When most people think of the Florida Keys, they think of Key West, Islamorada and the laid-back, “beach bum,” Jimmy Buffett-inspired lifestyle. But there is much more to this chain of more than 1,700 islands than the beach bars, Hemingway tributes and candy-colored cabanas. In fact, just about 70 miles west of where you’ll find the Key West resorts in Florida is one of the most unspoiled natural areas in the U.S.
Dry Tortugas National Park, comprised of seven islands surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico, offers a unique combination of natural beauty and historic significance. Accessible only by seaplane or boat, these uninhabited islands represent perhaps the last undisturbed tropical ecosystem in America and are an ideal place to explore coral reefs and shipwrecks, as more than 99 percent of the park is actually underwater. However, the 140 acres of land within the park are also ripe for exploration, with white sand beaches, bird habitats, a deserted fort and several lighthouses.
While it takes a bit of effort to get to Dry Tortugas, one could argue that you haven’t truly been to the Florida Keys until you’ve explored this one-of-a-kind treasure.
Pirates, Explorers and Soldiers
While few people outside of the Florida Keys are even aware of the existence of the Dry Tortugas, the islands have played an important role in U.S. history. Because of their location right on the edge of the main shipping channel between the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, they were ideally suited to serve as a point of protection for U.S. shipping interests. While early Spanish explorers used the islands as a landmark in their travels — and legendary pirates are believed to have made stops during their own voyages to plunder — it wasn’t until the mid-1800s that the U.S. military recognized the islands’ value to military strategy.
In 1846, the U.S. Navy began construction on Fort Jefferson, a sprawling installation that to this day remains the largest masonry building in the U.S.; more than 16 million bricks were used in the construction of the fort, which was never actually finished. The U.S. Civil War put a halt to the construction, but the completed portion of the fort was used as a military prison until 1874, after which the buildings were abandoned.
Because the waters surrounding the Dry Tortugas are among the most treacherous in the world for ships, thanks to the abundance of reefs, shoals, shallows and strong currents, there are literally hundreds of shipwrecks surrounding the islands. Several islands boast lighthouses, including Garden Key, Loggerhead Key and Fort Jefferson.
Exploring the Park
The vast majority of visitors to the Dry Tortugas arrive via seaplane or ferry, as it’s difficult for private vessels to get to the islands due to the distance from Key West, the dangerous waters and the limited docking areas within the park. Only boats with permission from the National Park Service may moor in designated areas around the park, but several companies offer daily excursions to the Tortugas each day, making it easy for visitors to experience this unique place.
While it is possible to camp at Dry Tortugas in the self-service campgrounds, there are no services on the island. That means that you must bring everything you’ll need for your visit with you, including food, snorkeling or diving equipment and camping gear, if necessary. Many first-time visitors opt to explore the park with an experienced tour guide or charter company. For example, several tour companies offer fishing or wildlife viewing expeditions that include transportation to the park as well as all of the gear you’ll need.
If you do opt to explore the park on your own, it’s important to plan ahead and learn which areas are open to the public and which are off-limits. Several of the islands, including Hospital Key and Long Key are closed to visitors, while Middle and East Keys are only open during the winter months to protect nesting seabirds. Weather is also a factor here; during the winter months, rough seas can make navigating the islands difficult, while hurricanes and severe storms during the summer are always a concern. Visitors should always check the weather before heading out to ensure they can safely explore the park.
Exploring Dry Tortugas National Park is a memorable experience for any visitor, and the perfect antidote to Margaritaville-overload. When you’re planning your next trip to the Florida Keys, plan to spend some time in this unique and scenic park, and experience what true deserted islands feel like.
Underwater imagery from Flickr’s Creative Commons by NOAA’s National Ocean Service
A country the size of the USA would take weeks, months, or perhaps years to explore fully, and most visitors will tend to concentrate their journey around a specific state, or a smaller locality. Explore the US with a car rental service, many companies will offer pick-up in one area, with drop-off in another, allowed the maximum variety in the trip and avoiding the necessity to retrace your route back to its starting point.
Boston and the New England area are popular destinations in the late summer and autumn, and the areas around Vermont, four hours or so to the north, are also popular winter sport destinations. Using Boston as a starting point, and striking inland, it’s only a few hours before you reach The Berkshires, in West Massachusetts, a heavily-wooded area of hills with many opportunities for walking, biking and hill climbing, as well as many cultural attractions. Tanglewood, near Lenox, is the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and is also host to a variety of jazz and popular concerts in a season spanning June through August. Stockbridge is home to the Norman Rockwell Museum, dedicated to the works of one of America’s most famous painters and illustrators.
Although much of its original highway has been torn up and replaced or bypassed with modern interstate roads, it’s still possible to follow much of the original and iconic Route 66, from Chicago to Los Angeles. This takes you through the heart of the USA, through much of Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Arizona, as well as cutting through smaller segments of Kansas and Texas, before ending up in California. There’s a wealth of heritage sites and attractions along the way, and a trip of this magnitude is likely to be a memorable one.
California offers a route following the west coast of the country, the Pacific Coast Highway, running from Crescent City and the Oregon border in the north, and connecting with San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego and the Mexican border in the south. The Pacific Coast Highway has a wide variety of tourist attractions along its route; redwood forests in the north, historic towns between Monterey and San Francisco, sunny beaches in the south, and of course, the attractions offered by the various cities and towns along the way. A little further inland, and around five hours or so from Los Angeles, are the bright lights of Las Vegas, just over the Nevada border. As well as the obvious attractions of the casinos, shows and resort hotels, Las Vegas, although some distance from the official Grand Canyon National Park, is a few hours from the western end of the canyon itself, and it’s possible to take in the Hoover Dam as well as a few canyon viewpoints in a single day trip.
To the south, Florida is home to some of the largest theme parks in the world, including Universal Studios Florida, Seaworld Orlando, and of course, the most-visited theme park in the world, Walt Disney World, subdivided into Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studio, Animal Kingdom, and Epcot, as well as a number of smaller entertainment venues. A road trip through Florida could also take in Kennedy Space Center, the launching point for all of NASA’s space exploration missions. Kennedy is around an hour from Orlando, and the visitor centre offers tours of the facility as well as displays and exhibits on the history and future of space exploration, and the Astronaut's Hall of Fame
Of course, a short article such as this can only hint at the scope of road trips that could be scheduled through America, and with many cities, airports and towns offering flexible services, US visitors and tourists have a wide variety of destinations and touring opportunities to choose from.
If you are planning a trip to New York and want to experience some vibrant and exciting nightlife, you should go to a cabaret show. Take a look below at some of the top cabaret venues New York has to offer.
Le Scandal
If you want to see circus, burlesque, and live music all in one place, all in one night, take a trip to Le Scandal. Le Scandal is a popular and longstanding New York variety show venue. There is an impressive cross section of performers including comedians, contortionists, acrobats, striptease, trapeze, jugglers, jazz singers, blues singers, sword swallowers and belly dancers. These fantastic performances are all scored against live music from the in-house orchestra.
Joe’s Pub
If you want opulence as well as entertainment, plan a visit to Joe’s Pub. This lavish velvet draped venue provides an intimate atmosphere and fantastic acoustics. Joe’s Pub is renowned for creating a space for emerging artists, as well as showcasing established performers. Amazing talent from all over the world regularly attract a number of A-list celebrities. Shows at Joes Pubs are diverse and have included cabaret, dance, world music, singer-songwriters, jazz, country, and indie performers. Due to its popularity, it is advisable to buy tickets in advance.
Don’t Tell Mama
Don’t Tell Mama is a world famous entertainment venue that has a piano bar, a restaurant and two cabaret showrooms. You will be spoiled for choice. The venue itself was established in 1982, and now features performances of music, comedy and spoken word that go on till the early hours of the morning. There is an open-mic policy in the piano bar, so if you want to get involved, you can be a part of the performance. You can catch a show any night of the week, and there are matinees on Saturday and Sundays.
The Box
If you want to experience titillating cabaret and burlesque performance, you need to go to The Box. This Twenties style venue has been compared to a three-ring circus, and oozes decadence. Guests are expected to follow suit and dress with glamour in mind. The popularity and extraordinary experience provided by The Box mean that tickets expensive. If you want to go, make sure that you book tickets that coincide with your visit. When you go, keep in mind that you are not permitted to use phones or cameras inside.
The Duplex
If you want to experience some old school New York lounge elegance, you need to go to one of the cities oldest cabaret theatres. The Duplex was established in the 1950’s and moved to its current location in the 80’s. The standard of performance here is high but accessible. There is a piano bar downstairs, and like Don’t Tell Mama, there are open-mic sessions where you can perform on stage. Upstairs you will find The Duplex, a small stage and a big party.
Photo by Thomas Leuthard via Flickr Creative Commons
Have you ever been on vacation somewhere particularly beautiful or unique and wished you had just that one extra thing or forgotten item to make it perfect? If so, you're just like everybody else! It's hard to know exactly what to pack for different vacations, so here are a few packing tips for specific destinations around the world.
The Caribbean
- An E-Reader - The Caribbean is full of breathtaking destinations, but in terms of day-to-day activity, vacations here are full of down time. For that reason, consider heading to Barnes and Noble to pick up a Nook e-reader to enjoy on the beach!
- A Day Bag - You'll probably want to spend whole days outside, lounging on beaches or exploring island towns. For this reason, a day bag is well worth including.
Major Cities
- Sunscreen - You think of this for a beach trip, but for cities it often goes overlooked. The truth is, however, it's very easy to get sunburned in a city, and this can ruin a trip.
- Contacts - While contacts are ideal for traveling, It is not a bad idea to prepare for the cities sights, as well as the dirty air that can irritate your eyes. Reading up on handy traveling tips before packing can help secure a vacation filled with memories and clear sightseeing.
Alps & Colorado Rockies
- Sunglasses - For a ski trip, sunglasses can be incredibly valuable. You may wear goggles on the slopes, but when you're lounging and the sun is glaring off the snow-capped mountains, you'll be glad you brought shades.
- A Bathing Suit - If your hotel includes a pool or hot tub, you'll love having a bathing suit. Nothing beats a heated outdoor hot tub on the side of the slopes!
Summer Mountain Ranges
- Binoculars - This one is self-explanatory, but binoculars are easy to forget. Capitalize on the gorgeous sights of an outdoor summer trip.
- Hiking Boots - You won't be comfortable in just your athletic shoes. Make the effort to find some hiking boots that allow you to really explore the terrain.
Mediterranean Towns
- Formal Attire - These towns - in the French Riviera, the Greek isles, etc. - may seem relaxed, but they're also jam-packed with luxurious spots where you'll want to show off your best attire. A trip to Men's Wearhouse before a trip to the Mediterranean isn't out of order.
- An Umbrella - In the spirit of luxury and relaxation, an umbrella for either shade or cool can be a nice accessory to have along. You may just enjoy a beautiful seaside café even more.
On Safari
- A Camera - Seems obvious, right? Not so fast! With smartphones taking over photography these days, many of us forget that actual digital cameras still take the best pictures. Bring along a camera to capture the incredible visuals you might see.
- Bug Spray - Another item that's an obvious accessory, but one that's so easy to forget. Depending on your specific destination, it may be hard to find the right bug spray once you're there, so be sure to pack this in advance to guarantee comfort.
This guest post was written by Michael Newton. Michael is a travel writer and freelance blog contributor.
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