Also, forgot a few things...

if you're going to be in Florida and have time for the drive up A1A, St. Augustine is a great place to see. It's America's oldest city, full of history, cool tours and shopping. There are plenty of beaches nearby (and a great little restaurant on Cresent Beach, on nearby Anastasia Island, the South Beach Grill).

Then there's also my hometown, Gainesville Fl, home of the University of Florida; there's plenty of cultural things to do, including two museums (the Florida Museum of Natural History is cool, and they recently opened a couple of new exhibits, one being a walk-through of prehistoric Florida, and the Butterfly Rainforest, which is one of the largest tropical butterfly exhibits in the United States, I think. Also the Harn Museum of Art is an interesting place.) and the preforming arts center, which has shows of every type depending on the time of year. If you're into nightlife, there are lots of clubs and bars near campus. Hotels are everywhere, and there are tons of food options from almost everywhere in the world. if you get a chance, go to a Gator game (or just go party outside the stadium on gameday). Also, if you want to see an alligator, check out Lake Alice, located on the UF campus.

And there are the springs; Fanning Springs, about thirty minutes from Gainesville is one of the more popular, as is Ginnie Springs. The Ichetucknee River has great tubing that's inexpensive (And don't worry about it being too cold; the springs are all 70 degrees year-round... it's just the air temp that changes). There's lots of nature walks and trails to explore in most of the parks as well.
Silver Springs is a nature park in Ocala. It's not the most exciting of places, but it's an interesting place to see. There's a glass-bottom boat ride on the river, and they've got lots of animals to see. Admission is about 33 bucks per person, but it often includes free concerts.

The Everglades are further south, an awesome ecological preserve, and also a must-see if you're coming to Florida.

miami is probably my favorite city in the entire country!!! my dad lives there so i have been visiting for 1-3 times a year for the past 4 years.

OK my #1 favorite thing to do in Miami is to go to the Crandon Park Beach in key biscayne. the water is warm and clear, and its pretty much a tropical paradise. its been voted on of the top 10 beaches in the u.s.a. so if you are beach bum it's a must.

also south beach is another obvious place to visit. great night life but also fun to look at trendy shops and cafes and enjoy the beach by day. also in south beach there is a hotel called DELANO'S. IT IS SUCH A TRENDY HOTSPOT!! and the decor is out of this world!! its total miami style!!! go for cocktails just so u can check it out. they also have a sushi bar and top notch restaurant but its tres expensive.

everglades are pretty awesome if u wanna see wildlife. and the fall/winter is the best time to go b/c there aren't too many mesquitos. take an airboat for an authentic experience. but if you take the tram u see more wildlife.

also you can take different boat tours in biscayne bay. its a great way to relax and enjoy the ocean as well as take in the beauty of miami. from these tours you get to see the beautiful mansions on the harbor islands, including fisher islands.

coconut grove and coral gables are great areas for shopping and dining.

if you make down to the keys, key largo has diving, snorkeling and glass bottom boats. and i've heard key west is a blast.

quote:

Originally posted by mod_ben:
Let us know where the TJs should go...

I am originally from plantation fl but have lived in miami all of my life. one of the best places to go to learn about the history of the development of our state is by visiting the Micosukee Indian reservation. You travel down Tamiami Trail (SW 8th Street) until you reach the end of the road. The Micosukee indian reservation is the last stop before leaving miami and heading for the west coast. At the Miccossukee Indian reservation you can spend the day as the original native floridians did back in the 1900s. Their traditions still live strong today. you can also learn about aligators and take an airboat tour through the everglades. You guys will really enjoy getting away from the business of our city. Just one thing, bring plenty of bug repellent and sunscreen

I love Miami, it is one of my favorite cities. The beaches nearby are gorgeous and the cultural diversity is amazing. Check out the Port of Miami which is apparently the largest cruise port in the world. Bayside Marketplace is cool. South Beach of course is a must. Its beautiful, colorful, and tons of fun no matter the time of day. One other place to check out is little Havana which is full of history and culture and I'm sure some great food. Have fun!

I'm a college student and I've lived in central Florida for the past 13 years. So, I don't have any advice on things to do in Miami, but I can tell you lots about Orlando.

Someone else on the message board mentioned Sak Comedy Lab, and it is BY FAR my favorite place to go in Orlando. It's fun and inexpensive, and I always bring out-of-town guests there.

As for the theme parks, they are very expensive and are usually crowded unless you go during the down months. If you can go on a "behind the scenes" tour with a Disney Cast Member to see their tunnels and costume rooms, I think that would be worth your while.

Like other people mentioned, Blue Springs State park is a really neat place to see the manatees if you are here during the right months.

My favorite place to eat in Orlando is about a half an hour North from downtown in a city called Sanford. The name of the restaurant is "The Willow Tree Cafe," and they serve authentic German food. The owner, Theo, is a really nice guy and makes a great chocolate ganache pie.

If you can make it up to Gainesville, it's a great town with lots to do for young people. Definitely check out a Gator football game or basketball game if you can.

For cheap eats:

I know it's a "chain" but it started out in Winter Park, which is right next door to Orlando. It's called Tijuana Flats. They serve TexMex/Mexican food. Perhaps not "authentic" but I think the most expensive thing on the menu is $8-9.

http://www.tijuanaflats.com/

It's extremely popular with college students, and once you walk in, it's obvious why. The atmosphere is great, the prices are great, and the alcohol is cheap. And, when you learn that the resturant was started by a UCF student, you know why!

tj_zach, as I was reading through the first thing that came to my mind was Miami Ink. I watch that show so much and I think it would be great for y'all to atleast go in and be like hey we're tjs. Even Anthony Bourdain has been in the shop.

Like someone else said go to Little Havanna or even Little Haiti if you want to. I've been there once and want to go back and the cuban coffee is so good. You can also buy coconuts and drink the milk if you want to.

Disney World shouldn't be crowded at the time you're going to be there, so don't worry about long lines.

Really, Disney World is difficult to fully appreciate without spending several days there, and since the travelers won't have that option, I suggest narrowing it down to one theme park. Really, you can't go wrong with the Magic Kingdom, since it's the original Disney theme park in Florida. Definitely ride Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and the Haunted Mansion. You might also want to take the raft ride over to Tom Sawyer Island. However, I wholeheartedly recommend that the TJs read Tom Sawyer first, or else the significance of the island will be lost on them.

If budget constraints are an issue, look for a cheap hotel in the town of Kissimmee, which is literally right next door to Walt Disney World. Since it's the off-season you can probably find a room for $30-40 per night. There used to be a youth hostel in Kissimmee but it is apparently closed, as I can't find any information about it on the Web.

Have breakfast in Kissimmee, like at Burger King or someplace. Have lunch at the Magic Kingdom - you can get burgers & fries and the like at Pecos Bill Cafe in Frontierland. For supper, get on the monorail and go to the Polynesian resort and eat at the O'Hana restaurant. If you're lucky, the bearded ukelele player will be on duty. Tell him I said hi!

Definitely go to Pleasure Island at night. The TJs will find other people their age there. Mannequin's is a hot dance club with Techno music, but they should definitely scout around the other clubs to see what's going on.

How are the TJs getting around in the different cities they're going to? Are they renting cars? Taking cabs? Riding around in a Travel Channel shuttle?

Has anyone mentioned the Gatorland zoo yet?

OMG!!!! You must visit Disney World!! Like M.U.S.T. You need to go on the tour underneath Disney World, swim in the Aquarium in Epcot, eat breakfast with the characters in Cinderalla's Royal Ball, and ride the ultimate Rockin-Roll-Rollercoaster!!!

Then you need to go to Downtown Disney and see Cirque Du Soleil.

MUST MUST MUST MUST.... or you are just not having the experience of an American.

Just a heads up, cabs are about 4x as much as new york. public transport is there, but not really popular among locals. traffic is also really, really bad. so be in the part of town you want to be in before 4 pm. rush hour doesn't let up until about 7 or 8.

For good food on South Beach I would reccommend Big Pink, it's american food (tv dinners, thanksgiving on a roll...) and the portions are huge! if you skip ft. lauderdale there is a good greek place on the beach called taverna opa, it's the same deal: dancing on tables, throwing napkins...fun fun. be sure to try their wine.

But south beach isn't the real miami! little havana, which is right by coral gables (where the venetian pool and the biltmore are) will give you a better feel for the real miami. skip bayside, it's as touristy as it gets.

Little havana is where to go for cheap food. since cubans eat really late, you can get early brid specials until about 8 pm. I like Havana Harry's but Versailles on calle ocho is a landmark.

for cheap drinks on SoBe try buck fifty, it reminds me of my friends basement, but it's as cheap as it comes here. it's by lincoln road. you could also go to coconut grove. this is where the college kids are on thursday nights. Try Moes and Baracudas (play a game of beer pong).

catch a production at the Gusman Theatre in downtown miami (it's beautful inside). students can get tix for $5 at cultureshockmiami.com. they also just completed a new opera house downtown which may be something else to try.

Key west is interesting, but you can see the whole thing in an afternoon/evening. be forewarned, the drive is a full 4 hours with out traffic. (however it is fun to take a picture next to the southernmost point in the US marker). You may want to stop at the upper keys. key largo gives the same relaxed vibe as key west and its only about an hour south of coral gables. you can snorkel there and get a cheap meal at Mrs. Mac's Kitchen.

happy travels!

As far as the Orlando vicinity goes, I'd say the Kennedy Space Center is a must. Also, they might want to check out some more off the beaten path things like Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales. This is a very beautiful and peaceful place with great botanical gardens and a carrilon tower. Also, Silver Springs in Ocala is very beautiful. The glass bottom boat tours over the crystal clear spring are fantastic. Saint Augustine is also a very nice place to visit. Lot's of history there, plus it's just a great town.

i forgot one thing, do visit the miccossukee out in the everglades. take an airboat ride too.

i also had a friend inquire about a tattoo at Miami Ink a while ago. it's expensive, starts around one or two hundered and then costs more for colors and bigger sizes.

They should go to my friends house.
Just kidding.
Where they should really go is South Miami Beach. Interesting place.

If your going to Miami you must go to the beach at least once, the hippest, and best beach to people watch is undoubtably at 3rd and Ocean....All locals no tourists!!!
To get a great cheap meal go to Le Sandwicherie on 14th street between Washington and Collins!!!
Jordan in New york