Florida on the Cheap

It is a misconception to think that Florida, by virtue of being a holiday destination must be an expensive place to stay. “ It ain’t necessarily so” as the song goes. We have discovered that some of the best things to do are not only cheap, but in many instances are totally free. Take the beaches. Once you have decided on which one you wish to frequent, it is simply a case of paying four dollars to park (unless you find one with parking meters which is a bit more of a pain as they need feeding with “quarters”) and for that one outlay, you can arrive at 8am in the morning and leave at sunset. During that time, the beach, the sea and the sunshine are totally free, and as long as you come equipped with a large umbrella, a couple of comfortable beach chairs, a supply of cool drinks, nibbles and a good book, there is nothing to beat it. Parks are another good investment. If like us you enjoy walking or cycling, then head to one of the many excellent State run parks which in some cases, only charge a nominal entrance fee at weekends. Having left the car in one of the ample parking areas, you are free to follow trails which run through exotic stands of trees and shrubs, and often lead out across boardwalks which take you to the very centre of the mangrove swamps with maybe an alligator and some exotic bird-life thrown in. Alternatively you can lay claim to one of the large table/bench combinations, set up your picnic and watch the world go by and relax with the morning paper Flea Markets are another splendid free outing (as long as you are possessed with an iron will) and apart from occasionally paying one dollar to park, you are at liberty to stroll the hundreds of stalls and rummage through the incredible variety of items that range from high end antiques down to the one dollar stall. During what Floridians laughingly call “winter” when they shiver as the mercury plunges to the mid sixties, (around 20 C) many of the “snow birds” find their way down here from the frozen north and set up home until the chill of winter releases Canada from its grip. Suddenly there is an increase in the gabble of Quebecois which is a fractured language that my French born husband battles to understand, and clothing becomes a riot of palm-tree bedecked shirts and occasionally a rather frightening line in shorts. Many bring with them an assortment of goods in the hopes that sales at the Flea Markets will be sufficient to pay the bills for the coming four months until it is warm enough to retreat northwards once more, and the whole atmosphere of the market changes to simulate a farmers market in Provence. We live in a condominium (as the apartment blocks are called) and happily, it comes complete with a large swimming pool, an open air hot tub, a well-supplied gymnasium and a sauna. This is considered the norm, and if one takes advantage of all these extras, then it is a bit like living at a private health spa. It certainly doesn’t cost extra to use them and we find that lying back in the hot tub as the last golden rays of sunset paint the sky and the lights start to flicker on, is a very pleasant way to end the day. It’s also a good place to get to know people and very often the “hot tub” turns into “the melting pot”. There is also free open air dancing up at Hollywood Beach. Three nights a week, a variety of bands entertain the large crowd who either relax on the rows of benches or get up and “shake their boogies”. The music ranges from excellent to slightly disorganized but nobody worries as long as there is a decent beat, and dancing to a slow waltz under the stars as a cooling breeze drifts across the sand is equally as good as paying out vast amounts to dine and dance in some expensive restaurant down on South Beach, and instead of a tux and an expensive hairdo, here at Hollywood, t shirts and sneakers are de rigeur. There are bikes to hire for five dollars an hour, wide sandy beaches where you can sit and enjoy your own pizza and wine while watching the cruise ships sailing away towards the Bahamas, and if you are a people-watcher, there is a never-ending procession of promenaders who wander up and down the long stretch of boardwalk, all enjoying the warm air and the easy atmosphere. So Florida doesn’t have to be Orlando, South Beach, expensive shopping malls and flash night clubs. Sometimes settling for less can give you a whole lot more and at these prices, hopefully we can afford to enjoy it for a long time to come.