Orlando is famous for terrorizing young and old around Halloween time.  Yes, pretty soon the Halloween Horror Night XX will be upon us!  (Hard to believe it’s been 20 years since the first one.)

The Universal Halloween Horror Nights traditionally draws thousands upon thousands of horror fans from around the world to this one-of-a-kind event.  And it happens not only on Halloween night — you can be horrified most any weekend in October (and part of September, too).

Yes, it even out-terrorizes Disney’s Halloween events!

Dates for Halloween Horror

So, just what dates can you expect to be terrorized on this year?  Let’s see…the 2011 event nights are:

• September 23, 24 & 30
• October 1, 7-9, 14-16, 20-23 and 27-31.

So now that you know the dates, what about the all-important tickets?

Tickets, Please

Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando are a separately ticketed event; in other words, your regular park ticket won’t get you in.  And you’ll find that the prices are similar to the regular day tickets — expect on average $75 per person, unless you purchase in advance.  Be aware that there are also a limited number of VIP tickets available as well, bu tare obviously more expensive — up to $189.

If you’re a Florida resident, though, you can catch a break if you get your ticket in advance.  The advance sale ticket prices vary depending on the day of the week you want to attend.  Saturday has the lowest discount, but hey — any discount is better than none!

Scared to Get a Ticket — Don’t Be!

At the Universal Orlando Halloween Horror Night, you’ll get to wander though haunted houses, enter “scare zones” and of course, have live entertainment.

OK, I’ll admit — I’ve never partaken of one of Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights.  But plenty of people I know have ventured forth and lived to tell about it!  (And by the way, they thought it was a scream.)  (Yes, pun intended…but they really did like it.)

So get ready to be horrified — at Universal Orlando!

The day before yesterday, David and I visited two of the three parts of the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge.  We took a look at the 20-Mile Bend entrance, as well as the Boynton Beach entrance.  It’s changed, yet stayed the same.

The LNWR is a pretty big place, and most of it is, alas, off-limits to people.  But the canal circling the refuge is available to the public, and the Boynton Beach entrance has more facilities, such as a boardwalk, visitor center, etc.

Now I didn’t bring my camera along with me (the trip was spur-of-the-moment, after I had left the camera at the house), so the photos I have on this post are from the last trip I made to the LNWR.

20-Mile Bend Entrance

This is fairly remote, at least for Palm Beach County.  You take Southern way out west to 20-Mile Bend, and follow the signs on the south side of the road.  This part is obviously not heavily used (no other people there on a Monday afternoon), and is the domain of the boat, both small powerboats and the canoe/kayak variety.

Really — there isn’t anything else to do here — no trails to walk, no visitor’s center, and only a portable outhouse for when nature calls.  But the payoff is that nature rules!  Because it’s lightly used, you might find yourself alone on the canal, which is bordered by grasses and wildlife.

If you go out boating (no matter what kind), take extra precautions — the water is deep and there are few shallow places along the banks where you might be able to get back into the boat if you take a spill. And because you may very well be alone on the water, there isn’t anyone else to help you — definitely bring a cell phone, and hope that it works (it’s a rather remote area and scanty cell coverage).

Oh yeah, and alligators are part of the wildlife experience.

Boynton Beach Entrance

This is a more widely used are of the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, and has a visitor’s center with a boardwalk behind it.  At the moment, the boardwalk is being re-built, so only portions are available for a stroll.  But even so, we saw signs of wild pigs, heard hawks and viewed some gorgeous scenery.  Hopefully the boardwalk will be fully completed by the end of the fall.

We went over to the boat ramp, to see what it looked like, and found that they rent canoes.  No one was around to tell me prices, though.  The ramp is steep to drive your automobile up and down, and not a big turn-around area at the ramp area itself; if you want to boat, you’re best off with a canoe or kayak; powerboats are better suited to the 20-Mile Bend entrance.

In addition to the boardwalk, there is a marsh trail, where you will see all manner of birds, large and small.  In the fall especially, I hear that this refuge is chock-full of them.  And if the marsh trail and boardwalk aren’t enough, there are 50+ miles of trails on the levy rimming the canal.

If you need a rest in the shade, there is a pavilion area near to the marsh trail (although on the other side of the marsh). It looks out over the marsh and there is plenty of wildlife to observe. Lovely area to rest and relax and enjoy nature.

So that’s it for the time being. See you later!

It ocurred to me that if you do want to do some MacArthur Beach State Park kayaking, there are a few more things you probably should know.  And I apologize for not having photos — I’m waiting to get a digital camera that is waterproof before I take one along!

MacArthur Beach State Park Kayaking Tips

You can bring your own kayak or you can rent one from the park concession. 

If you choose to rent one, you can do so between the hours of 9 AM to 3 PM.  Last I checked, it was $10/hr for a single kayak, $20/hr for a double.  The rental kayaks are the sit on top kind.  You need to go into the visitor’s center to get the rental.

There is a guided tour by one of the park rangers every day, tides permitting.  It’s $20 per person (includes the kayak rental) and the tour is around 2 hours long.  When David and I went last year, it ended up being close to 3 hours, and it was a blast!

Occasionally there are kayak fishing lessons offered at the park, if that appeals to you.  There are plenty of fish in the lagoon area!  However, keep in mind that you need a saltwater fishing license.

If you’re bringing your own kayak, watch for the sign showing the put-in location.  If you’ve gotten to the visitor’s center, you’ve missed it.

Again with bringing your own kayak, it’s a short walk from where you unload to where you actually put into the water.  However, it is a bit on the steep side, and walk carefully, as there are mangrove roots ready to trip you.

Whether you are renting a kayak or bringing your own, you must pay the park fee to enter.  Right now it’s $5 per verhicle, for up to 8 people in the vehicle.  However, if you are going on the guided tour, you do not need to pay the park entry fee, as you register at the park entrance station.