5 places to visit in Florida
Luckily, the beautiful landscape of Florida has plenty more treats to offer than just fun at the Walt Disney World, and a holiday there can mean beaches, vintage Americana and laid-back sun lounging. The sunshine state was a popular holiday destination long before Disney came along, attracting famous artists and writers such as Ernest Hemingway, Robert Frost and Tennessee Williams (it must be a cool place then, right?)
Together with the Disney World, Miami is the most famous part of Florida and I finally had a chance to visit it over there back in October 2014 in between my trips to Mexico, Muay Thai in Bangkok and Aruba island. I was lucky to be able to enter USA easily just with ESTA application visa program online.
ESTA is the Elecronic System for Travel Authorization which is a simple requirement to receive travel visa to the United States for citizens of participating countries that meet the qualifications of the Visa Waiver Program. Travelers just enter their personal information (and passport, address, email, phone number) into the online ESTA form and pay for it. Then all you need to do is to just print the ESTA document and bring it with you when enetering the US. ESTA is valid for 2 years if you use it with the same passport. Check out the passport requirements first.
I only spent 3 days in Miami and it was definitely not enough to see much of it. But well, better than nothing.
I have to admit I was extremely jet-lagged and paid a visit to Miami just to see one of my fans, a Colombian guy Yamid, and his German friend who took me shopping (I needed to buy a new laptop) and most of all, who were driving me around in a luxury convertible car with my hair in the air and all the palm trees around. It was exactly how I would imagie my Miami visit.
We also spent some time at the pool chatting over blogging and traveling. If only I had more time to visit the world-known beach and go to a party. No doubt, when in Miami you will feel like in a movie.
As you can see, Florida is worth a visit for lots of very good reasons other than theme parks and Miami where celebrities hang out. If you get more time in Florida, then I suggest you one of the escorted tours which offer the chance to see this alternative side to Florida, with the following highlights.
5 places to visit in Florida:
Florida’s St Augustine is the oldest city in the USA, founded in 1565. Palm-lined streets and historic buildings make it a pleasure to explore, and you can catch up on 400 years of the state’s history in at the museum, from pirate attacks and early British settlement to Civil War and the boom of the 1920s.
Florida is home to the Space Coast, and two of the state’s most exciting attractions are the Kennedy Space Centre and Cape Canaveral, from which Alan Shepherd launched to be the first American in space in 1961. NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre has a variety of visitor attractions, from watching rocket launches and touring launch areas to 3D IMAX films and multimedia exhibitions about the future of space exploration.
Miami and the Florida Keys have world class examples of two things: beaches and art deco architecture. The combination of this makes for stunning coastal scenery with all the charm and elegance of the 1930’s. Art deco hotels and buildings line South Beach and there are excellent tours which will appeal whether you are a hardcore art fan or not.
Miami beach in Florida
The Everglades is the third largest national park in the USA, and is the largest subtropical wilderness in the country. Airboat rides take visitors round the swamp-like landscapes where it is possible to view a host of wildlife including alligators, pelicans and racoons.
Harbourside Naples is a gorgeous town, full of interesting boutiques and top quality restaurants. It is also home to some of Florida’s best and most challenging golf courses. Stunning sunsets play off the sea in the evenings and in the day time there are pristine stretches of sandy beach to enjoy.
Florida has a catalogue of famous residents, from writers and artist to inventors. The most notable of these were Thomas Edison and Henry Ford, whose Winter Estates can be visited and toured. Edison’s home, laboratory and botanical garden have been protected and restored, now containing a museum which documents his life and inventions, which include the light bulb and the motion picture camera.
