Hey, thanks for the quick reply! You've already given me a couple of good
ideas. I know that I wasn't very informative in the original post but to
set the record straight--I was in Tampa (Busch Gardens) over 30 years ago
and the wife has never been to Florida at all, so it would be mostly new to
us. I wonder if it's doable to fly in to Orlando, rent a car, drive over to
the gulf coast, drive south along the gulf coast, over to the east coast,
down to the keys, back up to Daytona and back to Orlando and still have time
to see things. If we do that, what are the options for seeing "Florida"?
We're not too far from Chicago and St. Louis so, while we don't have jai
alai, we've got a lot of the other stuff around here. We love racing and
casinos but we've got them here, too. What we don't have is Everglades,
beaches, and forts and cities dating from the 17th century.

The Key highway and the Key deer refuge sounds great. But, so does Key
West, for a short visit. Does that sound contradictory? Anyhow, thanks for
the reply! I'm filing it all to help plan the trip!



"Nile" wrote in message
...
Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Depends on your interests, of course. For two weeks, Orlando and
Miami-Keys would be great. You've been to Tampa, but Fort
Myers-Sanibel-Naples area would be another good choice.

You know the sites in Orlando. NASA is at Cape Canaveral. Palm Beach
is good for a stop (to see the shops), as is the beach at Fort
Lauderdale. Check live theaters, museums, and sports for Fort
Lauderdale, Hollywood, and Miami in January-February (college or pro
basketball, Dania jai alai, Gulfstream Park thoroughbred racing, Pompano
Park harness racing, Hialeah quarter horses next year, greyhounds),
Miami Beach walkway, Calle Ocho (Cuban section), Coconut Grove,
aquarium, planetarium, Vizcaya ... again, depends on your interests.

The Everglades are off the road on the way to the keys. The key highway
is a treat, on weekdays at least (less traffic). Hike throuogh the Key
Deer Refuge on Big Pine Key and see the key deer up close. You can find
plenty on Key West in the archives of this newsgroup.