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Ft. Lauderdale and Daytona Beach are just two of the Florida attractions that Carolina students
will flock to over Spring Break. Warm days and cool nights are in the forecast.
Florid
By LINDA ROBERTSON
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NCE again it's time for the annual pil'gramage'
to pale college student's Mecca, South Fla.,
for Spring Break. The sun, sand and surf
worshippers come in droves, and for good reason.
South Florida has a lot to offer to make a vacation
memorable.
Of course, there's Fort Lauderdale. The city expects
more than 250,000 students to pass through during this
peak period.
"Our beaches and our weather appeal to worn out
students, "said Gayla Barwicki assistant manager of
tourism at the Ft. Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce.
"The only thing they want to do is have a good time,
get plenty of rest and relaxation and watch the guys
and the girls."
The beaches are big and crowded and just across the
street from the hotels on the strip. Popular bars
include the Button, Ocean Mist, Pete and Lenny's,
Area Code 305 (with cute phones at every table) and
Flanagan's. There's also the Elbow Room, which aptly
describes how much space you're likely to have on the
beach and in the bars this time of year in Lauderdale.
Everybody goes to Ft. Lauderdale. Ho Hum. Why
settle for the ordinary when with just a short drive
south you can enter the Magic City.
ji IAMrS reputation has suffered in the past
I v Uyear. It is going through it's own identity
crisis right now. But unless you plan to do
your sightseeing in the ghettos or Little Havana,
chances are you will not run into any riots or refugees
or cocaine cowboys.
Miami Beach is made up mostly of an older crowd
(much older), but there are always good shows and
performers to see at the hotels the Fountainbleau,
the Deauville, Sheraton Bal Harbor or the Eden Roc.
The Theater of Performing Arts will host an array of
talent Count Basie, Sarah Vaughn, Spirit of Miami
Jazz, the Miami Beach Symphony and the Maryland
Ballet on various dates during March 6-16.
The Fountainbleau has an outdoor restaurant in a
Caribbean setting with a Calypso band. Other
restaurants include joe's Stone Crabs (227 Biscayne
Ave.). Gordon's Seven Seas (79th St.), Benihana's (79th
St.), and Nick and Arthur's (79th St. Causeway). You
can rent sailboats or go windsurfing at the Eden Roc.
85th St. beach is spacious and clean.
There are games nightly at the Miami Jai Alai
Fronton (NW 36th St. and 36th Ave.) Betting is fierce
and you can win a bundle if you know who to put your
money on and if you're over 18. There is also plenty of
horse and dog racing in Miami at Hialeah and
Gulfstream and the Biscayne Kennel club.
Key Biscayne, just south of downtown, boasts to
have one of Miami's most beautiful beaches at
Crandon Park. But it has other numerous attractions
also. Lining the shoreline along Rickenbacker
Causeway are a rainbow of Hobie Cat sails. Speed
boats race at Marine Stadium. The Rusty Pelican
serves a delicious brunch amid its sea lore decor. For
Flipper fans there's the Seaquarium and Planet Ocean
is right across the street. Besides Crandon Beach, there
is Virginia Beach and Cape Florida, which are a bit
more secluded and quiet. .
Just south of Key Biscayne is Coconut Grove. In the
Grove, you will find some of Miami's most eccentrir
characters, as well as quaint shops and restaurants.
Bananas is a popular night spot and its usual band
plays everything from reggae to mellow rock. Monty
Trainer's has a unique outdoor patio bar. You may
want to have drinks in the Encore Room after a play in
the Coconut Grove Playhouse or rent a sailboat at
Dinner Key Marina for a spin on the bay. The Grove's
Vita-course has not diminished in popularity and the
weekends see it jammed with tan joggers and roller
skaters. There is also a frisbee golf course. You won't
be able to afford anything at Mayfair, the Grove's
exclusive shopping complex, but it's fun to browse
amid tropical plants and fountains, ride the glass
elevator and survey the elite and their extravagant
purchases.
. From Coconut Grove head south beneath a canopy
of Banyan trees on Old Cutler Road. Dadeland Mall is
big and the prices are reasonable and Raffles is a nice
bar.
The Falls shopping mall is a notch above Dadeland
and a notch below Mayfair, and the architecture and
the waterfalls make for a great atmosphere. Friday's is
a very popular restaurant and bar with all kinds of
exotic drinks. By the way the drinking age in Florida
has recently been raised to 19.
Snorkeling is as easy as swimming, but you must be
certified to go scuba diving.
Key West is well worth the long drive.
"There are always lots of college students here this
time of year," Susan Darcell of the Key West Chamber
of Commerce said. "Some like to take the sea plane
service to the Dry Tortugas and camp out and some
prefer to stay on the island and go through all the art
galleries."
Fishing and diving boats take off on trips twice daily.
There are plays at the Tennessee Williams Playhouse,
the Waterfront Playhouse and the Red Barn Theater.
The Conch Train and Trolley take visitors on a 14-mile '
lecture tour around the island. Those searching for
Hemingway's ghost can visit his home on 907
Whitehead Dr.
At Old Mallory Square, musicians, jugglers and
acrobats gather nightly to entertain people, as a
preview to the real show a sunset in the Keys.
Although eventually the sun does go down in South
Florida, it's almost guaranteed to be shining the next
day. .0
Linda Robertson is a staff writer for The Daily Tar Heel.
EAVING the city, heading south on U.S. 1, you
-enter the Florida Keys, a chain of islands
beginning with Key Largo and ending at Key
West. The Keys are practically commercialized yet are
Florida's last refuge of unspoiled beauty.
Once you are this far South, you cannot pass up
snorkeling or scuba diving at John Pennekamp State
Park, the last living coral reef in the U.S. The
underwater world is incomparable to anything you
have ever experienced. The fish are used to divers and
often swim right up to your mask. Parrot fish will eat
out of your hand. There are more than 30 dive shops all
along the highway that take trips and rent equipment.
Safe travel tips
TUDENTS traveling long distances over Spring
Break can avoid a disastrous vacation by
following simple safety guidelines and having
their car thoroughly checked before hitting the road.
"Neglect is the main problem with most car
owners," John Oster of the Airport Rd. Gulf Service
said. "Also driving from one climate to another can
create trouble due to a temperature change." Oster
advises especially checking fan belts, heater hoses
and tires.
"You can see the hoses or belts on your engine
rearing out, but for long trips, owners should take
their car to a service station and have things like oil,
steering, alignment andjire balance checked," Butch
Bishop of E. Franklin St Car Care and Exxon said.
An oil change costs about $25 and a tune-up can
cost $50 or more, depending on the parts needed.
Jim Julian of the Carolina Motor Club (AAA)
advises travelers to take along up-to-date maps, a
valid car registration and a flashlight. Drivers should
stick to a well-planned route and take 10 minute
breaks every 100-150 miles.
"You'll have a greater piece of mind if the car is
checked beforehand and you could save a lot of
money on the trip," Julian said He does not
anticipate any gasoline price hikes between now and
March 6 Linda Robertson
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Weekender, February 26, 1UU1
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