The Official 2009 RVers Guide to Florida

REGION 2 John U. Lloyd State Recreation Area, which offers 244 acres of canoeing, swimming, fishing and picnicking. In the western corners of Broward County, Seminole Indian traditions are alive and well. At Sawgrass Recreation Park in the Everglades, visitors can witness daily life in an 18th-century Indian village and taste authentic Indian dishes at the park’s cafe. At Big Cypress Seminole Reservation off Alligator Alley, Billie Swamp Safari offers a host of adventures, including an eco-tour by swamp buggy, folklore storytelling around the campfire and an overnight stay in a thatched Chickee hut. Run by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, the park also features hiking tours, guided Big Cypress Hunting Adventures, sunset canoe rides and reptile and alligator exhibits. Running at a very different pace is Miami, often referred to as the “Gateway to Latin America.” The city offers many ways to see, hear and taste its rich heritage. Visitors can drink a cup of cafe con leche in Little Havana, Miami’s most concentrated Cuban community; stroll past Art Deco architecture in SoBe, the city’s South Beach district; explore trendy Coconut Grove; or take a cruise from the “Cruise Capital of the World.” Once the sun sets, Miami offers entertainment so varied you’d have to live here year-round to see it all. The Miami experience also includes world-class ballet, theater, opera and philharmonic orchestra companies; unique cultural events and museums; and exciting professional sports. Nearby, Coral Gables also provides a wealth of dining, relaxation and entertainment opportunities. Fairchild Tropical Garden includes 83 acres of rare tropical plants, offering exhibits and narrated tram tours. Some of Miami’s most popular nature parks and attractions stretch southward from the suburbs to the far reaches of southern Dade County. The 83-acre Fairchild Tropical Garden is the largest tropical botanical garden in the continental United States and features a rare plant house, rain forest and sunken gardens. Nearby, Parrot Jungle is a natural, subtropical garden of exotic trees and plants and home to a delightful flock of trained parrots, macaws and cockatiels that perform daily. In a more unusual twist, visitors to Monkey Jungle observe the antics of more than 500 free-roaming primates representing 50 species, all from the vantage of caged walkways through the rain forest habitat. The 290-acre, state-of-the-art Metrozoo in western Dade County is home to lions and tigers and bears - and some 900 other wild animals. Special zoo features include a wildlife show and a behind-the-scenes tram tour through the working and breeding areas of the impressive facility. Drive a bit farther south to Homestead, where Coral Castle stands as a tribute to a “heavy heart.” As legend would have it, lovelorn Edward Leedskalnin spent 33 years hand-carving this coral monument to a fiancee who left him alone at the altar. Chipped from 1,000 tons of coral rock, this eerie engineering triumph includes solar-heated bathtubs, a 5,000-pound heart-shaped table and a 9-ton gate so perfectly balanced that a child can open it with the touch of a finger. When you’re ready to leave the mainland behind, visit the legendary Florida Keys. On these tiny islands - strung together first by nature, next by Henry Flagler’s railroad and more recently by The Overseas Highway - visitors can still find the “changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes” immortalized in the songs of Jimmy Buffett. Let your worries disappear as you cruise among the islands on U.S. Highway 1, crossing huge expanses of turquoise water. Fishing villages, plush resorts, family-owned hotels and plenty of seafood restaurants dot the landscape along the way. Campers will find options from RV resorts to waterfront tenting in state parks. frvta.org Most visitors’ lists in The Keys include Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon, the Lower Keys and Key West. Key Largo, known for its crystal-clear waters, offers star attractions like John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park and the neighboring Key Largo National Marine Sanctuary. These two refuges, part of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, feature 40 varieties of delicate corals and more than 600 species of tropical fish. Throughout the islands, water activities top the list of things to do, although Key Largo and Looe Key (off the Lower Keys) are best known for diving and snorkeling. Islamorada and Marathon are most famous for angling, with plenty of fishing boats ready to charter. Most visitors top off their Keys vacation with a trip to Key West, the eclectic end of the continent. This southernmost point of the United States is home to a fascinating mix of history, eccentricity and island charm. Civil War-era forts, famous writers’ homes, sidewalk cafes and unusual residents add to the unique atmosphere and watching the sun sink below the sea at the docks of Mallory Square is an experience not to be missed. A truly extraordinary experience awaits if you take a seaplane or charter boat from Key West out to Fort Jefferson, which lies among the Dry Tortugas, a cluster of seven coral reefs. Here, visitors marvel at the fort walls - standing 8-feet thick and 50-feet high - as well as three gun tiers designed for 450 guns. During the Civil War, the fort was held by the Union and served as a prison for captured deserters. Today, visitors can hear stories about the prison’s most infamous inmate, Dr. Samuel Mudd, the Maryland physician who unwittingly set the broken leg of President Lincoln’s assassin, John Wilkes Booth. 35 http://www.floridaoutdoorsrv.com http://www.floridaoutdoorsrv.com http://www.frvta.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of The Official 2009 RVers Guide to Florida

The Official 2009 RVers Guide to Florida Contents RV Friendly Logos Meet Roadie Behind the Wheel Region 1 - Southwest Florida Region 2 - Southeast Florida Region 3 - Tampa Bay Area Region 4 - Orlando & Space Coast RV Rentals Region 5 - Florida Panhandle Financing Your RV Region 6 - Northeast Florida Region 7 - North Central Florida Florida Regional Shows Region 10 - Out of State Members Indian Mounds in Florida Springs in Florida What’s Your Type? Lighthouse Tour Insurance, Who Needs It?

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