Fabulous Florida
Fabulous Florida
by Lesley Brown
by Lesley Brown
Not that I have achieved any significant bragging rights, I will say that I have been fortunate enough to have travelled to quite a few of the world’s wonderful destinations. My sisternever quite understood my need to ‘explore’ the planet, especially since there are so many places in the United States, my home, which I have yet to visit. Somehow, the US just didn’t seem to be as exotic as say Thailand or Fiji.
But to be perfectly honest, ever since my sister moved to Florida a few years ago, I've been just a little curious and wanted to experience the place for myself. So when I finally got an opportunity to go, I was so anxious that I could feel hair follicles tingling in my scalp. A few anxiety pills later, I found myself in the southernmost city ready to begin my Floridian exploration in Miami.
Miami Beach remains, as it has in every one of its incarnations, a fun place. The weather, the beach, the Art-Deco inspired buildings, the neon and the crowds--all contribute to a party atmosphere. What drew meto Miami, of course, was the combination of the restaurants and shopping. Who am I kidding? I went because I wanted to party on South Beach.
Oh, to be youthful, naughty and actually allowed to dance on the furniture! I found South Beach was pretty much a bounty of bronzed bodies and wonderful Cuban music; a destination where the party never ends. The crowds range from the hippest of the hip and famously hedonistic party people to families on holiday. If this sounds a little like Brazil, it is because it felt a little like Brazil. Who knew?
I stayed in South Beach for two days at this wonderful beachfront spot called Ocean Hotel. The hotel was absolutely beautiful, but to be perfectly honest, I spent very little time in my room. There were just way too many things to doand the city was beckoning me. I had the beach, fabulous restaurants, colourful neighbourhood and yes…the decadent party atmosphere--at my fingertips.
On the third day of my trip I rented a car and drove down to Fort Lauderdale, the former spring break capital of the United States. Although the city may have lost the MTV crowd to Cancun, it has since staged a major comeback as it is in now attracting upscale visitors who happily left their keg-party days long ago.
Now this may seem like quite a stretch but it is absolutely true, Fort Lauderdale completely reminded me of a memorable vacation that I took in Dubai a few years back. I found Dubai to be an extravagant city that was loaded with natural beauty, sun and sands and it was incredibly relaxing, just like Fort Lauderdale.
Dubai has rapidly developed into a sophisticated destination taking on a decidedly western flavour. From the opulent villas on man-made islands shaped as palm trees to the lavished shopping malls that resemble Egyptian temples, the island has everything. The incredible thing is: What Dubai is aggressively trying to accomplish is already in existence in Fort Lauderdale.
The upmarket hotels, exclusive villas, five-star restaurants and world-class shopping venues can already be found in abundance. Don’t even get me started on the beauty of the beaches! I also had the opportunity of visiting Italy last year and I strongly recommend that riding a gondola through the meandering canals of Venice should be on everyone’s ‘must-do’ life list.
However, if a trip to Italy isn’t feasible, a trip to Fort Lauderdale, “The Venice of America”, is definitely a cost efficient alternative. The city actually has more than 300 miles of navigable waterways and innumerable canals flanked by lovely homes and its stunning landscapes are overflowing with scenic parks and top golf courses. Once again, who knew?
After spending a few unbelievable of days in Fort Lauderdale, I let the top down on my rented Mustang and set off for the Keys, which was such a dramatic difference from South Beach and Fort Lauderdale that I felt as if I was really visiting another country. Indeed, Key West is so charming that it's almost obnoxious, particularly since none of its charm is forced.
In Key West you can quite happily park your car and walk or cycle around as you explore the sights. Here, there is no need for the designer duds that are almost obligatory in the nightspots of South Beach. Shorts and t-shirt is all that you need to wear, even in one of the trendy bars that serve ever-popular margarita cocktails to the suntanned throng. It doesn't take too long before the relaxing vibe transforms even the most hurried of city dwellers.
Key West is such a beautiful and tranquil town that it seems almost too perfect. The Old Town historic district is filled with gorgeous Victorian houses that are situated on tiny narrow streets. I spent an entire day walking past fun little gingerbread cottages - complete with white picket fences. There were also numerous mansions that surprisingly pop up in the most unexpected places.
At one point, I actually said to myself (out-loud) “I can’t believe this is America.” It felt as if I was luxuriating on one of the more exclusive Caribbean Islands like St. Bart’s or St. Croix. The calm elegance of Key West is certainly a match for the tropical beauty and exclusivity of many of the more sought after locales.
Over the next week I continued to visit the top cities in Florida and, yes, I continued to compare them to destinations that I’ve either travelled to or dreamt of travelling to. Foe example, Scotland may be the home of golf and have some of the most stunning courses in the world, but if you can’t afford a golf excursion to the land of bagpipes and whisky, you can head out to one of the celebrated courses that has put Florida on the world golf map. One of the top courses is at the Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach.
And for anyone who considers St. Petersburg as the last stop before checking into a nursing home, may be shocked by the transformation of this once sleepy Gulf Coast city. St. Pete’s offers the same level of natural beauty and genuine warmth of some of the best islands in Thailand.
As I was flying back home to Chicago, I thought about my quirky sister and it was easy to see why she fell in love with Florida. I can also say that I completely understand why so many Americans make Florida a top travel destination each and every year.
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