Florida Getaways 2008

shorts PORT TOURS Clockwise from top left: Docks at Jacksonville’s Jaxport are part of a free bus tour. Right, ofﬂoading Del Monte produce, part of the operations at Manatee County’s Port Manatee. Above, a tram tour at Port Manatee. Information at www.portmanatee.com. Watching as a 10-story “gantry” crane swings containers like an acrobat from ship to shore is something most members of the public rarely get to see close up, or even at all. But at Florida’s marine terminal and airport tours, visitors can see the inner-workings of ports, where typical mega-cranes might move 30 containers an hour. “This gives the members of the community an opportunity to see the port and see what it does,” says Anne O’Roake, spokeswoman for Port Manatee, the Manatee County Port Authority. “They can see the ships that are in that day.” Tours at Port Manatee, which sits south of Tampa and north of Bradenton, are given every Monday and Wednesday from Oct. 29 to May 14. These are free public tram tours, which O’Roake says are popular with snowbirds. Tours are led by a veteran broadcaster; guests can sit down while the guide gives “color commentary” on the port at work. What work it is. Tour topics include Del Monte’s fruit import operations and a conservation spoil island created with dredge material. A highlight for this fall is a new, $3.9 million crane, delivered just in time for melon season. Like marine ports, airports also offer tours of their inner workings and some even hold special open houses. Each November, Fort Myers holds an Avia- tion Day that features ﬁre and police demonstrations and kid-friendly visitors like Jay Jay the Jet Plane. Many are surprised that in this highsecurity era, fenced-off areas are open to the public. But Erin Comerford of the Lee County Port Authority’s Southwest Florida International Airport, says that airports take their “public facility” role seriously. Nevertheless, there are security precautions. At Port Manatee, guests need to book a week ahead of time and provide their name and address. Miami International Airport, courtesy Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau. 4 Floridians.VISITFLORIDA.com http://www.portmanatee.com http://www.Floridians.VISITFLORIDA.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Florida Getaways 2008

Florida Getaways 2008 Contents Shorts: Visit A Port or Airport Deals: Join a Museum Water: On Lake Apopka Suite History Circus City Listings: Florida Vineyards Ad Index Florida Maps Looking Back: On Old Florida

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