The twin-engine plane soars 2 1O2 miles above the earth, slipping gracefully through the air at 90mph. Suddenly the door opens and the thundering wind rushes in to fill the cabin with brisk air. A man climbs out and around the edge of the opening, his body hugging the side of the plane as he reaches for a handrail on the top of the airframe. Perched precariously on a tiny step between the door and the tail section, he balances…
St. Mark's National Wildlife Refuge is one of my very favorite birding hot spots. It is located on the Florida Panhandle just south of Tallahassee. The 65,000 acre refuge supports many different habitats from freshwater swamps to salt marshes, from pine forests to estuaries. There are many attractions here for birders and other wildlife enthusiasts. There is a large nesting population of Bald Eagles and most of Florida's waders can be found here. Many birders come to St. Mark's in…
Moore Haven, FL - Bird enthusiasts are waiting patiently for April 2, 2004. That is the day that the Third annual Big "O" Birding Festival begins and for three days, the lake region will be host to hundreds of avid birders in search of the area‚s winged residents. A project that began as a bid to bring in economic development via ecotourism has blossomed into an event that promises to bring the Glades area the recognition it deserves for its…
Merritt Island Fl - Island Boat Lines newest vessel to their fleet is the "M.V Indian River Queen", a 99 foot, triple deck paddle wheel vessel. She successfully completed her maiden voyage on November 27th, 2004. The maiden voyage happened to be a beautiful wedding. Although it was the maiden voyage of the "Queen", the evening was all about the Bride & Groom. The couple was married onboard the "Queen" by the Queen's Captain, Captain James Georges. Following the ceremony…
Red Reef Park in Boca Raton, Florida is a beautiful county park that has huge hammock trees for shade, pick nick areas to have a great B-B-Q with the family, but this park is known for it’s snorkeling off the beach. This beach has a great set of natural coral rock with in 20 meters off the beach, in only about 6 – 10 feet of water. On a semi calm day the visibility is usually excellent. On this day…
Ken and Julie Wolf, the owners of Orlando Dive & Snorkel Tours Inc. are celebrating 16 years of operation. They moved their business to Crystal River Fl. seven years ago, opening at the Days Inn Resort. Working with the Days Inn Resort for snorkel and dive packages, they could offer discounts on room rates booked onsite. The waterfronts name is Crystal River Watersports which has easy access to the Gulf of Mexico and allowed them to expand into a multi…
Dade County, a historic region in Southern Florida, was created in 1863. The county was named after Major Dade. Major Dade was a soldier who was killed in in the 1835. In 1997, Dade County’s name was changed to Miami-Dade County, via voter approval. Today, according to the 2000 census, the county is immense, with a population of well over two million. The county is home to many different cities, including Miami Beach, Bal Harbour, North Bay Village, Sunny Isles,…
While flying corporate jets for a living, Phil Sekora and his wife Melanie found themselves transferred to Tampa, Florida. When the time came to be transferred again, they decided rather to stay put and start a business of their own. Together, with all their life's savings, Phil & Melanie opened the Big Red Balloon.. Phil was a pilot and his introduction to the hot air balloon was flying an advertising balloon. Because of his familiarity with flying he always had a sense…
Ken and Julie Wolf, the owners of Orlando Dive and Snorkel, moved from the Tampa area to the Florida Keys 15 years ago, and learned to scuba there. It was love at first site of the beauty of the oceans. They left their jobs and started working in the scuba industry full time. They advanced in their training and brought their knowledge of the diving world & business to Orlando (not a typical dive destination, & land locked). Ken and…
Every Friday morning, the team at Captain Slate’s Atlantis Dive Center sets out with a group of visitors to the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary for Captain Slate’s world famous “Creature Feature” adventure dive. For nearly 25 years, Slate has been feeding barracuda, moray eel and nurse sharks in the protected reefs of Key Largo and teaching divers to appreciate these creatures instead of fear them. “It is educational to take first time divers out for the feeds. We touch…