By ROGER PETTERSON, Associated Press
Published August 1, 2004
Travelers contemplating a trip to Florida's "other coast" should first take a quick tour via the Internet to learn what there is to see and do and to see the variety of places to stay.
A good first stop is the Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau's Web site at www.gmcvb.com/Visitors But the site makes you work for information: You have to go to the upper left corner to the "I am a" window, click on the tiny arrow to open the menu and then click on "Visitor." That gets you another menu where you can select "holiday offers," places to sleep and eat, such as the famous Joe's Stone Crab Restaurant, and "What to do," where you'll find a guide to beaches.
For a slightly different look at finding a place to stay, try Miami HotelGuide, www.miamihotelguide.net for its photographic directory of hotels.
See what is scheduled for the dates when you'll be in town by visiting EventGuide Miami, www.miami.eventguide.com and clicking through their calendar.
You'll miss a large part of Miami life if you don't sample Cuba's influence on the culture. Three Guys from Miami maintains the site www.icuban.com/3guys as a guide to Cuban food, restaurants and Miami's Cuban flavor.
Neighboring Miami Beach is made for visitors. The city's visitor's center site, www.visitmiamibeach.us provides a video and maps under "Getting Around." "Accommodations" will give you references to lodgings from resort to trendy boutique.
And if you want to stay in the hot South Beach district, just type "South Beach" into the search window. Then do the same in the search window at "Entertainment & Attractions" to find the area's clubs and bars, and at "Restaurants & Dining" for spots to eat while watching everyone else play.
Or consider the beaches of greater Fort Lauderdale, at www.sunny.org/visitors with plenty of activities including things for the kids to do.
For a broader look at the southeastern coast, check www.southfloridaonline.com which has guides to the Everglades and the Keys. You might have to explore to find what you need, and some sections aren't as informative as others. But the Everglades section links you to plenty of local information and each has a photo collection.
For much more information on the Keys, go to the Florida Keys & Key West's site at www.fla-keys.com It has a wealth of information on fishing, diving and otherwise relaxing.
And a direct link to visiting Everglades National Park is at www.nps.gov/ever/welcome2.htm here you will find information on how to hike, fish, camp and explore canoe trails.
Finally, check with the state's official tourist guide, www.flausa.com and click on the interactive map.
