Florida [antikvár]

> i) J Introduction /^lorida is what you make it. It is silver-gold beaches lined with sabal palms, or busy beaches where musclemen practise their attitudes, and the volleyball is fast. Florida is the blue of the Atlantic, the emerald of the Gulf of Mexico, the golden sunsets of the west and the Keys, alligators and brilliant coloured birds. Florida is the skyscrapers of downtown Miami. The best-known face of Florida is the bright lights, theme parks, the excitement of the waves and stomach-chuming thrill rides of Oriando. And for many visitors Florida is Disney -bringing to life all those wonderful characters from childhood. For the visitor who likes sport, waterspon, any spon, Florida is a chain of endless golf courses, small boat harbours, fishing piers, bright coloured sails and ocean-going cruisers, or the tiny tube of the snorkeller bobbing just above the surface of the buoyant sea. Florida is also history. Within its boundaries are the two oldest European settlements in America, dating back to the 16th century, long before the Pilgrim Fathers reached the continent. Yet, modem Florida is young and did not become a state until 1845. Perhaps that accounts for its zest for life. pWi^' w? iff? • • Key West, the most southerly of the keys, is vibrant and hectic, but its beaches, like those of all the islands, are perfect for the more relaxing pursuits of fishing and boating THOMAS COOK'S FLORIDA Florida has increased in popularity - so much so in recent years that it is worth noting that Thomas Cook, as early as 1885, was advertising it as a winter resort for his US clients and for travellers from Britain. This was only possible because of the railroad that had recently been opened by Henry Flagler.