Saturday, December 18, 2010

Fort Lauderdale Beaches

Florida has a Clean Beaches Council that grades beaches as per a few criteria. Twenty two parameters are tested and compared for grading. Some of these criteria are periodic water quality tests, easy access to emergency care, environment preservation and the like. Beaches that meet all the twenty two criteria are designated as "Blue Wave Beaches." Fort Lauderdale Beach, Dania Beach, Deerfield Beach, Hollywood Beach, and Pompano Beach are all certified "Blue Wave Beaches."

Lauderdale- By-The-Sea is a pristine town located just across the Intracoastal Waterway. Its clean and quiet beach is good for relaxation. Access to good restaurants takes care of necessities.

The Northern Beach Area is located between Oakland Park Boulevard and Sunrise Boulevard. This is mainly a quiet area and is a favorite spot for treks, picnics and the like. There is an underground pathway beneath the A1A to this beach.

The South Beach Area is the more active portion of Fort Lauderdale beaches. Numerous beachfront shops, restaurants, nightclubs and the like, present avenues for enjoying time on the beach.

The natural coral reef system is one of the most attractive features of Fort Lauderdale's beaches. Face to face with such natural wonders tends to leave one speechless.

In 1986 Fort Lauderdale beach was renovated at a cost of $26 million. A complete redesign of coastal roadway A1A, the elimination of diagonal beach front parking, the addition of landscaped medians, pullout lanes, bicycle lanes, new traffic signals, brick paved pedestrian crosswalks, expanded sidewalks and a pedestrian beachfront promenade made a lot of difference. These changes made Fort Lauderdale beach more attractive and convenient for tourists.

During this renovation a beach wavewall was constructed. This is a flowing swirling beachwall that extends over a distance of two miles. This wavewall brings hordes of curious onlookers thronging to Fort Lauderdale beach.

Fort Lauderdale beaches have vistas for enjoyment for all kinds of people right from the quiet and retiring type to the most active and gregarious people. All types of people are guaranteed to enjoy the dalliance with nature at Fort Lauderdale beaches.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Unlimited Fun at Florida Keys Beaches

If you want to visit Florida and specially want to enjoy its beach area, then Florida Beaches are the best option to have high excitement and more fun. The famous Florida Keys beaches are the only place where you will find some of the best sandy beaches in the world. The concept of these beaches is now well familiar all over the world. Every year the number of tourists increases tremendously. The Key beaches are so named due to their distinct key shaped beaches.

You will find that these Florida Keys beaches are situated on a small area, of which some are man-made. There are numerous keys beaches present in the Florida region. One of them is the Sandspur beach, which is a sandy beach, has clean deep water near shore. Enjoy here various activities like swimming, kayaking and snorkeling. The Bahia Honda state recreational area has two beautiful sea shores nearby. This is on the ocean side and the other one is at Caloosa located near Bahia Honda Bridge. This has crystal clear, turquoise water with white coral sand beach line. The area is filled with coconut palms and the warm water of this beach makes it suitable for all seasons. Due to the absence of waves, it is perfect for swimmers. Sea-shore management has boat rental facility and camp grounds too.

The very famous Anne's Beach is one of the best Florida Beaches. This is dedicated to Anne Eaton, local environmentalist. The main features of this beach are its shallow swimming area, boardwalk and bathroom facilities. It has covered picnic tables for tourists and is somewhere located in the Atlantic Ocean. The restrooms which are available here are well equipped with advanced facilities. Here, visitors will enjoy their stay.

Harry Harris Park Beach also comes as part of the list of Florida Beaches. It offers a protected man made lagoon with a sandy beach. For safe and relaxing swimming, this clear ocean water is just perfect. This place is well maintained by the management and includes park amenities like playground for children, picnic tables and barbecue grills. Other features also include restrooms, fishing jetty, boat ramp and ball fields.

There are two more popular Florida Keys beaches. One is Smathers Beach Key West, which is the longest one that provides different varieties of water sports rentals. You never feel bored or tired at this key beach. You will see beautiful sunrise and sunset from this beach front. On the other hand, Sombrero Beach Marathon is still being developed by the Monroe County Tourist Development Council. Tourists will enjoy sloping on this fine grain sand beach. It has recently added features like covered pavilion, restrooms, showers and volleyball and also includes playground for kids. The Florida Keys Beaches are an exciting destination for vacation or weekend trips.

Monday, December 13, 2010

Pinellas County Real Estate - A Cornucopia of Home Selections

The real estate that is available in Pinellas County Florida, offers you a virtual cornucopia of choices in choosing the property you will soon call home. You will find everything from single-family homes on and off the Gulf of Mexico, condos and apartments, to upscale mansions, all with a wide-range in pricing. All this awaits you here in Pinellas County Florida.

All of the communities within the Pinellas County Area, and in fact, the entire Tampa Bay area of Florida share in natural resources that appeal to many. The Tampa Bay area is outlined by premium sandy beaches and the clearest of waters, warmed by the Gulf. The sun shines steadily, and subtropical temperatures are maintained throughout the year. Inland you will find areas of Cypress and Oak, and small waterways. The air is heavy with the scents of the ocean mixed with the delicate perfume of orange blossoms, which invigorates the mind, body and soul.

The numerous neighborhoods, subdivisions, and quaint, tight-knit communities in the Pinellas County Area, each have their own unique recipe for living. Each of these communities differs as much as the type of dwellings and price ranges available for you to select from when making the purchase of your home.

It doesn't matter if you're in search of a neighborhood to raise a family in, or a retired couple looking for an active 55+ community with other like-minded, active retirees, or even a single looking to mix with other singles. Regardless of whether you're a two or a one income family, Pinellas County Florida real estate has something for everyone.

Pinellas County consists of some 280 miles of land and 35 miles of beaches. Within its borders you will find communities such as: Clearwater, Florida's premier beach community, home to two of the nation's best beaches for plenty of beach and aquatic activities to enjoy. Residents occupy single-family homes, 55+ communities, and condominiums in Clearwater.

Tarpon Springs is mostly an affluent community within Pinellas County and the real estate consists of gated communities, and posh mansions. There certainly are modest homes as well in Tarpon Springs to fit a family on a budget. Tarpon Springs has a heavy Greek influence, and this is evident through the many Greek style eateries residing here. Sponge fishing was made famous here by Greek divers from long ago, and you can still observe this spectacular feat to this day.

Palm Harbor, once only orange groves, has grown to be one of Tampa Bay's most affluent areas as well with over 100 neighborhoods with various homes and price ranges to choose from. Arts, crafts, culture, history, and music are celebrated throughout the year. This Pinellas County community has much to offer home buyers.

A community with a small town feel is Dunedin, Florida which is also located within the Pinellas County Area. New and pre-existing homes are available for home buyers. You can't get much closer to the beach when buying real estate in Dunedin. In fact, many Dunedin residents walk to the beach to enjoy the heavenly Florida sunsets. Residents enjoy hiking along the Dunedin Causeway, and also the myriad of activities available at the nearby beaches.

Safety Harbor, another Pinellas County community is a combination of the young and the young-at-heart. Children play in the parks while retirees enjoy a stroll around town. Several styles of homes exist for selecting the one to call your own.

St. Petersburg is a class-act all the way with historic buildings, shopping, museums, sailing, and all the charm of a sea-side community. This Pinellas County Area community offers single-family homes, waterfront properties, and even condominium and loft living. Virtually every weekend, there is something different going on in downtown St. Petersburg and living nearby affords you the convenience of leaving the car at home and avoiding the traffic while you stroll to the festivities.

Selecting a home in Pinellas County Florida is made easier by contacting a knowledgeable area real estate agent. Based upon your individual tastes, desired lifestyle, and housing needs, your area real estate representative can arrange for you to take a tour of the neighborhoods that match your desired living arrangements.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Enjoy Our Florida Beach Review to Pick Your Destination - Discount Florida Vacation's Florida Beach

Now that summertime is upon us and it's time to take that much needed vacation whether you are out of school, have paid time off from your job, or have been planning that family vacation for months.

If you have decided to go to Florida for your trip, and haven't decided which of the many fabulous beaches to venture to, we have put together our Florida beach review for you to discover the best beach for your vacation.

Why should you listen to us? We have researched and visited dozens upon dozens of beaches in Florida. Plus, we have surveyed other beach lovers to get feedback on various travel destinations in Florida. These came from both locals and tourists.

Discount Florida Vacations - Florida Beach Review Thumbs Up Destinations

**Our favorite beach and a consensus among others, has to be Clearwater Beach Florida. Of the dozens of beaches in Florida we have vacationed at, Clearwater is our comparison. This is also a popular spot for two other beach lover friends of ours. They will pack up their belongings for a weekend and fly down there to spend a couple days eating at Crabby Bills, touring the town, relaxing on the white-sandy beaches, and enjoying the Gulf of Mexico.

If you enjoy water everywhere you look, sun shining constantly, and a relaxed atmosphere with great food and entertainment, Clearwater if for you.

**South Beach Miami is our second Florida beach review destination.

In all honesty, you can't write an article or mention a Florida beach without talking about South Beach. The Cuban culture that surrounds this south-eastern spot is a hot spot of the rich and famous.

Hot bodies are located everywhere, quick paced, an amazing nightlife, and all the excitement needed for one trip is located here. Movies and television shows have been filmed here, a diet is named after it, and it is within close proximity to other great beach destinations if you choose to drive the coast on highway A1A.

Offering crystal clear water, plenty of history, more than enough to do, and an overall excellent vacation for any traveler, Miami is a definite and gets an A+ on our Florida beach review.

**Destin Florida is atop our Florida beach review. Spending many family vacations there growing up, the landscape and layout of Destin is beautiful. Plenty of golf and water activities portray this great beach on the Panhandle.

Offering sugar white sand beach and emerald green water, Destin is a spot that will leave you fealing spoiled. Not to mention Destin is a great spot for any budget.

**Sarasota and the beaches that surround it (Siesta Key, Lido Key, Longboat Key, and others) is a vacation spot that amazed us. Whether you want to live there, buy a second home there, or just visit this tropical paradise, Sarasota is the whole package. We were tucked on Lido Key and had the pleasure of enjoying the areas around Sarasota fully.

The food was amazing, the beaches were clean, large, and perfect for walking, jogging, relaxing, playing, and more. This was the one beach vacation that we did nothing but enjoy the beachfront hotel and surrounding water/beach activities and never got bored.

**Our final Florida beach review is on the Atlantic Coast. Daytona Beach has been a staple on the beach scene for decades. With movies going back to the 60's making this a popular and trendy spot, Daytona Beach is a must.

Events are always taking place here. The long list includes, Bike Week, Spring Break, Nascar racing, car shows, reunions, and more. The cool part was that you could drive on the sparkling, fine grained sand or play volleyball, basketball, or any other beach sport.

Because of it's northern location, Daytona is a great spot for the summer months and offers plenty of beach fun! With the snow-bird's gone, the spring's jammed pack events over, summer offers an enjoyable trip for anyone.

We could go on all day doing a Florida beach review. These are some of our favorites that we wanted to touch on.

We touched on the various coasts and locations all over Florida to give you an array of choices, but we believe if you are having a tough time picking a destination, these picks won't do you wrong.

Friday, December 10, 2010

The Surge in Homemade Skincare Recipes

Homemade skincare recipes have made a huge surge here on the Florida beaches. Women who love the outdoor lifestyle know that wind, seawater, and the warm Florida sunshine can cause premature aging if they are not vigilant with personal skincare. Here's why they now prefer to make natural face moisturizers, treatments, and body lotions in their own kitchens.

Today's Woman Wants To Know What Is Being Absorbed Through Her Skin

Women today are working harder than ever to become the "expert" on themselves. They learn all they can about making good food choices and getting consistent exercise. They study finances so they know exactly what is happening with their money. They start online home businesses to make extra money and benefit from the legal tax write offs available to them. And...they continue to gravitate toward natural personal health care and preventative health practices.

A woman's skin is the largest organ of her body. Is it any wonder that women are determined to learn all they can about homemade skincare recipes?


They DO NOT want treatments and moisturizers that are manufactured with chemicals they cannot even pronounce.
They DO NOT want skincare products containing harmful preservatives to extend "shelf life" in a store.
They DO NOT want treatments, scrubs, or facial creams with harmful petroleum-based chemicals that can cause allergic reactions.

The Healing Appeal of Homemade Skincare Products

Women seek skincare treatments that will repair, revitalize, and rejuvenate their skin that is passively attacked by weather elements and pollutants.

They know natural ingredients "give back" to their skin, not take away.

They want accountability for the ingredients being absorbed into their system.

Women know that homemade skincare recipes are their best source for specific amounts of vitamins and nutrients to nourish their skin.

Women know that natural skin moisturizers protect and enhance the growth of healthy skin cells.

These days, the knowledgeable woman can turn to her refrigerator for a simple and quick natural skincare product to bring smoothness, suppleness, wrinkle prevention, and nourishing anti-aging elements to her skin.

The Beauty of Homemade Skincare Recipes is Not Just Skin deep

The women here on the Florida beaches are both frugal and financially savvy. They are very attuned to the tremendous amount of money they save throughout the year by making their own skincare products. (Really...how much does an egg, a few ounces of milk, some coconut oil, a few strawberries, and a tablespoon of honey cost?)

By using homemade skincare recipes, women have become more confident about how their body is being enriched, and have a genuine sense of accomplishment about living such a healthy lifestyle in an inexpensive way.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Florida Villa - Perfecting Your Vacation

A Florida holiday can give you access to wonderful beaches, world-class theme parks, the unique natural beauty of the Everglades, extensive golf courses and, of course, all-year round sunshine that the state is famous for. The potential that this rich environment has, to give fun to both young and old, makes Florida a favourite for tourists right around the globe.

Florida can provide you with a wide variety of adventures. You could be enjoying a calm and gentle sunbathe around the pool one moment and then an action-packed wind-surfing experience or theme park ride the next. With so much action that the resorts have to offer, finding a comfortable space to rest and relax can prove difficult when you are away from home. Renting a room in an over-crowded hotel can be so restrictive, especially for families. This is why, whether short or long, your visit to Florida can be made so much more enjoyable if you choose to stay in one of the many holiday villas available for rental.

Villas in Florida can be found right across the state. Based on your preference for location, you could choose a villa in any of the different parts of Florida like Jacksonville, Fort Myers, Fort Lauderdale, Destin, Amelia Island or the Gulf Coast. Careful preplanning could also get you a villa at walking distance from Universal Studios, Disneyland or near a beach with an amazing view towards the sea.

Florida villas are available in all kinds of different sizes. Right from a studio-sized villa for one or two people to a 5 or 6 bedroom mansion complete with private swimming pool, tennis court and hot tub. Variations can be found to suit all vacationing groups and families, providing them a homely or luxurious atmosphere and necessary personal space for every member of the party. Moreover, with so many tourist destinations in Florida to choose from, the vacation might last for several weeks. For a weekend it might be fine to eat out all the time but for the long haul you will certainly appreciate being able to prepare your own healthy, home-made food whenever you feel hungry. With excellent kitchen facilities and a wide range of utensils provided in a villa this gives you the freedom to choose when to eat out and when to stay home.  

Choosing the ideal villa in Florida is now extremely easy with so many villa providers that offer booking facilities through the Internet. No longer is it necessary to trawl through yellow pages and make numerous phone calls or visits to different travel agencies. You can browse through the different facilities provided at different locations along with images or videos that give a clear idea of what to expect when you actually land in Florida. This also lets you avoid hidden costs and unpleasant surprises.

From online providers of Florida villas, you will also find good discounts available if you are planning your trip during an off-season time of the year. Or, if you are a small family you could get a bigger villa at a cheaper price. The cost of a villa, however, depends on the location as well as the size. If it is closer to a popular destination like Disney or the Gulf coast, then expect to pay more for even a smaller one than at a destination further from the attractions. On the other hand, if it is at a less popular destination then you could get a mansion and still have plenty of money left over to spend on the attractions!

Today, many visitors from Europe, Asia and even Australia choose to book villas rather than stay in hotels. Besides giving you the comfort you need while you are there, a Florida villa can provide you with a dream holiday that will stay in your memory forever. 

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Florida Beaches - Swimming - Sailing - Fishing - Nightlife

When many people think of Florida the first thoughts they have are sunshine and beaches. That's because Florida has gorgeous sunshine year round and breathtaking white sandy beaches that attract residents and visitors year round. Some beaches are more well-known such as The Florida Keys, Miami's South Beach. The east coast has Daytona and Cocoa Beach and on the west coast there is St. Petersburg and Clearwater Beach. Panama City has also become a popular spring break and summer getaway for younger beach goers who are looking for a great place to unwind and enjoy the sun. No matter which location you choose, you can't go wrong. Most locations have taken great care in preserving their shorelines, placing boardwalks or piers to sight see from, and offer low priced and upscale hotels and condominiums to enjoy. Whether you are looking for a seasonal getaway or want to call one of these seaside locations home, you will not be disappointed. Florida is blessed with warm weather almost year round which makes it a great place to stroll in the sand, splash in the water, enjoy a sunset or take advantage of the beach side restaurants that provide lively entertainment and night life.

Florida is surrounded by great waterways to enjoy. You can charter a boat or Jet Ski to play on the water. A good captain will be able to help you catch snook, grouper or the many other types of fish in these waters! You can take sight seeing cruises where you can see dolphins, sea turtles or go to many small or remote islands off these coasts. The Florida Keys is an ocean lovers paradise and popular for lobster catching, snorkeling or scuba diving. It has great live coral and the scenery is breathtaking.

Recently, many beaches have started to expand to not just offer daytime activities but to really spice up their night life. Visitors were coming to this area and spending their days at the shore and their nights in larger cities nearby. These cities decided they wanted their visitors to stay nearby and have taken an interest in offering beach side entertainment such as bands, magicians, and street vendors. Local restaurants and hotels have begun serving appetizers and drinks out on the patio areas and people have started to enjoy sitting by the ocean at night listing to the crashing waves. Now these beach side locations are some of the most popular in town!

Florida Real Estate has always been very popular on the water. Hotels are remodeling to attract more guests. Condominiums and town homes are undergoing renovations to update their facilities and offer more amenities to their owners. Waterfront property has never been more popular. If you are looking for a great place to vacation or live, don't miss the Florida Beaches. These white sand beaches overlook some of the best water and sea life. View dolphins splashing in the water or go for a day of fishing and you will see why so many people come to Florida year round!