Plenty to see and do at Jungle Island

Jungle Island, formerly known as the Parrot Jungle, gives people an opportunity to see and interact with rare wildlife from all over the world. What makes up the "Jungle" are more than 3,000 exotic animals and 500 species of plants. At Jungle Island, hundreds of Flamingos can be found spread across a lake. Flamingos were filmed at the original Parrot Jungle for the opening theme of the television show Miami Vice.

Visitors can enjoy a world famous bird show "Winged Wonders" in the Parrot Bowl. In this show, a cockatoo shows off by riding his bicycle on a high wire. "Reptiles of the Jungle" can be seen in the Serpentarium and "Tales of the Tiger" can be seen in the Jungle Theater, an open-aired arena.

A great feature for kids, especially during the summer, is the Hippo Slide. This water slide is 3 stores tall and has a 40 degree drop!

Jungle Island is located off the MacArthur Causeway (A1A) between Downtown Miami and Miami Beach.

Miami Metrozoo's Amazon & Beyond

Miami Metrozoo has hundreds of wild animals and attractions for all ages. There are a number of ways that you can get around the zoo; you can simply walk, take a guided tram tour or an air-conditioned monorail tour. You can also turn an ordinary visit to the zoo into an exciting adventure by renting a Safari Cycle. You can pull up right next to each exhibit and take photos of the zoo animals right from the cycle.

From Flamingos to Bengal Tigers to the Silverback Gorilla, there are so many fascinating animals for you to interact with. Who knows what type of mood they will be in when you are visiting. Sometimes the animals are very entertaining and sometimes they are sleeping. Everyday is a completely different experience; therefore you must visit more than once.

Camel rides are offered in the Children's zoo and keeper talks are held at the animals respective location throughout the day. For those of you who are techies, you can also download Miami Metrozoo's Podcast Tour to your ipod.

Miami Metrozoo is opening the 27-acre "Amazon & Beyond" exhibit which will feature new animals such as a giant river otter, a black howler monkey and two green anacondas.

New Year's Eve Cruise Miami

It is never too early to plan your evening for this coming New Year's Eve celebration in Miami. Get ready for some spectacular events this New Year's Eve in Miami. We will be updating you on the best events in Miami for New Year's Eve 2009.

Currently, the best thing to do this New Year's Eve in Miami is hopping on a luxury yacht and ringing in the New Year. Biscayne Lady Yacht Charters just announced they are hosting their own New Year's Eve celebration on their 111' mega yacht called the Biscayne Lady.

Their fun filled evening will include an open bar and delicious, chef prepared food stations throughout the main dining area. The food stations include a salad bar station, a pasta station, a meat carving station and a dessert station. The Biscayne Lady is world-renowned mega yacht, which departs from Bayside Marketplace.

A professional DJ will be onboard playing all the fabulous dance music that you will want to hear. It’s Miami’s great nightlife but on the water.

This is a great venue for ringing the New Year. The Biscayne Lady yacht will setup for the best location to watch the downtown Miami fireworks show that Miami puts on.

Take a look at the video from the Biscayne Lady during their spectacular 4th of July cruise. This was a spectacular event and www.miamibeachvisitorscenter.com was there.

The cost for the New Year's Eve Cruise on the Biscayne Lady is only $145.00 for adults. Click here to purchase tickets today.

Don't wait too long because the cruise sells out.

Definitely check out www.miamibeachvisitorscenter.com for more spectacular celebration for New Year’s Eve 2009 in Miami.

Sightseeing Cruises Miami by Island Queen Cruises

There is truly no better way to experience Miami than by taking a sightseeing cruise by Island Queen Cruises. They operate the best sightseeing cruise in Miami by far.

Certainly, you will first notice the many times of their departures. They leave every hour on the hour from 11am to 7pm and will even set sail whether they have 2 people or 140 passengers, the limit. This is tough to accomplish in any city, especially with the cost of fuel being so high. Yet, they do it 7 days a week and 365 days a year. We noticed this because we missed our first cruise and took the next available cruise at 5pm.

Next, we noticed that all of Island Queen Cruises' boats are clean and new! Many cities around the world have sightseeing cruises but usually there boats are old. I was surprised when the captain mentioned there boat, the Miami Lady was built this year. Can you believe it was born in 2008?

You really get to experience Miami by being on a boat. We cruised through Biscayne Bay, passing the beautiful homes and tall, luxury condos. It is truly spectacular. During our cruise we got to see the entire Miami skyline, the Port of Miami with both the cruise ships and cargo districts, an island called Fisher Island and Millionaire's Row or Star Island. This is where Gloria Estefan and P Diddy live.

The cruise was great and we even picked up a DVD about the history of Miami. The DVD has other areas of interest that we weren't able to see.

Conch Tour Train Key West

The Conch Tour Train is a great sightseeing tour that takes you all over Key West. This is one of Key West's most popular attractions and is highly recommended. If you love learning and sightseeing than this is a must activity while visiting Key West.

As you arrive in Key West, you will see these trains cruising everywhere. From Duval Street to Green Street, to the Southern Most Point, everywhere you go the train is right there. Whether you're toasting at Hemingway's House, Green Parrot or Sloppy Joe's Bar, take a look and you will see the conch snaking around town. Yet, you can not appreciate the train unless you take the tour.

The Conch Tour Train boasts about their friendly staff and I must say, they definitely live up to their reputation. As we journey through town, everyone will be greeting the 'engineer' by their first name. These friendly interactions are real, not phony. This is very cool and unique.

In addition to cruising around the entire island, you will learn about Key West's wonderful history. The tour guides are very knowledgeable about the history of Key West. They will point out important locations, famous people's homes and businesses, popular attractions and unique Key West architecture. History fanatics get ready, you will be elated with this tour and you might even take the tour twice.

Quick notes, make the conch the first thing you do so you get a sense where all your planned activities are located.

Sebago Power Adventure Key West

During a recent trip to Key West, I went on the Sebago Power Adventure excursion. The trip included 6 hours of fun-filled water activities aboard a 60' Catamaran. We set sail at 10 am and our first stop was snorkeling at a living Coral Reef. The underwater view of the Coral Reef was beautiful and we saw a variety of colorful fish.

After snorkeling we headed to the highly anticipated parasailing portion of the trip. This was our first time parasailing therefore we were very excited. Photos and a video of your personal experience is available for a fee. We purchased the pictures & video and we also took a camera up in the air with us - that way we got both views. The view from up in the air was amazing! The time goes by very quick, so take everything in as much as you can.

Once you are done parasailing, there are a number of water activities lined up, such as jet-skiing, a water trampoline, and a banana boat.

The Sebago Power Adventure staff was very friendly and accommodating. Besides the breakfast and lunch that was served, there were always snacks available to eat throughout the day - pretzels, fruit and chocolate chip cookies.

If you are looking for something fun to do while visiting Key West, spend the day doing the Sebago Power Adventure!

Jimbo's Place Key Biscayne

Jimbo's Place in Key Biscayne's Virginia Beach is a must see! I don't even know where to begin to describe it. Anyone is welcome to stop by and visit. You can walk around and enjoy the scenery, try some smoked fish and sip on a ice cold beer. Ask for Jamaican Paul and talk to him about the history of the place - needless to say a very interesting man.

James "Jimbo" Luznar has lived just off the Rickenbacker Causeway for over 50 years where he established a little shrimp shack. People continue to visit Jimbo and take part in his birthday celebration every April.


Jimbo's has served as a movie set for films such as Wild Things, Ace Ventura and True Lies.

Miami Spice 2008

Miami Spice is back and better than ever! This August and September enjoy some of Miami's top restaurants for three-course meals set at a special price - $23 for lunch and $36 for dinner!

"A Fish Called Avalon" on Ocean Drive

If you are strolling down Ocean Drive and have a hard time choosing what restaurant or cafe to eat at, take my advice and try "A Fish Called Avalon" at the Avalon Hotel located at 700 Ocean Drive. Street-side, patio seating is the way to go.

The servers are very attentive and friendly. The General Manager and Executive Chef, Brian Cantrell, can be seen interacting with guests, which is always an added bonus at restaurants. The type of food is characterized as "modern American Seafood" and I honestly had a very hard time deciding what to order since there are so many great choices. Each dish on the menu, including the appetizers, has a recommended beverage listed. What caught our attention was the recommendation for the "Shrimp-in-Grits" entree: Miller High Life, the Champagne of Beers. How brilliant!

After reviewing the menu and getting some recommendations, I finally decided on the Grilled Florida Grouper with Grilled Chorizo and Yucca. We also started the meal with the "Bang Bang Shrimp" appetizer, which had a nice kick of spice. The creamy avocado that complimented the shrimp was also delicious. For dessert we had the special, which was mint chocolate cake, and a port wine from Portugal. We finished the meal with a cup of espresso and an intriguing conversation of the history of Miami Beach, since our waiter Edgar was born and raised there.

With the combination of great food, great drinks, a relaxing atmosphere and friendly and efficient service, I highly recommend "A Fish Called Avalon." I'm definitely going back to try something different!

Spa Terre at the Grove Isle Resort

Miami is known for its luxury spas and throughout July people can enjoy $99 spa treatments at select spas as part of the Miami Spa Month. My friends and I decided to go to Spa Terre at the Grove Isle Resort and Spa. 

When arriving at the Spa, the Indonesian, Thai and Balinese oasis replaces the weight of the world with a feeling of pure relaxation. The treatment I received was an eighty-minute custom massage that combined Swedish and deep tissue massage techniques. After the massage, we enjoyed the spa's amenities including the Watsu massage pool. We enjoyed an aquatic massage that relaxes and soothes tired muscles in warm water. After working up an appetite we ate lunch at Baleen and then relaxed by the pool. We spent a short amount of time in the sauna and then took showers. The staff at Spa Terre was very friendly and accommodating!

4th of July Celebration on the Biscayne Lady Yacht

There is absolutely no better way to celebrate the 4th of July than on the Biscayne Lady Yacht! If you weren't on the two-hour cruise last night, you can see the spectacular fireworks show that guests experienced first-hand by watching the video posted below. Even some light Miami rain didn't stop people from watching the fireworks from the sky deck and the front bow of the Biscayne Lady.

As guests checked in, they were given a FREE raffle ticket for a chance to win a variety of prizes such as a DVD about the history of Miami entitled "A Narrated Journey through Miami," passes for the Island Queen sightseeing cruises, and a postcard and coupon set. 

Once on-board, guests enjoyed top sirloin, pasta and a variety of cheese. The tables had simple yet elegant centerpieces - red roses in a square glass vase - just the right touch! After dinner, people relaxed in the lounge and enjoyed music being played by an enthusiastic and entertaining DJ. 

Everyone was looking forward to the start of the fireworks show. The fireworks ranged in all types of colors, shapes and sizes - some even portraying a drizzle-like effect that would fall from the sky down to the water. People (including myself) were left in awe with the sights and sounds of this fabulous 10-minute show.

After the fireworks ended, there was still some time left to cruise the waters of the Bay and of Government Cut... and for some this meant more dancing and drinking!!!!

I highly recommend this to anyone who is in Miami during the 4th of July -- whether you are a native or a tourist, this is truly a remarkable way to spend America's birthday!

Miami 4th of July Firework Show