I was planning to go to Everglades today. But since tonight I may sleep outdoor, it's better not to get itchy all over my body. So I decided to take a look of Miami and go to Florida Keys afterwards.
The food I'm supposed not to miss at Miami is Cuban food, based on my lonely planet traveling book and yelp and google map, I decide to go to a restaurant called Versailles at little Havana for breakfast. People there are all talking in Spanish (not sure, some language I cannot recognize). Most customers are old people (why? young ppl don't get up early?). The restaurant is nice, waitor is quite friendly (very patient about suggesting food for me), price is not high (a full breakfast for just 5 bucks) and atmosphere is good, too. Unfortunately I may not have time for lunch and dinner. =(
I took off to Florida Keys around 1pm (I didn't like Miami, like I didn't like Miami Beach, it's sort of like LA, I don't like big cities). The view along the drive was fantastic! especially from Islamorada to Key West. The sea in Florida seems much more beautiful than the one in California. It got beautiful blue&green color mixed together, with white&fine sand. There are tons of keys (low islands) which make the sea view more diverse. Watching the view to my eyes is like eating Todai to my mouth.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Miami Beach & Biscayne National Park
I slept at 4am yesterday(or today), and woke up 8am this morning. Am I too excited for my trip? lol
After doing some research about the trip, I called Biscayne National Park about the snorkeling trip. Fortunately, they are providing it today at 1:30pm. It takes 1 hour to get there, and they asked me to get there 1 hour early to listen to the instruction. So I need to take off at 11:30am at least. It's 9:30am now, so I decided to take a walk in Miami Beach.
Miami Beach is okay, like Santa Monica, a beach near busy district. Even early in the morning, it's already full of people. I didn't took a long walk there, instead, I went to Espanola Way, which is supposed to be a street of historic architectures. I didn't like Miami Beach, but this little street is a nice walk.
Then I headed to Biscayne National Park. The traffic on US Hwy 1 is awful, I was worried that I cannot make my snorkeling trip. Suddenly I remembered dear pigguo's advise, taking the Florida Turnpike. It was much better, and luckily I got there on time.
Traveling in Florida, the first advise is probably that make sure to bring spray to keep mosquito away from you. Putting on bikini in the restroom is a nightmare, I got bited all over my body... Anyway, when we finally get onto the sea, mosquito are gone. It was a 1-hour drive from the visitor center to the coral reef. On the boat, I met a Korean girl names Anna, who were really nice to me. She lives at Fort Lauderdale (so-called Venice of America), and her friend in Pennysivia is visiting her, so they got on this trip together. I guess one of the advantages of traveling alone is that you can meet different ppl along your trip. Although at first I get a little scared of traveling all alone by myself, but now I begin to appreciate the nice parts of it.
The color of the sea is different, some part is blue, some part is more greenish. I asked the staff, and he told me it's because of the sea grass, the area with sea grass is darker, bluish, because the sand is covered. We finally got there, and I cannot wait to jump into the sea. It was fantastic. First time seeing sea creatures so vividly and so naturally, not in museum (they are all dead), not in aquarium (they are all in prison).
After doing some research about the trip, I called Biscayne National Park about the snorkeling trip. Fortunately, they are providing it today at 1:30pm. It takes 1 hour to get there, and they asked me to get there 1 hour early to listen to the instruction. So I need to take off at 11:30am at least. It's 9:30am now, so I decided to take a walk in Miami Beach.
Miami Beach is okay, like Santa Monica, a beach near busy district. Even early in the morning, it's already full of people. I didn't took a long walk there, instead, I went to Espanola Way, which is supposed to be a street of historic architectures. I didn't like Miami Beach, but this little street is a nice walk.
Then I headed to Biscayne National Park. The traffic on US Hwy 1 is awful, I was worried that I cannot make my snorkeling trip. Suddenly I remembered dear pigguo's advise, taking the Florida Turnpike. It was much better, and luckily I got there on time.
Traveling in Florida, the first advise is probably that make sure to bring spray to keep mosquito away from you. Putting on bikini in the restroom is a nightmare, I got bited all over my body... Anyway, when we finally get onto the sea, mosquito are gone. It was a 1-hour drive from the visitor center to the coral reef. On the boat, I met a Korean girl names Anna, who were really nice to me. She lives at Fort Lauderdale (so-called Venice of America), and her friend in Pennysivia is visiting her, so they got on this trip together. I guess one of the advantages of traveling alone is that you can meet different ppl along your trip. Although at first I get a little scared of traveling all alone by myself, but now I begin to appreciate the nice parts of it.
The color of the sea is different, some part is blue, some part is more greenish. I asked the staff, and he told me it's because of the sea grass, the area with sea grass is darker, bluish, because the sand is covered. We finally got there, and I cannot wait to jump into the sea. It was fantastic. First time seeing sea creatures so vividly and so naturally, not in museum (they are all dead), not in aquarium (they are all in prison).
Monday, August 10, 2009
Florida east coast drive
Today's trip:
Jacksonville -> Cocoa Beach -> West Palm Beach -> Miami Beach
Don't have much time for blogging, so summarize..
1. At Cape Canaveral, when eating lunch at a bar, heard from a girl named Patty that her sister's husband is going to Iraqi to drive tanks (he was driving trucks for post office). I asked her that isn't the man afraid of war? She said the salary is $90,000 (tax free) with two 21-day vacation per year, and a lot of ppl apply for the jobs, but she doesn't know what's the ratio of ppl can get in.
2. Cocoa Beach Pier is really cute, pic later.
3. The inequality of West Palm Beach is quite big, just like LA. View in the inland area is not pretty, however, if you get to Palm Beach (the little island), there is huge difference, just like USC vs. Beverly Hills. I went to the Flagler Museum, but it's closed on Monday.. lol. The wealthy Worthy Ave. is full of expensive shops, but I did enjoy the architecture and the view. pic later, really pretty.
4. Driving along A1A from Palm Beach to Miami Beach is really nice (slow though, expect lower than 35m/h). Well, basically, the view is composed of wealthy houses, big&green(not yellow!) palm trees, and water. Some house is along the beach, some is along the bay, anyway, this is the kind of house I really like... Highly recommend, especially the start part from Palm Beach.
Jacksonville -> Cocoa Beach -> West Palm Beach -> Miami Beach
Don't have much time for blogging, so summarize..
1. At Cape Canaveral, when eating lunch at a bar, heard from a girl named Patty that her sister's husband is going to Iraqi to drive tanks (he was driving trucks for post office). I asked her that isn't the man afraid of war? She said the salary is $90,000 (tax free) with two 21-day vacation per year, and a lot of ppl apply for the jobs, but she doesn't know what's the ratio of ppl can get in.
2. Cocoa Beach Pier is really cute, pic later.
3. The inequality of West Palm Beach is quite big, just like LA. View in the inland area is not pretty, however, if you get to Palm Beach (the little island), there is huge difference, just like USC vs. Beverly Hills. I went to the Flagler Museum, but it's closed on Monday.. lol. The wealthy Worthy Ave. is full of expensive shops, but I did enjoy the architecture and the view. pic later, really pretty.
4. Driving along A1A from Palm Beach to Miami Beach is really nice (slow though, expect lower than 35m/h). Well, basically, the view is composed of wealthy houses, big&green(not yellow!) palm trees, and water. Some house is along the beach, some is along the bay, anyway, this is the kind of house I really like... Highly recommend, especially the start part from Palm Beach.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Florida cities
data from here
Jacksonville
Population in July 2008: 807,815. Population change since 2000: +9.8%
Median resident age: 33.8 years / Florida median age: 38.7 years
large, young city
Estimated median household income in 2007: $48,699 (it was $40,316 in 2000)
Jacksonville: $48,699 / Florida: $47,804
Estimated per capita income in 2007: $25,530
Jacksonville: $25,530 / Florida: $26,696
Estimated median house or condo value in 2007: $180,900 (it was $84,100 in 2000)
Jacksonville: $180,900 / Florida: $230,400
income average, housing cheap
Races in Jacksonville:
* White Non-Hispanic (62.2%)
* Black (29.0%)
* Hispanic (4.2%)
* Two or more races (2.0%)
* Filipino (1.4%)
* Other race (1.3%)
* American Indian (0.8%)
2008 cost of living index in Jacksonville: 84.0 (less than average, U.S. average is 100)
Ancestries: German (9.6%), United States (9.3%), Irish (9.0%), English (8.5%), Italian (3.5%), French (2.2%).
Population density: 1066 people per square mile (low).
St. Augustine
Population in July 2008: 12,404. Population change since 2000: +7.0%
Median resident age: 41.5 years / Florida median age: 38.7 years
small, old city
Estimated median household income in 2007: $40,482 (it was $32,358 in 2000)
St. Augustine: $40,482 / Florida: $47,804
Estimated per capita income in 2007: $26,882
St. Augustine: $26,882 / Florida: $26,696
Estimated median house or condo value in 2007: $264,522 (it was $111,800 in 2000)
St. Augustine: $264,522 / Florida: $230,400
Races in St. Augustine:
* White Non-Hispanic (79.3%)
* Black (15.1%)
* Hispanic (3.1%)
* Two or more races (1.6%)
* American Indian (1.1%)
* Other race (0.9%)
2008 cost of living index in St. Augustine: 95.7 (near average, U.S. average is 100)
Ancestries: German (14.5%), Irish (13.9%), English (13.6%), United States (6.5%), Italian (5.9%), French (4.3%).
Population density: 1482 people per square mile (low).
West Palm Beach
Population in July 2008: 98,779. Population change since 2000: +20.3%
Median resident age: 36.7 years / Florida median age: 38.7 years
Estimated median household income in 2007: $44,594 (it was $36,774 in 2000)
West Palm Beach: $44,594 / Florida: $47,804
Estimated per capita income in 2007: $30,459
West Palm Beach: $30,459 / Florida: $26,696
Estimated median house or condo value in 2007: $298,800 (it was $91,500 in 2000)
West Palm Beach: $298,800 / Florida: $230,400
housing expensive
Races in West Palm Beach:
* White Non-Hispanic (46.0%)
* Black (32.2%)
* Hispanic (18.2%)
* Other race (4.3%)
* Two or more races (3.4%)
* American Indian (0.8%)
2008 cost of living index in West Palm Beach: 96.7 (near average, U.S. average is 100)
Ancestries: West Indian (7.7%), German (7.4%), Irish (7.0%), English (6.1%), United States (5.2%), Italian (4.9%).
Population density: 1791 people per square mile (low).
Fort Lauderdale
Population in July 2007: 164,282.
Median resident age: 39.3 years / Florida median age: 38.7 years
Estimated median household income in 2007: $52,264 (it was $37,887 in 2000)
Fort Lauderdale: $52,264 / Florida: $47,804
Estimated per capita income in 2007: $35,432
Fort Lauderdale: $35,432 / Florida: $26,696
Estimated median house or condo value in 2007: $370,300 (it was $132,600 in 2000)
Fort Lauderdale: $370,300 / Florida: $230,400
wealthy city
Races in Fort Lauderdale:
* White Non-Hispanic (57.5%)
* Black (28.9%)
* Hispanic (9.5%)
* Two or more races (3.8%)
* Other race (1.8%)
* American Indian (0.5%)
2008 cost of living index in Fort Lauderdale: 122.3 (high, U.S. average is 100)
Ancestries: German (10.4%), Irish (10.3%), West Indian (9.8%), English (8.2%), Italian (7.6%), United States (5.8%).
Population density: 5178 people per square mile (average).
Miami
Population in July 2008: 413,201. Population change since 2000: +14.0%
Median resident age: 37.7 years / Florida median age: 38.7 years
Estimated median household income in 2007: $29,075 (it was $23,483 in 2000)
Miami: $29,075 / Florida: $47,804
Estimated per capita income in 2007: $19,948
Miami: $19,948 / Florida: $26,696
Estimated median house or condo value in 2007: $330,800 (it was $116,400 in 2000)
Miami: $330,800 / Florida: $230,400
low income, high rent
Races in Miami:
* Hispanic (65.8%)
* Black (22.3%)
* White Non-Hispanic (11.8%)
* Other race (5.4%)
* Two or more races (4.7%)
* American Indian (0.5%)
2008 cost of living index in Miami: 141.7 (very high, U.S. average is 100)
Ancestries: West Indian (6.3%), United States (3.1%), Italian (1.4%), German (1.2%), English (1.1%), Irish (1.0%).
Population density: 11583 people per square mile (high).
Crime Index: 682.3 (US Average 320.9).
Jacksonville
Population in July 2008: 807,815. Population change since 2000: +9.8%
Median resident age: 33.8 years / Florida median age: 38.7 years
large, young city
Estimated median household income in 2007: $48,699 (it was $40,316 in 2000)
Jacksonville: $48,699 / Florida: $47,804
Estimated per capita income in 2007: $25,530
Jacksonville: $25,530 / Florida: $26,696
Estimated median house or condo value in 2007: $180,900 (it was $84,100 in 2000)
Jacksonville: $180,900 / Florida: $230,400
income average, housing cheap
Races in Jacksonville:
* White Non-Hispanic (62.2%)
* Black (29.0%)
* Hispanic (4.2%)
* Two or more races (2.0%)
* Filipino (1.4%)
* Other race (1.3%)
* American Indian (0.8%)
2008 cost of living index in Jacksonville: 84.0 (less than average, U.S. average is 100)
Ancestries: German (9.6%), United States (9.3%), Irish (9.0%), English (8.5%), Italian (3.5%), French (2.2%).
Population density: 1066 people per square mile (low).
St. Augustine
Population in July 2008: 12,404. Population change since 2000: +7.0%
Median resident age: 41.5 years / Florida median age: 38.7 years
small, old city
Estimated median household income in 2007: $40,482 (it was $32,358 in 2000)
St. Augustine: $40,482 / Florida: $47,804
Estimated per capita income in 2007: $26,882
St. Augustine: $26,882 / Florida: $26,696
Estimated median house or condo value in 2007: $264,522 (it was $111,800 in 2000)
St. Augustine: $264,522 / Florida: $230,400
Races in St. Augustine:
* White Non-Hispanic (79.3%)
* Black (15.1%)
* Hispanic (3.1%)
* Two or more races (1.6%)
* American Indian (1.1%)
* Other race (0.9%)
2008 cost of living index in St. Augustine: 95.7 (near average, U.S. average is 100)
Ancestries: German (14.5%), Irish (13.9%), English (13.6%), United States (6.5%), Italian (5.9%), French (4.3%).
Population density: 1482 people per square mile (low).
West Palm Beach
Population in July 2008: 98,779. Population change since 2000: +20.3%
Median resident age: 36.7 years / Florida median age: 38.7 years
Estimated median household income in 2007: $44,594 (it was $36,774 in 2000)
West Palm Beach: $44,594 / Florida: $47,804
Estimated per capita income in 2007: $30,459
West Palm Beach: $30,459 / Florida: $26,696
Estimated median house or condo value in 2007: $298,800 (it was $91,500 in 2000)
West Palm Beach: $298,800 / Florida: $230,400
housing expensive
Races in West Palm Beach:
* White Non-Hispanic (46.0%)
* Black (32.2%)
* Hispanic (18.2%)
* Other race (4.3%)
* Two or more races (3.4%)
* American Indian (0.8%)
2008 cost of living index in West Palm Beach: 96.7 (near average, U.S. average is 100)
Ancestries: West Indian (7.7%), German (7.4%), Irish (7.0%), English (6.1%), United States (5.2%), Italian (4.9%).
Population density: 1791 people per square mile (low).
Fort Lauderdale
Population in July 2007: 164,282.
Median resident age: 39.3 years / Florida median age: 38.7 years
Estimated median household income in 2007: $52,264 (it was $37,887 in 2000)
Fort Lauderdale: $52,264 / Florida: $47,804
Estimated per capita income in 2007: $35,432
Fort Lauderdale: $35,432 / Florida: $26,696
Estimated median house or condo value in 2007: $370,300 (it was $132,600 in 2000)
Fort Lauderdale: $370,300 / Florida: $230,400
wealthy city
Races in Fort Lauderdale:
* White Non-Hispanic (57.5%)
* Black (28.9%)
* Hispanic (9.5%)
* Two or more races (3.8%)
* Other race (1.8%)
* American Indian (0.5%)
2008 cost of living index in Fort Lauderdale: 122.3 (high, U.S. average is 100)
Ancestries: German (10.4%), Irish (10.3%), West Indian (9.8%), English (8.2%), Italian (7.6%), United States (5.8%).
Population density: 5178 people per square mile (average).
Miami
Population in July 2008: 413,201. Population change since 2000: +14.0%
Median resident age: 37.7 years / Florida median age: 38.7 years
Estimated median household income in 2007: $29,075 (it was $23,483 in 2000)
Miami: $29,075 / Florida: $47,804
Estimated per capita income in 2007: $19,948
Miami: $19,948 / Florida: $26,696
Estimated median house or condo value in 2007: $330,800 (it was $116,400 in 2000)
Miami: $330,800 / Florida: $230,400
low income, high rent
Races in Miami:
* Hispanic (65.8%)
* Black (22.3%)
* White Non-Hispanic (11.8%)
* Other race (5.4%)
* Two or more races (4.7%)
* American Indian (0.5%)
2008 cost of living index in Miami: 141.7 (very high, U.S. average is 100)
Ancestries: West Indian (6.3%), United States (3.1%), Italian (1.4%), German (1.2%), English (1.1%), Irish (1.0%).
Population density: 11583 people per square mile (high).
Crime Index: 682.3 (US Average 320.9).
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Saturday, August 1, 2009
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