Travelore Tips Top 10 Summer Vacation Packages On Amelia Island

This summer, the Omni Amelia Island Plantation is offering three packages: the Big Break Getaway package for golfers, Fish to Fork Event package for foodies and Paddles & Pedals package for outdoorsy types.

Credit: Courtesy of Hayworth Public Relations

Contributed by Dalia Colon

How do I love summer on Amelia Island? Let me count the ways. Here, in no particular order, are 10 Amelia Island vacation offers to consider in summer 2014.

1. Amelia Hotel at the Beach offers the All Aboard package. Starting at $420, the package includes a two-night stay, dinner for two at the Crab Trap Restaurant in historic downtown Fernandina Beach, two tickets for Amelia River Cruises and a daily breakfast buffet. 877-263-5428;ameliahotel.com. Use rate code RCD2.

2. The picturesque Amelia Island Williams House B&B presents the Summer Fling Getaway. Stay two nights and get a third night free between June 1 and Sept. 1, 2014. Guests are treated to complimentary fresh baked cookies and lemonade upon arrival, a two-course breakfast, complimentary wine and appetizers each evening, use of the inn’s bikes, free Wi-Fi, and beach towels and chairs. 800-414-9258; williamshouse.com.

3. Fairbanks House is offering new lower rates on its Romance and Honeymoon packages. The offer features accommodations with private Jacuzzi tubs, daily breakfast, evening social hours with adult beverages and hors d’oeuvres, wine, chocolate covered-strawberries and dinners at local fine-dining restaurants. Packages range from two to seven nights and start at $435 for two. The sale price is valid July 6 Labor Day weekend. 888-891-9880; fairbankshouse.com.

4. ERA Fernandina Beach Realty is offering a 20 percent discount on weekly rentals of select oceanfront and resort condos. Enjoy special pricing through Aug. 15. 800-741-4011;ameliavacations.com.

5. Sunday through Thursday, get 10 percent off your stay at the Amelia Island Hampton Inn at the Beach. 904-321-1111; ameliaislandhamptoninn.com.

6. When you stay at least four night at Hoyt House B&B, take advantage of the Fun Inn the Sun special -- a $115 value that includes daily breakfast, a six pack of cold beer delivered poolside daily, a cruise around Amelia Island for two, $4 “Hoytie Toytie” martinis and late check-out. 904-277-4300;hoythouse.com. Use rate code FIS804.

7. The luxurious Omni Amelia Island Plantation has not one but three special packages available this summer: The Big Break Getaway package for golfers, the Fish to Fork Event package for foodies and the Paddles & Pedals package for outdoorsy types. Prices and dates vary. 800-843-6664; omniameliaislandplantation.com.

8. Sun worshippers will want to get in on the Let’s Beach It package at family-friendly Residence Inn - Amelia Island. Starting at $199, the offer includes hot breakfast, two Amelia Island beach towels, Amelia Island beach bag with bottled waters, two lip balms, complimentary shuttle service to and from the beach, one-day rental for two beach chairs with an umbrella and a discount at Sun Gallery. 866-245-6099; residenceinnameliaisland.com.

9. If you’re looking to splurge, the Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island won’t disappoint. The luxury resort’s Discover With You package at starts at $489 per night and includes accommodations, daily breakfast for two, a $100 hotel credit to spend at selected outlets, Salt amenity and a VIP invitation to participate in the daily Infused Salt Tasting at the Salt Shop. 904-277-1100;ritzcarlton.com/ameliaisland.

10. Get up to 30 percent off at Summer Beach Resort. The condominiums, townhouses and villas at Summer Beach feature full kitchens and washer/dryer. 800-862-9297; summerbeach.com.

Now for the fine print: Blackout dates may apply; expiration dates vary. To further explore Amelia Island, visit ameliaisland.com.

For more ways to maximize your money this summer and throughout the year, check out my VISIT FLORIDA Smart Travel page. I also share deals on Facebook and Twitter.

Follow us on Twitter: @TraveloreReport

Dali Museum In St. Petersburg Florida Premiers "Picasso / Dali, Dali / Picasso" Exhibit November 8 Through February 15th

Groundbreaking Exhibit Set For Exclusive St. Petersburg-Barcelona Run

The St. Pete/Clearwater area will be welcoming a landmark international exhibition when The Dalí Museum brings together two of the biggest names in the world of art this November with a brand new exhibition "Picasso / Dalí, Dalí / Picasso" in St. Petersburg. Dalí Museum Director Hank Hine (left), Museu Picasso Barcelona Director Bernardo Laniado-Romero (right) and Visit St. Pete/Clearwater Deputy Director David Downing announced the first-ever exhibit at a New York City press conference. The exhibition will open at The Dalí on Saturday, Nov. 8, and runs through February 15, 2015, at which point it will travel to the Museu Picasso for exhibition from March 19, 2015 until June 28, 2015. The Dalí Museum and the Museu Picasso are the only two institutions in the world that will house this exhibit.   "Just this week we had TripAdvisor name three of our beaches best in the U.S., and now we're announcing a world-class Picasso-Dalí exhibition coming this November," said VSPC Deputy Director Downing said. "With such a tremendous variety to offer locals and visitors alike, it's really no surprise that the area made The New York Times' list of the world's top destinations to visit in 2014." "Picasso / Dalí, Dalí / Picasso" will attract world-wide attention for both museums as it will feature works from more than 25 international art museums, as well as some from a private collection of the Picasso family. The exhibition will contain dozens of works and focus on paintings, but will also feature drawings, prints and sculpture. "This Picasso exhibition offers the possibility of rereading the relationship between two key figures of twentieth-century art and exploring new interpretations of the period in which their lives and works intersected," explained Dalí Museum Director Dr. Hank Hine. "Both of our permanent collections are made up of works by arguably the two most influential 20th century Spanish artists. We are honored to collaborate with Barcelona's Museu Picasso and our enduring partners at the Fundació Gala-Salvador Dalí." For more information about the exhibit and visiting the St. Petersburg/Clearwater region please visit: www.VisitStPeteClearwater.com

What’s Happening in Florida’s Space Coast: Fall 2013

As the season cools down, events heat up on Florida’s Space Coast

With cooler weather in sight, outdoor activities highlight the season in Florida’s Space Coast. Enjoy all the destination has to offer this fall with family-friendly events and cultural celebrations. Whether it’s taking a blast to the past with a 1980s–themed celebration, soaking up space history at a rocket launch or participating in a new artistic festival poised to become a destination tradition, there’s plenty to do in Florida’s Space Coast!

For a full listing of events, visit www.visitspacecoast.com/space-coast-events.

BOGO Surf Special – Now through September 8, 2013 – Space Coast, Fla.

Guests can learn to catch a wave with the destination’s Buy One, Get One free surfing deal now through Sept. 8. Visitors who purchase a surfing lesson at Cocoa Beach Surfing Company, Surf Cocoa Beach or Catalyst surfing schools will receive an additional surfing lesson for free when staying at participating hotel properties on Florida’s Space Coast. The deal also includes an additional 15 percent discount at these hotels. The promotion gives guests an opportunity to ride the waves in the East Coast’s surfing capital, where surfing legends like Kelly Slater learned and refined their craft.

The BOGO coupon is good for two concurrent surfing lessons at participating surfing schools. Offer is not valid with any other promotions.  For a full list of participating hotel properties and more information, visit www.summersurfingspecial.com.

Brevard Caribbean Fest – September 1, 2013 – Cocoa Village, Fla.

Celebrate the taste of the Caribbean with the Brevard Caribbean Fest on Sunday, Sept. 1. This annual event will feature live music, Caribbean dishes and dancing. Founded in 2004, the festival aims to encourage interaction between members of the community in a family-friendly atmosphere. Attendees will also get the opportunity to hear from noted speakers, network with other professionals and showcase their musical or performance talent to the community.

The Brevard Caribbean Fest will take place in Downtown Cocoa Village at the Riverfront Park from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.  Admittance is free. For more information, visitwww.brevardcaribbeanfest.com.

Space Coast Music Festival – September 27 – 28, 2013 – Cape Canaveral, Fla.

Come rock out at the Space Coast Music Festival on Friday, Sept. 27 and Saturday, Sept. 28. As a benefit event to help buy instruments for the Mila Elementary Music Program, the festival will offer multiple parties, live musical performances and food. This concert will feature Island Style Jam Music by the Caribbean’s No. 1 attraction, Hi Tide. Attendees are also encouraged to stick around for the Space Coast King and Queen of Wings competition and the Baja Tavern Port Canaveral Cove After Bash Space Jam from 9:30 p.m. to 1 a.m.

The event will be hosted both nights at the Manatee Sanctuary Park, located at 701 Thurm Blvd. in Cape Canaveral.  Admission is $5 and children under 12 are free. The festival will also feature an Eco Village dedicated to earth awareness and raising money to help preserve creative outlets and natural experiences for the youth of Florida.

For more information, visit http://www.visitspacecoast.com/Details/?id=17514&today=09/27/2013.

80s in the Park – September 28, 2013 – Melbourne, Fla.

Blast to the past with this two-day celebration of everything from the 1980s on Saturday, Sept. 28. From popular bands of the decade to iconic movie and TV cars, stars and sports figures, the event highlights the decade’s finest pop culture moments. And what 1980s celebration would be complete without entertainment? The Top 40 hits of the decade will be played throughout the park and attendees will have the opportunity to play favorite arcade games like Ms. Pacman and Space Invaders.

The 80s in the Park event will take place at 3825 N. Wickham Rd. in Melbourne. For tickets and more information, visit www.80sinthepark.com or call 321-917-0721.

Art & Algorithms Festival – October 4 –13, 2013 – Titusville, Fla.

New this fall, downtown Titusville will turn into a digital space when it hosts the Art & Algorithms festival from Oct. 4 through Oct. 13. This 10-day arts festival will highlight creative pieces that intersect art and technology. The festival will also feature two internationally known artists from the United Kingdom, Martin Richardson and Clifton Stewart, whose works have been acknowledged in the creative field. Featuring movies, hands-on digital and interactive exhibits and more, the event is designed to become a destination staple.

For more information, including a complete list of signature events, artists and where to purchase tickets, visit www.artandalgorithms.com.

Port Canaveral Pink Ribbon Walk & Port Fest – October 5, 2013 – Port Canaveral, Fla.

For Breast Cancer Awareness Month, come and join this family-oriented event benefiting the Space Coast Cancer Foundation on Oct. 5. From 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a charity walk, purchase items from local vendors and witness a Peel & Eat Shrimp eating contest at the Cove at Port Canaveral. The walk route will take attendees through multiple waterfront properties.

To walk in the event, guests are asked to make a $20 donation. For event details and more information, please call 321-508-3547 or visitwww.visitportcanaveral.com/event/pink-ribbon-walk-port-fest.

Brevard Zoo’s Boo at the Zoo – Weekends, October 11 – October 27, 2013 – Melbourne, Fla.

Come experience tricks and treats at the Brevard Zoo’s annual Boo at the Zoo Halloween event. Guests will have the opportunity to take their children to trick or treat with the animals and meet with various event sponsors. This weekend-long event will span the entire month of October, from October 11 –  13, October 18 – 20 and October 25 – 27.

For tickets, admission prices and more information, visit www.brevardzoo.org/calendar.

Viera Fall Festival and Oktoberfest – October 25 – 27, 2013 – Viera, Fla.

Celebrate the fall season with Viera’s new Fall Festival and Oktoberfest event. This free, family-friendly festival will feature a pumpkin-carving contest, hay rides, German cuisine, a children’s Wizard of Oz costume contest, food trucks and live music. The Chardon Polka Band will perform on Saturday and Sunday. Poised to become a city tradition, the Viera Fall Festival and Oktoberfest will feature a weekend full of fun and excitement for all attendees. The festival will be located at 2700 Judge Fran Jameson Way in Viera.

The event will be open on Friday from 6 – 10 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to midnight and on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, visit www.viera.com.

Rocket Launches – Kennedy Space Center, Fla. – September – October, 2013

NASA and private industry unmanned rockets continue to launch from the Kennedy Space Center:

Falcon 9 - SES 8 – TBD, September  2013

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the SES 8 communications satellite.  SES 8 will provide Ku-band and Ka-band direct-to-home broadcasting and network services over the Asia-Pacific region.

Atlas 5 - AEFH 3– September 25, 2013

The United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket will launch the third Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite. Built by Lockheed Martin, this U.S. military spacecraft will provide highly-secure communications. 

Falcon 9 - Tahicom 6 - October 2013

This SpaceX rocket launch will carry the Thaicom 6 satellite into orbit.  The orbital will provide C-band and Ku-band communications across the Southeast Asia and Africa.

Delta 4 - GPS 2F-5 - October 2013

This United Launch Alliance rocket will carry a U.S. Air Force navigation satellite for the Global Positioning System. 

Check www.kennedyspacecenter.com for launch times.

All launch dates are subject to change.  For updated information on dates, launch times and tips on where to view a launch, visit www.spacecoastlaunches.com.

Located 35 miles (56 km) east of Orlando, Florida’s Space Coast is home to Orlando’s closest beaches. Encompassing Cocoa Beach, Melbourne Beach, Palm Bay and Titusville, this family friendly destination offers more than 10,000 guest rooms, and is an ideal, value getaway. With 72 miles (110 km) of beaches, the longest stretch in the state, and 250 square miles of wildlife refuge, the Space Coast is one of the largest intact eco-systems in Florida. It is home to one of the nation’s busiest cruise ports; is the nation’s East Coast surfing capital and the location of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, where all 135 shuttle missions launched and unmanned rockets continue to launch. The Space Coast will be home to the retired Atlantis shuttle in July 2013, and is one of only four destinations nationwide where visitors will be able to view an orbiter. For more information, contact the Space Coast Office of Tourism at (877) 572-3224 or visitwww.visitspacecoast.com. Visit www.spacecoastlaunches.com to learn about upcoming rocket launches. Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Florida-Space-Coast. Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/flaspacecoast.

5 Destinations You May Not Know About In Miami

Contributed by A. PawlowskiTODAY 

• Fs Beaches and bars rule the typical Miami vacation, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

If you’re one of the sun-starved travelers preparing to descend on Florida to escape winter or relax on spring break, Miami itself can be a big part of your itinerary.

Tourists who take the time to explore the city are most surprised by the great differences from one neighborhood to another, said Paul George, a history professor at Miami Dade College and a tour guide forHistoryMiami. The museum offers excursions that range from tours of Art Deco office lobbies to “Cuisine and Culture” walks.

From Coconut Grove to Coral Gables, from Little Haiti to Little Havana, the metropolis shows off its diversity at every turn, George said. He takes visitors on dozens of outings around the city, but his favorite is still the walking tour of downtown Miami.

Video: The TODAY team takes a South Beach tour.

“You’ve got such an array of architecture downtown, that’s where the city began in 1896. So I would recommend downtown as a great area to see – an architectural delight with a great bay-front park,” George said.

If you’re ready to explore further, here are five destinations you may not know about in and around Miami.

Venetian Pool

Courtesy Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau

This image provided by Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau shows the Venetian Pool.

There’s no shortage of places to soak and swim in the city, but this public pool – with its loggias, porticos, “cave-like grottos” and lookout towers – takes the experience to another level.

The pool was created in 1923 from a coral rock quarry as a way of taking a “lemon and making lemonade out of it,” George said. 

George Merrick, the developer of Coral Gables, wanted to construct a Mediterranean-style community so Venice was chosen as the theme for the lagoon. 

Striped pillars and a Venetian-style bridge complete the look.

“It’s really something, it’s just delightful,” George said.

The 820,000 gallon aquatic facility is the only pool to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Neptune Memorial ReefCreators of this underwater cemetery just off Key Biscayne bill it as “the largest man-made reef ever conceived.”

Designed to evoke an Atlantis-style Lost City – with columns, statues and ornate structures placed on the ocean floor – the project will span over 16 acres when completed. Some of the features contain cremated remains, complete with plaques.

The Neptune Society, which created the reef, envisions the memorial will eventually be the final resting place for 100,000 people. Families visit on a regular basis, but the site also attracts recreational scuba divers and marine biologists, the company said.

The Reef is free and accessible to all visitors.

Ancient Spanish Monastery

Courtesy Ancient Spanish Monastery

The monastery, built in Sacramenia, Spain, was disassembled and shipped to the U.S.

What’s a 12th century monastery built in northern Spain doing in suburban Miami? That’s what happens when a beautiful object catches a tycoon’s eye. 

William Randolph Hearst bought the structure in 1925, had it dismantled stone by stone and shipped from Sacramenia, Spain, to the United States.

“He was a great collector and he liked to collect old things, ancient things. What better than, as he saw it, a Spanish castle? Although it really was a monastery,” George said.

Hearst's financial problems forced the pieces to sit in crates in a New York warehouse for 26 years until they were bought by two entrepreneurs and put back together in 1953. Today, the monastery serves as an Episcopal church and a popular wedding venue.

William Wagner HouseLocated in the city’s Lummus Park, this traditional frontier home is the oldest known house in .

William Wagner, who was homesteading on a tributary of the Miami River, built the house in the 1850s when hardly anyone was willing to move the region – only a “double-digit” population lived in the area, George said.

“It was isolated, it was mosquito-ridden ... it was really challenging, there’s no doubt about it,” he noted. Visitors who see the house are amazed people could live in such conditions, with no air conditioning, no screens and very few creature comforts.

George called it a historic “jewel.”

Coral CastleBilled as an eerie monument to love, this unusual sculpture garden was created by a Latvian immigrant in a feat so strange that some suspected he had supernatural powers.

Jilted by his fiancée Agnes Scuffs one day before their wedding, Ed Leedskalnin set out on a lifelong quest to create a monument to his beloved, according to the Coral Castle Museum.

Between 1923 to 1951, he carved over 1,100 tons of coral rock by himself, as the legend goes. No one knows how Leedskalnin, who was 5 feet tall and weighed 100 pounds, created and moved the giant towers, obelisks, a crescent moon, a sun dial, and functioning rocking chairs – all made out of stone.

He died without revealing his secrets, so the mystery continues.

New MagicBand Changes Disney Park Entry, More

Contributed by GENEVIEVE SHAW BROWN (@gsbrownabc)

Months of speculation surrounding a wrist band replacing paper tickets at Disney parks is over. An official announcement confirming the band was made Monday on the Disney Parks blog.

A Disney spokesperson told ABC News the bands would be rolling out this year over the next several months.

Worn on the wrist, the "MagicBand" will serve as a guest's room key, theme park ticket, access to FastPass+ selections, PhotoPass card and optional payment account all rolled into one.

"At Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, we continually push the boundaries of creativity and innovation to deliver the best possible experience for our guests," Tom Staggs, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts wrote. "We're always looking for ways to take what we do and do it even better. Over the past few years, we've devoted considerable time and resources to create a more immersive, more seamless and more personal experience for each and every guest who spends time with us."

The introduction of the band is part of a larger effort named MyMagic+ and includes a new My Disney Experience website and mobile app.

Guests can plan dining and reserve times for their favorite attractions, shows and more in advance through an enhanced FastPass system called FastPass+. Once they arrive, they can use their smart phones to change their plans.

Of course, the gathering of data on guests makes sense from a business standpoint for Disney. The more it knows about guest preferences, the more it can tailor the guest experience. But some skeptics worry about just how much information might be stored on those MagicBands.

"Ensuring the security of our guest's information is obviously very important to us, and no one is more focused on this than we are," a Disney spokesperson told ABC News. "Everything is opt in and guests will have the opportunity to choose what information they share with us. Nothing is more important to us than protecting that information. Guests should also know that the band does not store personal information."

The FCC filing on the MagicBand reads: "The radio of the device, Model MB-R1G1, is a wrist worn arm band that transmits a 2.4 GHz signal to an indoor wireless infrastructure. The PCB assembly is potted in plastic and completely overmolded with thermal plastic polyurethane. The band has no on off switch and is powered with a nonreplaceable coin cell."

Kissimmee Florida Invites You To Enter Their Decade Of Memories Contest

Our friends at Kissimmee Florida invite you to enter their Decade of Memories Contest with a grand prize of
10 years of vacations for the winner and five guests inclusive of air, car rental, and 6 nights accommodations; along with $25,000 in cash. To enter submit an essay describing "What would you do with a decade of
Kissimmee vacations" by midnight February 28th. For details about the contest please visit www.decadeofmemories.com  and for information about traveling to the region visit www.kissimmee.org