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Excursions For a Half Day Fort Lauderdale: Only 40km (25 miles) north of Miami, this smart east coast resort and international yachting centre is often described as the ‘Venice of America’, because of its many canals and waterways. It is easily accessible by train from Miami railway station but really has so much to recommend it that a full day could easily be whiled away here. It boasts magnificent sandy beaches, as well as excellent shopping and nightlife. Attractions include the contemporary collections of the Museum of Art, the Museum of Discovery and Science and the spectacular Hugh Taylor Birch State Park and Recreation Area. The Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, Suite 303, 1850 Eller Drive (tel: (954) 765 4466; fax: (954) 765 4467; website: www.sunny.org), provides further information. For a Whole Day Everglades: South of Miami, the Everglades National Park is the second largest national park in the USA, with its 6070 sq kilometres (2344 sq miles) of marshes, mangrove forests, freshwater and saltwater areas and open grass prairies. Gator-spotting is one of the main attractions in this vast subtropical wilderness, which is also home to an abundance of rare plants, birds and animals – including wild orchids, Florida panthers, ospreys, manatees, giant loggerhead turtles, the Everglades mink, the Florida black bear and the only saltwater crocodiles in America. There are several entry points, each with visitor centres that organise ranger-led walks and talks, boat and tram tours, as well as canoe trails. The main Visitor Center (tel: (305) 242 7700; fax: (305) 242 7728; website: www.nps.gov/ever) is just southwest of Homestead, south on the Florida Turnpike (Route 821) until it merges with US 1 at Florida City, where drivers should turn right on to Palm Drive (State Road 9336/Southwest 344th Street) and follow the signposts. The park is open 24 hours a day, all year round. The visitor centres are open daily 0800-1700. Admission costs US$10 per vehicle. The Keys: This chain of small coral-and-limestone islands (‘keys’) south of Miami, stretches 180km (113 miles) out across Florida Bay and is linked by just one highway, the US-1. The keys have a unique atmosphere – more slow Caribbean than fast-paced American – and offer some of the best sport fishing, scuba diving, boating, swimming and snorkelling in the world. Further information is available from the Florida Keys and Key West Visitor’s Bureau, 402 Wall Street, Key West (tel: (305) 294 2587). Key West: The most visited island in the Keys, Key West, is at the southernmost point of Continental USA, just 144km (90 miles) north of Cuba. This five-kilometre-long (3.5-mile) sandbar is renowned for its sunset celebrations, its key lime pie, its sizeable gay community and as the home of Ernest Hemingway (see Literary Notes). The Key West Information Center, 1601 North Roosevelt Boulevard, Key West (tel: (305) 292 5000); e-mail: info@keywestinfo.com; website: www.keywestinfo.com) provides further information. |
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