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.

Panama City Beach, FL - The Bay Point Marriott Golf Resort & Spa wants to help you have a great “Staycation” this summer without ever leaving your neighborhood. With summer rates starting at $129 for Bay, Okaloosa, Walton and Escambia County Residents,* this unbeatable “Stay-cation” Panama City Beach Vacation Package is the perfect opportunity to escape the ordinary, even if you can’t get too far away this summer.

Be amazed with this hotel’s $24 million dollar renovation that includes a total transformation of all of their Panama City Beach lodging, including their 316 spacious guest rooms and golf villas. Enjoy the complimentary boat shuttle for registered guests to number one ranked Shell Island via their very own, Bay Point Lady. Be challenged on two championship golf courses, including the only Nicklaus Design Course in North West Florida, then relax by one of five pools while the kids have fun at the exciting Kid’s Camp that takes place at the hotel.

Indulge in the Serenity Spa at Bay Point, which is the region’s premier full-service spa, salon & fitness center - a 12,000 square foot state-of-the-art oasis of relaxation. Southern Living said, “The fabulous new Serenity Spa is the best in Panama City Beach,” and it was also awarded as “Best Spa” by Panama City Living Magazine. So rest and rejuvenate, and retreat to the Panama City Beach, FL spa resort for a simple summer getaway, close to home.

The Bay Point Marriott is located at 4200 Marriott Drive in Panama City Beach, one of the best Florida Panhandle Beaches.

Visit MarriottBayPoint.com or call 1-800-644-2650 and ask for the Florida “Staycation” Rates and promotional code LCGD, for more information on this luxurious property.

Miami, FL - Doral Golf Resort & Spa, a Marriott Resort, is offering golfers the opportunity to play against other amateurs in three summer tournaments on its two famed Miami golf courses, the Blue Monster and Great White. As regular golf fees on these courses start at $125 and $210 respectively, the summer tournaments offer golf aficionados (men and women) the chance to play like the pros and enjoy the festivities, including complimentary food and beverages, while saving over 50% on golf fees. Below are further details:

• Summer Solstice Slam - $175 per person*
On Wednesday, June 18, golfers will thank the grass gods with this golf-’til-you-drop event on the longest day of the summer. The 54-hole event spans dawn to dusk on the famous Blue Monster and Great White courses. For those brave enough to take on the marathon golf event, food and beverage will be provided. Golfers save over 50%!

• Blue/White Aggregate Tournament - $150 per person*
Offering the best of both worlds, this Thursday, August 28 event invites duffers to take on the Blue Monster Golf Course and the Great White for one low rate, which includes complimentary continental breakfast and lunch. Prizes include a three-day/two-night Championship Golf package for two and complimentary tee times for four on the Blue Monster and Great White courses. Gift certificates will also be awarded for Closest to the Pin, Longest Drive and Most Improved Score. Golfers save 60%!

• Blue Monster Day at Doral - $100 per person*
Take your TigerQ. Starting from the professional tees used at the 2008 World Golf Championship - CA Championship, golfers will compete on one of the PGA Tour’s most difficult courses on Monday, September 29. An additional challenge will be set up on the 9th hole: any duffer who can “Beat the Pro” will win a $50 gift certificate that can be used towards a relaxing massage at The Miami Spa at Doral, dinner at Champions Bar and Grill or at any of the resort’s retail shops. Golfers save over 50%!

Duffers can sign up for all three events for $400 per person*. Room rates start at $149 per night.** For reservations or additional information, please call golf sales office at (305) 591-6401.

Situated on 650 tropical acres, the award-winning Doral Golf Resort & Spa, a Marriott Resort is one of Miami’s premier resorts. All 693 luxuriously- appointed Miami accommodations, including 96 suites, boast individual balconies/patios, guest-controlled air conditioning, direct-dial telephone with two-lines for high-speed Internet or fax access, electronic safes with rechargeable capabilities for your laptop, and more.

Featuring five 18-hole championship golf courses, including the famed Blue Monster, the Doral is continuously ranked one of the country’s leading golf destinations. The European inspired Spa at Doral offers guests more than 100 spa services, 52 treatment rooms, an on-site registered dietician/nutritionist and state-of-the-art exercise center. For dining, guests can choose from five delectable restaurants in Miami, Florida including Windows on the Green, The Atrium, Terrazza Restaurant and Caf , Champions Bar & Grill and Bungalou’s Bar & Grill. Located only seven miles from Miami International Airport, the hotel also features the acclaimed Arthur Ashe Tennis Center, Jim McLean Golf Center, The Blue Lagoon aquatic recreation area and nine retail shops. For more information or to make a reservation, call (800) 71-DORAL or visit http://marriott.com/hotels/travel/miadl.

Cape Canaveral, FL – The seventh group of Space Shuttle astronauts has been named to the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. Veteran Space Shuttle Astronauts John E. Blaha, Robert D. Cabana, Bryan D. O’Connor and Loren J. Shriver will join an elite group of American space heroes as they are inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. Earlier inductees represent the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Skylab and Apollo-Soyuz programs.

Each inductee brings their own chapter to the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. Blaha, the third American to live aboard the Russian Mir Space Station; Cabana, the commander of the first International Space Station assembly mission; O’Connor, commander of the first shuttle mission dedicated to life sciences; and Shriver, commander of the mission to deploy the Hubble Space Telescope, will bring the number of space explorers enshrined in the Astronaut Hall of Fame to 70.

They will join the ranks of legendary space pioneers like Neil Armstrong, John Glenn, Alan Shepard, Sally Ride and John Young. The public ceremony at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex will be held Saturday, May 3 at 3:00 p.m. View the Cape Canaveral Launch Schedule for times and dates of upcoming launches. More than 25 astronauts have accepted invitations to attend and honor the latest inductees including Scott Carpenter, John Young, Bob Crippen, Al Worden and Walt Cunningham. As part of the weekend celebration, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex will feature autograph sessions, book signings and public presentations with current Hall of Fame astronauts, including Bob Crippen, Robert “Hoot” Gibson, Story Musgrave, and Ed Mitchell on May 3 and 4. A schedule of events can be found at /astronaut_induction.

The U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is included with admission to Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Induction weekend ticket packages are available for $70 plus tax for adults and $50 plus tax for children and include the following:

• Two-day Admission to Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex and the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame
• Reserved seating at the Induction Ceremony at 3:00 p.m.
• Commemorative poster of the 2008 Inductees
• A special Apollo 16 Lunch With the Astronauts on May 3 at 11:30 a.m. Lunch will be hosted by Apollo 16 “moonwalkers” John Young and Charlie Duke
• U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame Induction weekend tickets are available by telephone at 321-449-4400 or online at www.KennedySpaceCenter.com. Local accommodations are also available.

The 2008 inductees were selected by a committee of current Hall of Fame astronauts, former NASA officials and flight directors, historians, journalists and other space authorities. The process is administered by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, created in 1984 to support students seeking careers in science and technology. To be eligible, an astronaut must have made his or her first flight at least 17 years before the induction year and must be retired at least five years from NASA’s astronaut corps. Candidates must be a U.S. citizen, NASA-trained and must have orbited the earth at least once. Committee members receiving ballots evaluate not only an individual’s flight accomplishments but also how he or she contributed to the success and future success of the U.S. Space Program in post-flight assignments. For more information, log on to www.AstronautScholarship.org.

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.