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MIAMI SPICE RESTAURANT PROGRAM CELEBRATES MILESTONE 10th ANNIVERSARY WITH RECORD BREAKING NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS THIS AUGUST & SEPTEMBER: The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau’s (GMCVB) popular end of summer foodie program, Miami Spice, celebrates its 10th anniversary August 1 – September 30, 2011. The program, inaugurated in 2002, offers more than 125 participating restaurants (a Miami Spice record), providing great value and making dining out affordable and accessible with three-course lunch ($22) and dinner ($35) menus, excluding gratuities, representing an average discount of 30-50 percent.
Dream South Beach's decor could be described as disco meets French Moroccan.
Dream South Beach, a ’70s-inspired hotel has transformed two iconic properties, The Tudor Hotel and Palmer House, into one ethereal hotspot.
Michael Czysz’s design house Architropolis spearheaded the creative concept with Kelly Ogden helming the interiors, coupling a touch of disco with a French-Moroccan flare.
Dream’s promenade is lined with wall fountains and the pathway glows with an acrylic in-laid floor under-lit with come-hither hues, while an 8-foot tall sculpture of Ganesha, crafted by Miguel Rodríguez sits in a bamboo grove, guarding the entrance.
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Fort Lauderdale has more than 20 miles of beaches, including this area seen from the Atlantic Hotel.
Having welcomed its first cruise ship in 1931, Port Everglades is now one of the world’s busiest cruise ports with 3.8 million passengers expected this year. Many of those guests will spend a few days ashore in Greater Fort Lauderdale either pre- or post-cruise. What’s to see and do? Following is a sampling of fun activities.
Called the Venice of America—and celebrating its 100th birthday this year—Fort Lauderdale is surrounded and dissected by waterways. So not surprisingly, many top attractions are water-focused. With 16 stops throughout Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood, the Water Taxi allows adults to hop on and off all day for $20, with lesser fares for seniors and kids.
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By Katie Tandy
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Sun-soaked and sea salt-strewn oceanfront, an elaborate health and wellness program and a short drive to the South Beach action, the all-suite Canyon Ranch Hotel & Spa, Miami Beach has it all—and can back it up. How? The hotel and spa has more than a hundred health and wellness staff members offering treatments in everything from Chinese medicine and exercise physiology to life management, physical therapy and nutrition.
Last year's Best in Show at Concours d'Elegance at The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island.
For classic elegant car aficionados, this weekend’s international car show at the The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, is the place. The Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance is now in its 16th year and is considered the most prestigious show on the East Coast. Collectors consider it one of the big events of the year along with Pebble Beach in California, Meadow Brook in Michigan and Louis Vuitton Classic in midtown Manhattan. This year the competition will include an estimated 15,000 enthusiasts who will walk the Concours on Sunday, Ritz-Carlton says.
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We’ve heard that globetrotters can now wait for their flights in a serene style — American Airlines, British Airways and Iberia have launched a joint Premium lounge in Miami International Airport, located in Concourse E.
Spanning 6,000 feet and offering seating for 120 guests, the new lounge is part of the joint business agreement among AA, BA and IB to share revenue, coordinate networks and schedules, and co-operate commercially on routes between North America and Europe.
And yes, there is a lot more than just seats waiting for jetsetters.
The business center boasts work stations with HP Compaq dc7900 PCs (completed with high-speed Internet), flat-panel TVs, spa-like showers, and a children’s room outfitted with age-appropriate programming.
Travelers visiting the lounge can also order up a stiff cocktail or crisp bubbling beer, as well as choose from a complimentary lunch, afternoon tea or light supper menu, serving up rotating soups and mini sandwiches among other edible delectables.
The AA, BA, IB Premium lounge is open daily from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. and welcomes eligible International First Class, Business Class and Emerald and Sapphire customers.
Customers traveling on an AA-operated transcontinental full fare First Class (F and Z inventory) or full fare Business Class (J and U inventory) ticket, as well as Admirals Club members departing from Concourse E, may also access the lounge.
Blue Angel Jets at National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola
If you’re looking for a different vacation destination, consider the Pensacola Bay Area of Florida. Known for its colorful 450-year history and breathtaking white-sand beaches, the Pensacola Bay Area is also the “Cradle of Naval Aviation,” because all Navy, Marine and Coast Guard aviators start their training at Naval Air Station Pensacola. It’s a great domestic destination for veterans, families and flying fans.
“The Pensacola Bay Area is the jewel of the Emerald Coast and has one of the richest histories of any city in the country,” says retired Adm. Robert Kelly, vice chairman of armed services for the Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce. “This year we celebrate the 100th anniversary of naval aviation, and the centennial is a time to showcase many of our tremendous resources. We are the home of the Blue Angels and one of the finest aviation museums in the world. Thousands come through this area each year to learn how to fly and maintain airplanes at one of our area’s bases. In short, naval aviation is a very important part of this area’s history and potential.”
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We’ve heard that Paradise Farms Organic, tucked in the tropical foliage of Southern Florida, has just opened a impossibly rustic B&B, Zen Bungalow.
Flanked by mango and avocado trees rustling in the wind, the new agrarian accomidations feature a colorful and eclectic interior complete with an outdoor bamboo shower. Nice Touch: Schnebly Redland’s Winery, Robert is Here fruit stand, Everglades Outpost’s wild animals and the Everglades National Park are all within strolling distance.
Paradise Farms is renowned for their monthly Dinners in Paradise, a six-course meal crafted from local organic products paired with fine wines, all helmed by visionary rotating chefs.
Be sure to not to imbibe their grape-laden libations too heavily however because come morning you can try alfresco yoga, an outdoor massage, and of course, a complimentary bohemian breakfast of organic fruit, yogurt and granola.
The sea-themed spa at One Ocean Resort has special treatments for teens, couples and groups.
When the winter doldrums hit, there’s no place like the Sunshine State to lift your spirits. For relaxation and pampering in a sunny clime, spend time at one of these luxury resorts in north Florida, all within a short drive from Jacksonville International Airport.
A half hour from the airport, in charming Atlantic Beach, is One Ocean Resort Hotel & Spa, an upscale 193-room hotel that overlooks the beach and is just a stroll from the town’s restaurants, shops and nightlife.
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Celebrating its 10th year, the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival presented by Food & Wine will land on Miami Beach Thursday, February 24 and run through Sunday, February 27. Last year’s festival welcomed over 50,000 wine and food lovers and raised more than $2.2 million for FIU’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management.
This year’s national, star-studded, four-day destination event will also celebrate the release of the official Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival cookbook (Clarkson Potter), written by Lee Brian Schrager with Julie Mautner, featuring a foreword by Anthony Bourdain.
