Captiva Island, connected by bridge to Sanibel Island off the coast of Fort Myers, Florida, maybe be Florida’s most naturally beautiful, best kept secret. We visited this past week and explored the quiet, isolated island to find all of its hidden gems. For mainstream trip-planning information, visit the official website.
Trans-cendent News Out of Fort Lauderdale
Our correspondent Jeff Guaracino fills us in on some bigs news hitting Fort Lauderdale in 2015:
Always ahead of the curve, Ft. Lauderdale announced last week at the 15th annual Community Marketing International Conference on Gay and Lesbian Tourism a groundbreaking transgender travel initiative. For the next three years, the Southern Comfort Transgender Conference will convene there. Ft. Lauderdale is the first destination to address the needs of the Transgender community with specific ads and messaging that is sensitive to this unique group.Continue reading “Trans-cendent News Out of Fort Lauderdale”
The Only Thing To Do In Fort Myers (And It Just Happens To Be Our New Favorite Museum)
Traveling is about being open to surprises, even when the destination may not seem like your forte. In Fort Myers, FL, a nondescript city on the southwestern region of the state, where even the locals admit the city leans a little on the sleepy side, we stumbled onto the most surprising hidden gem we’ve come across in sometime. The Edison and Ford Winter Estates is a treasure for the city, housing original phonographs created by Edison — the world’s very first iPod, if you will. Guests can take a tour and listen to centuries old music in its original form, among other inventions dreamed up by Edison. A tour of his house next door is also a serene stroll on the water.
Dolphins Amaze in Captiva, Florida
Our Florida Gulf tour has led us to the isolated and stunning Captiva island, where we boarded a small cruise ship and headed out onto San Carlos Bay to search for dolphins. We didn’t have to do much searching at all. These dolphins were show-offs, flipping and flopping, soaring along the white, foamy waves left behind by the speeding vessel, leaping and diving to the delight of the passengers. Interested in this experience? Head to Captiva and reserve your spot on Captiva Cruises, which states that 95% of their tours see dolphins.
Hello, Dalí
Our voyage throughout St. Petersburg continued today with a trip to the Dali Museum for the Dali/Picasso exhibit, the only one of its kind outside of Spain, a mesmerizing and meditative exploration through the careers of both me. Here are a few of our favorite moments from the exhibit.
ManAboutWorld Talked Travel & Press Trips at CMI in Vegas
ManAboutWorld spoke at the the 15th Annual Conference of Tourism and Hospitality hosted by CMI at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. Speaking on press trips, our Publisher, Billy Kolber, center, and Editor-in-Chief, Ed Salvato, left, (along with myself) discussed best practices to creating press trips, from abstract tips about themes and chemistry to considering the more fundamental needs of a writer, like WiFi and accommodations. If you’re in the industry and organize or attend press trips, this guide is for you. Download it now free!
ManAboutWorld Takes Over the Gulf Coast of Florida
I arrived last night in Tampa, took a quick drive down 275-S to St. Pete, and checked into the Postcard Inn On The Beach, a funky, chick shack of a hotel right on the beach, and we mean it; the hotel property leads right into the sand and the Gulf Coast. The hotel has a quirky lobby of bookshelves, surfboards, cozy couches arranged in bright, beachy colors. The rooms are simple, with surf-themes, and we particularly loved the wall art that could be construed as two gay surfer boys holding hands. (Perhaps not, but that’s my story.) Flat-screen TVs, tons of outlets, strong WiFi, and a cheap eats snack shack on the beach next to a cabana of late-night loud music equals a great shabby beach hotel to start off the trip.
In South Korea, A Museum With Seoul
Our publisher, Billy Kolber, snapped this great photo yesterday during his visit of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul, South Korea.
Art Basel Takes Over Miai
Art Basel begins today in Miami – known worldwide for its fascinating art exhibits that have recently taken a backseat to the celebrity sightings and A-list after parties. The event runs until Dec. 8.
We covered Miami in our Winer 2013 guide, and our pal Jack MacKenroth shared his favorite Miami hidden gems with us last month! You can read about all our secrets by subscribing here!
In Siem Reap, Cambodia A Cafe That Serves Cock…Roaches
Our publisher, Billy Kolber, tours Southeast Asia with his husband Marcio and our great correspondent, Mark Vogler. Here’s Marcio in Siem Reap eating a delicious tarantula at Bug’s Cafe. Just one of the many Cambodian delicacies. (For those of you interested in seeing a video of Billy eating a live cock-roach,click here.)
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