Brochure images of tanning flesh and Mickey Mouse give an inaccurate
and incomplete picture of FLORIDA . Although the aptly nicknamed "Sunshine
State" is indeed devoted to the tourist trade, it's also
among the least-understood parts of the US. Away from its overexposed
resorts lie forests and rivers, deserted strands filled with
wildlife, vibrant cities and primeval swamps.
In many respects Florida is still evolving. Seven hundred people
a day move to the state, now the fourth most populous in the
nation. Changing demographics are eroding the traditional Deep
South conservatism: the new Floridians tend to be a younger,
more energetic breed, while Spanish-speaking enclaves provide
close ties to Latin America and the Caribbean - links as influential
in creating wealth as the recent arrival of the movie industry
in central Florida, fresh from Hollywood.
The essential stop is cosmopolitan, half-Latin Miami , from
where a simple journey south brings you to the Florida Keys ,
a hundred-mile string of islands known for sports fishing, coral-reef
diving, and the sultry town of Key West , legendary for its sunsets
and anything-goes attitude. North from Miami, much of the east
coast is disappointingly urbanized, albeit with miles of unbroken
beaches flowing alongside. The residential stranglehold is lessened
further north, where communities such as Daytona Beach have become
subservient to the local sands. Farther along, historical St
Augustine stands as the longest continuous settlement in the
US.
In central Florida the terrain turns green, though it's no rural
idyll: this is where you'll find Orlando and Walt Disney World
, one of the world's leading tourist destinations. From here
it's just a skip north to the forests of the Panhandle , Florida's
link with the Deep South, or to the towns and beaches of the
west coast . To the south, and also easily accessible from Miami,
stretches the Everglades , a swampy sawgrass plain filled with
camera-friendly (but otherwise unfriendly) alligators.
In at least one way it makes little difference when you visit
: warm sunshine and blue skies are almost always a fact of life.
Florida does, however, split into two climatic zones : subtropical
in the south and warm temperate in the north. Orlando and points
south have very mild winters (October to April), with warm temperatures
and low humidity. This is the peak tourist season, when prices
are at their highest. The southern summer (May to September),
on the other hand, brings high humidity and afternoon storms
- the rewards for braving the mugginess are lower prices and
fewer tourists. Winter is the off-peak period north of Orlando;
while snow has been known to fall in the Panhandle, daytime temperatures
are generally comfortably warm. During the northern Florida summer,
the crowds arrive, and the days - and the nights - get hot and
sticky. Also, there is a potentially ominous time of the year
- the " hurricane season " - June to November.
Finally, although Florida has struggled with its reputation
for crimes against (and even murders of) tourists, the state's
been very successful in reducing such attacks. It's definitely
no longer the den of "Miami Vice" it once was, but,
as when visiting all big cities, it pays to be wary.
