Florida Tourism

Boca Raton, FL - The Smooth Jazz Charter Cruise is Single Travel International’s backstage pass to sail the Caribbean with jazz music superstars like Norman Brown, Nick Colionne, Boney James, Acoustic Alchemy, and many more! This luxurious, five-star experience aboard the beautiful Celebrity Century, ranked one of the world’s best cruise lines by Conde Nast Traveler, is a specially chartered cruise. Included are exclusive singles events and access to your favorite jazz performers aboard this one-of-a-kind cruise vacation! Leaving Miami, the cruise sets sail to Key West, Nassau, and Coco Cay (for a private beach party) and features afternoon and evening performances every sailing day. Starting at $1,849, this special cruise vacation includes gratuities, all taxes, government fees and fuel charges, with no hidden fees!

Smooth Jazz Cruise host, Norman Brown, will introduce live jazz performances by Nick Colionne, Boney James, Mindi Abair, Larry Carlton, Heather Headley, Acoustic Alchemy, Greg Adams, Marlon Meadows, Steve Cole, Shilts, Steve Oliver, Chieli Minnuci, Michael Lington, Alan Hewitt and Althea Rene, among others. Daily performances are scheduled in the afternoons and all evening, and all musicians will perform their show at least twice during the cruise to accommodate all guests.

Autograph and interview sessions, as well as late night jam sessions are part of the jazz experience. Exclusive Singles Travel International amenities include a $50 shipboard credit, welcome aboard party with open bar, breakfast and happy hour club each day, singles seating for dinner, and farewell party. And of course, Singles Travel International invites all single guests to the big game party on February 1st for football’s greatest game of the year. More here.

Looe Key, Florida Keys - “Reefpublicans” and “Democrabs” are to congregate in the Lower Florida Keys Saturday, July 12, when the 24th annual Underwater Music Festival puts an undersea spin on the upcoming 2008 presidential elections.

The quirky underwater concert takes place at Looe Key Reef, an area of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary located approximately six miles south of Big Pine Key. Each year, the subsea songfest draws as many as 600 divers and snorkelers to explore the colorful diversity of marine life that characterizes North America’s only living coral barrier reef.

The 2008 festival is to salute November’s “eel-ections” with underwater appearances by divers costumed as “Barackuda Obama,” “Hillary Clintuna” and “John McClam” among other political notables.

Set for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the marine musical event is staged by Keys radio station WWUS 104.1 FM, locally called U.S. 1. Music is broadcast underwater via Lubell Laboratory speakers suspended beneath boats positioned at the reef, and the playlist typically ranges from humpback whale songs to marine-themed ditties such as the Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine” and Jimmy Buffett’s “A Pirate Looks at 40.”

“We also feature the work of local Keys musicians, who often have a unique vision of life in the Keys and on the water,” said event founder and organizer Bill Becker of U.S. 1. “This year, of course, we’re planning to add contemporary musical spoofs of the political process.”

Participants might even catch the scuba-diving “presidential hopefuls” tooting their own horns — pretending to play underwater musical instruments like a trom-bonefish and sax-eel-phone sculpted by Florida Keys artist August Powers.

While election “afishionados” are encouraged to enjoy the bipartisan party at Looe Key Reef, the concert also has a serious focus: promoting preservation of the Florida Keys’ unique coral reef ecosystem. The musical broadcast incorporates diver awareness announcements, prepared by Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary officials, offering tips on how people can enjoy the ocean while minimizing their impact on the reef and overall marine environment.

Divers and snorkelers eager to participate in the 2008 Underwater Music Festival can reserve space aboard boats run by Lower Keys dive operators. Visitors and residents with their own boats can launch from public ramps and marinas throughout the area.

For information about dive charters and accommodations in the Lower Florida Keys, contact the Lower Keys Chamber of Commerce at (800) 872-3722 or (305) 872-2411, or visit the Florida Keys Web site at www.fla-keys.com or the chamber’s Web site at www.lowerkeyschamber.com.

Key West, Florida Keys — Revelers in Cuban dress are scheduled to conga from the shores of the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico Friday night, May 23, to kick off Key West’s ninth annual Cuban American Heritage Festival. The festivities are to continue through Sunday, May 25, with events celebrating the island city’s rich and colorful Cuban heritage.

Led by Comparsa Key West, the festival’s official dance troupe, the conga line is to step off at 8 p.m. and proceed down mile-long Duval Street from the ocean to the gulf. Members of the public are invited to put on their dancing shoes, grab their tambourines and join the fun.

Located just 90 miles from Cuba, Key West was the site of nearly 150 cigar factories in the mid to late 1800s, when the island city welcomed thousands of Cuban immigrants seeking greater personal and political freedom. Tickets are $50 per person, and seating is limited but there are plenty of things to do in Key West so don’t wait. For reservations, call (305) 295-9665. The family-oriented Cuban American Heritage Festival showcases the vibrant culture and customs these individuals brought with them to Key West.

Midway along the procession’s route, dancers and revelers are to pass the historic San Carlos Institute, where Jose Marti launched his 1892 drive for his homeland’s independence.

Conga celebrants are to proceed to El Meson de Pepe, 410 Wall St. at Mallory Square, for a lively Latin dance party. The gala is to begin at 9:30 p.m. and feature the rhythms of the popular band Caribe. Admission is free.

Saturday, May 24, El Meson is to be the site of a cigar dinner and silent auction that celebrate Key West’s cigar-making legacy. Presented by the Fuente Newman Cigar Co. and starting at 7 p.m., the night is to include a full dinner, wine and a selection of fine cigars.

The cost of this quintessential Cuban-style evening is $75 per person. For reservations, call Jose Diaz at (305) 360-0738.

Sunday morning is to bring a fun-filled party for children and families. The Fiesta de Niños is to be staged at the White Street Pier overlooking the Atlantic Ocean at White Street and Atlantic Boulevard. Scheduled activities include an old-fashioned children’s fishing tournament and a traditional domino tournament for kids, grandparents and attendees of all ages. Admission is free.

If the fiesta sparks an appetite for Latin cuisine, “A Taste of Havana” should satisfy it. Starting at 7 p.m. Sunday, diners can enjoy a progressive dinner featuring outstanding food from Key West’s leading Latin restaurants. Participants will be whisked from place to place by trolley during the unique progressive dinner.

For more information about the Cuban American Heritage Festival, visit www.cubanfest.com or call (305) 295-9665.

For lodging information in Key West, contact the Key West Chamber of Commerce at 1-800-LAST-KEY (800-527-8539) or visit the Florida Keys & Key West Web site at www.fla-keys.com.

Florida Keys

The Florida Keys are truly a Caribbean paradise that stretches from Key Largo to Key West. Key Largo is well known divers and snorkelers with clear water it’s the easiest Key to get to. Islamorada is the Gamefish Capital of Florida with both offshore fishing and inshore fishing for bonefish and tarpon. Bahia Honda Key is one of the most natural of the Florida Keys and popular with campers and snorkelers. And Key West is party central with Duval Street and the Annual FantasyFest.

Tampa

Tampa Florida is a busy metro area similar to other cities across the nation. What makes it special is it’s semi-tropical seaside location and the culture, which are considered by many as one and the same. Ybor City located in Tampa’s Latin Quarter, has become the new “South Beach”. Complete with clubs, restaurants and eclectic shops, the region has a strong Cuban flavor complete with merchants selling hand rolled cigars.

Tampa is also home to Busch Gardens, one of the most popular attractions in Florida and for good reason, Beer. But beer is not the only reason to visit Busch Gardens, there are roller coasters like the SheiKra and Gwazi. Busch Gardens is also home to Animal Attractions.

Miami

Miami is located at the south eastern and that’s what gives it the unique beaches and water quality. Even though the region is a major population area and shipping port, the clear Gulf Stream waters flush Biscayne Bay and the nearby shoreline. The close proximity of the Gulf Stream also makes offshore fishing some of the best anywhere. Fishing for marlin, mahi mahi, wahoo and king mackerel are available year round.

Miami is also home to a large Cuban population giving the area a Latin flavor that impacts the fashion, food and nightclub atmosphere. There are also professional sports teams like the Miami Dolphins.

Orlando

Orlando Florida is one of the most popular family vacation destinations in the nation, and for good reason, theme parks. Disney, Universal and Seaworld are the most famous. But there are other attractions close by such as Gatorland, Wet N’ Wild and nearby Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex.

Hotels and Resorts around Central Florida cater to visiting families and International Drive offers a shopping experience you won’t find anyplace else. Restaurants and dinner shows are also popular with the visiting families for any budget.

Florida Travel Info

Looking for tips you’ll find Florida Travel Info a valuable source. Florida has beautiful beaches, plenty of theme parks and resort hotels that will make your Florida vacation a memorable experience.

Key West, Florida Keys — Nature lovers can enjoy an exhibition and sale of rare plants, tour the lush and lovely gardens surrounding five private Key West homes, explore Key West’s two premier public gardens and expand their horticultural knowledge at educational workshops during Gardenfest Key West, scheduled Friday through Sunday, Feb. 22-24.

The festivities are scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 22, with a wine tasting and plant preview at the Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden, 5210 College Road, the only frost-free tropical moist forest garden in the continental United States. Visitors who join either the club or the society are admitted free, and members receive a 10 percent discount on their Friday night plant purchases.

Gardenfest is presented jointly by the Key West Garden Club and the Key West Botanical Garden Society.

All day Saturday and Sunday, visitors to the Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden can view and purchase native plants, fruit trees, exotic palms, orchids, bromeliads, flowering plants and more, as well as nature-themed art and crafts.

Private garden tours are scheduled 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The $20 per person price includes complimentary shuttle service to all five private gardens from the Key West Garden Club headquarters at West Martello Tower, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean at 1100 Atlantic Blvd., as well as shuttle service to the Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden.

Tickets for the garden tours are available at the Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden and the Key West Garden Club headquarters, or by calling the organizations at (305) 296-1504 or (305) 294-3210. Credit cards are accepted.

Visitors also can explore the forest and garden, a rich and diverse environment whose attractions include tropical fruit trees, native fragrant plants, native palms, tropical spices and local herbs, champion trees, butterflies and birds.

From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days a series of free educational workshops on horticultural subjects is to be presented.

For more information, visit www.keywestbotanicalgarden.org or www.keywestgardenclub.com.