Miami news, Miami local news

For years, solitary commuters have been finding creative ways to fool the system and use the South Florida HOV lanes on I-95 without any real companion passengers. Commuters have used ploys such as blow-up sex dolls, life-size celebrity cardboard cut-outs, faceless store mannequins, wigs on passenger-seat head restraints, dolls in baby seats, kick boxing dummies, Safe-T-Man and even balloons with a face drawn on them. In reality, only 12 percent of highway commuters carpooled. Sales for these travel “companions” will likely drop due to the seven-mile carpool lane being replaced with new variable-priced toll lanes on northbound South Florida I-95. Next year, the same will be done to the South-bound lane and by 2011, the pay-to-go lanes are expected to run through to Broward County. Lone travelers can now save some money with a $4.99 investment in a South Florida SunPass Mini sticker versus a $24.95 blow-up doll.

Boaters will find what they are looking for in Miami, Florida. In Miami and Miami Beach, tourists can charter boats and yachts of all sizes and for all budgets. Usually, prices vary depending upon the kind of boat, yet Miami boats for rent tend to be more affordable that boats in Europe and other popular boating destinations.

In our tropical paradise, it is possible to rent a boat for the day, with or without a captain.  Besides, people can charter a luxury yacht for a few days to travel around South Florida coast line and the Caribbean with a captain and small crew. In addition, whether you are planning a holiday celebration, corporate event, or even a wedding, renting a Miami party boat is always a great idea. Party boats in Miami are equipped with all your guests my need, from kitchen and indoors dining, to dance floor and DJ’s.

The chartering a boat in Miami can be easy or more challenging depending on the way it is done. There a few companies offering yacht charter services online which frequently are accessible and have easy processes; nonetheless, there are a few things you need to know in order to get the best deal:

• Select a professional and experienced boat charter in Miami that have established relationships with boat owners.
• Respected Miami Florida boat charters select quality boats and negotiate good prices.
• A broker will help you to solve any obstacles that may occur during your period of rental.
• Doing business with an established Miami Florida yacht charter is an added protection and guarantee.

Chartering a boat in Miami with a particular owner is also an option; however it has certain disadvantages when it is compare with professional South Florida Yacht Charters, some of these disadvantages are:

• Miami boat rentals’ prices are usually cheaper.
• Boats might not be as a good condition as professional charters in Miami, Florida.
• In case of trouble, there is no one responsible for it, only you!

During the year there are many boating events in South Florida such as Miami International Boat Show, South Florida Boat Show and Fort Lauderdale Boat Show. These events are ideal opportunities for all those interested into know more about the new trends of the industry or perhaps buying a boat.

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Florida’s Turnpike

The Florida Turnpike, originally known as the Sunshine State Parkway, is a toll road that runs approximately 312 miles (497 km) down the Florida peninsula through 11 counties, from US 1 in Florida City to Interstate 75 at Wildwood. It parallels I-95 through West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale, often literally right next to it, separated by a wall. The Turnpikes mainline goes from Miami to I-75 north of Orlando.

The Turnpike is a primary evacuation route. Tolls on the turnpike cost an average of 7.5 cents per mile for two-axle vehicles but the state may suspend tolls on the Turnpike (as well as other roads in the system) during an emergency evacuation.

I-95 Express Florida

New I-95 Express lanes and Bus Rapid Transit service are being introduced in the hopes to reduce traffic on I-95 from I-395 in Downtown Miami to Broward Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale. High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes will be separated from regular traffic lanes and drivers can choose to use them when they feel their time is more valuable than a toll price. Toll prices will fluctuate so keep an eye on overhead signage.

The goal is to keep traffic moving at a speed of approximately 50 miles per hour, while offering transit riders a seamless connection between Miami-Dade and Broward Counties on 95 Express buses. Even drivers not using 95 Express are expected to see improved traffic conditions in the general purpose lanes. Vehicles can use 95 Express by paying a toll with SunPass. The amount will be clearly posted on overhead signs. Adjusting to these new express lanes can be confusing and stressful, so I have added some tips below in order to help you get familiarized.

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Special restrictions and exceptions:

Vehicles that can use the express lanes without paying a toll:

• Emergency vehicles
• Registered vanpools
• Registered carpools of 3 or more passengers
• Registered hybrid vehicles
• Several different types of buses
• Motorcycles

Restricted vehicles:

• Trucks will not be allowed to use the express lanes

Express lane tips:

• Once you enter the new Express Lanes
  • You cannot exit until the end
  • You cannot cut through the lane markers to break out before Golden Glades.
• If you find yourself in the Express Lanes by accident, continue onto the Golden Glades Interchange.
• Drivers weaving in and out of the Express Lanes could cause accidents and will be subject to fines and incur points on their licenses.
• Be alert and pay attention to all advisories, signage, pavement markings and posted speed limits.
• Tolling on the Express Lanes will begin soon.
• If you are involved in an accident or experience a car breakdown in the Express Lanes, pull to the left shoulder if you are able and dial *FHP (*347) on your cellphone. Wait in your vehicle with the doors locked. Do not stand behind your car or next to the lane of moving traffic.

For more information about the purpose of the new 95 Express program and how it works call 1-877-95X-FDOT or 1-877-959 -3368.

Miami Travel Resources:

Vacation Rentals in South Beach

Miami Boat Charters

Luxury Car Rentals of Miami

Calendar of Miami Events 2008

July / August / September / October / November / December

During a time of sky-rocketing food and oil prices and global warming, pressure is leaving households on a budget. However, despite the trend in the economy, international tourism actually grew year-on-year by about 5% by April of 2008 according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization. UNWTO is releasing a prediction in their bi-annual World Tourism Barometer next week that the withstanding growth will continue to increase through 2008. A weakened economy and built-up desire left over since the 9/11 security increase seems to have converted into a travel boom

All tourist destinations have profited from the tourism increase in 2008, although it happened faster for North America due to the weaker dollar. On the other hand, everything evolved more slowly in Europe because of a stronger euro. The top three travel destinations benefited rank in the following order:

1. Middle East
2. Asia
3. Latin America

Egypt, Morocco, China, South Korea, Cambodia, Nepal, El Salvador, Peru, Sweden, Latvia, Montenegro and Israel all underwent double digit growth rates.

Although they can not perform any miracles for Global Warming, UNTWO believes that tourism can help the economies current financial state as it balances payments and promotes the work of farmers, fishers, handcrafters and those in the hospitality industry.

Miami’s Recommended Travel Resources:

Miami Beach Vacation Rentals

Miami Tourist Guide

Calendar of Miami Events 2008

July / August / September / October / November / December

Everglades City is a tiny fishing village on the northwest border of Everglades National Park, the third largest national park in the lower forty eight, after Death Valley and Yellowstone, as well as the largest remaining subtropical wilderness in the continental United States.

In Everglades City, you can stay at the Ivey House Bead & Breakfast, the first places in Collier County designed by the state as green lodging, for its reductions in waste and power and water use.

There are several dining options in Everglades City, mainly fish restaurants, you will find there the Oyster House, Everglades Seafood Depot, and Camilla Street Grill. Even though Everglades City is quite small, you can be sure there are many things to do there. The ideal way to take a tour of Everglades National Park from Everglades City is by boat. It is highly recommended to take a tour that will be mainly centered on the water. This way your whole experience is going to be more environmental-friendly. Do not get me wrong, I am not talking about air boats! Apart from airboat operators, you can also find other less invasive water operator tours providing kayak excursions, among other kinds of watercraft excursions.

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Most of the tours provide a visit to Everglades National Park. At the Park, the four visitor’s centers and ranger stations ar open 365 day a year. However, their hours can vary by season, opening between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.

Everglades National Park boat tours depart daily numerous times from 9:00 a.m. thru 4:30 p.m. from the park’s Gulf Coast Visitor Center in Everglades City. The Ten Thousand Island Tour lasts 90 minutes and costs $26.50; half a price for children. While the Man-grove Wilderness Tour, which lasts and hour and 45 minutes, costs $35, and half of that for kids under 12 years old.

Among the top eco-friendly tour operators in Everglades City, Everglades Rentals & Eco Adventures provides day and overnight guided tours, as well as equipment rental and shut5tle services from October through April.

Florida Everglades Eco Adventure Tours’ Contact Information:

Everglades National Park www.nps.gov/ever
Ivey House 239-695-3299 www.iveyhouse.com
Everglades National Park Boat Tours 239-695-2591
Gulf Coast Visitor’s Center 239-695-3311
Everglades Rentals & Eco Adventures 239-695-3299 www.evergladesadventures.com

Calendar of Miami Events 2008

June / July / August / September / October

Chic, distinction, warmth, and intimacy are the main words when defining boutique hotels in Miami, Florida, which seem to attract a niche of customers looking for a special and differentiated property able to fulfill their individual needs.

Ever since the beginning of the 21st century, the hotel industry has become increasingly packed with big monopolies of hotel chains. These hotels chains, mostly based in North America, thrived in selling uniformity across the U.S. These days, visitors of the city of Miami look forward to more than simply comfort and convenience; therefore, when they are planning trips to Miami, they seek hotels that are noticeably different in look and feel from branded hotels. Boutique hotels in Miami and South Beach seem to be the ideal solution for those travelers looking for intimacy and differentiation.

Boutique hotels are believed to have been invented in the early 1980s, and normally target travelers who are in their early 20s to mid-50s, with mid- to upper-income averages. In Miami Florida, the most emblematic boutique hotels are located in the South Beach Art Deco District. They usually consist of old art deco style buildings which have been completely renovated to fit on the boutique hotel definition. Some of the well-known South Beach boutique hotels are: Colony, Blue Moon, Delano, Catalina, Townhouse, Victor, Sanctuary, Shore Club, Astor, and Whitelaw. Many of these Miami hotels were revitalized by their owners, repositioning them as hip boutique hotels by mixing historic details with chic elegance.

Most boutique hotels in Miami are small buildings that do not exceed 150 rooms. Many rich and famous think that what differentiates Miami boutique hotels from standardized Miami hotels is the connection that hotel guests experience with the hotel staff and the service offered.

Stay in a Miami boutique hotel to experience something different!

Other Recommended Posts of the Week:

This Week Events in Miami /  Upcoming Concerts in Miami

Upcoming Big Miami Events, Miami Florida Festival

Erotic Art Exhibition in Miami, Miami Events

Miami Summer Shorts Festival

Calendar of Miami Events 2008

June / July / August / September / October

Most people are always looking for new and interesting ways to spend their vacations when saving money. With the advance of the Internet, there have appear new and interesting ways for travelers to enjoy a very deserve vacation. A new trend that is going strong all around the globe is vacation rentals, and Miami is not the exception! Nevertheless, in the most popular area of Miami, Miami Beach, short-term rentals have some restrictions. Therefore, it is hard to find good Miami Beach vacation rentals.

When looking for a Miami Beach vacation rental, you must be cautious. There are several ways through which one can rent Miami Beach vacation rentals. The Internet has it all, but before you go to the every changing online world you must know in detail the three, almost four, ways vacation rentals are available to travelers.

To start with, there are really big websites that make easy the mission to book a vacation rental. Examples of those are: vacationrentals.com, vacationhomerentals.com, vacationhomes.com, goin2travel.com. However, you must know how they work before going ahead. Everyone can list a property on those websites. I could be for free or by paying a fee. Either way it can be a little risky. Just suppose one want to make easy money and put an online ad of a property that really does not exist. What will happen is that you will get scam. Most of these kinds of websites have incorporated some ways to prevent anything like this to happen, yet it might not been enough because “face to face” contact is not require in order to put the ad.

Other way to rent a Miami Beach vacation rental is through an owner. There are many people with vacation properties or investment properties that have decided to open them to travelers in order to make some money or pay their mortgages. Renting through an owner also has its issues. For instance, the owner might not live on Miami, Florida, so if you have any kind of problem with the Miami vacation condo or Miami vacation home, it might be hard to get a quick response.

There are some real estate agents doing Miami Beach vacation rentals, but they are a few. Miami realtors make more money by selling or doing long-term rentals, so they usually not take the time to do short-term rentals in Miami.

At this instant, we have come with local Miami vacation rentals agencies. As it already was mentioned, there are certain restrictions over Miami Beach vacation rentals, so there are not many around. However, Miami Beach vacation rental agencies might be the most secure way to rent a vacation apartment or vacation home in Miami, Florida. A local agency is usually managed by local people who will guide you, as it should be, through all the rental process. Besides, if you get to have any problem with the property they can take care of you immediately. In most cases, you can almost be sure that the property is going to be well-maintained. Owners might not be that meticulous, otherwise. MiamiHabitat.com is a local agency operating in the hearth of Miami Beach where you will probably find a property that suits you.

Afterwards, Miami Beach vacation rentals represent a good solution to tourists looking forward to a more private and . They just have to be smart at the time to choose a property, and rental canal, in order to avoid any further inconvenient.

Other interesting posts this week:

2008 Father’s Day in Miami

Calendar of Miami Events 2008

May / June / July / August / September / October /

Miami Florida is a great vacation spot year-round; therefore, there are several lodging options. Nowadays, I growing tendency among frequent travelers are vacation rentals. Relying in a vacation rental in Miami can make your whole experience different than staying in a Miami hotel. For instance, you will be able to save some money and get more privacy. Personally, I think vacation rentals in Miami Beach are ideal for people traveling with a big group whether it is for recreation or business. Next you will find a few tips on how to find and select a great vacation rental in Miami Beach.

Travelers can rent a condo or home through the owner directly or by using the services offered by a vacation rental in Miami agency. There are many owners of Miami vacation condos that advertise their properties in local classifieds or even in international vacation rental websites such as www.escaperental.com. You must be aware that renting a vacation rental in Miami through an owner can be a little risky because the maintenance of the property could be no good enough, at least not as you would like it to be. When renting a vacation rental in Miami through an owner TRUST is KEEN. You need to trust the owner and be careful with many scammers that invade websites with fake properties. On the other hand, when you rent from a well-established vacation rental agency in Miami you can be sure your money and  trip are save. Also, renting through an agency will guarantee you, or it should guarantee you quality and maintenance of the property, whether it is a Miami vacation condo or a Miami vacation home.

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Be sure the property you are selecting is located in a good area close to most Miami attractions. Check with the owner or agency if the property is FURNISHED and discuss PARKING issues PRIOR arriving.

When selecting Miami vacation websites, you should first and foremost select a website based in Miami Florida for precision and good service.

The appearance of the website is what sells the properties; therefore, you should choose one that looks professional and well-taken care of. Choose websites that offer full descriptions of the areas, buildings, apartments, and plenty of pictures so that there are no bad surprises in the end. At the same time, these websites should provide you with an e-mail address and contact number in case of any questions or for further assistance. Check if there is a phone number and an address, if it is easily accessible, then the company encourages you to call, thus it is service oriented. To great vacation rentals’ websites in Miami are MiamiHabitat.com and MiamiLodge.com

Vacation rentals in Miami are the ideal place to stay during your Miami travel!

Miami give birth to a new marketing Miami tourism campaign targeting more sophisticated travelers. The City of Miami is looking forward to attract more wealthy people with this campaign.

The slogan Miami: Express yourself, whereas the print campaign displays the work of prominent local artists. In addition, to attract affluent tourists this campaign is a reflection on the art movement that has taken over Miami for the past years. The City of Miami wants to let the entire world know that now we are serving as an emerging cultural center. For instance, Miami has become the home of world-known art festivals such as Art Basel Miami. Besides, Miami is home of several new cultural centers like Miami Carnival Center of the Performing Arts which each year brings new events to the city. As is this were not enough, the Miami Design District and Miami Wynwood Art District are emerging as two hot art spots whit numerous art galleries, sidewalk restaurants, and clubs. Nowadays, visitors and locals can enjoy a wonderful evening at Miami Art Districts by walking around galleries and enjoying a meal in one of the most exclusive and well-though restaurants in town such as Michael’s Genuine Food and Drink, already serving an A-list of clients, or perhaps having a drink in a Miami night club without the craziness of South Beach party scene. For once, Circa 28 allows young-elite to party with artists and intellectual people, instead of Spring Breakers, party animals, or even celebrity’s groupies.

The bottom line of this campaign is that Miami needs this kind of visitors to maintain its economy. Broward County is already making efforts to promote Fort Lauderdale as Florida’s premier vacation destination. Nevertheless, Miami also needs this projection in order to keep alive the various luxury hotels in Miami Beach, premier Miami restaurants and travel services. We must remember Miami is a vacation destination and, for worst or best, we all need this tourism industry. However, we cannot forget the regular tourist who has give Miami so much. The perfect Miami for me is one that can provide a high-end vacation to affluent tourists, who might even decide to invest in our city, but at the same time can properly serve the regular tourist traveling on a budget, who surely do not want to pay more than he should or get scam at a Miami night club.

Calendar of Miami Events 2008

January / February / March / April / May / June

Miami Travel Deals of the Week

Affordable Hollywood Beach Florida Hotels

24-7 VIP Concierge Services in Miami