NAPLES, FLORIDA – I’m only a few minutes away from one of the top destinations in Florida on a bright, clear morning. But the only sounds I hear as I wander along a wooden boardwalk at the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary are the shrill warbling of tiny birds in overhead pines and a light wind tickling the fronds of a palm tree. Below my feet, the water likes flat and shiny blue-back beneath my feet. Spiky bromeliads, neon-green plants that grow from the trunks of trees, shine in the dappled morning sunlight and tiny insects scurry across the dark surface of Read more
Fort Lauderdale
THIS ITEM ORIGINALLY APPEARED ON POSTMEDIA AND SUN MEDIA WEBSITES ACROSS CANADA JUPITER, FLORIDA – I’ve seen plenty of turtles in my day. But this is the first time I’ve raced one. I’m on a stand-up paddleboard tour of the Jupiter Harbour area, just south of the brilliant blue Loxahatchee River. We’ve just turned the corner around a low-lying island when I spot a turtle below me in the water, perhaps one meter to my left. I’m excited to see one in its natural environment, so I move my paddle to the right side of my board and try to Read more
FORT LAUDERDALE – I wasn’t sure about this. I generally trust tourism board folks when they suggest things for me to do in their area. After all, they’re the experts. Still, as a long-time lover of Hawai’i and Polynesian culture, I was a bit skeptical when the folks at Fort Lauderdale’s tourism office hooked me up with dinner, drinks and a show at a place called Mai-Kai Restaurant, a short drive from the city’s famous beaches. Having seen some pretty lame Hawaiian dancing in various parts of the world and having sampled a few too many too-sweet Mai Tai’s that Read more
