Florida’s love bugs: Fact and fiction

by Leigh Caldwell on

Memorial Day weekend in Florida means crowded beaches, crowded theme parks, crowded roads, and crowds of love bugs. That’s right, love bugs. Those bugs are getting it on. Did you really think it was a sweet mama and baby photo?

Unless you have visited Florida during May or September, you may not have seen these weird creatures that even fly joined at the…well, you know.

Love Bugs, also known as March Flies, appear in certain Florida areas in droves — I mean, unbelievable swarms — twice a year. They annoy us for a few weeks, and then they are gone. We almost, almost, forget about them until they start showing up again.

And then, one day, they resume hitting our windshields in such copious numbers that they make it difficult to drive.

It’s even more difficult to get them off the car; the bug residue is almost impossible to remove. And the insects’ fatty tissue can eat away at car paint, though some modern paint finishes seem to be immune to the love bug’s bite.

Speaking of that, angry red thorax notwithstanding, these bugs don’t bite or sting. They simply annoy — to the point that outdoor workers in Florida sometimes refuse to work at the height of a love bug flight, according to the University of Florida.

Love Bug Legend

If you are traveling in Florida during a love bug flight, you’re likely to hear a love bug urban legend from a local. There’s a widespread belief here that love bugs are a creation of the University of Florida — a genetic experiment gone awry.The most common story is that the bugs were bred to control the Florida mosquito population (and don’t even get me started on Florida mosquitoes!). Depending on the storyteller, they were either accidentally or experimentally released into the wild.

But, it’s all false (or what I’m about to tell you is a giant cover-up). The university says the bugs are native to Central America, and they were likely stowaways on cargo ships that docked at the port in New Orleans. The bugs headed to Florida for vacation, and like many other Florida visitors, decided to stay.They were first recorded in the Florida Panhandle in the 1940s.

But what do they do?

An almost equally common urban legend is that love bugs serve no purpose. That’s false, too.

Because they are unseen for most of the year, and they’re so annoying when they are seen, many people consider these insects a pest. However, scientists deem them beneficial.

Female love bugs lay their eggs on the ground in decaying vegetation. The larvae help break it down further, enriching the soil.

One more freaky thing

If it’s not freaky enough to see swarms of sex-crazed bugs flying in tandem on your next Florida vacation, consider this fact I learned while researching this post: The male dies after mating.

And the female? The female keeps dragging that dead man’s body around with her, until she lays her eggs and dies.

Talk about letting a relationship weigh you down.

America’s Top 10 Beaches: Coopers Beach in Southampton, NY takes the top spot in 2010

by Leigh Caldwell on

Coopers Beach, Southampton’s stretch of white sand on New York’s Long Island, has been named 2010’s best beach in the America by Dr. Stephen Leatherman.

“New York has world-class beaches, but I don’t think a lot of people in the United States know about them,” said Stephen Leatherman, director of Florida International University’s Laboratory for Coastal Research.

Leatherman cited the fine sand, availability of parking and amenities, and Southampton’s long history as a beach community in his announcement.

Leatherman, aka “Dr. Beach,” announced his Top 10 picks for this year just in time for Memorial Day weekend, as has been his tradition since 1991. The coastal scientist says he uses more than 50 criteria — including water quality, temperature, sand quality, cleanliness, safety and environmental management.

Dr. Beach listed two Florida beaches this year — Siesta Key Beach and Cape Florida State Park — despite the oil spill still leaking in the Gulf of Mexico.

He told the Associated Press that Cape Florida State Park, near Key Biscayne, “doesn’t get the wave activity” that would encourage tar balls to wash ashore. As for Siesta Key, in Sarasota, Leatherman said he studied currents and does not believe the oil will reach the shores in Southwest Florida.

%Gallery-93850%Here are Dr. Beach’s Top 10 Beaches in America for 2010:

  • 1. Coopers Beach in Southampton, New York
  • 2. Siesta Key Beach in Sarasota, Florida
  • 3. Coronado Beach in San Diego, California
  • 4. Cape Hatteras on North Carolina’s Outer Banks
  • 5. Main Beach in East Hampton, New York
  • 6. Kahanamoku Beach in Waikiki, Oahu, Hawaii
  • 7. Coast Guard Beach in Cape Cod, Massachusetts
  • 8. Beachwalker Park in Kiawah Island, South Carolina
  • 9. Hamoa Beach in Maui, Hawaii
  • 10. Cape Florida State Park in Key Biscayne, Florida

%Poll-47218%

Inside the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. No, really. I got inside.

by Leigh Caldwell on

This is all I can show you of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal’s Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Florida.

Monday night, I was a guest at private party thrown by Universal Orlando Resort to show off their newest theme park addition, which, for the most part, has been kept tightly under wraps. The Wizarding World opens one month from today, and after my walk-through last night, I can say much of it is already complete.

But no photos were allowed, and while I was completely tempted to break the rules, I heeded the words Professor Dumbledore speaks in his office at the new ride, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey:

“There will come a time when you have to choose between what is easy and what is right.”

So, the gallery displaying all of the obsessive detail inside the land will have to wait.

I was blown away — I’m still blown away — by the amount of immersion into Harry Potter’s world I experienced. I arrived at the Wizarding World at twilight, and the view through that archway in the picture above was perfect. Just perfect.

The Hogwarts Express train sits just inside on the right, the shops and restaurants of Hogsmeade line up along the path and straight ahead is the towering Hogwarts School. Just a few steps inside, you totally forget about Hulk and Spidey and the Sneetches just outside in the other Islands of Adventure.

I tried the three much-anticipated drinks to be served in the Wizarding World: nonalcoholic butterbeer, pumpkin juice and Hog’s Head Brew, which does have alcohol.

I walked through Dervish and Banges, Honeydukes, Owl Post and Zonko’s shops.And I visited Professor Dumbledore’s office and the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, where I saw Harry Potter, Hermione and Ron appear from underneath the invisibility cloak.

But, alas, I can’t show you any of it. So my observations will have to do. Some random thoughts:

  • There is a regular butterbeer and a frozen version. I liked the frozen version better. It was like the smoothest cream soda ever, but with a creamier finish. The regular drink will sell for $2.99 and the frozen version will cost an extra $1.
  • Pumpkin juice tastes like autumn. It’s not like drinking pumpkin pie, exactly — more like something you would be served at an apple grove farm stand or the perfect punch for a Halloween party. A peek at the ingredients revealed that it’s made with apple juice, pumpkin puree, apricot juice and pumpkin pie spices.
  • The Hog’s Head Brew is an ale made with Scottish hops and jaw-tingling malt. It is exclusive to the Wizarding World.
  • Among my favorite Harry Potter merchandise: clever lanyards made to look like the ties worn by students in the different houses at Hogwarts, a Gryffindor backpack, Hedwig plush and the “I served time in Azkaban” T-shirt.
  • The queue line for Flight of the Hippogriff – a re-themed roller coaster inside the Wizarding World – takes you down the path to Hagrid’s Hut, complete with Hagrid’s voice warning you about venturing into the forest.
  • The Triwizard Cup is on display in a room all by itself in the queue line at the Dragon Challenge dueling roller coasters. A pathway is lit with floating candles a la Hogwarts.
  • The new dark ride inside Hogwarts Castle, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, is not child’s play. A serious list of restrictions warns away the pregnant and those with the typical heart and back problems. But it goes on to suggest that those with claustrophobic tendencies also not ride. A warning to remove and stow prosthetic limbs before riding seems particularly ominous.
  • The new ride was not running, but we were allowed to walk through the entire queue. Universal is anticipating extremely long waits; it was the longest queue I have ever walked through. My best guess is that it’s designed to accommodate at least two hours worth of waiting.
  • Even if you’re not big on thrill rides, it’s probably worth walking that queue. I am still picking my jaw up off the ground after visiting Professor Dumbledore’s office and the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. You are truly right there with the characters, and they are talking directly to you. It must be seen.
  • If you’re a plus-sized person, it’s fairly likely that you’re not going to fit in the ride cars for Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. Just sayin’.
  • When you rest on a bench inside the shaded Owlery, be sure to look up. The owls perched above you are so realistic that there’s even owl poop on the rafters.

And now, a few pleas from me (an overgrown geeky teenager) to you:

The first time you visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, enter from the Seuss Landing/Lost Continent side. That will mean turning right when you enter Islands of Adventure and going counterclockwise around the park. While you can also enter from Jurassic Park, you won’t get the same view of the castle in front of you and Hogsmeade all around.

This is a theme park, and it’s quite possibly the most detailed theme park “land” ever created. Don’t treat it like the county fair and run from ride to ride. Plan to spend several hours here taking in all the awesome details.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter opens June 18. It is included with regular admission to Universal’s Islands of Adventure.

Travel is key to economic recovery, says U.S. Chamber of Commerce exec

by Leigh Caldwell on

U.S. Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Thomas J. Donohue today called on travel industry executives to fight to protect the United States’ travel and tourism business.

In his keynote speech to the U.S. Travel Association’s International Pow Wow convention in Orlando, Florida, Donohue said the travel industry has been the victim of “foolish attacks,” and it’s time to fight back.

“Congress and federal agencies can help advance the cause of travel and tourism, or they can help undermine it,” Donohue said.

Donohue noted that in the United States, the travel industry is the source of more than 7 million jobs, but nearly 500,000 travel industry jobs have been lost in the current economic recession.

The country is making a mistake by increasing the “hassle factor” for foreign visitors, Donohue said. He called on the U.S. Customs Service to reduce wait times to enter the country to 30 minutes or less:

“While security must always be our very top priority, that doesn’t mean we can’t also become a world leader in customer service.”

Also undermining the cause? Tax increases on tourism, such as the dozens of hotel bed tax increases passed by municipalities last year.

Because the taxes are paid by visitors who vote somewhere else, Donohue said, “it’s tempting for governments to view travel and tourism as a cash cow they can milk again and again.”

Besides raising tourism taxes, some politicians have recently blasted spending on business travel, a move Donohue calls “cheap rhetoric.” He says business travel is responsible for $240 billion in spending, and that is good for the U.S. economy.

“These attacks hurt real people in real communities across the country,” Donohue said. “They don’t help create one single job or put one single person back to work.”

Tampa Bay Political Getaway: Visit the Republican National Convention

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Looking for a vacation with some meaning? Well, the Republican National Committee just announced that it’s selected Tampa Bay for its 2012 presidential convention. So, don an elephant hat and start pushing for access now! More than 40,000 visitors are expected to hit the city the week of the convention (August 27, 2012), more than 15,000 of which will be members of the media.

According to Paul Catoe, president and CEO of Tampa Bay & Company, “This will be the largest non-sporting event that Tampa Bay has ever hosted and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome the 2012 RNC to our vibrant destination.” He also noted, “Tampa Bay is a dynamic destination that offers warm weather and even warmer hospitality, and I know we will produce the most memorable convention ever.”

If the 2008 convention in Minneapolis can be used to gauge the impact, some big cash should flow through Tampa Bay, especially for the hospitality industry. At the last Republican National Convention, 2,800 new jobs were created, bringing with them $100 million in wages.

Catoe observed, “The 2012 convention will be held during a time period that historically one of our lowest periods of the year for hotel occupancy.” He continued, “Having an additional 40,000 visitors in our community will provide an economic boost for businesses both in the hospitality industry, as well as those indirectly involved.”

Florida in the sumer may be tough, but at least you’ll sweat to be a part of history.

[Via Cigar Reader]