Woohoo!!! SPARK made the Florida Sunshine State Young Readers Award 2020-21 list! Thanks so much, Florida librarians! You have absolutely made my day!

https://www.floridamediaed.org/ssyra.html 

I went to Florida a few weeks back which will be the last time I get on a plane this year unless something wacky happens. Thinking more about carbon footprint stuff even though I am doing solidly well in that regard because I have no kids. It was a good time, pictures are here. I […]

The Florida Aquarium announced a breakthrough that may help save America's Great Barrier Reef. Scientists at the Tampa-based aquarium have successfully reproduced ridged cactus coral for the first time. A video captures the tiny baby corals looking like undersea fairy lights as they take their first and only swim beyond the reef.[...]

ATLANTA (April 24, 2020) -- The U.S.

What a life changing experience. More so for some than others. Our personal situation is doable. We arent struggling by any means. It is those with family friends or even themselves who have become ill with this coronavirus that are the ones dealt the

He’ll need a better defense than the one his favorite team managed against LSU last year.

An extensive search was launched Thursday for a teenager who allegedly stabbed his younger brother to death in the Florida Keys community of Islamorada, authorities said.

Hall of Famer and 12-time All Star Mike Piazza buys a three-bedroom condominium at The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Miami Beach for $5.6 million. The 3,838-square-foot condo has views of Surprise Lake and Biscayne Bay.

A private island in Islamorada on the Florida Keys is for sale for $17 million. The island is called Terra's Key, after its owner John Terra, and has historical significance dating back to the 1800s.

Russ Weiner, the founder of Rockstar Energy Drink, has listed his Miami Beach and Delray Beach mansions for sale. The total asking price: $71.5 million.

In a report published Sunday, the Tampa Bay Times said that it discovered the extent of Scientology property purchases by reviewing more than 1,000 deeds and business records and then interviewed more than 90 people to reconstruct the circumstances surrounding the transactions.

The home was painted in large patches of extremely bright primary colors with random splatters throughout. The home in the Il Regalo Circle Community in Naples resembles a pre-school play toy or cartoon home.

Former NFL quarterback Michael Vick is selling his Plantation home, listed at $2.399 million.

Some of the most infamous mobsters lived in South Florida neighborhoods we call home today, from Miami to Hollywood to Boca Raton.

A look at how real estate in South Florida has been affected by the coronavirus pandemic, from virtual tours and technology playing larger in the home-buying process to how the market is expected to react.

Killing red tide cells en masse can unleash their potent toxin. That means researchers need to get creative.

Some of the storm’s features hint at troubling trends in recent hurricanes.

Wildfires brought evacuations in the Florida panhandle.

The definition of "essential" necessarily varies by jurisdiction, and those definitions necessarily are controversial and subject to dispute.

He’ll need a better defense than the one his favorite team managed against LSU last year.

An extensive search was launched Thursday for a teenager who allegedly stabbed his younger brother to death in the Florida Keys community of Islamorada, authorities said.

Wildfires brought evacuations in the Florida panhandle.

Carnival plans to sail Caribbean itineraries from Florida and Texas ports where most passengers arrive by car rather than by airplane.

PGA Tour golfer Jeff Sluman has sold his waterfront home in Florida for $3.65 million, the same price he paid for it in 2017.

Retired baseball star Roberto Alomar has sold his Florida home — an 18,700-square-foot mansion on more than three acres — for $4 million.

Four high school seniors in the small rural town of Pahokee, Fla., are the subjects of an observational and empathetic new documentary.

A sequel to the 2000 election

Watch Gary Varvel's time lapse video of him drawing the Florida recount.

The Sunshine State could use some help counting votes.

Starsky Robotics has begun testing unmanned, remotely operated trucks on highways. The vehicles are being pitched as a solution for the industry's massive driver shortage.

Everglades

The Amateur Traveler talks to Casey Wohl the author of the Girls Getaway Guide to Key West about Key West Florida. We will talk about how the area has changed in the last 20 years from Jimmy Buffet’s famous Margaritaville to an area with numerous nice restaurants, art galleries and hotels. We will also talk about beaches, Ernest Hemmingway and other sland characters and how to catch a spiny lobster with your tickle stick.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Kara from Miami about her hometown of Miami. Kara tells us Miami is not as it is pictured in TV shows like Miami Vice and Burn Notice (except perhaps that it is filled with beautiful people). She tells us about some of her favorite hotels and restaurants as well as cafes where you can sit and people watch. Miami is known for its beach life and Kara tells us where the daring can go to bare all or where you can find a quiet spot away from the tourists. Increasingly Miami is known for its fashion district and its food scene. The summers are hot but offer some of the best bargains on restaurants, hotels and spas… if you can deal with the humidity. Miami defines hot in all senses of the word. So whether you want to see snowbirds or eat stone crabs, Miami might be a place you should check out.

News

Muslim hostess and Disney still at odds over headscarf
French Flight Attendant Arrested for Stealing Cash and Jewels From Sleeping Passengers’ Pockets and Carry-Ons

Show Notes

Diamond PR
Miami Vice
Burn Notice
Haulover Beach
South Pointe Park
Top Ten Miami Restaurants
Brickell, Miami
Key Biscayne
Miami Museums
Miami Design District
Van Dyke Cafe
Miami Spice Restaurant Month
Miami Spa Month
Neighborhoods of Miami
Miami Design District
Michael’s Genuine Food and Drink
Calle Ocho Festival
South Beach Food and Wine Festival
Miami Public Transportation
Fontainebleau
Miami Heat
Miami Heat Tickets
Smith and Wollensky
Red, the Steakhouse
Joe’s Stone Crabs
Adrianne Arsht Center
Snowbirds

Community

Scott enjoyed the group interview in Travel to Namibia – Episode 243
Tricia hits the road
Amateur Traveler guest post guidelines
Amateur Traveler site redesign to add countries

The Amateur Traveler talks to Chuck Prevatte about vacationing in the warm waters and on the white beaches of the panhandle of Florida. This is a vacation for those who want to slow down and relax. There are nightclubs in Panama City and water parks but this part of Florida is a good spot to take the family, eat some good sea food, rent a beach house and bath in 90 degree water. Tourism is off because of the gulf oil spill but Chuck and his family did not see much evidence of the oil on the beaches.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Alan from Jacksonville about St. Augustine Florida which is the oldest continually inhabited European settlement in what is now the United States. St. Augustine was founded in 1565 and is 42 years older than Jamestown.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Shannon Martin from Two Who Travel about her hometown of Tampa Bay (and St Petersburg) Florida. Shannon recommends the Tamp Bay area for a beach vacation, possible combined with a trip to Walt Disney World in Orlando.

Hear about travel to Orlando, Florida as the Amateur Traveler talks to Jason Cochran who is the editor of Frommers.com and the editor to the Frommer's Guide to Orlando Florida about vacationing in America's favorite destination spot. We talk about Walt Disney World, the increasingly popular Universal Studios, with a mention of some of the other things to do in Orlando.

Hear about travel to South Florida (Miami, Everglades National Park, and the Florida Keys) as the Amateur Traveler talks to Erik Smith from onmyfeetorinmymind.com about this diverse region.

Everybody wanted to get to the shore last weekend when the state of Florida reopened its beaches. But one of the beachgoers who came in for some extra attention was a six-foot-long bull shark caught near Navarre Beach, according to WKRG-TV. Video shot by Shelley Goudy of Fort Walton showed several men gathered around the…

The post Florida Fishermen Nab 6-Foot Bull Shark During First Weekend of Reopened Beaches appeared first on The Western Journal.