East Coast Beaches
Atlantic Coast Beaches
Fort Lauderdale
Daytona Beach
Daytona Beach in Volusia County is particularly busy during the summer months and, due to the hard packed sand here, vehicles are allowed to drive on the beach, although, the speed limit is limited to 10mph. Daytona Beach is also host to Biketoberfest. An annual bikers festival held every October, as the name suggests. This year, 2007, the rally is being held from October 18th - 21st. Thousands of bikes will descend on the town for a weekend that includes shows and rallies featuring custom bikes, vintage and brand new models. Biketoberfest also features on track action at Daytona International Speedway.
New Smyrna Beach
New Smyrna Beach, Volusia County has powdery white sand but it should be noted that more shark attacks are recorded each year in New Smyrna Beach than the rest of the world combined. A beautiful, characteristic, Bed and Breakfast in New Smyrna Beach is the Night Swan, a 3 storey home in the Historic District featuring private whirlpool tubs. http://www.nightswan.com/index.htm
Cocoa Beach
Cocoa Beach on the Atlantic coast is a favourite with surfers and is actually the original home of Ron Jon's Surf Shop.
Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale in Broward County is a lively city with many bars and nightclubs and is known as one of Florida's top gay resorts, although this image is far removed from Fort Lauderdale's origins. Tequesta Indians were the original inhabitants of the area but disease and wars eventually saw the Tequesta people's decline. Seminole Indians moved into the area next after the demise of the Tequesta. By the 1800's a few settlers had moved into Fort Lauderdale but they left rather quickly when, at the start of the Seminole War, the Seminole's murdered the family of the local sherrif, William Cooley. Major William Lauderdale erected a fort in the area in 1838, hence the name Fort Lauderdale. Apart from being one of Florida's top gay resorts, Fort Lauderdale attracts wealthy businessmen/women, tourists and college students
Photograph of Fort Lauderdale by Cary Michael Bass