White Beaches On The Florida Gulf-Siesta Key Is Tops

Siesta by definition means a short nap taken in the early afternoon. When you visit the barrier island, Siesta Key, off the shores of Sarasota, napping is the furthest thing on your mind with all the things you can do. Although, laying in the warm Florida sun on some of its whitest beaches, a short nap may catch you off guard as you are surrounded by the soothing sounds and smells of the water.

Siesta Key is eight miles long and connected to the mainland by two bridges, Siesta Drive and Stickney Point Road. Siesta Drive is within the City of Sarasota and provides convenient access to the city, while Stickney Point Road provides access to south Sarasota County and a direct route to Interstate 75. Siesta Key's beaches have the honorary distinction of being one of “America’s Best Beaches", “Third Best Walking Beach in the USA,” by USA Today International Edition, and “The Best of the Best Sand,” by Conde Nast Traveler Magazine.

Great place for enjoying water sports of all kinds, bird watching, golf, dining, shopping, and for the heartier vacationer, plenty of night life after the sun goes down. Check out Gilligan’s Tropical Bar located in the Village. World-class volley ball tournaments, craft shows, art exhibits, and food and wine tastings are just a few of the many scheduled annual events. Florida fishing for the angler is always great.

Plenty of resorts and accommodations are provided for your convenience and relaxation. Top rated attractions and restaurants in the Sarasota and Siesta Key area. Come stick your toes in some of the whitest, softest, coolest sand on the Gulf Coast.-Vacation Rick Travel

Amelia Island-Not Just Another Florida Island

One summer while staying on Jacksonville Beach, we decided to take a drive up the coastline along Florida A1A. At one point of our journey, we had to board a ferry called Saint Johns River Ferry to continue our trek. The scenery was beautiful and the beaches great. There was a stretch of beach in Little Talbot Island State Park onto which we drove our four wheel drive vehicle. Driving along the surf was an exilerating experience. From there, we continued northward on Florida A1A and crossed a bridge that took us to Amelia Island. Up till then, I didn't know Amelia Island existed.

Amelia Island is the southernmost of the barrier islands stretching along the coast from South Carolina to Florida called the Sea Islands. It is south of Cumberland Island, Georgia. It is considered the only community in the United States to have experienced life under eight different flags. The island has a long and illustrious history that goes back 4,000 years. Amelia Island has a natural deep harbor on the north end of the island, which provided easy access for smugglers, pirates, and assorted sea captains.

Today, Amelia Island attracts a wide variety of recreational and commercial activity. For the vacationer, it features activities from golf and tennis at world-class resorts to kayaking, sunset sails and horseback riding on the beach. It has river cruises and charters, fishing, a museum, a community theatre, and walking tours of Historic Fernandina Beach. Or maybe you just want to take a quiet walk to enjoy the unique variety of birds and wildlife. To top it off, there are the 13 miles of beautiful, sandy beaches for taking in the warm Florida sun either to lay out on, walk on, or collect seashells.

Amelia Island offers a 1350 acre beach resort called Amelia Island Plantation. The resort offers four Audubon International certified sanctuary golf courses, 23 Har-Tru tennis courts, holistic spa, shopping village, year around youth programs, Nature Center, and Segway tours. Plenty of other resorts and hotels to choose from.

A Non-Stop Thrill Attraction at Disney's Hollywood Studios

This is the one attraction my son thoroughly enjoyed since one of his obsessions is cars, fast cars. I was totally entertained myself. It is non-stop thrills and spills, high jumps and spins at high octane speed forwards and backwards. Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show Attraction at Disney's Hollywood Studios Theme Park is its name. The stunt cars are highly-modified Opel brand cars that weigh less than half that of a standard production car, but are twice as powerful and propelled by a 1300 cc, 150 horsepower motorcycle engine. Its a behind-the-scenes look at the filmmaking process, secrets are revealed in this thrilling combination of complex vehicle stunts choreographed with split-second precision. The show is a scheduled 33-minute attraction. Motorcycles fly through rings of fire, cars hurdle over trucks, and fireballs billow 40 feet in diameter. A note of trivia: The Stunt Show Spectacular debuted at Walt Disney Studios Paris in March, 2002. Visit Vacation Rick Travel Disney.

Caribe Royale Orlando-45 Acres of Hospitality

The all-suite Caribe Royale Orlando stands less than two miles from Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla. Seaworld Orlando is located five miles away. This property offers 1,338 suites-1,218 spacious one-bedroom suites with separate living rooms and 120 lakefront two-bedroom villas with fully equipped kitchens, screened patios and master suites with whirlpool tubs. The property is beautifully landscaped with cascading waterfalls and an array of amenities creating a feeling of a tropical paradise. Waterfalls tumble over towering rocks above an outdoor pool that features a 75 foot waterslide. Complimentary transportation serves Walt Disney World And Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores. The Venetian Room is the hotels AAA Four Diamond fine-dining restaurant. Visit Vacation Rick Travel for more information on Orlando travel. Have a great time. Virtual tour of the hotel.

A Must See Epcot Attraction-Disney World, Florida

This is one attraction you do not want to miss if you have children and if you don't, it is still worth your while to see. I thoroughly enjoyed it and tried to figure out how it was done. It is so sophisticated technologically, it seems so true to life. The attraction is at Epcot located inside The Seas with Nemo and Friends Pavilion in Future World.

The sophistacated Turtle Talk with Crush takes place inside a theater featuring a large "window to the ocean world" and amazingly appears that way. The attraction utilizes technolgy advanced in the state-of-the-art, 3D, voice-activated computer animation field. Crush, although an animation, can communicate directly in real time. The children are instructed to sit up front where Crush interacts with them, answering their questions and holding unique, improvised conversations. The parents sit behind them on bench seats.

No two shows are alike because the interaction changes. Turtle Talk with Crush is a 15-minute show presented throughout the day, so you have plenty of opportunuties to catch it. You can check the Times Guide located throughout Epcot's Future World to know exactly when you can catch the show.

Don Cesar Beach Resort Hotel-St. Pete Beach, Florida

The Don Cesar Beach Resort, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, retains its original 1920s Jazz Age style. The Don Cesar Beach Resort faces the Gulf of Mexico's white sand dunes in St. Pete Beach, Fla., known locally as the "Pink Palace". One of the resort's two outdoor pools features an underwater sound system. Outfitters adjacent to the resort rent water-sport equipment. Spa Oceana houses a hair and beauty salon, steam and sauna rooms, 16 massage-treatment rooms and vichy showers. Supervised programs for children ages four to 12 include arts and crafts, movies and beach activities. Popular area attraction is Busch Gardens, the ultimate family adventure park offering an array of fascinating attractions based on exotic encounters with the African continent. A unique blend of thrilling rides, one of the country's premier zoos featuring more than 2,700 animals, live shows, restaurants, shops and games, Busch Gardens provides unrivaled "real" excitement for guests of every age. Just 45 minutes away. St. Pete beach was a memorable trip with the wife and son. Plenty of good pictures and fun family time. Click on vitual tour for an up close look at the resort.

• 277 guest rooms and suites, some with private terraces and panoramic ocean views
• 2 beachfront pools
• Full-service spa and 24-hour fitness center

Win a Trip to Universal Orlando or Park Tickets Instantly

Universal Orlando in Florida is home to the new ride opening in 2009 Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit. Featured rides in Universal Studios Florida include the new The Simpson's Ride, Revenge of the Mummy, Shrek 4D, and Men in Black Alien Attack. Featured rides in Islands of Adventure include The Amazing Adventures of Spiderman, The Cat in the Hat, Dueling Dragons roller coaster, and Jurassic Park River Adventures. Also shows like Blue Man Group. Enter the Universal Orlando Vacation & Instant Win promotion for your chance to win 1 of 8 spectacular family vacations to Universal Orlando Resort. Grand prize trips include air, hotel, theme park tickets and more! Then, play the Spin to Win game and see if you'll win a pair of 1-Day/2-Park theme park tickets instantly!
Vacation Rick Travel.

Cirque du Soleil-La Nouba-Walt Disney World Florida

La Nouba is a mesmerizing and extraordinary avant-garde circus spectacle performed at an exceptional theater built especially for Cirque du Soleil located in Downtown Disney West Side. The show's international cast of acrobats, athletes and performance artists—including more than 65 artists representing 15 countries—delights and mystifies with daring acts of grace. Along with opulent sets, brilliant choreography, theatrical lighting and provocative music, La Nouba features a mix of mesmerizing high wire and flying trapezes, stunning acro-gymnastic performances and other dynamic displays of coordination and strength.
2009 Performance Times:
Tuesday through Saturday, 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.
For more information and tickets go to Vacation Rick Travel Disney World.

Walt Disney World Florida and Star Wars Weekend

If you love Disney and are a Star Wars enthusiast then you will like this. Star Wars Weekends is an annual summer special event at Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park that celebrates George Lucas' classic sci-fi movie series. Join Jedi Masters, Sith Lords and Star Wars celebrities for special shows, presentations and memorabilia. In addition to all of the entertainment, there are plenty of conversations, autograph sessions and motorcades with the celebrities and creators of the Star Wars galaxy. All of this fun is at Walt Disney World Florida.

Dates:

May 22, 2009 - May 24, 2009

May 29, 2009 - May 31, 2009

June 5, 2009 - June 7, 2009

June 12, 2009 - June 14, 2009

Trivia fact:

Star Wars and the Walt Disney Company have a long history together. Star Tours first opened in Disneyland Park in California on January 9, 1987.

For More Disney information go to Vacation Rick Travel.