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This project for the Florida Department of Transportation, District 4, called for the construction of a new double-leaf bascule bridge across the Intracoastal Waterway, at Hallandale Beach, Florida. The phasing of the project called for the construction of a new westbound span north of the existing structure, removal of the existing structure, a shift of traffic and construction of the eastbound structure. The types of construction in the project included a bascule bridge, cast-in-place box girders, conventional AASHTO girders and reinforced earth walls.

 

Credit for the data above is given to the following website:

www.glfusa.com/project/hallandale-beach-bascule-bridge/

 

© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.

  

The Anastasia Formation extends for 2 miles north along the shoreline with cliffs up to 15 feet high at the House of Refuge. Looking south from the end of the boardwalk, Bathtub Reef is visible.

 

Immediately ahead is an outcrop with small burrows, aminated crusts, solution pipes, a notch and an abrasion platform, and a mass of collapsed rock. Moving north along the beach moving toward the House of Refuge, there are several outcrops with conspicuous notches.

 

At the House of Refuge are prominent planar bedding, many fossils (including Busycon), small and large burrows, thick laminated calcium carbonate crusts, lithified infillings, solution pipes, notched cliffs, promontories and small coves, and many large masses of collapsed bedrock.

 

Credit for the data above is given to the following website:

segs.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/SEGS-Guidebook-73.pdf

 

© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.

Hollywood is a city in Broward County, Florida, located between Fort Lauderdale and Miami. The average temperature is between 68 and 83 degrees. As of July 1, 2015 Hollywood has a population of 149,728. Founded in 1925, the city grew rapidly in the 1950s and 1960s, and is now the twelfth largest city in Florida. Hollywood is a principal city of the Miami metropolitan area, which was home to an estimated 6,012,331 people at the 2015 census.

  

Joseph W. Young founded the city in 1925. He dreamed of building a motion picture colony on the East Coast of the United States and named the town after Hollywood, California. Young bought up thousands of acres of land around 1920, and named his new town "Hollywood by the Sea" to distinguish it from his other real estate venture, "Hollywood in the Hills", in New York

  

Young had a vision of having lakes, golf courses, a luxury beach hotel, country clubs, and a main street, Hollywood Boulevard. After the 1926 Miami hurricane, Hollywood was severely damaged; local newspapers reported that Hollywood was second only to Miami in losses from the storm. Following upon Young's death in 1934, the city encountered more terrific hurricanes and not only that, but the stock market crashed with personal financial misfortunes. It felt as though the city was tumbling slowly piece by piece with all of those tragic events taking place.

  

Hollywood is a planned city. On Hollywood Boulevard is the Mediterranean-style Joseph Young Mansion, built around 1921, making it one of the oldest houses in Hollywood.

  

Credit for the data above is given to the following website:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood,_Florida

@ Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, Key Biscayne island, Florida

* Robert Brault...........

Intracoastal. The Palm Beach view in fall...

I know... Palm Beach weather is the best. Let the North keep the icy chill and we’ll take the beach, the balmy breezes, the sunsets and the swaying palms.

 

View the WebSite of Jaibem Photography

 

Visit my Photoblog & Vote

The area that was to become West Palm Beach was settled in the late 1870s and 1880s by a few hundred settlers who called the vicinity "Lake Worth Country." These settlers were a diverse community from different parts of the United States and the world. They included founding families such at the Potters and the Lainharts, who would go on to become leading members of the business community in the fledgling city. The first white settlers in Palm Beach County lived around Lake Worth, then an enclosed freshwater lake, named for Colonel William Jenkins Worth, who had fought in the Second Seminole War in Florida in 1842. Most settlers engaged in the growing of tropical fruits and vegetables for shipment the north via Lake Worth and the Indian River. By 1890, the U.S. Census counted over 200 people settled along Lake Worth in the vicinity of what would become West Palm Beach. The area at this time also boasted a hotel, the "Cocoanut House", a church, and a post office. The city was platted by Henry Flagler as a community to house the servants working in the two grand hotels on the neighboring island of Palm Beach, across Lake Worth in 1893, coinciding with the arrival of the Florida East Coast railroad. Flagler paid two area settlers, Captain Porter and Louie Hillhouse, a combined sum of $45,000 for the original town site, stretching from Clear Lake to Lake Worth.

 

On November 5, 1894, 78 people met at the "Calaboose" (the first jail and police station located at Clematis St. and Poinsettia, now Dixie Hwy.) and passed the motion to incorporate the Town of West Palm Beach in what was then Dade County (now Miami-Dade County). This made West Palm Beach the first incorporated municipality in Dade County and in South Florida. The town council quickly addressed the building codes and the tents and shanties were replaced by brick, brick veneer, and stone buildings. The city grew steadily during the 1890s and the first two decades of the 20th century, most residents were engaged in the tourist industry and related services or winter vegetable market and tropical fruit trade. In 1909, Palm Beach County was formed by the Florida State Legislature and West Palm Beach became the county seat. In 1916, a new neo-classical courthouse was opened, which has been painstakingly restored back to its original condition, and is now used as the local history museum.

 

The city grew rapidly in the 1920s as part of the Florida land boom. The population of West Palm Beach quadrupled from 1920 to 1927, and all kinds of businesses and public services grew along with it. Many of the city's landmark structures and preserved neighborhoods were constructed during this period. Originally, Flagler intended for his Florida East Coast Railway to have its terminus in West Palm, but after the area experienced a deep freeze, he chose to extend the railroad to Miami instead.

 

The land boom was already faltering when city was devastated by the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane. The Depression years of the 1930s were a quiet time for the area, which saw slight population growth and property values lower than during the 1920s. The city only recovered with the onset of World War II, which saw the construction of Palm Beach Air Force Base, which brought thousands of military personnel to the city. The base was vital to the allied war effort, as it provided an excellent training facility and had unparalleled access to North Africa for a North American city. Also during World War II, German U-Boats sank dozens of merchant ships and oil tankers just off the coast of West Palm Beach. Nearby Palm Beach was under black out conditions to minimize night visibility to German U-boats.

 

The 1950s saw another boom in population, partly due to the return of many soldiers and airmen who had served in the vicinity during the war. Also, the advent of air conditioning encouraged growth, as year-round living in a tropical climate became more acceptable to northerners. West Palm Beach became the one of the nation's fastest growing metropolitan areas during the 1950s; the city's borders spread west of Military Trail and south to Lake Clarke Shores. However, many of the city's residents still lived within a narrow six-block wide strip from the south to north end. The neighborhoods were strictly segregated between White and African-American populations, a legacy that the city still struggles with today. The primary shopping district remained downtown, centered around Clematis Street.

 

In the 1960s, Palm Beach County's first enclosed shopping mall, the Palm Beach Mall, and an indoor arena were completed. These projects led to a brief revival for the city, but in the 1970s and 1980s crime continued to be a serious issue and suburban sprawl continued to drain resources and business away from the old downtown area. By the early 1990s there were very high vacancy rates downtown, and serious levels of urban blight.

 

Since the 1990s, developments such as CityPlace and the preservation and renovation of 1920s architecture in the nightlife hub of Clematis Street have seen a downtown resurgence in the entertainment and shopping district. The city has also placed emphasis on neighborhood development and revitalization, in historic districts such as Northwood, Flamingo Park, and El Cid. Some neighborhoods still struggle with blight and crime, as well as lowered property values caused by the Great Recession, which hit the region particularly hard. Since the recovery, multiple new developments have been completed. The Palm Beach Mall, located at the Interstate 95/Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard interchange became abandoned as downtown revitalized - the very mall that initiated the original abandonment of the downtown. The mall was then redeveloped into the Palm Beach Fashion Outlets in February 2014. A station for All Aboard Florida, a high-speed passenger rail service serving Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Orlando, is under construction as of July 2015.

 

Credit for the data above is given to the following website:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Palm_Beach,_Florida

This macro shot is for chitofran and { karen } they wrote me very "touching" testimonials. Nakaka taba po ng puso. Thank you so much for your kind words. :)

 

This caterpillar transforms into a Ruddy Dagger-Wing butterfly

  

I'm having FWS (flickr withdrawal syndrome) hehe. I was out for a week and I tell you, it's good to be back! I will visit you guys later :)

Miami is a seaport city at the southeastern corner of the U.S. state of Florida and its Atlantic coast. As the seat of Miami-Dade County, the municipality is the principal, central, and the most populous city of the Miami metropolitan area and part of the second-most populous metropolis in the southeastern United States.

 

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Miami's metro area is the eighth-most populous and fourth-largest urban area in the U.S., with a population of around 5.5 million.

 

Miami is a major center, and a leader in finance, commerce, culture, media, entertainment, the arts, and international trade. In 2012, Miami was classified as an Alpha−World City in the World Cities Study Group's inventory. In 2010, Miami ranked seventh in the United States in terms of finance, commerce, culture, entertainment, fashion, education, and other sectors. It ranked 33rd among global cities. In 2008, Forbes magazine ranked Miami "America's Cleanest City", for its year-round good air quality, vast green spaces, clean drinking water, clean streets, and citywide recycling programs.

 

According to a 2009 UBS study of 73 world cities, Miami was ranked as the richest city in the United States, and the world's fifth-richest city in terms of purchasing power. Miami is nicknamed the "Capital of Latin America" and is the largest city with a Cuban-American plurality.

 

Miami has the third tallest skyline in the U.S. with over 300 high-rises. Downtown Miami is home to the largest concentration of international banks in the United States, and many large national and international companies. The Civic Center is a major center for hospitals, research institutes, medical centers, and biotechnology industries.

 

For more than two decades, the Port of Miami, known as the "Cruise Capital of the World", has been the number one cruise passenger port in the world. It accommodates some of the world's largest cruise ships and operations and is the busiest port in both passenger traffic and cruise lines.

 

Metropolitan Miami is the major tourism hub in the American South, number two in the U.S. after New York City and number 13 in the world, including the popular destination of Miami Beach.

 

Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgewater_(Miami)

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami

 

© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.

  

I got chills, they're multiplying

And I'm losing control

'Cause the power you're supplying

It's electrifying ~ Grease

© Theofani All Rights Reserved. No usage allowed including copying or sharing without written permission.

LE capture of Tampa Bay Skyline. As this city looks to expand, we will see downtown with much more entertainment in the coming years. The riverwalk expansion and talks of rebuilding channelside, locals will have many more choices to choose from.

Lake Avenue Bascule Bridge is located at Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) Mile Marker 1028.8 in Lake Worth, about nine statute miles south of Lake Worth Inlet. The bridge has a 35-foot closed vertical clearance with 90 feet of horizontal clearance at center. The open vertical clearance should not be any issue for all but the tallest of sailboats, which most likely would not be traveling the ICW route anyway due to draft constraints. The bridge has no restrictions and will open on demand.

 

The bridge can be opened by horn signal (one long, one short) or by hailing the bridge tender on VHF Channel 09. (All bridges in the state of Florida must be hailed on VHF Channel 09.)

 

Credit for the data above is given to the following website:

marinas.com/view/bridge/dmu1x_Lake_Worth_Avenue_Bascule_B...

 

The area that was to become West Palm Beach was settled in the late 1870s and 1880s by a few hundred settlers who called the vicinity "Lake Worth Country." These settlers were a diverse community from different parts of the United States and the world. They included founding families such at the Potters and the Lainharts, who would go on to become leading members of the business community in the fledgling city. The first white settlers in Palm Beach County lived around Lake Worth, then an enclosed freshwater lake, named for Colonel William Jenkins Worth, who had fought in the Second Seminole War in Florida in 1842. Most settlers engaged in the growing of tropical fruits and vegetables for shipment the north via Lake Worth and the Indian River. By 1890, the U.S. Census counted over 200 people settled along Lake Worth in the vicinity of what would become West Palm Beach. The area at this time also boasted a hotel, the "Cocoanut House", a church, and a post office. The city was platted by Henry Flagler as a community to house the servants working in the two grand hotels on the neighboring island of Palm Beach, across Lake Worth in 1893, coinciding with the arrival of the Florida East Coast railroad. Flagler paid two area settlers, Captain Porter and Louie Hillhouse, a combined sum of $45,000 for the original town site, stretching from Clear Lake to Lake Worth.

 

On November 5, 1894, 78 people met at the "Calaboose" (the first jail and police station located at Clematis St. and Poinsettia, now Dixie Hwy.) and passed the motion to incorporate the Town of West Palm Beach in what was then Dade County (now Miami-Dade County). This made West Palm Beach the first incorporated municipality in Dade County and in South Florida. The town council quickly addressed the building codes and the tents and shanties were replaced by brick, brick veneer, and stone buildings. The city grew steadily during the 1890s and the first two decades of the 20th century, most residents were engaged in the tourist industry and related services or winter vegetable market and tropical fruit trade. In 1909, Palm Beach County was formed by the Florida State Legislature and West Palm Beach became the county seat. In 1916, a new neo-classical courthouse was opened, which has been painstakingly restored back to its original condition, and is now used as the local history museum.

 

The city grew rapidly in the 1920s as part of the Florida land boom. The population of West Palm Beach quadrupled from 1920 to 1927, and all kinds of businesses and public services grew along with it. Many of the city's landmark structures and preserved neighborhoods were constructed during this period. Originally, Flagler intended for his Florida East Coast Railway to have its terminus in West Palm, but after the area experienced a deep freeze, he chose to extend the railroad to Miami instead.

 

The land boom was already faltering when city was devastated by the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane. The Depression years of the 1930s were a quiet time for the area, which saw slight population growth and property values lower than during the 1920s. The city only recovered with the onset of World War II, which saw the construction of Palm Beach Air Force Base, which brought thousands of military personnel to the city. The base was vital to the allied war effort, as it provided an excellent training facility and had unparalleled access to North Africa for a North American city. Also during World War II, German U-Boats sank dozens of merchant ships and oil tankers just off the coast of West Palm Beach. Nearby Palm Beach was under black out conditions to minimize night visibility to German U-boats.

 

The 1950s saw another boom in population, partly due to the return of many soldiers and airmen who had served in the vicinity during the war. Also, the advent of air conditioning encouraged growth, as year-round living in a tropical climate became more acceptable to northerners. West Palm Beach became the one of the nation's fastest growing metropolitan areas during the 1950s; the city's borders spread west of Military Trail and south to Lake Clarke Shores. However, many of the city's residents still lived within a narrow six-block wide strip from the south to north end. The neighborhoods were strictly segregated between White and African-American populations, a legacy that the city still struggles with today. The primary shopping district remained downtown, centered around Clematis Street.

 

In the 1960s, Palm Beach County's first enclosed shopping mall, the Palm Beach Mall, and an indoor arena were completed. These projects led to a brief revival for the city, but in the 1970s and 1980s crime continued to be a serious issue and suburban sprawl continued to drain resources and business away from the old downtown area. By the early 1990s there were very high vacancy rates downtown, and serious levels of urban blight.

 

Since the 1990s, developments such as CityPlace and the preservation and renovation of 1920s architecture in the nightlife hub of Clematis Street have seen a downtown resurgence in the entertainment and shopping district. The city has also placed emphasis on neighborhood development and revitalization, in historic districts such as Northwood, Flamingo Park, and El Cid. Some neighborhoods still struggle with blight and crime, as well as lowered property values caused by the Great Recession, which hit the region particularly hard. Since the recovery, multiple new developments have been completed. The Palm Beach Mall, located at the Interstate 95/Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard interchange became abandoned as downtown revitalized - the very mall that initiated the original abandonment of the downtown. The mall was then redeveloped into the Palm Beach Fashion Outlets in February 2014. A station for All Aboard Florida, a high speed passenger rail service serving Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Orlando, is under construction as of July 2015.

 

Credit for the data above is given to the following website:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Palm_Beach,_Florida

Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga) - Miami-Dade County, Florida

 

A female anhinga poses during a rain storm in the everglades.

  

UPDATED WEBSITE

 

©2024 Nature's Spectrum, For consideration only, no reproduction without prior permission.

Above the serene waters of Sebastian Inlet State Park, I was privileged to witness the commanding presence of the Osprey (Pandion haliaetus), often referred to as the sea hawk. This master of the skies, known for its fishing prowess, was captured in a moment of pure dominion, wings unfurled against the stark blue canvas of Florida’s coastal heavens. The shot encapsulates the essence of its predatory focus, a momentary glimpse into a life spent in harmony with the rhythm of the sea.

 

From a photographer's craft, this image demanded an interplay of timing and technique. The challenge of capturing the osprey’s grandeur mid-flight called for a careful balance of shutter speed and aperture to freeze the motion without losing the intricate detail and texture of its feathers. The lighting was particularly cooperative, offering a natural highlight to the contours of its form and the concentration in its eyes. It's these instances of natural poetry that drive my passion for photography, aiming to share with you not just an image, but a narrative suspended in time.

 

©2020 Adam Rainoff

Caspersen Beach is one of the best shelling beaches in the area and an excellent spot to find prehistoric sharks’ teeth! There are nature trails traveling through freshwater and saltwater marshes, mangrove areas, and tidal flats, and excellent opportunities for wildlife viewing.

 

Data originated from the following website:

www.scgov.net/beaches/Pages/Caspersen.aspx

Featured in Gaia - the living planet

 

Explore 22 Feb 2008 - #2

Not a cloud in the sky this morning. The temperature climbed up to 40.2°C today and summer is over in just about a week.

The hour before sunrise was most spectacular and provided the opportunity to get some artistic shots along our shorelines.

 

5 Exposure HDR

Photomatix

Very subtle tone mapping

  

The Miami Tower is a 47-story, landmark office skyscraper in Miami, Florida, United States. It is located in central Downtown. It is currently the 8th tallest building in Miami and Florida. On April 18, 2012, the AIA's Florida Chapter placed it on its list of Florida Architecture: 100 Years. 100 Places as the Bank of America Tower.

 

Built for CenTrust Bank in 1987, the 47-story building ranks in the top ten tallest skyscrapers in Miami and in Florida at a height of 625 feet (191 m) and is known for its elaborate night-time illuminations and its dramatic three glass tiers. Designed by the Pei Cobb Freed & Partners architectural firm, the tower consists of two separate structures: A 10-story parking garage owned by the city and the 47-story office tower built upon the air rights of the garage. Preliminary planning for the tower began in February 1980; construction on the garage began by November. The garage was completed in February 1983 and the tower began construction a year later. On August 1984, while the tower was under construction, a 5-alarm fire began on the ninth floor; construction was subsequently delayed for several weeks. On December 15, 1985, the tower was lit for the first time in Miami Dolphins aqua and snowflakes.

 

By mid-1986, the tower's exterior was complete and the grand opening for the complex was set for early fall that same year. Due to the uneven settling of the tower's foundation to one side by several inches, and the resulting misalignment of the tower's elevator rails, the grand opening for the complex was delayed until February 1987. The complete complex featured the world's only elevated metro station in a skyscraper (Knight Center station). It also gained notoriety for its luxurious interiors, including a sky lobby on the 11th floor covered in marble and gold and a 10,000 sq ft (930 m2) outdoor terrace. Also, its indoor gym features mahogany cabinets. The tower is connected to the James L. Knight Center by a pedestrian walkway and on the first floor is a retail spine covered with green marble. The tower contains 1,160,000 sq ft (108,000 m2) with 503,000 sq ft (46,700 m2) of office space and a 535,000 sq ft (49,700 m2), 1,500 space parking garage.

 

The building appears during the end credits of the 1986 movie Flight Of The Navigator in an aerial shot of Miami. The very top floors can clearly be seen still under construction.

The roof of the building was the set of Gloria Estefan's 1994 video for "Turn The Beat Around". The building is also one of many featured on the backdrop of the stage on The Tonight Show.

 

On January 1, 2010, the building was renamed the Miami Tower.

 

Credit for the data above is given to the following website:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami_Tower

 

Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel & Marina is nestled along the scenic Tampa Bay waterfront adjacent to the Tampa Convention Center and provides atmospheric views, downtown convenience and modern luxury.

  

Building Facts:

  

Newest addition includes a 32 slip year round full service marina featuring boat rentals, sailing, kayaks, canoeing & water excursions.

  

Are available: 6,000 square-foot full service spa and fitness center and a heated rooftop pool.

  

Twelve beacons, three on each corner of the building's capital, shine brilliant white in the evening hours.

The hotel has a rooftop pool.

  

The luxury hotel is a five time Gold Key winner.

The hotel contains a 17,000 square foot grand ballroom, an 8,500 square foot Florida ballroom, and a 6,000 square foot fitness center and spa.

  

31 meeting rooms and a close proximity to Tampa's financial district make this hotel a premier conference center.

  

The building was Marriott's 2000th property.

50,000 S.F. meeting space is available.

  

Largest hotel in Tampa, the city's second largest hotel is Embassy Suites Hotel Downtown.

  

The high-rise hotel is located on 3.3 waterfront acres in downtown Tampa.

  

Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:

www.marriott.com/hotel-info/tpamc-tampa-marriott-watersid...

www.emporis.com/buildings/128607/tampa-marriott-waterside...

Sunrise, Atlantic Coast - Flagler County, Florida.

 

Light from the sun begins to break over the horizon along the Atlanic coast at Washington Oaks Gardens State Park.

 

©2012 Nature's Spectrum, For consideration only, no reproduction without prior permission.

Cedar Key Summer 2011

The Baldwin Park Boardwalk on Lake Baldwin in Orlando, Florida looking east northeast.

The city of Tampa is situated on the west coast of Florida along the Gulf of Mexico. This city is the economic center of western Florida. The central financial district is an area of high-rise office towers, but Tampa also has historic old sections such as Ybor City and Old Hyde Park.

 

The maps drawn by the Spanish conquistadors show a number of Indian settlements around the Tampa Bay area. In 1824 the Americans built a fort at the mouth of the Hillsborough River directed against the Seminole Indians. After the Second Seminole War a port and trading center were established here, and this soon developed into a regional center. The Civil War brought a period of stagnation, until a boost was given to the town by the construction of the South Florida Railroad.

 

Towards the end of the 19th century Tampa became a fashionable winter resort. In 1886 the Cuban cigar manufacturer Vincente Martinez Ybor moved his business to Tampa and a new quarter, Ybor City, was built for his Spanish-speaking employees. The mining of phosphates in the surrounding area also gave a stimulus to the city's development.

Naples, Florida

 

What I Do All Day At The Moment 😉

Hey my friends,yes i have taken many photos but this one remains my personal fave,it has been on before and i hope you like it.

And as always my friends thanks for all your comments and faves.

The area that was to become West Palm Beach was settled in the late 1870s and 1880s by a few hundred settlers who called the vicinity "Lake Worth Country." These settlers were a diverse community from different parts of the United States and the world. They included founding families such at the Potters and the Lainharts, who would go on to become leading members of the business community in the fledgling city. The first white settlers in Palm Beach County lived around Lake Worth, then an enclosed freshwater lake, named for Colonel William Jenkins Worth, who had fought in the Second Seminole War in Florida in 1842. Most settlers engaged in the growing of tropical fruits and vegetables for shipment the north via Lake Worth and the Indian River. By 1890, the U.S. Census counted over 200 people settled along Lake Worth in the vicinity of what would become West Palm Beach. The area at this time also boasted a hotel, the "Cocoanut House", a church, and a post office. The city was platted by Henry Flagler as a community to house the servants working in the two grand hotels on the neighboring island of Palm Beach, across Lake Worth in 1893, coinciding with the arrival of the Florida East Coast railroad. Flagler paid two area settlers, Captain Porter and Louie Hillhouse, a combined sum of $45,000 for the original town site, stretching from Clear Lake to Lake Worth.

 

On November 5, 1894, 78 people met at the "Calaboose" (the first jail and police station located at Clematis St. and Poinsettia, now Dixie Hwy.) and passed the motion to incorporate the Town of West Palm Beach in what was then Dade County (now Miami-Dade County). This made West Palm Beach the first incorporated municipality in Dade County and in South Florida. The town council quickly addressed the building codes and the tents and shanties were replaced by brick, brick veneer, and stone buildings. The city grew steadily during the 1890s and the first two decades of the 20th century, most residents were engaged in the tourist industry and related services or winter vegetable market and tropical fruit trade. In 1909, Palm Beach County was formed by the Florida State Legislature and West Palm Beach became the county seat. In 1916, a new neo-classical courthouse was opened, which has been painstakingly restored back to its original condition, and is now used as the local history museum.

 

The city grew rapidly in the 1920s as part of the Florida land boom. The population of West Palm Beach quadrupled from 1920 to 1927, and all kinds of businesses and public services grew along with it. Many of the city's landmark structures and preserved neighborhoods were constructed during this period. Originally, Flagler intended for his Florida East Coast Railway to have its terminus in West Palm, but after the area experienced a deep freeze, he chose to extend the railroad to Miami instead.

 

The land boom was already faltering when city was devastated by the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane. The Depression years of the 1930s were a quiet time for the area, which saw slight population growth and property values lower than during the 1920s. The city only recovered with the onset of World War II, which saw the construction of Palm Beach Air Force Base, which brought thousands of military personnel to the city. The base was vital to the allied war effort, as it provided an excellent training facility and had unparalleled access to North Africa for a North American city. Also during World War II, German U-Boats sank dozens of merchant ships and oil tankers just off the coast of West Palm Beach. Nearby Palm Beach was under black out conditions to minimize night visibility to German U-boats.

 

The 1950s saw another boom in population, partly due to the return of many soldiers and airmen who had served in the vicinity during the war. Also, the advent of air conditioning encouraged growth, as year-round living in a tropical climate became more acceptable to northerners. West Palm Beach became the one of the nation's fastest growing metropolitan areas during the 1950s; the city's borders spread west of Military Trail and south to Lake Clarke Shores. However, many of the city's residents still lived within a narrow six-block wide strip from the south to north end. The neighborhoods were strictly segregated between White and African-American populations, a legacy that the city still struggles with today. The primary shopping district remained downtown, centered around Clematis Street.

 

In the 1960s, Palm Beach County's first enclosed shopping mall, the Palm Beach Mall, and an indoor arena were completed. These projects led to a brief revival for the city, but in the 1970s and 1980s crime continued to be a serious issue and suburban sprawl continued to drain resources and business away from the old downtown area. By the early 1990s there were very high vacancy rates downtown, and serious levels of urban blight.

 

Since the 1990s, developments such as CityPlace and the preservation and renovation of 1920s architecture in the nightlife hub of Clematis Street have seen a downtown resurgence in the entertainment and shopping district. The city has also placed emphasis on neighborhood development and revitalization, in historic districts such as Northwood, Flamingo Park, and El Cid. Some neighborhoods still struggle with blight and crime, as well as lowered property values caused by the Great Recession, which hit the region particularly hard. Since the recovery, multiple new developments have been completed. The Palm Beach Mall, located at the Interstate 95/Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard interchange became abandoned as downtown revitalized - the very mall that initiated the original abandonment of the downtown. The mall was then redeveloped into the Palm Beach Fashion Outlets in February 2014. A station for All Aboard Florida, a high speed passenger rail service serving Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Orlando, is under construction as of July 2015.

 

Credit for the data above is given to the following website:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Palm_Beach,_Florida

 

© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.

The Mega City of Miami, Florida, USA is a very eclectic place indeed, not only in its architecture style but in its lifestyles as well. The city offers the 3rd largest skyline in the United States after New York City and Chicago. The flavor of this city is international, thus a visitor will find all kinds of foods and cultures from all over the world here. Being that this city is situated at the southeastern tip of Florida it has a sub-tropical climate with mild winters and hot summers. The skyline of Miami is constantly growing outward and upward with every new skyscraper being built. The nickname of this exciting city is: “The Magic City”.

Aventura is a planned, suburban city located in northeastern Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The city name is from the Spanish word for "adventure", and was named "Aventura" after one of the developers of the original group of condominiums in the area remarked to the others, "What an adventure this is going to be." The name predates the well known mall (Aventura Mall) built near the condominium developments. According to the U.S. Census estimates of 2010, the city had a population of 35,762. Aventura is located 18 miles north of the city of Miami.

 

Aventura began its development during the early 1970s. The area was initially referred to as Turnberry. Aventura became an incorporated city in 1995. The Aventura Police Department was formed in 1997.

 

Aventura is home to the luxury resort Turnberry Isle, where the yacht Monkey Business was docked during the Gary Hart/Donna Rice incident, which contributed to Hart ending his 1988 bid for presidency.

 

The Aventura Mall, the fifth-largest shopping mall in the US, is also located here.

 

In early 2001, Former President Bill Clinton delivered one of his first speeches after leaving the White House at Aventura-Turnberry Jewish Center.

 

Credit for the data above is given to the following website:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aventura,_Florida

 

© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.

   

The Albert W. Gilchrist Bridge is a bridge in Charlotte County, Florida crossing the Peace River between Port Charlotte, Florida and Punta Gorda, Florida. The two-lane 45-foot-tall structure carries the southbound lanes of U.S. Route 41 (Tamiami Trail). US 41's northbound lanes are carried over the river on the adjacent Barron Collier Bridge. It was named for former Florida Governor Albert W. Gilchrist, who resided in Punta Gorda.

 

The Gilchrist Bridge opened for traffic on July 4, 1976. It was built to make U.S. 41 a four lane highway over the Peace River.

When the Gilchrist Bridge opened, the original Barron Collier Bridge was still in service, which was a low-level drawbridge. It carried one lane in each direction prior to the Gilchrist Bridge's completion, and then carried two lanes of northbound traffic afterward. The Gilchrist Bridge lands at Cross Street in Punta Gorda, which was a couple of blocks west of King Street (where the Barron Collier Bridge lands). As a result, US 41 is carried on two one-way streets through Punta Gorda.

 

Barron Collier Bridge (right) and Gilchrist Bridge (left) as seen from Harborwalk in Punta Gorda

The current Barron Collier Bridge was then built in 1983, eliminating the need for the drawbridge which continued to disrupt northbound traffic. The current Barron Collier Bridge was built right next to the original, and is identical to the Gilchrist Bridge.

 

Albert W. Gilchrist was not the only name in the running for the southbound bridge at the time of its construction. Naming the bridge after Juan Ponce de León was suggested at one point, as well as Phil Laishley, a former Punta Gorda mayor. "Bicentennial Bridge" was another suggested name due to the bridge opening in 1976, the bicentennial anniversary of the United States. Ultimately, Gilchrist was selected to be the bridge's namesake since he is a significant figure in area's history.

  

Along the beach side of the park can be found a most unique rock outcrop for the Sunshine State. These rocks are believed to be formed from either a submerged offshore bar or from a beach ridge.

 

The offshore bar was formed approximately 100,000 years ago during the last interglacial period of the Ice Age. At that time, sea level was about 25 to 30 feet higher than at present. When the sea level dropped during the following glacial period, the bar was exposed to air and weather. Rain water percolating down through the layer of sediment, dissolved calcium carbonate from the shell material, forming a matrix or cement, binding the loose sediment into coquina rock.

 

Once raised from the ocean, the bar stood above sea level for many thousands of years. It was not until about 5,000 years ago that the rising ocean would have started wearing away the rock to produce the beautiful formation we see today here at the park.

The Mega City of Miami, Florida, USA is a very eclectic place indeed, not only in its architecture style but in its lifestyles as well. The city offers the 3rd largest skyline in the United States after New York City and Chicago. The flavor of this city is international, thus a visitor will find all kinds of foods and cultures from all over the world here. Being that this city is situated at the southeastern tip of Florida it has a sub-tropical climate with mild winters and hot summers. The skyline of Miami is constantly growing outward and upward with every new skyscraper being built. The nickname of this exciting city is: “The Magic City”.

The St. Augustine Light Station is an active lighthouse in St. Augustine, Florida. The current lighthouse stands at the north end of Anastasia Island and was built in 1874; it is the most recent of a number of towers built in the area. The tower is owned by the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum, Inc. (SAL&M), a not-for-profit maritime museum and private aid-to-navigation. Open to the public, admission fees support continued preservation of the Lighthouse and fund programs in maritime archaeology and education.

  

Data above originated from the following website:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Augustine_Light

Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, is also known as The Guitar Hotel due to its tower constructed to resemble a guitar, is a hotel and casino resort in Hollywood, Florida, United States, located on 100 acres (40 ha) of the Hollywood Reservation of the Seminole Tribe of Florida. The property currently has one hotel tower, a 140,000 sq ft (13,000 m2) casino, a large poker room, a 4-acre (1.6 ha) lagoon-style pool facility with a center bar, and many private restaurants, shops, spa, cabanas, bars, and nightclubs, and the Hard Rock Event Center. A large expansion was completed in October 2019.

 

The resort currently has a 12-story "classic Hard Rock Hotel" with 469 guest rooms and suites. Guests are greeted by a 50-foot (15 m) tall signature Hard Rock guitar, (based on a famous Gibson electric guitar model) at the entrance of the hotel, along with a massive LED advertising screen at the front of the main parking garage. The resort has 120,000-square-foot (11,000 m2) of meeting space, including a 38,000-square-foot (3,500 m2) exhibit hall.

 

The Hard Rock's $1.5 billion property expansion project added a 450-foot (140 m) tower designed to appear as a guitar, with lights providing the imagery of guitar strings, and 638 rooms alongside a seven-story, 168-room "Oasis Tower" overlooking the pool cabanas— open on October 24, 2019, several months in advance of Super Bowl LIV being held in Miami on February 2, 2020. The expansion also included a 42,000-square-foot (3,900 m2) "Rock Spa", and over 20 new dining and nightlife destinations. Between the existing 12-story hotel, new Guitar Hotel, and new Oasis Tower, over 1,200 hotel rooms became available in October 2019.

 

On May 9, 2014, Seminole Chief Jim Billie announced a $100 million upgrade of the tribe's casinos, with much of that spent on the Hard Rock Hollywood location, including improved entryways, center pool bar, pool facility upgrades, updated hotel room, and suite interiors, and a new restaurant. As of March 2019, the tribe's upgrade budget was significantly increased to over $2.4 billion, split mainly between this location and the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Tampa.

 

The current casino layout covers over 140,000 sq ft (13,000 m2) featuring slot machines and various table games including blackjack, baccarat, mini-baccarat, Pai Gow poker, Let It Ride, and three-card poker. The casino does not have live craps and roulette, although there are electronic versions of those games available. As of June 2018, the poker room is located in a former ballroom area, relocated from its prior venue due to ongoing construction work.

 

Blackjack is the most popular card game in the United States and was an addition to the casino. In a deal valued at $1.1 billion, former Governor Charlie Crist gave the Seminole Tribe a license for blackjack in its casinos. In exchange, The Seminole Tribe loaned the State of Florida $1.1 billion over the course of two years. On July 3, 2008, the Florida Supreme Court ruled that the governor's agreement was unconstitutional, but table games continue to operate because the Federal Department of the Interior approved the now-invalid pact with the state. The addition of blackjack to the Hard Rock casinos in Hollywood and Tampa gave credibility to its claim of being a major gambling destination.[

 

Hard Rock Live is a 7,000 seat multi-purpose theater, which opened on October 25, 2019, with a concert by Maroon 5. The theater replaced a 5,500 seat arena (razed in March 2018 as part of the property-wide expansion) of the same name, which hosted different types of events including musical acts, comedians, boxing, and other smaller events, along with a residency by Billy Joel. During construction of the new theater, events were held at the temporary 3,500 seat Hard Rock Event Center, which hosted acts including Britney Spears on her Piece of Me Tour.

 

The 69th edition of the Miss Universe competition was held on May 16, 2021, at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino where Zozibini Tunzi of South Africa crowned her successor Andrea Meza of Mexico at the end of the event.

 

Model Anna Nicole Smith, who was staying at the resort, died in her hotel suite on February 8, 2007. An autopsy ruled her death was caused by an accidental drug overdose from prescription drugs.

 

Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seminole_Hard_Rock_Hotel_%26_Casino...

www.seminolehardrockhollywood.com/hotel/hard-rock-hotel

www.booking.com/hotel/us/seminolehardrockhotelhollywood.h...

www.emporis.com/buildings/1276890/the-guitar-hotel-at-sem...

 

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Another beautiful sunrise over tugun beach.These are the best times of the day sunsets and sun rises, i always feel so chilled and relaxed as there are fewer people on the beaches.And as always my friends thanks for all your amazing comments and faves.

The area that was to become West Palm Beach was settled in the late 1870s and 1880s by a few hundred settlers who called the vicinity "Lake Worth Country." These settlers were a diverse community from different parts of the United States and the world. They included founding families such at the Potters and the Lainharts, who would go on to become leading members of the business community in the fledgling city. The first white settlers in Palm Beach County lived around Lake Worth, then an enclosed freshwater lake, named for Colonel William Jenkins Worth, who had fought in the Second Seminole War in Florida in 1842. Most settlers engaged in the growing of tropical fruits and vegetables for shipment the north via Lake Worth and the Indian River. By 1890, the U.S. Census counted over 200 people settled along Lake Worth in the vicinity of what would become West Palm Beach. The area at this time also boasted a hotel, the "Cocoanut House", a church, and a post office. The city was platted by Henry Flagler as a community to house the servants working in the two grand hotels on the neighboring island of Palm Beach, across Lake Worth in 1893, coinciding with the arrival of the Florida East Coast railroad. Flagler paid two area settlers, Captain Porter and Louie Hillhouse, a combined sum of $45,000 for the original town site, stretching from Clear Lake to Lake Worth.

 

On November 5, 1894, 78 people met at the "Calaboose" (the first jail and police station located at Clematis St. and Poinsettia, now Dixie Hwy.) and passed the motion to incorporate the Town of West Palm Beach in what was then Dade County (now Miami-Dade County). This made West Palm Beach the first incorporated municipality in Dade County and in South Florida. The town council quickly addressed the building codes and the tents and shanties were replaced by brick, brick veneer, and stone buildings. The city grew steadily during the 1890s and the first two decades of the 20th century, most residents were engaged in the tourist industry and related services or winter vegetable market and tropical fruit trade. In 1909, Palm Beach County was formed by the Florida State Legislature and West Palm Beach became the county seat. In 1916, a new neo-classical courthouse was opened, which has been painstakingly restored back to its original condition, and is now used as the local history museum.

 

The city grew rapidly in the 1920s as part of the Florida land boom. The population of West Palm Beach quadrupled from 1920 to 1927, and all kinds of businesses and public services grew along with it. Many of the city's landmark structures and preserved neighborhoods were constructed during this period. Originally, Flagler intended for his Florida East Coast Railway to have its terminus in West Palm, but after the area experienced a deep freeze, he chose to extend the railroad to Miami instead.

 

The land boom was already faltering when city was devastated by the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane. The Depression years of the 1930s were a quiet time for the area, which saw slight population growth and property values lower than during the 1920s. The city only recovered with the onset of World War II, which saw the construction of Palm Beach Air Force Base, which brought thousands of military personnel to the city. The base was vital to the allied war effort, as it provided an excellent training facility and had unparalleled access to North Africa for a North American city. Also during World War II, German U-Boats sank dozens of merchant ships and oil tankers just off the coast of West Palm Beach. Nearby Palm Beach was under black out conditions to minimize night visibility to German U-boats.

 

The 1950s saw another boom in population, partly due to the return of many soldiers and airmen who had served in the vicinity during the war. Also, the advent of air conditioning encouraged growth, as year-round living in a tropical climate became more acceptable to northerners. West Palm Beach became the one of the nation's fastest growing metropolitan areas during the 1950s; the city's borders spread west of Military Trail and south to Lake Clarke Shores. However, many of the city's residents still lived within a narrow six-block wide strip from the south to north end. The neighborhoods were strictly segregated between White and African-American populations, a legacy that the city still struggles with today. The primary shopping district remained downtown, centered around Clematis Street.

 

In the 1960s, Palm Beach County's first enclosed shopping mall, the Palm Beach Mall, and an indoor arena were completed. These projects led to a brief revival for the city, but in the 1970s and 1980s crime continued to be a serious issue and suburban sprawl continued to drain resources and business away from the old downtown area. By the early 1990s there were very high vacancy rates downtown, and serious levels of urban blight.

 

Since the 1990s, developments such as CityPlace and the preservation and renovation of 1920s architecture in the nightlife hub of Clematis Street have seen a downtown resurgence in the entertainment and shopping district. The city has also placed emphasis on neighborhood development and revitalization, in historic districts such as Northwood, Flamingo Park, and El Cid. Some neighborhoods still struggle with blight and crime, as well as lowered property values caused by the Great Recession, which hit the region particularly hard. Since the recovery, multiple new developments have been completed. The Palm Beach Mall, located at the Interstate 95/Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard interchange became abandoned as downtown revitalized - the very mall that initiated the original abandonment of the downtown. The mall was then redeveloped into the Palm Beach Fashion Outlets in February 2014. A station for All Aboard Florida, a high-speed passenger rail service serving Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Orlando, is under construction as of July 2015.

 

Credit for the data above is given to the following website:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Palm_Beach,_Florida

Sunset at Pier 60 ~ Gulf Coast ~ Clearwater Beach, Florida

 

Nikon D7500, Sigma 18-300, ISO 200, f/7.1, 165mm, 1/800s

View from Home Of The Arts (HOTA) Queensland Gold Coast

Miami (/maɪˈæmi/; Spanish pronunciation: [miˈami]) is a seaport city at the southeastern corner of the U.S. state of Florida and its Atlantic coast. As the seat of Miami-Dade County, the municipality is the principal, central, and the most populous city of the Miami metropolitan area and part of the second-most populous metropolis in the southeastern United States.

 

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Miami's metro area is the eighth-most populous and fourth-largest urban area in the U.S., with a population of around 5.5 million.

 

Miami is a major center, and a leader in finance, commerce, culture, media, entertainment, the arts, and international trade. In 2012, Miami was classified as an Alpha−World City in the World Cities Study Group's inventory. In 2010, Miami ranked seventh in the United States in terms of finance, commerce, culture, entertainment, fashion, education, and other sectors. It ranked 33rd among global cities. In 2008, Forbes magazine ranked Miami "America's Cleanest City", for its year-round good air quality, vast green spaces, clean drinking water, clean streets, and citywide recycling programs.

 

According to a 2009 UBS study of 73 world cities, Miami was ranked as the richest city in the United States, and the world's fifth-richest city in terms of purchasing power. Miami is nicknamed the "Capital of Latin America" and is the largest city with a Cuban-American plurality.

 

Miami has the third tallest skyline in the U.S. with over 300 high-rises. Downtown Miami is home to the largest concentration of international banks in the United States, and many large national and international companies. The Civic Center is a major center for hospitals, research institutes, medical centers, and biotechnology industries.

 

For more than two decades, the Port of Miami, known as the "Cruise Capital of the World", has been the number one cruise passenger port in the world. It accommodates some of the world's largest cruise ships and operations, and is the busiest port in both passenger traffic and cruise lines.

 

Metropolitan Miami is the major tourism hub in the American South, number two in the U.S. after New York City and number 13 in the world, including the popular destination of Miami Beach.

 

Credit for the data above is given to the following website:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami

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