Christmas time is special in Florida, without snow or cold weather we go all out to make sure Christmas is something to remember. Floridians deck the halls and we deck our boats too for holiday boat parades. We also love a good Christmas light display.

Other festivities we enjoy are Christmas at Disney World like Mickey’s Christmas Parade and Holidays around the world. Holiday events at Busch Gardens are always popular. Festive decorations, strolling carolers and classic holiday music always get us into the mood.

Surrounded by spectator fish and a coral reef background, divers are to plunge beneath the sea to transform hollowed-out pumpkins into jolly jack-o’-lanterns during the Underwater Pumpkin Carving Contest set for Sunday, Oct. 16.

Buddy teams can meet at Amy Slate’s Amoray Dive Resort in Key Largo, located at mile marker 104.5, to compete during the 8:30 a.m. dive to create pumpkins worthy of praise and prizes from the experienced judges, who double as the crew of the Amoray Diver dive boat.

Contestants submerge below the surface to a depth of less than 30 feet with only their creative imaginations and dive knives as tools. Prizes, including a dive trip for two, await the top three pumpkin sculptors.

Entry fee is the regular dive boat cost of $80 per certified diver for the two-tank, two-location dive, including tanks, weights and snorkel equipment. The Amoray Dive Resort also offers specially priced multiple-dive and dive-lodging packages.

Divers celebrating Halloween in Florida are encouraged to sign up for the contest early because space is limited.

For information: www.amoray.com or 800-426-6729
Key Largo visitor information: www.fla-keys.com/keylargo or 800-822-1088

Motorcyclists from throughout the United States are to travel one of America’s most scenic highways to raise money for charity during the 39th annual Key West Poker Run, set for Thursday through Sunday, Sept. 15-18.

Traditionally drawing riders on up to 10,000 bikes, the popular ride features a unique route down the 113-mile Overseas Highway from mainland Florida to Key West. Offering long vistas of breathtaking sea and sky, the roadway incorporates 42 bridges spanning the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, Florida Bay and Gulf of Mexico.

Beginning Sept. 1, bikers can register to ride at Peterson’s Harley-Davidson of Miami, 19400 N.W. 2nd Ave., and Peterson’s Harley-Davidson South, 19825 S. Dixie Highway. Online registration is accepted before that date at www.petersonsharley.com.

Participating bikers receive poker sheets when they register, and draw cards at designated stops along the route in the Florida Keys. Entrants who draw the 10 best poker hands are eligible to play in a winner-take-all round of Texas Hold ‘Em, competing for a new Harley-Davidson Sportster motorcycle.

A section of lower Duval Street, Key West’s famed main thoroughfare, is to be closed to car traffic during much of the Poker Run so bikers with weekend parking passes can park on the street to display their bikes. Other attractions include a Thursday night “Duval Crawl” for early arrivals, bike merchandise market, “Biker Bash” street party, custom bike show and parties at Key West resorts and watering holes.

The Poker Run is a fundraiser for the Diabetes Research Institute and charities of the Key West Sunrise Rotary Club.

Events conclude Sunday, Sept. 18, with a brunch and “survivors’ party.”

Key West visitor information: www.fla-keys.com/keywest

The Cuban Cultural Exposition begins with the debut of “Viva Cuba Libre — The Chugs of Cuba” set for 2 p.m. Sunday, March 13. Conceived by Key West resident Benjamin Curry Bruce, the exhibit features Bruce’s compelling photographs of Cuban refugees’ “chugs,” or primitive makeshift vessels, displayed alongside items ranging from life jackets to medicines that they carried on the boats. It is only 90 miles from Florida to Cuba.

The opening also features mojitos and hors d’oeuvres. Subsequent days’ attractions include a domino tournament, Cuban cooking class, lively dance exhibition and lecture on Cuba’s medicinal herbs and plants. The work of Cuban artist Sandy Rico, whose oils depict his homeland, is to be featured throughout the exposition.

All events take place at Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden, an arboretum, garden, wildlife refuge and educational center. Showcasing flora native to South Florida, Cuba and the Caribbean, the garden features tropical fruit trees, fragrant plants and palms, spices and herbs, champion trees, butterflies and birds.

The celebration’s highlight is Hot Havana Nights, a lavish Latin party set for 7 p.m. Saturday, March 26. Attendees can dance to the sounds of Havana Soul while enjoying mojitos, authentic Cuban cuisine, fine cigars and an auction of handmade Cuban crafts and artistry including a piece by Sandy Rico.

Those who purchase VIP tickets also are invited to a 6 p.m. Cuban dinner and Tropicana show prior to Hot Havana Nights.

Reservations are encouraged since the gala typically sells out.

Event information, costs and ticketing: www.kwbgs.org or 305-296-1504
Key West visitor information: www.fla-keys.com/keywest or 1-800-LAST-KEY

In January, Real Music kicks off classic sounds of the ‘30s and ‘40s big-band era:

Jan 19-22: THE TERRY MYERS ORCHESTRA with THE SWING SISTERS

Jan 26-29: THE TOMMY DORSEY ORCHESTRA

Then, starting in February, relive some of rock ‘n roll and disco’s greatest moments with the artists who defined the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s:

Feb 2-5: DEBBIE REYNOLDS

Feb 9-12: PAUL REVERE AND THE RAIDERS

Feb 16-19: THE VENTURES

Feb 23-26: HERMAN’S HERMITS starring PETER NOONE

Mar 2-5: THE 5TH DIMENSION

Mar 9-12: THE OSMOND BROTHERS

Mar 16-19: TONY ORLANDO

Mar 23-26: CHARO

Showtimes are 11:30 a.m. and 1 and 3:30 p.m., with the theater opening a half-hour prior to the show. Reservation tickets are required to guarantee a seat, and are available at the front gate until 11 a.m. each show date. The complimentary reservation tickets are also available near the Stanleyville Theater prior to each show.

The Real Music Concert Series is included with regular park admission or any valid Passport membership. Concert series dates and artists are subject to change. For more information, call 1-888-800-5447 or log onto www.BuschGardensTampaBay.com

Christmas time is special for Floridians, without snow or really cold weather we go all out to make sure we make the Holidays something to remember. Floridians deck the halls and we deck our boats too for holiday boat parades. We also go all out for Christmas light displays.

Other merry festivities we attend are Disney Christmas events like Mickey’s Christmas Parade and Holidays around the world. Holiday events at Busch Gardens are always popular. Strolling carolers, festive decorations and classic holiday music always get us into the mood.

Right after Christmas we plan for the New Year. Many Florida New Year’s Eve events include activities for the whole family like the Downtown Countdown in Fort Lauderdale. For the wild and loud crowd there’s the Big Night Miami in Miami Beach.

Last night the US Air Force Space Command launched a spy satellite for the NRO. The Launch was the fourth for the Delta 4 Heavy, A United Launch Alliance rocket.

Launched at 5:58 pm, the rocket lit up the night sky of Cape Canaveral, it was spectacular. Unfortunately there was such a heavy cloud cover, the view of the spaceflight was blocked shortly after liftoff.

Coming up in the next couple weeks will be the second to final launch of the Space Shuttle. Space Shuttle Discovery will launch to the International Space Station to deliver spare parts. Check the Space Shuttle Launch Schedule for up to date launch times and dates. Discovery is currently scheduled to launch on Dec 3.

Surrounded by spectator fish against a coral reef background in the Florida Keys, divers are to transform hollowed-out pumpkins into jolly Halloween jack-o’-lanterns during the Underwater Pumpkin Carving Contest set for Sunday, Oct. 24.

Buddy teams can meet at Amy Slate’s Amoray Dive Resort, located at mile marker 104.5, to compete during the 8:30 a.m. dive in Key Largo. Their mission is to create pumpkins worthy of praise and prizes from the experienced judges, who double as the crew of the Amoray Diver dive boat.

One of the top annual Florida Halloween events, contestants submerge to a depth of less than 30 feet, with dive knives as their carving tools and their imaginations for inspiration. Prizes await the top three pumpkin sculptors.

The regular dive boat fee of $80 per certified diver applies for the two-tank, two-location dive, including tanks, weights and snorkel equipment. The Amoray Dive Resort also offers specially priced multiple-dive and dive-lodging packages.

Divers are encouraged to sign up for the contest early because space is limited. For more information about the contest, call 800-426-6729 or visit www.amoray.com.

To find out about area accommodations, call the Key Largo Chamber of Commerce at 800-822-1088 or 305-451-4747, or visit the Florida Keys & Key West website at www.fla-keys.com.

I have a dear friend who I’ve been friends with since we met in Atlanta, Georgia in the sixth grade and we graduated high school in 1985, so we’ve been friends a while. Anyway, as life goes, I moved to Florida and she moved elsewhere but we remained in touch then, about 3 years ago, I was thrilled when she told me she was moving to the west coast of Florida. She ended up moving to Fort Myers and loves it there.

She was always the tomboyish, outdoorsy type and one of the things she was pleased to find out one of the things to do in Fort Myers is great flats fishing. She went out and bought herself a little 16 foot or so boat to tool around the flats in, and every now and then I’m amused to get pictures of her latest catches of snook, redfish and trout. She does well and is able to eat a lot of what she catches.

We try and get together at least once a year usually during the spring, meet in Orlando to go to a Braves Spring Training Game, but that’s not nearly enough. So I was happy when she ended up buying a house in Fort Myers and was even happier when she invited us over to see it and celebrate with her. I had never been to Fort Myers before and was anxious to see it. I must say I was pleasantly surprised, when you first drive into the city it doesn’t look like much but then you get into the heart of the city and you realize why Thomas Edison and Henry Ford fell in love with Fort Myers, Thomas Edison even said, “There is only one Fort Myers, and 90 million people are going to find it”, sounds like love to me. The neighborhoods here really have that old time Florida feel from the style of the houses to their tree lined streets, like I said it’s really beautiful.

The first night we were there we decided to go out to dinner with my friend and had a little time to kill before she was available so we went over the bridge to the beach. The water is Emerald green and the beach is made of sugar-white sand and at dusk, when we were there, it’s absolutely breathtaking. While we were there the sun was setting now, I’ve never just stood and watched the sun actually set so I was amazed but how quickly it went down, it truly was spectacular. Fort Myers Beach, dubbed has been ‘the world’s safest beach’ because it has small waves and calm seas. It also has gentle slopes and sand bars in the waters near shore which make it a great place to teach a child to snorkel. Ok, in the interest of finishing my story, we did meet up with my friend that night and ended up at a great little neighborhood BBQ place, Famous Dave’s for a great meal and even better company.

The next day we went to visit someone else’s house, two other homes actually, those of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. In 1885 Thomas Edison first visited Florida and as I said he fell in love with the area so much so that in 1886 he built a winter home here called “Seminole Lodge”. The Edison Museum and surrounding 14 acre estate were used in the winter by Edison until his Death in 1931. In 1947 Mrs. Edison donated the estate to the City of Fort Myers and in November of that year, the estate was opened to the public.

In 1915 the Edison’s invited their close friends Mr. & Mrs. Henry Ford, yes the car maker, for a visit and THEY loved it too. They bought the house right next door to the Edison’s and called it “Mangoes”. For the next 15 years the Fords and Edisons spent their winters together welcoming family and friends to thier lovely Fort Myers estates. In 1988 the Ford Home was brought by the City of Fort Myers and it too was opened to the public, in 1990.

The grounds really are beautiful, the landscaping and the houses are quite a sight, and they have a rather famous Banyan tree there. The laboratories are fascinating and everything has been left as if Edison or Ford just walked out of the room, at least they tried to keep it as true as possible. It’s wonerful that these joint estates have been opened up to the public they really are something to see.

We also visited Sanibel Island, renown for it’s spectacular shelling beaches where you can learn to do the “Sanibel Stoop”. What makes this such a great shelling place is the islands unique positioning, it runs east to west, which is different from most islands which run north to south, this allows it to catch the many different kinds of sea shells. As you search the sand looking for that perfect shell be sure to put lots of sunscreen on your neck and wear a hat so your head doesn’t burn. You will also need a bucket, net bag and scoop or shovel. Shelling at low tide after a storm is best and remember is illegal to take “live shells” from the sea. While on Sanibel Island be sure to visit the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge and enjoy one of the many bike paths, go bird watching, snorkel or walk along the beach.

We had only gone to visit my friend for the weekend so all too quickly it was time to go but I did enjoy my time in Fort Myers, what a nice little place. I was also glad my friend had found a place she felt good living in and am looking forward to an invitation back.

I’ve lived in Florida for a long time and one of the things I love about living here is the many places to go for just a day when you want to get away. Summer is a great time to visit any of our beaches and when you live on the beach, as I do, summer is a great time for not only people watching but talking to some of them and finding out where they’re visiting from, after all nearby places in Orlando are some of the premiere vacation destinations of the world.

When people ask me, as a Floridian, where I like to go one of the places I always mention is Daytona Beach. Daytona Beach is known for many things, like the Daytona International Speedway home of NASCAR, Bike Week in March and Biketoberfest in October. All these things are great draws to Daytona Beach but what I like about it is that you can drive on the beach there, that’s something you can only do on a few beaches in Florida.

It’s ironic that the first beaches in Florida are on Amelia Island and you can drive on the beaches there as well, it’s like an instant draw to the beach and with over 1,000 miles of coastline in Florida, can you blame us for wanting to get people to our beaches as soon as they cross the boarder?

While driving on Daytona Beach there are certain rules and regulations you must follow. First and foremost is the speed limit, which is ten miles an hour, it is strictly enforced and they do give out tickets to people who don’t observe it. This may seem a bit slow but all things considered, like people laying and playing on the beach, it’s plenty fast enough. You also have to stay within the designated area, drive too high up and you’re in the dunes destroying them and if you drive too low you could end up stuck in the surf praying the tide doesn’t come in soon. There are precautions in place, for instance, if the tide is high or the sand is too soft to be driven in they’ll close the access ramps and no one is allowed to drive on the beach but of course the beach is always open and free to pedestrians and bicyclists.

I have a convertible, of course, so when we drive on Daytona Beach we put the top down which is even more fun. You can park on the beach and enjoy the day besides; you haven’t lived until you’ve picnicked out of your car right on the beach. There isn’t anything like feeling the ocean breeze on your face or looking up and seeing the Seagulls, Pelicans, Black Skimmers and other birds in the air above you. The Daytona Beach Pier is right there too, it’s been renovated recently and is a great place to spend the night having fun with your family after a day of driving on the beach. As you’d imagine nighttime beach driving is not allowed.

From February 1 through November 30 there is a slight fee to drive on the beach which goes down after 3 pm. If you happen to live in the area you can get day or annual passes, it’s very convenient.

There has been some recent controversy on whether or not people should even be allowed to drive on the beach but the simple fact of the matter is that when you’re on the beach either in a car, sunbathing or playing in the surf it’s everyone’s responsibility to be paying attention and aware of not only their surroundings but of what’s going on in their surroundings. After all we want everyone to have a good time, tell all their friends and come back to Daytona Beach time and time again.