The Unofficial Guide^® to Florida, 1st Edition

by Pam Brandon

• ISBN13: 9780764539480
• ISBN10: 0764539485
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-12-01
• Publisher: Wiley

Summary

Florida, from coast to coast and everything in between In 2002, the Travel Industry Association named Florida the top summer vacation destination in the country Hotels rated and ranked for value and quality with proven strategies for getting the best rates available Every major attraction in Florida as well as outdoor adventures, and hidden places most tourists miss Inside information on nightlife, hot new restaurants, bed and breakfasts, the best beaches, and the best spas

Author Biography

Pam Brandon, a freelance writer based in Winter Park, Florida, is a 25-year veteran of news and feature reporting. She began her journalism career in 1975 at The Charleston Gazette in Charleston, West Virginia, then relocated to Central Florida as news editor for Orlando Magazine and later as senior publicist for Walt Disney World. In 1995, she started her own company, Pam Brandon Editorial Services. Brandon is the author of The Unofficial Guide to Florida with Kids, and is a writer for the Berlitz Florida Pocket Guide. Her travel stories have appeared both online and in numerous local and national publications.

Table of Contents

List of Maps.

Acknowledgments.

About the Authors and Contributors.

Introduction.

About This Guide.

How Information Is Organized.

Planning Your Visit.

The Best of Florida.

Visiting Florida with Children.

Part One: Accommodations.

Deciding Where to Stay.

Getting a Good Deal on a Room.

Hotels and Motels: Rated and Ranked.

The Best Deals.

Part Two: The Florida Panhandle: Pensacola, Fort Walton, Destin, Panama City, and Tallahassee.

Welcome to the Panhandle.

Visiting the Panhandle.

The Best Beaches.

Outdoor Adventures and Sports.

Pensacola and Pensacola Beach.

Fort Walton, Destin, and the Beaches of South Walton.

Panama City Beach.

Tallahassee.

Part Three: Northeast Florida:Amelia Island, Jacksonville, St.Augustine, and Gainesville.

Welcome to Northeast Florida.

Visiting Northeast Florida.

The Best Beaches.

Outdoor Adventures and Sports.

Amelia Island and Fernandina Beach.

Jacksonville.

St. Augustine.

Gainesville and Environs.

Part Four: The Space Coast: Daytona Beach, New Smyrna Beach, and Cocoa Beach.

Welcome to the Space Coast.

Visiting the Space Coast.

The Best Beaches.

Outdoor Adventures and Sports.

Daytona Beach.

New Smyrna Beach.

Cocoa Beach and Surrounding Areas.

Part Five: Orlando: Walt Disney World, Universal, and Beyond.

Introduction.

Visiting the Orlando Area.

Outdoor Adventures and Sports.

Walt Disney World.

Universal Orlando.

Greater Orlando Area.

Part Six: The Central Gulf Coast: Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Sarasota.

Welcome to the Central Gulf Coast.

Visiting the Central Gulf Coast.

The Best Beaches.

Outdoor Adventures and Sports.

Tampa.

St. Petersburg and Clearwater.

Sarasota and Longboat Key.

Part Seven: The Gold and Treasure Coasts: Vero Beach, Palm Beach, and Greater Fort Lauderdale.

Welcome to the Gold and Treasure Coasts.

Visiting the Gold and Treasure Coasts.

The Best Beaches .

Outdoor Adventures and Sports.

Vero Beach.

Palm Beach County.

Fort Lauderdale/Broward County.

Part Eight: Southwest Florida: Fort Myers, Sanibel and Captiva Islands, Naples, and Marco Island.

Welcome to Southwest Florida.

Visiting Southwest Florida.

Island Hopping.

The Best Beaches.

Outdoor Adventures and Sports.

Fort Myers and Fort Myers Beach.

Sanibel and Captiva Islands.

Naples and Marco Island.

Part Nine: Miami and Miami Beach.

Welcome to Miami.

Visiting Miami.

The Best Beaches.

Outdoor Adventures and Sports.

What to See and Do in Miami.

Part Ten: Everglades National Park.

Welcome to Everglades National Park.

Visiting Everglades National Park.

Touring the Park from the North.

Touring the Park from the South.

Touring the Park from the Gulf Coast.

Part Eleven: The Florida Keys and Key West.

Welcome to the Keys.

A Brief History.

Visiting the Florida Keys.

The Best Beaches.

Outdoor Adventures and Sports.

The Upper Keys.

The Middle and Lower Keys.

Key West.

Accommodations Index.

Subject Index.

List of Maps.

Florida Touring Zones.

Pensacola and Pensacola Beach Accommodations.

Fort Walton Beach Accommodations.

Destin Area Accommodations.

Santa Rosa Beach Area Accommodations.

Panama City Beach Accommodations.

Apalachicola Area Accommodations.

Tallahassee Accommodations.

Amelia Island/Fernandina Beach Accommodations.

Gainesville Accommodations.

Jacksonville Accommodations.

St. Augustine and St. Augustine Beach Accommodations.

Daytona Accommodations.

The Space Coast Accommodations.

South Orlando and Walt Disney World Accommodations.

St. Petersburg–Clearwater Accommodations.

Tampa Accommodations.

Sarasota Accommodations.

Vero Beach and the Treasure Coast Accommodations.

Palm Beach County Accommodations.

Miami Beach Accommodations.

Broward County Accommodations.

Miami Area Accommodations.

South Beach Accommodations.

The Florida Keys Accommodations.

Key West Accommodations.

Downtown Key West Accommodations.

Fort Myers Accommodations.

Fort Myers Beach Accommodations.

Naples Accommodations.

Sanibel and Captiva Accommodations.

Marco Island Accommodations.

Pensacola.

Fort Walton Beach.

Destin Area.

Santa Rosa Beach Area.

Panama City Beach.

Downtown Tallahassee.

Amelia Island/Fernandina Beach.

Jacksonville.

St. Augustine.

Gainesville.

Daytona.

New Smyrna Beach.

Cocoa Beach and Surrounding Area.

Walt Disney World.

Universal Orlando.

The Orlando/Walt Disney World Area.

Tampa.

Downtown St. Petersburg.

Clearwater.

Sarasota.

Vero Beach and the Treasure Coast.

Palm Beach County.

Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County.

Fort Myers and Fort Myers Beach.

Sanibel and Captiva Islands.

Naples and Marco Island.

Miami.

South Miami Beach.

Southern Miami–Dade County.

Everglades National Park.

The Florida Keys.

Key West.