The Boca Grande Causeway links the island to the mainland and the toll $4 per car is well worth it. Driving down the island a few miles will bring you to the village center  which apparently has hardly changed in 100 years, it is home to upscale boutiques , art galleries and fancy restaurants with prices to match. In some respects it is a carefully preserved place and indicative of Old Florida, condominiums and some lovely modern homes have been built but there are no high rises.  It is a quiet community where the locals are keen to maintain this beautiful environment and there quality of life, it is said that the Billionaires now outnumber the Millionaires. Although you may not think it when see plenty of people making there way around the island on there electric golf carts.  

If you happen to be in Boca Grande in the spring the normal relaxed atmosphere is disrupted during  tarpon season culminating in the annual tarpon run each July when fisherman descend in their droves from across Florida. The island is considered to be the best tarpon fishing spots in the World.  I am not a fisherman myself but to see some guy catch a 4 foot or so tarpon whilst stood on the beach was some sight.

Which brings to the beaches which are simply superb, the pristine white sand beaches stretch for miles on the Gulf side.  The best places to access the beach are having gone through the village centre you continue along with the gulf to your right and you will shortly come to the car park and public access to the beach. There are Beach Pavilions and

BBQ, s and toilets, and then there is the beach and the clear blue sea where you will often see Dolphins swimming close to shore. A word of warning there are no lifeguards on either of the beaches mentioned

Another beach close to the lighthouse is at the southernmost tip of the island again there are beach pavilions and this area offers lovely view of Boca Grande pass, this is the principle area for fishing and you will see numerous boats on the water. However swimming is not recommended at this beach due to the fast moving currents in the pass itself, which is a gateway to Charlotte Harbor

You can charter a boat and there is every chance you will see Dolphins, Manatees, Ospreys and if you here in the winter months White Pelicans.  Whatever you do enjoy.

By car, take Interstate I-75 to Exit 131, Daniels Parkway, and then West to Summerlin Road to the Sanibel Causeway ($6.00 toll road).  Then take the small bridge which crosses at Turner Beach.

Captiva Island will captivate you with the serene paced lifestyle, family activities to enjoy, beautiful sugary white sand beaches sprinkled with pastel colored seashells and glistening tropical azure blue seas.  In the village of Captiva Island there are quaint shops to explore and a variety of restaurants to experience.  Golf courses in the area where you can test your mettle on the green, and the fishing and boating are unequalled.  To end a perfect day witness breathtaking brightly colored sunsets.

You will be enchanted by beautiful, alluring Captiva Island, where once, it is said, pirates roamed, conquistadors explored and Calusa Indians called home.  The mystery and adventure is still here.  Treasures to be found in the way of a good life, spectacular white sand beaches scattered with “treasures from the sea”, pastel colored seashells and breathtaking sunrises and sunsets.  There are superb accommodations, restaurants and shopping.  Golfing, tennis, fishing, boating, children’s activities.

Captiva Island, is sister to larger Sanibel Island, and is just over a small bridge which crosses at Turner Beach.  Turner Beach is a great place for catching that prize fish and also for finding the colorful shells that these islands are famous for.  The beach stretches 5 miles to the northern tip of Captiva Island at Redfish Pass.  From the bridge at Turner beach, Captiva Drive is a scenic drive past giant cactus, colorful bougainvilleas and other tropical flora along a stretch of sea and sand ending at “downtown” Captiva, which is more of a village than a town.

A truly fun vacation, holiday, memorable wedding, honeymoon or just a get-a-way awaits young and old alike on Captiva Island.

Captivating Captiva Island is the perfect place for you and your family to spend a day or two of your vacation.  With Florida’s sub tropical climate Captiva Island has sunshine all year round.  Sugary white sand beaches littered with pastel colored seashells for which the area is world renowned.  The seas are a clear Caribbean azure blue.  Play golf until your heart desires, and the fishing and boating are unequaled.  For your dining pleasure there are restaurants offering “Floridian” cuisine and from casual, funky fun to fine dining.  Shopping in the village of Captiva Island is exhilarating and you will find something for everyone.

Your visit to Captiva Island is not complete without sampling some of the local fare and succulent fresh seafood.  You will find a wide selection of ethnic foods in the area.  Dine in one of the fine restaurants where chefs cook up some of the freshest, tastiest dishes you have ever tasted.  Whether you are looking to enjoy a lavish six course meal or a more casual dining scene, you will find just what you’re looking for. Bon apetit !

It is time for fun on Captiva Island.  Enjoying a sub-tropical climate and being able to be outdoors in the sunshine all year around.  There are so many activitities to choose from, fishing, golf, boating, kayaking, canoeing, tennis, swimming, bike riding.  Go boating down the waterways and view a variety of wildlife such as, dolphins, blue herons, racoons and many different species of colorful birds.  Wonderful memories for all times for everyone.

Shelling is so much fun and Captiva Island has such a variety of shells to find, just to collect and admire or use in a craft, on a mirror, lamps, boxes etc.  Captiva is one of the islands that is literarily made up of shells, created over thousands of years, and is one of the islands that is considered best in the world for shelling.  The islands geography of lying east and west rather than north and south, as most islands, allows Captiva and its sister islands to catch abundant sea shells from the Gulf of Mexico.

“Shop ’til you drop” is a motto of some island visitors.  Captiva Islands shops are clustered at the north end of Captiva Drive and on Andy Rosse Lane.  Strolling along the village paths from shop to shop, you will find antiques, casual fashions, pottery, hand painted furniture and many unique gifts for that special someone.  Then try a restaurant to have that refreshing break.

Captiva Island is such a romantic place.  Couples come from all around the world to celebrate their “special” day.  It can be a formal wedding or very informal on the sugar sand beach.  Couples come to renew their vows or celebrate an anniversary or some special date.  It can be a time fondly remembered.

By car, take Interstate I-75 to Exit 131, Daniels Parkway, and then West to Summerlin Road to the Sanibel Causeway ($6.00 toll road).

Have you ever dreamed of being on a tropical island, your toes in the soft white sand, an expansive beach, swaying coconut palms, lush tropical foliage and beautiful crystal blue water.  Imagine watching the pelicans and herons fish for their dinner, collecting “treasures from the sea,” pastel colored seashells, while the sandpipers scurry along the surfs edge.

Sanibel Island has everything one could wish for.  Excellent restaurants, accommodations, golfing, tennis, fishing, boating, shopping, bike paths, canoes, theatrical productions, the renowned J.N. “Ding Darling” National Wildlife Refuge and Bird Sanctuary.  Since 1884 Point Ybel Lighthouse has guided seafarers to Sanibel Island’s shores.

Sanibel Island is world renowned for its shelling beaches and the “Sanibel Stoop”.  In the travel industry Sanibel Island is a top Florida destination for visitors.  If you want a truly unforgettable family vacation, wedding, honeymoon, anniversary or just to get away from it all, this is the place to be.  Visit Sanibel Island and do it all, or just lay back on the beach with the book you have been waiting to read or do just absolutely nothing.

Your visit to Sanibel Island will not be complete without sampling some of the local fare and succulent fresh seafood.  You will find a wide selection of ethnic foods in the area.  Dine in one of the fine restaurants where chefs cook up some of the freshest, tastiest dishes you have ever tasted.  Whether you are looking to enjoy a lavish six course meal or a more casual dining scene, you will find just what you’re looking for. Bon apetit!

You can test your mettle on the golf courses in the area and fishing and boating are unequalled.  There are twenty five miles of bike paths for you to explore the island.  Shopping on Sanibel Island is an exhilarating experience with so many unusual items to purchase. 

Sanibel Island is home to world famous J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge its 6,000 acres of mangrove jungles and wetlands encompass a large portion of the island, it is home to dozens of endangered species, see manatees, alligators, raccoons, tropical birds and much more.  You can explore the refuge by car, foot, bicycle, kayak or guided tram.  An experience the whole family will enjoy.

The fun never stops on Sanibel Island.  Having a sub-tropical climate, visitors and can residents enjoy the outdoors and sunshine all year long.  Whether you choose to be boating, kayaking, canoeing, water skiing or fishing from one of the favorite spots.  Play a round of golf on the challenging scenic courses, there are over 70 of them, the perfect place to tee off and test your mettle on the green.  A set of tennis, bike riding on the miles of bike paths, or explore the waterways by boat where you will see an abundance of wildlife from frolicsome dolphins, graceful blue herons, inquisitive raccoons and colorful birds of all species, you will enjoy a memorable experience to cherish for all time.

What fun to go shelling along the surf and beaches of Sanibel Island, unique in that it lies east and west, different than most islands which lie north and south, this direction allows Sanibel Island to catch abundant sea shells that the Gulf of Mexico brings to its shores.  Sanibel Island is world renowned for its shells.  People from all over the world come to collect and admire the colourful “Treasures From the Sea”.  You will find young and old with buckets, bags and nets shuffling long, stooping over, this stance has come to be know as “The Sanibel Stoop”

Shopping is such a fun time on Sanibel Island.  With an array of charming boutiques and gift shops, a variety of art galleries, fine jewellery, colourful shells and shell art and an exorbitant supply of souvenirs and tee shirts. You will be sure to find just what you are looking for, for that special person.

Sanibel Island offers the perfect places to get married.  An unforgettable wedding in a tropical paradise.  Couples come to Sanibel Island from all over the country to ‘tie the knot.’.  Renew your vows or celebrate your anniversary.  Whether it is formal, just family and a few friends or even barefoot on the white sand beach with pelicans as witnesses.

At Daytona Beach, you will enter a laid back world where you can don blue jeans, wear flip-flops and eat at the fanciest restaurant in town without a jacket.

Daytona Beach is a Florida getaway that does not put on airs and graces.  It is a place where you can relax and enjoy yourself at your own speed.  It is also a place where you can enjoy the finest beaches, world-class sports attractions, excellent museums, and first-class restaurants.

The beach itself is world famous.  As soon as you put on your swimsuit and step on the white sand, you will be in a different world.  Everything seems so calm.

The beach is super wide, so wide and flat that cars and trucks ride on it.  Many years ago cars actually raced on it.  The ocean is unbelievably calm and very shallow when you go in and so you do not have to fight the waves.

There are 23 miles of beautiful beaches in the Daytona Beach area. As you look down the beach in either direction, it appears that all of the waves are breaking in unison.  This symmetry is intriguing. The waves breaking slowly over and over create a calming, relaxing effect.  However, for those who to like to surf there are beaches where the waves are high and strong.

There is also a boardwalk on the beach with some exciting rides.  You could spend everyday of your vacation on the beach and many visitors do.  However, there is so much more to do and see in Daytona Beach.

The Daytona International Speedway is a must see on your visit to Daytona Beach. The Daytona 500 race is the most watched motor sports event in the world when attendance at the track and television viewing are combined.  Estimated attendance for the Daytona 500 is 200,000 and more than 29 million watch it on television.

There are tours of the Speedway, but that is only a small part of it.  Located at the Speedway is DAYTONA USA.  This is an interactive motor sports themed attraction.  This is an interesting and exciting entertainment experience for hard core race fans and also for casual observers.  It offers lots of fun for the whole family.  In addition to the thrilling interactive features, there are historical exhibits such as the Goodyear Heritage of Daytona history walk.

A good place to start your visit to DAYTONA USA is by taking a 30 minute guided tour of the Speedway.  The tour takes guests on an open-air tram through the Speedway’s garage area.  The tour is narrated and you see Pit Road, Victory Lane and the world-famous 31 degree high banks where cars race at over 200 miles per hour.

There are two new motion simulator rides at DAYTONA USA.  These are “Daytona Dream Laps” and “Acceleration Alley”.  “Daytona Dream Laps” is a ride that seats 32 guests for a full range motion experience racing at the high banks of the Speedway.  On the “Acceleration Alley” ride you hop inside a racecar, buckle up and take a simulated ride at high speeds that combines motion, video, and sound.  Other activities include going over the wall at Ford’s 16 second pit stop challenge to test your skills in a live pit stop.

One of the most popular attractions is the Daytona 500 movie, a large-screen format film presented on a screen 55 feet wide and almost three stories tall in the Pepsi Theatre. You see the movie in the realism of 3D, and with the accompanying sounds you feel as though you are behind the wheel of one of the racing cars.

Tickets for DAYTONA USA including the Speedway tour are around $20 for adults, $17 for seniors and $14 for children 6-12.

If you want the real thing, for an additional charge of about $130 you can first don a racing outfit including helmet.  Then climb through the window of a racing car on the Speedway track, strap yourself in, and ride next to a race driver at high speeds around the track.

Whether or not you are a baseball fan, the Jackie Robinson Ballpark is an interesting place to visit in Daytona Beach.  This is where baseball legend Jackie Robinson played in the first integrated baseball game.  The ballpark was built in 1908, seats 3800 fans, and is the Class A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs.

It is also a museum with plaques and photos documenting the life of Jackie Robinson. It explains Robinson’s childhood, how he excelled in many sports in college, and the humiliating experiences he faced as the man who broke the colour barrier in major league baseball.  It also lists many of his accomplishments such as playing in six world series and being voted MVP in 1949 in the National League.  But the one that tells it all, was that after Robinson’s retirement from baseball, his “number 42” was also retired by every major league baseball team.  It’s a real pleasure to visit this historical ballpark and watch the Daytona Beach Cubs play.  Tickets are only $5.

Another fun way to see Daytona Beach is by an amphibious adventure on a trolleyboat.  It leaves daily from the Ocean Walk Shoppes and takes you on a drive through historic Daytona Beach.  It then enters the Halifax River where you are given a narrated tour of the history and wildlife of the area with great views of the riverfront mansions.  The trolleyboat then leaves the river and drives you back to the Ocean Walk Shoppes.

At the Ocean Walk Shoppes there is lots to do.  There is a new Bandshell featuring concerts with an ocean view and a beachside theatre showing ten movies.  There is also a delightful Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Restaurant for some casual fun, good food, based on the Forrest Gump movie with plenty of Forrest’s favorite fixins.

A visit to the Museum of Arts and Sciences is a wonderful way to spend some relaxing and interesting hours in Daytona Beach.  All six permanent collections are excellent.

The Centre for Florida History collection tells the story of Florida’s historical and cultural development from prehistory to the present complete with interactive features.  It centres around a 13 foot tall skeleton of a Giant Ground Sloth which was excavated in 1975 in a fossil site called the Daytona Bone Bed.  This huge vegetarian could have weighed three to five tons and eaten a daily ration of 300 pounds of plants abundant in the area.

The Cuban Museum collection is the largest Cuban Museum in the world outside of Cuba.  It contains rare 18th, 19th, and early 20th century maps, documents, lithographs, paintings, furniture, sculpture, and ceramics arranged chronologically.  Rare photographs help establish a sense of time and place.

The Root family’s collection is not only interesting, but it also brings back a lot of memories.  This is an astounding display of more than 800 Teddy Bears, ranging from seven feet tall to only a few inches in height.  Each Teddy Bear represents a different time period or theme, and portrays everyday scenes such as a “Teddy Bear Wedding”, complete with bridesmaids, grooms, and a minister.

The Root family has also amassed one of the most historically important anthologies of the American soft drink, Coca-Cola, on which their family fortune was founded. The collection includes just about every conceivable item relating to bottling, advertising, and consumption of Coca-Cola.

The Root’s collection also includes an impressive array of decorative arts, china, silverware, and glasses collected from 85 of the nation’s railroads, hotels, and restaurants.  Two actual railroad cars are also displayed in this permanent collection.

There are still lots of other fun things to do in Daytona Beach. You can spend an hour or two at the Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse, and climb to the top if you wish.  It is the tallest lighthouse in Florida.

Not far from the lighthouse is the Inlet Harbor Marina and Restaurant.  The seafood is fabulous. There is a lot of freshly caught fish on the menu.  It is a nice place for lunch or dinner (they have sunset specials if seated by 6 p.m.) with a lovely waterfront view.  You can dine inside or on the riverfront outdoor deck.  It is casual dining.  A live band playing on the outdoor deck added to the festive Caribbean like setting.

Greyhound racing is also another exciting attraction in the area. They race at the Daytona Beach Kennel Club. Children are welcome with a parent or guardian.

There is no food as such in this inlet but the manatees are drawn by the warm water, and it is only when the water in the gulf is cold that they will venture into this inlet. One can imagine that in the summer months when the gulf is 85 degrees or so the water around the power plant would be unbearably hot for the Manatees.

The best time of day to visit is in the morning or around noon when the sun is behind you or overhead, it is much easier to see them rather than later in the day.

The volunteers are helpful and informative, and pleased to educate the tourists.

Best of all apart from a $1 car park fee, its free.

Funnily enough it’s called Manatee Park and is located right off interstate 75 on State Road 80 in Fort Myers. It is a small park with a playground and picnic benches but Manatees are the main attraction. There is a small gift shop and drink machines.

Manatee Park
5761 Palm Beach Bvld
Fort Myers

Telephone Number 239 432 2004

We have often been strolling along a beach on the gulf coast and seen a glimpse of what we believed to be manatees, so it was nice to go somewhere and see them in all there glory in their natural environment

Christmas is a quite place in the summer, but bustles with activity prior to the Christmas holidays.  People line up to mail their Christmas cards and letters at the post office, to obtain the unique postmark of ‘Christmas, FL’

The post office is small, but modern and is located on the right, not long after the green ‘Christmas’ sign at the entrance to the town.  Year round, the post office is decorated with a wreath on the outside and a Christmas tree in its entrance.

Originally the town was called Fort Christmas, named when 2000 US Army Soldiers and Alabama Volunteers arrived on December 25th 1837 to construct the fort.  However, when the first post office opened in 1892, ‘fort’ was dropped from the name. 

The town has a small Christmas gift shop, and a Circle K convenience store.  For travellers, there is a choice of the Christmas RV Park, or the primitive camping site at Tosohatchee Reserve State Park.  For more comfortable accommodation, the nearest hotels are in Orlando or Titusville.

Capitalising on the name, there is a large Christmas tree marking one intersection, and on the top of a building in the RV Park is Santa’s reindeer and sleigh.

A replica of the original fort built in 1837 during the Seminole Indian War, is located a few miles north of the main highway, at the Fort Christmas Historical Park. The park also features a traditional Florida ‘Cracker’ house, a sugar cane mill, seven pioneer homes (showing life from the 1870’s through to the 1930’s) and historical farming equipment.  There are also picnic pavilions, themed children’s playground, a baseball diamond, tennis, basketball and volleyball courts.

Opening Hours: (Closed Mondays)

Museum:   10.00am – 5.00pm

Park:

Summer: Tuesday – Sunday          8.00am – 8.00pm

Winter:    Tuesday – Sunday         8.00am – 6.00pm

(Hours change when the clocks change)

Admission Price:   FREE

Further Information:

Christmas Post Office
23580 East Colonial Dr.
Christmas, Florida 32709-9998

Telephone: (800) 275-8777

Fort Christmas Historical Park

1300 Fort Christmas Road (C.R.420)
Christmas, Florida 32709

Telephone: 407-568-4149

A leisurely stroll through the magnificent gardens will take on average around one and a half hours, but for those with a little more time on their hands there is so much more to do and see. In the Garden House you can sit a while over a coffee or browse through a plethora of informative gardening books in the custom-built library section. However, the purpose of this article is to look at the early history of Leu Gardens and, in particular, the part Harry P Leu played in its development.

At the heart of the the gardens in The Leu House Museum which is on the National Register of Historic Places. Guided tours, illustrating turn of the 20th century living, are available to visitors and last around twenty minutes.

Originally The Leu House was simple farm-house with five rooms built in 1888 by the first landowners, the Mizell family. Subsequent owners made further additions to the property and Joseph Woodward completed the house as it is seen today.

After Woodward’s wife died in 1928 the estate went into trust and was rented out until it was bought by Harry P Leu in 1936 for the pricely sum of $40,000.

Harry P Leu was born in Orlando in 1884 and became an extremely astute and well-respected businessman. After graduating from college he worked locally for a boiler repair company called Cain & O’Berry. Leu worked his way up through the ranks before taking time out in New York to develop his business acumen even further.

On returning to Orlando, Leu eventually gained control of Cain & O’Berry and changed its name to Harry P Leu Inc, which then became an industrial supply company with offices in Miami and Tampa.

He bought Leu House in 1936 and set about major renovation work, which included the installation of central electricity and plumbing.

Away from the house Harry Leu had a great interest in plants and flowers. With his wife they embarked on several trips around the world bringing back many of the exotic plant varieties seen in the gardens today.

In 1961, the house and their beautiful gardens were given to the city of Orlando. This was Leu’s way of giving something back to the community where he had made his fortune.    The deed stipulated that the estate would always remain a botanical garden, for enjoyment and education of the people.  

The Leus hoped the house and gardens would attract people from all over the world. If they had been around today they would have seen that dream become reality.

However there is a lot more to see, and Leu cleverly designed the gardens into separate zones to maximise their impact on the visitor.

On arrival a path leads to the Tropical Stream Garden, which was completed in the year 2000. Follow the meandering stream down to the shore of Lake Rowenta and marvel at lush vegetation and babbling natural spring. Here Harry P Leu has created a garden with the look and feel of the tropics with plantings of banana, ginger, tree ferns, and palms to name but a few.

The Wetland Garden and Wycoff Overlook on Lake Rowenta was replanted with native aquatic plants around ten years ago. Today it is teeming with all sorts of wildlife including wading birds, dragonflies, turtles, and even the occasional alligator.

From the boardwalk the visitor will come across not only native Florida aquatic plants but also water lilies and lakeshore mangrove.

For the amateur gardener there are two zones dedicated to plants native to Florida.

The Home Demonstration Garden showcases different plant groups including annual and perennial flowers, vines, ground covers, fragrant flowers, ornamental grasses and textured plants. For those short of space the Urban Patio Garden features tub plants and vines that can thrive in courtyard settings.

Then there is the Bird Garden with plants that attract a range of migratory and native birds including the Florida Scrub Jay and Hummingbird.

The Butterfly Garden is planted with flowers and plants that supply nectar and attract many different types of butterfly.

Additionally there is the Enabling Garden, which features a variety of plants on raised beds ideal for wheelchair users and the Evening Garden is full of highly scented flowers and herbs in pale hues which stimulate the senses.

There also separate sections for vegetables, wildflowers, grasses and herbs.

In summary Harry P Leu has created a horticultural masterpiece so diverse that it is guaranteed to attract all types of garden lover from all over the world.

A visit is highly recommended.

Many years ago we made the discovery of the joys and untold pleasure to be gained by visiting the Gulf Coast and in particular the beaches of South West Florida,   There is something unique about still being able in this busy world  to walk along an empty beach of clear white sand with the occasional appearance of a dolphin  freely swimming close to the shore line looking a for meal, the only company.

We have encountered this scenario many times along South beach  Boca Grande and  and Stumps Pass Englewood to name a few, the locals do not bat an eyelid when the dolphins meander past, they are just used to it.  Whilst the visitor myself included will alert to the wife in excited way that dolphins are off shore, I can just visualised the locals muttering to themselves, typical tourists.  You can see dolphins along any beach on the gulf coast but there is no doubt they like quiet areas and when they come close to shore to feed.

The peak Gulf coast vacation rental season on the gulf coast is the winter months December to April when the North Americans and Canadians flood into South West Florida especially to escape the cold temperatures and snow in the Northern States.  The months of May and June are considered the off season which has always amazed me, I have been sat on a sun chair on a quiet beach in hot and sunny weather with the temperatures in the 90s and reading the local papers which talk about the busy season being over. When on some of the beaches in Europe in similar conditions you would be climbing over people to get to the sea.

Yes some of the beaches will still be busy, the likes of Fort Myers and Sarasota but there are still plenty of beaches to explore which offer the type of experience I have described above.

It is possible to arrange an entire vacation around visits to the theme parks – but it is always good to find an alternative way of spending a few hours.  Especially when it is something which simply isn’t available at home – at least for UK and European visitors.

So we can thoroughly recommend an airboat ride as a great ‘tourist attraction’ – slightly off the beaten track, yet typically Floridian.

One option is to drive down to the Everglades, where airboat rides will skim you across the lakes – yet there are similar trips available much closer to the attractions area in central Florida.

Our favourite is at Boggy Creek, just minutes away from Orlando International Airport (close enough that you can read the writing on the sides of the jets as they land at the airport!).  Here you can join an airboat ride which takes you across East Lake Toho – a typical daytime trip lasts around 30 minutes, with a very different experience available after nightfall.

This is an opportunity to see the local wildlife, including eagles and turtles, as well as alligators.  And in an 18 seater airboat, at high speeds skimming across the water amongst the reeds – do take up the option of earphones, as the engine on these boats is loud, to say the least!

So – a few tips to enjoy your airboat ride:

Take a discount voucher with you – these are widely available in many tourist brochures, distributed at kiosks, malls and supermarkets.  A couple of dollars saved on the cost can be very welcome!

Wear shades – the sun is very bright on the water.  And there will inevitably be a few insects, so shades will protect your eyes at speeds of up to 50 mph.

Wear a sun-block – its not worth the risk of sunburn.

Booking is not always necessary – but be prepared for a short wait at the coffee bar, or an opportunity to grab a bite to eat.