miami florida attractions
It´s easy to turn a blind eye to what lies beyond the Florida coast, miami florida attractions is where the beaches are varied and abundant enough to satisfy every visitor – whether you want simply to relax beneath azure skies or make the most of the state’s
fine sports facilities. However,great rewards await those who put aside their suntan lotion and beach towels to explore.
The lush forests, the rolling hills of the north, the colorful displays of bougainvillea and azaleas in spring shatter the myth that Florida’s landscape is totally dull and flat. Wherever you are, it is only a short trip from civilization to wild areas, such
as the Everglades, which harbor an extraordinary diversity of plant and animal life, and where alligators and snakes are living
reminders of the inhospitable place that Florida was not much more than 100 years ago. By world standards the state was a
late developer (most of its historic districts date only from the early 1900s), but Florida boasts the nation’s oldest town: St.
Augustine, where a rare wealth of well-preserved buildings provide a glimpse of life in the 18th century.
Both climatically and culturally,Florida is a state divided – a bridge between temperate North America and tropical Latin America and the Caribbean. In the north, roads are lined with stately live oak trees and people speak with a southern drawl,while, in the south, shade from the subtropical sun is cast by palm trees,and the inhabitants of Miami are as
likely to speak Spanish as English.
PEOPLE AND SOCIETY
The state “where everyone is from somewhere else,” Florida has always been a cultural hodgepodge. The Seminole Indians, who arrived in the 17th century, have been in Florida longer than any other group. They live mostly on reservations, but you see
them by the roadside in some southern areas, selling their colorful, handmade crafts. The best candidates for the title of “true Floridian” are the Cracker farmers, whose ancestors settled in the state in the 1800s; their name comes perhaps from the cracking of their cattle whips or the cracking of corn to make grits. Unless you explore the interior, you probably won’t meet a Cracker; along the affluent, heavily populated coast, you’ll rub shoulders mainly with people whose roots lie in more northerly states.
North Americans have poured into Florida since World War II; the twentieth most populous state in the US in 1950, Florida is now
ranked fourth. The largest single group to move south has been the retirees, for whom Florida’s climate and lifestyle of leisure (plus
its tax concessions) hold great appeal after a life of hard work. Retirees take full advantage of Florida’s recreational and cultural opportunities. You’ll see many seniors playing a round of golf,fishing, or browsing around one of Florida’s state-of-the art shopping
malls. While super-rich communities like Palm Beach fit the conservative and staid image that some people still have of Florida, the reality is very different. An increasing number of the new arrivals are young people, for whom Florida is a
land of opportunity, a place to have fun and enjoy the good life.
It is this younger generation that has helped turn Miami’s South Beach, where beautiful bodies pose against a backdrop of Art
Deco hotels, into one of the trendiest resorts in the US.There has also been massive immigration from Latin America, and Miami
has a large Cuban community. Here, salsa and merengue beats fill the air while exuberant festivals fill the calendar. The ethnic
diversity is also celebrated in the local food: as well as genuine re-creations of Caribbean and other ethnic dishes, you can enjoy the
exciting and innovative dishes that have emerged with the craze for cross-cultural cuisine.