Florida

I’ve got a very good friend in Florida who is always telling me I should come visit him. “You’d love it here,” he says. “Particularly in winter. It’s sunny, warm, beautiful.”

Yes, I tell him, but I live in California where it is also sunny, warm, and beautiful.

“This is different,” he says. “You should give it a try.”

I told him that he could write a guest blogetorial about Florida and I’d let my readers decide whether I should go to Florida or not. So read what he has to say and let me know if you think I should visit:

“As you well know, my friend, traveling is perhaps the best way to unwind and relieve oneself of stress. It can also be a good source of inspiration for people who need to have some positivity in their life (and after reading your blogs about the Apache rodeo in Arizona, I think a little sunshine and positivity would be good for you). Go to Florida with your family and experience a great vacation filled with sunshine and adventures amongst the state’s many varied attractions.

“Family holidays to sunny Florida are getting more expensive. So it is important to look at sites such as Thomson to browse their range of sunshine holidays and make the most of your visit. And you can save some money by economizing in small ways every day. For instance, before you travel, make sure that you have taken all the necessary things you need on your holidays, like sun glasses, tanning lotion, batteries for games, etc. so that you don’t have to cut into your travel budget by buying things you have forgotten to bring.

“That said, clothes and some other travel items are much cheaper in Florida, so you may want to travel light and buy your holiday clothes there, if you have a set budget. Make a packed lunch and have a picnic, rather than buying lunch at over-priced cafés and restaurants.

“The heat will make you thirsty, so buy your canned and bottled drinks in a supermarket. It will be much cheaper than visiting cafés. If you are planning to see several top attractions it will be cheaper to buy a Go Miami card.

“You will get in 37 Admission attractions with this, and you can get it for 1, 2, 3, 5, or 7 days. Used wisely, this will save up to 55% of gate prices, money saved which you can then spend on other things. Here are some of the top attractions you might consider visiting”

Jungle Island in Florida

A liger looks kind of like a giant lion with stripes.

“I love this place and think It is well worth a visit to see all the wonderful rare animals there, like the liger, who is the world’s largest cat, the orangutan twins, capuchin monkeys, various parrot species and Aldabra tortoises, lemurs and the rare six-foot tall tame Cassowary called Mama Cass. It is set in lush and beautiful surroundings and there are several shows and presentations to help you find out more about the animals. Included in your Jungle Island ticket is a complimentary shuttle service to Downtown Miami and South Beach.

Everglades Alligator Farm & Airboat Ride

“Florida is synonymous with alligators, so seeing them on your trip is a must. The Everglades alligator farm has 2000 of the creatures. Step into an airboat and go on a guided tour through the river of grass to make friends with them.

Millionaire’s Row Cruise on the Island Queen

“Take a relaxing cruise along the Biscayne Bay on the Island Queen. You will see Miami’s coastal skyline, ‘Millionaire’s Row’ – the homes of the rich and famous and Fisher Island. You could also go on the Jungle Queen Riverboat and stop at the Jungle Queen Indian Village, and learn a bit about the history of the Seminole tribe.

“What else? The Miami Seaquarium is worth a visit just to see the dolphins, seals and sea-lions. And the Kennedy Space Center, where you can tour NASA’s launch and landing facilities, try one of the interactive space simulators. and maybe even meet a real member of NASA’s Astronaut Corps.

“I could go on and on but I think you get the idea—there’s a lot to do here. So what do you think? Want to visit?”