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Last Updated: Mar 26th, 2006 - 13:41:45 |
(NUI) - Americans are planning vacations closer to home and seeking destinations they can easily reach by car.
One warm-weather vacation option with a variety of activities and attractions is the Florida Keys. It is a string of subtropical islands joined to the South Florida mainland by the famed Overseas Highway with 43 scenic bridges.
The 113-mile road has bridges over the Atlantic Ocean, Florida Bay and Gulf of Mexico linking Miami to Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon, Big Pine Key and Key West.
Among Florida's top getaway destinations, the Keys is acclaimed for its laid-back atmosphere, world-class sport fishing and diving on North America's only living coral barrier reef. It also is gaining a reputation for its numerous cultural and heritage activities.
For years the Keys has been a haven for celebrities. Ernest Hemingway and Tennessee Williams lived and wrote in Key West. Harry Truman had his "Little White House" there. Former President George H. Bush hosts an annual fishing tournament in Islamorada. Former NFL coach Jimmy Johnson resides in the Keys.
The Overseas Highway, recently designated Florida's eighth official Scenic Highway, follows a trail originally blazed in 1912 when Henry Flagler extended his Florida East Coast Railroad from Miami to Key West.
Completed in 1938, the highway marked the beginning of an incredible adventure for the North American motorist. In 1982, 37 bridges were replaced with wider spans, including the well-known Seven Mile Bridge at Marathon.
Today, the highway can be traversed in about three hours from Miami. However, drivers should allow extra time to experience the natural beauty of the ever-changing scenery of the seas, the wilderness bordering the roadway, and the magnificent sunrises and sunsets.
Besides "cruising" by automobile, there are airports in Marathon and Key West, with five airlines featuring daily service from major Florida hubs into Key West International Airport.
To discover more about Florida Keys vacations, call, toll-free in the United States and Canada, 1-800-FLA-KEYS or log on to the Keys Web site at www.fla-keys.com.
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