Myrtle Beach is considered the number one golf destination in the United States, but those who have visited the “Grand Strand” know that is also a premier vacation destination. With its beautiful beaches and countless attractions, everyone can find something to keep them occupied.

Myrtle Beach's Grand Strand consists of a string of small communities that stretches from Little River on the North Carolina border to Georgetown. Its 60 miles of coastline have wide, sandy beaches for swimming, sunbathing and building sand castles; waters full of fish for pier or deep sea fishing and waves for surfing. For the fishing and boating enthusiast, the Intercoastal Waterway meanders through Myrtle Beach and offers even more opportunities for a day on the water. Little River

What better way to be introduced to Myrtle Beach than through Little River. As you enter South Carolina from North Carolina, this small village greets you with bright skies, beautiful flowers that bloom all year, sparkling ocean and majestic oak trees. Shops, restaurants, golf courses and retirement communities have sprung up in the last ten years, but Little River has managed to maintain a less hectic pace than the rest of Myrtle Beach.

Little River's biggest event is the annual Blue Crab Festival. Held in May on the weekend after Mother's Day, many visitors return for the fresh crab and other seafood, a juried art show, arts and crafts of all descriptions, face painting for the children, boat rides, and live entertainment. North Myrtle Beach

North Myrtle Beach consists of the four communities of Cherry Grove, Ocean Drive, Crescent Beach and Windy Hill where Barefoot Landing has become a popular shopping, eating, and entertainment spot.

Crossing the expansive bridge over the Intercoastal Waterway from Little River to North Myrtle Beach is an experience in itself. Steal a quick view of the houses, boats, marinas and bridges for miles in either direction—if you're not driving, that is.

In Cherry Grove, you'll find one of the most popular destinations of both residents and visitors alike, the Cherry Grove Fishing Pier . The pier extends 985' into the ocean and has a 2-tier viewing deck with a dynamic view of North Myrtle Beach. The pier attracts the casual and “serious” angler, and residents and visitors alike.

The other three communities in North Myrtle Beach are not as large or as developed as Cherry Grove, but they also have beautiful beaches and plenty of accommodations. North Myrtle Beach's population has mushroomed since 1990; consequently, so have the development and the traffic. From late April through early September, allow plenty of time to get down Route 17, the main thoroughfare from Little River all the way to Charlestown.

Beach and Boogie Music is king at the Beach Clubs like Fat Harold's Beach Club in Ocean Drive. This thumping, rhythmic music will have you dancing in your seat, if you're not up doing the “Shag,” the official dance of South Carolina. Notoriously described as "the jitterbug on valium," the Shag is fun to watch and even more fun to try. Myrtle Beach, the City

Once you visit Myrtle Beach and see the overwhelming number of hotels, motels, condominiums, restaurants and attractions, you will find it hard to believe that most of the development took place since the late 1950's. Getting to Myrtle Beach is easy thanks to the modern and efficient Myrtle Beach Airport. Once you get there, though, finding your way around can be tricky until you get the hang of the system used to number the roads. The roads are very crowded, but the city managers are dealing with the congestion by adding new roads. Veteran's Highway (Route 22) helps you avoid a large part of Route 17. Route 501, the other main highway, swings off of Route 17 to the west and leads to many of the popular golf courses and the Waccamaw Factory Shoppes .

Myrtle Beach has its own baseball team, the Pelicans , a Class A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. The games are held in Coastal Federal Field, a relatively small stadium from which you can clearly see all the action on the field. Silly games and contests held in between innings and Splash, the mascot, make going to the games a fun time for all ages.

Myrtle Beach has just about any kind of entertainment you can think of, such as The Carolina Opry , Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede , Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament , IMAX Discovery Theatre , Planet Hollywood , Hard Rock Café , Ripley's Aquarium , the Pavilion Amusement Park , water parks, nightclubs and shopping galore. There are also many annual festivals that bring visitors back year after year. As they say, “If you're bored in Myrtle Beach, it's your own fault.”

The Southern Grand Strand

This southern part of the Grand Strand moves at a more leisurely pace than its northern counterpart, but is equally diverse.

Surfside Beach is directly below Myrtle Beach; consequently, some of the congestion is spilling over to this community. It is being forced to build new municipal buildings as its population swells. Like its neighbor to the south, Garden City, it is fighting to maintain its pristine beaches by not allowing high rise condominiums and hotels. Garden City is still more residential than commercial. It is a popular spot for surf fishing and family outings to the beach.

The residents of the small fishing village of Murrells Inlet preserve its heritage by continuing to fish in its many creeks and waterways. If you want fresh seafood, be sure to visit this self-proclaimed Seafood Capital of South Carolina. It is also the home of the lovely, serene Brookgreen Gardens . With over 9000 acres of sculpture and botanical gardens, it is a must see.

To get to Georgetown, continue traveling down Route 17 through Litchfield Beach and Pawley's Island. It has a relatively small population and is a well-kept secret, so it's a pleasure to leisurely walk the historic streets past the antebellum buildings.

Ellen Lehrer

Rich in pioneering history, inundated with great wealth, and steeped in Hollywood-style glamour, Palm Beach draws curious visitors and new residents alike. The name is recognized the world over as a destination for wealthy vacationers, royalty, and celebrities.

The County of Palm Beach has 38 incorporated municipalities with several that are historic neighbors to the city of Palm Beach, the heart of the county. From October to May, Palm Beach comes to life with seasonal visitors escaping unpleasant northern winters.

Located on 47 acres between the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean, Palm Beach is separated from the mainland by three bridges and extends south to Lake Worth.

In addition to having excellent cultural events throughout the year, Palm Beach County also has the largest number of golf courses in the United States: 147. Everywhere you look, you'll find courses designed by prestigious trophy winners such as Arnold Palmer.

Palm Beach Once an uninhabitable swampland, the area would have remained a challenging wasteland except for the vision and determination of a man with lots and lots of money, railroad baron Henry Flagler.

Whitehall, now the Flagler Museum , set the standard for other members of Henry Flagler's social and financial standing who followed him south. Constructed in the popular Beaux Arts architectural style in 1902 on six acres, Whitehall was a 55-room, 60,000 square foot vacation house. Open now to public tours, it offers a glimpse how the American millionaires of the period made a dramatic statement to the world. At the age of 72, Mr. Flagler certainly made one with this $4 million gift to his new bride and third wife, complete with European works of art, Roman sculptures, enormous ballroom with gilded mirrors, and gold china service and porcelain.

When the wealthy came south to Florida's warmer climate at the turn of the century, they had money to spend, of course. Their legacies of wealthy lifestyles have maintained our fascination with the Palm Beach aura and what the city it is today: a great place to visit or live. Worth Avenue has becoame a distinctive shopping destination with exclusive European shops and first class restaurants. Although changes have occurred over the years, you'll find over 200 specialty stores such as Chanel, Escada, Gucci, Hermes of Paris, Louis Vuitton, Maus & Hoffman, Myers Luggage, Saks Fifth Avenue, Sonia Rykiel, and of course, Tiffany & Co. Antique shops and art galleries abound.

When it comes to dining, there are many excellent places to choose from. Charming cafes, delightful coffee houses, and quaint bistros can be found throughout the city and around famous Worth Avenue. You'll find great ocean view dining and fresh seafood at Charley's Crab and the epitome of excellence at the Florentine Dining Room in the grand Breakers Hotel.

Having the distinction as a millionaire's playground, Palm Beach's glamorous season provides a variety of exciting diversions, from lavish theatrical productions to leisure sports such as polo or croquet. From December to April, avid fans spend an amusing afternoon at the Palm Beach Polo and Country Club in nearby Wellington. Club members dressed in high style sit in reserved box seats on one side of the playing field and sip champagne. On the other side, non-members enjoy the sport as well, watching the fast playing action from chaise lounges next to their automobiles and feasting from picnic baskets. During the break, everyone gets on the field to replace divots.

West Palm Beach West Palm Beach was created for workers who built the fabulous mansions and hotels for Henry Flagler at the turn of the century. Today, it's historic downtown district offers fine entertainment, shopping, and great restaurants. Many of its early homes are now charming bed and breakfasts. Interstate highway I-95 runs north and south through it as the major travel artery.

Many travelers arrive through one of the most beautiful airports in America, the Palm Beach International Airport, serving over six million passengers annually.

Private yachts glide down the beautiful Intracoastal Waterway, mooring at marinas for overnight docking or extended visits. The Port of Palm Beach is home to the Palm Beach Princess , providing gambling and entertainment just off Palm Beach's coast. As a center of art and culture with museums and galleries, the county hosts some of the largest art festivals and music events in Florida, including professional touring companies who perform at the impressive concert hall, Kravis Center . Other performing theatres include the Royal Palm Performing Arts Theatre and the Royal Poinciana Playhouse .

On Saturday mornings, the GreenMarket in West Palm Beach is an experience in itself where breakfast can be enjoyed under shade trees while buying fresh pastries, fruits, and vegetables.

Northern cities To the north of Palm Beach are the communities of Palm Beach Gardens, Wellington, Riviera Beach, and Jupiter. Diving and fishing charters are available, as well as tour boats along the Palm Beach coast and the Intracoastal Waterway.

Southern cities South of the city are the trendy towns of Lake Worth, Boynton Beach and Boca Raton, each with their own charming historic districts and enchanting 1920's bed and breakfast inns.

The city of Palm Beach has drawn visitors for over a hundred years. Its lure hasn't diminished one iota. As one of the most beautiful cities on Florida's east coast, it offers a myriad of activities, attractions, grand hotels and quaint historic inns, all in a most agreeable environment and setting. It is truly a paradise for everyone to enjoy on all levels.

Natasha Lawrence

Miami (pronounced or ) is a major city in southeastern Florida, in the United States. It is the county seat of Miami-Dade County. Miami is a gamma world city with an estimated population of 404,048. It is the largest city within the South Florida metropolitan area, which is the largest metropolitan area in the Southeastern United States with 5.5 million people. Miami and its surrounding cities make up the fifth largest urban area in the United States. As of 2005, the United Nations estimates that the Miami Urban Agglomeration is the fourth largest in the United States, and the 44th largest in the world.
Miami’s importance as an international financial and cultural center has elevated Miami to the status of world city. Because of Miami’s cultural and linguistic ties to North, South, and Central America, as well as the Caribbean, Miami is many times referred to as “The Gateway of the Americas”. Florida’s large Spanish-speaking population and strong economic ties to Latin America also make Miami and the surrounding region an important financial center of the Hispanic world.
Miami is also home to one of the largest, most influential ports in the United States, the Port of Miami. The port is often called the “Cruise Capital of the World” and the “Cargo Gateway of the Americas”. It has retained its status as the number one cruise/passenger port in the world for well over a decade accommodating the largest cruise ships and the major cruise lines.
As of 2007, Miami is undergoing a massive building boom that ranks second worldwide (and first in the United States) for the most buildings under construction that will be over , with over 24 of such buildings currently under construction. Miami’s skyline also currently ranks third in the U.S. behind Chicago and New York City (and 18th in the world) according to the 2006 Almanac of Architecture and Design. Including other nearby neighborhoods and cities, the Miami area has over 80 highrise towers under construction, such as the Biscayne Wall in Downtown Miami, a row of skyscrapers being built along the west side of Biscayne Boulevard. Miami currently has the five tallest skyscrapers in the state of Florida with the tallest being the Four Seasons Hotel & Tower.
At only of land area, Miami has the smallest land area of any major U.S. city with a metro area of at least 2.5 million people. The city proper is home to less than 1 in 13 residents of the South Florida Metro Area. Additionally, 52% of Miami-Dade County’s population doesn't live in any incorporated city. Miami is the only major city in the United States bordered by two national parks, Everglades National Park on the west, and Biscayne National Park on the east.
Miami and its metro area grew from just over one thousand residents to nearly five and a half million residents in just 110 years (1896-2006). The city’s nickname, The Magic City, comes from this rapid growth. Winter visitors remarked that the city grew so much from one year to the next that it was like magic. Miami is the only major city in the United States founded by a woman, Julia Tuttle.

History

Miami was officially incorporated as a city on July 28 1896, though the area was first inhabited for more than a thousand years by the Tequesta Indians and was claimed for Spain in 1566 by Pedro Menéndez de Avilés. A Spanish mission was established a year later in 1567. In 1836 Fort Dallas was built and subsequently, was a site of fighting during the Second Seminole War. In the 1920s, Miami prospered through the Florida Land Boom of the 1920's with an increase in population and infrastructure. By 1940, 172,172 people lived in the city and Miami had grown to become a large, growing city.
The Miami area was better known as “Biscayne Bay Country” in the early years of its growth. Some published reports described the area as a promising wilderness. The area was also characterized as “one of the finest building sites in Florida.” However, the Great Freeze of 1894 changed all that, and the crops of the Miami area were the only ones in Florida that survived. Julia Tuttle, a local citrus grower, convinced Henry Flagler, a railroad tycoon, to expand his Florida East Coast Railroad to Miami. On July 28 1896, Miami was officially incorporated as a city with a population of just over 300.
Miami prospered during the 1920s but weakened after the collapse of the Florida Land Boom of the 1920s, the 1926 Miami Hurricane and the Great Depression in the 1930s. When World War II began, Miami, well-situated due to its location on the southern coast of Florida, played an important role in the battle against German submarines. The war helped to expand Miami’s population to almost half a million. After Fidel Castro rose to power in 1959, many Cubans sought refuge in Miami, further increasing the population. In the 1980s and 1990s, various crises struck South Florida, among them the Arthur McDuffie beating and the subsequent riot, drug wars, Hurricane Andrew, and the Elián González uproar. Miami remains a major international, financial, and cultural center.

Geography

Miami and its suburbs are located on a broad plain between the Florida Everglades to the west and Biscayne Bay to the east that also extends from Florida Bay north to Lake Okeechobee. The elevation of the area never rises above 40 ft (12 m) and averages at around 6 ft (2 m) above mean sea level in most neighborhoods, especially near the coast. The highest undulations are found along the coastal Miami Rock Ridge, whose substrate underlies most of the eastern Miami metropolitan region. The main portion of the city lies on the shores of Biscayne Bay which contains several hundred natural and artificially-created barrier islands, the largest of which contains the city of Miami Beach and its famous South Beach district. The Gulf Stream, a warm ocean current, runs northward just 15 miles (24.1 km) off the coast, allowing the city's climate to stay warm and mild all year.

Geology

The surface bedrock under the Miami area is called Miami oolite or Miami limestone. This bedrock is covered by a thin layer of soil, and is no more than 50 feet (15 m) thick. Miami limestone formed as the result of the drastic changes in sea level associated with recent glaciations or ice ages. Beginning some 130,000 years ago the Sangamon interglacial raised sea levels to approximately 25 feet (7.5 m.) above the current level. All of southern Florida was covered by a shallow sea. Several parallel lines of reef formed along the edge of the submerged Florida plateau, stretching from the present Miami area to what is now the Dry Tortugas. The area behind this reef line was in effect a large lagoon, and the Miami limestone formed throughout the area from the deposition of oolites and the shells of bryozoans. Starting about 100,000 years ago the Wisconsin glaciation began lowering sea levels, exposing the floor of the lagoon. By 15,000 years ago, the sea level had dropped to 300 to below the contemporary level. The sea level rose quickly after that, stabilizing at the current level about 4000 years ago, leaving the mainland of South Florida just above sea level.
Beneath the plain lies the Biscayne Aquifer, a natural underground source of fresh water that extends from southern Palm Beach County to Florida Bay, with its highest point peaking around the cities of Miami Springs and Hialeah. Most of the South Florida metropolitan area obtains its drinking water from this aquifer. As a result of the aquifer, it is not possible to dig more than 15 to 20ft (4.57 to 6.1 m) beneath the city without hitting water, which impedes underground construction. For this reason there is no subway system in Miami.
Most of the western fringes of the city extend into the Everglades, a subtropical marshland located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Florida. This causes occasional problems with local wildlife such as alligators venturing into Miami communities and major highways.
In terms of land area, Miami is one of the smallest major cities in the United States. According to the US Census Bureau, the city encompasses a total area of 55.27 mi² (143.15 km²). Of that area, 35.67 mi² (92.68 km²) is land and 19.59 mi² (50.73 km²) is water. That means Miami comprises over 400,000 people in a mere , making it one of the most densely populated cities in the United States, along with New York City, San Francisco, and Chicago among others. Miami is located at .

Climate

Miami has a true tropical climate (Köppen climate classification Aw), with hot, humid summers, and warm, dry winters. The city does experience cold fronts from November through March. However, the average monthly temperature for any month has never been recorded as being under 64.4 °F (January averages 67 °F). Most of the year is warm and humid, and the summers are almost identical to the climate of the Caribbean tropics. In addition, the city gets most of its rain in the summer (wet season) and is relatively dry in winter (dry season). The wet season, which is hot and humid, lasts from May to October, when it gives way to the dry season, which features mild temperatures with some invasions of colder air, which is when the little winter rainfall occurs - with the passing of a front. The hurricane season largely coincides with the wet season.
In addition to its sea-level elevation, coastal location and position just above the Tropic of Cancer, the area owes its warm, humid climate to the Gulf Stream, which moderates climate year-round. A typical summer day does not have temperatures below 75 °F (24 °C). Temperatures in the high 80s to low 90s (30-35 °C) accompanied by high humidity are often relieved by afternoon thunderstorms or a sea breeze that develops off the Atlantic Ocean, which then allow lower temperatures, although conditions still remain very muggy. During winter, humidity is significantly lower, allowing for cooler weather to develop. Average minimum temperatures during that time are around 60 °F (15 °C), rarely dipping below 40 °F (4 °C), and the equivalent maxima usually range between 65 and 75 °F (18-24 °C).
Miami has never recorded a triple-digit temperature; the highest temperature recorded was .. The coldest temperature ever recorded in the city of Miami was 30 °F (-1 °C) on several occasions. Miami has only once recorded snowfall, on January 20 1977. Weather conditions for the area around Miami were recorded sporadically from 1839 until 1900, with many years-long gaps. A cooperative temperature and rainfall recording site was established in what is now downtown Miami in December, 1900. An official Weather Bureau Office was opened in Miami in June, 1911.
Miami receives abundant rainfall, one of the highest among major U.S. cities. Most of this rainfall occurs from mid-May through early October. It receives annual rainfall of 58.6 inches (1488 mm), whereas nearby Fort Lauderdale and Miami Beach receive 63.8 in (1621 mm) and 48.3 in (1227 mm), respectively, which demonstrates the high local variability in rainfall rates. Hurricane season officially runs from June 1 through November 30, although hurricanes can develop beyond those dates. The most likely time for Miami to be hit is during the peak of the Cape Verde season which is mid-August through the end of September. Due to its location between two major bodies of water known for tropical activity, Miami is also statistically the most likely major city in the world to be struck by a hurricane, trailed closely by Nassau, Bahamas, and Havana, Cuba. Despite this, the city has been fortunate in not having a direct hit by a hurricane since Hurricane Cleo in 1964. However, many other hurricanes have affected the city, including Betsy in 1965, Andrew in 1992, Irene in 1999, and Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma in 2005. In addition, a tropical depression in October of 2000 passed over the city, causing record rainfall and flooding. Locally, the storm is credited as the No Name Storm of 2000, though the depression went on to become Tropical Storm Leslie upon entering the Atlantic Ocean.

People and Culture

Demographics

Miami is the 43rd most populous city in the U.S. The South Florida metropolitan area, which includes Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, had a combined population of more than 5.4 million people, ranked sixth in the United States, (behind Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX,) and was the largest metropolitan area in the Southeastern United States. As of the census of 2000, there were 362,470 people, 134,198 households, and 83,336 families residing in the city. The population density was 10,160.9/mi² (3,923.5/km²). There were 148,388 housing units at an average density of 4,159.7/mi² (1,606.2/km²).
The racial makeup of the city is as follows:

66.62% White (11.8% were Non-Hispanic White)

22.31% African American or Black (many of whom are of Caribbean descent)

0.22% Native American

0.66% Asian

0.04% Pacific Islander

5.42% from other races

4.74% from two or more races

65.76% of the population were Latino or Hispanic of any race.

In terms of national origin and/or ethnic origin, the city is 34.1% Cuban, 22.3% African American, 5.6% Nicaraguan, 5.0% Haitian, 3.6% Puerto Rican and 3.3% Honduran. In 2004, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) ranked Miami first in terms of percentage of residents born outside of the country it is located in (59%), followed by Toronto (50%).
There were 134,198 households out of which 26.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.6% were married couples living together, 18.7% have a female head of household with no husband present, and 37.9% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.25.
The age distribution was 21.7% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 98.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $23,483, and the median income for a family was $27,225. Males had a median income of $24,090 versus $20,115 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,128. About 23.5% of families and 28.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 38.2% of those under age 18 and 29.3% of those age 65 or over.
Based on the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports Program, Miami ranks as the second most dangerous metropolitan area in the United States, based on the number of murders, rapes, robberies, aggravated assaults, burglaries and motor vehicle thefts that have occurred in the metropolitan area. The city proper ranks 14th in the United States.
Miami’s explosive population growth in recent years has been driven by internal migration from other parts of the country as well as by immigration. Greater Miami is regarded as more of a multicultural mosaic, than it is a melting pot, with residents still maintaining much of, or some of their cultural traits. The overall culture of Miami and Miami-Dade are heavily influenced by its large population of ethnic Latin Americans and cultures from Caribbeans from islands such as Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, The Bahamas, Cuba and more (many of whom spoke Spanish or Haitian Creole).
Today the Miami Metro Area has a sizable community of citizens, permanent residents, and undocumented populations of Argentines, Bahamians, Brazilians, Canadians, Chileans, Chinese, Colombians, Cubans, Dominicans, Ecuadorans, French, German, Greeks, Guatemalans, Guyanese, Haitians, Hondurans, Jamaicans, Indians, Italians, Mexicans, Nicaraguans, Russians, Trinidadians and Tobagonians, Turks, South Africans, and Venezuelans, as well as a sizeable Puerto Rican population throughout the metropolitan area. While commonly thought of as mainly a city of Hispanic and Caribbean immigrants, the Miami area is home to large French, French Canadian, German, Italian, and Russian communities. The communities have grown to a prominent place in Miami and its suburbs, establishing area neighborhoods such as Little Haiti, Little Havana, Little Managua, and Little San Juan.
As of 2000, 34.14% of the populace was Cuban. 5.67% of the city's population was Nicaraguan, 5.5% of the it's population was Haitian. 3.34% of the population was Honduran, 1.76% of all residents were Dominican. 1.6% of the population was Colombian.

Languages

A wide variety of languages are commonly spoken throughout the city. The City of Miami has three official languages: English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole (French Creole). Miami has the largest Spanish-speaking population in the Western Hemisphere outside Latin America.
As of 2000, speakers of Spanish as their first language accounted for 66.75% of residents, while English was spoken by 25.45%, French Creole by 5.20%, and French speakers comprised 0.76% of the population.
Other languages that were spoken throughout the city include Portuguese at 0.41%, German at 0.18%, Italian at 0.16%, Arabic at 0.15%, Chinese at 0.11%, and Greek at 0.08% of the population. Miami also has one of the largest percentage populations in the U.S. that have residents who speak first languages other than English at home (74.54%.)

Media

Miami is served by two major English-language newspapers, The Miami Herald and South Florida Sun-Sentinel, as well as two major Spanish-language newspapers, El Nuevo Herald and Diario Las Americas.The Miami Herald is Miami’s primary newspaper with over a million readers focusing mainly on issues that affect the Miami and Miami-Dade area. It also has news bureaus in Broward County, Monroe County, and Nassau, Bahamas. It publishes daily Monroe County, Nassau, and International Editions along with the daily Miami-Dade edition.
Miami is the 12th largest radio market and the 17th largest television market in the U.S. Television stations serving the Miami area include WAMI (Telefutura), WBFS (My Network TV), WSFL (The CW), WFOR (CBS), WHFT (TBN), WLTV (Univision), WPLG (ABC), WPXM (ION), WSCV (Telemundo), WSVN (FOX), WTVJ (NBC), WPBT (PBS), WLRN (also PBS) and WSBS Mega TV

Sports

The Miami Heat is the only major professional sports team that plays its games within Miami's city limits. The team won the 2006 NBA Finals, winning the series 4-2 over the Dallas Mavericks. The Miami Dolphins and the Florida Marlins both play their games in the suburb of Miami Gardens. The Orange Bowl, a member of the Bowl Championship Series, hosts their college football championship games at Dolphin Stadium. The stadium has also hosted the Super Bowl; the Miami metro area has hosted the game a total of nine times (four Super Bowls in Dolphin Stadium, including Super Bowl XLI, five at the Miami Orange Bowl), tying New Orleans for the most games. Miami FC, Florida’s only professional soccer team, plays at Tropical Park in Miami. Miami signed world famed soccer player Romario in March 2006 to a one year deal, and possibly longer. The Florida Panthers NHL team plays in neighboring Broward County, Florida at the BankAtlantic Center in the city of Sunrise. Miami is also the home of the Florida International University Golden Panthers at FIU Stadium and the University of Miami Hurricanes at the Miami Orange Bowl. Miami is also home to Paso Fino horses, where competitions are held at Tropical Park Equestrian Center.
A number of defunct teams were located in Miami, including the Miami Floridians (ABA), Miami Matadors (ECHL), Miami Manatees (WHA2), Miami Gatos (NASL), Miami Screaming Eagles (WHA), Miami Seahawks (AAFC), Miami Sol (WNBA), Miami Toros (NASL), Miami Tropics (SFL), and the Miami Hooters (Arena Football League). The Miami Fusion, a defunct Major League Soccer team played at Lockhart Stadium in nearby Broward County.
Professional wrestlers living in Miami include Carlos Colón, Jr., Hazem Ali, Antonio Banks and The Rock.

Education

Miami is served by Miami-Dade County Public Schools, which is the largest school district in Florida and the fourth largest in the United States. As of February 15 2006 it has a student enrollment of 414,128. The district is also the largest minority public school system in the country, with 52% of its students being of Hispanic origin, 25% African American, and 6% non-white of other minorities. M-DCPS is also one of a few public school districts in the United States to offer optional bilingual education. Miami also has several Catholic and Jewish private schools throughout the area.
The city ranks second-to-last in people over 18 with a high school diploma, with 47% of the population not having that degree.
Colleges and universities in the city proper:

Florida International University Metropolitan Center in Downtown Miami (Public)

Miami-Dade College (Public)

Miami International University of Art and Design (Private)

Miami in popular culture

There are many television shows set in Miami. The controversial Emmy winning drama Nip/Tuck, CBS's , and Showtime's Dexter all take place in Miami. The Jackie Gleason Show was taped in Miami Beach from 1964 to 1970. The NBC show Good Morning, Miami was fictionally based around the workings of a Miami television station. The popular sitcoms The Golden Girls and Empty Nest, as well as the detective series Surfside 6 and Miami Vice were also based in the Miami area. Keeping with its modern music tradition, the city has recently hosted the 2004 and 2005 MTV Video Music Awards. A recent show to be set in Miami is the USA Network's Burn Notice, which is filmed on location and in studios located in Miami.
In the mid-2000s, Miami started to become a popular backdrop for reality television shows. Reality programming set in the city include the TLC show Miami Ink; Discovery Channel's After Dark; Animal Planet's Miami Animal Police; MTV's 8th & Ocean, Making Menudo, the fourth season of Making the Band, Room Raiders; , and The X Effect; VH1's Hogan Knows Best; TruTV's ; and the third season of Bravo's Top Chef.
Video games ' and ' take place in Vice City a fictional city inspired by Miami, including some of the same architecture and geography. There were also people and gangsters in the game who speak Haitian Creole and Spanish.
Miami has acted as the backdrop for several movies, including There's Something About Mary, Wild Things, ', 2 Fast 2 Furious, Bad Boys & Bad Boys II, Transporter 2, The Birdcage, The Substitute, Blow, True Lies, ', Quick Pick, Miami Vice (based on the 1980s television series of the same name), Cocaine Cowboys, 1983's Scarface, and the James Bond films Goldfinger, Thunderball, and Casino Royale.
Miami is a center for Latin television and film production. As a result, many Spanish-language programs are filmed in the many television production studios, predominantly in Hialeah and Doral. This includes gameshows, variety shows, news programs, and telenovelas like Morelia and La Mujer de Mi Vida. Arguably, the most famous Miami-filmed programs are Sábado Gigante, a Saturday night variety show seen throughout the United States, South America and Europe, and the daytime talk shows Cristina Saralegui
and El Gordo y la Flaca.

Music

Miami music is varied. Latin Americans brought the conga and rumba to Miami from their homelands instantly popularizing it in American culture, as well as salsa music, bachata, merengue, vallenato. West Indians and Caribbean people have brought reggae, soca, kompa, zouk, calypso, and steel pan to the area as well.
In the early-1970s, the Miami disco sound came to life with TK Records, featuring the music of KC and the Sunshine Band, with such hits as "Get Down Tonight", "(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty" and "That's the Way (I Like It)"; and the Latin-American disco group, Foxy (band), with their hit singles "Get Off" and "Hot Number". Miami-area natives George McCrae and Teri DeSario were also popular music artists during the 1970s disco era.
Miami-influenced, Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine, hit the popular music scene with their Cuban-oriented sound and had huge hits in the 1980s with "Conga" and "Bad Boys".
Notable hip-hop artists from the Miami area consist of 2 Live Crew, Dre, J.T. Money (of Poison Clan), Poison Clan, Pretty Ricky, Trick Daddy, Trina, Pitbull, and Rick Ross.
Miami is also considered a "hot spot" for DANCE music, Freestyle, a style of dance music popular in the 80's and 90's heavily influenced by Electro, hip-hop, and disco. Many popular Freestyle acts such as Pretty Tony, Debbie Deb, Stevie B, and Exposé, originated in Miami. Indie/folk acts Cat Power and Iron & Wine are based in the city, while alternative hip hop artist Sage Francis, electro artist Uffie, and the electroclash duo Avenue D were born in Miami, but musically based elsewhere. Also, punk band Against All Authority is from Miami, and rock/metal bands Nonpoint and Marilyn Manson each formed in neighboring Fort Lauderdale.
Miami is also home to a vibrant music scene and hosts the Winter Music Conference, two days Ultra music festival and many electronica music-themed celebrations and festivals. Along with neighboring Miami Beach, Miami is home to some famous nightclubs, such as Space, Mansion, Twilo, Ink, Cameo,and Opium Garden, and is also the site of the annual Winter Music Conference - the largest Dance music event in the world. The city is known to be part of clubland, along with places such as Mykonos, Ibiza and Ayia Napa.

Sister cities

Miami has 10 sister cities

Bogotá, Colombia

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Kagoshima, Japan

Lima, Peru

Madrid, Spain

Port-au-Prince, Haiti

Qingdao, China

Salvador, Brazil

Santiago, Chile

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Extended Information

U.S. Census Bureau - Census 2000 Demographic Profile Highlights for City of Miami

Jeff, Ripple (1995). The Florida Keys: the Natural Wonders of an Island Paradise, Photographs by Bill Keogh, Stillwater, Minnesota: Voyageur Press. ISBN.

External links

Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau

City of Miami, Florida - Official Site

Miami Times newspaper that serves Miami, Florida is available in full-text with images in Florida Digital Newspaper Library

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Daytona Beach is a city in Volusia County, Florida, USA. According to 2006 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city has a population of 64,421.
Daytona Beach is a year-round resort area. The city is historically known for its motorsports, with both Daytona International Speedway and the old Daytona Beach Road Course having hosted races for over a century. The city is also the headquarters for NASCAR and the Grand American Road Racing Association. Daytona could accurately be called a seasonal town, with large groups of out-of-towners descending upon the city for various events, most notably Speedweeks in early February when over 200,000 NASCAR fans come to attend the season-opening Daytona 500. Other events include the NASCAR Pepsi 400 race in July (now Coke Zero 400), Bike Week in March, Biketoberfest in October and Black College Reunion in March and April. In the past Daytona Beach catered to spring breakers, but in recent years many of the breakers have migrated to other sites, like Panama City. Daytona Beach has tried to clean up its image but in the last few years spring breakers have come back again in smaller numbers.

History

The area was once inhabited by the Timucuan Indians, who lived in fortified villages. War and disease, however, would decimate the tribe. Florida was acquired from Spain by the United States in 1821, although permanent settlement was delayed until after the Second Seminole War from 1835 to 1842. When the Civil War ended, Florida experienced a boom in tourism.
The city was founded in 1870 and incorporated in 1876. It was named for its founder, Matthias D. Day. In 1886, the St. Johns & Halifax River Railway arrived in Daytona. The line would be purchased in 1889 by Henry Flagler, who made it part of his Florida East Coast Railway. The separate towns of Daytona, Daytona Beach and Seabreeze merged as "Daytona Beach" in 1926, at the urging of civic leader J.B. Kahn and others. By the 1920s, it was dubbed "The World's Most Famous Beach".
Daytona's wide beach of smooth, compacted sand attracted automobile and motorcycle races beginning in 1902, as pioneers in the industry tested their inventions. On March 8, 1936, the first stock car race was held on the Daytona Beach Road Course. In 1959, William France created Daytona International Speedway to replace the beach course. Automobiles are still permitted on the beach, although now only at slow speeds.

"The World's Most Famous Beach"

The city and its beaches, lined with hotels, motels, condominiums and houses, attract over 8,000,000 tourists each year. In a wide variety of price ranges, hotel and motel rooms are typically plentiful except during special events. Daytona Beach has high security around its main hotel locations, with multiple cameras filming hotel and beach areas. It is one of the few places in the world where a family car can be driven on an ocean beach. Most other driving beaches require 4 wheel drive or other special equipment.
During motorcycle events (Bike Week and Biketoberfest), several hundred thousand bikers from all over the world visit the greater Daytona Beach area. While the city is often associated with spring break, the efforts of the local government to discourage rowdiness, combined with the rise of other spring break destinations, have nearly ended Daytona's former preeminence as a spring break destination.
Special events that draw visitors to Daytona Beach include:

Speedweeks (Daytona 500 NASCAR race, Rolex 24 sports car race, and others)

Coke 400, was the Pepsi 400, NASCAR race on or around July 4 (Traditionally called the Firecracker 400)

Daytona Beach Bike Week Daytona 200 motorcycle race in March

Biketoberfest in October

Turkey Run car show and events during Thanksgiving weekend (Traditionally called the Turkey Rod Run)

Black College Reunion (BCR) (date varies)

Spring break (date varies, usually the first and second week of March)

Dayton to Daytona - date varies, but is usually the second week of May

Daytona Beach is also home to the headquarters of NASCAR, Grand-Am, International Speedway Corporation and the LPGA.

Geography and climate

Daytona Beach is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 64.93 mi² (168.17 km²). of which is land and is water. Water is 9.6% of the total area.
The city of Daytona Beach is split in two by the Halifax River lagoon, part of the Intracoastal Waterway, and sits on the Atlantic Ocean. It is bordered on the north by Holly Hill and Ormond Beach and on the south by Daytona Beach Shores, South Daytona and Port Orange. The major highways that serve the city are the east-west Interstate 4 and the north-south Interstate 95, which intersect near the city. Other major roads in the city include US 92/International Speedway Boulevard, US 1/Ridgewood Avenue and A1A/Atlantic Avenue.
Daytona Beach has a humid subtropical climate, typical of the southeastern United States. Summers are hot and humid with highs usually in the 90s and a heat index often exceeding 100 degrees. Thunderstorms are frequent in summer afternoons and the hot, humid weather can last right through the fall months. Winters are dry and mild, marked by a constant series of cold fronts and warm-ups. Temperatures dip into the low 30s and upper 20s on occasion, and freezes are not uncommon. Frost occurs a few times a year mainly in the inland areas, but is rare along the beaches. Snowfall is very rare. Temperatures in spring are famously pleasant with warm afternoons, cool evenings, and far less humidity. This beach-going weather attracts tourists back to the beaches usually by early March.
Daytona Beach is not immune to the threat of tornadoes. Historical tornado activity is about 33% above the national average. On February 22, 1998 a tornado killed 13 people, injured 36 people, and caused $31 million in damages. Tornadoes also hit the city on Christmas Day, 2006. Some people were injured, but no fatalities were reported. Very significant damage was done to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's campus as the F2 tornado that touched down in Daytona Beach cut through the heart of the campus. It destroyed 50 of the school's 75 aircraft, mostly Cessnas. More info can be found: tornadoes of 2006, and at. On February 2, 2007 two suburbs of Daytona Beach: New Smyrna Beach and Ponce Inlet were struck by a tornado in the outbreak of the 2007 Central Florida Tornadoes.

Law and government

Local Government

Under Daytona Beach's commission-manager form of government, voters elect a City Commission which consists of seven members who serve four-year, staggered terms. Six are elected by district, the Mayor is elected city-wide.
The City Commission establishes ordinances and policies for the city. It also reviews and approves the city budget annually. The Commission appoints a City Manager, who carries out the will of the Commission and handles day-to-day business.

Local elected officials

Mayor - Glenn Ritchey

Zone 1 Commissioner - Rick Shiver

Zone 2 Commissioner - Yvonne Newcomb-Doty

Zone 3 Commissioner - Shiela K. McKay-Vaughan

Zone 4 Commissioner - Robert A. Gilliland

Zone 5 Commissioner - Dwayne L. Taylor

Zone 6 Commissioner - Cassandra G. Reynolds

City Manager (appointed) - James Chisholm

Federal, state and county representation

Daytona Beach is in the Seventh Congressional District and is part of Florida's 27th Legislative District.

Culture

Daytona Beach is located roughly at the southern end of the cultural South, so its culture has remained somewhat Southern. The architecture and style of its older homes and buildings and the culture and speech of its older, locally-born inhabitants leaves no doubt as to its cultural Southern roots.
The Museum of Arts and Sciences is the primary cultural facility for Daytona Beach and Volusia County. Other museums located in the city include the Southeast Museum of Photography and the Halifax Historical Museum. The Museum of Arts and Sciences is actually a collection of museums and galleries and includes the Klancke Environmental Complex, the Cuban Museum, Root Family Museum featuring one of the largest Coca-Cola(R) collections in the world, the Dow American Gallery and the Bouchelle Center for Decorative Arts which together form what is probably one of the finest collections of furniture and decorative arts in the Southeast. There are also changing exhibitions and a new children's science center planned to open in 2008.
The city to the north (Ormond Beach) includes the Ormond Memorial Art Museum and the city to the south (New Smyrna Beach) includes the renowned Atlantic Center for the Arts also boast several museums and galleries making this region of central Florida something akin to Orlando's Cultural Coast.

Sports

In addition to motorsports, Daytona is also the home of the Daytona Cubs, a minor league baseball team of the Florida State League and the Daytona Beach ThunderBirds, an arena football team of the af2.

Media

Newspapers

The Daytona Beach News-Journal - Online edition of daily newspaper covering the Greater Daytona Beach Area.

Orlando Sentinel - Newspaper and news site based in Orlando with a bureau covering Daytona Beach and Volusia County.

Radio

AM

WNDB, 1150 AM, Daytona Beach, News/Talk/Sports

WROD, 1340 AM, Daytona Beach, Standards

WMFJ, 1450 AM, Daytona Beach, Religious

FM

WJLU, 89.7 FM, Daytona Beach, Religious

WAPN, 91.5 FM, Daytona Beach, Religious

WKRO, 93.1 FM, Edgewater Country

WCFB, 94.5 FM, Daytona Beach, Urban Adult Contemporary

WHOG, 95.7 FM, Ormond-By-The-Sea, Classic Rock

WIKD-LP, 99.1 FM, Daytona Beach, Campus Radio of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

WJHM, 101.9 FM, Daytona Beach, Mainstream Urban

WVYB, 103.3 FM, Holly Hill, CHR Pop

INTERNET ONLY

FROGFM.COM, Daytona Beach, Country

REIGNRADIO.COM, Daytona Beach, Christian Rock

Television

WESH, analog channel 2, digital channel 11, NBC

WCEU, analog channel 15, digital channel 33, PBS

Central Florida News 13, Bright House Networks cable channel 13

Education

Public primary and secondary education is handled by Volusia County Schools. Daytona Beach has two public traditional high schools, Seabreeze High School and Mainland High School. Some of the larger private schools include Father Lopez Catholic High School.

Colleges and universities

Bethune-Cookman University

Daytona Beach Community College

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

University of Central Florida, Daytona Beach Campus

Palmer College of Chiropractic

Vocational schools

The Airline Academy - Offers flight training for pilots and other airline professionals.

Keiser College

WyoTech (formerly AMI) Offers automotive repair, motorcycle repair, and marine repair training.

Phoenix East Aviation - Offers flight training for pilots.

Notable inhabitants

Dan Allen, comedian

Duane Allman and Gregg Allman, musicians

Vince Carter, professional basketball player

Bill France, founder of NASCAR

Ryan Lochte, 2004 Olympic medalist in swimming

Mary McLeod Bethune, civil rights activist

Kevin Nash, professional wrestler

Josef Papp, engineer who was awarded patents related to the development of a fusion engine and claimed to have invented a jet submarine.

Ron Rice, former owner/founder of Hawaiian Tropic

Glen "Fireball" Roberts, former NASCAR driver

David Sholtz, 26th governor of Florida.

Mike Skinner, NASCAR driver

Howard Thurman, author and theologian

T. K. Wetherell, president of Florida State University

Robert Wright, musical theater writer

Lee Apperson, professional body builder and former Mister America

Fulgencio Batista, 19th Cuban President

Ransom Eli Olds, Automobile Pioneer

Points of interest

Daytona 500 Experience

Daytona Beach Bandshell and Oceanfront Park Complex

Daytona International Speedway

Daytona Lagoon Water Park

Halifax Historical Museum

International Motorsports Hall of Fame

Jackie Robinson Ballpark

Main Street Pier

Mary McLeod Bethune Performing Arts Center and Visual Arts Gallery

Museum of Arts and Sciences

News Journal Center

Seaside Music Theater

Southeast Museum of Photography

The Ocean Center

List of Registered Historic Buildings in Daytona Beach, Florida

Sister cities

Bayonne, France

External links

City of Daytona Beach

Daytona Beach Chamber of Commerce

Daytona Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau

Center Stage Designs; Home Staging/Interior Design Services

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Moss Beach is a coastal census-designated place in San Mateo County, California, with a year 2000 census population of 1953. Located in Moss Beach are the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, a marine sanctuary; the historic Moss Beach Distillery and the Seal Cove Inn, a destination lodging property. Moss Beach is naturally a foggy, drippy microclimate that gives one a sense of isolation from nearby cosmopolitan regions, and assures that summer temperatures are generally mild.

Geography

Ancient Cypress trees atop coastal bluff
Moss Beach is situated at 37°31'31" North latitude, 122°30'46" West (37.525240, -122.512811), approximately 20 miles (32 km) south of San Francisco and 50 miles (80 km) north of Santa Cruz, California. Nearby towns include Montara to the north, El Granada, Princeton-by-the-Sea, and Half Moon Bay to the south. According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 1.8 square miles (4.6 km²). 1.8 square miles (4.6 km²) of it is land, with none covered by water.

Politics

In the state legislature Moss Beach is located in the 8th Senate District, represented by Democrat Leland Yee, and in the 19th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Gene Mullin. Federally, Moss Beach is located in California's 12th congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of D +22 and is currently vacant with the recent death of Democrat Tom Lantos.

Noteworthy features

Due to the marine air currents off of the Pacific Ocean, Moss Beach experiences above average fog levels, but also superior ambient air quality. Note the everpresent fog in the photo above (the circular blotches are not a special effect, but a result of the droplets formed on the camera lens cover). Situated along the coast of Moss Beach is the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, a California designated area of Special Biological Significance. The reserve boasts a scenic blufftop trail through ancient cypress groves overlooking the Pacific Ocean, historically interesting tidepools and a variety of significant marine animals and pelagic birds. The unique outcroppings along the beach are part of the Franciscan formation, a favorite of local geologists.
An occurrence of the rare plant Hickman's potentilla, Potentilla hickmanii was observed by E.C. Suttliffe in 1933 in the vicinity of the mouth of San Vicente Creek within Moss Beach. This colony was not further documented for decades, but another colony was discovered toward the end of the 20th century north of Moss Beach. The plant was listed as an endangered species by the United States government in 1998, and had previously been listed as California endangered in 1973.
Off State Route 1, one finds the famous restaurant Moss Beach Distillery, an architecturally and historically noteworthy building located upon a cliff with ocean views. This present day restaurant has its roots in bootleg liquor during Prohibition. This building is an official California Point of Historical Interest and includes its own ghost (the Blue Lady) which has been featured in a number of ghost hunting programs including Unsolved Mysteries. Noted travel author Karen Brown operates the Seal Cove Inn adjacent to the reserve.

External links

Moss Beach Distillery homepage

Coastal Homes & Lifestyles

Fitzgerald Marine Reserve

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pensacola Beach is an unincorporated community located on Santa Rosa Island, a barrier island, in Escambia County, Florida, United States. It is situated south of Pensacola, connected via bridges spanning to the Fairpoint Peninsula and then to the island, on the Gulf of Mexico. As of the 2000 census, the community had a total population of 2,738.
Pensacola Beach occupies land bound by a 1947 deed from the United States Department of Interior that it be administered in the public interest by the county or leased, but never "disposed"; its businesses and residents are thus long-term leaseholders and not property owners.

History

Also see: History of Pensacola, Florida.

Francisco Maldonado, a lieutenant
"The Spanish Presence in Northwest Florida--1513 to 1705"
(history), University of West Florida, 2006, webpage:
UWF-hist.
under Conquistador Hernando de Soto, visited the area during the early Spanish exploration of North America. He anchored in Pensacola Bay for the winter of 1539–1540.
In 1559, Don Tristan de Luna y Arellano led the first settlement of the region. His 11 ships, with 1500 settlers, anchored in the bay and established its colony on the site of today's Naval Air Station Pensacola. A hurricane decimated the colony a few weeks later, killing hundreds and sinking 5 ships. Suffering long-term famine and fighting, this first settlement was finally abandoned in 1561. A presidio was constructed on Santa Rosa Island in 1722 near the location of the more recent Fort Pickens. Hurricanes in 1741 and 1752 forced its relocation to the mainland.

Geography

Pensacola Beach is located at , on the barrier island of Santa Rosa. It is bordered to the south by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Santa Rosa Sound and Pensacola Bay, and to the east and west by the Gulf Islands National Seashore.

Climate

Hurricanes

As a community located on a low-lying barrier island, Pensacola Beach is extremely vulnerable to hurricanes. Landfalling storms frequently drive storm surge over large portions of the island, damaging or destroying manmade structures and causing significant beach erosion. In 1995, two hurricanes made landfall on the island causing extensive damage. Hurricane Erin (1995) made landfall in August while Hurricane Opal blasted the island just two months later, leveling the dunes and destroying a number of homes.
On 16 September 2004, Hurricane Ivan devastated the Pensacola Beach area, destroying more than 650 homes and damaging many others.
On 10 July 2005, Pensacola Beach was again in the path of a hurricane; Dennis made landfall between the city and east-end Navarre Beach.

Attractions

Fort Pickens

Fort Pickens was completed in 1834 and used until WWII, when modern weapons made traditional coastal defense obsolete. Fort Pickens has changed over the years, so take the self-guided tour and peel back the layers of history. You'll see the plaster-lined rooms that were intended as officers' quarters, and later used to house Apache prisoners. The most famous resident, Geronimo, lived in identical rooms along the south wall, which have since collapsed. Fort Pickens now houses an auditorium, a museum, and a visitors center offering information about the area.
The Fort itself is only part of the National Seashore's attractions: the boundary stretches back seven miles. (Fodor's rates Ft. Pickens' beaches the best in Florida.) So whether you take the bike trail or the highway, you'll find campgrounds, nature trails, and miles and miles of protected beaches perfect for sand dollar and sea shell hunting, and for picking through flotsam washed ashore from the high seas and exotic foreign ports. The highway to the Fort has been blocked since hurricane Ivan caused significant damage to the surrounding areas and the Fort itself. The Fort is still accessible by hiking or biking, but the structure itself is very weak due to storm damage, and considered a safety hazard.

Novelty houses

Pensacola Beach is home to several "novelty houses", including a house with a UFO-shaped Futuro attached as a second story. This Futuro house is sometimes called the "Spaceship House." Another novelty house is the "Dome of a Home", a home in the form of a large concrete dome, designed to structurally withstand hurricane-force winds and storm surge.

Education

There is one school on Pensacola Beach. The Pensacola Beach Elementary School is for children from kindergarten through fifth grade. This school has an enrollment ranging from 120 to 140 students. All elementary-school age children on Pensacola Beach are eligible to attend the school. The first year the school was open, for the school year 1977-1978, classes were held in an empty A-frame house owned by a local named Harry Gowens. The Pensacola Beach Volunteer Fire Department building was also used in aiding the teachers and administrators. In November 1977, four portable buildings were moved to the present site. The school has continued to grow and produce some outstanding students. The school has been ranked as an 'A' school in the state for many years running. They have also received the 5 Star School award since 1998. This award recognizes schools with exemplary student involvement. In 2001 the Pensacola Beach Elementary lost its ties to the Escambia County School District and became a Charter school. Now the school, with the help of parents, volunteers, and the community, must find ways to pay for their resources and staff.

Churches

There are only two churches on the island of Pensacola Beach. It is under the laws and guidelines of the Santa Rosa Island Authority that these be the only churches on the island. The first is the Pensacola Beach Community United Church. It is a non-denominational church. The second is the Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church. Our Lady of the Assumption church is a mission church of St. Ann's Catholic church located in Gulf Breeze, Florida.

External links

Official website

Pensacola Bay Area Convention & Visitors Bureau information

Pensacola Beach Preservation & Historical Society

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Delray Beach is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 60,020. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 64,150.

History

The Early Years

The history of Delray Beach effectively begins with the construction of the Orange Grove House of Refuge in 1876. The house derived its name from the grove of mature sour orange and other tropical fruit trees found at the site chosen for the house of refuge, but no record or evidence of who planted the trees has survived. Indians presumably lived or passed through the area at various times, and hunters, trappers, and run-away slaves may also have lived or passed through the area in the 18th and 19th Centuries, but there is no record or evidence of them.
Settlement began around 1884, when African-Americans from the Panhandle of Florida bought land a little inland from the Orange Grove House of Refuge and began farming. By 1894 the African-American community was large enough to establish the first school in the area.
In 1894 William Seelye Linton, postmaster of Saginaw, Michigan, bought a tract of land just west of the Orange Grove House of Refuge, and began selling plots in what he hoped would become a farming community. Initially, this community was named after Linton. In 1896 Henry Flagler extended his Florida East Coast Railroad south from West Palm Beach to Miami, with a station at Linton.
The Linton settlers began to achieve success with truck farming of winter vegetables for the northern market. A hard freeze in 1898 was a setback, and many of the settlers left, including William Linton. Partly in an attempt to change the community's luck, or leave behind a bad reputation, the settlement's name was changed in 1901 to Delray, after a suburb of Detroit, Michigan.
By 1910, Delray had a population of 250. In 1911 Delray was chartered by the State of Florida as an incorporated town. In the same year pineapple and tomato canning plants were built in Delray. Pineapples became the primary crop of the area. This is reflected in the name of the present day Pineapple Grove neighborhood near downtown Delray Beach. By 1920 Delray's population had reached 1,051.
In the 1920s drainage of the Everglades west of Delray lowered the water table, making it harder to grow pineapples, while the extension of the Florida East Coast Railway to Key West resulted in competition from Cuban pineapples for the markets of the northern United States.
The Florida land boom of the 1920s brought renewed prosperity to Delray. Tourism and real estate speculation became important parts of the local economy. Delray issued bonds to raise money to install water and sewer lines, paved streets, and sidewalks. Several hotels were built. At that time Delray was the largest town on the east coast of Florida between West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale. The collapse of the land boom in 1926 left Delray saddled with high bond debts, and greatly reduced income from property taxes.
Delray was separated from the Atlantic Ocean beach by the Florida East Coast Canal (now part of the Intracoastal Waterway). In 1923 the area between the canal and the ocean was incorporated as Delray Beach. In 1927 Delray and Delray Beach merged into one town named Delray Beach.

Recent years

In recent years, Downtown Delray, located in the eastern part of the city, along Atlantic Avenue, east of I-95 and stretching to the beach, has undergone a large scale renovation. This area is now home to several upscale restaurants and several different assorted shops. Major driving factors in this renovation have been the business brought to the area by the Delray Beach Tennis Center, which has hosted several major international tennis events such as the April 2005 Fed Cup (USA vs. Belgium), the April 2004 Davis Cup (USA vs. Sweden), the Millennium ITC (ATP Event), and the Chris Evert / Bank of America Pro Celebrity. Concurrent with the new construction of the Tennis Center, several local historic landmark structures were renovated during the last decade of the 20th century. These include Old School Square, formerly Delray Elementary School and Delray High School, since turned into a thriving cultural center; and the Colony Hotel. Old School Square comprises the Crest Theatre, a venue for the performing arts, in the former High School building; the 1925 Gymnasium, restored to maintain its appearance, which has since become a popular venue for local events such as wedding receptions and dances; the Cornell Museum of Art and History, built in the restored Elementary School; and a recently constructed outdoor entertainment pavilion, which serves as a venue for musical performances and has also been used for events such as political rallies. More recently, the historic home of teacher/principal Solomon D. Spady was renovated and turned into the Spady Cultural Heritage Museum. The Spady Museum houses a black archives and hosts exhibits and programs designed to recognize the efforts of blacks who were instrumental in shaping Delray Beach and Palm Beach County. As of 2007 the museum is being expanded with the renovation of a 1935 cottage as a Kid's Cultural Clubhouse, and the construction of a 50-seat amphitheater named for C. Spencer Pompey, a pioneer black educator.
Atlantic Community High School was rebuilt in 2005 on a different site from the previous school, a plan which was met with much contention.
Other notable recent Delray Beach projects are:

Expansion of the South County Courthouse, which has more than doubled in size and will potentially hold jury trials in the future.

New Delray Beach Public Library building, which is adjacent to the South County Courthouse and also share a high-capacity parking garage facility.

The current mayor of Delray Beach is Rita Ellis.
Delray Beach is known as the drug addiction recovery capital of the United States and has the country’s largest recovery community and relative number of halfway houses

Geography

Delray Beach is located at (26.459101, -80.083038). It lies directly north of Boca Raton, Florida and directly south of Boynton Beach, Florida. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 15.9 mi² (41.2 km²), of which is land and is water (3.34%).

Sister cities

Delray Beach has two sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International:

Miyazu, Kyoto, Japan - Miyazu was the birthplace of George Morikami, for whom Morikami Park and the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens is named.

Moshi, Tanzania

Downtown

Downtown Delray Beach is a retail, cultural, and residential hub. The area offers a multitude of upscale restaurants, retail, nightclubs, and art galleries. The city has a distinct pedestrian friendly atmosphere, which is aided by the prevalence of parallel parking. In addition, there are many free municipal parking lots and garage
The Delray Affair, a three day long art and street fair, is hosted in Downtown Delray annually.

Location

In earlier years downtown Delray was centered along Atlantic Avenue as far west as Swinton Avenue and as far east as the intracoastal waterway. Downtown is expanding very rapidly, however. Downtown Delray now extends as far west as I-95 and as far east as the Atlantic Ocean; The north-south boundaries extend several blocks north and south of Atlantic Avenue.

Notable landmarks and buildings

The Colony Hotel, built in 1926, is a "Delray Beach Historic Landmark"

Old School Square

Delray Beach Tennis Center, Tennis stadium capable of seating 8,200 spectators

Recent development

Downtown Delray has grown tremendously in recent years and is in the midst of a building boom. Many new mixed-use development projects are currently under construction in the areas immediately north and south of Atlantic Avenue. To accommodate the anticipated growth the city has also begun construction on several new municipal parking garages.
Government officials have made it even easier to request information or lodge a complaint with the City of Delray Beach. Through establishing a dedicated phone line and instituting the QAlert citizen service management software online, Delray Beach residents can simply visit www.mydelraybeach.com or call (561) 243-7012.

Points of interest

American Orchid Society Visitor Center and Botanical Garden

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens

Roji-en Japanese Gardens

Delray Beach Public Library

Cason Cottage

Old School Square

Delray Tennis Center

Spady Museu

South County Courthouse

Wakodahatchee Wetland

Sources

"Old School Square Cultural Arts Center – Creatively Blending Past and Present in Downtown Delray Beach"

Spady Museum, Connecting Culture and Community

External links

City of Delray Beach

Greater Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce

Downtown Delray Beach

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens

Delray Beach Public Library Website

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Cocoa Beach is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 12,482 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S Census estimates of 2005, the city had a population of 12,435..

History

Cocoa Beach started its current growth during the 1960s due to America's space program. NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center is located approximately 15 miles away.
After manned space flights, the town held parades in honor of the astronauts.
Many of the homes in Cocoa Beach are built on dredged mud and sand from the Banana River. After NASA's Apollo program came to an end, and before the Shuttle program was in full swing, the town suffered from layoffs. Many families lost their jobs or simply moved away. People could not sell their homes and some walked away from them.
Cocoa Beach was the setting for the 1960s sitcom I Dream of Jeannie, although only one episode was actually filmed there (Jeannie's wedding).
The city is just south of Cape Canaveral on Florida's eastern "Space Coast".

Geography

Cocoa Beach is located at (28.331035, -80.613035).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 39.0 km² (15.0 mi²). 12.7 km² (4.9 mi²) of it is land and 26.3 km² (10.1 mi²) of it (67.49%) is water. Bordered on the north is Cape Canaveral; on the south is Cresent Beach; on the east is the Atlantic Ocean; on the west is the Banana River.
Propelled by a powerful hurricane, the ocean pushed its way through the barrier islands centuries ago and formed the Thousand Islands in the Indian River.

Surrounding Areas

Merritt Island

Atlantic Ocean

Cape Canaveral

Crescent Beach

Economics

Personal Income

The median income for a household in the city was $42,372, and the median income for a family was $51,795. Males had a median income of $39,418 versus $27,113 for females. The per capita income for the city was $28,968. About 3.7% of families and 6.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.8% of those under age 18 and 4.0% of those age 65 or over.
Cocoa Beach is a retirement area, with the average age being 54.

Industry

Ron Jon's, a surf shop, receives 2 million visitors a year.

Notable residents

Allen Neuharth - CEO of Gannett and columnist. Founder of USA Today

Kelly Slater, surfer

Melissa Witek, Miss Florida USA 2005 and contestant on NBC's Treasure Hunters

Urban Myth

A porn star with the stage name of Chasey Lain has publicized that she grew up in Cocoa Beach. Her biography indicates that she was born and raised in Newport, North Carolina. This persistent urban myth has been picked up by other sites including non-English versions of Wikipedia.

Sister Cities

Kyustendil, Bulgaria

External links

City of Cocoa Beach

Thousand Islands

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Stinson Beach, California is an unincorporated community in Marin County, California, on the west coast of the United States. The population of the Stinson Beach CDP (census-designated place) was 751 at the 2000 census.
Stinson Beach is about a 30-minute drive on California's Highway 1 from the Golden Gate Bridge, as one departs San Francisco. It is near to important attractions such as Muir Woods National Monument, Muir Beach, and Mount Tamalpais. It has a long beach with occasional opportunities for surfing, although the water is cold and fog is common throughout the year.
In 2002, a surfer was attacked by a 12-15 foot-long great white shark, while surfing off Stinson Beach. The young man survived, but received more than 100 stitches to close his wounds. The attack was the second in Stinson Beach since 1998, and the 13th in Marin County since 1952. The surf off Stinson Beach is within an area known as the Red Triangle, where there have been an unusually high number of shark attacks
Stinson Beach is a popular day trip for people from the San Francisco Bay Area and for tourists visiting northern California. Although most visitors arrive by private car, Stinson Beach is linked to Marin City by a weekend bus service, and the network of hiking trails around Mount Tamalpais also reaches the town.

History

In 1870, the first road was built along the Pacific coast from Sausalito, California, and a tent settlement sprang up amongst the willow trees at the beach, which gave rise to the town's original name, Willow Camp. The Mill Valley and Mt. Tamalpais Scenic Railroad opened in 1896, making Willow Camp more accessible. Visitors could ride the train to West Point Inn and then hike or arrange a stagecoach to take them to the beach. In 1906, refugees from the San Francisco earthquake came to the area and built some of the area's first businesses. Stinson Beach became the official town name in 1916, in honor of the largest landowners, Rose and Nathan Stinson.
In 1939, the beach was sold to Marin County. It was transferred to the State of California in 1950, and was eventually transferred to the National Park Service in 1977.

Geography

Stinson Beach is located at (37.89847, -122.63878), between Bolinas and Muir Beach.
The CDP has a total area of 1.07 square miles (2.8 km²), of which, 1.06 square miles (2.7 km²) of it is land and 0.02 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (2%) is water.

Politics

In the state legislature Stinson Beach is located in the 3rd Senate District, represented by Democrat Carole Migden, and in the 6th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Jared Huffman. Federally, Stinson Beach is located in California's 6th congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of D +21 and is represented by Democrat Lynn Woolsey.

Education

Stinson Beach is in the Bolinas-Stinson Union School District, the Tamalpais Union High School District, and the Marin Community College District. Students in primary grades (kindergarten – grade 2) attend Stinson Beach School, while elementary grade students (grades 3–8) attend Bolinas School. Stinson Beach is in the attendance area of Tamalpais High School, in Mill Valley, California.

Government

Stinson Beach is unincorporated, receiving general government services from Marin County, including law enforcement, land use planning, library, public health, and code enforcement. Two special districts provide local services. The Stinson Beach County Water District provides water and septic tank maintenance service and contracts for garbage and recycling collection. The Stinson Beach Fire Protection District provides fire protection, emergency medical care, and disaster management services..

Community organizations

The Stinson Beach Village Association was formed in 1976 to represent the town as the County developed the first Stisnon Beach Community Plan. Previously, development of the town had been promoted by the Stinson Beach Progressive Club, one of several non-profit organizations that formed the board of the Stinson Beach Community Center. The other founding organizations were the Allied Arts Club, the Stinson Beach Community Church, The Volunteer Fire Department, and the Parent-Teachers Club. The Community Center complex on Belvedere Avenue includes the Fire Hose, which fronts on Shoreline Highway, the Community Center, and the Chapel. The land was donated by the FitzHenrys and the other heirs of the Stinson families.

Points of interest

Mount Tamalpais State Park

Golden Gate National Recreation Area

Point Reyes National Seashore

Audubon Canyon Ranch

Annual events

On the second Sunday of June, the town serves as the ending point for the annual running of the Dipsea Race, the second-oldest foot race in the U.S. The California Road Club holds its Mount Tamalpais Hill Climb, one of the oldest bicycle races in the West, in early fall. Since 2002, the race has been held on the third Saturday of the month, with about 400 bicyclists competing in the 12.5 mile road race from Stinson to the head of Bolinas Lagoon and on to the West summit of Mount Tamalpais at Rock Spring.

Stinson Beach people

Residents, landowners, and summer people important in the development, life, and culture of Stinson Beach. Arrival or tenure is shown in square brackets. Birth and death dates are shown in parentheses.

Rafael Garcia, first manager of Rancho las Baulines

Gregorio and Ramona Garcia Briones, received grant of Rancho Las Baulines from the Mexican government

Pablo Briones, helped Rafaael Garcia manage Rancho for his parents, Gregoriao and Ramona; trained as curandero by his aunt, Juana Briones de Miranda; settled in Bolinas

Isaac Morto, purchased Stinson Beach portion of Rancho in 1852; grew apples

Nathan and Rose Stinson, established first campground at Willow Camp

Captain Alfred Easkoot, Marin County surveyor; founder of second campground

William Kent (March 29, 1864–March 13, 1928) United States Congressman; donor of the land for the Muir Woods National Monument; owner of the beach and tidelands that became Seadrift

Newman Lee Fitzhenry (1881–November 20, 1938), BS, University of Chicago, 1905; married Eve Stinson and pursued real estate and resort development; suicided November 20, 1938

William Kent, Jr., began the development of the Seadrift subdivision in the 1950s

Mildred Sadler (May 16, 1905–February 18, 2004), Principal, Stinson Beach School, 1926–1967

Landis Everson, poet and painter

John Korty, film maker

George Hunter White, also known as Colonel White (died 1975), Federal Bureau of Narcotics agent and District Supervisor, retired, led MKULTRA projects in Boston and San Francisco; Chief, Stinson Beach Fire Department

Peter Bishop Allen (November 1, 1943–June 3, 2004), sculptor of marine mammals; Assistant Chief, Stinson Beach Fire Department; founder of The Kids Camp nature education program

Steve Miller, musician

Jerry Garcia, musician

Carolyn Adams, also known as Mountain Girl, member of Merry Pranksters, wife of Jerry Garcia

Keith and Donna Godchaux, musicians

Peter Rowan, musician

The Rowan Brothers – Lorin and Chris Rowan, musicians

David Grisman, musician

George Frayne, musician (Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen) and painter

Jerry Cebe - artist (abstract painting; art glass)

Stinson Beach in popular culture

Stinson Beach has been the setting and filming location for several movies:

Play It Again, Sam

The Fog

Memoirs of an Invisible Man

Basic Instinct

On The Edge

The town was mentioned in an episode of M

A

S

H.

George Frayne (Commander Cody) wrote a song about Stinson Beach entitled "Midnight On The Strand." It was recorded on his 1987 album, Let's Rock.
The town and the beach are the topic of a poem by Garrison Keillor. In We Are Still Married: Stories and Letters, Keillor has a 4-page essay about his visits to Stinson Beach and how thinking of the beach helps him sleep.

External links

California Coastal Records Project, "Stinson Beach Central Parking Lot and Restrooms," 2005

California Coastal Records Project, Stinson Beach - main beach and most of downtown from the air, 2004

Stinson Beach Library

1977 Oral account of Stinson Beach History from Marin Public Library

Bolinas Lagoon Foundation

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pismo Beach is a city in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. The population was 8,551 at the 2000 census.

Geography

Pismo Beach is located at (35.148336, -120.648054).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 13.4 square miles (34.8 km²). 3.6 square miles (9.3 km²) of it is land and 9.8 square miles (25.5 km²) of it (73.09%) is water.

Politics

In the state legislature Pismo Beach is located in the 15th Senate District, represented by Republican Abel Maldonado, and in the 33rd Assembly District, represented by Republican Sam Blakeslee. Federally, Pismo Beach is located in California's 23rd congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of D +9 and is represented by Democrat Lois Capps.

Schools

Public Schools

Shell Beach Elementary School, 2100 Shell Beach Rd., Pismo Beach, CA 93449 (Grades K-6)

Judkins Middle School, 680 Wadsworth, Pismo Beach, CA 93449 (Grades 7-8)

High school students attend Arroyo Grande High School, 495 Valley Road, Arroyo Grande, CA 93420

Colleges and Universities:

Cuesta Community College, San Luis Obispo

California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly)

Other facts

Pismo Beach is the Clam Capital of California. The city holds the "Clam Festival" every October, complete with clam chowder competitions and a clam-themed parade. At the southern end of Price Street upon first entering Pismo Beach, a gigantic concrete clam statue greets visitors. Clamming is restricted, due to over harvesting by humans and the protected sea otters.

Pismo means "tar" in the language of the native Chumash Indians.

Pismo Beach hosts one of the largest gatherings of custom and classic cars every June, on the 3rd Full weekend.

Quads and dirt bikes for recreational use are run at the Pismo OHV dunes.

Pismo Beach is well known for being the place Bugs Bunny was headed to when he failed to take the left turn at Albuquerque, and ended up inside a cave instead.

The codename for the last revision of Apple Computer's PowerBook G3 is "Pismo", named after Pismo Beach. (The previous PowerBook, "Lombard", takes its name from San Francisco's Lombard Street.)

In the film Clueless, relief supplies were sent to Pismo Beach due to the fictitious Pismo Beach disaster.

Mentioned at the end of The Big Lebowski.

In the cartoon Futurama episode "Raging Bender", Bender's final opponent is referred to as "The Gizmo From Pismo...Beach."

External links

City of Pismo Beach

Judkins Middle School

Shell Beach Elementary School

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia