Norton Museum of Art

The Norton Museum of Art is the largest and most important art museum in Florida. I really enjoyed walking through this museum. It's a great activity for a rainy day and they have a lot of different pieces for different types of art lovers including: American, Chinese, Contemporary and European Art, and even photography. The building is beautiful with great lighting and their Cafe 1451 has a tasty menu, though its a little expsensive.

1451 S Olive Avenue West Palm Beach, FL 33401

Phone: (561) 832 - 5196

museum@norton.org

Admission for 2007 Special Exhibitions: (Access to a special exhibition includes the Norton Collection)- $12 for adults- $5 for visitors ages 13-21- Free for Members and children under 13.

General admission for the Norton Collection:- $8 for adults- $3 for visitors ages 13-21- Free for Members andchildren under 13.

*West Palm Beach residents receive free admission to the Norton collection every Saturday, with proof of residency. Palm Beach County residents receive free admission to the Norton collection the first Saturday of each month, with proof of residency.

MOUNTS Botanical Garden

MOUNTS Botanical Garden is Palm Beach County's oldest and largest public garden. Its gardens and programs will teach you about horticultural and botanical information related to South Florida's plants and environment. They have tropical and subtropical plants from six continents on 14 acres, and its beautiful to walk around and see the different colors and flowers. Also, a plus about visiting these gardens during the summertime is that its bird and butterfly season and there's so much to look at if you love nature.

531 North Military Trail W Palm Beach FL 33415

(561)-233-1757
The garden is open Monday - Saturday, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm and Sunday, noon - 4 pm.

Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum/Boat Replica

The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum is located in Old Town Key West at 907 Whitehead Street(http://www.hemingwayhome.com/). This building was home to Hemingway for ten years and is where he did a lot of his writing.

The property is beautiful with lush gardens, and its intersting to see where the author went hard to work.

If you're looking to learn and see more of Hemingway's life in the Florida Keys, then its also worthwhile to stop by the Islamorada Fishing Co. on Islamorada Key. Apart from being a sport fishing goods store, inside it houses the replica of Hemingway's beloved boat. It may not sound too interesting to some, but its a gorgeous darkwood boat which are hard to see anymore, with a beautiful cabin that you can go inside to see the living quarters, including the desk and chair he used to write his pieces while at sea.

Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens

This museum is dedicated to Japanese art and culture in South Florida.

The museum is beautiful and has rotating art and cultural exhibitions in its galleries so that you can always go and see something different. You can also see a traditional tea ceremony, which is performed monthly.

My favorite part of the museum, though, was its beautiful gardens. There are 200 acres of gardens around the museum and there are also great resting benches overlooking the various ponds.

Another plus to visiting this museum is that it has Cornell Cafe, which was voted by The Food Network as one of the top three museum dining experiences in the country. The restaurant serves a Pan-Asian inspired menu from 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Tuesday – Sunday.

It is not too expensive to go in, and if you love the museum and want to return more often, there is a membership pass that is offered. Also, if you're a college student, show your i.d. and you get a discount.

Morikami Park Road Delray Beach, FL 33446(http://www.morikami.org/index.phpsubmenu=General&src=gendocs&ref=welcome&category=General%20Information)

(561) 495-0233
Hours of Operation: Tuesday - Sunday, 10 am - 5 pm. Closed Mondays and major national holidays.
Admission Prices: Adults: $10 Seniors: $9 Children: $6: Tax not included.

Scuba Diving

Scuba diving is an activity that I have not tried yet myself, but I'm looking into getting my SCUBA license. Scuba diving is an expensive sport, so it may be difficult to do on a regular basis. There are SCUBA charters, however, that will give you a brief lesson and take you out on a shallow dive if you are inexperienced.

Some good websites to learn about SCUBA diving, finding good diving spots around South Florida, and safety are:

• http://www.force-e.com/areas_served/south_florida_florida.shtml
• http://www.divemiami.com/home.htm
• http://www.florida-scuba.com/diving-fort-lauderdale.htm

Snorkeling

Snorkeling is a nice leisurely activity that won't break the bank. You can find snorkel masks pretty much anywhere in South Florida, from specific water sports stores to Wal-Mart.

It is best to go snorkeling on a sunny day when the water is likely to be clearest. Breathing out of the snorkeling tube can take a little getting used to, but it is not difficult and you will quickly catch on. While snorkeling you will likely encounter many varieties of colorful fish, sometimes sea turtles, eels, manta rays, and other marine creatures. Make sure not to try to touch anything that you're not sure of, some animals may bite or sting.

Some great South Florida snorkeling spots include:

• Coral Cove Park, Jupiter / 19450 State Road 707 (Beach Road) Tequesta, Florida (561) 966- 6600

• Biscayne National Park, Homestead/ 9700 SW 328 Street, Homestead, FL 33033-5634
  Headquarters: (305-230-1144)

• Red Reef, Boca Raton/ 1400 N. State Road A1A, Boca Raton, FL (561) 393-7852

• John Pennekamp State Park, Key Largo/ MM 102.5 Overseas Highway, Key Largo
  Park Offices: (305)-451-6300

• Commercial Boulevard and A1A, Lauderdale by the Sea

• Peanut Island, Riviera Beach/ (Ferry service is available from Phil Foster Park for $5 roundtrip from either Palm Beach Water Taxi (561) 683-TAXI or The Seafare, (561) 339-2504.)
  Just north of the Lake Worth/Palm Beach Inlet, south of the Blue Heron Bridge.
  Camping Reservations: (561)-845-4445

• Bathtub Reef, Stuart/ 1585 S.E. MacArthur Blvd., Stuart
  Park Offices: (561) 221-1418

• Indian Key, Offshore from Lower Matecumbe Key/ (Located on the ocean side of U.S. 1 at M.M. 78.5. It is accessible only by private boat or charter boats available at nearby marinas. For tour boats, charters or kayak rentals, try nearby Robbie's Marina. )
  Park Office: (305)-664-2540

Fishing

Fishing is a great sport that is possible for almost anyone in South Florida. Pretty much anywhere there is a life-sustaining body of water in our state, there is a fishing opportunity.

There are also different kinds of fishing.

You can try saltwater sport fishing. This type of fishing is done from a boat, where you can deep-sea fish and trolley. There are specific fishing charter boats that go out every day and for a fee you can tag along and use their fishing equipment. Some local fishing charter boats are:

• http://www.actionsportfishing.com/

• http://www.fish4fun.com/charters.htm

Another option for fishing in South Florida is freshwater fishing. Freshwater fishing is somewhat easier because it can be done in lakes, near the Everglades, etc. Also, you can either go out in a smaller boat or even fish right from the shore, eliminating the sometimes expensive boat fees.


Some good guides to freshwater fishing in our area are:

• http://myfwc.com/fishing/docum/fishtips.html

• http://www.fishingtheeverglades.com/?gclid=CJvZ8r_QxYwCFRNyZQodyFqnaQ

Boating

Boating is a great group activity. There are different ways to enjoy boating in South Florida, as there are all different kinds of boats- smaller fishing boats, bigger cruise-style family boats, or speedboats for the more adventurous and thrill-seeking boaters.

To finance a full-time boating hobby is extremely expensive. You would need to not only buy a boat, but keep up with maintenence, fuel, and marina fees. Luckily, you can get the boating experience by signing up for a charter boat for a few hours, a whole day, or even for the entire weekend. A private (or you can share expenses with other passengers) boat with a captain will take you out.

Some local boat charters include:

• http://www.tropicalboat.com/

• http://www.miamiboat.com/

If you're interested in getting into boating as a steady hobby, you may want to consider taking boating and safety lessons. This can be done through a school or organization on a boat or in the classroom:

• http://myfwc.com/boating/safety/classroom_courses.htm

• http://www.charternet.com/schools/florida.html

Or you can even get a boater's certificate online:

• http://www.stateofflorida.com/Portal/DesktopForm.aspx?tabid=126&cmpid=gFloridaBoatingCourse&gclid=CMW-3OfHxYwCFSQlSgodTg_jYg ($15)

• http://www.boat-ed.com/fl/index.htm ($20)

Dog Beaches

If you own a dog in South Florida and have ever tried to take them to the beach, you know that most beaches are not pet-friendly.

There are some beaches designated specifically for those people who do want to bring along their pets.

Dog-friendly beaches include:

- The lighthouse beach in Pompano Beach

- Fort Lauderdale Canine Beach (annual permit required, $25 per dog) Sunrise Boulevard at A1A, North to lifeguard station #5, 100 yard section of beach (954-828-7275)

Commercial Pier Restaurant

Fort Lauderdale's Commercial Beach Pier is a good place to eat when the sun and the waves get your appetite going. The restaurant is part of the pier and provides fairly priced meals in the shade, though the portions are a little small. It's very touristy, but not with the jacked-up tourist prices. It's also an all outside patio restaurant, so you get the beach breeze during your meal, and it's fun to throw crumbs for the birds that hang around.

Kahunas Bar and Grill on Deerfield Beach is a good place to go for some laid-back fun.

It's a quirky beach-themed place with broken surfborads on the walls and great frozen drinks for the hot summer days and nights.

Thursday nights there's live music that's pretty decent as far as live bands at bars go.

Most times that I have gone I've liked that it's seemed like a local scene, although during the summer and spring break times the tourists do tend to invade the locale.

Kahunas Bar and Grill

249 NE 21ST Ave. Deerfield Beach, FL 33441-3802
Phone: (954) 725-0244

Skim Boarding

This sport is pretty simple and fun to learn...but be prepared for some falls and bumps when you're first starting out. The idea is to throw your skimboard onto the thin layer of water that rides up onto shore after a wave has broken. After throwing the board onto the thin layer of water, you run and hop onto the board, gaining your balance by keeping low, and riding the board further in toward the water.

The only equipment needed is a skimboard. There are different types of boards appropriate for different types of water and skimmers. A good choice of board for east coast ocean conditions is what's called the egg, hot dog, or trick shape. A good website explaining the different kinds of boards and which size to use in relation to you height and weight is Zapskimboards.

Also, a good directory for skimboarding spots in Florida can be found at http://skimonline.com/skim_spots/florida.htm

Kite Boarding

If you find yourself bored on a windy day you should go out and try the sport of kite boarding. It's a tough one to master, you have to learn to coordinate with both the wind and the water, but it's a great workout. You can kite board any good windy day.

There are some great places to learn here in South Florida including:

• http://www.southfloridakitesurfing.com/
• http://miamikiteboarding.com/
• http://www.eastcoastkiteboarding.com/

Kite boarding can be potentially dangerous for you or other beachgoers if you are not cautious with the sport and in the past some specific beaches in Florida have even banned it. Although most bans have been lifted, find beach bans and safety information at: http://www.kitemare.com/Save%20our%20Sport!.htm

Surfing

South Florida isn't the best-known spot in the world for good surfing waves, but we do get some decent ones during surfing season, which usually runs October- April. This year, however, we've been having some continuing wave weather and I've seen surfers out often...even this morning was good as far south as Fort Lauderdale's Commercial Pier.
If you've never surfed before, then you should probably get some basic lessons. Those can be expensive, but Island Water Sports http://islandwatersports.com/ in Deerfield Beach offers free lessons ever Saturday morning at 6 am. It's early, but it's well worth your time and the instructors are patient and teach well. IWS provides you with surfboards for the lessons (foam longboards so that you don't get hurt)- all you need is a swimsuit and sunscreen.
If you're determined to teach yourself, there's a stand right next to IWS that will rent out the boards all through the week, just make sure to have them turned back in by 5pm.

A good site for checking wave conditions before heading out to the beach is http://www.surfline.com/home/index.cfm