The quaint, Mediterranean-style hotel sits quietly along the oceanfront row of anonymous high-rises and tired strip malls in the sleepy community of Jacksonville Beach, an anomaly amidst the sprawl of urban blight, a throwback to simpler times when men wore suits to go fishing and drove their Model T Fords right up to the water’s edge.

The hotel originally opened its doors to the public in 1925 to much fanfare and regale; the town, formerly known as Ruby, was considered the vacation hotspot and welcomed the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Jean Harlow, John D. Rockefeller, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. And as you walk through the main entrance, you get the distinct feeling that they are still there: an understated, easy elegance and casual sophistication permeates the air. History undoubtedly surrounds you, yet the hotel is not caught in the past.

The ambiance and location—literally steps away from the sand—serve as the scenic backdrop for morning yoga on the beach, an evening sunset stroll, or a fabled wedding ceremony. Casa Marina holds the distinct honor of being voted top wedding venue by blushing brides in The Knot’s Best Of Weddings 2010, a respected industry guide for brides-to-be.

“There is no higher honor than being viewed as ‘one of the best’ by the guests who chose us to host one of the most important days of their lives,” said general manager, Mark Vanderloo. “We take great pride in setting a new standard for individual service and attention to detail.”

The spacious, art-deco suite that was my temporary respite offered a partial view of the ocean and pier and had recently been refurbished with new flooring, boutique fixtures and furniture, and a mini chandelier in the hallway. The convenience of the suite’s separate sitting area, complete with a mini-fridge, roomy couch, chair and TV, allowed for privacy from the main bedroom. Because Casa Marina is small—there are only 25 rooms in the entire hotel—it’s the ideal getaway from the noisy, stifling summer crowds of typical resort chains.

By far, the hotel’s signature spot is the rooftop Penthouse Lounge with sweeping ocean views and intoxicating salt-scented breezes. (Leaning over the balcony with the wind kissing my hair, I felt like Kate Winslet in Titanic, sans the sinking boat and DiCaprio side-kick.) It’s a taste of Miami Beach and a trendy hot spot for young professionals looking to kick back after work, grab some tapas, and indulge in martinis big enough to swim in; the drink list is longer than a phone call from your mother-in-law.

Weather permitting, opt for plein air dining in the courtyard, and listen (and dance with the maitre d’, Sterling) to jammin’ cover tunes performed by The Johnston Duo (Wednesdays at 6:30; also Tuesdays in The Penthouse). It’s a great place for a casual dinner date, and while the prices are a bit high ($27.95 for rack of lamb), expect generous portions, impeccably prepared food (best goat cheese salad, hands down), and prompt, attentive service- a perfect night out.

Rooftop and beach photos courtesy of Leigh Cort, Leigh Cort Publicity.

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The travel website has a few deals up on its site today that might be work a look over including a series of packages from CheapCaribbean.com — one of our favorite sites for cheap rum and all inclusive island vacation packages. (If you want to sound European, call it a Sun Holiday.)

Some deals  include (remember, BB is an aggregate site):

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On Wednesday night, actor Daniel Radcliffe kicked off the VIP grand opening ceremony in Orlando, and today, Muggles lined up at 5 a.m. at the gates of Universal Orlando Resort to be the first ones to enter into this enchanted land of witchcraft, magic and butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks Pub (there’s also pumpkin juice for those who want something a bit lighter).

While strolling through the streets of Hogsmeade in the 95 degree Florida heat, there’s quite a disconnect as you look above at the snow-covered roofs of the village, but Disney’s spared no expense in capturing the trueessence of all things Harry Potter, from the Gryffindor common room to Dumbledore’s office. Don’t miss the park’s signature ride, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.

And don’t forget your wallet.

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Image from ORLANDOTRAINS.COM

All Aboard! These are words everyone likes to hear. Time to go, come on, let’s go!

The Orlando Star Clipper is a train that departs from Eustis, Florida, to parts unknown. And there are so many unknown parts of Florida, like Eustis, Mt. Dora and other locales just outside of Orlando.

Everyone knows Orlando – Mickey, Goofy & the gang. Now, it’s time you experience a little bit of reality – not everyone wears mouse ears and lives in a pink castle. The Orlando Star Clipper will show you a bit of Florida off the beaten track, all while being on the tracks.

Imagine a dinner train, complete with quality service, a five course dinner and drinks galore. You begin to feel like you’re in another time as you feel the train begin to roll down the tracks, but with all the amenities of today. What could be better? Dinner train tickets are $55 per person and cash bar is available for those who like to imbibe… and who doesn’t?

The Orlando Star Clipper Dinner Train departs Eustis and takes you on a tour of aptly named Lake County, Florida traveling along side Lake Eustis, Lake Francis and Lake Dora. Didn’t realize there were so many lakes in Florida, right? Well, there’s many more than just those three if you take one of the longer cruises available on the Star Clipper.

Our trip on the Star Clipper began with arriving to the depot in Eustis. Located near Ferran Park on Lake Eustis. The whistle blows, the ride begins and time as you know it melts away. The scenery unfolds beside you and you realize there are still parts of Florida that are beautiful and untouched.

Dinner is served during the ride and you won’t be disappointed. The staff is friendly and professional, the food is good and everything on board runs like a ship… or is that train? The nice thing is you don’t realize how much formula is involved in running a dinner train because you’re enjoying the experience with your travel mates.

The set up of the dining car allows for large parties and small. You’re able to move about the cabin, no seat belts required, no crazy flight attendants barking at you to sit down. The atmosphere is fun, the dining car is full of people and everyone is part of the fun. Entertainment was provided by the riders on our train car, but the Star Clipper also offers live music on some of the trips.

Image from ORLANDOTRAINS.COM

The Star Clipper Dinner Train is just one of three services offered by Rail Entertainment USA just outside of the Orlando area. After a dinner on the Star Clipper, you can retire to the Pullman Palace which will offer first class accommodations in a sleeper car and concludes with a railroad breakfast.

The Mt Dora Scenic Railway offers family entertainment for the younger train enthusiasts with themed rides on a 1920′s era passenger train.

So, you’re going to Orlando? Well, do something different than the obvious Disney or Universal. Climb aboard a piece of history and take a step back in time as you enjoy. You might find that some of the real adventures Florida has to offer are better than the make believe.

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Check out this historial and beautiful island before it's destroyed later this year.

Big deals and little ones are being offered for the next few days on BookingBuddy.com, a site we’ve used to grab cheap tickets to LA. Now’s the time to start looking for things you may want to do this summer, so hurry up and start clicking.

Saint Simons Island: HTG just went there and now the deals are rolling in: Check out this one through BookingBuddy.com for $120 a night.

Marco Island: Sure Florida will frizz out anyone’s hair this time of year,  but we are only a few weeks away from hurricanes wiping out most of the Sunshine State or the BP oil spill starts washing pelicans up on the beach, so head on down and check it out before Mother Nature or Mankind destroy it.

Watch out, they'll get caught in your hair -- and probably give you rabies.

Carlsbad Cavern: Here’s a National Park that can make your skin crawl. Located in Southern New Mexico near El Paso, Texas, Carlsbad Cavern National Park includes a system of more than 100 caves, many of which are filled with bats. Between Memorial Day and October, you can head down there and watch the bats take flight (known as the Bat Flight Program). Most of the bats won’t bite you or suck your blood — most.

Photos are from U.S. National Parks and BookingBuddy.com.

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Southwest Airlines introduced the plane last week as a way to honor Florida, a state it’s been delivering old people and spring breaking students to since 1985.

Southwest now has 14 fancy planes, most with the No. 1 in it’s title:

Florida One, Arizona One, California One, Illinois One, Lone Star One, Nevada One, New Mexico One, Maryland One, three Shamu aircraft (SeaWorld), Silver One (celebrating Southwest’s 25th anniversary), Triple Crown One, and Slam Dunk One.

The plane is on tour around Florida and by the time it leaves, it should have that old person smell in most of its seats.

Check out this video of how they made it.

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“First, let me say, it’s been a long road, and I’m glad to be back. I’m here in Augusta to win, and to admit that I like men.” After a brief pause, Woods continued. “I know I acted terribly in the past, sleeping with all those women,” said Woods. “I just made some incredibly bad decisions, decisions that hurt so many people close to me. And I now plan on hurting them all over again.”

The Woods spectacle began on Thanksgiving of last year when he drove his Cadillac SUV Escalade into a fire hydrant, then a tree, near his home in central Florida. He suffered minor injuries to his face and incurred a fine of  $166 dollars for careless driving by local authorities. Following the crash, a flood of bedazzled, pole-friendly females admitted to having had prolonged sexual exploits with the golf legend. Shortly thereafter, Woods checked himself into rehab for an undisclosed sexual addiction.

“I learned in rehab the importance of looking within, something I had never really done before,” he admits. While in rehab, Woods resumed practicing the art of transcendental Buddhist meditation, a spiritual practice he learned from his mother while growing up. He claims his true sexual preference emerged after months of intensive introspection, often while hopped up on elephant doses of Ambien and Vicodin.

“I realized that I’ve hit a lot of holes, but it turns out they were the wrong ones,” he says. “But I’m more balanced now. I now know what really matters in life, like the fact that sex is way more important than golf, and equally as important as family.”

Woods’ demeanor was calm, collected and upbeat throughout the entire press conference, even while fielding difficult questions from the media such as, “Is it true that you like The Village People?” and “Is Ryan Seacrest your real true love?”

In closing, Woods promised his attentive audience that this would be his last and final press conference; that is, until the inevitable “Baby Daddy” saga emerges.

No word yet if his wife of five-and- a-half years, Elin, plans to remain married to Tiger.

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Universal Studios Orlando has exposed some of the secrets to its Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal’s Islands of Adventure.  (Officially the ride, which is Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, will take children through a magical adventure.) The new world opens to muggles and the such this summer. Witchcraft hasn’t been talked about this much since Salem.

Well, Universal Studios didn’t lift the curtain to this magical ride, Ellen and Blogo did — obviously Universal felt the ride still did not appeal enough to young lesbians and corrupt politicians so it reached into its deep pockets and got the two to work.

To say there’s a little hype behind this particular ride should not surprise anyone. This ride will attract so many kids Universal Studio is considering having Chris Hansen waiting at tunnel of love portion to make sure no one breaks out a four-pack of wine coolers and box of condoms.

The special park, no doubt, will include more Harry Potter paraphanalia than you can shake a wand at and Universal should be able to cash in at every corner.

Photos from Universal Studios

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If you’re looking for a great couples’ weekend getaway, plan on a visit to St. Augustine, the oldest city in the country (founded in 1565). This romantic enclave is situated along Florida’s northeast Atlantic coast on the scenic Mantazas Bay about 50 minutes south (roughly 40 miles) of Jacksonville International Airport and was recently named by American Express as a “Top 10 Destination”—one of only two locations selected in America (the other was Virginia’s wine country).

The city is home to more than 25 bed & breakfasts, many of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Since the town is small, it’s best discovered by foot, so you’ll want to choose a centrally-located B&B like the Casablanca Inn, a charming 1914 Mediterranean-revival bed and breakfast on Mantanzas Bay. The Inn features 23 rooms and suites throughout the Main House, the Coach House and the Secret Garden out back; rooms offer such amenities as private porches and sundecks, whirlpools, antique furnishings, and private entries.

After dinner, enjoy an oversized cocktail at the Inn’s Tini Martini Bar while taking in the panoramic view from the porch while listening to live music every Thursday through Saturday night.

Another way to view the spectacular cityscape is from the water. St. Augustine Eco Tours Boat and Kayak Excursions offers boat and kayak trips lead by certified guides on the inland waters surrounding the historic city. The one-and-a-half hour boat trip ventures through the scenic estuaries and is the best way to (possibly) see Atlantic bottlenose dolphins; the two-hour kayak tour (no experience needed) offers idyllic saltwater marsh views as well as views of the Spanish fort. Custom excursions, family beach combing adventures and photography trips are also available.

A culinary “don’t miss” is the casual yet elegant Bistro de Leon, owned and operated by award-winning, renowned chef Jean-Stephane Poinard. Named one of France’s top 100 chefs, Poinard’s unrivaled entrees and desserts are served in the “slow food” style where emphasis is placed more on savoring and tasting each dish as it is brought to the table.

Signature dishes include the pasta del mar; steak au poivre; and leg of lamb confit. The Bistro serves lunch and dinner Thursday through Sunday; dinner only on Monday and Tuesday; and is closed on Wednesday.

Satisfy your sweet tooth at Claude’s Chocolate.  Renowned chef Claude Franques makes his exquisite treats by hand using only the finest Belgian chocolate and the freshest ingredients.  Create your own mixture by choosing from the wide array of unique flavorful bon bon and truffle creations, including the popular Chewy Caramel with Sea Salt, Fresh Ginger (dark chocolate ganache with fresh ground ginger), Mayan Spicy (dark chocolate ganache with ancho and chipotle chili powder), and my favorite, Earl Grey Tea (ganache infused with a hint of bergamot and Earl Grey tea). Sugar-free selections are also available.

If golf is your game, catch The Players Championship at Sawgrass in nearby Ponte Vedra Beach from May 6^th through May 9^th, where you can watch the pros play on the recently-renovated Stadium Course. The Players Championship is recognized by PGA TOUR members as a signature championship tournament and is one of the most coveted titles today in pro golf. For ticket information, visit the PGA’s website.

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However, the smell of mold, sink holes in front of the toilet and that general sense of filth is not much of an ad campaign, but it does pique people’s interest: TripAdvisor.com has just released its annual dirtiest hotels in America list and the reviews are far from flattering.

The winners are selected based on readers comments and evaluations. Miami landed two hotels and California grabbed three “dirties.”

This year’s dubious winners include:

1. Heritage Marina Hotel, San Francisco, California

Said one contributor: “This hotel is like in a horrible horror movie! I have never seen a hotel like this. We [sic] arriverd in the room and [sic] immidietly a urine smell was getting over us. We opened the window, but we could not close it anymore. Al people from the street could enter our room if they know that. The carpet was verry dirty and had strange spots on it.”

2. Days Inn Eureka/Six Flags, Eureka, Missouri

BoxingMatchMaker said: “The worst, nastiest hotel I have ever stayed in my life. Dirty towels, dirty room. Rude manager. Run from this place as fast as you can!”

3. Tropicana Resort Hotel, Virginia Beach, Virginia

Demilovatoified said: “We tried to open the door but the door handle just came out so maintenence ahd to come and kick the door in. We transferred to a different room and this room was a little bit better but didn’t smell as BAD as the other one!”
4. Super 8 Virginia Beach/At the Ocean, Virginia Beach, Virginia

Travelersouth disagreed with TripAdvisor: “just saw the news about the dirtiest hotels today, this motel was not as bad as made out. My wife and I stayed in December during the holidays and it was worth the price.”

5. Quality Inn, Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania

Lypglossqween said: “The woman who cheked us in was so nice, very friendly and helpful. Amazing! The rest of the hotel sucked. There was mold and a horrible musty smell all of the place, the pool was nasty, the hot tub looked disgusting; like homeless people bathed in it. Our room looked like something from a very bad horror movie.”

6. New York Inn, New York City, New York

Singoliverpool was not impressed, writing: “every morning our bathroom was soaked as the bathroom from the room above us leaked into ours. on one of the days of our trip my boyfriend was offered heroin while we entered the hotel!!!!!!! also we were awoken one night by sex orgy going on which probably involved the prositutes that line up outside the hotel (in front of the xxx rated porn shops located next to the hotel) if all this does not convince you to not stay here then maybe the fact that we had mice/rats in our room will help change your decision!!!!!”

7. Parisian Hotel & Suites, Miami Beach, Florida

Travelz2thesun was less than positive: “People doing drugs everywhere! All you can hear is banging on the walls and people screaming at each other! The room was GROSS, the bathroom was even worse!”
8. Capistrano Seaside Inn, Capistrano Beach, California

Tesstuto offered this advice: “This place was disgustingly gross. It is dirty inside and out!!! Someone needs to take a pressure washer to the entire place.”

9. Desert Lodge, Palm Springs, California

CPFan90 thought this: “Nasty, nasty nasty. If you like filthy, small, outdated rooms. This is the place for you.”

10. Continental Oceanfront Hotel South Beach, Miami Beach, Florida

Easbs said: “Worst of the worst.Very dirty.Staff very rude.Never again in this life time will i stay there.This place should be condemmed.”

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