http://www.ajc.com The latest headlines from AJC en-us Copyright 2009, Cox Newspapers Inc., AJC Sun, 5 Jul 2009 01:07:11 EDT Newspapers COXnet RSS Generator v1.0 http://img.coxnewsweb.com/C/08/17/52/image_1352178.jpg http://www.ajc.com 5 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/fl_stories/2009/07/01/great_florida_bars.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/fl_stories/2009/07/01/great_florida_bars.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Wed, 1 Jul 2009 16:00:06 EDT Where else but Florida could a place like Jimbo's exist? It's a Miami bait shack — emphasis on "shack" — a few miles from downtown but with an isolated island feel and a diverse mix of customers. Beer is self-serve and the 82-year-old owner watches over the activity in a rickety boat captain's chair. It's been a location in films like "Wild Things" and "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective" and TV shows like "Flipper" and "Miami Vice," yet most folks don't know where it is. And where else but Florida would you find places like the Flora-Bama, a beach bar known for live music and airborne fish; Square Grouper, named for the bales of marijuana that sometimes float ashore; The Last Resort, a biker bar where serial killer Aileen Wuornos drank her last beer, or a bar in Key West where Ernest Hemingway and Jimmy Buffett hung out (though not at the same time). http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/fl_stories/2009/07/01/sarasota_circus_history.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/fl_stories/2009/07/01/sarasota_circus_history.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Wed, 1 Jul 2009 15:53:54 EDT Sarasota and the circus became forever linked more than 70 years ago when John Ringling decided to move the headquarters of his "Greatest Show on Earth" to the lovely Gulf Coast city where he spent his winters. "No announcement ever made in Florida has meant more to the state as a whole," gushed the Sarasota Herald on March 23, 1927. News of Ringling's decision to transfer the show's winter quarters from Bridgeport, Conn., the newspaper said, created a "jubilant air" in town. The Sarasota winter quarters of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus opened to paying visitors on Christmas Day that year and quickly became one of Florida's first tourist attractions. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/fl_stories/2009/06/07/kennedy_space_center_tour.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/fl_stories/2009/06/07/kennedy_space_center_tour.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Fri, 5 Jun 2009 12:49:01 EDT The 72 miles of pristine Atlantic beaches are just one of the delights of Florida's Space Coast — the area around Cape Canaveral that also includes Cocoa Beach, the Kennedy Space Center and Melbourne. Visitors also can marvel at some of man's greatest technological achievements or explore the unspoiled natural beauty and wildlife in one of the country's preeminent nature preserves. The highlight of the trip may be the John F. Kennedy Space Center, which is NASA's primary space-launch facility. This unique experience presents a historical lesson on America's space exploration while affording the opportunity to witness a piece of history in the making. Launch Complex 39 was the launch point for the Saturn V rockets that carried all Apollo lunar missions, including the epic Apollo 11 journey that landed on the moon. It is still used for launches. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/fl_stories/2009/04/26/weekend_in_florida.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/fl_stories/2009/04/26/weekend_in_florida.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Fri, 29 May 2009 15:09:54 EDT BUDGET Getting there Fly to Tampa with AirTran or Delta from $69 one-way (during sales) and drive back in a Hertz rental car from $5 a day to participating Atlanta locations through June 30; Hertz. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/fl_stories/2009/05/10/panama_city_florida.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/fl_stories/2009/05/10/panama_city_florida.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Fri, 8 May 2009 12:03:12 EDT Travelers flock to Panama City, Fla., for white sand beaches, clear gulf waters and endless sunshine. But if rain or a sunburn keeps you off the beach, grab an umbrella and go exploring. From east to west, here are five places to play near Panama City: Junior Museum http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/fl_stories/2009/03/22/Wright_Florida_Southern.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/fl_stories/2009/03/22/Wright_Florida_Southern.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Mon, 23 Mar 2009 11:02:05 EDT At first glance, you miss the details. The jewel-colored glass used in the construction of 60-year-old buildings. The greenish-brown copper eaves on a 1 1/2-mile covered walkway. Columns shaped like the orange trees that once filled the campus of Florida Southern College. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/fl_stories/2009/03/22/weekend_key_west.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/fl_stories/2009/03/22/weekend_key_west.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Thu, 19 Mar 2009 15:26:07 EDT BUDGET Getting there One-way rates to Miami start at $69 with a seven-day notice. The offer is valid through May 19 on AirTran and Delta. With rental wheels, navigate U.S. 1 following mile marker signs (Key West is marker No. 0). http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/fl_stories/2009/03/13/Everglades_missile_tour.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/fl_stories/2009/03/13/Everglades_missile_tour.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Fri, 13 Mar 2009 17:58:26 EDT At the height of the Cold War, anti-aircraft missiles stood at the ready here in Florida's swamplands, protecting the South from a potential Soviet nuclear bomber attack launched from Cuba. For almost two decades, beginning shortly after the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, the HM-69 Nike Hercules Missile Site was manned by about 100 military personnel, one of the last lines of defense if the unthinkable happened. When it closed in 1979, the park took control of the site. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/fl_stories/2009/03/15/orlando_after_dark.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/fl_stories/2009/03/15/orlando_after_dark.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Thu, 12 Mar 2009 12:24:06 EDT WonderWorks Kids are enchanted with WonderWorks, the family-oriented, hands-on "museum for the mind," but after 9 p.m., it's mostly adults who come out to play. They blow bubbles, lie on a bed of nails, tap out tunes with their toes on a giant piano keyboard, experience hurricane-force winds and the rumble of a 5.3 earthquake, take the controls of a virtual jet, step aboard a simulated roller-coaster and tax their minds with trivia quizzes on the space program or TV theme songs. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/fl_stories/2009/03/15/winter_park_florida.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/fl_stories/2009/03/15/winter_park_florida.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Thu, 12 Mar 2009 11:55:50 EDT Winter Park, Fla. — Quietly and with anticipation, we entered the small, narrow waterway bordered by a profusion of subtropical palms, trees and shrubs, gliding into a hidden world. The 14 passengers in the pontoon boat craned their necks, looking side to side. But this wasn't the famous Jungle Cruise at Walt Disney World. No robotic animals sprang into action. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/deals/stories/2009/03/11/NASA_launches_florida.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/deals/stories/2009/03/11/NASA_launches_florida.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Wed, 11 Mar 2009 12:52:42 EDT One of life's most thrilling moments is to witness, in person, the launch of a NASA Shuttle from Cape Canaveral-Kennedy Space Center. What a great spring break or summer experience for the kids! Even if Orlando is your main destination, the drive to the east coast launch view area is just under 45 minutes from the theme parks of greater Orlando. The next launch from Kennedy Space Center is the Shuttle Discovery on Wednesday, March 11, at about 9:20 p.m. Assuming you won't make it Wednesday night, start planning to make the trip south, and soon. NASA plans to retire the entire shuttle fleet next year — which leaves only about eight more scheduled missions — and dramatic lift-offs. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/fl_stories/2009/03/08/universal_orlando_deal.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/fl_stories/2009/03/08/universal_orlando_deal.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Fri, 6 Mar 2009 11:44:34 EST Universal Orlando Resort has extended a deal allowing families to book a three-night package and receive two additional nights free. Packages begin at $689 and include accommodations at a hotel near Universal and unlimited theme park admission to both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. The package can be booked until March 29 for stays any time between now and Oct. 8. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/otherdestinations/us_stories/2008/10/12/Orlando_maerz_pricepoints.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/otherdestinations/us_stories/2008/10/12/Orlando_maerz_pricepoints.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Thu, 5 Mar 2009 13:46:52 EST BUDGET Getting there: A doable drive at about 6-7 hours for an average fuel cost of $68 (based on $3.80 a gallon). http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/fl_stories/2009/03/05/baseball_spring_training.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/fl_stories/2009/03/05/baseball_spring_training.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Thu, 5 Mar 2009 13:43:20 EST I drove down to Florida with my father for my first spring training experience in 1983, and I've been back practically every year since. What's not to like: Watching the action in intimate stadiums? The modest prices? Better access to today's and tomorrow's stars? Planning a spring training trip is as simple as connecting the dots. It doesn't take an Excel spreadsheet to come up with at least a game a day within easy driving distance once you're in Florida. Stadiums are clustered around the middle part of the state, on both coasts and in between, so it's easy to take in several on a single trip. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/fl_stories/2009/02/22/baseball_spring_training.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/fl_stories/2009/02/22/baseball_spring_training.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Thu, 5 Mar 2009 09:09:39 EST I drove down to Florida with my father for my first spring training experience in 1983, and I've been back practically every year since. What's not to like: Watching the action in intimate stadiums? The modest prices? Better access to today's and tomorrow's stars? Planning a spring training trip is as simple as connecting the dots. It doesn't take an Excel spreadsheet to come up with at least a game a day within easy driving distance once you're in Florida. Stadiums are clustered around the middle part of the state, on both coasts and in between, so it's easy to take in several on a single trip.