Norman Ford's

FLORIDA

-a complete guide to finding what yon seek in Florida

by Norman D. Ford

Honorary vice president
The Globe Trotters Club
Author of Where to Retire on a Small Income,
Today's Lands of Opportunity, Where to Vacation
on a Shoestring, The Fiesta Lands, etc.

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3Db Q
SN /6 Price $2
56

I [1956 HARIAN PUBLICATIONS, Greenlawn (Long Island) New York
TRADE DISTRIBUTOR: CREENBERG, PUBLISHER

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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

American Plan (with meals)
air conditioned
apartments
association
building
bedroom
TV channel
double
dining room

E
eff
furn'd
hskpg
mo
s
unf'd
vols

European Plan (without meals)
efficiency
furnished
housekeeping
month
single
unfurnished
volumes

WHERE TO WRITE FOR INFORMATION ON -

Farming:
Department of Agriculture
State Capitol
Tallahassee, Florida
Schools:
State Superintendent of Public Instruction
State Capitol
Tallahassee, Florida
Higher Education:
State Board of Control
Educational Building
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida
Recreation
State Advertising Commission
Caldwell Building
Tallahassee, Florida
Health:
State Board of Health
P. O. Box 210
Jacksonville 1, Florida

Monuments, Parks and Places of
Historic Interest:
Florida Park Service
Tallahassee Administration Building
Tallahassee, Florida
Business Opportunities
Industrial Development Division
State Advertising Commission
Tallahassee, Florida
Fishing:
Game and Freshwater Fish Commission
Tallahassee, Florida
Retirement:
Professor Irving L. Webber.
Chairman
Council of the Institute of Gerontology
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida
For information about any city, address the
Chamber of Commerce in that city.

Norman Ford's Florida is a book of about 140,000 words. Were it reprinted in
average sized pages holding from 250 to 300 words per page, it would occupy
about 500 pages. With a hard cover a book of this size would normally sell for
$5 to $6. As it is, the present large pages, if cut in four into pocket size pages,
would run to over 550 pages. The low price of $2 for a book of this size is in
keeping with Harian's policy of offering fact-filled books at a low cost. 9

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PART I

THE INSIDE STORY A COMPLETE INTRODUCTION TO FLORIDA

CHAPTER I

CLIMATE- TIlE KEY TO FLORIDA

There is a good reason why climate is the first sub-
ject to be discussed in this book on Florida. For in
one way or another, climate is responsible for every
phase of the Florida scene. Annually some $900,-
000,000 is spent by tourists intent on enjoying the
Florida sun; drawn by this same sunshine, thousands
of older folk continually stream south to buy real
estate and so to increase Florida's consumer purchas-
ing power; industries looking for new markets and
new locations are moving south to Florida where
their workers find greater contentment, and absentee-
ism due to winter snows is non-existent; and in the
field of agriculture the Florida sun has, over recent
decades, brought vast profits through new winter
vegetable and citrus production and, more recently,
inaugurated a new bonanza in cattle raising. Yes, cli-
mate is truly the key to Florida. So if you crave an
understanding of Florida, it behooves you to look
very closely indeed at the Florida climate.

Florida's climate and you

Naturally, you're most interested in knowing how
the climate of Florida may affect you. So let's take a
look at the climate of this widely publicized sunshine
state; let's see if Florida weather really does fulfill
all that the advertising claims it does.
,A good way to begin would be to take the perfect
climate and compare it with Florida's to see how the
latter measures up. Unfortunately, I know of no ab-
solutely perfect climate (although that in the islands
of Hawaii, Madeira, and Norfolk Island comes very
near to being perfect; see my Bargain Paradises of
the World, $1.50 postpaid from this same publisher).
Furthermore, the suitability of a climate varies with
a person's age. For example, the perfect climate for a
growing child might be entirely different from the
climate best suited to extend the life and to improve
the health of an elderly person.
Children seem to do best in a cool, sunny climate
which experiences frequent changes in the weather.

In such areas at higher altitudes, as in the central
Mountain States, respiration and circulation rates
increase (most likely to compensate for the rarity
of the atmosphere). This leads to an increase in
the red blood corpuscles and a gradual increase in
body weight, circumstances under which young people
seem to thrive.
After maturity, the stimulation supplied by a brac-
ing climate is no longer necessary for building up the
body. Neither is much immediate effect produced
whether a mature person under fifty lives in a cold
climate or in a warm climate. But before middle age,
the stimulating swift weather changes of our central
and northeastern states exert a strong influence to-
wards producing the go-getter type of individual
who earns more money and, with luck, succeeds
faster. In doing so, the swift pace of life brings with
it much higher chances for contracting early heart
troubles, nervous ailments, various stomach disor-
ders, rheumatic complaints, and winter diseases like
pneumonia, bronchitis, asthma, and sinusitis. In
year around warmer regions that have fewer changes
in the weather, younger, naturally healthy, people
tend to lose some of their strength, becomes less am-
bitious, and learn to take life easier. Chances for
longevity become better while need for money is
lessened to some extent by the warmer climate. Op-
portunities to cut heating and clothing bills increase,
doctor bills tend to become fewer, food bills may
drop as less bodily heat is required, and lighter hous-
ing construction favors lower rents and home pur-
chase costs. Less may also be spent on vacations espe-
cially by those in the habit of going to Florida or
Arizona for the winter. Thus we see that while cli-
mate does not make too much difference to your
health before age 50, the climate you live in from
age 25 to age 50 does exert some influence on your
chances for longevity and good health after you pass
middle age.
For men and women already past middle age,
there is generally only one best climate. That is one

which is warm throughout the year and which offers
steady, stable weather. The stimulation of storms
and cold combined with rapid variations in tempera-
ture and air pressure can place an undue strain on
older hearts and organs resulting in death at an un-
necessarily early age. (For example, over 50% of all
deaths in the U.S. occur during the winter months.
Many of these lives could have been prolonged had
they been spent in a region of warm sunshine with
plenty of fresh air and fresh fruits and with corre-
sponding freedom from wet feet, heart strain, colds,
and chills.)
Thus we see that for permanent residence a warm
climate like that of Florida may be much more suita-
ble for older folk than for children while for the
average adult it can mean the difference between
ambition and longevity. Of course, you'll know from
reading magazine articles about the science of clima-
totherapy that the influence of climate upon man's
behavior and health is considerable. But we must
bear in mind that it is only an influence; climate
alone plays only a very small part in directly helping
recovery from an illness. But the added bodily com-
fort and sense of good cheer which it brings about
can work wonders in helping people help themselves
towards healthier, more enjoyable living, and a
longer life.

The climate of Florida

With these different "ideal" climates established,
we shall in a moment begin to examine the good
and bad points of the Florida climate. First, though,
be sure you know the proper significance of that word
climate. It does not mean weather. For climate is the
general pattern produced by weather, which in turn
is the hour by hour outdoor show staged by the sun,
wind, rain, and temperature. Since we cannot pre-
dict what the weather is likely to be on any partic-
ular day when you may be in Florida, we shall deal
instead with the climate. This will give you a very
close approximation to the average weather you will
meet in Florida during any period of two weeks or
longer in the year.
Because Florida is surrounded on three sides by
water, the climate is predominantly a marine type.
This means that it is subject to'moisture laden winds
which have blown across hundreds of miles of open
sea. The moisture in these winds helps mitigate day-
time heat but at night it causes heat to be lost from
the land into the air. Although sea breezes often
contain microscopic amounts of salts such as bro-
mide and iodine, they are always perfectly free of

dust and bacteria. Equally important is the fact that
sea breezes are almost always rich in ozone. For ozone
means an increased amount of oxygen in the air to
which the tissues of the body and the nervous system
are surprisingly susceptible. An abundance of ozone
brought by sea breezes calms the nervous system,
stimulates the body's rate of metabolism, and im-
proves the appetite and digestion. Doctors, for in-
stance, often recommend a sea voyage to people
suffering from a nervous breakdown or with certain
rheumatic or chronic catarrhal conditions. Sea breezes
are also believed helpful to sufferers from asthma,
hay fever, and scrofula. Besides these influences on
your well being, the proximity of the sea to Florida
keeps the coastal areas warmer in winter and cooler
in summer than areas farther from the ocean. A ma-
rine climate, therefore, tends to be temperate and
equable with few rapid changes of temperature. In
Florida, it helps counteract the languid effects of
the long, hot summers.
Overtones of a continental type climate-swift
and severe changes in temperature-begin to ap-
pear in Florida as distance from the coast increases
and as one moves northwards up the state towards
the main continental mass of the U.S. But as one
moves in the opposite direction, that is southwards
and towards the coast, overtones of a tropical cli-
mate become apparent until at ocean-surrounded
Key West, the climate is almost truly tropical.

Sunshine

Modern day climatologists are almost unanimous
in voicing their opinions that the chief factor in de-
termining the value of a climate lies in the average
intensity of its ultra-violet light. Ultra-violet waves
are, of course, those light rays having the shortest
wave length. Owing to this fact, they are quickly dis-
persed by dust and particles held in suspension in
the air. When allowed to reach the earth in full meas-
ure, their effect is strongly aseptic which may well ac-
count for the prevalence of pneumonia and other
germs in cities where dust and smog prevent ingress
of ultra-violet light. Perfectly free from dust or smog,
the wine clear air of Florida allows a maximum of
ultra-violet rays to reach its sandy surface.
The percentage of possible sunshine in Florida is
high and the state receives more winter sunshine
than any other in the entire eastern U.S. or the
Pacific Northwest. Moreover, the sun is high in the
heavens. It is always 12 degrees higher than in
New York and 20 degrees higher than in Seattle.
This means that the sun's rays do not meet with as

great a refraction in the atmosphere as farther north
while they strike the earth more directly and with
greater intensity. Although they may have a greater
depth of atmosphere to pass through than in places
at higher altitudes such as Arizona, their intensity is
greater at sea level than anywhere else in the coun-
try. It was largely this intensity of sunlight and the
beneficial effect of ultra-violet light that led in 1885
to the American Medical Association declaring
Florida's Pinellas Point the healthiest place in the
U.S.
PERCENT
] OVER 70
= 60-70
60 E@ 50-60
f 40-50
60 M UNDER 40

70 70
Fig. 1. Percentage of possible sunshine, winter

When choosing a place to live in Florida or a
place to vacation during the wintertime, it is as well
to know that the southern half of the state receives
on an average 10% more sunshine than the northern
half (see Fig 1.) The Keys receive even more in the
winter as they also do in summer (see Fig. 2) when
the rest of the state receives 60%-70% of possible sun-
shine. (The percentage of possible sunshine is the
ratio between the duration of daylight and the pe-
riod during which the sun normally shines each
day.) In scoring Florida's summer sunshine, we find
that the state holds its own with most of the other
eastern states and even makes a better showing than
most of New England despite the fact that summer
days in New England are longer than those in
Florida.
PERCENT
[ OVER 90
E 80-90
8 70-80
f 60-70
UNDER 60

Fig. 2. Percentage of possible sunshine, summer

When we come to the question of clear skies we
find that Florida compares favorably in this respect
with most eastern states and makes out considerably
better than the Lakes States and New England. In
choosing a place to live in Florida, however, you will
want to bear in mind that the Gold Coast and its

fringe areas do not compare so well with central
Florida and the Gulf Coast. The Gold Coast has an
average of 120 cloudy days annually compared with

DAYS
I UNDER 40
E 40-80
80-120
= 120-160
160 AND OVER

Fig. 3. Average annual number of cloudy days

from 80-100 in the rest of Florida (see Fig. 3). Simi-
larly, in the number of clear days annually, (see
Fig. 4), the Gold Coast has only 100 clear days com-
pared to 120-140 in the remainder of the state. As
sunshine has a beneficial effect in helping cure
depression and dyspepsia, you are therefore likely to
experience a greater uplift in spirits elsewhere than
on the rather expensive Gold Coast.

DAYS
E 220 AND OVER
E3 180-220
Z 140-180
S 10O0-140
o 10oAND UNDER

Fig. 4. Average annual number of clear days

Temperature

In experiments with both rats and humans, both
Dr. Mills of the University of Cincinnati and Profes-
sor Huntington in Massachusetts found that during
hot weather one's powers of judgment, memory, and
concentration fall off by as much as 25%. Hunting-
ton found that people attained their optimum de-
gree of physical activity with an average temperature
of 600-650 and a noonday temperature of 700. It was
also found that one's top mental peak was attained
when the temperature outdoors was 38-that is dur-
ing late fall or early spring in the northern and cen-
tral states. Further, it was observed that people work
better in a moderate temperature subject to consid-
erable daily fluctuation rather than in stable, un-
changed conditions.
Other investigations have proved that the ideal
working and living conditions are these: during sum-
mer an average temperature of 750 in combination

120

o00

with a relative humidity of 55% (more about this
later) and in winter, a combination of 70 and a re-
lative humidity of 35%-40%. With a steady tempera-
ture of 80 or more, strong people begin to lose their
strength. But persons of delicate constitution gain
strength and weight, and attain a more vigorous
mental and physical state. Too, in temperatures of
constant warmth the body's white cells become slug-
gish with a marked decrease in their ability to ward
off germs. In this same condition of constant warmth,
older people are relieved from the constant strain
of adapting themselves to continual changes in the
weather.
If we are to believe these facts then, in a warm
state like Florida, strong young people are slowed
down and forced to live at a slower tempo with
greater chances for longevity. Weak people regain
their health and strength. All persons suffer from
diminished mental powers (as no doubt this author
will be accused of; incidentally, the temperature is
now 750 at 3 P.M. on January 25, 1953 at Clear-
water, Florida). Everyone experiences a decreased
bodily ability to fight off infection. And older folks'
hearts have an easier time of it.
This is the price you pay to live in Florida. What
are the disadvantages? Unless you want to die young,
there are only two. The first is this tendency for your
mental powers to diminish. After spending as long as
four or five months writing at one time in Florida, I
have noticed an increased difficulty in concentrat-
ing. But it might have been due to the strain of
having worked that long in the first place. Anyway,
you'll want to know that in spite of meagre library
facilities, there is still plenty of cultural activity go-
ing on in Florida and that some of the world's great-
est novels and paintings have been created in the
tropics. Lastly, there is the disadvantage incurred
whereby one loses one's ability to fight off infections
after living for a prolonged period in a warm cli-
mate. This, too, is a very minor worry unless you plan
to go north in the middle of winter. For there are
few germs in Florida and provided you stay put dur-
ing winter, you have virtually nothing to worry
about. How about vacationists? Most of them aren't
here long enough to lose their powers of warding off
infection. But it always pays to be careful when re-
turning north again in winter after a week or two
spent in the warmth of Florida.
While on the subject of vacations and health, it
might be opportune to point out at this time that a
winter vacation is more advantageous than one in
summer. Best time to take it is during January or
February because at that time you'll be most tired
after having worked steadily through the trials of

winter. If you have your vacation in summer, how-
ever, you will already have been rejuvenated by the
spring weather and your vacation won't do you quite
as much good. Nevertheless, one can never com-
pletely separate climate from sociology, which
means that if you can't afford Florida's high winter
rates, you may be better off if you take your Florida
vacation during the cheaper summer season and so
save worrying about where the money is to come
from.

Fig. 5.

Which all brings us to that devastating question,
"Just how hot is Florida during summer?" It's hot.
It's hotter than most Chamlers of Commerce would
like to have you believe. The entire state lies south of
the 800 average July temperature line (see Fig. 5).
In fact, most of the state also lies south of the July
wet bulb 750 average temperature line. (The wet
bulb temperature gives the closest indication to the
temperature you actually feel, which is called the
sensible temperature.) The average July tempera-
ture for New York City is 74.40, for Chicago 73.9.
Average July wet bulb temperature for New York
City is 68, for Chicago 660. There's no denying it's
hotter in Florida during summer than it is farther
north. Many Florida residents leave for the North
Carolina hills during summer because they find the
heat so oppressive. And as Mr. A.N. of St. Petersburg
told me recently: "I am retired, 67 years of age, and
because of the extreme heat in Florida find it neces-
sary each summer to pack up and leave for cooler
parts."
Now that you've heard the worst, let's take an-
other look at this "terrible" summer heat. Fig. 6
shows the average annual maximum temperatures
for the entire nation. This means that at least once
during the summer, the temperature will normally
reach the limits shown. In Florida, the maximums
vary from 950 on the Gold Coast to 1000 in north-
ern Florida (where the overtones of the continental

Fig. 6

type climate become more apparent). But tempera-
tures of 1000 or more are likely to be experienced as
far north as the Canadian border. In the East, only
the mountains, the Lakes States, and New England
lie outside the region where a 1000 heat wave is likely
to be experienced at least once a year. Yet almost all
of Florida lies between the 950 and 1000 limits. <

Fig. 7.

Talking of heat waves, take a look at Fig. 7 which
shows the highest temperatures ever observed be-
tween 1899 and 1938 in the entire nation. There is
hardly a place in the entire country with as low a
maximum as most of Florida. These are the tempera-
tures you see screaming in headlines all over the
country during summer: 980 IN DOWNTOWN
CLEVELAND. HEAT AND HUMIDITY TO
CONTINUE-LITTLE RELIEF IN SIGHT. You
don't see that sort of headlines in Florida because
there are no heatwaves. Cases of heat prostration or
sunstroke in Florida are almost unknown.
What does it all add up to? These Government
maps show that Florida is hot during summer and
stays hot with little variation in temperature. Be-
cause of this equable temperature, Florida does not
experience the trying heat waves of the north. And

to cap it all, I am going to add that unless you are
considerably overweight, you need not find Florida
summers uncomfortable at all.
To prove it, a survey taken in the state showed
that in southern Florida 80% of older people did not
find the summer heat trying. In central Florida al-
most 90% found the summer climate quite comforta-
ble. In northern Florida, the percentage was 73.
These older people stayed in Florida during summer
and liked it. They liked it because they had learned
-to live properly in hot weather. The people you see
fleeing to the mountains of North Carolina are
either overweight or have not learned the secret of
successful sub-tropical living.
To start with, you've got three allies onyour side.
First are the frequent summer afternoon thunder-
showers which cool things down by 50 or even 100
just at the hottest time of day. Second, there are the
constant breezes. The southern half of the Atlantic
coast is fanned by the briskly blowing northeast
trades. The rest of the coast experiences the sea
breeze by day and the land breeze by night as is com-
mon along all tropical shores. The reason for this
phenomenon is that the land heats up much more
quickly under sunlight than does the water. The air
over land thus warmed becomes hot and rises while
cool air from the sea moves in to take its place. At
night, the reverse takes place and the air moves back
frtn the sea to the land. These land and sea breezes
occur with unfailing regularity whenever no weather
disturbance is present. And if there is one present,
you get a breeze from that instead. Thirdly, owing to
the great area of water surface in and around Florida
-the state has over 3,700 miles of coastline and over
30,000 lakes-there is constant evaporation of water
into the atmosphere. As you know, when you boil
water, heat must be drawn from somewhere to create
that steam, or water evaporation. In Florida, that
heat is drawn from the land and air surrounding the
water thus leaving it cooler than it otherwise would
be.
Even so, with the average July temperature
around 820, some people in Florida still try to live
as they did up north. Some even live in Cape Cod
houses-Cape Cod homes, mind you, in Florida.
Many older women just will not let down their hair
and join their sisters who go through summer in two
piece suits or loose, porous clothing. Other older
folk do not stay out of the sun nor rest after lunch
(thus defying the custom of siesta, almost universal
among tropical peoples). Still others refuse to eat a
balanced diet with plenty of fresh citrus and tropical
fruits; they continue to eat the heavy, starchy foods
they were used to in the North. Some do not recog-

nize the need for salt and experience muscular cramp
or dizzy spells which they blame on the summer heat.
No, I believe that anyone from the North who rec-
ognizes that in summer the Florida climate is truly
tropical and who is prepared to live as sensible peo-
ple do in the tropics such a person will find
little to complain of in the eternal warmth of the
Florida summer.

Fi. 8.

Fig. 8 shows the average July temperatures for the
state. The coolest part is just south of Lake Okeecho-
bee, warmest is on the eastern Keys. But the differ-
ence is very slight. Actually, the coolest places in
summer are all coastal locations with as second
choice, those places inland at an elevation high
enough to catch a breeze.
So much for the blistering Florida heat. Now how
about those winter cold snaps? Fig. 9 shows the aver-
age January temperatures. The farther south you

Fig. P.

locate, the warmer you will be. During daytime, the
temperature often rises markedly above the figures
shown on the map; at night, it may fall markedly be-
low. In central Florida my oil heating bill totals
around $7.50 a year for a 7-room home (I don't heat
the bedrooms or the kitchen). I light the space
heater on some 21 mornings annually but it's usu-
ally turned off by noon. I may also use heat for a few
hours on some 21 evenings each winter. But that's
all I find necessary. Seldom is the heat on all day.
Older folk, however, would probably require more
heat than this but you could be fairly safe in assum-
ing that $15 a year would cover heating costs for the
average home in central Florida. Costs would be
higher in northern Florida, lower in southern
Florida.
While the average temperatures shown in Fig. 9
are fairly stable throughout the winter, on five to
seven occasions each winter a cold spell sweeps over
Florida. Each spell usually lasts three days. The first
day is usually accompanied by fairly strong northerly
winds. The second day is calmer but loss of heat into
the air by radiation makes this the coldest day of the
three. (This is the day when cold air drainage can
kill your citrus crop.) The third day things begin to
get warmer again and by the fourth day tempera-
tures are back to normal and you can go sunbathing
or fishing in the lightest of clothing.

25 302

4J0 40
50 0-.50
Fig. 10. Average annual minimum temperature

The lowest temperature you're likely to meet dur-
ing a cold spell in central Florida is 30 (see Fig. 10).
In the northern part of the state the temperature
may drop to 200, in the southern part to only 35.
There is no doubt that you'll feel a Florida cold spell
more than you would feel cold weather in the North.
In fact, the only complaint I personally have re-
garding Florida weather is directed against its win-
ter cold spells. I find the summers delightful.
The conclusion to draw from all this is that for a
winter vacation, the farther south you go into
Florida, the warmer the weather is likely to be. For
permanent residence the summer heat is just about
the same everywhere but the farther south you lo-
cate, the better chance you will have for warmer win-
ter weather and freedom from cold spells.

FLORIDA
AVERAGE JULY TEMPERATURE

FLORIDA
AVERAGE JANUARY TEMPERATURE

Humidity

Often enough you hear people say: "It isn't the
heat, it's the humidity." So having established how
hot is Florida, let's see what effect the humidity has
on us there. As I've already mentioned, the actual
temperature felt by the human body is known as the
sensible temperature. It is the result of the combined
effects of temperature, humidity, and wind.
For purposes of comparison, climatologists meas-
ure humidity in a percentage called relative humid-
ity. Relative humidity means the amount of water
that is actually contained in the air compared with
the maximum amount that that same air could hold
under identical conditions of temperature and pres-
sure. Thus a relative humidity of 50% means that the
air could actually absorb twice as much water as it
has.
The importance of relative humidity in rating a
climate lies in the fact that it is the critical factor
which controls the rate of heat loss from the human
body. When you get hot and perspire, the perspira-
tion evaporates into the air leaving you feeling
cooler. The rate of this evaporation is controlled by
the vacant capacity left in the air to absorb more
moisture. For example, air with a relative humidity
of 80% would absorb moisture much more slowly
than air with a relative humidity of 20%. Therefore
at 90 with a relative humidity of 80% your sensible
temperature would be close to the full 90 whereas
at 90 with a relative humidity of only 20%, your
sensible temperature might be as low as 820.
The most comfortable humidity is considered to
be in the region of 70%. A lower percentage makes
you feel cooler but also irritates the mucous mem-
branes of the nose leaving you a prey to colds and
respiratory diseases (as we find in the bone-dry in-
door heat of un-humidified northern homes). A com-
bination of fairly high humidity and temperature
causes a loss of strength and general feeling of ennui
but also increases chances for longevity. The chief
danger of high humidity in such a warm area as
Florida lies in sudden drops in temperature that
could bring chills to bodies that had lost their resis-
tive powers in the prolonged heat. But as we have
seen, the cold spells of Florida are far from being ex-
treme; so there is little real danger on that score.
The average relative humidity in Florida is high.
In a state surrounded by. water, dotted with lakes,
and subject to moist ocean winds, this is unavoida-
ble. As can be seen from the six maps in Fig. 11 the
average relative humidity works out to around 75%.
This is just about the most comfortable humidity in
which to live. In combination with the warm term-

PERCENT
0 UNDER 40
E 40-50
e 50-60
S60-70
OVER 70
Fig. 11. Average relative humidity at 8 a.m. (upper)
noon (center) and 8 p.m. (lower)

peratures it forces you to slow down and lose
strength (unless you are already weak, in which case
you will gain strength). It does not irritate the mu-
cous membranes of the nose. And it provides for a
moderate amount of evaporation to help keep you
cool.
The average humidity in Florida is, therefore, al-
most perfect. Of course, there are a few muggy days
during summer when most people are.glad to turn
on their attic fans and create a draft through the
house. (For complete instructions on the most effi-
cient methods of attic fan cooling, see Harian's
How to Keep Cool, $1 postpaid.) Because warm
air contains more moisture than cool air-yes, even
with the same relative humidity-clothes and shoes
are liable to mildew rapidly in Florida closets unless
the doors are left open. And on the score of humidity
alone, Florida is not the best of places for sufferers
from gout, rheumatism, and other ills which worsen
in, or are attributed to, dampness.
Nevertheless, the fact is that Florida's dry soil and
sunshine more than make up for the effects of its
humidity. So it is not surprising to learn that despite

Relative humidity for leading Florida cities
7:30 a.m. Noon 7:30 p.m.
Apalachicola 84% 67% 76%
Jacksonville 83 60 75
Key West 78 70 77
Miann 78 66 74
Pensacola 81 70 78
Tampa 84 58 74

the state's high humidity, thousands of people have
lost their arthritis and gout through living in Florida.
In choosing a location for permanent residence,
you'll want to know that the southern tip of the
state including the Gold Coast and the Everglades is
slightly less humid than the central mass while the
coast of northwest Florida is slightly more humid
than the central mass.

Rain

Florida's rainfall averages between 40-60 inches
annually, which is more than that of almost any
other part of the U.S. with the exception of the
northern Pacific coast. Because most of this rain
falls in heavy tropical downpours, the actual dura-
tion of a rain storm, however, is quite short. In fact,
during the so-called rainy season, it rains only 6.5% of
the time. Heaviest rains occur in June, July, and
August; a secondary period of rain occurs in mid-
winter. Driest months are April and November
(something to remember when choosing your vaca-
tion date). Most of the summer rain occurs as thun-
dershowers lasting from Y2-2 hours and falling on an
average of one day out of every two. During the re-
mainder of the year, some rain falls on an average of
one day in four.
DAYS
] UNDER 10
Fo0 i -so3
o 30-50
0 50-70
60 O OVER 70
70 70
60 60
50-50
Fig. 12. Average annual number of days wtth thunderstorms

The incidence of thunderstorms is, therefore,
higher than anywhere else in the nation. Fig. 12 il-
lustrates the average annual number of days with

thunderstorms. If you dislike thunder very much
you might want to consider locating south of Miami
or on the Keys, or perhaps in extreme northwest
Florida where thunderstorms are fewer. Thunder-
storms are heaviest over the Tampa Bay area. How-
ever, it must be borne in mind that thunderstorms
are one of nature's best answers to high temperatures
and that Florida's afternoon thundershowers often
bring your sensible temperature down by 50 or even
100. Therefore their cooling effect is greatest on the
west coast around Tampa Bay.

Fig. 13.

Heaviest downpours occur on the Gulf of Mexico
side of Florida where more than 4 inches sometimes
falls in an hour. So it is more important on this coast
to make sure you do not buy a home or build in a de-
pression of land and that your septic tank, if you
have one, is not subject to flooding. On the other
hand, the actual amount of rainfall received
throughout the year (Fig. 13) is heaviest on the
Gold Coast and in northwest Florida. The re-
mainder of the state receives 5-10 fewer inches of
rain each year. Too, gardeners will want to know
that sometimes there is no rain for as long as a month
at a time. For actual rainfall in Florida varies widely
from year to year with sometimes twice as much rain
falling one year as the next.

Hurricanes

Damaging winds are much more rare in Florida
than most northerners believe. While it is true that
strong winds may occur at all seasons, particularly
in connection with thunderstorms, these seldom
create even slight damage. And the two tornadoes

FLORIDA
AVERAGE ANNUAL PRECIPITATIONIINCHES)

which occur annually are limited in extent and do
still less damage.
But how about those Florida hurricanes, you say?
Now, let's get something straight. Hurricanes are no
more Florida hurricanes than they are New York or
North Carolina hurricanes. In fact, four fifths of all
reported hurricanes in the Caribbean area do not
touch Florida at all. Some of them do, however, strike
the coast of other states. For instance, you may re-
call the devastating hurricane that back in 1938
killed 600 people in New York and New England.
Yet this hurricane skipped Florida altogether. And
of all the catastrophic hurricanes of the past fifty
years, only three struck the Florida mainland while
two others passed over the Keys. There is, therefore,
no justification for associating Florida with hurri-
canes.
A hurricane is a revolving tropical storm with a
velocity exceeding 75 m.p.h. Great hurricanes have a
velocity of 125-150 m.p.h. These storms are rela-
tively narrow in circumference, so that their destruc-
tive path is usually not more than 40-75 miles broad.
And when you learn that on the average only one
hurricane passes over the state of Florida each year,
it becomes fairly plain that no widespread damage is
likely at any time. Moreover, since the forward mo-
tion of a hurricane is seldom more than 10 m.p.h.,
you can count on receiving warning of any hurricane
headed for the Florida coast in plenty of time to
make preparations. A meteorological watch is main-
tained throughout the Caribbean area from well be-
fore the hurricane season (August, September, and
October) until it is safely past.
Of course, some parts of the state are more liable
to hurricanes than others. Here is a table showing
the expectancy of hurricanes at principal coastal cit-
ies in Florida:

Miami, Key West
Palm Beach, Pensacola
Fort Myers
Coasts of Franklin and
Wakulla counties
Tampa and Pinellas
county; East Coast,
Vero Beach-
Melbourne
Daytona Beach
Jacksonville

1 in every 7 years
1 in every 10 years
1 in every 12 years

1 in every 15 years

every
every
every

20 years
30 years
50 years

Due to enforcement of the State's Hurricane
Building Codes, property damage has decreased
steadily with every hurricane since 1926. A point to
remember, too, when reading of the staggering loss

of money due to a hurricane in Florida is that much
of the astronomical figure represents unharvested
crops. Principal danger to the average resident dur-
ing the years before 1926 lay in unsafe roofs which
were wont to blow off a house and destroy half a
dozen other homes before being splintered to pieces.
But with enforcement of Hurricane Building Codes
loss of life is now less than 3% of what it was back in
1926.
Of course, hurricanes can still be dangerous. But
while telephone lines from the north are jammed
with frantic calls from relatives, most veteran Florid-
ians endure a hurricane safely inside their own
homes unconcernedly catching up on their reading
or correspondence. The few people who still live in
homes that were not built to hurricane code specifi-
cations may go to a designated Red Cross shelter
(which anyone else may also do). But by and large,
hurricanes are less cause for worry in Florida than is
even a moderate blizzard in the northern states.
While the risk of hurricane damage to you or your
home in Florida is so slight as to be negligible, it may
be worth pausing to consider for a moment the in-
fluence of Florida winds and minor storms upon
your health. The number of storms and wind depres-
sions met with in Florida is not great but the fact re-
mains that Florida lies outside the eternally calm
weather belt of the U.S. (California, Arizona, etc.),
and is therefore subject to variations in air pressure
accompanied by winds. These winds are useful in
that they provide a certain amount of stimulation
and help to prevent too much weakness or loss of
energy due to languor.
Yet on the debit side, a falling barometer has been
found to place a very definite strain on the human
nervous system, to aggravate cases of acute appendi-
citis, bring a relapse to patients recovering from an
operation, and even to kill persons in a very weak
condition. Before a storm, the amount of ozone in
the atmosphere increases so stimulating one's men-
tal powers but in persons with nothing definite to do
(such as retired folk and children) this may lead to
irritability and nervousness. Strong winds accom-
panied by high humidity and a falling glass (this
happens in Florida) may cause stomach ulcers to
worsen while after the storm you may suffer more
than usual from bouts of asthma, gall bladder at-
tacks, orthopedic diseases, a brain abscess, gastric
ulcers, migraine headaches, spontaneous hemor-
rhages, or eye trouble-if you are already a victim
of any of these maladies.
Summing it all up we can say that if you are prone
to any of these latter ailments or if you are subject to
severe nervousness or irritability, you might do bet-

ter to think of living permanently in the Southwest
instead of Florida. But you will not experience any
worse effects from storms in Florida than you do in
our northern and central states. Chances are they
will be less. So if storms don't bother you in those
states, they aren't likely to do so in Florida.

Other Factors

Much to the dismay of Chambers of Commerce,
light snow has on rare occasions fallen in Florida.
But generally speaking, the state is snow-free. Frosts
occur south of Orlando on an average of only once

A-A KLLJNM FtOST UASLE ANMUAUW
NO RECORD OF ILLUNS FROST BELOW 0B- VAMABLE
3W0 TO 365

FLORIDA
AVERAGE NUMBER OF DAYS
WITHOUT KILLING FROST
.3--

Pig. 14.

every second year while in the Keys, frosts are un-
known. Gardeners should examine Fig. 14 for grow-
ing seasons. Days with dense fog (see Fig. 15) vary
from 20 in northwest Florida to less than five in
south Florida. Although fog on even 20 days a year is
not cause for concern, this fact may help you select a
place in which to live if fogs bother you unduly. Only
along the northern border of Florida does hail fall
(on an average of one day a year).

o 20S 10

10
5

DAYS
LI UNDER 5
E 5-10
E~ 10-20
E 20-40
gE OVER 40

Fig. 15. Average number of days with dense fog.

One last factor to consider when choosing a place
to live or to vacation in Florida should be the influ-
ence of the Gulf Stream. This warm water current
flows past the Keys and Gold Coast at a rate of some
232 knots with a constant temperature of more than
800. Its effect is to provide an eternally warm sea
from Key West as far north as Palm Beach. This eter-
nally warm water helps ameliorate all extremes of
cold hence the desirability of this highly popular
coastal strip.
No official medical evidence is available to prove
the beneficial effect of Florida's climate on most
classes of ailments. But I can report that a large
number of older people have told me that the actinic
therapy of Florida sunshine combined with warm,
moist conditions has had almost magical effects in
helping them help themselves recover from a wide
variety of ailments. For your interest I will mention
those ailments which I have been told over and over
again have been held in check or the patients im-
proved as the result of living in Florida.
They are: heart trouble, hay fever, colds and chills,
ulcers, rheumatism, gout, and arthritis, rickets, kid-
ney, liver, and stomach complaints, skin ailments, in-
fluenza and pneumonia, asthma, neuritis, and ca-
tarrh. (Note: the discussion of the effects of Florida's
climate upon health in this chapter is too broad to
guarantee that it will fit any individual case per-
fectly. To be sure whether you should or should not
live in Florida, see your doctor.)

Normal temperature and rainfall in Florida

MONTH
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
April
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.

NORTHERN
FLORIDA
Temp. Rain
55.40 3.24"
57.1 3.71
62.7 3.93
68.1 3.22
74.6 3.72
79.6 6.20
81.1 7.47
81.1 6.95
78.5 6.07
70.7 3.44
61.8 2.31
56. 3.58

Annual Ave. 68.9

53.84

SOUTHERN
FLORIDA
Temp. Rain
62.80 2.31"
63.9 2.46
67.9 2.63
72. 2.65
76.6 4.19
80.1 7.43
81.5 7.37
81.8 7.13
80.4 7.43
75.3 4.80
68.3 1.98
63.7 2.02

72.9 52.4

Hayfever in Florida
Since many hayfever producing plants such as
timothygrass, goldenrod, pigweeds, and English
plantains are rarely found in Florida, a good deal
of the state offers satisfying relief to hayfever aller-
gies. The extreme southern tip of the state and
such cities as Fort Myers, Miami Beach, and Key
West promise almost complete relief to pollen suf-
ferers. Due to the long period of summer weather in
Florida, the ragweed season extends from June
through November. But as you will see in the table
below, only seven out of Florida's 27 pollen stations
reported indexes unfavorable to hayfever sufferers
in 1954-55.
Significance of indexes: above 10 is not recom-
mended; between 5 and 10 is fairly good; below 5
is good; below 1 is excellent.

Pollen Trap
Station Number City
1 Pensacola
(Santa Rosa Island)
2 Panama City
(Sunnyside Beach)
3 Tallahassee
5 Jacksonville
6 Daytona Beach
7 Melbourne
8 West Palm Beach
(Morrison Field)
9 Miami Beach
10 Miami
11 Key West
12 Fort Myers
14 Sebring
15 Tampa
17 St. Petersburg
18 Ocala
19 Orlando
20 Bradenton
21 Fort Pierce
Clearwater
-Coral Gables

Pollen index
10
0.054
32
2
6
6
3
21
5
31
0.26
2
0.12
0.19
3
5
1
13
3
4
5.
7
2

A2
fal

-Everglades National
Park
- Fort Lauderdale Beach
- Gainesville
- Live Oak

0
Is

0
19

15
- F

0
14

CHAPTER II

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

ABOUT FLORIDA

-the state in brief

Whether you're thinking of Florida for a vacation
or as your new home, you'll want to know something
of this second largest state east of the Mississippi. So
the purpose of this chapter is to give you a brief in-
troduction to the state as a whole and the chief char-
acteristics of each of its regions.
Reaching out like an enormous thumb from the
main continental U.S., Florida stretches 400 miles
from the Georgia line towards the tropics; beyond,
its island chain of keys curves even farther south-
to within 70 miles of the Tropic of Cancer. Just how
far south Florida actually lies may surprise you. Its
northern border is 120 miles south of the southern
extremity of California. The parallel of latitude
which cuts the city of Miami also cuts the Bahamas,
bisects the Sahara Desert, crosses the Nile 300 miles
south of Cairo, cuts across the Red Sea and Persian
Gulf, passes south of Delhi-capital of India-and
spans the Pacific south of Midway and only a
couple of hundred miles north of Honolulu. When
you are in Miami you will be on the same level as all
these tropic-bordering lands. For Florida is so far
south that our Deep South lies to the north.
Flanking the Gulf of Mexico on the west and the
Atlantic on the east, Florida's 3,700 miles of deeply
indented coastline frame the state in a glittering
border of sparkling beaches, green swamps, and
blue, blue water. Behind the chain of resorts which
studs this glamourized fringe lies the real Florida-
a sandy land of vast pine forests in the north, scrub
and palmetto in the centre, and sub-tropical prairie
and swamp land in the south. Ranged like a backbone
from the Georgia line down the centre of the thumb
as far as Sebring is a broad vertebrae of sandy hills-
the highest is about 325 feet-from which flow slug-
gish, tree-lined rivers. Dotting this Ridge and Lake
section are most ot the state's 30,000 shallow lakes;
some of these are of noteworthy size but the majority
would be classed elsewhere as ponds. It is a land that
beyond the towns remains little changed from the
frontier stage; probably your first impression when
driving through central or southern Florida will be
that you are on the edge of the jungle. It is a land of

extremes: within a stone's throw of palatial man-
sions you'll find deplorable Negro shacks; almost
side by side you'll find some of the cheapest and some
of the most expensive places to live in America;
you'll find old age pensioners contentedly fishing off
piers while wealthy executives pay $50 a day to char-
ter a boat to fish ten miles farther out; you can eat an
expensive meal prepared by a skilled French chef
or you can dine at a drive-in for 800. An adolescent
state that often has been labelled irresponsible,
Florida's entire progress over the past 70 years has
been made in a series of tremendous booms inter-
spersed with soul-searing depressions. Now Florida is
booming as never before. But by the time you read
this, she could very well be in the depths of a moder-
ate recession.
The reason is not far to seek. For that broad, outer
fringe of the Florida thumb contains 90% of the
state's resorts, which are almost entirely dependent
for their income upon tourist dollars brought in
from other states. When times are good, Florida's
coffers are piled high with tourist dollars; when
times are bad, people tend to economize on non-
necessities like vacations and Florida's resorts go half
empty. One can, of course, make all kinds of excep-
tions to this flat, broad statement. More and more
senior citizens with federal or fixed incomes from
other sources are steadily building up a more econom-
ically stable Florida. Industry, too, is moving in. But
for a long time to come, Florida's resorts will con-
tinue to serve as an economic barometer to the re-
mainder of the nation, heralding bad times in the
form of lowered tourist revenue as much as two
years before the onset of a nationwide depression or
recession.
You won't be long in Florida before you'll hear
someone spoken of as being a "real Cracker." Origi-
nally employed to denote a native Floridian, this
term has now been stretched so far that folk with as
little as seven years residence proudly announce
themselves as Crackers too. The name became com-
mon years ago when the first settlers were in the habit
of driving mule trains through the pine forests of
northern Florida to the crack of mighty bull whips.
And the true home of the Cracker is still in the pine

forest country of northern Florida and, to a slightly
less extent, in the central Ridge and Lake section.
The Cracker is a southerner. Long before Yankees
like Plant and Flagler brought in railroads to open
up sun-drenched peninsula Florida as a winter re-
sort, southerners had been living in and exploiting
the forests of north Florida. In fact, the Spaniards
had been active in the same region as far back as the
16th century. But none of these earlier settlers had
ever dreamed that Florida's greatest industry would
be selling its climate. At least, not until Yankee capi-
tal and ingenuity began to exploit both coasts in the
latter part of last century.
Since then, Yankees have been streaming south in
a never-ending procession. And the rather incongru-
ous result has been that while northern Florida has
retained its Southern population and characteristics,
southern Florida has become a sub-tropical exten-
sion of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Illinois.
South of a line running roughly from Daytona
Beach on the East Coast to Tarpon Springs on the
West Coast, the soft Southern drawl becomes in-
creasingly rare with every mile you go. This is
Northern Territory beyond the Deep South; the
people are northern in manner and speech; the cul-
ture is northern; it's a northerner's paradise.
But the Crackers have not let control of their state
pass into northern hands. Owing to an outdated rep-
resentative system, the sparsely populated Cracker
counties have been able to outvote the rest of the
state and run things their way. To say that their way
in the past has been corrupt is putting it mildly. A
Florida politician has commanded about as much
prestige as a Florida realtor during the boom. But
in common with the rest of the country, corruption
in politics is on the way out, even in Florida.
How does modern Florida compare with other
states in offering facilities for good living? On the
basis of Government and other surveys and on the
basis of my own research for my three nationwide
guides to retirement, opportunity, and vacationing, I
believe I can safely make the following comparisons.
Let's take health facilities first. The number of doc-
tors per capital in Florida is just average for the na-
tion as a whole. The number of hospital beds per
capital is below average. Because Florida is an unusu-
ally healthful state this might not be too serious de-
spite the number of older people in the state likely
to need medical care. But during winter, the popu-
lation of many towns in the southern part of the
state is almost doubled by the influx of visitors. And
many of these visitors are sick people seeking a
kindlier climate. The result is that southern Flori-
da's hospitals are frequently overcrowded during

winter and the state's doctors burdened by a double
work load.
Perhaps you have heard of cases of slow medical
response to a sick call in Florida. If you haven't, I
have. I have been in Florida hospitals during the
peak winter season when beds were jammed one
alongside the other only a foot or two apart with
other beds lining the corridors and halls. But I have
never heard of anyone in real need of medical care
being unable to get it. If you are ill during the peak
winter season, you'll get swift attention; if you just
want sympathy, it may be some hours before a doctor
can see you. Meanwhile, Florida's hospitals are be-
ing enlarged and new doctors are coming in to set up
a practice in the sun. But it will be some time before
the state's hospital beds per capital figure can com-
pare with those of states like New York or Wiscon-
sin.
My own biggest gripe about Florida (and about
my only one) is that its libraries are way below par.
However, the State Extension Library at Gainesville
offers a wide selection of books by mail. Not inter-
ested in reading? Then how about children, new
ones for example. If you plan on having a baby in
Florida, you'll want to know that the infant mortal-
ity rate is average; Florida's record on this score is
better than that of Arkansas but not as good as Cali-
fornia's. And when your child grows up, the quality
of schooling-based on statistics showing the num-
ber of pupils per class and the number of teachers-
is likely to be below average. But on this count, we
find California and even New York no better al-
though such states as Connecticut and New Hamp-
shire are infinitely better off. Teachers' pay has also
been low in Florida, a good deal lower than in Cali-
fornia or New York. But then, wages are lower in
the South so this is not such a critical factor in deter-
mining the standard of education. However, we
also find that in comparison with other states Flor-
ida is below average in the amount spent per pupil
on school budgets. California, which is growing as
fast as Florida, has spent a good deal more on educa-
tion while New York's expenditure has been only
average.
In interpreting these figures in the light of lower
wages, segregation, and lower construction costs in
Florida, I personally do not believe the school sys-
tem in this state is quite as bad as statistics make it
appear. But there is certainly room for improvement.
Tax-wise, Florida makes out well for state and
local taxes are among the lowest in the nation while
New York's, for example, are higher than average.
You'd find Florida's taxes appreciably lower than
those of Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, I1-

linois, Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Rhode
Island, Tennessee, and Virginia, to name a few states
east of the Mississippi. And statistics showing the
cost of a new city home reveal that construction
costs are average in Florida and cheaper than in
Alabama, Georgia, Maine, Mississippi, North Caro-
ina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Vermont.
Perhaps you can trace those factors in which Flor-
ida is backward to the rude, earlier day Cracker poli-
tics. But more likely than not, they are due to the lag
between the development of public facilities and
the soaring population. At any rate, a lot of people
like Florida well enough to leave their home state
and come and live here. Indeed, surveys show that
over half the people already retired here are unable
to find fault with anything about the state.
SPerhaps then, lack of public facilities is not so im-
portant; what is important is that these folks have
selected the right sort of environment. When you
consider that the distance between Florida's capital
and Miami is 425 miles, which is the same distance
as from Cleveland, Ohio to Norfolk, Va., or from the
heart of Massachusetts to the heart of Virginia, you
will appreciate that life in Tallahassee can differ ap-
preciably from life in Miami. Not only is there a
virtual Mason-Dixon line in reverse dividing the
state into two cultural halves. But there are entire
regions quite different in thought and outlook from
other regions. And half of one region may be in
Crackerland, the other half in Yankee Territory.

Ridge and Lake Section

This broad central backbone of Florida extends
from the Suwannee River at the Georgia line to
Sebring and the edge of the Everglades in southern
Florida. It is all inland; there is no salt water any-
where save perhaps a brackish reach of the St. John's
River, a broad waterway separating this central re-
gion from the East Coast proper. In the north, this
region is entirely blanketed by swaying pines, thou-
sands of square miles of them, all tapped for turpen-
tine. The towns, often far apart, are islands of moss-
draped live oaks in the sea of pines. South of
Gainesville, the tourist country starts; the billboards
would tell you this in case you didn't know. Pines
here give way to scrub oak and palmetto, wastes of
sand, broad cattle ranges, citrus groves, verdant ham-
mock lands, and lakes, lakes, lakes. As you go south,
the tourist industry becomes more and more pro-
nounced. In the southern part, tourists and citrus
reign supreme.
Strongly Cracker in the north, Yankee influence
grows steadily towards the south. But Cracker or

Yankee, the people of inland Florida share much
the same characteristics. Above all, they are conserv-
ative and dignified. This is particularly noticeable
in the tourist towns such as Bartow, Winter Haven,
Lake Wales, and Avon Park. Elegance and dignity
are apparent everywhere here from the great man-
sions with their servants to the smallest pensioner's
cottage. The outcome of all this is that the resort
towns in the south include some of Florida's most
culture-hungry communities.
But the conservatism of this region does not mean
that newcomers are not accepted. You have only to
stay a week in any single town here to become com-
pletely absorbed in the life of the community. Per-
haps the attitude of this region can best be described
as homey-ness. Here and there you'll find a boom
town but the atmosphere of most communities
stresses quiet and relaxation. The one concern of
these people is to make sure that their part of Flor-
ida never, never becomes anything like the lavish
Gold Coast. To them, Miami Beach is the anathema;
this glamour-glitter city is not Florida, they will has-
ten to tell you. So if you want a relaxed, homey, in-
land setting with plenty of lake fishing, boating,
swimming, and a golf-country club-suburban life,
the Ridge and Lake section may be your choice.

Atlantic Coast
Extending from the Georgia line and petering
out in the coastal islands of the keys, this littoral
strip is the most publicized part of Florida. Broadly
speaking, it may be divided into two halves. South of
Fort Pierce lies the Gold Coast; north of Fort Pierce
are a chain of coastal resorts and the industrial city
of Jacksonville.
If you drive south down the coast along U.S.1 (tip:
to avoid Jacksonville, take the new bridge via
Arlington) you'll see more evidence of booming
growth than anywhere else in the state. U.S.1 itself
is being constantly widened; and what used to be a
chain of communities between Fort Lauderdale and
West Palm Beach now forms an almost continuous
city. Subject to booms since Flagler's day, the Gold
Coast emphasizes all that is most extreme about Flor-
ida. South of Merritt Island the vegetation becomes
tropical, often exotic. And within a mile of this
greatest tourist route in the land you can find alliga-
tors, turtles, and many surprising forms of wild life.
Here the jungle and the ocean are ever at your motel
or cottage door.
The social life of the Gold Coast includes practi-
cally all strata of society. Hidden away in Jupiter
Island or still sheltered behind secluded walls in

Palm Beach are the last remnants of America's "400."
This is still international society: a publicity-shy, al-
most impregnable circle of party-loving families,
traditionally wealthy. Not permitted to share this ex-
clusiveness are the next highest stage in the social
strata, the Newly Rich. You'll find them in expen-
sive homes flanking Fort Lauderdale's canals or
hob-nobbing with celebrities at Miami Beach. But
these "sets" are as far removed from the average
American as is Jupiter or Mars. Gone are the days
when the Gold Coast catered only to the wealthy.
Now its tourist income depends solidly upon the
great lower middle class.
Shades of the old days do linger, however. Here
you'll find Florida's highest prices-both in resorts
and real estate. Unlike the West Coast's, the vacation
business does not depend so much upon repeat trade.
The winter (and summer) vacationing clientele is
younger, has more money, and spends more than do
those who return year after year to the West Coast
resorts. On the Gold Coast you'll find the guys and
dolls of Broadway, the younger social set-from Park
Avenue to Macy's. The atmosphere is not quite as
hospitable or the welcome so warm as that of the
West Coast. One hears complaints of snootiness and
the outstretched palm .
Farther north, things are slightly cheaper and be-
yond Daytona Beach, one meets more and more
Southerners. For these resorts-some of Florida's
oldest-are enjoying a steady year 'round trade. Par-
ticularly in the north around Jacksonville, the
coastal resorts cater not to the winter visitor but to
the summer vacationist. Above Point Vedra Beach,
all the resorts are summer resorts. (If you examine
Fig. 9 you'll see why.)
The extremes of the Gold Coast run in another di-
rection too. Dotted about the coastal lands or barrier
beach islands are communities of low priced homes
and low living costs. Places like Leisure City and
Greater Melbourne (just north of the Gold Coast
proper) offer you the chance to share the same Flor-
ida sunshine, sports, and scenery with the interna-
tional set at Hobe Sound or Palm Beach. You can
live in these lower priced communities without ex-
periencing any social stigma whatsoever. But always
in the background will be the lavish spending and
high living of those with more money; the tradi-
tional pomp and glitter which is inseparable from
Florida's Gold Coast.

West Coast

Broadly speaking, the West Coast of Florida
sweeps in a great arc from Pensacola to the Keys. But

for our purposes we will regard the West Coast as
that part of Florida bordering the Gulf of Mexico
south of Tarpon Springs. Some writers have de-
scribed this coast as nothing but sand, water, and cli-
mate. On the coast itself, this is not far from the
truth. But back of the beaches lie rich agricultural
lands: hundreds of square miles of citrus groves,
gladiola and tomato fields, tung plantations, and
celery farms.
This coast can be summed up in a single word-
folksy. The towns are folksy, the resorts are folksy,
the country is folksy. The exact definition of folksi-
ness has nothing to do with the size of your income.
There are rich people on the West Coast but most
West Coast residents live on very modest in-
comes. Yet they're all folks and they all rub shoul-
ders and mix freely. There is no Hobe Sound on the
West Coast even though there are some rather ritzy
restricted residential areas. But it simply does not pay
to try and climb above your fellows on the West Coast
-it isn't being folksy. And those who do try to create
exclusiveness achieve nothing more than to ostracize
themselves from the folksy pleasures of West Coast
living.
The most folksy town is St. Petersburg-retire-
ment capital of the nation. On both sides of St.
Petersburg lie a galaxy of communities favored by
retired folk-together these form the Gulf Coast Re-
tirement Kingdom in the centre of which I live. This
same folksy atmosphere is strongly evident in the
beach resorts along the shore. Patronized by plain,
ordinary people with little to spend on nightclubs
and gaiety, the West Coast resorts depend for their
income on repeat business. You'll find none of the
heavy drinking and fashionable living of the Gold
Coast. Accent on dress is modesty; Bikini bathing
suits are definitely out. And best of all, prices are no-
ticeably lower on the West Coast. In spite of the fact
that some hotels and motels are trying to charge
all that the traffic will bear, you can vacation for less
on the West Coast. If you lean towards simple, re-
laxed living you'll enjoy your vacation more than
you will do on the Gold Coast. And if you want to live
cheaply, you'll find more chances for doing so here.
Of course, the West Coast has known boom days
too. You can still find the overgrown remains of en-
tire cities laid out but never built-hangovers from
the boom of the 20's. But as I write this, the West
Coast is still in the grip of the greatest boom of all
times. Here, however, the boom is quieter, less gar-
ish, and more dignified than that of the East Coast.
There is a strong leaning towards cultural interests.
Because many of the towns have twice their normal
populations during winter, you'll find huge audi-

toriums and civic centres, acres of shuffleboard
courts, piers, and parks that many a northern city
with six times the population cannot boast.
The real attraction of this lies, however, in the
white beaches which line the coastal islands from
Honeymoon Island off Ozona to Sanibel Island off
Fort Myers. Then follows a strip of coast where the
beaches stand right on the mainland until south of
Collier City are the uninhabited wastes of the Ten
Thousand Islands dotting the shore down to the
Keys, where the West Coast tails off in the swampy
shores of the Everglades. Most of the resorts and the
higher priced residential communities stand on the
beach islands. Together with the Keys, these beach
islands come just about as near to offering South
Seas living in the U.S. as it is possible to find.
Fortunately, some of the islands are still unin-
habited. Here you will find miles of deserted, sub-
tropical beach backed by waving cabbage palms and
slender, curving coconut trees. Taking the place
of a coral reef is a long sandbar offshore, often uncov-
ered at low water. Between the sandbar and the
beach is a channel, known locally as a swash gully;
often, it is teeming with mullet and other fish. It is
still possible to live as a beachcomber on these unin-
habited islands. You can pick coconuts, catch a va-
riety of fish, scoop up multi-hued coquinas from the
sands (they make delicious broth), trap stone crabs,
and perhaps even find a turtle or two. You could,
as others have done, make a tight beachcomber's
shack out of driftwood and palmetto thatch. All you
would need from civilization would be mosquito
screen and some sandals to protect your feet from the
prickly sand spurs. Here to my mind, are the last
outposts of paradise left in America.
Not many readers would perhaps want to live the
life of a beachcomber. What most people have done
is to build civilized communities on these exotic is-
lands and to develop beach resorts for profit. This
sounds fine except that John Q. Public has been left
out of the planning. For the fact is that with the ex-
ception of the public beaches at Clearwater, Braden-
ton, and Sarasota, very little of the West Coast's
major tourist attraction-its beaches-are open to
the public. Certainly there are odd strips here and
there between the many segments of private beach
but if you expect any large scale public beach with
bathhouse and picnicking facilities as you get in
the North, you won't find it.
On the other hand, one only needs to own a boat
to reach some of the finest unspoiled beaches in
America. These lie on the uninhabited islands.
From where I live in the mainland part of a West
Coast city, I can be walking on the 4-mile strand of

an uninhabited island in just 20 minutes flat. Be-
yond lies another uninhabited island with another
stretch of superb, sub-tropical beach. But you can't
find this sort of thing everywhere and if you're think-
ing of the West Coast in the glowing terms of adver-
tisements such as "miles of white sand beaches" bet-
ter think again; for the ads don't tell you that you
cannot venture above high water mark on most of
these beaches without coming face to face with an
insulting KEEP OFF sign.

The Keys

The Florida Keys are as much removed from the
Florida mainland as is Florida from the American
continent. As the mainland fades out in an am-
phibious jungle of wet hammocks and mangrove
swamp, your first introduction to the chain of key
islands is likely to be the acrid smell of the departing
mainland. Then you're on Key Largo, first and largest
of the chain of keys which sweep crescent-shaped
for 100 miles out into the incomparable blueness of
Florida Strait. The islands are narrow, low, often
frighteningly small to the mainlander; during hurri-
canes some can be positively dangerous, at other
times they are ravaged by mosquitoes. And they are
quite expensive.
But that about describes all the possible draw-
backs. Out here, under dramatic, towering skies and
on infinitesimally small pieces of land floating be-
tween the blues of the sea and the heavens, you
might just as well be on a South Sea atoll. At night,
the moon and stars seem to be so much bigger and
brighter and closer than they do away back in Mi-
ami. To sit in a bamboo chair with your favorite
drink and watch the moon come up over the palms
of the Florida Keys is to live through a truly moving
experience for northerners it is perhaps the
most romantic sight on American soil the trop-
ical night, the murmuring sea, the rustle of the
palms in the best traditions of Somerset Maugham.
We would expect to find a different outlook here.
But the contrast is indeed glaring. Key West, the
rather shabby city at the extremity of the Keys is a
blend of Cuba, the Bahamas, a seafaring atmos-
phere, and naval orderliness. It is the most foreign
city in the U.S. But you might just like it more than
any other. The rest of the Keys offer a relaxed, care-
free life against a background of sports fishing and
Conch native life. Probably the happy-go-lucky ele-
ment is due to the ever present threat of hurricanes.
At any rate, you will find a greater degree of relaxa-
tion and informality here than anywhere else in
Florida. Right now, the Keys are booming, people

are moving in and setting up house; annually there
is a vast influx of sports fishermen. But the constant
warmth throughout the year absolutely forestalls
any attempt at high pressure tactics relaxation
is universal and unavoidable.
You can easily tour the Keys by driving down the
Overseas Highway from Miami to Key West, an un-
forgettable experience that literally takes you to sea
in your car. The bridges linking the islands were
originally built to carry Flagler's railroad to Key
West. After the railroad was wrecked by a hurricane,
the road was built as a public works project. Even
the road has been damaged by another hurricane
since, as the monument to the roadbuilders who lost
their lives testifies. But via this toll-free road you
can drive over all the bridges including the famous
Seven Mile Bridge beyond Marathon, and take your
car right to the southernmost house in the U.S. at
Key West.
If you intend exploring all of Florida, as you cer-
tainly should before you decide upon a location to
settle in, this trip is a must. You'll see evidence of
the vast new construction going up on the Keys, the
new fishing camps and resorts. And you'll be able
perhaps to picture how these near-tropical islands
will look in ten years' time.

The Florida Panhandle

The Panhandle is the name loosely given to that
sizable northwest Cracker arm of the state that
spans the Gulf of Mexico from peninsula Florida to
Pensacola and the Alabama line. For 200 miles
north of Tarpon Springs the coast consists of
swampy jungle with no sizeable city and very few
settlements. Back of the swampy section of the coast
-from Yankeetown to Apalachee Bay-is the coun-
try of the Swampers; a poor white land of sandy
roads and clapboard shacks. But from Apalachee
Bay to Pensacola, you'll find some of the finest white
sand beaches and sand dunes in the state, if not in
the entire nation. Santa Rosa Island is famed

throughout the South as the center of this summer
resort coast.
Inland, the pine forests carpet the state north-
wards to the red soil of Georgia. From these lightly
populated forest counties an endless succession of
logs stream into the giant pulp mills at Port St.
Joe, Panama City, and Pensacola. The vast forest
lands themselves remain in the hands of paper pulp
barons, the Florida duPonts, and the Federal Gov-
ernment while other vast acreages of plantation
around Tallahassee stay undeveloped in the hands
of wealthy Easterners. Local feeling against this
paralysis of the land is strongly expressed in the
back country towns. Many north Floridians feel
that the land should be freed for development and
agriculture.
There is no such stagnation on the coast. Three
large military installations and a rapidly growing
summer resort trade have brought the first signs of
a boom to the Panhandle beaches. Now, numbers of
new motels and restaurants, bars and apartment
houses are beginning to dot the shores of this al-
most virgin coast. Although no causeways yet link
them with the mainland, promoters are already de-
veloping St. George and Dog Islands in anticipation
of the day when the causeways will come. Cities such
as Pensacola, Quincy, Tallahassee, Chattahoochee,
and Panama City continue to gain population at a
rate which leaves no doubt of the part the Pan-
handle is playing in the overall Florida boom.
One of the oldest settled parts of Florida, the Pan-
handle is distinctly Southern, draws a Southern va-
cationing clientele. Set squarely on U.S. 90-the
east-west Old Spanish Trail-is Tallahassee, the
state capital, as far removed from Miami Beach as if
it were in Tennessee. Despite the Southern back-
ground and lower winter temperatures, I believe
this section has much to offer northerners in vaca-
tioning, retirement, and small business possibilities.
Drive along U.S. 98 which follows the coast and see
if you don't agree.

CHAPTER III

TAXES IN FLORIDA

Let's face it Florida isn't absolutely perfect al-
though in many ways it might be more nearly so
than most places in the nation. In almost every part
of this book your attention will be drawn to some
drawback about Florida-with the exception of this
particular chapter. Now, if you smoke and drink
heavily, gamble, burn up the road with your auto-
mobile or work yourself to an early death, you might
be able to find fault with even Florida's lenient tax
structure. Otherwise, pin your ears back while you
learn of the taxpayer's paradise you'll be coming to.
For the fact is that between 25%-30% of the reve-
nue required to run the state of Florida is contrib-
uted directly by tourists. Anywhere from 25%-30%
more is contributed by these same tourists through
hidden levies. While it is true that Florida's taxes
have risen some 250% during the past decade against
148% for the rest of the nation this is primarily due
to the heavy increase in the state's tourist traffic.
Even so, the amount levied each visitor is so small
as to pass almost unnoticed. But in the aggregate, it
means enormous savings for the permanent home-
owners of the state.
Some 26% of all revenue comes from the gasoline
tax, which at 70 a gallon is among the highest in the
nation; 11% comes from the beverage tax; another
23% from the sales and use tax; 7% from the ciga-
rette tax; and 7% from racing taxes. The Federal
Government contributes the final 16% or so required
to run the state. O.K. you say, but I thought Florida
was a taxpayer's paradise. How about all these taxes?
Well, take that gas tax for example. Because no
place in Florida is more than a few miles from a
beach or lake, Florida residents don't normally
spend much time driving about. They leave motor-
ing to Californians. So the chief payers of this tax
are the state's tourists who roam the highways in
thousands. Similarly, unless you smoke or drink
heavily, you won't be affected much by the beverage
or cigarette tax and generally speaking, only tourists
contribute much to the racing tax anyway. Tourists
also pay a 3% tax on all restaurant meals and a simi-
lar tax on all rents of less than six months' duration.
Homeowners buy foodstuffs entirely free of tax
and pay some of the lowest property taxes in the na-'
tion. While there is a general 3% sales and use tax,
all foodstuffs and medicines are exempted as are

clothing purchases of less than $10 in value. So if
you are retiring on a small income, you won't pay out
much in sales tax for the simple reason that you
won't be buying much beyond necessities.
But the best news for new Florida residents is the
Homestead Exemption Law. This states that any
homestead up to 160 acres in extent is exempt from
all taxation by state, county, or municipality up to
$5,000 of its assessed value. Only where a munici-
pality has a bonded indebtedness can your home be
taxed if its assessed valuation is below $5,000. More-
over, the assessed valuation of Florida properties is
usually very low in comparison to the actual value.
Thus you will often find a home worth $10,000 or
more assessed at less than $5,000. For municipal
taxes in Florida are going down, not up. In part, this
is due to the paying off of the great debts incurred
during the boom and partly to the fact that in 1949,
the state Legislature diverted to each municipality
all the cigarette tax collected within its corporate
limits. Half or more of this amount had to be used to
reduce property taxes. And when a city does author-
ize some special assessment, it can be done only
through an election at which a majority of the home-
and land-owners themselves must vote.
Homeowners can obtain tax benefits in Florida
from the first day they acquire a home and live in it.
You do not have to pay the full taxes for one year
first nor do you have to live in the state for one year
to qualify. But you do have to meet certain specifica-
tions. You must be a permanent resident of Florida.
This means that your permanent home must be in
Florida although you may leave it for a few months
in summer as many people do. You cannot rent out
the entire house without losing your exemption but
you may rent a room.
The most certain way of obtaining homestead ex-
emption is to go to the county tax assessor's office as
soon as you move into your own Florida home and
fill out a declaration of residence form. To do this,
you need a Florida car license tag (which you'll
need anyway) and you should be a registered voter.
Then between January 1 and April 1 each year you
must file with the tax assessor your application for
homestead exemption. (You may renew it by mail
if you prefer.) But through having made a declara-
tion of residence you will not experience any trouble

should the county tax assessor doubt your eligibility
under the law. Filing of homestead application
would, in a city like St. Petersburg for example, save
you something like $180 a year in property taxes.
If you sell a house on which you already have home-
stead exemption and buy another right away, you
can still obtain the exemption.
To take advantage of homestead exemption, how-
ever, your deed should be recorded before Decem-
ber 31 of the previous year. If it is not and you have
say, a half completed house, you may be assessed full
taxes for that year on its half-completed value. If you
have a house built in the latter part of a year; you
will normally pay only the full tax assessed on the
value of the lot. Another point to bear in mind
when applying for homestead exemption is that
you should be living in the house on January 1 of the
year for which you claim exemption. If you are not,
you may still be able to claim the exemption pro-
vided you move in before March 31. For if the for-
mer owner is living in the house on January 1 and is
eligible for homestead exemption, he can apply for
the exemption and then deed the property to you.

Florida homeowners serving in the Armed Forces
can still obtain homestead exemption even though
they may be stationed in other parts of the country
or overseas.
Note that no real estate taxes are levied by the
state; they are payable only to the counties and munic-
ipalities of Florida. Likewise, the state levies no tan-
gible personal property tax. A small personal prop-
erty tax is payable to counties and municipalities,
however. Tangible personal property in Florida con-
sists of your household goods, personal effects, resi-
dence, boats, business and farm properties. It is
assessed at full cash value and taxed at a variable
rate by each county. As an example, Dade County
charges 30.5 mills per $1,000. As a Florida resident,
however, you are entitled to an exemption of $500 on
this tax. And you can claim this exemption on furni-
ture and personal effects even if you are living in an
unfurnished rented home. Moreover, if you are a
widow, have been disabled in war, or lost a limb by
misfortune, you are entitled to a further exemption
of $500. In practice, most retired couples in small
homes find that the first exemption covers all their

Florida's favorable estate tax

There are no state "death" taxes in Florida.
To take advantage of this protection afforded
Florida residents by the State Constitution, all
you need to do is to establish residence in Florida.
To do this, it is not even necessary to live in
Florida the year round. You should, however,

file a preliminary report and obtain a non-tax
certificate. The following comparison with ten
other states will serve to show how much you
can save in state taxes on your estate through
residing in Florida.

NET TAXABLE ESTATE BEFORE $60,000

STATE

Florida
California
Illinois
Indiana
Kentucky
Massachusetts
(also has additional taxes)
Michigan
(if estate is all real estate, tax
would be 75% less than shown)
New Jersey
New York
Ohio
South Carolina

$120,000
State Tax
$ 0
$4,250
$2,840
$2,640
$4,996
$3,990

$3,540

$1,890
$990
$2,140
$2,940

$200,000
State Tax
$ 0
8,810
$5,600
$4,000
$9,550
$6,950

$5,700

$3,750
$1,250
$3,500
$5,525

$300,000
State Tax
$ 0
$15,410
$10,400
$5,600
$15,050
$10,050

$7,800

$6,350
$1,850
$5,100
$8,125

FEDERAL EXEMPTION
$400,000 $500,000
State Tax State Tax
$ 0 $ 0
$21,210 $27,010
$17,200 $24,000
$7,400 $9,200
$19,850 $24,650
$12,850 $15,650

$9,600 $11,400

$9,150
$2,650
$5,900
$10,850

$11,950
$3,450
$6,700
$13,650

tangible property. And the additional $500 exemption
for widows or disabled folk may, if desired, be added
to the homestead exemption, making it a total $5,500.
No tangible property tax is levied against property
you may own outside Florida.
In contrast, Florida's intangible property tax does
make a small levy on investments held outside the
state. Taxes are payable annually as follows: on all
monies in savings accounts and bank deposits, in U.S.
legal tender notes and building and loan associations,
at 5 per $1,000; on stocks, bonds, and certain bene-
ficial interests in trusts, at $1 per $1,000; on notes and
accounts receivable, out of state mortgages, and any
other intangible properties, at $1 per $1,000. No tax
is levied on U.S. Government bonds or on bonds of
Florida cities and counties. On Florida mortgages
you pay a tax of $2 per $1,000 when recorded, after
which no further payment is ever required. By com-
parison with most other states, Florida's intangible
tax rates are extremely favorable. On $10,000 worth
of securities you would, for instance, pay $10 a year.
In the event you hold out of state stock and there have
been no sales within the year to establish its full cash
value, tax is levied on the book value.
Both tangible and intangible property taxes must
be listed on returns between January 1 and April 1
each year. The returns are confidential. All property
taxes are due April 1 of the following year, after
which they begin to carry an increasing penalty. But-
you can actually obtain a discount of 4% on all prop-
erty taxes by paying them the previous November.
Florida has no bonded debt, income tax, or taxes
on wages. The Constitution of the State of Florida
prohibits issuance of state bonds for any purpose other
than repelling invasion or suppressing insurrection.
Often enough, revenue bonds are financed through
pledge of the revenues from the projects to be con-
structed. Incidentally, there are some real bargains
to be had if you want to invest in municipal bonds
in Florida.
The state has no inheritance or estate taxes. It
does, however, take a portion of the inheritance tax
deducted by the Federal Government. But your in-
heritance tax in Florida is no higher than it would
be if the state took no share at all. The state can im-

pose no further ad valorem tax of any kind nor can
any intangible property tax be levied in excess of
two mils on the dollar of assessed valuations.
No ad valorem tax can be assessed against any car
or truck whether used for business or pleasure. You
pay only a moderate auto license fee which averages
about $15 a year. A state driver's license costs $1 an-
nually. There is no state poll or luxury tax.
Because Florida has little natural gas or hydro-
electric power for cheap electricity, utility charges
are one expense no lower than in most other states.
On the other hand, provided you do not use vast
quantities of water when living in a city (city water
is pumped from deep wells) your utility bills will
be no higher than in most other places.
Suppose you're a visitor and not one of these fa-
vored homeowners. How can you pay least taxes dur-
ing your vacation? Best way is to own a cottage and
use it year after year, second best way is to rent a
housekeeping cottage or apartment thus saving on
restaurant meals and service. But the trailerite ac-
tually comes off best. By simply paying a Florida
registration fee, he can park his trailer under police
and fire protection, and send his children to school
via free bus for an entire year if he wishes.
You might even be able to deduct from your in-
come tax the cost of all travel and lodgings incurred
during a Florida vacation. One 81 year old Cleve-
lander, William B. Watkins, recently did just that.
By proving that his four month Florida vacation
had been taken on medical advice, Watkins success-
fully obtained an Internal Revenue Service ruling
permitting him to deduct $1,401-the cost of travel
and lodging but not food-from his income tax
return.
There you have the Florida tax picture in a nut-
shell. Conditions are not likely to change because
the Florida Supreme Court has taken effective meas-
ures to close every loophole against further taxa-
tion of homeowners. If you know anything about
state and local taxes, you'll agree that taxes are
lower in Florida than almost anywhere else in Amer-
ica. And unlike other states, you'll find that home
ownership in Florida is something you simply cannot
afford to do without.

CHAPTER IV

YOUR VACATION IN FLORIDA

There are two ways to vacation. One way is to
stay at a resort for your entire holiday. The other
way is to tour by car or other means of transportation,
moving on from town to town, taking in all the sights
en route which appeal to you, and staying overnight
at a motel or tourist court. Your vacation in Florida
may consist of a resort holiday or a touring holiday.
Or more than likely, it will turn out to be a combina-
tion of both. This chapter caters to both types of va-
cations and, of course, every shade of combination
in between. So first of all we'll deal with the static
type of resort vacation and later, the mobile tour-
ing type of holiday.

Resort Vacations

Sunshine is a commodity that can command
a price just like grain or steel. And just like grain or
steel, when it is in short supply, the demand for sun-
shine is greater and the price for obtaining it rises.
Far to the south in the winter realm of Old King
Sol, Florida enjoys an abundant supply of sunshine
at a time when most of the nation is experiencing a
severe shortage. Demand for Florida's sunshine is
heavy. Hundreds of thousands flee from the ice-
locked north central states to bask in Florida's winter
sunshine. Hotel and apartment owners enjoy a
seller's market. Rates in plush hotels along the Gold
Coast soar to $150 a week and more. And the takers
are plentiful.
But Florida enjoys this sunshine monopoly for
only three or four months out of the year. As soon
as the sun creeps back north in April, the Florida
sunshine meets competition. People can enjoy it as
far north as Maine. So during the short winter
months, the Florida hotel operator has to make
enough to pay costs and depreciation on his estab-
lishment for the entire twelve months. It's no won-
der his winter sunshine season prices are high.
In April, Florida loses her monopoly on the sun.
Just as with grain or steel, increasing supplies mean
lowered prices. That's just what happens in Florida.
If the March visitor were to stay until the middle of
May, he would find his $100 a week cottage renting
for only $35. Prices come tumbling down every-
where. Hotels, motels, apartments, and cottage
courts compete briskly for what visitors there are.

The seller's market becomes a buyer's market in a
few short weeks. And the result is the best buy in the
whole bargain basement of American vacations.
Let's take a look at the product that all this finan-
cial talk is about. It's mainly the climate and the col-
orful semi-tropical beach settings that go with it.
Have they changed between summer and winter?
The average Florida temperature increases some
120 between winter and summer, rising into the
eighties from June through September. In a moist
climate like Florida's, this would normally lower the
body's rate of cooling to the stage where it becomes
oppressively hot. But that's without taking into con-
sideration the constant Gulf and Atlantic breezes.
On the beaches and in the coastal towns-and at
higher altitude spots inland-you can be sure of
keeping cool all of the time with the aid of the
breeze. Added to this are the shorter summer days
and frequent summer afternoon showers that be-
tween them quench every extreme of heat before
it can even start. The result is a stable, warm cli-
mate with abundant sunshine-in fact, it is almost
the same climate that drew thousands down from
January to March at prices two to three times as
high as those prevailing during Florida's summer
off-season.
So if you decide to take your Florida vacation in
July instead of January, you get practically the same
thing at less than half the price. Of course, there are
other slight differences. Some of the swankiest hotels
still close in summer. Entertainment is less varied
and the top notch night club artistes you can see in
winter at Miami Beach are absent during the sum-
mertime. But to most people these things are not
important. The point is that they can enjoy an ex-
pensive January vacation in June-free from the
January crowds-for half the price that a vacation
in a crowded northern resort would cost in June.
Of course, the summer season does not end one
day and the winter season start the next. In between
are a series of rate hikes corresponding with the
scarcity of sunshine in the north and the amount of
entertainment and culinary skill in the hotels. For
many of the larger hotels hire top chefs who come
down before the start of the peak winter season-
during this period, you can enjoy their cooking for
rates below the regular winter levels. The same thing

goes for hotel service and entertainment as well as
entertainment in night clubs and other fields. Natu-
rally, this is a broad principle. You may not find it
true in every single hotel. But it does apply to the
majority. So here's a general calendar of hotel and
apartment seasons in southern Florida showing the
corresponding rate reductions:

Jan. 15-April 1

Peak winter season

rates 100%
April 1-May 15 Spring intermediate season
rates 50%-75% of winter

May 15-Nov. 1

Summer season

rates 35% of winter
Nov. 1-Dec. 15 Fall intermediate season
rates 40%-45% of winter
Dec. 15-Jan. 15 Holiday season
rates 50%-75% of winter
Most of the big hotels open around November 15
and are a good value before the Holiday Season
rates go into effect. Even then, they remain a good
value, although out of the bargain price range. As
explained, these high rates have to be charged
to cover annual expenses on the basis of a seasonal
income. A hopeful trend goes hand in hand with the
growth of interest now being given to Florida as a
summer vacation area. For there is a strong tendency
that the new summer trade will bring sufficient re-
muneration to help offset the high winter costs.
Eventually, Florida's winter rates should become
appreciably lower.
On the West Coast, first fall rates go into effect in
October and motels in the $4-$5 a day summer price
range add $1 a day to their rates. They generally
raise the price by another $1 on December 20, and
on January 15 further increases come into effect.
The average motel is then charging $8-$12 a day
double, with deluxe places having tile baths and
cooking facilities charging around $18 a day or $125
a week.
Cost of meals rises some 25%-30% during the win-
ter season because, like the hotels, the restaurants
must make most of their annual income between
January and March. But during the rest of the year,
dinners can be had from $1.10-$1.35 and up while
the smaller restaurants offer luncheons consisting of
soup, main dish with two vegetables, coffee and des-
sert from 850 and up. Breakfasts can be had from
35#. Hotel meal prices come down 25%-30% in sum-
mer also.
An examination of the latest travel statistics re-
veals some interesting facts which may help you en-
joy a better vacation. These figures show a new in-
flux of vacationists who are extending the business

peak of the winter season by 3-4 weeks. What has
happened is that these old hands-they've nearly
all visited Florida before-have discovered three sig-
nificant facts: the first is that accommodation is eas-
ier to obtain after April 1; the second is that after
April 1, their Florida vacation is not likely to be dis-
turbed by cold spells yet the summer heat has not
commenced; the third is that rates are appreciably
lower. The spring intermediate season is, therefore,
an excellent time to take your winter vacation. And
from a physical standpoint it is almost as advanta-
geous as taking it in January or February for in April
your system is at its weakest ebb after the long north-
ern winter.
The general drop in food and accommodation
prices is reflected in summer recreational costs also.
Prices of charter fishing boats come down and rates
for rental cars drop as much as 20%. All around,
you'll find southern Florida a true bargain hunters'
paradise from May through October.
That is South Florida only, remember, for the
most northerly resorts in the state are not winter re-
sorts. Instead, they do a peak summer business and
charge the highest prices during midsummer. Chief
among the Florida summer resorts is the Jack-
sonville Beach area, though at Ponte Vedra Beach,
a bare four miles south of Jacksonville Beach itself,
a summer rate reduction of 25% is in force. From
Ponte Vedra Beach south, you are in the low sum-
mer rate section and reductions tend to increase as
you go south. On the Gulf Coast, Pensacola and Pan-
ama City are peak price summer resorts as are the
smaller resorts nearby. However, the summer rates
in all of these resorts are quite moderate in compari-
son with winter rates on the Gold Coast. Most of the
visitors to these true summer resorts consist of va-
cationers from the Deep South. Their clientele is
Southern as are the residents and flavor of the towns
themselves. South Florida is predominantly north-
ern on all three counts, however.
Among the distinctly winter resorts, Miami Beach,
Daytona Beach, St. Petersburg, and Sarasota are the
major summer vacation spots. Here-save at Day-
tona-you will find the summer rate reductions in
full force. Together with many smaller resorts, each
has some special attraction for age groups or family
groups, fishermen and golf addicts. Generally speak-
ing, the bulk of the East Coast caters to the younger
set with quieter, restful resorts such as Key West and
St. Augustine at either end. Emphasis on the Gulf
Coast, especially in the St. Petersburg-Clearwater
section, lies in catering to the older folk although
Bradenton has become something of a youth center.
Yet these are only very broad indications; every-

where there are resorts catering to old and young,
gay and quiet, restful and active vacationists.
Rates on the mainland are generally some 25%
lower than those prevailing at the beach islands. So
for lowest cost vacationing, summer or winter, you
will find that for corresponding accommodation, a
mainland location is invariably cheaper. But you
will have to add to the cost of your mainland accom-
modation, the cost of transportation for getting to and
from the beach-about 100 each way by bus. In the
summer when rates are low, the savings on a main-
land location are not so great but during winter
when you can effect savings as high as $50 a week be-
tween identical cottages on the beach and on the
mainland, it is well worth considering. For that mat-
ter, you may find that by taking modest accommoda-
tion on the mainland, you can afford a winter vaca-
tion in Florida after all.

What to wear in Florida
Accent on dress differs between the East and
West Coast and even between different groups
of resorts on the same coast. You can wear al-
most anything at Miami Beach, even to sport-
ing a fur coat over a swimsuit. Palm Beach is
formal, the rest of the Gold Coast mostly in-
formal while Daytona and resorts north call
for more conservative attire. Simplicity is the
keynote on the West Coast and highly sophis-
ticated streetwear or Bikinis are not in keeping
with its folksy character. Similarly, women's
shorts are not so commonly seen in the larger
resort towns but are acceptable on golf courses.
For Sarasota, St. Petersburg, or Clearwater
vacations, women should build their wardrobe
around dresses rather than sportswear. Then,
too, evening wear is seldom required on the
West Coast. Central Florida calls for informal
but conservative attire with demand for eve-
ning wear slight.
For winter, be sure to take a sweater or
cardigan, warm socks, and a topcoat for cold
snaps. For summer, it is important to wear
loosely fitting, porous clothing. But at all sea-
sons take plenty of gay, brightly hued sports-
wear and beach clothes. Men can take a black
or white dinner jacket, or in summer one of
light blue or gray cloth: Few women wear
hats in Florida; those ladies who go fishing
in boats do find a visored cap useful (as are
dungarees).

Selection of a resort which suits your temperament
and pocket is quite important. You don't, for in-
stance, want to reserve a hotel or cottage for a month
only to find yourself in an oldster's paradise when
you expected a gay, lively atmosphere. And if you're
looking forward to a month in Florida on $5 a day
there are a good few places where you'd have a thin
time doing it. So to help you select the most suitable
resort, you'll find the descriptions given in the town
and city directory section in the second part of this
book most useful. In addition, you'll find recom-
mendations for where to stay and eat which will
prove equally useful if you're on a sightseeing tour,
which we shall deal with next.

Sightseeing in Florida

Highlighting the state's sightseeing spectacles are
the enormous springs which boil forth from huge sub-
terranean caverns in the limestone strata far below
the surface. Because these springs rise from an almost
uniform depth, their waters share an almost uniform
temperature of around 720. The waters are crystal
clear so that you can plainly see the underwater
fairyland in the spring pools at depths of 200 feet or
more. The following table will serve to illustrate the
astronomical water flow of the state's major springs:

Springs
Homossassa
Juniper
Ponce de Leon
Rainbow
Silver
Wakulla
Weekiwachee
White

Millions of gallons per day
100
6
30
425
650
350
150
50

Most of the springs have been developed, some to
a highly commercialized degree. Picturesque Silver
Springs offers photo "sub" rides as does Rainbow
Springs, Weekiwachee stages underwater theatricals,
Homossassa plugs itself as "Nature's Giant Fish-
bowl" and De Funiak Springs forms a mile 'round
civic centre for the city.
The second biggest feature of Florida sightseeing
are the floral and tropical gardens. These are located
all over the state and range from purely botanical
gardens to commercialized hammocks complete with
Seminole Indians and alligators.
The third striking feature of Florida sightseeing is
the state's many really big roadside zoos, aquariums,
theatres, and what not. The variety is endless. Most
of the larger scale enterprises are interesting, par-
ticularly to children. In addition, there are some

good state parks (where the "real" Florida has been
preserved in the primitive state) and some outstand-
ing historical showplaces such as St. Augustine.
By far the most sight-packed highway is U.S. 1,
which, with the new auto ferry to Cuba inaugurated,
now includes Havana among its sightseeing pos-
sibilities. Other highways with worthwhile sight-
seeing include U.S. 17, 19, 27, 41, 90, 98 and 319,
301, and 441. By traveling to your destination along
one of these routes and returning by another, you
can be certain of seeing more sights while motoring
in Florida than you would otherwise do.
The best auto itinerary? Here's one for nine days,
the time which most motorists spend in Florida.
1st day St. Augustine
2nd day Daytona Beach
3rd day Lake Wales for the Singing
Tower and Cypress Gardens
4th and 5th days Miami Beach
6th day Via the Tamiami Trail to
Naples
7th day Sarasota
8th day Ybor City in Tampa and
Weekiwachee Springs; stay
overnight in Brooksville
9th day Silver Springs
Any additional time should be spent on a visit to
Key West.

Most tourists will, however, get more out of a visit
to Florida by planning their own sightseeing routes
to take in those sights which are individually most
intriguing. So to assist you, here is a sight by sight
description of Florida's most interesting highways.
Of course, you'll know whether or not your child en-
joys zoos, boats, Indians, etc., but just to help you in
determining how well children enjoy some of the less
easily definable sights, you'll find comments here and
there to tell you.
ROUTE U.S. 1 (and A1A the Ocean Trail)
From the Georgia line (near Folkston, Ga.) to
Key West. Feeder routes are U.S. 17 from Bruns-
wick, Ga., and U.S. 90 from northwestern Florida.
Paralleling U.S. 1 which carries the bulk of the
heavy commercial traffic is Route A1A which follows
the more scenic barrier beach islands from Fernan-
dina near the Georgia line to Miami Beach. Route
A1A is not continuous, however, and you will have
to return to U.S. 1 at times in order to continue on
your way south. Route A1A is generally more scenic
than U.S. 1 but many of the major sights lie on the
main U.S. 1 route. The best plan is to follow A1A
as far as possible, returning to U.S. 1 only where
necessary or where you must do so to visit sights
that interest you most. Notwithstanding traffic
bottlenecks, U.S. 1 provides by far the swiftest high-
way along the East Coast.

Fort Clinch Stste Park. Three
miles north of Fernandina on A1A. A
historic and photogenic old structure
in a 1,086-acre park with miles of
beaches and sand dunes nearby. Open
daily 9-5, guided tours 250, children
104. The park has picnic grounds with
fireplaces.
Little Talhot Island State Park.
On A1A between Nassau Sound and
St. John's River. A 2,500-acre beach
recreational park; the north side is
reserved for whites, the south side for
colored visitors. Besides one of Flor-
ida's finest beaches you will also find
good surf fishing, bathing, and picnick-
ing facilities. Open 8 a.m.-sunset daily I
free parking. Just south of the park, on
Fort George Island, is the old Kings-
ley Plantation with slave quarters still
standing. Follow the markers near
the ferry.
Via Route A1A you may by-pass
Jacksonville altogether by taking the
ferry between Fort George and May-
port, fare 50t, sailings every 30 min-
utes, road toll 500. Downtown Jack-
sonville may also be by-passed via

US 1 or 90 by taking the new Mat-
thews bridge.
JACKSONVILLE. On U.S. 1,
U.S. 17, and U.S. 90. Reached from
Little Talbot State Park via Florida
105. Children particularly may like to
visit the King Edward Cigar Factory.
Inquire at the Tourist's and Conven-
tion Bureau in Hemming Park for de-
tailed information about possible tours
of other plants such as the Swisher
Cigar Factory, National Container
Corporation, and a pulp and paper mill.
The chief sight in Jacksonville is:
Oriental Gardens. Two miles out
via Florida 13. The 18-acre garden fea-
tures Oriental arches, bridges, foun-
tains, and Chinese architecture, water
wheel, Bamboo Compound, etc. Admis-
sion 750, tour time one hour. Best
season for azaleas is Feb. 25-April
25, for camellias Dec.-April, for
hydrangeas May-July. Open daily
8-5:30.
Two routes lead from Jacksonville to
St. Augustine. A1A, the longer route,
follows the coast; U.S. 1 goes direct,
passing near the historic village of
Mandarin.

Mandarin. Lies west of U.S. 1 on
the St. John's River. See here the
home of Harriet Beecher Stowe who
wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin, and Flor-
ida's largest live oak.
Rihault Monument. Near May-
port on A1A east of Jacksonville. Of
historic interest is this monument in a
grove of oaks just beyond the town
marking the spot where Huguenot col-
onists first arrived in 1562.
Casper's Alligator Jungle. On
U.S. 1 three miles north of St.
Augustine. Sizeable exhibit of rep-
tiles, alligators, and rare tropical
birds. Admission $1.25, open 8-6
daily.
ST. AUGUSTINE. At the junction
of U.S. 1 and A1A. Florida's most his-
toric city with a total of 72 sights. You
can obtain a printed itinerary from the
Junior Chamber of Commerce here
which shows you how to follow a well
marked tour route of the city. Or
guides may be hired instead. It is rec-
ommended that you do not drive your
own car but hire a horse-drawn surrey.
Not all of the 72 sights are of top in-
terest. Instead, here is a selection of the

most worthwhile given in the order in
which you will meet them on the
marked tour.
Ripley Museum. Admission $1,
open 9-9 daily. A collection of Robert
L. Ripley's "Believe It Or Not" oddi-
ties housed in the Moorish style Castle
Warden.
The City Gates. These guarded the
northern approaches.
Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse. Ad-
mission 500, open 8-5 daily. A red
cedar and cypress schoolhouse built be-
fore the Revolution, contains lifelike
figures of the schoolmaster and pupils.
Old Curiosity Shop. A curio shop
in a massive stone house.
Old Spanish Treasury. Admission
500, open 9-5 weekdays. Contains pe-
riod furnishings, a topflight sight.
Zero Milestone. Marking the east-
ern extremity of the Old Spanish Trail
leading to San Diego, California, is a
six foot ball of rock.
Castillo de San Marcos. Admission
100, open 8:30-5:30 daily with free
conducted tours. This moat-surrounded
fort is the highlight of St. Augustine's
sights. Be sure to climb the ramps to
the roof for the view, and to visit the
dungeons.
Plaza de La Constituclon. See here
the statue of Ponce de Leon made from
a bronze cannon, the cathedral, and the
Wax Museum, admission to which is
$1, open daily 8-9. One block west
is narrow Avila Street with pictur-
.esque houses.
Oldest House. Admission 504, open
9-6 daily. Dates from the 16th century
with period furnishings to match.
Ponce de Leon Hotel. One of
Flagler's, a Moorish Palace.
Lightner Museum of Hobbies.
Admission 90e, open 9-9 weekdays,
1-9 Sundays. Features collection of
unusual hobbies made by the
founder of Hobbies magazine, is
housed in another Flagler palace.
Villa Zorayda. Admission 701, open
8:30-6 daily. A replica of the Spanish
Alhambra.
Shrine of Nuestra Senora de La
Leche. Stands on site of the nation's
oldest Catholic Mission; see the pic-
tures of the stockade and the recon-
structed coffin of the city's founder.
Open 9-6, free.
Fountain of Youth. Admission 800,
open 8-6 daily. Tours of this legendary
spring are conducted by girls in Span-
ish costumes.
Shrimp Docks. Of interest to chil-
dren.
Bridge of Lions.

St. Augustine Lighthouse.
Alligator and Ostrich Farm. Ad-
mission 804. Houses world's largest
collection of living American alligators
and crocodiles, also giant tortoises, os-
triches, and Florida wildlife. Open 8-6.
Oldest Orange grove,
Scenic Cruise. 754 plus tax.
Highways A1A and U.S. 1 continue
south from St. Augustine.
Mystery House. Open 8-6, ad-
mission 484. On A1A.
Fort Matanzas National Monu-
ment. A 50 foot square fort on two
levels situated on Rattlesnake Island
near AIA. Free guide service.
Marine Studios. At Marineland
on AIA a few miles south of Fort
Matanzas. Admission $2.20, children
$1.10. Here are two enormous
oceanariums with over 200 port-
holes through which you can watch
hundreds of fish and sea animals in
their natural habitat. Jumping por-
poises are fed several times daily.
Open 8-6.
Florida Reptile Gardens. Five
miles south of Marineland on AlA.
Seminole Indian Village, alligators,
wild animals.
Bulow Ruins and Plantation.
Near Bunnell on U.S. 1. Of interest
primarily to students of history, this
ruined plantation was one of the larg-
est and most important in the Halifax
Country before its destruction by the
Seminoles in 1836.
Tomoka State Park. Between U.S.
1 and A1A north of Ormond. An 860-
acre park in process of development;
its main feature is a rather unique
blockhouse; also picnicking, fishing.
Daytona Beach. On AIA and U.S.
1 six miles south of Tomoka State
Park. Children, especially, will enjoy
a drive on the hard 23-mile long sands.
Driving is best at low water; stay
away from the water's edge and park
only where a sign announces it is safe
to do so or where a group of other
cars appear safely parked.
Sea Zoo. On U.S. 1 between Day-
tona Beach and Port Orange. Admis-
sion $1.25. Provides acrobatic porpoise
acts, performing sea lions, etc.
Bongo Land. Lies on U.S. 1 at
Port Orange. Admission $1.35, chil-
dren 504. Formerly called the Spanish
Mission Sugar Mills and Gardens,
Bongo Land contains an old sugar mill
destroyed by the Seminoles but now
restored. Sights include tropical gar-
dens, monkeys, dinosaur replica, and
an Indian village. Best season for
azaleas is Jan.-March. Tour time .re-

quired is one hour via three miles of
coquina trails. Children enjoy this ex-
hibit.
Old Spanish Mission Ruins. Sev-
eral miles west of New Smyrna Beach,
off U.S. 1. Actually, these ruins have
been proved those of a Spanish sugar
mill, not a mission as was previously
thought. Interesting to children.
Turtle Mound State Monument.
Reached by leaving U.S. 1 at New
Smyrna Beach, crossing to Coronado
Beach, and heading south down the
barrier beach island for nine miles.
This is the largest Indian shell heap
in Florida; it is primarily of historic
interest and now accessible by a new
paved road.
Titusville. On U.S. 1. Has a 67-
acre recreational park with swimpool.
Take the scenic drive to Titusville
Beach and see Dummitt Orange Grove
-planted in 1835-with trees 30 feet
high. Back on U.S. 1 again, you will
find the drive south of Titusville along
the Indian River one of the most scenic
in the state.
Cocoa. On U.S. 1. Children enjoy
seeing the citrus groves in this vicinity
and, in February, the Orange Jubilee.
McKee Jungle Gardens. Three
miles south of Vero Beach on U.S. 1.
Admission $2.30, children under 15
$1. The gardens consist of 80 acres
of luxuriant hammock planted with
exotic palms and plants from equatorial
lands throughout the world. Sights in-
clude the Jungle House of Giants,
world's largest mahogany table, and
a compound housing 300 wild ani-
mals. Best season for azaleas is
March, all year for orchids; open
8-5.
Fort Pierce. Instead of driving
on U.S. 1 to Jensen Beach, try
paralleling Indian River Drive,
famed for its beautiful trees, flow-
ers, and birds.
West Palm Beach. On U.S. 1. In-
teresting for its Norton Art Gallery
(noted for jade) and sightseeing boat
cruises from the Ferry Dock. These
include a short cruise on Lake Worth
and a 6-hour cruise up the Loxa-
hatchee River. During March, the
Seminole Indian Sun Dance Festival
provides an unusual spectacle for chil-
dren. Don't miss Palm Beach; you
can cross by a ferry with music
on board. Route A1A between
Palm Beach and Miami Beach is
scenically beautiful.
Biancas Birds. Four miles south
of Lake Worth on U.S. 1. Admission
754, children 504, open 8:30-5:30
daily. Includes alligator and ostrich

farms, children love it.
James Melton Autorama. On
U.S. 1, adults $1.25, children 504,
open 10-6 daily. Antique cars.
Boynton Beach. On U.S. 1 at
north end of town is the old Waite
Bird Farm with rare birds, animals,
and flowers; admission 504. A
short way south on U.S. 1 is the
extensive Garden; admission free.
Africa, U.S.A. On U.S. 1, at Bo-
ca Raton, open 10-5 daily. Tropical
garden zoo. Roaming within its
square mile area are many species
of African wild animals. There's
no charge to see the falls, artificial
geyser, and gardens, but the minia-
ture train ride and electric boat
cruise to see animals cost $1.75 and
350 respectively.
Fort Lauderdale. On U.S. 1 and
A1A. Drive around this Venetian-like
city and see the banyan tree. At the
docks, boats offer a 3-hour jungle
sightseeing cruise at $3.95 or a
Venetian cruise through the canals
and lagoons of the city at $2.50.
Giay Line city bus tour $1.50.
Hugh Taylor Birch State Park.
Near Fort Lauderdale. A 180-acre
beach park with first class swimming
and enclosed cabanas on the beach for
rent by the day, week, or month. The
park boasts a modernistic soda foun-
tain with seats beneath Sea Grape trees
and a gift shop selling handmade jew-
elry and textiles produced in the park.
There is also a museum in the Birch
House. For exploration of the park's
lagoons where alligators may be seen.
canoes rent for 754 an hour and
horses for $2. A hundred yards
from the beach is a splendid picnic
area complete with tables and
stoves, another area lies in Five
Oak Grove. Charcoal for roasting
sells at 250 per bag. Cabin rental
for group occupancy by youth or-
ganizations may be arranged by
writing the Superintendent, Hugh
Taylor Birch State Park, Box 98,
Fort Lauderdale.
Dania. On U.S. 1 just south of
Fort Lauderdale. Here is the
Chimpanzee Farm, open daily 9-
5:30, admission $1.25. children 754.
Nearby is the Seminole Indian Reser-
vation Headquarters with majestic
royal palms. North of town is the
Wyldewood Bird Farm.
MIAMI BEACH. South on A1A.
Drive along Collins Avenue for the
big hotels and see the shops on Lincoln
Road. Also of interest is the Astro-
nomical Observatory, 22nd and Collins
Ave., open each Friday night from 7-
9:30 p.m. Most worthwhile sightseeing
tours are those via the famous Gray

Line "Nikko" boats. These and other
tours are operated as follows:
Boat Cruises
Gray Line, 24th and Collins Ave.
South Bay and Island Cruise includ-
ing Miami Beach, 3 hours. Twice
daily, fare $3.45 including tax.
Tropical Indian Village Cruise, 3%
hours. 1:15 p.m. daily, fare $3.45 in-
cluding tax.
Miami Beach Cruise, 2 hours. 10:30
a.m. and 3 p.m. daily, fare $2.15 includ-
ing tax.
Vizcaya, an all day cruise including
Miami Beach, South Bay, and Florida
Keys. 10:30 a.m. daily except Mon-
days. Fare $3.45 including tax.
Fort Lauderdale including Ever-
glades and Jungles with lunch at
Hollywood and visit to a chimpanzee
farm, 85 hours. 10:30 a.m. daily ex-
cept Saturdays, fare $5.60 including
tax.
Shamrock Line, 13936 Collins Ave.
Gold Coast Cruise, 3 hours. 10 a.m.
and 2 p.m. daily, fare $2.50 including
tax.
Flamingo Line. 13936 Collins Ave.
Biscayne Bay Circular Cruise, 2Y%
hours. 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. daily
fare $2.25 including tax.
Comrade II Glass Bottomed Boat
Cruises, at Chamber of Commerce
Docks, 5th and Alton Road.
Ocean Reef Tour, 2-22 hours. 9,
10:30, 11:30, 2 and 4 p.m. daily, fare
$1.50 including tax.
Phantom Yacht Cruises, Chamber of
Commerce Docks, 5th and Alton Road.
Florida Key Cruise with lunch at
Quarterdeck Club, 6-6% hours. 10
a.m. daily except Sundays, also 1 p.m.
Wednesday and Fridays, fare $3.45.
Bus tours
Red Adams, 1627 Collins Ave.
Greater Miami (Venetian Swimpool,
Floyd's Fruit Farm, Indian Village,
Tropical Hobbyland, Wheeler Estate,
Hialeah), 4 hours. 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.,
fare $2.90 including tax but not ad-
mission to Tropical Hobbyland.
Everglades National Park. All ex-
pense tour including Parrot Jungle,
Monkey Jungle, and chicken lunch, all
day. 9:30 am., Sundays, fare $7.85
including tax, children under 12, $3.95.
Dixie Tours, 6422 Collins Ave.
Parrot Jungle and Fairchild Tropi-
cal Garden Tour, 4 hours. 9:30 a.m.,
Thursday and Sundays, fare $2.90 in-
cluding tax but not admission to Parrot
Jungle.
Everglades National Park. All ex-
pense tour including Monkey Jungle,
Black Caesar's Forge, Matheson Ham-
mock, and Rare Bird Farm, all day.

9 a.m., Tuesday and Friday, fare $7.85
including tax.
Gray Line, 628 Collins Ave.
Miami Beach Tour, 2% hours. 9:15
a.m. daily, fare $1.73 including tax.
Also other tours: Miami-Coral Gables
$2.15, Everglades Nat'l Park $8.15,
Parrot Jungle $3.98, and Night
Club Tour $9.39, tax included.
Keys Tour to Key West, 1 day (or
return may be extended at no extra
cost). Fare $10.10 plus tax. A similar
2-day all expense tour costs $19.40
plus tax.
Wylly's and Davis, 1629 Washington
Ave.
Greater Miami Tour (Venetian
Pool, Sausage Tree, Hialeah, Floyd's
Fruit Farm, Tropical Hobbyland, In-
dian Village, and Wheeler Estate), 4
hours. 9:30, 10, 1:30, and 2 p.m. daily,
fare $2.90 including tax but not ad-
mission to Indiar Village and Tropical
Hobbyland.
Jungle Tour (Parrot Jungle and
Fairchild Tropical Gardens), 4 hours.
1:30 p.m. Daily in winter, thrice
weekly in summer, fare $2.90 in-
cluding tax.
Everglades National Park. All ex-
pense tour including Monkey Jungle
and Rare Bird Farm, all day. Sunday,
fare $7.85 including tax.
MIAMI. On U.S. 1. A drive along
Biscayne Bay is worthwhile but owing
to the narrow, congested streets, down-
town sightseeing should be done on
foot or by bus. Chief sights include:
Spanish Monastery. 16711 N.E.
Dixie Highway. Admission $1.25,
open 10-5:30. Complete medieval
monastery brought from Spain and
rebuilt.
Fish Docks. Visit them about 4
p.m. when the boats are coming in,
children are usually enthralled.
Hialeah Park. The racing season
extends from mid Jan.-March but the
flamingo flock at the park is always
worth seeing; open daily except Sun-
days 10-6, admission free.
Musa Isle Indian Village, 1700
N.W. 25th Ave. Reached via Miami
City bus #35. Admission 800, open
9:30-6 daily. This is a genuine Semi-
nole Village on the Miami River with
alligator wrestling performed hourly.
Authentic souvenirs are for sale here
at the large Indian Trading Post. The
exhibit also includes an alligator and
crocodile farm, zoo, and tropical gar-
dens. Nearby is:
Tropical Hobbyland, 1525 N.W.
27th Ave. A garden and zoo with
more Indians. Admission 990, open
9-6, bus #15.

Biscayne Fronton, 3500 N.W. 37th
Ave. Features nightly Jai Alai.
Coppinger's Tropical Gardens and
Indian Village, N.W. 19th Ave., and
7th St. Admission 900, open 9-6, bus
#19.
Vizcaya-Dade County Art Mn-
seum, 3251 S. Miami Ave. Admis-
sion $1.75, children 504. Italian
17th century mansion and estate.
Glassblowers, 12717 Biscayne
Blvd., N. Miami. Open 2-10 daily ex-
cept Monday. Exhibitions of the glass-
blowers' arts and crafts.
Tropical Panorama. Biscayne
Blvd and 185th St. Indians, alliga-
tors, and performing porpoises in
tropical setting.
To wind up your sightseeing in
Miami, you could take the drive over
Rickenbacher Causeway (toll 254) to
Crandon Park which boasts an exten-
sive coconut grove and all recreational
facilities. Sightseeing tours are:
Blimp trips
Blimp Base, McArthur Causeway.
Twenty minute blimp cruise $5. Daily
except Monday.
Boat cruises
Island Queen Cruises, Pier 5, Miami
Yacht Basin.
Biscayne Bay Circle Cruise, 2 hours.
10:30, 1:30, 3:30 daily, fare $2 in-
cluding tax.
Mermaid Glass Bottomed Boat Cruises,
Pier 9, Miami Yacht Basin.
Florida Keys and Residential Islands
Cruise, 2 hours. 10:30, 1:30, 3:30 Jan.-
March; 10:30, 2 p.m. April-Dec., fare
$2 including tax.
Seminole Queen Boats, Pier 6, Miami
Yacht Basin.
Miami River Cruise via Musa Isle
Indian Village, 2% hours. 10:30, 2,
and 3 daily, fare $2.30 including
tax.
Seven Seas Cruises, Pier 8, Miami
Yacht Basin.
North Bay and Waterfront Estate
Cruise, 22 hours. 10:30 and 2, and
3:30 p.m. daily, fare $2 including
tax.
Southern Cross Cruises, Pier 9%,
Miami Yacht Basin.
Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, and
New River Jungle, 9 hours. 10 a.m.
daily Dec. 25-April 13 and July 1-
Aug. 31; Tuesdays, Thursdays, and
Sunday April 14-June 30 and Sept. 1-
Dec. 24, fare $5.30 including tax.
Uncle Sam Cruises, Pier 10, Miami
Yacht Basin.
Residential Island Cruise, 2 hours.
10:30, 1:30, and 3:45 daily, fare $2
including tax.
Tropic Bird C wises. City Yacht

Docks.
Sailing thrills on a 60-foot, twin-
hulled catamaran, 3 hours; also pro-
vides moonlight cruises. 9:30, and 2
p.m. daily, fare $3 including tax. All
day cruise to Pirate Key, $4.
Bus tours
Red Adams, 3rd Ave., and East Flagler
St. Gray Line, 275 N.E. First St.
All tours as from Miami Beach
with slightly different departure
times.
CORAL GABLES. On U.S. 1 south
of, and adjoining, Miami. See Miracle
Mile on which is the famed War Me-
morial Youth Center and 907 Coral
Way, the original gabled house of coral
for which the city was named. Also
of sightseeing interest is the University
of Miami and Tropical Park Racetrack
(season Nov. 30-Jan. 9). A final must
is the Venetian Pool on Toledo and
Almeria, an enormous pool in a Medi-
terranean setting. Sightseeing admis-
sion is free but to use it you must pay
354, children 94. Continuing south on
U.S. 1 are:
Fairchild Tropical Gardens, Cut-
ler Road. Can be reached via the South
Miami bus line. Admission free. This
85-acre garden is the only true botani-
cal garden in the nation; tour time re-
quired is one hour or more. Guided
motor tour every half hour. Orchid-
house 504, museum 254.
Matheson Hammock. Adjoins
Fairchild Tropical Gardens. This is a
tropical county park, admission
free.
Parrot Jungle. Lies on Red Road
just past Matheson Hammock. Ad-
mission $1.25. True to its name this is
a natural tropical jungle in which a
colony of parrots and macaws lives
freely in the wild state. Performing
macaws give shows throughout the
day; other macaws have been trained
to pose on visitors for amateur photo-
graphic purposes.
Kendall Rare Bird Farm. At Ken-
dall on U.S. 1. Admission $1.25.
Exhibits hundreds of brilliantly-
hued tropical birds, flamingos, and
peacocks.
Serpentarium. Near the Rare Bird
Farm. Admission $1.15. Best time
to visit this huge snake zoo is
around 1 p.m. when venom is being
extracted. Here you'll see more
than 400 cobras in one of the
world's biggest snake farms. Open
daily 9-sunset.
The Aquarium. On U.S. 1 at
Mitchell Drive.
Crabtree Museum. On U.S. 1 at
Rockdale. Famous collection of minia-

ture ships and carvings. Admission
500, children 154, open 9-9 daily, 2-9
Friday.
Monkey Jungle. On Hainlin Drive
three miles west of Goulds on U.S. 1.
Admission $125, children 254. Widely
known as the place where the humans
are behind bars and the monkeys free.
Orchid Jungle. Lies one mile west
of Naranjr. on U.S. 1. Contains thou-
sands of large, flowering orchids to-
gether with many native species on
live oak trees. Tour time required is
one hour, best season is during winter.
Each woman visitor receives a free
orchid. Admission $1, open 9-5:30.
Coral Castle. At Rock Gate
Park on U.S. 1. A fantastic castle
of coral built singlehanded by a
Latvian recluse. Contains many
unique engineering devices. Adults
754, children free.
Fruit and Spice Park. At Home-
stead on U.S. 1. Worth seeing are
these 20 acres of fruit and spice plants.
Everglades National Park. Largely
undeveloped, this new National Park
remains primarily of interest to nat-
uralists. Best way to see it is via the
National Audubon Society's Wildlife
Tours-1 day $15, 2 days $25. Ap-
plication should be made to the
National Audubon Society, 13 Mc-
Allister Arcade, Miami. While you
are in the vicinity of Homestead,
a brief glimpse of a portion of the
park can be obtained by driving
down Florida 27 to the former
Royal Palm State Park. Rangers
on duty here will conduct you
through a typical wild hammock. These
short walking tours are conducted at
11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Beyond Royal Palm
Ranger Station, Route 27 extends into
the park for some 70 miles to Coot
Bay near Cape Sable Ranger Station.
Here, boats leave for a 1%-hour
cruise at 11 a.m., 1 and 3 p.m. daily,
fare $3. Park visitors may also rent
individual skiffs at Coot Bay. Most
facilities operate only from Dec.-
Mar. For further information,
write: Superintendent. Everglades
National Park, P.O. Box 275,
Homestead.
Redland Hammock. Lies three
miles west of Homestead on King's
Highway. Admission 604. This too is a
typical sub-tropical hammock with or-
chids, air plants, strangler figs, and
many other bizarre plants.
Overseas Highway. The name
given to the most southerly section of
U.S. 1 which spans the Florida keys by
a system of 39 bridges to reach Key
West. Children always enjoy the drive.

McKee's Museum of Sunken
Treasures. At Treasure Harbor, four
miles south of Tavernier Creek on U.S.
1. Admission 754, children 354; glass
bottom boat trips to coral marine gar-
dens $1.50 (operated only in fine
weather). This key museum contains
many exhibits of pirate lore, Spanish
moidores, doubloons, and sea encrusted
canon.
Theatre of the Sea. On Windley
Island three miles east of Islamorada.
Admission $1.50. Performing porpoises
leap twelve feet from the water to take
fish from attendant's hand; also in-
cludes many sharks and other marine
life.
Undersea, Inc., Marathon. Diving
exhibition, salvaged items from Florida
reefs.
Cactus Gardens. On Big Pine Key
on U.S. 1. Reputed to be the largest
natural cactus garden in the Eastern
U.S.
Pottery and Weaving School. On
Cudjoe Key and U.S. 1. Children enjoy
It.
Loggerhead Lighthouse. On Log-
gerhead Key. A sight of particular in-
terest to children.
KEY WEST. At the end of U.S. 1.
Your child will be particularly inter-
ested in seeing the Turtle Crawls,
Sponge Pier, Aquarium, and Fish
Markets. Chief sights are:
Turtle Crawls. Facing Margaret
St.
Convent of Mary Immaculate,
Truman Ave. Also has small mu-
seum.
Municipal Aqaarium, Whitehead
St Admission 304. A rare open air
aquarium.
Cemetery. Four blocks south of the
Turtle Crawls. Contains the dead from
the U.S.S. Maine blown up in Havana
Harbor.
Bahama Houses, Eaton and Wil-
liams Streets; also the oldest house in
Key West -the Watlington House-on
Duval near Eaton.
East Martello Tower. Admission
504-a museum.
West Martello Tower. Admission
254-a museum and art gallery.
Lighthouse, Whitehead and
Truman Ave. See the cork and
other trees on the grounds.
Southernmost House, Whitehead
St. Was built by writer Thelma Strable.
Hemingway's House, which lies behind
a wall, is hardly worth your time.
Sightseeing tours by bus cost $1.75
and begin from the La Concha Hotel.
Naval Base tours commence 2 p.m.

weekdays from Chamber of Com-
merce.
Fort Jefferson National Monn-
ment. On Garden Key, Dry Tortugas.
Lying 68 miles off Key West in the
Dry Tortugas group is this great six-
sided fort, now a National Monument.
Also part of the monument are the
Dry Tortuga islands; once the haunt
of pirates they are now a sanctuary for
thousands of seabirds and sea life.
There is no public transportation to
Garden Key but if you have a boat or
can charter one you'll want to know
that the island has a large anchorage
and a landing wharf. As it is always
possible that transportation may come
into operation after publication of this
book you could write to the Superin-
tendent, Fort Jefferson, PO Box 508,
Key West, to inquire. Free guide serv-
ice is available at the monument.
Havana, Cuba. Since the new
ferry City of Key West commenced
operations in October 1954 you are
now virtually able to drive your car
down U.S. 1 to Havana and for 500
miles along Cuba's Central Highway.
The ferry sails at 8 a.m. Tuesday,
Thursday, and Saturdays, arriving

Travel in the Everglades
.is done by either glade-
buggies or airboats. Glade bug-
gies are old trucks with enor-
mous tractor wheels which can
plunge across ditches and almost
float across deeper water. They
can be rented in Everglades
communities along with the
services of the driver, with
whom you must usually make a
deal. Airboats are shallow craft
propelled by an airplane pro-
peller in back of the half dozen
passengers which each craft car-
ries. Many are owned by Semi-
nole Indians but others can be
rented in Miami or Everglades
centers for around $30 a day.

at Cardenas, Cuba, at 3:30 p.m. the
same day. Fares are $73.15 r.t. for
car and driver, $8.25 o.w. per pas-
senger. Air service is also available
for $10 each way. For information
on touring Cuba see Harian's Is-
lands in the Wind, $2.50 postpaid, or
for information on shipping your
car on to Mexico see The Fiesta
Lands. $2.

ROUTE U.S. 17

U.S. 17 traverses East-Central Florida before cutting across the state
to the West Coast at Punta Gorda. It enters Florida near Kingsland, Ga.,
and proceeds first to Jacksonville. Sightseeing possibilities as far as
Jacksonville are almost identical with those given for U.S. 1. Route U.S.
17 then leaves Jacksonville by the west bank of the St. John's River.

Green Cove Springs. At Green
Cove Springs on U.S. 17. The springs
supply a large patio-type swimpooL
Nearby, in the St. John's River, is a
large fleet of mothballed ships.
Ravine Gardens. Just off U.S. 17
on Florida 20 near Palatka. Admission
$1.25, children 654, open from Jan-
uary through Spring. Main feature
of the 85-acre gardens is the ra-
vines planted with 105,000 azaleas
and 248,237 other plants. You can
tour the gardens in your car; allow
about an hour. Children usually
enjoy the gardens.
Ocala National Forest. Reached
by turning off to State 40 at Bar-
berville. Excellent fishing, deer
herds, and native flora lie within
the forest as well as three large
warm springs. On entering, Alex-
ander Springs lies a few miles south
in an exotic tropical setting, Juni-
per Springs with its picturesque
water mill lies west, and Glen
Springs just north of it. All have
picnic and bathing facilities.

Spring Garden Ranch. Off U.S.
17 nine miles north of De Land. Har-
ness racing horse training every
morning in winter, free.
Ponce de Leon Springs. At De
Leon Springs on U.S. 17. A new 54
acre tropical garden with old Spanish
sugar mill dating from 1570. Tours
are available by rubber tired minia-
ture trains and electric boats, also
half hour circus show at 11, 2, and 5.
Admission $2.25. Here and in neigh-
boring De Land are several citrus
packing houses open to visitors.
Baseball Farm. On U.S. 17 just
north of Sanford. During February,
March, and April up to 20 teams may
be practicing on the nine diamonds at
this lakeside farm owned by the New
York Giants. Here, U.S. 17 runs be-
side Lake Monroe in a particularly
scenic setting flanked by cypress for-
ests.
World's Largest Cypress. Fondly
known as The Senator, this giant tree

stands four miles northeast of U.S. 17
on a rather uneven, surfaced road.
Midget City. On U.S. 17, is an en-
tire city in miniature complete with
model railroad. Open daily 9-sunset.
Sanlando Springs Tropical Park.
Three miles west of Longwood between
Sanford and Orlando (watch for the
signs). Admission 404, children 204.
A tour of the park via one mile of
trails occupies one hour; best season
for azaleas is Jan.-Feb., for gardenias
March-April. A swimming and recre-
ation area with cottages is also here.
Winter Park. On U.S. 17, follow
the route markers for a scenic circuit
drive through town and Rollins Col-
lege with its stepping stone Walk of
Fame. Free city tours are also con-
ducted by the Chamber of Commerce
at 10 and 2 on weekdays. Also worth
seeing is Beal Maltbie Shell Museum,
admission 304.
Mead Botanical Gardens. At Or-
lando. Admission 504; usual tour time
required for this 55-acre garden is one
hour. Best season for azaleas is Dec.
15-May 15, for gardenias March-May,
for amaryllis March-April, for cala-
diums Feb.-May, for orchids Jan. 1-
May 1. Here also are alligators, egrets,
and herons.
Orlando. On U.S. 17. Children
usually appreciate being shown the
Brahman bulls and cattle in the coun-
tryside south of town.
Kiasimmee. On U.S. 17. This is
the cowboy capital of Florida and
center of the best region for seeing
ranch activities. The Partin's Ranch
two miles east of Kissimmee has been
open to visitors. In July, the Silver
Spurs Rodeo is held here. Nearby is a
heavy concentration of orange groves.
Florida Cypress Gardens. Five
miles east of Winter Haven on the
Lake Wales road. Admission $1.25,
electric boat trips through gardens 304,
through canals and round lake 604.
Main attraction of Cypress Gardens
are the water ski shows given at 10:30
and 2:30 weekdays and at 11, 1, 3, and
4:30 on Sundays. Best season for azal-
eas is Jan.-March, for gardenias May-
July, for tropical plants-all summer.
Tour time required is 45 minutes to
one hour. (Winter admission $2.)
Winter Haven. On U.S. 17. See
Florida Citrus Museum; you may also
ride from Winter Haven to Cypress
gardens by boat via a chain of five
lakes.
International Minerals and Chem.
leal Corporation. Near Bartow on
Florida 60. See the world's largest

dragline, the "Bigger Digger," in op-
eration at the company's phosphate
mine. Guide supplied for visitors.

Arcadia. On U.S. 17. Rivals Kis-
simmee as a cattle center. On July 4
and November 11 the All Florida
Rodeo is staged here.

Kissingen Springs. Three miles staged h ...
Route U.S. 17 then passes through
southeast of Bartow (follow the signs). cattle and farming country to join U.S.
A small spring known as a pleasant 41 at Punta Gorda. Mountain Lake
picnicking spot. Also see the Wonder Sanctuary on U.S. 27 can also be
House. visited while driving U.S. 17.
ROUTE U.S. 19
U.S. 19 enters Florida from Thomasville, Ga., and follows the West

Coast to St. Petersburg. First place
Old Town. At the junction of U.S.
19 and U.S. 127 from Lake City. Site
of the largest Indian villages in
Florida. Tour the 3-mile Suwannee
River Jungle Drive in a horse-drawn
surrey. Just past Old Town, U.S. 19
crosses the Suwannee River immortal-
ized by Stephen Foster. For a good
view of the Suwannee, drive along
State route 349.
Crystal River. On U.S. 17. Here
you'll find a community riverside park
with picnic area and swimpool. See
Crystal Springs and Hunter Springs.
Homossassa Springs. Seven miles
south of Crystal River on U.S. 19.
Admission $1.25, children 250. Cele-
brated for the fact that both fresh water
and salt water fish live side by side in
the spring. You view them from sub-
surface windows. Adjoining the spring
are picnic grounds. You may also take
a boat cruise down to the Gulf.
Weekiwachec Springs. On U.S. 19
and Florida 50. Admission $1.75, jungle
cruises $1.50. Here you sit eight feet
below the surface of the springs and
watch a complete underwater theatre
show on the 25-foot deep stage. At
these springs are a bath house, a bath-
ing beach, and cottages.
Tarpon Springs. On U.S. 19. Chief
sights here are the Sponge Exchange
and the colorful sponge fishing fleet
moored at the docks a few blocks west
of U.S. 19. Lining the docks are a
dozen or so shops selling sea curios and
shells. Diving exhibitions given at the
pier cost $1 per person. A jungle river
cruise with a smorgasbord style lunch
costs $3.50, takes six hours. Don't
leave Tarpon Springs without visiting
the Church of the Good Shepherd on
Grand Boulevard (three blocks south
of docks) for a free lecture showing
of religious paintings by George In-
ROUTE FLORIDA 20
A useful East-West link between

Sof interest is:
ness, Jr. (open 2-5 p.m. daily). And
do go inside St. Nicholas Greek Ortho-
dox Church (center of town on Alt,
U.S. 19; open daily 9-5) to see the
Byzantine style dome on pendentives,
religious paintings, and other features
of a typical Greek church.
ST. PETERSBURG. On U.S. 19
The City Pier, and Webb City (a huge
drugstore) are worth a visit. Best way
to see St. Pete is via a 2y hour sight-
seeing bus tour operated by the Gray
Line, 110 Central Ave., or a similar
one operated by Southern Tours, Inc.
Both cost $1.50. From the Central
Yacht Basin a variety of boat cruises
are available for $1-$3. The Mullet
Key cruise is a good one. Principal
sight in St. Pete is:
Turner's Sunken Gardens, 305
18th Ave., North. Admission $1. The
5-acre garden can be toured along rustic
walks in about 45 minutes. Best season
for azaleas is Feb.-March, gardenias
March-April, camellias Jan.-Feb. Near-
by is the Gresh Wood Parade, an
English type cottage full of wooden
curios and mosaics. It's at 2200 4th
St., N., open 9-6, admission 754.
Florida Wild Animal and Reptile
Ranch, 4th Street and 48th Ave., N.
Tropical animals, birds, and reptiles;
venom extraction. Shows at 11, 2, and
4 in winter, 4 in summer, admission $1.
Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Via this
new 15 mile bridge across Tampa Bay,
U.S. 19 now links with U.S. 41 near
Bradenton. The main bridge 5,621 feet
long arches 155 feet above Tampa Bay
and is considered one of the West
Coast's major sights. Tolls are $1.75
for car and passengers; $2.25 for cars
with single axle trailer; $2.75 for cars
with double axle trailer; and 504 for
pedestrians, motor cyclists, and bi-
cyclists. Fishing is allowed.

U.S. 231 and Tallahassee in north-

west Florida. Two interesting features en route are:
Torreya State Park. About 15 miles rare Torreya and Florida yew trees.
north of Bristol. A 1,138-acre river- An interesting sight in the park is the
bank park providing a sanctuary for restored Gregory Mansion. Recrea-

Venetian Gardens. At Leesburg on
U.S. 27. A 100-acre garden lying be-
side Lake Harris, has picnicking, swim-
ming, and bathing facilities.
Between Leesburg and Haines City,
U.S. 27 traverses miles of rolling hills
carpeted with orange groves as far as
the eye can see.
Mountain Lake Sanctuary and
Singing Tower. Near Lake Wales.
Admission free, parking 50b. A tour of
these garden as takes about an hour,
best season for azaleas is Jan.-March.
From Dec. 15-April 15 carillon recitals
are given on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and
Saturday at noon, and on Sundays at
3 p.m. by the 71 bells of Bok Tower.
Best place to listen is about 250 yards
from the tower; don't get right be-
neath it. The gardens also provide a
sanctuary for a colony of flamingos.
Nearby is the "Great Masterpiece," a
mosaic of The Last Supper, plus ex-
hibits of Da Vinci's works; open 9-6
daily, admission $1.25.
En route from U.S. 27 follow signs
to Spook Hill, where your car will
run backwards uphill on its own. Also
in this area is the Phantom Grove
Express miniature railroad.
Avon Park. See the city's mile-
long mall of flowering trees.
ROUTE U.S. 41

Apalichicola National Forest. This
forest, Florida's largest, is big, wet,
flat, and liberally dotted with swamps
and ponds. A pleasant recreation area
accommodating 150 campers has been
built at Silver Lake ten miles west of
Tallahassee while at Dog Lake there

Fruit Growers and Packers Plant.
At Sebring on U.S. 27. A tour of this
Gregg, Maxcy Co., plant has been
possible over recent years; children
find it unusually interesting.
Highlands Hammock State Park.
Reached by a side road a few miles
west of Sebring. Known as one of
America's most outstanding natural
parks, this 3,800 acre area provides
tourists with a fine opportunity to see
a primeval Florida jungle. A 2-hour
open trailer tour of the park com-
mences at 10 a.m., and 3 p.m., daily,
costs 500. Trailer and tent camping
costs 254 a night, $1 a week per per-
son, charcoal is available at 254 per
bag. Admission is free but parking
costs 254.
Thomas Gaskins Cypress Mu-
seum. South of Palmdale on U.S.
27. Admission $1. An exhibition of all
the curious things fashioned from cy-
press knees. Open daily 8-sunset.
Clewiston. It is possible to visit the
nation's largest sugar mill here. Free
tours hourly from 8:30-4:30.
U.S. 27 then passes along the shores
of Lake Okeechobee before crossing
75 miles of deserted Everglades to
Miami.

U.S. 41 enters Florida from Valdosta, Ga., runs down the western
edge of central Florida to Tampa, and then becomes the famous Tamiami
Trail (TAMpa-mIAMI) leading down the West Coast and across the
Everglades to Miami. Fifty miles after crossing the Florida line, U.S. 41
brings you to:
White Springs. On U.S. 41. Site recreation and wildlife observation.
of the new Stephen Foster Memorial Boats rent at 254 an hour or $1 a day,
Park on the Suwannee River. swimming is excellent. Trailer and
O'Leno State Park. Near High tent campers are charged 254 a day or
Springs on U.S. 41. Once the gambling $1 a week The park has four A style
town of Keno, now a well developed cabins holding 5-14 campers each, rent-
state park with ample opportunities for ing for $4 a day or $20 a week, plus

tional facilities have not yet been com-
pleted but there is now a picnic area
with tables, fireplaces, water, and wood.
Trailer or tent camping costs 254 per
night or $1 per week per person, fire-
wood $4 a strand, and charcoal 254

per bag. is a picnic and camping area.
ROUTE U.S. 27
One of America's major highways, U.S. 27 enters Florida from Bain-
bridge, Ga., and leads into Tallahassee (for sightseeing possibilities see
Route U.S. 90). It then follows the same route as U.S. 19 as far as Perry,
where it branches off into central Florida, crossing the Suwannee River
at Branford. At Ocala, U.S. 27 passes close to Silver Springs (see Route
U.S. 301 for details) then follows the Ridge and Lake country to Lees-
burg where it continues through mid-Florida to Miami.

14 B type cabins holding eight campers
each and renting for $2 a day. A dining
hall which serves 150 people cafeteria
style can be rented by groups for $10
a day. Firewood costs $4 a strand,
charcoal 254 a bag.
Rainbow Springs. At Dunnellon
on U.S. 41. One of the really big
Florida springs, its minerals give the
water a rainbow radiance. The springs
are seen by both glass bottomed boats
and underwater "submarine" type
craft. Boat trips cost $2.50, children
$1.15. A hotel with restaurant is avail-
able at the springs.
Chinsegut Hill Bird Sanctuary.
Beside U.S. 41 near Brooksville. A
2,050-acre U.S. Bird Sanctuary.
Lewis Turpentine Still Plantation.
On U.S. 41 near Brooksville. Admis-
sion 504, children 254. Reputed to be
an old turpentine still and plantation;
complete with the Negro life that sur-
rounded it.
Tampa. On U.S. 41. Ybor City,
Tampa's Latin Quarter, is the place
to see here. Visitors are welcome at the
Hav-A-Tampa Cigar factory at 2007
21st St., Cuesta Rey and Co., 2416 N.
Howard, Antonio Co., 1316 Spring St.
Hours for all these cigar factory tours
are 10-11 a.m. and 1-3 p.m. daily ex-
cept Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Other worthwhile sights are the turtle
pens and shrimp boats at Hooker's
Point, Lowry Park tropical gardens,
the Jai Alai fronton (nightly games
in winter), and the Gasparilla Festival
held early in February. Sightseeing
cruises leave frequently from Viking's
Pier.
After leaving Tampa, U.S. 41 is
joined by U.S. 19 from St. Petersburg.
Madina Bickel Mound State Mon-
ument. Turn off U.S. 41 just before
reaching Rubonia and go west to Terra
Ceia Island (follow the state park
signs). This was a temple mound, one
of many found among the extensive
Indian remains in this part of Florida.
De Soto Oak National MemoriaL
Five miles west of Bradenton. A 25-
acre memorial area marking the place
where De Soto first landed on Florida
soil.
Old Braden Castle. On Florida
64 east of Bradenton. A ruined castle
that once was held by early settlers
against the Indians.
Shell Museum, beside Chamber of
Commerce in Bradenton. On U.S. 41.
SARASOTA. On U.S. 41.
Ringling Art Museum. Three
miles north of Sarasota on U.S. 41.

Admission $1, guided tour takes 50
minutes. In an arcaded building sur-
rounding a sunken garden is this great
collection of art once owned by the
late John Ringling.
Jungle Gardens. At Myrtle Ave.,
and Bayshore Drive, 2% miles north of
Sarasota near U.S. 41. Admission $1,
children 304. One of the world's great
ornamental tropical gardens with pink
flamingos, dancing cranes, black swans,
and many rare birds and exotic plants
from equatorial countries all over the
globe. A tour takes from Y2-2 hours;
best season for azaleas is Jan.-May,
gardenias April-June, bougainvillea
Jan.-March. Open 7:30-6.
Circus Winter Quarters. Three
miles east of Sarasota on 18th St.
Ringling Brother's and Barnum and
Bailey's winter quarters; daily per-
formances are given Dec.-March, ad-
mission 754. Also here is a reptile
farm, open daily 9-5, admission $1.
Ringling Residence and Museum
of tLe American Circus. Admission
$1.50. The residence is carried out in
the style of the Doge's Palace in
Venice.
Horn's Cars of Yesterday, 5500
N. Tamiami Trail. Open 9-9 winter,
9-5 summer, admission $1. Rare collec-
tion of antique automobiles.
Sarasota Lido is also worth a visit.
Myakka River State Park. 17
miles east of Sarasota on Florida 72.
Florida's largest state park with many
beautiful lakes and rivers, seven Indian
mounds, nature trails, and good fishing.
The picnic grounds are outstanding.
Parking costs 254; there is no public
transportation to the park. Tent camp-
ing costs 254 a day or $1 a week;
boats rent for 254 an hour or $1 a day;
firewood is available at $4 a strand
and charcoal at 254 a bag. The park
has five rustic cabins which rent for $5
a day or $30 a week, linen 504 extra.
Myakka River State Forest nearby is,
as yet, little developed.
Florida Marine Museum. One
mile north of Fort Myers on U.S. 41.
One of the state's finest shell museums.
Edison Home. At Fort Myers on
U.S. 41. Admission $1, children 504.
During February, the annual Festival
of Light is held at Fort Myers in honor
of Thomas A. Edison.
Captiva and Sanibel Islands.
Reached from U.S. 41 at Fort Myers
via Florida 867 and a ferry charging
$1 per car, 504 per passenger. The fa-
mous shell beaches on these islands are
well worth a visit.
Everglades Wonder Gardens. At

Bonita Springs on U.S. 41. Admission
$1. An exhibition of Everglades wild-
life. Nearby is a smaller exhibition of
shells.
Royal Palm Hammock. On U.S.
41. Florida's largest hammock of wild
royal palms.
Along the Tamiami Trail through
the Everglades are occasional thatched
Seminole "villages" at which the usual
ROUTE U.S. 90

charge is 254. Most, if not all, of these
villages are faked up tourists' traps. If
you want to stop along the Tamsami
Trail in the Everglades, I suggest you
do so beside a canal or hammock;
chances are you'll see an amazing
variety of wild birds. U.S. 41 enters
Miami through the commercial sections
and there links with U.S. 1, by which
you may proceed to Key West.

A cross state route spanning northern Florida from the Alabama line
to the East Coast at Jacksonville Beach. The gateway to Florida from
New Orleans, Texas, and the Southwest, it crosses southbound routes
U.S. 19, 41, 301, 17, 1, and AIA, so providing an opportunity to see
something of northern Florida before turning south. The first town is
Pensacola (for details see Route U.S. 98) after which it proceeds north-
east through the fishing center of Milton.

Blackwater River State Forest.
Near Milton. Recreational facilities in
this forest are still undeveloped but
there is a recreation area for swimming
and picnicking.
De Funiak Springs. On U.S. 90.
Drive around the huge circular spring
in the centre of town; you'll find a
recreation area on the west side. The
first Confederate Monument erected in
the South is here too.
Florida Caverns State Park. A
few miles north of Marianna. Guided
cave tour 754, children 254. Main
features of this 1,187-acre park are the
beautiful formations in its limestone
caverns, open 7-6 weekdays, 8-6 Sun-
days and holidays. There is a picnic
area at Blue Springs with outdoor fire-
places and a white sand beach. Re-
freshments are served in the Adminis-
tration Building. Trailer or tent
camping is 254 a day, $1 a week, fire-
wood $4 a strand, charcoal 254 a bag.
A dining hall may be used by groups
upon payment of a $10 cleanup deposit.
Tallahassee. On U.S. 90, U.S. 27,
and Florida 20. The State Geological
Survey Museum may interest you, but
you should certainly drive through the
ROUTE U.S. 98
Commencing at Pensacola, U.S.

State Capitol grounds and see one or
more of the city's ante-bellum homes.
Killearn Gardens. Five and a half
miles north of Tallahassee on U.S. 319.
A state park best seen Dec.-April.
It takes about 90 minutes to tour these
charming floral gardens via the grass
and brick trails. Best season for azal-
eas is March and April, gardenias
April, camellias and narcissi Jan.-Feb.
Parking 754.
Suwannee River State Park. On
U.S. 90 at Ellaville. A 1,400-acre park
in process of development with relics
of early day river life.
Falmouth. On U.S. 90. Here is a
40-foot deep ravine with picnic area.
Ocean Pond. In Osceola National
Forest a few miles north of Olustee
on U.S. 90. Offers fishing, boating, and
swimming in this great forest which is
devoted to experiments in the produc-
tion of naval stores. Olustee Battle-
field State Monument lies on the left
a few miles farther along U.S. 90.
U.S. 90 then enters Jacksonville (for
sightseeing in this area see Route U.S.
1) and leaves by a parkway to Jackson-
ville Beach, where it terminates by
linking with Route AIA.

98 follows the entire Panhandle coast

after which you proceed via the new cut-off to Perry on U.S. 19, thence
southeast to West Palm Beach. For sightseeing beyond Perry consult
Route U.S. 19 (between Perry and Homosassa Springs) and Routes U.S.
19 and 27 (Central Florida sections). After sharing U.S. 27 as far as
Sebring, U.S. 98 branches east around the north shore of Lake Okeecho-
bee and runs beside the Ocean Canal into West Palm Beach. The most
beautiful part of U.S. 98 is that along the Panhandle shore, also known as
the Gulf Coast Highway. Between Fort Walton and West Bay the color-
ing of sea, sand, and sky is particularly inspiring, the beaches and sand
dunes among the finest in Florida.

Pensacola. On U.S. 98, 29, and
90. See the fishing fleet and, if you
care for ruins, old Fort Barrancas and
Fort San Carlos (children sometimes
get a kick out of the latter). U.S. 98
crosses Pensacola Bay to Santa Rosa
Island on the western tip of which is
historic Fort Pickens.
Pine Log State Forest. A possible
sightseeing attraction of the future,
when recreational facilities are further
developed. It's about twelve miles
north of Bahama Beach which lies on
U.S. 98.
Panama City. On U.S. 98. See the
fishing fleet. Children enjoy the free
tour of the International Paper Com-
pany's plant. Southern Kraft Corpora-
tion also offers free 2-3 hour tour of
its Kraft paper plant.

Gold Head Branch State Park.
Twelve miles southeast of Starke
which lies on U.S. 301. A 1,318-acre
hill and lake park whose central feature
is a 65-foot ravine. The park is open
8 a.m. to sunset. Bathhouse use is
254, parking 25, trailer or tent camp-
ing 25 a day, $1 a week. Boats rent
for 25 an hour or $1 all day, canoes
50 an hour. Firewood sells for $4 a
strand, charcoal 250 a bag. At this
park are nine family cabins accommo-
dating four persons each; rents are $5
a day or $30 a week, linen 500 extra.
Anthony Farms. Six miles north
of Ocala on U.S. 301. Over recent
years tourists have been welcome vis-
itors at this Brahman cattle ranch.
Silver Springs. A few miles north-
.east of Ocala on Florida 40. Glass
bottom boat ride $2.50, children $1.25;
jungle cruise $1.15, children 604.
Florida's largest and most widely ad-
vertised spring, Silver Springs is a
tremendously deep rock bowl sur-
rounded by a landscaped park con-
taining deer, alligators, and monkeys.
Best season for azaleas is January, for
gardenias February. At the springs is
a picnic area together with a hotel,
restaurant, and cottages. Also at the
springs are the Carriage Cavalcade, a
museum of rare old horsedrawn ve-
hicles and antique cars, admission
$1.13, open 9-9; and Tommy Bartlett's
International Deer Ranch, admission
41.

Port St. Joe. On U.S. 98. Center
of the dead lakes region.
Apalachicola. On U.S. 98. Of his-
toric interest is its monument to Jonn
Gorrie, inventor of refrigeration.
Wakulla Springs. On U.S. 98.
Admission free, glass bottom boat
ride over spring $1.65, jungle cruise
$1.65. This, Florida's third largest
spring, is an amazingly crystal clear
pool surrounded by moss-draped cy-
press trees. Best season for azaleas is
February, for geraniums December.
A short distance north of Wakulla
Springs is Phillips Picnic Area on
State 363, and a few miles beyond, the
Battle of Natural Bridge State Monu-
ment.
From Wakulla Springs, U.S. 98
leads east to Perry and central Florida.

Ross Allen's Reptile Institute.
At Silver Springs. Admission $1.23,
open every day. The Institute houses
a wide variety of alligators, crocodiles,
turtles, and hundreds of snakes all
housed in escape proof concrete pens.
Guided tours are conducted every
thirty minutes while snakes are milked
for venom with an accompanying lec-
ture by the celebrated Mr. Allen.
Ocala National Forest. East of
Ocala on Florida 40. In the forest's
Oklawahe River you can see a wide
variety of game including alligators.
The forest has eleven year 'round camp
grounds and several picnic areas, some
of which have been mentioned under
Route U.S. 17 to which they lie closest.
South of Electra is an area devoted to
summer and recreational home sites;
other lots are available on Shoesole
and Tomahawk Lakes. Salt Springs,
located on private land within the for-
est, makes a scenic rendezvous if you're
driving that way. Juniper Springs, an
attractive recreational area, lies within
the forest 26 miles from Ocala.
Dade Massacre State Monument.
lies just west of Bushnell near U.S.
301.
Hillsborough River State Park.
Seven miles south of Zephyrhills on
U.S. 301. Open 8-7 weekdays, 8-9
weekends. A 2.637-acre park flanking
a stretch of sub-tropical river, this
park is interesting for its orchids, rare
birds, and nature trails. There are ex-

tensive picnic grounds with tables and
fireplaces, also good swimming with a
bathhouse renting for 250, children
100. Parking is 250, trailer or tent
camping 250 a day, $1 a week, boat
rental 25 an hour, $1 all day. Char-
coal sells for 250 a bag.
Gamble Mansion. On U.S. 301.
A historic Southern mansion.
U.S. 301 then joins U.S. 41 at Pal-
metto where it terminates.

ROUTE U.S. 441
A central Florida route leading
from Fargo, Ga., through the
Ridge and Lake heart of Florida
to Lake Okeechobee, whence it
follows the Ocean Canal to a
point about nine miles west of
West Palm Beach. There, U.S.
441 turns south and heads
straight as an arrow for Miami.
For superior sightseeing oppor-
tunities, go straight into West
Palm Beach and continue south
along A1A to Miami.
After entering Florida, this
route crosses U.S. 90 at Lake
City, shares the same highway
with U.S. 41 as far as High
Springs (see Route U.S. 41 for
details of O'Leno State Park)
and then branches off for Gaines-
ville.
Gainesville. On U.S. 441. Free
guided tours of the University of
Florida are available at the public re-
lations bureau in the university ad-
ministration building. This half hour
tour of 1800 acre floral grounds and
206 buildings is well worth while.
Ocala. On U.S. 441. For Silver
Springs see under Route U.S. 301.
Orange Lake. On U.S. 441 near
the town of Orange Lake. Take a boat
tour of the floating island bird sanc-
tuaries on the lake in one of Don
McKay's boats.
Rosemere Farm. Two miles south
of Ocala on Florida 200. Over recent
years visitors have been welcome at
this racehorse training farm.
Leesburg. The large Minute Maid
citrus canning plant here is open to
visitors.
Plymouth Tower and Rock
Springs. Between Leesburg and
Apopka on U.S. 441. Has a swimpool
with good beach, shelters, and picnic
area.

ROUTE U.S. 301
U.S. 301 enters Florida from Folkston, Ga., sharing the same highway
with U.S. 1. Eighteen miles south of the Florida line it turns off U.S. 1
into central Florida and traverses the Ridge and Lake country to Palmetto
where it meets U.S. 41 and terminates.

Driving from the
Best way to leave New York
is via the New Jersey Turnpike
(toll $1.75) and the Delaware
Bridge (toll 754). Once across
the Delaware Bridge you have
a choice of three routes:
Ocean Highway: follows
U.S. 13 down the Del-Mar-Va
Peninsula to the Kiptopeke
Beach Ferry (cars $3, passen-
gers 750) to Little Creek, Va.,
thence via U.S. 17 along the
coast to Jacksonville. Chief
drawback to this route is the
possibility of delay at the ferry.
Compensation is found in sight-
seeing opportunities farther
south at Charleston, Savannah,
and the Sea Islands. Good over-
night stops are New Bern and
Myrtle Beach, N. C. A novel
twist is to take U.S. 1 to Wash-
ington, D.C. and embark on the
Old Bay Line steamer for Nor-
folk, Va. Fares $5 per person,
cars $7.50, schedules available
from 1422 H Street N.W.,
Washington 5, D.C.
Tobacco Trail: the true
Tobacco Trail follows U.S. 40
from the Delaware Bridge to
Baltimore, then U.S. 301 to
Richmond and Central and East
Coast Florida. This route cuts
out Washington. It is possible
to cut out Baltimore also by
leaving U.S. 40 just beyond the
Delaware Bridge and following
U.S. 13. Maryland 300, U.S. 213,
Maryland 18. and U.S. 50 across
the new Chesapeake Bay Bridge
back on to U.S. 301. Chief draw-

Okeechobee. On U.S. 441. Na-
tional Audubon Society tours into the
Lake Okeechobee area start from here.
For details write: National Audubon
Society, 13 McAllister Arcade. Miami.
The tours are for 2 days, cost $25, and
operate from Jan.-April.
Brighton. West of Okeechobee on
Florida 70. At this community you can
arrange to visit the Brighton Seminole
Indian Reservation.
U.S. 441 follows the eastern shore of
Lake Okeechobee for its entire length
before turning east towards Palm
Beach and Miami.
Reaching Florida by publle
transportation
Air: cheapest way to fly to Florida
is by non-scheduled aircoach. These are

Northeast to Florida
back of this route at present lies
in congested traffic at Annapolis.
For best sightseeing, however,
follow the true Tobacco Trail
which takes you past Washing-
ton, Mount Vernon, and Fred-
ericksburg.
U.S. 1: from the Delaware
Bridge follow U.S. 40 to Balti-
more then U.S. 1 to Washing-
ton, Richmond, Raleigh, and
past the edge of the Okefenokee
Swamp to Jacksonville. There
is considerable sightseeing op-
portunity and abundant over-
night accommodation along this
route. To avoid traffic lights
and congested streets along the
Gold Coast, you can save time
by driving east from Palm
Beach to U.S. 441 and taking
this fast back road direct into
Miami.
A fourth route to Florida is
to use the Lafayette Highway
(Alt. U.S. 15 and U.S. 15) be-
tween Raleigh, N.C., on U.S. 1
and Walterboro on the Ocean
Highway. This permits the maxi-
imum amount of sightseeing on
both U.S. 1 and the Ocean
Highway and also offers a fresh
route to the South if you have
already driven over the others.
Many speed traps still flourish in
Florida during winter. Be especially
careful when driving through school
zones-most are patrolled. Although
parking fines are light for visitors,
ranging from 25t-$1, parking space
is often short in Florida during
winter. Highways are crowded,
bridges and downtown areas con-
gested, and nerves frayed. By far the
est time to drive in Florida is from
April 13-November 30.

equally as comfortable as scheduled
coach planes and, in addition, provide
free snacks and roundtrip fare reduc-
tions. Nowadays they operate to regu-
lar timetables like the scheduled
flights. For example, the New York
to Miami roundtrip fare by Southeast
Airlines is only $63; by scheduled
night coach it's $88. Other typical one
way nonsked fares to Miami are: from
Boston $51.15, Chicago or Detroit $46,
Los Angeles, San Diego, or San Fran-
cisco $99, Philadelphia or Pittsburgh
$35. Roundtrip fares rate a 10%b re-
duction.
Via the regular airlines, nightcoach
is cheapest. These are typical one way
nightcoach fares to Miami with day-
coach fares in brackets for compari-
son: from Baltimore $41 (46), Boston

$51.40 ($58.80), Cincinnati $44.50
($47.40), Cleveland $51.70 ($56.50),
Detroit $55.90 ($59.20), New York
$44 ($50.50), Philadelphia $43.25
($50.10), Pittsburgh $47.30 ($51),
Washington $39.80 ($44.70). Round-
trip fares are exactly double.
Between May 15 and the end of
October, the regular airlines offer a
variety of first class excursion fares
both from the North to Florida, and
from Florida to the North. Typical is
the excursion fare of $101.40 round-
trip from Pittsburgh to Miami, which
is 60 cheaper than flying roundtrip by
daycoach. Summer excursion fares are
available from most cities in the North
and Midwestern states to all principal
Florida resorts at similar rates. And
for only 700 more than the regular
first class roundtrip fare to Miami you
can fly on to Nassau or Havana. Be-
cause excursions are all via first class
plane, a variety of free stopovers are
often permitted en route to your des-
tination, and at other Florida resorts
where your plane is scheduled to stop.
Inquire also about family plan reduc-
tions and the exceptionally inexpensive
package vacations offered by Eastern
and National Airlines. During summer
these include a week at a hotel in
Miami Beach for $19, at Palm Beach
for $26.50, Fort Lauderdale $30, Day-
tona Beach $22.50, Sarasota $24, or
Clearwater $22 per person double oc-
cupancy. The airlines also arrange car
rentals from $19.95 a week.
For details on how to fly to Miami
via the West Indies or Mexico, and
for a host of gimmicks on milking
more miles from your air fare dollar,
consult Harian's Air Routes of the
World, price $1.50 postpaid. This same
book outlines scores of itineraries for
island hopping the West Indies and
touring Latin America by air at lowest
cost from Miami International Air-
port.
Bust Greyhound Luxury Limited
buses operate between New York
(also Chicago) and Jacksonville for
$20.90 o.w., Miami $27.61 o.w. and St
Petersburg $25.74 o.w. plus tax. These
are super de luxe, fast buses which cut
out all local calls, have a rest room,
free pillows, and all seats are re-
served. Regular fare from New York
to Miami is $25.10, Jacksonville $19,
and St. Petersburg $23.40, all o.w.
plus tax.
Greyhound provides two circle tour
Itineraries of Florida. Tour A goes
from Jacksonville via St. Augustine,
Daytona Beach, and West Palm Beach

to Miami, thence across state to Tampa
and St. Petersburg either via the Bok
Tower route or via Fort Myers, then
from St Petersburg to Jacksonville
either via Orlando or via Ocala. You
may travel in the opposite direction if
you prefer. Cost is $16.90 and you can
make as many stopovers as you desire.
Tour B goes from Jacksonville to
Miami via St. Augustine, Daytona
Beach, and West Palm Beach, thence
via Fort Myers to Tampa and St.
Petersburg, thence to Lake Wales in-
cluding side trip to Bok Tower, thence
to Orlando and Ocala including side
trip to Silver Springs, thence to Jack-
sonville. Cost is $20.95.
Bus tours and excursion trips through
Florida are available at discount rates
in summer from almost every Florida
city. And to encourage travel on
lightly loaded schedules during the
middle of the week, Florida Grey-
hound Lines now offer special re-
duced fare roundtrip excursion
tickets good for travel on Tues-
days, Wednesdays, or Thursdays
during the spring and fall seasons.
These midweek excursion tickets
are available between all points on
Florida Greyhound Lines where
the regular one way fare is $1 or
more and are good for a 14 day
period. They provide for a 50% re-
duction on the cost of the return
ticket.
Other services to Florida are
operated from the East and Mid-
west by National Trailways Inc.,
108 N. State St., Chicago. Contact
them for their giveaway Florida
Tour Package Guide envelope.

Rail: from May 1 until November
30, slashed rate coach fares are avail-
able to and from all points served'by
the railroads in Florida including
Miami, Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale,
Palm Beach, Jacksonville, Tampa,
Clearwater, St. Petersburg, and Sara-
sota. For example, the normal $70.86
r.t. coach fare from New York to
Miami becomes $61.61, a saving of
$9.25. In addition, the railroads have
inaugurated a wide variety of all ex-
pense vacation plans. One offered by
the Seaboard Air Line Railroad pro-
vides for 7 days and 6 nights at a
luxurious ocean-front Miami Beach
hotel, roundtrip rail transportation be-
tween New York and Miami, a re-
served reclining coach seat on one of
the line's streamlined trains, and trans-
fers between their Miami station and
hotel for as little as $81.56 plus tax. In
all cases, meals and sightseeing are
extra; the railroads can arrange car
rentals in Florida from $19.95 a week
and you can arrange to rent it in one
city and leave it at another.
Seaboard also offers popular budget
priced meals (one of several innova-
tions offered only by that line) with
prices beginning at 700 for breakfast,
$1.25 for lunch, and $1.35 for dinner.
The line also has a "Hospitality Hour"
on its streamliners each afternoon
when Florida orange juice and coffee
are served free. During summer, mini-
ature bottles of Suntan lotion are also
distributed free.
The Florida railroads do not offer
family fares; however, their reduced
roundtrip coach fares make it possible
for rail travel to and from Florida and
Washington or points north to be
offered on an attractive low cost basis.

Sample 1955-56 rail fares from points east of the Rockies to Miami are:

Between Miami
and
Kansas City, Mo.
Omaha, Neb.
St. Paul, Minn.
Chicago, Ill.
St. Louis, Mo.
Detroit, Mich.
Cleveland, O.
Cincinatti, O.
Buffalo, N. Y.
Pittsburgh, Pa.
Philadelphia, Pa.
New York City
Boston, Mass.
Washington, D. C.
Richmond, Va.

O.W.
$56.60
$62.84
$68.32
$55.02
$48.17
$57.57
$57.57
$46.16
$64.12
$57.87
$50.54
$54.58
$64.93
$44.53
$40.04

First class

R.T.
$ 98.45
$108.90
$118.00
$ 96.45
$ 84.40
$105.85
$105.85
$ 83.10
$117.95
$106.60
$ 92.22
$100.30
$121.00
$ 80.20
$ 72.10

Lower
berth
O.W.
$15.40
$17.25
$19.50
$14.50
$13.50
$14.80
$14.80
$12.25
$15.70
$14.80
$13.25
$13.80
$16.35
$11.95
$10.95

O.W.
$40.48
$44.90
$48.82
$39.51
$34.77
$41.60
$41.67
$33.07
$45.71
$40.99
$35.49
$38.52
$46.27
$30.94
$27.73

Coach

R.T.
$72.90
$80.85
$87.90
$71.15
$62.60
$76.40
$76.50
$59.55
$81.85
$75.05
$64.80
$70.86
$86.36
$55.70
$49.95

No need to get sunburned in
Florida-
here's a safe exposure guide for
giving yourself a beautiful tan.
Complexion
Me-
Fair dium Dark
First day 8 10 12 min.
Second day 12 15 18 "
Third day 20 25 30 "
Fourth day 30 35 40 "
Fifth day 40 50 60 "
Sixth day 65 75 85 "
Seventh day 90 105 120 "

Another way to get more out of
your railroad trip to Florida is to take
advantage of diverse routings to which
your ticket entitles you. For little or
no extra railroad fare you can travel
to Florida via one route and return by
an entirely different one. Round trip
tickets to south Florida points entitle
you to a free trip between either coast
of the state. En route, stopovers at
points of interest are yours for the
asking. For example, after entering
Florida en route to Miami you could
stop over at Ocala to see Silver
Springs, or at Winter Haven for Cy-
press Gardens. Homeward bound, you
could leave Miami and return via the
West Coast with stopovers at St.
Petersburg or other points of interest,
including the Gulf Beaches, without
payment of additional railroad fare.
Perhaps the finest example of ad-
ding extra miles and extra sight-
seeing is a routing from Chicago
to Miami. The straight round trip
coach fare is $71.15 and the direct
round trip mileage is 2,904. This
can be extended at no extra cost
by riding down to Florida along
one route, crossing over free to the
opposite coast, and returning by
another route. But for an extra $19.43
in fares you can boost your travel
by an additional 2,052 miles. You
can go down through Philadelphia
and Washington to Miami, cross
over to Tampa, travel from there
to Jacksonville and New Orleans,
on to Houston, Texas, and return
to Chicago by a choice of three
different routes. For your extra $19.43
you circle practically all of the
eastern half of the country and for
a few dollars more you could
even take in Niagara Falls, New
York City, and almost any other
scenic high spot you cared to name.

(The above rates exclusive of the 10% Federal tax.)

Ship: Pan Atlantic Steamship
Corporation (a Waterman subsidiary)
of 19 Rector St., New York, offers
freighter trips from Baltimore to
Florida ports. Sailings on Fridays
go to Miami ($75 o.w.), Tampa
($90 o.w.), and New Orleans ($120
o.w.). The ships return to New York
or Boston. Other ports of call may
be Georgetown, S.C., Panama City
and Jacksonville, Fla., and Mobile,
Ala. Automobiles are carried between
Gulf ports only.
Rental cars: one way to enjoy an
auto tour of Florida without having to
spend the three or four days required
to drive each way between Florida and
the north, is to fly down and rent a
car on the spot. The National System
permits you to rent a car at one
Florida city and turn it in at another
without being assessed any return
charge. Summer rates begin at $5 a
day, $25 a week plus 7-80 a mile for
Ford, Chevrolet, and Plymouth sedans.
Winter rates are slightly higher. Both
Hertz and Avis offer a variety of
package deals whereby you can rent
a car at, say, Miami, drive to Ever-
glades National Park, Cypress Gar-

Low Cost trips to the West
Indies and Latin America

To Havana, Cuba. From
Miami. By air $20 o.w., $36
r.t. By sea S.S. Florida, P &
O Line, $27 o.w., $36 r.t.,
weekend r.t. cruise $51; fam-
ily plan rates by both sea
and air. Autos can be taken
for $98.85-$119.10 r.t. From
Tampa. By air $27.80 o.w.,
$51.60 r.t., $45.60 r.t. via 30
day excursion. From West
Palm Beach. By sea, via
West India Fruit & S.S. Co.
$22.50 o.w., deluxe cabin $30.
From Miami by air: to
Nassau $20 o.w., $36 r.t.; to
Jamaica $40 o.w., $72 r.t. (via
Aeronaves Panama); to
Mexico City $55 o.w., $110
r.t.; to San Juan $43 o.w.,
$86 r.t.; to Port au Prince
$60 o.w., $108 r.t.

dens, Bok Tower, Silver Springs, St.
Augustine, etc., and turn the car in at
Palm Beach, Tampa, Orlando, or
Jacksonville on your way home. Based
on charges for this type rental, a party
of four can make a leisurely 500 mile
tour of the state in 4 days at a total
cost of $78, or $19.50 per person. Car
rental offices are located at the follow-
ing addresses.
Avis Rent-a-Car, Hertz Drive-
Ur-Self, and National Car Rental
systems are available in practically
every Florida city. Look up ad-
dresses in the local telephone book.
If you wish to reserve your car be-
fore you -leave, the travel office book-
ing your transportation will ar-
range details. Or you can pick up
drive-yourself cars at airports and bus
or rail stations.
Bargain priced winter sojourns:
by now you've probably concluded that
Florida is a poor man's paradise in
spring, summer, and fall, a high priced
resort area in winter. Of course, many
people do manage to spend the winter
in Florida without owning an oil well.
They stay at cheaper second rate
hotels, room in private homes, or else
locate just north of the main winter
resort area where rate increases are
less yet temperatures only a few de-
grees cooler. Others live in trailers or
buy cottages or small retirement
homes. If you plan to winter in Florida
year after year, you'll invariably find
it cheaper to buy a small home than
to keep on paying steep hotel and
restaurant prices.
There isn't much you can do to save
on a two week winter vacation. But if
you're planning a longer Florida vaca-
tion between December 15 and April
1, you'd do well to compare the cost
of spending winter in Mexico instead.
At Acapulco, a tropical sunshine re-
sort more beautiful than Miami Beach,
rates for comparable hotels are barely
half those charged in Florida. And
Acapulco is Mexico's most expensive
resort. At smaller beach resorts like
San Blas and Manzanillo, two can
vacation in comfortable resort hotels
on less than $10 a day including two
enormous six course meals and break-

Florida Highway Numbers
All north-south highways in
Florida bear odd numbers; num-
ber one begins in the extreme
east. East-west roads bear even
numbers beginning with route 2
along the Georgia border. Those
roads termed control roads
which divide the state into sec-
tions are numbered with one or
two digits: the last digit is
always 0 on east-west roads and
5 on north-south roads. Con-
necting routes between major
highways carry three digits, the
first of which tells its location
in the east-west numbering
system.

fast. You'll enjoy vastly superior sun-
shine, riotous colors, glamourous for-
eign atmosphere, and a far more lavish
scale of living. For $10 you can throw
a party for a dozen guests, feed them
a princely barbecued banquet, hand
out more Scotch and liquor than any-
one could possibly consume, and hire
a three piece mariachi band to play
for dancing. At cheaper resorts like
Ajijic on enchanting Lake Chapala,
two can vacation at a delightful Amer-
ican operated resort inn for $5.75 a
day, including all meals and breakfast
served in bed. You can fish, go to the
opera, hear topflight orchestras, visit
four star night clubs, and find every
kind of sport or amusement at one
fourth the prices you'd pay in Florida
during winter.
This is probably the only guidebook
to Florida that recommends your
spending the winter in Mexico instead.
But we promised to be candid and this
is our unbiased advice. Despite the
higher cost of reaching Mexico, on a
winter vacation of one month or longer,
you can always save money by so-
journing there instead of southern
Florida. For your guidance south of
the border, we also recommend The
Fiesta Lands, a similar guidebook to
this one, available from Harian
Publications at $2 postpaid.

MARIANNA
FERNANDINA

TALLAHASSEE AY POR
SJACKSONVI E is ATLANTIC
LAK cn- Is

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PORT ST AUGUSTINE

141 GAINESVILLE ALATKA

d RECENT ,
ORANG ITT
LAKE 0 F DAYTONA
CALA B EACH
CEDAR KES 7 DE LAND NWSMYRN
R* BEACH

FISHING MAP OF FLORIDA Ri.VE. LSURG A
COMPILED BY SASSA f -SANFORD IS
Q -iAD T ILLE
S THE 1 uman CLERMONT V IN .
SOF .* 0o-0 Is
KISSIMME
Eastern Air Lines RPON SPRINGS ', F
LAKELAND ELBOURNE
S DUNEDIN L 4 t
SCLEARWATE A A ATER e 4

SF R OSTPROERSBU OS PooF 3
CITIES SERVED BY SCHEDULED AIRLINE ER 19 4
OTHER MAJOR FISHING CENTERS. AVON PARK SEBRING BEACH 6
SALT WATER GAMEFISH RADENTON 4 FORT PIERCE
SA Ao \JENSON 4
TARPON 9 CHANNEL BASS I SARASOA O BEA
2 BONEFISH 10 WHITE MARLIN TUAR 4
3 SAILFISH II BLUEFIN TUNA T VEN lo
4 BLUE MARLIN 12 WAHOO i E LAxE LE ,
5 DOLPHIN 13 POMPANO IPUNTA GORDA CJUPITERIO
6 BARRACUDA 14 GROUPER S I F 14 3 IU
7 KING MACKERAL IS SPOTTED SEA TROUT BOCAA" E WLM
0 SNOOK 16 BLUEFISH GRANDE CLEWISTON BEACH 41
FORT MYERS LAKE WORTH 'i,
7 A16 5
FRESH WATER GAMEFISH CELR A ,1
13,I I RAON it 5
F. THE FOLLOWING SPECIES GENERALLY 7 146 4 4
FOUND IN ALL FRESH WATER LAKES FORT 13
AND RIVERS. NAPLES LA OERDALE 1683
LARGEMOUTH BASS BLACK*SPOTTED SUNFISH IS OO 4
BLACK CRAPPIE RED BREAST ,COLLIER CITY 7 6 3
BLUEGILL SHELLCRACKER EVERGLADES 3 ,
WARMOUTH PERCH IA M IAMI
IS MLAMI
15 'BEACH C
B 2 3 444I02
GULF OF ,, I -.s-s
,HOMESTEAD 4 12
MEX*0 14 12

t B0
I 14

=_ n AVERNIER
41 ) 1. Y* 44

GiF OF MEXICO
MRILTON Ij 214E.3
PENS OLA FORT PIEY 5 5EI
WALTON E 3

GULF OF MEXICO '

.4~

CHAPTER V

FISHING IN FLORIDA

With all that's been written about Florida fishing,
few readers will doubt that the state's seacoast, rivers,
and lakes are a fisherman's paradise. Out in the warm
blue waters of the Gulf Stream you'll find the acro-
batic sails, the lightning swift king mackerel, the
graceful wahoo and several hundred other species. In
the lakes and rivers, the large-mouthed black bass is
king with a long line of relatives extending down to
the tenacious gar and the humble crappie.
Florida fishing can cost from a few cents to $90
or more a day. Charter boats for offshore sports fish-
ing charge $55 a day in most places but go up to
$70 or more a day on the Gold Coast with perhaps
$40 for half a day. There are two ways to beat these
costs. One way is to join a head boat, which means
you share the cost of a charter boat with other fisher-
men at so much a head, usually $7-$10. A still cheaper
way to get out offshore where the big fellows lurk
is to pay $5-$6 (in winter) or $3-$4 (in summer)
for a day's fishing in an open party boat. In many
cases, this price also includes bait and you keep
your catch instead of giving all the surplus to the
captain as is customary in a charter boat.
Because of some unfortunate incidents to party
fishing boats over recent years, this type of boat has
been viewed warily by many elderly men and espe-
cially by their wives. Actually, however, you are
safer on a party fishing boat than you are in your
own automobile. For instance, Florida's Pinellas
County charter fleet have carried over 1l2-million
fishermen with only two minor casualties. For utmost
safety, choose a boat built after 1940, for these are
subject to compliance with regulations of the Motor
.Boat Act. Another good rule of thumb to check over-
loading is to see that your boat does not carry more
than one person for every foot of its length. Be sure
you know where your lifejacket is and you can go to
sea with perfect confidence.
An even cheaper way to fish is to hire a skiff and
work in the lagoons and bays behind the barrier
beach islands for trout, snook, and other species.
Skiffs rent for around $1.50 a day, $3-$4 with out-
board.
The cheapest way to fish is off a pier or a bridge or
the beach, and this is what the majority of people do.
You'll see them hauling up grunts by the dozen and
a respectable number of trout and other fish too.

But, occasionally, the pier fisherman will strike an
enormous jewfish or shark and then-oh, brother-
sometimes the pier is pulled down.
No license is required for saltwater fishing, but if
you own a boat whose length and beam added to-
gether exceed 20 feet, you need a boat license if you
fish from it. A license is necessary for freshwater
fishing. An annual out-of-state license costs $10.50
but you can obtain a 14-day permit for $3.25 at any
county judge's office. Florida residents pay $2 a year;
those residents under 15 and over 65 are exempted.
No specialized or expensive tackle is needed for
fishing in Florida other than for offshore game fish-
ing. The leaders and plugs or hooks required can be
purchased inexpensively in Florida after you've had
a talk with a local tackle dealer. Your usual bass rod,
reel, and line will serve for most fishing in the state;
you may also cast or fly fish in both fresh and salt
water. Which brings us to the two most important
questions about fishing in Florida: when is the best
time and where are the best spots?
You could hire a guide to show you. In fact, if
you're doing any serious fishing, it's not a bad idea
to hire a guide for the first day just to find out where
you can fish profitably for the ensuing week. Not all
guides charge $45 a day like some of the bonefish
guides down on the Keys, and you can get reliable
counsel and service for a day at less than half this
amount. But if you go out in a charter boat, be sure
the captain knows the waters. Most do-but more
often than you suspect, the captain may be as new
to the fishing grounds as you are.
Best time to fish is for about 90 minutes after
the turn of the tide, preferably on the first of the
flood but the first of the ebb is almost as good. Early
morning and late evening are the best times of day;
if high or low water precedes either time of day, your
chances are twice as good. Fish bite best when the
glass is falling before the wind pipes up. If the wind
blows hard for two or three days, the first calm day
following should be especially good. During sunny
winter days fish lie out in the shallows between the
mainland and the barrier islands; during cold spells
they seek the dredged channels and holes; during
the hot summer months they remain at medium
depths, where it is comfortably warm but not too
hot.

Besides knowing what time of day to fish, you'll
have to find out the best season for any particular
fish you have in mind. Summer is the time for tarpon,
for example; other fish like king mackerel may be
available only for a week or so as they migrate past
any one place on the coast. A complete discussion
of seasonal trends in Florida fishing is beyond the
scope of this book.
Knowing when to fish is one thing but knowing
where is something else. Of course, it is impossible

to pinpoint every reef and hole in Florida, but in the
following list you will find what most Florida fisher-
men consider the 175 best fishing areas in the state.
Chambers of Commerce may disagree with these
recommendations, but it never pays to rely on fish-
ing information offered by vested interests. Instead,
pick one of the areas suggested here, and when you
get there, inquire of a local fishing camp, tackle or
bait store, or boat livery for the exact, current where-
abouts of the fish. That way, you'll get honest advice.

Florida's 175 best fishing spots
Freshwater
Northwest Florida: Escambia,
Choctawhatchee, Ochlochonee, and
Apalachicola Rivers; Lakes Talquin,
Lafayette, lamonia, Miccosukee, and
Jackson in the Tallahassee area.
Northeast Florida: Orange Lake,
and the Suwannee, Santa Fe, and
Steinhatchee Rivers.
Central Florida: St. John's River
(for black bass), Ocklawha, Lake
Apopka, the lakes in Lake County, the
Lake Kissimmee area, and the lakes
and rivers immediately west of Mel-
bourne.
Gulf Coast: The dam near Inglis
on the Withlacoochee River (for bass),
Homossassa River; Lakes Butler, Salt,
and Tsala Apopka.
Southern Florida: Lake Okeecho-
bee and Everglades canals, Cross-State
Canal from Lake Okeechobee to Fort
Myers, Blue Cypress and Trafford
Lakes, and the Kissimmee River.
Saltwater
Atlantic Coast (from north to
south) : Jacksonville area-Nassau
Sound (for black drum), Fort George
River, Sawpit Creek, Sisters Creek,
and Mayport. Between Ponte Vedra
Beach and St. Augustine the Pablo
Creek, Tolomato, Guano, Matanzas,
and North Rivers are excellent. South
of Marineland, fishing is best at The
Rocks and at The Little Rocks, two
and four miles respectively south of
Marineland. Farther down, the To-
moka River Mouth produces excellent
catches and at Daytona Beach, the
Halifax River fished from above the
bridges by boat.
Between Port Orange and Ponce de
Leon Inlet blues run heavily in spring
and there is good surf fishing for pom-
pano on the south beach of the Inlet.
Next highspot is False Cape, south of
Titusville Beach. Canaveral is unbeat-
able at times and the Sebastian Inlet
beyond is known far and wide. In the
Indian River the section between In-
drio and Sewells Point yields the big-

gest trout in Florida while if you have
a small boat available, the channels
north of Jack Island are a must. The
St. Lucie River coast provides excel-
lent sail fishing January-March and is
good almost year 'round for a variety
of inshore species. Between Jupiter and
Riviera you'll find one of the best surf
fishing beaches in the state; it's par-
ticularly good for pompano. The Rivi-
era Bridge itself is also tops at times.
The upper end of Lake Worth is a
winter paradise for blues and Spanish
mackerel. The entire Palm Beach area
is excellent and if you want to take a
big shark without a boat, try your
luck at the Palm Beach Fishing Pier.
Fish the beaches each side of Boca
Raton Inlet for pompano, and for more
excellent surf fishing, you'll find the
beach all the way south to Hillsboro
Inlet ideal. On the Inlet itself, the
south side is a sure spot for big snapper
and grouper. At Fort Lauderdale, the
New River is probably the best bet.
The beach south of Dania provides
superb surf fishing for blues and pom-
panos and the Sunny Isles Fishing
Pier also south of Dania is worth any
serious fisherman's Pttention. The next
good spot is Baker's Haulover on A1A
north of Miami Beach. At Miami
Beach you'll find the best offshore fish-
ing fleet in Florida. South of Miami
Beach night fishing for tarpon is un-
usually good in Government Cut and
ladyfish are abundant on Bear Cut
flats.
On the Keys, Little Blackwater,
Blackwater Sound, and the Boggies
near Jawfish Creek are the finest fish-
ing grounds along U.S. 1. At the north
end of Key Largo, Caesar Creek and
Rhodes Creek are tops while Elliot's
Key is a plug caster's paradise. On the
mainland opposite Key Largo, Trout
Cove, Alligator Bay, and Davis Cove
are the highspots. Next place are the
keys on the west side of Button wood,
and Cowpens Cut over Cross Bank.
The best bonefishing flats begin at
Tavernier Creek particularly aromd

Teatable Key, Shell Key, the inner
side of Lignum Vitae Key, and along
the east side of Lower Matacombe
Key. From here on, fishing camps line
the road, but the man without a boat
should try the bridges at Teatable and
Indian Key (where with a boat you
can take enormous grunts just off-
shore) and at Carribee. The south side
of Indian Key offers excellent tarpon
fishing during summer, as does The
Fill here. Best places to fish with a
charter boat out of Carribee or Indian
Key are usually Terrapin Bay, the
Madiera Bays, McCormack Creek,
Shark River, and Little Shark River.
Next for bridge fishermen are Chan-
nels $2 and $5, excellent for tarpon.
Marathon, the chief community here,
is an internationally known fishing
H. Q. Boot Key, just off Marathon,
is a splendid place for bonefish. If you
like to cast a plug for tarpon, your
best bet hereabouts is in Key Vaca
Cut. Beyond Marathon are Big Pine,
No Name, Torch Keys, Summerland,
Cudjoe, Sugarloaf, and Saddlebunch
Bridges, all excellent fishing spots
while the route is lined with flats offer-
ing first class fishing. Key West pro-
vides fishing of every variety in the
highest grades. Beyond Key West,
however, lie two fishermen's Edens-
the Marquesas Keys and the Dry Tor-
tugas-both of which are absolutely
tops but hard to reach.
Gulf of Mexico Coast (from south
to north) : Everglades National Park
-top places are: Whitewater Bay,
Shark River, and Cape Sable; in the
Ten Thousand Islands territory tarpon
fishing between April and June is su-
perlative, especially at the Fahkatchee
River, Sugar Bay, Whitney Channel,
Gilrattle Bay, Dinner Key, and Turtle
Creek. Out of Everglades City you can
fish the unsurpassable waters between
Pavilion Key and Cape Romano
(guides or charter boat necessary).
Inland along the Tamiami Trail, there
is good tarpon and snook fishing in the

canal between Ochopee and Royal
Palm Hammock.
Next, at Marco, is a first class char-
ter fleet while the coast between Im-
perial, River and Estero Island is un-
beatable for tarpon between March and
August. Best spots are in Clam, Wig-
gins, Big and Little Hickory, Big and
Little Carlos Passes, and in the mouth
of the Caloosahatchee River. This
same river between Fort Myers and
Punta Rassa is also fine for tarpon.
Boca Grande is an excellent fishing
center and surf fishing from Captiva,
Lacoste, and Gasparilla Islands is very,
very good at times. On Pine Island, St.
James City and Bokelia are the fishing
headquarters while Matlacha Pass usu-
ally offers fine sport. Similarly, Placida
is your base for some very fine fishing
in the Gasparilla Sound Passes. Dry
land fishermen will find the Venice
piers their best spot in this area. Be-
tween Venice aid Sarasota, all the
passes offer splendid fishing; other
good places are off Longboat Key in
what is known as The Pines, at Point
of the Rocks off Siesta Key, and
around Casey Key. There's excellent
tarpon fishing between Chadwick
'Beach and Musketeer's Pass during
April and June.
From Sarasota north into Tampa
Bay, the fishing off Anna Maria and
Passage Keys is usually very good as
is that along the edge of the Southwest
Channel and in the vicinity of Egmont
Key. Fishing in Tampa Bay itself
seems best just south of the city center.
Trout fishing is highly rewarding on
the west side of Tampa Bay from
Davis Causeway to the Recreation Pier
at St. Petersburg. In the St. Peters-
burg vicinity also you'll find good fish-
ing in Snack's Bayou, Pappy's Bayou,
and in Pot Bayou. The flats east of
Weedon's Island also yield good
catches as do the flats on the east side
of Mullet Key off Pinellas Point. Sim-
ilarly, there is good fishing on the flats
in Boca Ciega Bay and in the channels
too.
On Florida 699 along the Gulf
Beaches the best spots are at Blind
Pass and St. John's Pass (both have
bridges). Pumping still spoils fish-
ing in parts of Clearwater Bay
but trout fishing on the flats is
usually good. Good catches of
blues, ladyfish, tarpon, and even
pompano are taken on the south
side of Clearwater's Little Pass

while large bags of trout continue
to be taken on the flats opposite
Dunedin. During summer, the tarpon
run thick off Honeymoon Island north
of Clearwater.
Farther north the Anclote River
yields astronomical bags of trout when
they're running; at Crystal Bay, the
fishing is excellent in the channels be-
tween the islands. Withlacoochee Bay
is also very good. In the swamp coun-
try north of Hudson near U.S. 19 the
Weekiwachee, Chassahowitska, Homo-
ssassa, Suwannee and many smaller
rivers are well worth fishing. On the
coast itself the shoal water fishing is
terrific but it's almost impossible to
get at it. The same thing is true of the
waters north of Cedar Keys; chief
fishing centres along this virgin shore
are Bayport, Yankeetown, and Cedar
Keys.
There is good fishing in season for
King and Spanish mackerel in Apa-
lachee Bay and westward to Carabelle
while beyond, from Apalachicola Bay
to St. Joseph's Bay tarpon* fishing in
the East and West Passes and in In-
dian Pass is worthy of attention. Surf
fishing from St. Joseph's Point is also
most profitable. Beyond, from Panama
City to Pensacola, interest is chiefly
centered on inshore fishing; with a
little local guidance, this can pay off
well too.

More about Florida fishing
Here's a good tip for surf fishing
from the beach. Almost every Flor-
ida beach is paralleled by a series of
three sandbars. After the waves
have broken on the second sand-
bar, the piled up waters seek an
outlet back to the ocean. These
outlets cut through the bars at in-
tervals of about 100 yards apart
along all Florida beaches. You spot
them by watching the water curve
and funnel back through them.
These run-outs are from 8"-24"
deeper than the sandbars them-
selves and it is within them that
most of the fish prefer to lie. Cast
from the beach just short of the
breaking waves (the second sand-
bar) opposite these run-outs and
you'll double your catches while
surf fishing anywhere in Florida.
Delicious crabs can also be taken
from many piers and beaches in
Florida. You catch them by fasten-
ing a juicy fish head or turkey
bone (with the meat on) to a line

which you toss out for perhaps
twenty feet or so. No hook is used.
Instead, the line is slowly drawn in
and with it, if you're lucky, comes
a crab. Don't take crabs that meas-
ure less than six inches from tip
to tip of the shell; doing so is for-
bidden by the Florida Conserva-
tion Department.
The red tide
From time to time a mysterious
reddish-brown discoloration spreads
through the ocean waters off Flor-
ida's West Coast, killing fish by
the tens of thousands. When winds
and currents conspire, millions of
these decayed fish are washed up
on the shores of West Coast re-
sort beaches and have to be re-
moved swiftly by trucks. Most re-
sort communities now have trucks
in readiness to haul dead fish away,
so there is little fear that your va-
cation will be upset by their of-
fensive stench. Yet so menacing do
the resorts consider the red tide
that eight of the largest West
Coast Chambers of Commerce re-
cently appealed to the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service for a grant
of $200,000 to be allocated annu-
ally to investigate its cause.
Earlier, the red tide was believed
caused by the release of poison
gases dumped into the Gulf after
World War II. But scientists now
report its origin lies in a tiny mi-
cro-organism in the sea which
tends to appear during and after
periods of heavy rain. Commercial
fishermen estimate that in tainted
areas, up to 75% of all fish under
ten pounds are killed.
While it is true that invasions
of the red tide are sporadic and
infrequent, it is difficult to ascer-
tain if and where the tide is cur-
rently appearing. This is under-
standable for resorts are not anx-
ious to publicize its occurrence.
Chances are you will fish or vaca-
tion on the West Coast and never
see or hear of the red tide. But it
is something to be on guard for
during and following the fall rainy
season. It can certainly upset your
fishing. Yet it certainly need not
ruin it. For if the tide does appear
you can easily pack up and move
on to another part of the coast.
Florida is full of good fishing
spots. So don't let fear of the red
tide put you off.

CHAPTER VI

RETIREMENT IN FLORIDA

In the U.S. as a whole, oldsters aged over 65 num-
ber 8.3 out of every hundred in the population. In
the heart of Florida's Pinellas County where I am
writing this chapter, 19 persons out of every hundred
are aged over 65. There are oldsters everywhere;
next door, in every house down the street, in the
stores, in offices, and in service stations. Twenty
miles east is Tampa, which, together with Miami,
has the highest concentration of oldsters of any
metropolis in the U.S. Twenty miles south is St.
Petersburg, retirement capital of the nation. Truly,
this section of Florida is a most fitting place in which
to write upon retirement. And it's an excellent place
in which to debunk many of the myths concerning
retirement in the Sunshine State.
Since 1900, the over-65 age group in Florida has
skyrocketted 1600% as against 300% for the nation
as a whole. Thousands have come to Florida to re-
tire; hundreds of thousands more will come in over
the next few years as America's retired population
mushrooms to its highest total ever. That all these
people have chosen to retire in Florida is evidence
of the state's overwhelming suitability for old age
living. But among the retired folk who have already
streamed into Florida are a proportion who did not
have adequate incomes. With the inflation of recent
years, these unfortunate people have become a wel-
fare burden upon the state. Now, Chambers of Com-
merce and State publicity bureaux are extremely
wary of hinting that it might be cheaper to live in
Florida than elsewhere.
The Citizens Committee on Retirement in Florida
are most conservative in their booklet Retirement in
Florida. In coached terms they say: "(Florida) will
become a nightmare of poverty if thousands come
here expecting too much from too little in the way
of fixed income. Florida can offer newcomers
more than most states but it has no magic wand to
wave away the prevailing nationwide problem of
inflation or to close the gap between a fixed income
based on 1940 levels and today's price tags. We
(must) face the grim realities of today's price levels
and reject any romantic notions that newcomers can
live here for only a few dollars a month The cost
of living in Florida averages about the same as in
other parts of the country; therefore prospective
residents should not expect a given income to go

further here. Of course, individual needs differ and
living costs are not the same in all parts of the state,
just as they vary throughout the nation In
general, it costs as much, or almost as much, to live
in Florida as elsewhere in the U.S. it is not safe
to assume that less income will be required for com-
fortable living than in your home city."
Now, by themselves, these facts are true enough.
But in their eagerness to avoid any reference to
cheaper living in Florida, the worthy committee did
not qualify their statements further.
Here are the real facts. To live exactly as you
live in the northern states costs exactly as much in
Florida as in New York or Pennsylvania or Ohio.
But you do not need to live that way in Florida.
Living costs in Florida may be the same as else-
where in the nation But the OPPORTUNITIES
for cutting these costs are greater in Florida than in
all but a handful of the most southern states.
Take housing for example. Surveys prove that the
cost of constructing a city home in Florida is greater
than in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Michigan,
New Jersey, Ohio, Vermont, or Wisconsin. So it may
be. But your opportunities for cutting these costs are
far more numerous. Because you don't need much in
the way of heating in Florida, you can dispense with
a basement, furnace, and insulation. Similarly, you
can substitute an inexpensive carport for a costly
heated garage. But that isn't all. Since you live out-
doors so much in Florida, you don't need such a large
home as you did in the North and therefore, can cut
costs even further. The result is that a brand new one
bedroom retirement home of simple frame construc-
tion can be bought complete with a modest lot for
as little as $5,000, even less outside the cities. Build-
ing costs may be the same in Florida as elsewhere-
though everyone down here believes they are lower-
but through eliminating the basement, insulation, and
garage, you can build a two bedroom home in Florida
for $10,000 that would cost half as much again with-
in commuting distance of New York City.
Of course, this statement is based on the fact that
you select a home in a reasonably priced area. Cost
of land in Florida ranges all the way from $10,000
per foot frontage on the Gold Coast to $50 an acre
in suburban and rural sections. Both types of loca-
tions receive equal quotas of Florida sunshine. Most

people who complain of high costs in Florida have
been suckers for a view and a central location-and
have paid for it. Provided, however, that you choose
to live in an ordinary suburban area well away from
waterfront and view property, you will enjoy all
possible opportunities for cutting down on the cost
of housing. True, you won't have such a large or well
equipped home as you had up north. But you will
have one perfectly suited for Florida living and you
will obtain it at less cost.
Back in the chapter on taxes, I said no one could
afford not to own his own home in Florida. For suc-
cessful retirement living on a small income this fact
cannot be overemphasized because rents in Florida
do not differ appreciably from those in other parts
of the nation. Apartment rents range from as low as
$25 a month in rural north Florida communities to
$200 or more at oceanfront resorts. Homes can be
rented from around $40 a month in these same rural
or north Florida communities up to fantastic figures
on Gold Coast waterfront locations. The average
house rents in Florida work out to $65-$85 per month
while the average apartment rent is $50-$75. The
only way to cut your rent is to live in those communi-
ties where lower priced rentals are more plentiful.
Since some 40% of Florida communities still have
a shortage of lower priced rentals, you will not al-
ways find this too easy. By scanning the city and town
directory in the second part of this book, you will
probably find communities with rentals at rates even
the most modest pensions can meet. But you must not
expect to find modern places with electric kitchens
at these low, low rates. In fact, sociologists consider
some of them far from ideal for American style re-
tirement living. But they may solve your housing
problem, which is more than the sociologists can do,
and for that reason are well worth your consideration.
An important note which I must insert here is that
all these observations apply strictly to the retirement
living of an elderly couple. Nothing in this chapter
should be misconstrued as applying to the workday
needs of a young family living in Florida or to any-
one not retired or not living in Florida permanently.
For others, some of the savings due to the mild cli-
mate will apply, of course, but most of the savings
that can be made by a retired couple cannot be
duplicated by anyone employed or with children.
Most of the opportunities for saving money in
Florida occur as a result of the mild climate. Besides
saving up to 25% on housing costs through owning
your own home, you can, if you wish, cut down on
your northern clothing bills by 50% or more. For
one thing, you won't need any heavy winter clothing;
women seldom wear stockings, hats, or gloves; your

present overcoat will last you the rest of your life;
and the informal sportswear universally worn by
men in most phases of everyday life helps keep cloth-
ing bills to a minimum.
As I have already mentioned earlier, your fuel
bill will range from about 25% of what you paid in
a northern state to a negligible amount. On the
average, food costs about the same as elsewhere in
the nation. Milk and meat are the more expensive
items, citrus and locally grown winter vegetables are
cheaper than in the North. But you can reduce the
cost of food in Florida by planning a new diet that
takes advantage of all lower priced, locally produced
foods and omits as much as possible of what is im-
ported. Chances are you'll live better if you do this
anyway as tropical fruits and vegetables are more
suitable to Florida living than the heavier, stodgier
foods eaten by northern peoples. In addition, you
could save considerable amounts through fishing, by
raising vegetables and tropical fruits in your garden,
and possibly also by keeping chickens. You can save
if you own a car because you will no longer need
chains, winterized tires, anti-freeze, or a heated
garage. Gasoline costs can be cut because you never
need drive very far in Florida to reach swimming
or fishing or the type of recreation that you enjoy.
Auto liability insurance rates are 40% cheaper than
in the North. And if you own your own small home,
you will find yourself in a taxpayer's Eden.
So with full cognizance of the dangers in misrepre-
senting the cost of living in Florida, I respectfully
submit this evidence to prove my point: if you will
adapt yourself to modest retirement living in Florida
and take advantage of the opportunities for cutting
costs, you clearly and definitely can keep your living
costs in Florida below those prevailing in the nation
as a whole.

Living costs are lower in Florida
In September 1951, the Department of La-
bor released its minimum budget costs needed
for a family of four. The budget ranged from
$3,453 in New Orleans to $3,933 in Milwau-
kee. But in St. Petersburg-retirement capital
of Florida's Gulf Coast Pension Kingdom-
A. R. Dunlap, the "Dean of Florida News-
men" wrote in the St. Petersburg Times: "In
St. Petersburg, the cost of living is lower than
in larger cities in the northern states The
Labor Department's estimate of the cost for
a family of four is too high."

What size income do you need to retire in Florida?
More misleading information has probably been
written on this subject than on any other phase of
retirement living. The reason is that some authorities
include rent or mortgage payments in their totals
while others assume that you own your own home
outright; some assume that you have a car and
phone, others do not. Authorities who include hous-'
ing payments or car costs in their figures then turn
on those who do not and accuse them of misrepresent-
ing living costs. As a result, we find minimum esti-
mates for the cost of retirement living in Florida,
ranging all the way from $100 to $200 for an identical
standard of living in exactly the same house.
To find out exactly what it costs to retire in Flor-
ida, my wife and I purchased a modest 3-bedroom
home and set up housekeeping on a scale suited to that
of a couple aged 65 or over. The house cost $9,500
complete with landscaped lawn and yard, and lies just
outside the Clearwater city limits so that taxes totalled
only $22 a year. We had city water, a septic tank, and
bus service to town; we did not operate a car. As the
house was brand new, no repairs were necessary, but
we set up a maintenance fund of $5 a month and also
allowed more for taxes in case the area should later
be incorporated into the city limits. After meeting
settling-in expenses, our monthly budget for a six
month test period worked out like this:
Food $50
Taxes 6
Utilities 15
Insurance 6
Clothes 3
Home maintenance 5
Miscellaneous (spending, barber, gifts, etc.) 25

Total for month 110
Thus you could if you wished, retire in your own
small paid up Florida home on $110 a month. But this
presupposes you are never likely to fall sick or need
dental care, aren't likely to fall down and break a leg,
don't entertain or give presents, and have an income
geared to the cost of living. Because life doesn't work
out so simply, and because you'll probably want to
keep your car and have a phone, to retire on $110 a
month would be exceedingly precarious. So to give
yourself some leeway with which to meet future infla-
tion, the pleasure of added comforts and conveniences,
and possible medical bills, I recommend a minimum
income of $135 a month plus outright ownership of
your own small home. By doing without a car or
phone, you can probably cut this figure to $125
(though some couples manage to own both a car and
phone on this sum too).
You'll probably hear of couples retired on less than
these sums. Yet for modest but comfortable retire-

ment living with reasonable assurance you will not
become a public welfare burden, these amounts should
be regarded as rock bottom minimums. And remem-
ber I'm talking about bona fide retired couples both
aged 65 or over, entitled to social security, doubled
income tax exemptions, and with matured life in-
surance policies. Couples retiring before reaching age
65 require a minimum of $150 a month. This also pre-
supposes good management. Any couple over 65 who
are not good price conscious managers should also
plan for $150 a month. Too, if you intend to join a
country club, entertain widely, drink, buy new cars,
go in for large expensive lawns, or patronize pastimes
and groups other than the many available at nominal
cost, you should add this extra expense to your Flor-
ida budget. The same thing goes if you anticipate
heavy medical bills or if you plan to rent.
With maximum social security benefits for two now
at a new high figure, and with industrial and private
pensions in addition, most couples retiring in future
can look forward to living in Florida on ample means.
And through the sale of your own home in the north
you can easily afford to buy and furnish a small new
Florida home for cash. But if you do not have $125 a
month plus enough to pay cash for a home, you
should not plan on retiring in Florida. Instead, I
recommend the Ozarks (for complete details see
Where to Retire on a Small Income, $1 postpaid from
Harian Publications). If you have $125-$150 a month
you can safely retire in Florida. On $150-$200 a
month you can live really well.
Naturally, the ideal income to retire on in Florida
is $200-$250 a month plus about $5,000 in the bank
and outright ownership of a home in the $17,500
class. Most professional people fall into this enviable
category but the average American does not. At the
other end of the scale, single men or women should
be able to retire in a very small cottage or utility
apartment in Florida (rent about $35 a month) for
something like 66% of the costs I have quoted for
a couple.
Can a job help you retire in Florida if your pen-
sion is inadequate? The answer is obviously yes but
here again a word of caution is necessary. Although
many oldsters are working in Florida, competition
for jobs is quite keen, and you may not be able to
obtain a job for some time after you arrive in the
state. Too, you will not be able to work at it much
after you turn 75 or 80, and where are you going to
get the money then to supplement your pension? So
although you can expect to add to your income
through employment in Florida, it is not safe to
count on these wages as a reliable part of your re-
tirement income. If you have a minimum guaranteed
pension sufficient to retire on in Florida, you can

What does it actually cost to live
in Florida now?
Many writers of magazine articles on retire-
ment in Florida get their material and figures
from Chambers of Commerce and State Bu-
reaux. Figures which they quote as the abso-
lute minimum for a couple to retire on in
Florida, such as $200-$300 a month income
plus $10,000-$15,000 in cash for a home, are,
therefore, not based on fact but merely on
what public organizations would like people to
have. Such propaganda has been helped by a
statement in a recent Reader's Digest article
that certain social security budgets call for an
annual expenditure of from approximately
$1,750 in our cheapest city up to more than
$2,000 for an elderly couple in order to main-
tain a minimum standard of living and pres-
tige. An important point that many people-
including writers new to the retirement field
-overlook, is that these social security budgets
include rent.
In order to dispense with abstract surveys
and wishful thinking, we went to one of the
leading low cost retirement communities in
Florida, the DeBary community of Plantation
Estates. This concern has built over 400
homes for northern couples and had the facts,
not on what these people thought they would
do when retired, but upon what they actually
did. And Plantation Estates have proved that
a number of their retired couples are living
comfortably and happily on $125 a month in-
cluding car expenses. Of course, these people
own their own homes and cars outright and
under the Florida Homestead Exemption
Law enjoy tax free privileges. Like my own
investigations and personal experience, this
Plantation Estates survey proves that when
housing, expenses and added costs due to
northern heating and clothing demands are
subtracted from any realistic minimum retire-
ment budget, the result is not far from the
$125 per month figure.

feel fairly certain of being able to add to it with extra
money from wages. In fact, you can live like a king
with pension plus wages. But you should always be
in a position to be perfectly independent without a
job at all. Nevertheless, it is fairly safe to say that

tradesmen like carpenters, plumbers, bricklayers or
electricians can usually find ready employment in
Florida within a short time while citrus and resort
work provides hundreds of older people with a
seasonal income.
The same thing goes for a business. You may make
a million through launching a retirement business
in Florida. But to be absolutely safe, you should have
a guaranteed income behind you sufficient to meet
your basic living costs at all times. There is one way
to beat this, of course. And that is to move to Florida
while you are still young enough to take a business
risk, launch a business, and build it up to provide a
steady source of income by the time you are 65. Even
then, if it fails or if you have to sell it, you will be
able to obtain old age and survivor's insurance bene-
fits from the contributions you will have paid while
the business was operating successfully. During any
month in which the business brought in less than
$100 you would be entitled to draw this federal old
age pension to supplement your retirement income.
But even then, unless you have qualified for the maxi-
mum federal old age pension, it would be wise to
make some provision for the years when you may
become too old or infirm to continue operating your
business. For full details about employment and
business opportunities in Florida see Chapters VIII
and IX.
While an adequate income is the primary consid-
eration for retirement in Florida, it is not the only
one. First arises the question of whether or not
you would be better off where you are already. A
move to Florida means a break from your family and
friends and the familiar surroundings of your every-
day life. In case of illness or disability, your friends
and relatives will be a thousand miles or more away.
Yet through modern, low cost, air coach travel, this
drawback has now been largely overcome and you
will find extra compensation in the fact that your
friends will jump at the chance to stay with you for
an inexpensive vacation in Florida.
Experience, psychological, and medical testimony
reveals that for most people, retirement means "new
places, new growth, and longer life." It is almost
impossible to attain this admirable state if you try to
live on in your workaday surroundings. Where you
were once active on a higher working income you
would be forced to fall out of many activities. And
you would find that you no longer enjoyed your
old familiar way of life but that your entire relation-
ship to the community was false.
The situation is very different in Florida. In com-
munities composed largely of retired people such as
those of Pinellas County where one man in every

five is aged over 65, you will find yourself in perfect
harmony with the life of the community. Thousands
of others like yourself are living on small but ade-
quate fixed incomes and offer constant companion-
ship in inexpensive recreations and social life. Florida
offers unlimited opportunities for all kinds of hobbies
and recreations at minimum cost or often at no cost
at all. Everywhere you'll find good fishing, swimming,
riding, baseball (with Big League teams training
in winter), gardening, a fair amount of hunting,
shell collecting, dancing, golf, shuffleboard, diamond
ball, and horseshoe pitching.
Medical care has already been discussed in Chap-
ter II while some mention is made of facilities for
medical care in the city and town directory in the
second part of this book. And you'll want to know
that city crime in Florida is appreciably lower than
in New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, New
Hampshire, and Massachusetts.
Since the Florida climate and its effects have been
fully dealt with in Chapter I no further mention will
be made of climate here except to say that for most
oldsters it is ideal. A proportion do find the summer
heat oppressive, however. But for them, a trailer is
the answer to low cost retirement. With a house
trailer, you can spend the fall, winter, and spring
in Florida and retreat to the north for summer at
almost no greater cost than if you owned your own
home in Florida. A more complete discussion of
trailer retirement in Florida will be found in Chap-
ter VII. For further details on other subjects touch-
ing on retirement such as gardening, fishing, real
estate, choice of region, and taxes, see the respective
chapters dealing with these subjects.
Random observations concerning retirement in
Florida would include the fact that because no place
in the state is far from a recreational area, a car is
not nearly as essential as in other parts of the coun-
try. Excellent bus services exist in almost every city
of any size as well as between the mainland and most
ocean beaches. Although nothing definite can be said
about savings on medical expenses, chances are you'd
notice considerable savings over your normal winter
doctor bills. Generally speaking, the West Coast
offers lower living costs than the East Coast, but
there are now a number of low cost community hous-
ing projects on the Atlantic side where you can live
just as inexpensively. If you don't mind a Southern
background, though, you'll find opportunities for
cutting costs best in rural north central, and north-
western Florida. In these areas well away from the
resort sections of the state, you can cut many corners
on items in the budget that would be considered
essential farther south.

Best time to find reasonably priced rentals in
Florida is during the month of May. At that time, the
winter visitors have left and landlords are ready to
jump at the chance of a full summer season or year
round rental. You'll find summer season rents-that is
through November-appreciably lower than average.
Winter season rents are, of course, exorbitant but
even at that time of year you may be able to find a
reasonably priced year around rental vacant. If you do
take a year around rental, it is wise to have a written
understanding with the landlord to the effect that
your rates will not be raised during the peak winter
season.
For full enjoyment of retirement in Florida, you'll
need a boat of some kind. In fact, the keen fisherman
will find a boat more useful-and much cheaper-than
a car. A fourteen foot outboard or sailboat can be
built in the backyard for $60-$75 less sails and motor
while a rowboat can often be picked up secondhand
for $30. Little upkeep is required barring the annual
cost of paint and overhaul of the motor, which
shouldn't exceed $20 combined. Except in the largest
cities, there is always some place where you can keep
it tied up free and so enjoy Florida's greatest sport
at almost nominal cost.
How about housekeeping? Is it any different in the
sub-tropics? Yes, you'll find Florida homes are small
and designed with such easy-to-clean features as con-
crete floors and built-in closets. Floridians don't be-
lieve in doing much housekeeping. For if you can't
spend most of your time outdoors, what's the use of
being in Florida? Which all adds up to simple living
and lower costs.
One thing, though, that may cost you more in
Florida is your refrigerator. You'll need a large one
because more food must be stored in it than is cus-
tomary in the North. Fruit, for example, that would
keep sweet several days in the North can rot over-
night during the Florida summer. Too, a large re-
frigerator is a fine ant-proof receptacle.
Oh yes, we have ants in Florida-lots of 'em. They
just love sugar and preserves. So many Florida
housewives keep these foodstuffs safe in the refrigera-
tor. There are other little pests too. The silverfish
moth, palmetto bugs, roaches, big spiders, and miscel-
laneous little bugs too small to name or to keep out
with screens. But don't let the thought of bugs put
you off living in Florida. Most likely you won't see
any more than you do at home now, probably less.
But you do have to be careful. It pays to keep roach
poison, ant traps, and DDT around and to store wool-
lens and nylons in plastic bags along with powerful
mothballs. Another peculiarity of sub-tropical living

you'll soon discover is the need for quick washing of
dishes and disposal of garbage.
Jalousies and Venetian blinds are preferred to cur-
tains and shades since they allow a free flow of air.
Curtains (and carpets) are beloved of moths and not
too popular. On the coast, your chrome will rust if
you don't keep it oiled. So will metal coat hangers.
And unless you keep closets aired, you'll find the
most enchanting multi-hued mold on your clothes and
shoes.
Once you learn the simple precautions to take,
though, you'll think Florida housekeeping a "snap."

Moving your furniture
If you're moving into a small Florida home,
my advice is to sell everything before you
move down from the North. With what you
get for it plus what you save on moving, you'll
be able to furnish a small two bedroom place
with locally made Florida furniture much bet-
ter suited to conditions in both appearance and
utility. Otherwise, get rid of all massive,
heavy, dark furniture, carpets, heavily uphol-
stered furniture particularly if covered with
leather, velvet, or woolly stuff, anything made
of metal that might rust, silk drapes, and fur
coats.
Undoubtedly the best way to move what is
left is to use the services of a long distance
moving van. This is expensive but worth it.
Costs run around $153 per ton from the aver-
age northeastern city to St. Petersburg or
central Florida; storage before departure or
on arrival costs around $20 per ton per month.
Railroad transportation is much cheaper, of
course, but incurs the added expense of crat-
ing everything and shipping it to and from
the terminal at both ends.
People experienced in buying and selling
used trucks have successfully bought a truck,
driven it to Florida loaded with furniture, and
sold it on arrival for little less than they gave
for it. Others who have wisely got rid of all
their northern furniture have been able to
move the rest of their belongings in the family
car with a small trailer towed behind. Florida
made furniture is perfectly satisfactory and is
available in the lighter, gayer colors which
blend so well with Florida living. But do shop
around for it and try to buy in the low rent
district of the nearest large city. Cost of iden-
tical furniture in two different stores in the
same town can vary by as much as 100%.

And if a little sand does come into the house in your
shoes, it's almost cause for rejoicing. For when Flo-
ridians say you've got "sand in your shoes" it means
you'll have become one of the state's 250,000 retired
homeowners who couldn't be persuaded to go back
north again for all the gold in Fort Knox.

A retirement tour of the state

Every single authority on Florida retirement agrees
that you should see the entire state before selecting
a place to retire. Best way to do this is to vacation
in Florida before your retirement. It won't cost any
more than a vacation elsewhere, less if you make your
tour during summer. After you have chosen a place,
spend an entire vacation there, getting to know the
people, the real estate values and districts, and all that
the community offers. Then if you still like it, you
can feel fairly certain that you have found your ideal
retirement spot.
Of course, you can eliminate a great many places
before planning your initial tour of the state. Through
reading Chapter II you may be able to decide upon
the region that suits you best. Then if you must have
a community with TV reception, you can eliminate all
those that don't have it. If you like salt water fishing,
you'll eliminate inland places. And so on. To help
save you time and money in picking a retirement com-
munity that fits your temperament and pocket, there
are detailed descriptions in the city and town direc-
tory in the second part of this book; you'll find it
invaluable. But if you have no clear idea as to exactly
what you want in a retirement location, then a tour
of the state's leading retirement towns is probably
your best introduction.
Begin at Jacksonville Beach on Route A1A and go
down the entire length of U.S. 1 to Key West. Back-
track up the Overseas Highway to Homestead and
take Florida 27 north up to U.S. 41. Turn left on the
Tamiami Trail and stay on U.S. 41 as far as Pal-
metto. Here, cross by bridge to St. Petersburg and ex-
plore the retirement communities of Pinellas County
as far north as New Port Richey. Return down U.S.
19 to Florida 580 and follow the north shore of Tampa
Bay into Tampa. Then take U.S. 92 east through
Lakeland to the junction of U.S. 17 at Lake Alfred.
Turn south on U.S. 17 and go through Bartow to
Wauchula then go east via Florida 64 to Avon Park.
Take U.S. 27 north from Avon Park to Haines City
thence U.S. 17 to Orlando and U.S. 441 from there
to Leesburg, Ocala, and Gainesville. This route will
take you through all the leading retirement communi-
ties on both the East and West Coasts, the keys, and
the central Lake and Ridge section.

Sponsored Neighborhood Villages

Realizing that big industries and the unions are
greatly concerned over the retirement problems of
their older workers, the Florida State Improvement
Commission has encouraged interest in neighborhood
villages. These specially planned retirement commu-
nities built and operated without speculative profit
will, it is hoped, provide the future answer to the gap
between pensions and the cost of living.
The communities will consist of some 500 family
living units grouped around a central community
building and auditorium. In the civic centre will be
a supermarket, a service station, a drug store, a self
service laundry, a barber and beauty shop, a shoe
repair shop, a laundry, a dry cleaning shop, a library,
a snack bar and cafeteria, lounges, hobby rooms, and,
possibly, a clinic and infirmary. Some of the homes
will rent for around $30-$40 a month; others will be
for sale. Upon the death of the retired owner, the
property will be re-purchased by the community. A
certain percentage of the homes will be single de-
tached dwellings on small lots, a certain percentage
single family apartments. There will also be other
detached dwellings on Y2-acre lots and dormitory
type dwellings for single people.
These retirement villages will form entire suburbs
of larger communities. They will be semi-self suffi-
cient but by no means isolated from the life and
cultural attractions of the larger community. Because
the children and grand children of older folk will live
with them in some of the homes, the villages will
contain all ages although the dominant age group will
be over 65. The villages will represent folk with a
wide variety of tastes and social aptitudes which will
help make for pleasant social relations in a quiet and
congenial atmosphere.
A number of organizations have already indicated
great interest in sponsoring such villages for their
retired workers. One pilot project now under con-
sideration will involve at least 5,000 living units. An-
other, planned by the Upholsterer's International
AFL, has been authorized to invest $1,500,000. When
last reported, this organization had purchased 2,000
acres of land a few miles south of Jupiter and were
due to begin construction of 500 homes costing $3,000
apiece.
Nursing homes and boarding homes
Prior to July 1, 1953, Florida had no law on its
statute books to safeguard the health, safety, and
comfort of those who had taken up residence in the
boarding and nursing homes for elderly people with-
in the state. But on July 1 in that year Senate Bill

You'll live longer in Floridal
Recent statistics prove you can expect to
live longer in Florida after reaching middle
age. For the principal diseases of old age,
death rates per 100,000 population comparing
Florida and the U.S. show a marked difference
in favor of Florida. They are: for heart dis-
ease, Florida 314.6, U.S. 356.6; for cancer,
Florida 129.3, U.S. 140.5; for arteriosclerosis,
Florida 16.8, U.S. 20.8; for diabetes, Florida
12.9, U.S. 16.3. The following table shows the
average future life expectancy for white Amer-
icans in Florida and the U.S. for 1950.
AGE U.S. FLORIDA DIFFERENCE
Males
60 15.2 15.5 .3
70 11.1 11.7 .6
80 8.0 7.8 -.2
Females
60 17.7 18.8 1.1
70 13.0 14.5 1.5
80 9.5 10.2 .7

351 came into effect providing for a revolutionary
new nursing home licensing law in accordance with a
strict set of rules and regulations.
Before 1953 there were many nursing homes and
boarding homes all over Florida, and most were do-
ing a splendid job in caring for their elderly inmates.
Yet a minority of these homes were being operated
on a somewhat questionable basis under dirty con-
ditions and with evident lack of care. Soon after
passage of the new licensing law, teams from the
State Board of Health set out to inspect and close
all homes which failed to meet the new standards.
Most existing homes passed the tests with flying
colors. The questionable ones have all been closed
or placed under new management. To give you an
idea of how bad some of these former rat traps
were, the inspectors found in Tampa a group of
four homes operated by a woman with a string of
convictions for running a house of prostitution and
a lottery. Another home was operated by a woman
patient on parole from the state mental hospital at
Chattahoochee. Two of these homes were described
as the worst the inspectors had seen in Florida. All
were immediately closed. At the same time, the in-
spectors praised several other Tampa homes as be-
ing among the finest they had seen.

Now that the day of unsatisfactory homes is over,
it will be a whole lot easier to choose a good nursing
home or boarding home in Florida. Lists of ap-
proved and recommended nursing homes may be
obtained on request from the Florida State Board
of Health, Jacksonville, 1.
You can retire in a modest boarding house in
Florida for as little as $50 a month. And in some
places you can get good value for your money. But
others charge more and give less value. Here's what
you should look for in selecting a good home.
The building should be suitable with proper sani-
tary facilities, good quality beds with frequent
changes of linen should be provided, and arrange-
ments for nursing or medical care if needed should
be easily made. As a minimum you should expect the
building to have a pleasant sitting room on each floor
where patients may receive visitors, and also a games
room with radio and TV. The food served should be
soft and easy to chew. Try a sample meal yourself to
test it. And you should certainly ask to see the qualifi-
cations and training records of the staff. The best
plan is to stay in the home for a trial week or two in
order to test actual living conditions, recreational fa-
cilities, and the value you get for your money. The
home should be visited by priests, rabbis, and min-
isters of the denominations of its guests and religious
holidays should be observed to suit them. Complete
details of rules and regulations for nursing homes in
Florida can be obtained upon request from the Florida
State Board of Health, Jacksonville 1.
To see what an ideal home is like, visit that of the
Loyal Order of Moose at Moosehaven, Orange
Park. Local county health departments can give
valuable counsel on the homes in their areas, how-
ever. But do be particularly careful about investing
money in the many life care plans that are springing
up all over Florida, especially those that call for a
lump sum payment first.

Special Report.
A complete report on Florida bugs
Following publication of earlier editions of this
guide, we received hundreds of letters from readers
asking for a detailed and objective report about bugs
in Florida. Now at last, after consultations with state
health authorities and with scores of Florida residents,
we are able to present for the first time in any guide,
a fairly complete picture of the insect problem which
faces the Florida housewife and homeowner.
Before you go on to read this report, let us inject a
word of caution. The facts will sound much more
frightening than they really are. Chances are, if you

were to study a similar report on the bugs of your
own home state, the results would seem equally for-
bidding. We have seen more mosquitoes on a spring
night in a Wisconsin backyard twenty miles from
Milwaukee than we have ever seen in any yard in
Florida. Many household pests common to Florida
are found in equal numbers elsewhere. But in Florida
the authorities do something about them. Cities and
neighborhoods are sprayed frequently in summer by
motor trucks and from the air. And Floridians take
simple precautions to keep the bugs out of their
homes. In the wild state Florida possibly has more
bugs in the aggregate than any other state in the U.S.
Mosquitoes render the Everglades uninhabitable in
summer (but so they do parts of Alaska). You will
see bugs of one kind or another in every Florida home
at some time. But if you follow the simple precautions
taken by every experienced householder in Florida
you will not be troubled by insects inside your home.

Nevertheless, the insects do present a constant
threat during the summer months and you cannot af-
ford to lower your guard. Besides the precautions
mentioned earlier in this chapter, Floridians make
great use of aerosol bombs and hand sprays as well as
compressor type oil cans by which insecticides are ad-
mitted to inaccessible places. If you think that regular
spraying to keep a residual cover of DDT on all
household surfaces is going to prove a chore, you
might be influenced in choosing a retirement location
where insects are less numerous. But with a little
trouble and care they can be kept out of any house
anywhere. As a guide to where the most unpleasant
pests exist, however, we have supplied details further
on.

If you intend to fish or spend much time in the
country during summer or on vacation, this locational
knowledge can prove a useful guide as to what parts
of Florida to avoid. At the same time, we must point
out that most sizeable communities within these areas
are well sprayed and the insect problem within their
boundaries kept well under control.

Pests which enter all Florida homes at some time
or another include cockroaches, ants, moths, beetles,
and large spiders. Indeed, old time Floridians often
permit very large spiders to roam through their
houses in order to keep down other insect life. We can
add, however, that this measure is far from being es-
sential and that spiders can be eliminated as easily as
all the other pests. Cockroaches range in size from
Y2"-134", run about floors at night, and lay eggs un-
der sinks and behind drawers and pictures. Most en-
ter homes beneath doors or in groceries. They can

be most quickly eliminated with a 10% DDT or a 5%
chlordane dusting powder.
Numerous varieties of ants enter Florida homes
through cracks. These include the crazy ant, the sugar
ant, the pyramid ant so commonly found on lawns, the
carpenter ant, the ponderous Pharoah ant, and the fire
ant, which bites and stings and loves milk and meat.
All ants come in search of food in pantries and on
shelves; hence the reason why so many Florida house-
wives keep so much of their foodstuffs in refrigera-
tors. Ants can be readily kept down by dusting a 5%
chlordane powder around the house and yard.
Moths frequently enter homes at night when doors
are opened for a few seconds. Once installed, they
quickly spread throughout the house. One variety
known as the silverfish moth delights in seeking out
books and old papers. Two similar pests are the plas-
ter bag worm, which attacks rugs and woolens, and
booklice, which are tiny white insects found in old
books and cereal boxes. All are easily controlled by
regular spraying with DDT if it is allowed to remain
as a residual covering on household surfaces. The
same thing goes for carpet beetles and flour beetles,
both of which rank among the less common forms of
household annoyances.
Other insects attack the wooden structures of
homes. Chief among these are the well known ter-
mites, of which 13 varieties exist in Florida. Termite
colonies can be successfully destroyed with either
benzine hexachloride or chlordane. Although termites
sometimes do enter "termite proof" structures, and
any frame dwellings should be inspected for termites
before purchase, the actual risk of damage to a prop-
erly designed Florida home is slight. One variety,
however, attacks furniture. The only conspicuous an-
noyance caused by these insects occurs when the
kings and queens leave a colony in flying hordes. This
generally happens during the day or evening and at
that time the variety known as dry wood termites will
penetrate ordinary 16 mesh household screens. Yet
the winged hordes can be exterminated en masse in a
few minutes with a hand spray and seldom constitute
a menace for long.
Several types of powder post beetles attack struc-
tural woodwork such as sills, joists, and sub flooring
made of pine while long horned beetles may occasion-
ally emerge from naturally dried woodwork in new
homes. All are easily eliminated by the same remedies
for termites and seldom manage to do much damage.

Far more annoying to humans in Florida are the
mosquitoes, sandflies, and eye gnats which can really
snake things uncomfortable if simple precautions are

not observed. Florida can boast no less than 62 varie-.
ties of mosquito, none of which, however, are able to
pass through 18-20 mesh window screen. Residual
spraying of household surfaces and painting of
screens and door cracks with DDT eliminates them
from inside homes entirely. Sandflies are tiny gnats
which bite ferociously around the neck, wrists, and
ankles, leaving a painful irritation which may persist
for hours and sometimes for days. In areas of wet
soil where the sandflies breed in hordes, residents suc-
cessfully keep them outdoors by painting screens and
cracks with insecticide once each 48 hours. This prac-
tice, let us add, is seldom necessary for extended peri-
ods of time. Eye gnats abound in the rich farming
areas of Florida and cause painfully sore bites on the
eyes. Insecticide-painted screens successfully keep
them outdoors too. Fortunately, houseflies are few in
Florida as the summer rains thin their ranks to the
point of annihilation.
Where will you encounter these pests at their
worst ? Along coastal areas the chief insect problem is
caused by two species of salt marsh mosquitoes which
breed only in the coastal marshes, or in areas flooded
at high tide, or else in areas having accumulations of
salt. In the Kissimmee Valley and Everglades area
residents are plagued by the Glades mosquito. In the
Ridge and Lake region residents in the vicinity of
Polk, Lake, Marion, Citrus, and Alachua counties are
plagued by two species of mosquito that breed on the
roots of aquatic plants. By and large, all coastal areas
are plagued to a great extent by salt marsh mosqui-
toes.
Sandflies are at their worst along the East Coast of
Florida from Daytona to Miami and are also found in
somewhat lesser numbers on the Gulf Coast. Another
species known as the dog fly plagues the Gulf Coast
from St. Marks to Pensacola, where the flies breed in
deposits of marine grass washed ashore. In some sec-
tions of West Florida, yellow flies that breed in fresh-
water areas are also quite annoying, particularly to
fishermen. Too, the common eye gnat is prevalent in
all sections of the state where the cultivation of crops
is carried on and in some areas is difficult to control.
There you have it. But here again we must inject a
note of caution. Use of the terms "plagued" and "an-
noyed by" is limited only to those homeowners who
fail to avail themselves of the efficient protection of-
fered by DDT and other insecticides. Take these pre-
cautions and chances are you won't see any more bugs
inside your Florida home than you see in the average
country dwelling in the North. Neglect to take pre-
cautions and in a small community or rural setting,
you may be in for it.

CHAPTER VII

TRAILER LIFE IN FLORIDA

Often I have heard it said that trailer living is the
cheapest way to retire in Florida. It is cheap. But it
is not the cheapest. Even if you own a trailer, there
is always the park rent to pay. Believe me, nothing,
absolutely nothing, offers a cheaper way of life in
Florida than outright ownership of a concrete block
or asbestos siding home assessed at under $5,000 in a
community with no bonded indebtedness. But next to
that, a trailer is the cheapest thing. And for vacation-
ing, touring, looking for a job, or any other kind of
Florida living, a trailer can save you hundreds of
dollars a year in rent and hotel and restaurant bills.
With more and better trailer parks than almost any
other state in the nation, Florida offers the ultimate in
good trailer living. Even wealthy people and play-
boys are now living in trailers-not only because it's
cheaper but because they prefer it. Consequently, Flor-
ida trailer parks fall into three distinct categories: sec-
ond and third rate parks used by migratory working
people, first class parks used mostly by tourists, and
superlative parks used by retired people, professional
men, intellectuals, and the well-to-do. A new federal
code for parks which seems likely to be adopted by
many communities will eventually get rid of the
third rate eyesores. And one day, soon, all Florida
parks may be as clean and bright and attractive as
those places which cater to retired folks today.
The best thing about these better class trailer parks
is that they charge only a dollar or two more than the
poorer ones. The average Florida park charges $1
overnight, $5-$7 a week, and $16-$25 a month. For
this price, you should get water, sewer, and electric
light piped into your trailer, a laundry and shopping
centre, paved streets, a community centre, and pos-
sibly a swimming pool or private beach. Water and
sewage are usually free but you pay the electricity
bill. There are some more expensive parks, of course.
Some really swanky ones on the Gold Coast charge
$40 a month. But for around $20 you should be able
to park your rig on one of the best trailer parks in
the state.
What is trailer life actually like? It's friendly and
congenial. But let's face the facts. The friends you
make will be mostly among other trailerites. You will
never be fully accepted as a resident in the commu-
nity. Sociologists regard trailer residents with deep
suspicion, say you can never really "belong" or en-

joy your rightful place in community life by living in
one. Sometimes when I listen to the petty jealousies
and neighborhood intrigues of home owners, though,
I wonder whether the trailerites aren't better off.
One big drawback to trailer living in Florida is
that during summer a trailer is just about the hottest
type of home you could have. It's a distinct advantage,
therefore, to park it under shade trees. But house-
keeping is easier than in a house and so trailerites
have more time to enjoy Florida living. Too, unless
you are one of those who jack their trailer up and
remove the wheels, you can escape the summer heat
by going north. Young families often find it easy to
afford a long winter vacation in their trailer homes in
Florida. They work like mad and save hard during
the summer up north then come down to Florida
around October and stay until May. For the price of
a registration tag they can enjoy all the community
facilities common to home owners, while seasonal em-
ployment and odd jobs help them through the winter
in Florida. This way, they practically retire at thirty,
work for only a few months of the year, and enjoy
the entire winter in Florida, which others cannot
afford to do until age 65.
Since trailers cost around $250 more in Florida
than if bought in the North, you can save an appre-
ciable sum by taking delivery of the trailer from the
factory and driving it to Florida. Even used trailers
cost more in Florida than up north. As a guide to
trailer costs, here are the national average prices
you'd have to pay for trailers of different lengths: 19
feet, $2,000; 21 feet, $2,500; 25-30 feet, $3,000-
$4,000; over 30 feet, $5,000. Without doubt, you'll
live better in a larger trailer but the really important
thing is to get one in which every inch of space is
properly utilized. The average Florida trailer ranges
from 27-35 feet. The best now have built-in TV,
automatic washing machines, and air conditioning.
The largest are actually bigger than the smallest
permanent retirement cottages.
While touring Florida in your trailer you can usu-
ally judge a trailer park from the road by observing
the following points. The buildings should be in
excellent repair and of first class, substantial con-
struction. The park itself should be landscaped with
plenty of shade trees, the trailer lots should be large
and spotlessly clean, and the roads paved. When you

go in look first to see that the bath houses are immac-
ulate and then check to see that every trailer gets
immediate electricity, water, and sewage connections.
If the park appears good on all these counts, you can
be fairly sure there is sufficient investment behind it
to guarantee that the services you cannot see will be
of the same standard and well maintained.
A typical example of a first rate trailer park is the
Bradenton Trailer Park, owned and operated by
the local Kiwanis Club. With 1,100 lots it is also the
largest in Florida and one of the cheapest: rates are
only $3-$3.50 a week. The park is entirely self con-
tained with its own store, 22 shuffleboard courts, 3
laundries, a public address system, and a large staff.
Daily entertainment is organized and there are regu-
lar meetings of the Grandmothers Club, hobby club,
and various lodges and fraternal groups. There are
church services, bible classes, and hymn singing on
Sunday, card.games, handicraft classes, square danc-
ing, and movies on weekdays, and a party for every
couple celebrating their golden wedding. Many other

Florida parks have patterned themselves on similar
lines and, on a smaller scale, offer much the same fa-
cilities.
In almost every trailer park on the West Coast of
Florida nowadays you see a number of trailers jacked
up with the wheels removed. A cabana or screened
porch has been built over the front to double the
floor space. Round the lot is a white picket fence.
Roses, poinsetta and hibiscus bloom all around. Inside
live a happy retired couple getting by very nicely on
their $125 a month-often less-without a care in the
world.
You may wonder why they don't exchange the
trailer for a more roomy cottage costing no more to
buy and with no park rent to pay. I just never could
figure it out. Perhaps it's because trailer life is even
more casual than living in the most casual home. Yet
tens of thousands live this way in Florida and like it.
And if it appeals to you, you can be sure of finding
friends, low costs, sun, and "sand in your shoes" by
living in a Florida trailer park, too.

Hunting for lost treasure on Florida's island
beaches

There's one Florida occupational license you don't
hear much about. For $100 you can buy a treasure
hunting lease from the Land Agent's Office in Tal-
lahassee and explore for treasure over hundreds of
miles of sub-tropical shoreline. Your chances of
striking it rich? The best authorities claim there is
still $165,000,000 worth of Spanish gold and silver
lying around on beaches, reefs, and sandbars in the
Sunshine State.
Long before the first tourist headed southward,
Florida played host to pirates like Blackbeard, Gas-
parilla, and Lafitte. Spanish treasure galleons home-
ward bound from Mexico were driven ashore and
wrecked on Florida's shifting sands. Slavers, British
sloops, and American frigates all went ashore on
Florida's reefs bearing fortunes in gold and bullion.
The pirates themselves are reputed to have buried
cool millions on beaches and islands. Billy Bowleg's
$75,000,000 hoard still lies undiscovered on the is-
lands of Choctawhatchee Bay. At Cutler, a chest full
of Mexican dollars was dug up on the beach. Ed-
ward Teach, the pirate, is reported to have buried
his loot somewhere near Boca Raton. Spanish doub-
loons have been picked up on the shores of several
islets in the Keys. Fishermen have found valuable
elephant tusks while trolling just offshore. Only re-
cently, Arthur McKee of McKee's Museum of

Sunken Treasure brought up several silver bars, one
of which sold to the Smithsonian Institute for
$1,000. Less valuable finds like cannons and grape-
shot are everyday discoveries.
Many of the larger hoards lie underwater and re-
quire expensive diving equipment to reach. But ex-
perts say there is always a chance of striking some-
thing on the beach islands, particularly if you have
a war surplus mine detector.
A guide to the location of all the largest treasures
believed to exist in Florida can be obtained for $1
from the office of the Assistant Attorney General
in Tallahassee. Your $100 treasure hunter's lease
allows you to explore on a non-exclusive basis over
a wide area wherever you think that treasure may
be found. Once you believe you've located some-
thing, you may buy an exclusive lease for another
$100, which gives you sole claim to whatever you
find within an area of one acre or so. While this
means that no one else can jump your claim, it
doesn't prevent your having to hand over 121/%o of
the value of all treasure you find to the State.
As a vacation or hobby project, treasure hunting
can be lots of fun. In actual practice, few amateurs
ever take out the $100 permits and if anything is
found, seldom does the State get its 12/%. Several
retired men have already turned professional, some
having found substantial amounts of valuable coin
and, in a few cases, also bullion bars.

I ILI -- III II L 1 L1C -- _

CHAPTER VIII

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

To be successful, small businesses must cater to
people and to the purchasing power of those people.
Without people and payrolls, small business cannot
prosper.
Florida has plenty of people-around 3,600,000
latest estimates say. And every year over five million
visitors come into the state to spend an average of
$9.72 a day for 17 days. Moreover, during recent
years, the number of tourists visiting Florida has
increased by 10% annually.
But unless you are in the resort industry, visitors
don't mean a great deal to the average small business.
Certainly they swell the state's income, which means
in turn that your laundry, TV or print shop will
benefit through more sales. Yet your steady, year
'round profits will depend primarily upon the payrolls
and other income which the permanent population
receives. Now it is useless to disguise the fact that
wages are, on the whole, lower in Florida than in the
North. And some 350,000 of the population are living
on pensions which, in most cases, are quite modest.
For example, in 1949 Florida's income per capital was
$1,210 as against $1,758 for New York, $1,416 for
Pennsylvania, and $1,436 for Ohio. In fact, only six-
teen states had a lower per capital income.
But let's look at what is happening to Florida's
population and income. Between 1950 and 1953, the
population of Florida increased by 27.1% making the
Sunshine State the third fastest growing in the na-
tion. Remember-people mean business. People are
flocking into Florida today at an estimated rate of
2,000 families per week.
How about their income? Between 1940 and 1950,
per capital income payments increased 157% in Flor-
ida as against 150% for the rest of the nation. More
important still is the trend of new industry to locate
in Florida. For industry, too, follows people; and in
turn, the peoples' income is raised through its pay-
rolls.
Dozens of magazine articles have been written over
recent years telling of American industry's phenom-
enal migration southwards and westwards away from
the traditional centre of manufacturing in the Great
Lakes area. Stimulated by the need for decentraliza-
tion as an H-Bomb precaution and lured by new
markets and raw materials, industry is steadily ex-
panding or even moving bodily away from the Lakes
into the "accessible isolation" of our far flung South

and West. An added incentive to this migration is
the clement climate of the southern and Pacific states,
,the peaceful labor relations, and the savings through
avoidance of the heating costs, absenteeism, and em-
ployee dissatisfaction due to the northern environ-
ment.
This migration and expansion gave Florida second
place in the nation in percentage increase in manu-
facturing firms during 1948-51. So that while Florida
cannot yet be thought of as an important manufactur-
ing state, she is drawing, proportionately, a great deal
of new industry. In fact, between 1946 and 1953,
average monthly employment in the Sunshine State
increased 35.2% against 20.6% for the nation as a
whole. Despite lack of natural gas needed for very
heavy industry, new plants are springing up all over
Florida. In 1954 Florida ranked second in the nation
in construction of chemical plants alone, with new
investments totalling $235 millions. Now new plants
are moving in at an unprecedented rate.
America's third fastest growing state with the na-
tion's second fastest growing total of manufacturing
firms! That, in a nutshell, is the basis for small busi-
ness opportunity in Florida. Other pointers tell a
similar story. Florida ranks high among other states
as regards new homes under construction. And with
the total of people over age 65 throughout the nation
growing by leaps and bounds every year, the number
retiring in Florida on industrial and other pensions
may very well quadruple before 1963. Add to this
Florida's steadily growing winter tourist trade, her
fast increasing new summer business, the staple in-

Shoestring success story
Back in 1946, a retired railroad couple, Mr.
and Mrs. A. H. Williams of St. Petersburg,
Florida, decided to launch a business with
their capital of $100. Knowing that local prod-
uce shippers needed containers for shipping
oranges, they made these. Fruit packers soon
took all the couple could make, but Mr. Wil-
liams was not too busy to add other types of
fruit containers to his line. Now the couple
have a combined home and factory, and under
the name of Pinellas Products, are doing a
steady $20,000 worth of business every year.

dustries of citrus, forestry, agriculture, cattle raising,
phosphates, and commercial fishing, and you have a
fairly well rounded view of the economic background
in which your new business will be launched.
At present, the average individual income in Flor-
ida is still quite low. So you aren't likely to make a
fortune in Florida overnight, nor in a month, or even
a year. But I do believe that any reasonably well
planned small business will not only prosper in two to
three years but in five or six should expand to bring
in a surprisingly large volume of profits, if not real
affluence.
The reason is this. Florida's suburbs, satellite com-
munities, and new towns are growing at a fantastic
pace. Where today there is an isolated crossroads on
the outskirts of town, in 2-3 years' time-often less-
there is a thriving downtown business center for an
entirely new community. I can think of at least a
dozen locations within a few miles of where I am now
writing where the nucleus of a new community is
appearing. In 3-4 years' time, these will be incorpo-
rated cities with 1,000-3,000 population.
Now, to try and set up shop in a mature Florida
town and compete with existing businesses is a long
tough struggle which may easily end in failure. The
easy way to almost certain success is to start a busi-
ness in a brand new community and simply allow the
expanding tide of prosperity to roll over you.
There is nothing new about this formula. It was
used with success by real estate investors in the early
development of this nation. And because Florida is
economically a frontier state, it is used with equal
success today. By following this same rule in launch-
ing a business, you stand a better chance for succeed-
ing than in almost any other part of the U.S. For
with Florida the third fastest growing state in the
nation, it is axiomatic that virtually every single new
community will grow at an almost unbelievable rate.
Construction figures help prove it. And everyone who
lives in Florida knows it.
Of course, not every type of business need be
launched in a small new community, suburb, or city.
In fact, to launch a bookshop or gift shop in a com-
munity of 250 people would be asking for disaster.
But any of the staple businesses-grocery, bakery,
hardware, or apparel stores-should stand an excel-
lent chance for future success. Naturally, to make
this scheme work, you're going to need some reserves
in the bank to help tide you over the early years. If
you want immediate income, you'll do better to buy a
going business or open a new place on the outskirts
of a well established community. But the biggest,
surest, safest gains will be made by those who can
afford to wait. Expansion and profits for other busi-

Florida State Licensing Boards
and Commissions
Write to these addresses for further details
if you are engaged in a licensed occupation:

Accountancy, State Board. Elizabeth Shields,
Exec. Sec. 831 DuPont Bldg., Miami.
Architects, State Board. Mellen C. Greeley,
Sec. 218 W. Church St., Jacksonville.
Barbers Sanitary Commission. Miss Mary
Lou Perkins, Sec. Tallahassee.
Beauty Culture Board. Miss Ethel M. Man-
ning, Sec. Tallahassee.
Basic Science Examiners, State Board. Dr.
M. Wirth Emmel, Sec. 712 E. Boundary
St., Gainesville.
Chiropody, State Board. Dr. Joy E. Adams,
Sec. 403 Florida National Bank Bldg., St.
Petersburg.
Chiropractic, State Board, Examiners. Daniel
K. Kirk, Sec. Florida Theatre Bldg., Jack-
sonville.
Dental Examiners, State Board. Dr. A.W
Kellner, Sec. PO Box 155, Hollywood.
Engineer Examiners, State Board. Joseph
Weil, Sec. 702 John F. Seagle Bldg., Gaines-
ville.
Law Examiners, State Board. Guyte P. Mc-
Cord, Sec. Supreme Court, Tallahassee.
Library Board, State. Miss Dorothy Dodd,
State Librarian, Tallahassee.
Massage, State Board. Dr. Eric Wickman,
Sec. PO Box 2084, West Palm Beach.
Medical Examiners, State Board. Dr. Homer
L. Pearson, Sec. 702 DuPon Bldg., Miami.
Nurses Examiners, State Board. Miss Hazel
Peeples, Sec. 230 W. Forsyth, Jacksonville.
Naturopathic Examiners, State Board; Opti-
cians, Board Dispending. Arthur Ehrman-
traut, Sec. 20 S.E. Second St., Miami.
Optometry, State Board. Dr. R.R. Bradford,
Sec. 420 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach.
Osteopathic Examiners, State Board. J.A.
Camara, 209 Masonic Temple Bldg., Jack-
sonville.
Pharmacy, State Board. Russell J. Davies,
Sec. Lake City.
Real Estate Commission. M.M. Smith, Jr.,
Sec. PO Box 1393, Orlando.
Veterinary Examiners, State Board. E.L.
Matthews, Palatka.

nesses will be good, often large. But they can never
equal the hundreds of pioneer opportunities awaiting
the man who can be satisfied with small returns for
the first.year or two.
For the contemporary Horatio Alger. I believe (as
author of the nationwide guide Today's Lands of
Opportunity, $1.00 postpaid from Harian Publi-
cations) that besides Florida, only the state of New
Mexico offers such a tremendous potential to the
operator of a small one man business. Yet even in
Florida there is no magic formula to take the place of
initiative, hard work, experience, and sufficient capi-
tal. To launch the average small business in Florida
you need between $6,000 and $10,000. (That's for
the average business; some can be started on much
less.) In addition, you can obtain from 20%-50%
more through a loan from a bank. Florida's bankers
realize that new businesses will grow with Florida
and are ready to lend money at 6% on any new ven-
ture that appears to have promise. The chief criterion
upon which these loans are made is the character of
the operator. For like the banks of the frontier West,
Florida's more progressive banks stand ready to help
any business pioneer get started.
An important point to observe in making sure you
locate in a fast growing community is to choose a fast
growing area. The Miami area is the fastest growing
with Jacksonville and Tampa next. Due to the rapid
growth of the southern part of the state, the popula-
tion centre has moved 170 miles southeast since 1880.
Formerly it was near Tallahassee. Now it is down
near Lakeland. Although the cities and communities
of north Florida are growing rapidly, they are not
keeping pace with the amazing growth of middle and
south Florida. To locate in a growing community
south of Orlando is to place yourself fair and square
in the path of future expansion. For a complete listing
of specific small businesses currently needed by com-
munities throughout Florida, see the city and town
directory in the second part of this book.
What type of business goes over best? I will an-
swer that question negatively by saying that most
restaurants, roadside catering concerns, and lunch
bars are best avoided unless you know your business
thoroughly. Then you'll avoid them anyway. But in
the positive direction I will add that the greatest need
is for businesses of the service type. The best thing
about service businesses, of course, is that they cost
less to start and you are better able to launch a new
business than to buy an existing one with its doubtful
goodwill. For most younger men and women will do
best by launching an entirely new business of the
service type. If you do buy an older business, how-
ever, my advice is to patronize a good business

broker. For one thing, a proprietor who offers a
business for sale other than through a broker is
showing signs of indiscretion and is very probably a
poor businessman. Also, a broker will not try to sell
you a business for much more than it is worth and
will help you check over the records and find out
exactly how good a buy it is.
Many businesses are on the market in Florida, not
because they are failing, but because their retired
owners are growing too old to carry them on. This
means that a younger man with more energy and
enthusiasm can often make a success of a business
that is not doing too well under an older proprietor.
And take it from me, far too many businesses in Flor-
ida that are bringing in mediocre returns do so only
because of the casual, easy going attitude of their
operators. These people, particularly motel operators,
have purchased or started a business in Florida in the
belief that forty hours' work a week would bring them
an income with plenty of spare time to spend at the
beach or to go fishing. Yet you can't get started that
way in Florida any more than you can elsewhere. So
when you weigh up the past records of any going
concern you buy, you should remember that you
may very well be able to improve profits through a
few years of go-getting before you settle down to
that easy life in the sun.
Retired folk will also find Florida literally bursting
with opportunities for part-time or full-time busi-
nesses. For example, there is a potential income in
almost every Florida garage or backyard for the man
or woman prepared to recognize it. As a rule, though,
only those who really know Florida are aware of it.
Enormous opportunities exist in raising exotic and
tropical trees, plants, shrubs, flowers, and fruit. There
are excellent opportunities in raising and selling coco-
nuts, guavas, and papayas. Every deserted beach,
bayou, and mangrove swamp offers business oppor-
tunities to the man or woman who knows Florida.
And there are hundreds of miles of beach, bayou, and
swamp just waiting for you.
Again, I am going to say that no retired person is
advised to come to Florida and depend upon a new
business to bring in a retirement income. But if you
have a small, adequate pension there are many ways
by which you can launch a small backyard business
that may well double or treble your pension.
To review every single type of business that might
be launched in Florida is impossible within the space
of this book. But the following portfolio will give you
many ideas for (a) businesses most likely to succeed
in Florida, and (b) businesses based on native prod-
ucts of the state whose possibilities are known only
to a few long time residents.

FIFTY BUSINESSES YOU CAN
START IN FLORIDA
Aloe Vera. A tropical plant in tre-
mendous demand by health stores.
Enough can be raised on 2-3 acres to
provide a good living.
Arts and Crafts Centre. Now num-
bering around 500, Florida's arts and
crafts, and gift shops increased by 43%
over the last decade while sales rose
320%. Yet there is still room for more.
The most successful are those which
provide instruction in arts and crafts,
sell raw materials to the pupils, and
then sell their products on commission.
Through this cooperative operation you
stimulate interest and make more
money all 'round. To be successful you
need to know sea shell costume jew-
elry, furniture, candles, silk screens,
cloth, driftwood, cypress, clay, painting,
weaving, metal and wire, block print-
ing, ceramics, and woodworking. The
evening divisions of Florida's univer-
sities provide instruction in employing
these arts on Florida's native products.
Bamboo. Sell wild bamboos as
fishing poles or make furniture and
lampstands from them. Bamboo furni-
ture really pays off.
Bananas. You can raise and sell
such varieties as Cavendish and also
sell young trees.
Box Lunch Service. In demand by
tourists visiting offshore shell islands,
state parks, picnic areas, etc.
Budgerigars. They're the new rage
in Florida. A single pair breeds twelve
or more annually. Birds cost $1 a year
to feed and sell for $3-$6. Other birds
such as canaries and peacocks are also
in steady demand.
Caretaker Service. Needed in many
Florida resorts to look after homes
vacated during the summer.
Coconuts. These rakish trees are
easily grown with plenty of water and
fertilizer. You can sell the nuts as is,
sell toasted coconut candy or cake, or
carve the nuts into grotesque heads for
sale to tourists. Demand for coconuts
is particularly heavy since hurricanes
and disease have ravaged the West
Indian groves. Obtain free literature
about coconuts from the Florida Power
and Light Co., Miami.
Collection Agency. All you need to
get started are a phone and a car. Local
businessmen will gladly turn their bad
debts over to you for collection on a
percentage basis.
Costume Jewelry Manufacture.
You don't need a factory; you can
start at home with a low priced kit.
Little experience is needed, though

flair for design is an asset. Because you
can change your designs at will, you
can compete successfully with mass
produced lines. Local Florida dress
and department stores will handle your
products on a 40% commission. You
can also sell by mail.
Cypress Knees. These will prob-
ably never make you rich but can help
supplement a pension. You collect the
knees in a swamp, steam, cure, and
finish them, and then make vases, deco-
rative furniture, and lamp bases which
sell for $5-$50.
Day Nursery. Look after tourists'
children while they go out for the day.
Diaper Service. Best operated in
the fastest growing East Coast towns.
Dolls. Buy left over clippings from
Florida's garment factories and use
them to clothe dolls which you buy
wholesale. Operate a doll's hospital on
the side.
Driftwood. Used like cypress
knees to make expensive table lamps
and ornaments. The best driftwood is
found in the keys but you can cut your
own "driftwood" from any mangrove
or buttonwood swamp.
Dwarf Trees. These sell for $25
or more to decorate homes in the new
Chinese motif. Universal Sales Co.,
Box 1076, Peoria, Ill., supply in-
structions or you can get instructions
plus a kit for growing 150 trees from
National Nursery Supply, 8463 South
Van Ness Ave., Inglewood, Calif., for
$10.
Fish Delivery. One of the most
needed service businesses in Florida.
All over the state are fish houses which
have no door-to-door delivery service.
With a secondhand truck and ice chest
you can buy fish wholesale and deliver
to customers at retail. It's hard work
but very profitable-expect to make
$7,000 the first year.
Frozen Food Route. Another good
bet needing only a truck, refrigerating
unit, and stock which can all be bought
for around $2,000. This service is
needed in many Florida communities
located at a distance from shopping
centres.
Furniture Making, Repairing,
and Re-upholstering. With hundreds
of new home makers moving into Flor-
ida every week, anything in the furni-
ture field is a sure fire profit maker.
Gift Fruit Packaging and Ship-.
ping. This business means stiff compe-
tition but there are still many good
roadstand locations left. Ship and sell
assorted boxes of top quality Florida
citrus and tropical fruits.

Gnavas. Guavas grow wild in
southern Florida (or you can raise
them). Sell the jelly. Send to the State
Department of Agriculture in Talla-
hassee and to the Florida Power and
Light Co., Miami, for free literature.
Honey. Regular honey is in demand
by Florida health stores, but you'll
make more if you keep your bees in
large groves of special trees. That way,
you'll get orange, grapefruit, mangrove,
and palmetto flavored honey which
commands top prices.
Invisible Re-Weaving. In most
larger Florida communities you'll be
able to obtain sufficient work from dry
cleaners and laundries to operate this
business at home. The investment is
very small, the profits steady.
Mail Order. Look in any magazine
and see how many mail order firms are
located in California. Now, mail order
operators are just discovering Florida.
Chances are, you can operate any mail
order business in Florida that would
succeed elsewhere. Of course, all mail
order involves risk at the start, but
the most successful Florida mail order
firms now employ several hundred
workers. Regional items that can be
sold include Florida sportswear and
specialties, fruit and farm products,
costume jewelry, seeds, etc.
Manufacturer's Representative.
Almost three fourths of manufactured
items sold in Florida are imported
from other states. Many small out-of-
state firms would do business in Flor-
ida if they could afford a branch office.
You offer several of them this service
by starting your own branch office.
You'll work on commission, often with
a nice sized drawing account. Avoid
food products and concentrate on hard-
ware, drugs, TV, cosmetics, home fur-
nishings, and apparel lines.
Needlework. Operate a custom
dressmaking establishment doing petit
point, art needlework, and repair dur-
ing the slacker summer season.
Old Folks Clothing Exchange.
Buy, sell, or trade clothing in the low
cost retirement centres. You could also
deal in children's clothing.
Opening and Closing Winter
Homes. A service to Florida's winter
residents who can save several days of
their winter sojourn by having you pre-
pare their home and close it up again
in spring.
Orchids. This field requires sev-
eral preliminary years of patient care
and work before it can be profitable-
but the profits are amazing. Ask the
Department of Agriculture, Washing-

ton, D.C., to send their Leaflet 206 on
raising orchids.
Pandanus. Screens and lampshades
made from pandanus leaves bring high
prices. You can obtain a supply of
leaves from trees in southern Florida
gardens until your own grow.
Papayas. These tropical fruits con-
tain a valuable aid to digestion plus a
rich Vitamin A content. From them
you can make beauty aids, juice, jellies,
and jam. Once you catch on to the
art of raising papayas you can live off
a 3-acre grove and bank your retire-
ment pension untouched.
Pest Control Service. Kill termites,
rats, bugs, etc. This needed service can
be started for a very reasonable invest-
ment.
Pet Boarding House. A good busi-
ness to operate in a country home near
a large resort centre.
Plants. Raise and sell Easter lilies,
monsteras, Philodendron varieties, cro-
tons, poinsettias, and roses. The flowers
sell in thousands on holidays, the plants
are in steady demand by new home
owners.
Print Shop. At present, only half
the printing and photo engraving needs
of Florida are met by local industry.
Job printing of all types is in steady
demand.
Roadstand. A fairly competitive
business in Florida but plant a sausage
tree beside it and watch the crowds
come. For full details on how to oper-
ate a roadstand successfully, see Har-
ian's How to Make a Living in the
Country, $1 postpaid.
Screen Process Printing. It's done
by stenciling through a cloth screen
on to paper, cardboard, wood, or al-
most any other surface. Operate it in
conjunction with a souvenir business.
Just print flamingos and coconut trees
together with a Florida place name
on the souvenirs and watch them sell.
Sea Grape Jelly. Gather sea grapes,
which grow wild on remote Florida
beaches, and make and sell delicious
home made jelly. You can also sell
by mail.
Sea Shells. A great variety of jew-
elry and ornaments can be made from
Florida shells and sold in Florida ir
by mail. Many shells sell as they are.
For details on how to make sea shell
novelties, send 254 to Southern Shell-
craft Supply, Box 1079, Clearwater,
Fla.
Seaweed. Particularly on the Gulf
Coast, Florida seaweed is rich in min-
erals needed to fertilize plants. Just
gather it, wash and dry it, and chop

it up into bags to sell as organic fer-
tilizer. Write the Marine Laboratory
of the University of Florida at Coral
Gables and the Florida Power and
Light Co., Miami, for free literature
on seaweed.
Secondhand Book and Magazine
Store. Only the largest centres have
them. Yet there are groups of com-
munities with populations exceeding
50,000 not served by this easy-to-start
business.
Seed Plants. Selling seed plants by
mail can help out a retirement income.
Most in demand are seeds of flowering
shrubs and trees. There are no big
commercial seed growers in Florida
yet.
Selling by Phone. An ideal occu-
pation for a retired person or a woman
of any age. To find out how you can
operate this attractive business from
your own home, read How to Earn
an Income Selling Products and Serv-
ices by Phone, $1 postpaid from Harian
Publications.
Shopping Service. This old favor-
ite often goes over well in Florida's
resort centres, where tourists in house-
keeping cottages and rented winter
homes have little spare time for shop-
ping in strange stores.
Soil-Less Gardening. Hydroponic
vegetables are superior to soil grown
ones and fetch higher prices. You can
start a hydroponics garden anywhere
in Florida and add to your retirement
income. But don't try to make a full-
time business out of it till it's proved
itself.
Strawberries. Winter strawberries
fetch good money in Florida; an acre
will bring in $1,500-$4,000 or more at
up to $1 a quart. This business is best
operated on single acre lots in or near
cities, or a rural roadstand.
Swap Shop and Trading Post.
An old reliable that needs no descrip-
tion.
Tin Cans. Almost every gardener
in Florida uses dozens; commercial
growers use thousands. Empty used
cans fetch $30-$150 per thousand. You
can collect from restaurants and dumps
and sell to nurseries.
Trees. Hand in hand with the huge
demand for new homes in Florida goes
the desire for trees to grow in the
yards and supply fruit. People don't
like waiting several years for trees to
grow; they prefer full sized trees from
the start. You grow, sell, and trans-
plant these larger trees. Highest de-
mand is for citrus trees, particularly
tangelos. You can raise grafted citrus

ready for sale in one year. There is
also a considerable mail order demand
from northern states for cuttings from
tropical trees. Coconut trees are in big
demand, sell for $1 each a few feet
high, citrus bring $1.50-when bigger
they fetch very much more. Banana
trees are also a fast moving item.
Tropical Fish. This fast growing
industry offers greatest rewards in the
Tampa area, where decorative aquar-
ium fish are flown in from South
America. (The Miami area is over-
crowded.) This business can be started
with a backyard concrete pool of about
200 square feet, well shaded by water
lilies. Sell them by mail or in a store.
TV Sales and Service. Now that
Florida has been awarded 58 TV chan-
nels, hundreds of existing sets will
need converters for UHF. Here's a
breakdown of the potential areas of
TV opportunity: Miami, six channels;
Jacksonville, five; Orlando, West Palm
Beach, Pensacola, Tampa-St. Peters-
burg, four channels each; Tallahassee,
Panama City, three channels each;
Fort Lauderdale, Key West, Lakeland,
and Gainesville, two channels each;
Belle Glade, Bradenton, Clearwater,
Daytona Beach, De Land, Fort Myers,
Fort Pierce, Lake City, Lake Wales,
Leesburg, Marianna, Ocala, Palatka,
Quincy, St. Augustine, Sanford, and
Sarasota, one channel each.
Typing Services. An excellent
set-up for a woman in Florida. For full
details of what can be done-you'll be
surprised at all the angles-see How
to Make a Living in the Country, $1
postpaid from Harian Publications.
Worms. Earthworms are used for
soil improvement and fishing or as
breeding stock. Many successful worm
farms are now operating throughout
the country. Stoner's Earthworm
Farms, 3102 North St., Chattanooga
4, Tenn., will set you up in business
with 10,000 worms and thousands of
breeding eggs for $50.

For further information on business
opportunities in Florida write to The
Industrial Development Division,
State Advertising Commission, Talla-
hassee, Fla. For further information
on raising plants, trees, fruit, etc.,
write the Department of Agricul-
ture, State Capitol, Tallahassee, Fla.
Full details for starting other part-time
and full-time businesses suited to oper-
ation in Florida can be found in this
author's other book How to Earn
an Income While Retired, $1.50 post-
paid from Harian Publications.

A warning about motels
Have you ever stayed in a motel, counted the
units, and figured up something like this? Ten
units at $5 a night, times seven days a week,
times 52 weeks a year. Wow! When I retire,
I'm going to buy me a motel down in Florida
and really take it easy.
Then you'd better think again. For the bit-
ter truth is that most motels in Florida are
barely making expenses. And the proprietors
of those that do, find themselves chained to a
24 hour-a-day job for 365 days a year. Motels
in Florida have increased by 145% over the
past five years until now the state ranks sec-
ond in the nation with a total of approximately
4,200 motor courts. Despite an annual 10%o
increase in the influx of tourists, Florida has
now almost reached saturation point in motels.
The Sunshine State has more than the rest of
the entire southeastern U.S.
Now, only the big, swanky courts are mak-
ing money and many of these are operated by
syndicates who locate them with fiendish per-
fection. The average motel has 19 units and
costs $132,000 to build. Few profitable motels
can be built in Florida for less than $5,000 per
unit and ten units is the minimum required for
a couple to live off. However, the larger motels
do yield a lower margin of profit while a 12-14
unit court is about the most profitable for man
and wife operation.
Although most of resort Florida is overbuilt
with motels, there are still some good locations
left along approach roads. For location is,
without exception, the one single factor by
which a motel can stand or fall. Along these
routes, it is still possible to build or buy for
around $25,000 down, a motel that will pro-
vide a good living.
Perhaps the finest ground floor opportunities
for establishing new motels exist in connection
with the brand new 40 mile stretch of U.S. 98
between Newport and Perry in northwestern
Florida. Opening of a new bridge across the
St. Marks River has provided the final link in
an unbroken U.S. 98 running all the way from
Pensacola to West Palm Beach. The antici-
pated result is that tourist traffic will increase
considerably over the western part of U.S. 98.

Also under construction is a new toll turnpike
road between Fort Pierce and the Georgia line.
This route will parallel U.S. 1 and 441 and
will undoubtedly draw some tourist traffic
away from Florida's Motel Row-Route A1A
between Hollywood and Miami Beach. No
motels will be permitted on the throughway
itself, but good opportunities will probably ex-
ist adjacent to new feeder routes. It would be
wise to investigate well before planning any
new motel in connection with this parkway,
however, for the toll has been tentatively
placed at $2.50. And by the time the parkway
is completed in 1957, ambitious plans for con-
verting U.S.1 to a four lane highway the length
of Florida will also be nearing completion.
Far less of a gamble would seem to be motel
sites catering to the increased flow of traffic
across the new Tampa Bay Bridge between St.
Petersburg and Bradenton. Among opportu-
nities in individual cities, the greatest need for
new motels appears to exist in Gainesville.

Florida business opportunities for the re-
tired
Anyone considering a retirement business in
Florida would do well to study a new book en-
titled Economic Problems of Retirement which
can be obtained from the University of Florida
Press at Gainesville. Based on reports made at
the fourth annual Southern Conference on Ger-
ontology, the book states that there are business
opportunities aplenty in Florida. But it goes on
to point out that "We would strongly recom-
mend that any retired person thinking of going
into business reside in the area selected for sev-
eral months and spend much of that time ex-
amining the business he proposes to enter before
doing so." For not only do many newcomers
plunge hastily into business risks without being
qualified or capable but they incur further risk
by ignoring local business patterns and the
changing economy of the state as a whole. The
reports also conclude that the best chances for
augmenting retirement income by business en-
terprise in Florida lie in the fields of agricul-
ture, retail trade, finance, insurance and real
estate, service industries, and limited types of
manufacturing.

CHAPTER IX

A JOB IN THE SUN

Employment offices in Florida estimate that two
million people would move into the state tomorrow if
they could be certain of obtaining a job. The reason
they cannot obtain jobs is not that Florida does not
have them; the state offers just as many job openings
as any other with a similar-sized population-in some
fields it offers more due to its rapid growth. These
people fail to get jobs in Florida because they do
not know the facts of employment in Florida nor how
to go about seeking these facts.
These are the facts: because its economy differs
from that of most other states, you may have to
change your occupation to get a job in Florida. This
is particularly true for unskilled and semi-skilled
workers. The very worst time to look for a job in
Florida is from the end of the high school year
through August 1 when the labor market is glutted
with high school graduates. Florida employers are
not interested in young men liable to be drafted. To
obtain a job in Florida it is almost essential to make
an on-the-spot application and to be present at a
personal interview. To obtain a job by correspond-
ence alone is virtually impossible. Employers in the
state will not hire anyone they consider to be a drifter
and, therefore, are not too keen on hiring newcomers,
especially those who are not contemplating becoming
permanent residents of the community in which the
job is available. Only the better type of energetic, re-
sponsible, qualified employee is needed; and employ-
ers do not consider too favorably in this respect
those people who quit their jobs up north to look
for employment in the Sunshine State.
How, then, can you tailor a plan to fit all these
requirements and still obtain a job while your family
enjoys security at all times? The first thing to do is
to know where you want to live in Florida. This can
best be accomplished by touring the state during a
vacation. Look over every city where you might find
your type of employment and decide which places
you'd best like to live in. For an idea of the most fre-
quent types of job openings in the principal cities, see
the city and town directory in the second part of this
book.
Your next step is to write to the Florida State Em-
ployment Service in those cities you would like to
live, outlining your work history and experience com-
pletely. Use a typewriter and give brief but full infor-
mation on your work qualifications, experience, age,
and physical standards. In reply, you will receive real-
istic information concerning your chances for securing

employment in each town. And if there is an imme-
diate vacancy, they will tell you.
In any case, however, you will quickly learn which
towns offer the best employment prospects for you.
Your next move is to write the local Chambers of
Commerce in each of these towns for a directory or
blue book of local business firms. Write to each firm
that offers your type of work, ask if they're likely to
have any openings in the near future, and state that
you will be coming down for a personal interview dur-
ing your next vacation. This you do, making a call
upon every single personnel manager (or whoever
hires you) at every likely place of business of which
you have learned. You point out to the interviewers
that although you do not now own a home in Florida,
you hold a steady job and intend becoming a perma-
nent resident after you obtain employment in the
state. Meanwhile, your family enjoys another spring
or fall vacation in Florida (avoid July and early Au-
gust because of high school grads).
Chances are, if you really have anything to offer
Florida employers, you'll either obtain a job right
away or be told to hold yourself in readiness to move
to Florida at the first vacancy. Normally, you can
arrange to give your present employer the usual no-
tice. And when you do come to Florida, you will
begin work at once; your family finances will not be
imperilled at any time.
While this is the ideal way to get a job in Florida,
it is not always possible to obtain every type of job so
smoothly and safely. But whatever you do, don't
move your family and furniture to Florida with the
object of looking for a job unless you have adequate
resources behind you. If you must give up your pres-
ent job to seek immediate employment in Florida,
my advice is to leave your wife and family behind and
to come alone. Even this scheme should not be at-
tempted unless you have enough money in hand to
keep both you and them for at least four months.
Then, in case you are unsuccessful in Florida, you
can go back home and take up again where you left
off. Families who have paid hundreds of dollars to
move their furniture to Florida have sometimes been
left in an embarrassing position when the head of
the house has not been able to find the position he
sought.
If either of these two schemes sounds like "playing
it safe" that's exactly what they are intended to be.
Of course, single men and women with a few hun-

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dred dollars in their pockets can afford to come
straight to Florida and begin looking for a job. Usu-
ally, they succeed. But no one should expect to find
immediate employment in the state. To find the job
you really want may take time. If you are pinched for
money, you may be forced to take an unsatisfactory
job in order to eat. And if you switch jobs many
times, you will have a Florida employment history
that no employer will want to take a chance on.
In deciding where to seek a job you cannot af-
ford to overlook the opportunities offered by the
many new industries moving into the state. At pres-
ent, a considerable amount of Florida's heavy in-
dustry is located in the northern part of the state
with a concentration of food processing and kin-
dred industries located in the central part, and a
large amount of lighter industry, which is increasing
rapidly, located in the southern part of Florida.
Typical of the state's new economic boom are Jack-
sonville's two new skyscraper headquarters for the
Independent and Prudential life insurance compa-
nies. In the same city, General Motors Electro-
Motive Division has just tripled its capacity while
the St. Regis paper company has completed a new
plant of gigantic proportions. In the Panhandle
country, eight pulp and paper plants have upped
production 50% while a new $18,000,000 Proctor
and Gamble cellulose plant is the latest addition to
this area's big industry. In the Miami area where the
airlines employ 17,000 in their repair shops, Dade and
Broward counties can already count 200 garment
manufacturing firms, which aid these counties in
ranking as the state's fastest growing. Other indus-
trial centers offering a variety of employment oppor-
tunities are Tampa, Panama City, Pensacola, Port
St. Joe, and Orlando.
Florida's leading industries to date are food, lum-
ber, paper, printing and publishing, apparel, and
transportation equipment manufacture. But latest
trends show a decided inclination on the part of big
electronics, chemical, and plastics firms to move into
the state. In fact, the FSES at Tallahassee is anxious
to contact workers with technical and engineering ex-
perience in these fields in order to staff the new indus-
tries as they move in. If you're a skilled worker in one
or other of these industries, and would like to move to
Florida, here's your chance.
One last factor to consider in choosing an em-
ployment location in Florida concerns wage scales.
Recent statistics show that in the building trades
wages are highest in Miami, lowest in Tampa, and
range between the two in Jacksonville. Wages in
many other occupations follow the same pattern.

Formula for success
The most successful way to obtain a good,
well paid job in Florida is to train-before you
come to the state-for an occupation that is in
demand. In selecting a skilled occupation to
train for, bear in mind the increasing number
of retired people who will, for the next twenty
years at least, move into the state in ever
increasing numbers. Any occupation which
caters to the needs of elderly people should
ensure your success and security in the Flor-
ida of tomorrow.

Here, by way of example, are recent union hourly
wage scales paid on building jobs.
Occupation Miami Jacksonville Tampa
Bricklayer $3.10 $3.00 $2.85
Carpenter 2.76 2.50 2.35
Electrician 2.95 3.10 3.00
Painter 2.52 2.25 2.17
Plasterer 3.10 2.75 2.85
Plumber 3.07 3.00 2.75
Laborers 1.35 .90 1.10
Average hourly wages paid during 1955 in Florida
were: for all industries $1.35, public utilities $1.98,
apparel $1.16, chemical $1.50, transportation equip-
ment $1.78, lumber $1.32, mining $1.56, and printing
and publishing $2. The average weekly wage was
$56.50 for 42 hours. In Miami, workers in food and
kindred products averaged $1.08 an hour, in apparel
$1.22, in furniture and fixtures $1.46, and in trans-
portation equipment $1.92. These, of course, are only
average wage levels: those for men are higher, for
skilled men appreciably higher.
Generally speaking, the energetic, trained, and
qualified man will find the welcome mat out in Flor-
ida employers' offices while the unskilled man may
have a tough time. For example, eighty persons in
Miami recently replied to an ad asking for a dish-
washer. But not a single man entered the office two
doors away which was advertising a skilled job pay-
ing $10,000 a year. Union membership, however, is
still not a requirement for most jobs. The Florida
State Constitution provides that no man may be de-
nied the right to work because of membership or
nonmembership in any organization. This outlaws the
closed shop contract.
Many job openings in Florida are never advertised
in the newspapers. Yet through studying those that
are, you can often obtain a comprehensive employ-
ment (and housing) picture of any city or commu-

nity. To do this, go to your local library and ask for
a copy of Ayer's directory to newspapers and period-
icals. In it, you will find the name and address of
every local newspaper in Florida. You can then place
a short term order for daily copies of any of these
papers to be sent to you for a week or month at a
time.
When you do go to Florida to find a job, first study
the newspapers and inquire at the local FSES office.
If you draw a blank at either of these, begin calling
on the private agencies. In many cases, this is where
you will find the job you want. These numerous
agencies justify their existence only from the com-
missions they make through finding people jobs. The
fact that they continue to prosper is sufficient evidence
to convince most people that these private concerns
have the majority of the better openings. A complete
list of both FSES offices and private employment
agencies in Florida appears at the end of this chap-
ter. Don't hesitate to write to any of them to ascertain
your prospects in the community of your choice.
(Tip: before taking a job through a private agency
do make sure that it is not available free at an
FSES office. Many better class jobs are obtainable
at FSES offices.)
A variety of Florida employee, locally termed the
"snowbird" or "tourist worker," arrives in Florida
in the fall, works through the tourist season until
April, and then goes north again. Most of these
people are employed in the citrus or hotel industry.
They are frequently old hands who go through this
same experience each year. Yet, in spite of their ex-
perience, they are not always successful in landing
a seasonal job. But if you'd like to try your hand
at a winter hotel job write to the Miami FSES of-
fice which has a working agreement with the Miami
Hotel Association. Two private agencies you might
also try are the American Hotel Placement Service,
36 N.E. 1st St., Miami, or Evelyn Nixon Hotel
Placement Service, 36 N.E. 1st St., Miami. Training
in hotel work can be obtained at the Lindsey Hopkins
Hotel Training School, 1410 N.E. 2nd Avenue in
Miami.
In the last chapter, I mentioned that Florida wages
are lower than in the northern states, 10%-20%
lower. While this is chiefly true of unskilled jobs,
the difference narrows as you climb higher into the
semi-skilled and skilled positions. But make no mis-
take, Florida wages are fast' catching up. Recently
they rose 13% as against 9% for the nation as a
whole. Of course, there are still sweat shops in Flor-
ida, particularly since the production per man hour is
not yet limited by rules and regulations. But broadly
speaking, you will find that with the opportunities for
cutting down on living costs through the mild climate,

your Florida wages will go just as far as elsewhere.
And while you can't eat sunshine, you'll discover that
the good old Florida sun is just about the finest bonus
for better living that you'll find anywhere in the
country.
Women will discover that a plentiful number of
stenographic jobs are usually vacant in most Florida
cities. And if you really want something with a future,
don't overlook the fast growing fashion industry in
the Miami area. Many of these plants now train
their own workers and the Miami Fashion Council,
Chamber of Commerce Building, Miami, trains new-
comers in cooperation with the State Board of Public
Instruction. Write to the Council if you're interested
in a fashions career; usually you'll start as a sewing
machine operator at $35 a week rising with experi-
ence to $70. An agreement has also been reached be-
tween the needle trades and the Miami FSES office
for the recruitment of new workers.
Another good source of employment for both men
and women in Florida is the Federal Government.
Over 30,000 Government employees now work in the
state together with many others who are not civil
servants but are employed directly by a Government
establishment. The best way to get a civil service job
is to find out what exams are open and then to file
application with the U.S. Civil Service Commission
or one of its offices. Florida is administrated by the
Fifth Regional Office, 5 Forsythe St., N.W., Atlanta,
Ga., to whom you should write for information.
You may also write for information about job open-
ings and examinations to the Executive Secretary,
Board of U.S. Civil Service Examiners, at any of the
following federal installations in Florida. Besides civil
servants, these establishments hire tradesmen direct.
Department of the Army
U.S. Engineer Office, Jacksonville.
Department of the Air Force
MacDill Field, Tampa.
Orlando Air Force Base, Orlando.
Tyndall Field, Panama City.
Eglin Field, Valparaiso.
Long Range Proving Ground Division, Patrick
Air Force Base, Cocoa.
Palm Beach International Airport, West Palm
Beach.
Other Departments
Federal Housing Administration, Miami.
Federal Housing Administration, Jacksonville.
Reconstruction Finance Corporation, Jacksonville.
Seventh U.S. Coast Guard District, 2610 Tigertail
Ave., Miami.
Federal Housing Administration, Tampa.
Veterans Administration
Veterans Administration Center, Bay Pines.

Veterans Administration Hospital, Lake City.
Veterans Administration Hospital, Coral Gables.
Veterans Administration, Regional Office, Miami.
Veterans Administration, Pass-a-Grille Regional
Office, St. Petersburg.

Navy Department
(Address your communications to the Recorder,
Board of U.S. Civil Service Examiners, at the par-
ticular Naval installation listed below in which you
are interested.)
U.S. Naval Air Station, Key West.
U.S. Naval Air Station, Jacksonville.
U.S. Naval Air Station, Pensacola.
U.S.N. Underwater Sound Reference Laboratory,
Orlando.
U.S.N. Mine Countermeasures Station, Panama
City.
Permanent nurses are badly needed at almost every
institution in Florida. Not needed are "tourist
nurses"; i.e., those who come down for the winter
only in the hope of finding a private job looking after a
wealthy sick person. Needless to say, these "soft" jobs
are declining in number each year. Florida's nurses
are paid the highest wages in the southeastern states
and only slightly less than the highest pay level in
the nation. Student nurses and licensed practical
nurses-both white and colored-are badly needed in
Florida hospitals, particularly in rural areas. The
State Board of Education is now sponsoring twelve
month educational courses for practical nurses, part
of it with pay. Licensed nurses receive reciprocal
transfer to a Florida license, but those nurses from
the dozen or so states which still do not require
nurses' licenses, must take the Florida nurse's exam.
For further information, write Florida State Nurses
Association, 608 Professional Bldg., 216 N.E. 2nd
Ave., Miami 32. (A tip: jobs obtained through a
Nurses Registry usually pay more than those offered
by private agencies.)

Teachers, too, are needed in Florida, particularly
for elementary schools. Write to the State Superin-
tendent of Public Instruction, Tallahassee, for details
regarding your certificate transfer and to the Teacher
Placement Bureau, University of Florida, Gainesville,
for job applications. See also Chapter XII for a list
of Florida educational establishments.

How about older folks? Are there jobs for retired
people too? Yes, there are, but here I must again
repeat the warning that you should not depend solely
upon a job to bring in your retirement income. If you
have an adequate small pension, then likely enough
you'll be able to earn much more through a job. But

you should always have the financial security of your
pension behind you in case of a lay-off or illness.

Now that you can earn up to $100 a month in wages
without losing social security benefits, part-time re-
tirement jobs are well worth going after. But so many
retired men and women in Florida have the same idea
that in some places the competition is exceedingly
stiff. So here's the rule if you want a part-time job
after age 65. Simply avoid all towns with a high pro-
portion of retired residents. And, of course, there are
more jobs in industrial towns than in resorts. For
example, until recently the FSES office in St. Peters-
burg had consistently found jobs for oldsters and
even men of 85. Yet so many retirees have now settled
in St. Petersburg that work is practically unobtain-
able. By contrast, in less popular Tampa, hundreds of
senior citizens find jobs in the city's more numerous
stores, offices, and commercial establishments.

Outside Florida's most popular retirement towns,
and especially in small communities, you can eventu-
ally find suitable part- or full-time work. For Florida
industry is learning of the vast reserve of skilled and
experienced manpower which exists among the state's
senior citizens. During World War II, for instance,
retired artisans in Florida produced more war goods
per capital than in all other areas but one. Not long
ago, the Electro Tech Corporation built their experi-
mental laboratory at Ormond Beach simply because
they found there an abundance of qualified retired
workers willing to resume limited engineering em-
ployment. It is expected that Electro Tech's example
will be followed by other plants who need an ex-
perienced, stable, and highly capable labor force.

To give you a broader idea of work opportunities
in Florida for young and old alike, here are the high-
lights of the Florida State Employment Service recent
report. "The population of Florida is growing rapidly.
New industries are entering the state and older indus-
tries are expanding, particularly those serving the
winter tourists. The total number of jobs in the state
is increasing along with this expansion. In spite of this
favorable situation, there is a moderate amount of
unemployment in many areas of the state because of
the large numbers of people migrating to Florida
seeking work. In many instances, salaries are lower
than in the highly industrialized northeastern section
of the U.S.

"At the present time there are no serious shortages
of workers except in a few highly skilled and profes-
sional occupations. During the summer months there
are few job openings, except in summer resort areas,

and considerable unemployment in the central, and
southern parts of the state. In the fall, beginning about
October and reaching a peak in January, there are
many seasonal job openings for hotel, restaurant, and
retail sal6s workers, citrus fruit pickers and packers,
and vegetable harvest hands. Large numbers of work-
ers migrate regularly between these jobs and similar
jobs in northern resort and farm areas. Employers
strongly prefer experienced workers, but accept some
inexperienced workers. For many jobs of a year
around nature, permanent residents are given prefer-
ence because employers have found that migrants
from other states frequently leave them during the
summer months.

"Hotel, restaurant, and sales work. There are many
hotels, restaurants, and retail stores in the tourist
areas of central and southern Florida, which either
operate only during the winter months or which
greatly expand their working forces during that time.
They employ large numbers of waitresses, cooks,
chambermaids, laundry workers, bartenders, and
other service workers, and sales persons for the win-
ter months. Many of these jobs are filled year after
year by the same workers. There are many job open-
ings for experienced workers during the winter sea-
son, however. Winter tourist centers include Miami,
St. Petersburg, West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale,
Sarasota, Orlando, and most other cities of central
and south Florida. These centers have been enjoying
increasingly important summer tourist business in re-
cent years, and in addition, Jacksonville Beach and
Panama City are important summer resorts. Daytona
Beach is important as both summer and winter resort.
"Manufacturing. There is very little manufacturing
of machinery, electrical goods, or textiles and, conse-
quently, jobs for machine operators and machine tool
operators are very scarce. The principal products
manufactured in Florida are: citrus and vegetables
(chiefly in central Florida); cellulose and paper
(north Florida); cigars (Jacksonville, Tampa,
Quincy); garments (Miami); nylon (Pensacola) ;
specialties for the construction industry such as jal-
ousies, metal wood and fiberglass awnings, etc., (Mi-
ami); fertilizer, lumber, furniture, plastic products,
electronics equipment, small boats, and local food
products such as bread, ice cream, etc., (all areas).
There is considerable phosphate mining in the central
section. There is little manufacturing of aircraft or
aircraft parts. The major portion of the aircraft in-
dustry is in the Miami area where several large air-
lines have operations. Canning plants and garment
plants are seasonal with greatest activity from Octo-
ber to May.

"Construction. Construction is fairly active. More
construction work is available during the summer
months than in winter when it is restricted in many
cities by anti-noise ordinances. Most construction
work is highly unionized, particularly in the cities.
"Agriculture. Most agricultural activities in central
and south Florida are carried on during the winter
months. Citrus fruits are harvested and processed
from October until June. Winter vegetables are
grown and harvested during this same period. Most
harvesting of vegetables is carried on by crews of col-
ored workers who move from place to place following
the harvest. A large number of both white and colored
crews are used in citrus fruit picking. Picking is done
from high ladders and is strenuous work. There are
jobs for both white and colored people also in hauling,
packing, canning, and shipping agricultural products.
These jobs for the most part are filled by the same
workers from year to year. Job opportunities in agri-
cultural work depend so greatly on weather conditions
and market prices that it is extremely difficult to fore-
cast what they may be. Much agricultural harvest and
processing is piece rate and wages depend to a con-
siderable extent on the weather and market condi-
tions as well as the person's ability and speed. Citrus
centers include Winter Haven, Lakeland, Tampa, Or-
lando, Leesburg, and Fort Pierce.
"State Employment. Much employment with state
agencies is restricted by law to persons having two
years residence in the state. There is no central per-
sonnel agency for state employment.
"Clerical, managerial, and professional positions.
The demands for office workers of most types are
good, but the supply of persons seeking jobs in these
classifications has been more than adequate in most
areas. There is a shortage of qualified stenographers
and secretaries in most sections. Opportunities for
persons seeking positions in executive, managerial,
personnel, public relations, and similar fields are poor
due to the number of persons already in the state
available for this type of work. Although there has
been some demand for engineers of various kinds,
there has not been the shortage which has been expe-
rienced by many other sections of the country."
There are, of course, many people constantly look-
ing for jobs in these fields. Some land jobs easily;
others return north disillusioned. For as one employ-
ment manager aptly stated: "Those you see going
back think only in terms of 'What does Florida offer
me?' But those who get the jobs think 'What can I
offer Florida?' And that's the kind of thinking that
pays off with a job in the Sunshine State."

FSES Offices and Private Employment Agencies in Florida

Belle Glade
FSES, 109 Main St.
Bradenton
FSES, 422 9th St.
Clearwater
Clearwater Employment Agency,
717 Cleveland St.
FSES, 411 South Garden Ave.
Miss Bridges' Employment Service,
604 Court St.
Nurses Registry, Osceola Ave.
Cocoa
FSES, 103 Brevard Ave.
Coral Gables
Coconut Grove Employment Agency,
198 S. Dixie Highway.
Jobscouts, 2426 Ponce de Leon Blvd.
Daytona Beach
Bazemore Employment Service,
1082% S. Beach St.
Daytona Beach Employment Agency,
206Y S. Beach St.
FSES, 146 Orange Ave.
Fort Lauderdale
Federated Employment Bureau, Inc.,
124 S.E. 2nd St.
FSES, 201 S.E. 1st St.
Sylvia's Employment Service, 301
N.W. 2nd St.
Fort Myers
FSES, 2134 Jackson St.
Fort Pierce
FSES, 411 Ave. A.
Gainesville
FSES, 218 S. E. 1st St.
Teachers Placement Bureau, Uni-
versity of Florida.
Hollywood
FSES, 2337 Hollywood Blvd.
Hollywood Employment and Reser-
vation Agency, 406 N. Ocean Dr.
Jacksonville
AA Personnel Service, 301 Masonic
Temple Bldg.
City Employment Agency, 805 Main
St.
FSES, 40 E. Bay St.
Nico Covars Agency, 218 W.
Adams.
Davis Employment Agency, 1933
Davis.
Herbert E. Elphick Personnel Serv-
ice, 325 W. Forsythe.
Hollon Employment Service, 116
Graham Bldg.
Key Employment Agency, 242 N.E.
2nd Ave.
Nurses Registry, 8165 Paul Jones
Drive.
Personnel Clinic, 118 W. Adams.
Thomas Agency, 125 W. 2nd St.
Key West
FSES, 314 Simonton St.

Lake City
FSES, City Hall.
Lakeland
FSES, 915 S. Florida Ave.
Polk Placement Service, 207% East
Main St.
Leesburg
FSES, 103 W. Main St.
Marianna
FSES, 208 Lafayette St.
Miami
AA Southern Employment Service,
141 N.E. 2nd St.
Ace Service, 127 N.E. 1st Ave.
Acme Employment Agency, 11 N.W.
5th St.
Adele Hampton Bureau, 701 Lang-
ford Bldg.
Aid Employment Service, 127 N.E.
1st Ave.
Allen Employment Agency, 5 N.E.
5th St.
All State Employment Agency, 218
N.W. 5th St.
A-1 Employment Agency, 51 N.E.
5th St.
Bell Agency, 130 N.E. 2nd Ave.
Burgin Employment Service, 127
N.E. 1st Ave.
Eagan Employment Agency, 139
N.E. 1st St.
Empire Agency, 736 N.E. 1st Ave.
FSES, 501 N.E. 1st Ave.
Johnson Employment Service, 139
N.E. 1st St.
Miami Employment Agency, 423
N.E. 1st St.
Roland Muse's Service, 174 E. Flag-
ler.
National Employment Agency, 107
N.E. 1st Ave.
Personalized Service, Dade Com-
monwealth Bldg.
Southern Nursing Service, 266 W.
Flagler.
Miami Beach
Allen Agency, 420 Lincoln Rd.
Beach Employment Office, 1444A
Drexel.
Berger Agency, 235 Lincoln Rd.
Clark Agency, 540 West Ave.
Drexel Agency, 143 Drexel.
Elkin's Agency, 612 5th St.
Mark's Talent Agency, 600 Lincoln
Rd., Bldg.
Miami Beach Employment Agency,
1034 5th St.
Miami Beach Nursing Service, 605
Lincoln Rd.
Sennes Booking Agency, 235 Lincoln
Rd.
White's Agency, 1613 Alton Rd.

Ocala
FSES, 409 S. Magnolia Ave.
Gulf Teachers Service, 14 S. Mag-
nolia St.
Orlando
FSES, 369 N. Orange Ave.
Orlando Employment Agency, 104
E. Jefferson.
Palatka
FSES, 110 N. 3rd St.
Palm Beach
Employment Service, 248 Royal
Palm Way.
Reimer Employment Bureau, 206
Royal Palm Way.
Panama City
FSES, 443 Oak Ave.
Pensacola
FSES, 400 S. Palafox.
Perry
FSES, 112 W. Green St.
Sarasota
FSES, 1560 State St.
Victory Employment Service, 133 S.
Pineapple Ave.
St. Petersburg
Brophy's Physicians' and Nurses'
Exchange, 823 Florida Nat'l
Bank Bldg.
Caruth Employment Bureau, 967
Central Ave.
City Employment Agency, 645 lst
Ave., N.
Employer's Service, 710 Central
Ave.
Erickson's Ninth Street Bureau, 800
1st Ave., N.
FSES, 1004 1st Ave.
Physicians', Surgeons', and Nurses'
Registry, 807 6th St., N.
Summer Placement Service, 927
Baum Ave., N.
Tallahassee
FSES, 209 E. College Ave.
Tampa
Capitol Employment Agency, 717
Morgan.
FSES, 315 Jackson.
Personnel Consultants, 310 Tampa
St.
Tampa Personnel Service, 412
Tampa St.
West Palm Beach
Executive Service Bureau, 500-04
Guaranty Bldg.
FSES, 907 N. Dixie Highway.
Physicians', Surgeons', and Nurses'
Exchange, 422 Evernia St.
Scott's Agency, 120 S. Poinsettia.
Winter Haven
FSES, 352 N. W. Third St.

CHAPTER X

GARDENING and FARMING

In no other state does gardening and farming differ
so widely from that practiced in most parts of the
U.S. This is due to two reasons: Florida's sub-
tropical climate and its wide variety of soils. If the
soil were as good as the climate, Florida would be a
lush garden paradise where anyone might expect to
live well on the proverbial five acres. As it is, most
of Florida's soils are little more than a base to sup-
port the plants that grow in them.
The soils of Florida are too numerous to mention
here but the majority vary from sandy pinelands
along the coasts to darker colored muck and hammock
lands farther inland. Most of the land is sandy and
lacks humus. Even if your land should be fertile, mak-
ing a success of gardening in Florida is more a ques-
tion of growing crops suited to that particular soil and
region than trying to grow crops for which the big-
gest markets exist. Market gardening and fruit grow-
ing in Florida are thus very different from market
gardening and fruit growing elsewhere. Something
can be grown on most of it but not everything can be
grown on any one part, with the possible exception
of the rich mucklands. The best course for the new-
comer to Florida intending to practice agriculture is
to send to the Agricultural Extension Service at
Gainesville and the State Agricultural Department at
Tallahassee for a set of bulletins and reports. They
will surprise you with what can be grown in the more
unlikely places and what cannot be grown in the more
likely places.
Some retired people in Florida have managed to
cut their grocery bills by 40% through raising gar-
dens while fishing can lop off a further 20%. Make
no mistake, though, gardening is harder than fishing.
If you are retiring on a very modest pension, my ad-
vice is not to bother with a lawn at all. Good lawns
are notoriously difficult to maintain in Florida and
are expensive besides. A far better plan, to my mind,
is to plant your yard with citrus and tropical fruit
trees. In fact, in the harder limestone country of
southern Florida, tropical fruits are actually easier to
grow than northern fruits and vegetables. To have a
supply of citrus for nine months of the year (be-
tween September and June) plant a few early season,
a few mid season, and a few late season trees. These
will guarantee you an almost year around supply of
on-the-tree fruit. For citrus will keep on the tree
almost as well as under refrigeration.
The best all around grasses for Florida lawns are

Bitter Blue Stem and St. Augustine varieties. Both
are fast growing but susceptible to cinch and fungus.
For ocean front properties Bermuda grass is best,
however, since it remains unaffected by salt. Carpet
grass requires least care but produces tall seed heads
in summer.
If you're interested in Florida gardening, send to
the Agricultural Extension Service at Gainesville for
single copies of these free booklets: Bulletin 131, The
Florida Home Garden; 433, Organic matter in
Florida soils; 455, Composition of Florida-grown
vegetables; 617, Soil testing; 528, Agricultural activi-
ties of industrial workers and retirees; Circular 65,
Planting charts for home gardens; and the List of
Bulletins.
With as little as two acres, you can operate a part-
time market garden that may bring you in as much
as $2,000-$3,000 a year. But out and out commercial
farming in Florida is a highly specialized business
and farmers used only to northern methods cannot
expect to succeed till they have gained experience in
Florida's methods. Small capital and insufficient ex-
perience with soils and methods have spelled failure
for many a northern farmer who has moved to a
Florida farm.
Florida's agriculture is led by citrus and winter
vegetables with grains, tung oil, tobacco, sugar cane,
cotton, and tropical fruits making up the balance.
Livestock, particularly beef cattle raising, has grown
in importance over recent years until Florida now has
more than 1,600,000 head of cattle. Dairying, chicken
farming, and hog raising are also important. Although
only six per cent of Florida is in farmland, the state
has something like 5,700 farms averaging 290 acres
each and valued at an average worth of $15,080.
In a state growing as rapidly as Florida is, oppor-
tunities in farming are excellent for those prepared
to learn first and then pitch in and practice what
they've learned. For a general idea of what you can
do, write the State Agricultural Department in Talla-
hassee and ask for a free copy of Farm Opportunities
in Florida. The overall farming opportunity picture
in the state today, however, shows excellent oppor-
tunities in several little known fields while large scale
commercial enterprises have almost eliminated new-
comers from some of the better known forms of agri-
culture.
Citrus is one example. With 27,000 fresh acres

planted in one recent year alone, Florida's citrus
growers are now on the verge of overproduction.
Too many tourists have visited the state, visualized
themselves as living comfortably off a grove of trees,
and later returned to become citrus owners. The orig-
inal idea was fine; the trouble is that too many people
have done it.
Nevertheless, America's increasing population will
raise future demand for citrus, and if you can pick
up some knowledge of the business from friends,
neighbors, and Government farming aids, you can in-
vest in a grove without losing your shirt. Grove prices
are continually fluctuating. Average cost of a young
grove ranges between $400 and $900 an acre, bearing
groves cost $1,000 an acre up, and mature groves any-
thing from $2,000 an acre up.
Of course, it is cheaper to cultivate your own grove
from scratch. Total costs for buying and bringing raw
land into a mature grove might work out at approxi-
mately $525 per acre but due to local circumstances,
actual costs may vary widely from this figure. Write
to the State Advertising Commission at Tallahassee
for the free book Citrus Industry of Florida if you are
interested in starting a grove. This very complete 256
page book will provide you with a mine of information
on where to select a grove and how to get started.
Another set of recent costs for planting and de-
veloping a new grove over the 1948-53 period was
released by the Florida Experiment Station. Per
acre costs the first year were $377 comprising $100
for land cost, $100 for clearing, $87.50 for trees,
$22.50 for planting, $20.50 for watering, $3.50 for
seeding the cover crop, $28.50 for power, equipment,
and labor, and $6.50 for taxes, etc. Second year costs
totalled $50.75, third year $58.50, fourth year $60.15,
and fifth year $75.80. After that the grove should
earn a profit.
Young orange trees can be purchased from $1.50-
$3.50 each and require 4-5 years to mature although
commercial production is not attained until the 7th
or 8th years. You will need 50-60 orange trees per
acre, somewhat fewer if grapefruit are grown. (At
present, there is a shortage of young trees.) Before
buying a grove have the soil tested, not to see if it is
any good (for the sort of pineland citrus grows in
probably won't be) but just to get an idea of what it
will cost you to feed each tree with fertilizer. Also be
sure to get an accurate estimate of how much it will
cost to bring irrigation water from the nearest source
right up to your trees. Once armed with this informa-
tion you can see whether your annual operating costs
per acre, which include 4-5 sprayings, pruning, etc.,
are going to work out anywhere between the average
costs of $150-$200 per acre so that you will have some

chance of being able to expect the 10% annual return
on your investment that Florida growers in general
have realized over the past 20,years.
Mature groves yield 200-400 boxes of oranges or
600-750 boxes of grapefruit per acre. A box contains
90 pounds of fruit. At the time of writing, on-the-tree
fruit in Florida was bringing around $3.60 a box. The
cost of picking and hauling is about 330 a box for
grapefruit, 430 for oranges, and 700 for tangerines.
Costs of grove care and maintenance also eat into
citrus gross returns so that, often, the usual net re-
turn on a grove may work out to only about $1 a tree
annually.
Many people do not manage their own groves but
have them tended and marketed by a grove care-
taking association. Citrus is generally bought "on the
tree" by a packing house whose crews pick and ship
the fruit. It is therefore possible to own a grove and
at the same time be free to engage in other occupa-
tions. This type of grove service costs you about
$140 per acre per year.
In some years, particularly when frosts wreak
havoc in Texas and California, citrus returns in Flor-
ida are good. But in other years, profits may yield
you only a bare subsistence. As a result of new mar-
keting regulations, future profits should be more
stable than they have been in the past but, even so,
you must remember that time plays an important part
in citrus raising just as it does in other forms of
investment. Quick profits are few but over a period
of years, citrus has brought, and in the years to come,
will continue to bring, good returns.
Perhaps the best opportunities in the citrus field
lie in managing your own grove and shipping fresh
handpicked fruit in selected cases to your own special
ring of customers. There is an unusually high demand
for this type of personalized selling at Christmas time.
Operating on this basis, you could make a living from
as little as ten acres in the country. But no one has yet
managed to live well off a 5-acre citrus grove. Modern
methods for citrus cultivation are almost foolproof if
carefully followed and allow successful raising of
early season varieties like Hamlins or late season
varieties like Valencias. But you must have a citrus
dealer's license and comply with state shipping regu-
lations if you want to sell your own fruit. The latest
method for creating new sales is to raise citrus in
groves shaded by cabbage palms so that you can offer
premium "shade ripened" fruit.
A somewhat brighter outlook exists for tung or-
chards although tung raising calls for knowledge and
experience at least equal to that needed for citrus
culture. Since America's supply of tung oil formerly

came from China, domestic orchards can now supply
barely 25% of the total demand. Now, producing
tung nuts to make oil for paints and varnishes, etc.
is a fast growing industry in north and central Flor-
ida. Professional advice is advisable when choosing
the location of an orchard. You will need from 100-
500 acres of dry, undulating, and well drained soil.
Good stock is also important but once you have
planted your 110 trees to the acre, little spraying is
required. The trees begin to bear in commercial
quantities by the third year and reach maturity in
eight years, after which you can depend upon a yield
of about two tons per acre. Tung nuts bring around
$80 a ton and 200 acres will net you a final profit of
around $19,000 a year. Allowance must be made for
frost, however, which destroys lowland crops on an
average of one year in every five and hill land crops
on an average of one year in eight. To get started
in this profitable occupation, you need about $75 per
acre for purchase, clearing, and stocking your or-
chard with trees.
Quick returns can be made with two or more acres
of papayas (for sale to health stores) provided
the drainage is good and the grove is protected from
cold. Papaya brings about 10 a pound; each tree
bears 50-75 pounds of fruit. Florida strawberries-
particularly the Missionary variety-bear from De-
cember through April at the rate of more than 1,000
quarts per acre annually. The fruit sells for 700-800
a quart in the country, $1 in cities. Tropical fruit
raising is already a $3 million industry in Florida and
is growing fast with many ground floor opportunities
still available. Avocados, for instance, fetch $150 a
ton and are fairly simple to raise. Other popular fruits
are mangos, pineapples, and guavas. Likely to become
popular in the near future are some fifty others rang-
ing from the zapote to the mamey and carissa. Write
to the State Agricultural Department at Tallahassee
for their free Bulletin 90 on Papaws, and to the
State Experiment Station, Gainesville, for Bulletin
156, Miscellaneous Tropical and Sub Tropical Flor-
ida Fruits.
As for opportunities in livestock, dairying has now
caught up with the demand and Florida's dairy farms
are expected to grow only in relation to the growing
population. The beef cattle industry has also grown
to such an extent that Florida bankers are growing
wary of encouraging speculation in this field. But
there is still plenty of virgin land available at $20-$30
an acre if you care to give it a try. You should know,
however, that it can cost you up to a further $150 an
acre before you may have the improved pasturage
needed.
Florida still imports a great number of eggs and

How to buy oranges in Florida
The very cheapest way to buy oranges is to go into
a grove and pick your own. Most grove owners will
allow you to do this. Otherwise, you'll find citrus
selling at roadstands in Florida for around $1 a
bushel. Don't be fooled by any advertising which
claims tree-ripened citrus to be superior. All citrus
is tree ripened; it will neither ripen nor change color
after picking. Because oranges for out of state ship-
ment are often bleached a high color by the packing
houses, you should know that color does not always
mean fruit is ripe. So if you are offered green oranges
in Florida, chances are they will be soft and sweet;
just pinch them to make sure. The way to choose
oranges is by weight. Heavier oranges have more
juice in them and are a better buy than lighter ones.
And don't be afraid of citrus with skin blemishes;
often enough, these are sold cheaper in the North.
They are equally as good as fruit with perfect skins.
A good way to pick the best grapefruit is to select
those with flattened ends.
When in Florida, be sure to try a tangelo, a hybrid
species not shipped north. And if you want a real
treat, try the kind of kumquats which are grown on
the outer fringes of citrus groves. Oranges with few-
est seeds are Hamlins, Jaffas, Valencias, Lue Gim
Gong, and seedless navels which, incidentally, are
not one of Florida's best oranges. Among grapefruit,
the Marsh variety has few seeds but the Duncans
have plenty. Seedy oranges are Parson Brown,
Homossassa, and Pineapple. King oranges are like
very large tangerines with an excellent taste; Temples
are among the finest oranges but have a very short
season; the best lemons are Villafrancas, the best
limes the Tahitian variety.

good opportunities exist for poultry farmers with
capital. The state's sizeable broiler industry also of-
fers opportunity for expansion as does turkey raising.
In view of the scientific preparation and sizeable
investment needed for commercial farming, it might
be said that the best opportunities for the individual
with a smaller amount of cash lie in raising some of
the specialty crops previously mentioned. Specialized
selling and processing can pay off well enough on
smaller acreages despite the fact that independence is
none too easy to obtain with five acres. To aid farm-
ers in selling their produce, the state operates 24 non-
profit farmers' markets that offer a unique marketing
service for even small lots of produce. And the state's
five home industry markets can sell your home made
products on a similar basis.

CHAPTER XI

FLORIDA REAL ESTATE

When thinking of real estate in Florida, many peo-
ple are apt to recall the boom of 1923-25. In those
days thousands of lots were sold in subdivisions that
were never built upon. Values of property doubled
overnight. Millions of dollars were borrowed to
finance public improvements for the vast new develop-
ments. Land values were related to nothing more than
the future which their owners envisioned for them.
Of course, the boom burst and contracts were dropped
like hot potatoes. By 1929 over half a billion dollars
was outstanding in community debts for improve-
ments alone.
It was a long uphill fight to establish sound stand-
ards for Florida real estate in a country so under-
developed and with such an adolescent economy. But
it has been done. And now the director of the Na-
tional Association of Real Estate Boards has de-
clared: "Throughout the nation, Florida real estate
has come to be regarded as a good solid investment."
In July 1950 another boom set in which has con-
tinued almost without break up to the present day.
This time, though, no subdivisions are being opened
until clearly needed and the lower percentage of new
unsold homes is very reassuring to the home owner or
investor. Now, however, the tendency is for builders
to build as small a place as possible and to sell it for
as much as they can get. The result is that homes on
sites having particularly attractive central locations
and waterfront views are high priced-you pay for
the view and the Florida sun. But even these are not
too much out of line with prices prevailing in other
parts of the country. Most of the new homes are
modern two bedroom places of concrete block stucco
(CBS) construction with breezeway (porch open on
both sides) and garage or carport. They sell from
around $8,500 with about one third down, although
they can be obtained for less. Some sell without the
garage from $6,500-$7,500.
Although no subdivisions are being opened until
obviously required, construction has in many places
outgrown city sewer systems and for a while many
new homes may have to rely on septic tanks. Save in
low lying depressions which can be flooded by heavy
rains, these are generally satisfactory-even for a life-
time.
While beach front lots on the Gold Coast sell from
$10,000 per foot frontage, much good land which re-

ceives exactly the same amount of Florida sunshine
is available for $50 an acre. The secret of beating
high land costs lies, therefore, in selecting your prop-
erty where no charge can be made for the view and
central location. The answer is to be found in the
fringe areas of most Florida cities, in rural areas, and
in the many tract type subdivisions being developed
in almost all towns. Even in so called expensive cities
like Fort Lauderdale, new retirement homes in sub-
divisions can be found at very attractive prices.
Generally speaking, the most expensive land and
homes lie on the Gold Coast and in south Florida with
prices lower on the West Coast and in central Flor-
ida, and lowest of all in northern Florida. Neverthe-
less, by building on smaller lots to a standardized
design, Florida's builders have succeeded in produc-
ing a three bedroom home in the Miami area for
under $8,000. These have been available at the Guava
Grove Estate, have fired walls, tile floors and bath,
and jalousied windows. Other large building con-
tractors have brought prices down on the East Coast
so that at Leisure City near Homestead, 6,000 homes
are being built to sell for $5,250 and in many places
one bedroom homes can be built for $4,900 on your
lot.
On the West Coast several firms in and around
St. Petersburg are offering FHA backed homes at
very attractive prices. A two bedroom home valued
at $5,725 can be built on your lot for no downpayment
at all. A one bedroom home can be obtained new for
as little as $4,700 on your lot-it has a living-dining
room 22 feet long. Several attractive two bedroom
home plans are available for $500 down and around
$50 a month in the Pinellas County area; this price
includes the lot, taxes, and insurance. One two bed-
room plan provides a living room 19' 8" x 11' 2" and
a kitchen 15' x 8' 10". Built .of frame construction
with asphalt tile and finish, these represent some of
the best low-downpayment retirement homes I have
seen. For a slightly higher downpayment (about one
third) you can, however, obtain even better values
from private builders who are able to cut corners
which the FHA do not permit. Yesterday, I looked
at several new frame dwellings near St. Petersburg
selling for $7,900. They had two bedrooms, tile bath,
living room, large kitchen with dining space, breeze-

way, 2-car carport, and utility room-all on a spacious
lot facing the breeze.
While these are about the lowest priced new homes
available, the average price ranges from $8,500-$10,-
500, better class upper middle income bracket homes
$10,500-$15,500, and rather fashionable ultra modern
places $15,500-$17,500 and up. For retirement on a
small income, though, the lower cost FHA financed,
or privately built homes, for less than $8,000 are per-
fectly adequate and quite well suited to Florida living.
If you are looking for large older homes, small
farms, and rural places from which to operate a
business, your best bet is northern Florida. With
care, you can buy places that approach-in size of
land and house-some of the rural bargains to be
found in the Ozarks and New England. At the time
of writing, a small two room frame house on 29 acres
of fairly fertile soil near Jacksonville was for sale for
$3,500, a small cottage for $1,600, a nine room home
near Lake City for $4,500, a seven room bungalow
for $4,650, a four room bungalow with 50 acres near
Ocala for $6,750, another for $3,500, and an old
place of five rooms with 40 acres near Starke for
$1,350. With a little fixing up or even construction
of a new dwelling, some of these places represent an
opportunity to own land and a larger home in Florida
than is possible on the same money farther south. Of
course, none of them are really bargains; you only
get what you pay for. But to those who prefer rural
or small town environments and are prepared to im-
prove a property inexpensively with their own labor,
such places are well worth a close examination. Very
occasionally, you can find similar places in central and
even south Florida, particularly in Lee County.
What time of year you come to Florida to buy
makes very little difference. Time was when owners
tended to reduce prices during the summer but this
is no longer true. However, many authorities state
that you should rent for a year before buying in any
one place. This is sound advice but if you don't want
to wait that long, my suggestion is simply to rent
during the hot months of July, August, and Septem-
ber. If you like a place during those months, you
can fairly safely depend upon liking it during the
cooler remainder of the year. In this case, there is a
definite advantage in coming to Florida during sum-
mer when rents are low. As for waiting for real estate
prices to come down, the guess of most real estate
men is that you'll wait for ever. Real estate prices
in Florida have doubled in value approximately
every 25 years.
Once arrived in the community of your choice and
having decided after renting for a summer or a year
(or perhaps just having made a most exhaustive in-

vestigation) your first step in acquiring property will
be to find a reliable real estate agent. Since the sec-
ond boom in Florida real estate, hundreds of new
dealers have entered the business. Nearly all are
honest but a minority are not past putting over a
shady deal. You can trust, as a rule, all those dealers
who are members of a Florida Realty Board. Only
such agents are permitted to call themselves realtors;
non-members are not. Of course, there are also thou-
sands of perfectly honest agents who are not realty
board members. But unless you can have a bank or
reliable source recommend one, you cannot be cer-
tain with whom you are dealing. Even the most
honest can skip lightly over the drawbacks to a place
while extolling its virtues. Owing to this tendency,
you should not be satisfied with salesmen's opinions
but should check on all the facts pertaining to your
prospective purchase with city officials.
When you buy a lot, for instance, there are many
points you'll want to check on regarding zoning, fire-
plugs, water and sewerage, and schools. For above all
else, location is the one critical factor that will make
your lot (or completed home) a good or bad buy. An
ideal lot should be in a quiet residential area free from
all through traffic, smoke, dust, and smell (which
freedom is not usually difficult to find in Florida).
Churches and recreations should not lie more than
two miles distant and you should be able to walk
easily to the nearest grocery store. A shopping centre
should be within four miles. The lot itself should be
as large as possible, preferably square shaped. Avoid
corner lots, key or butt lots which adjoin corner lots,
and tag end lots. Assuming your lot is large enough
for fruit trees and a garden if you want it, it should
also be placed so that neighboring homes do not block
off the breeze.
Now, after location, provision of a steady breeze is
one of the most important points to be observed in
choosing any lot or home location in Florida. Get a
lot so that you can build your home broadside to the
prevailing breeze. On the Gulf Coast you'll want your
house to face southwest, on the Atlantic Coast south-
east, and in central Florida facing south. If the lot is
on the north side of a street you will want the house
well back from the street; if on the south side, the
house should be nearer the street.
Next to the breeze and location, pick the right
neighbors. They should be folks in the same income
bracket as yourselves; neither people you can't keep
up with nor people who can't keep up with you. If
any other homes are built in the neighborhood al-
ready, they should have neat well kept yards although
lack of lawns is really nothing to go by in Florida;
the true Floridian has too much sense to struggle with

Buying an older Florida home
Pay an architect or builder $10-$15 to
survey the home for structural defects. Be
particularly suspicious if the roof sags or stains
show up on ceilings and walls.
If the walls are of concrete block, be sure
they are firred.
Have the property appraised by the FHA
or a Building and Loan Company to gauge
its resale value.
If you are planning to remodel it, get an
architect's estimate first.
If the house is of frame construction, in-
sist that the seller pays for a termite inspection.
Homes of cypress wood are almost immune
to termites, however.
If the house checks O.K. on all these
points and lies in a desirable location, offer
10% less than the owner is asking. Chances
are it will be overpriced anyway and he'll be
glad to take your offer.

one. Too, the region should be free of hazards such as
gas storage tanks and airports.
Although one does not see'curved streets so often
now in new Florida subdivisions, they are ideal for
slowing traffic past your house; on the other hand
being near an intersection with stop signs means
listening to crashing gears and squealing brakes
(which is one good reason for avoiding corner and
key lots). If you have children, you'll want to check
up on the location of the nearest school-preferably it
should be within half a mile-and you'll also want to
check with the school board to see that no new schools
will be built near you. You'll want to make sure that
your property will have adequate police and fire pro-
tection and that there is a fireplug near at hand to
help lower your insurance rates. There should also
be at least two garbage collections weekly unless you
are allowed to burn your own trash at all seasons.
The ideal contour on which to select a lot is land
with a moderate slope or even on rolling land. Pick
the highest and driest lot you can. To be sure it is
dry, drive out to it after a heavy rain and see whether
water collects on it. This, incidentally, is another fa-
vorable point in coming to Florida to buy during
summer.
Obviously you can't select a good lot unless you
see it, yet every year thousands of northerners buy
lots in Florida by mail, sight unseen. Rapidly increas-

ing, this type of selling is sometimes sponsored by
an adjunct of the real estate firm misleadingly called
a Chamber of Commerce. Such Chambers of Com-
merce have no connection with bona fide Chambers
representing local businessmen. They are merely
dummy organizations existing in name only with
the idea that buyers will think the subdivision a
municipal project. For large numbers of subdivisions
sold- by mail consist of nothing more than staked-
out lots with a few black top roads, at least one
completed house but seldom more than ten, and
often they are without water supplies or sewage.
Frequently the lots are so small that you must buy
at least two and in addition you must instal your own
well and septic tank. Because much of Florida's best
land, or that which can be developed cheaply, has
already been built on, low priced lots are often on
undesirable land at low elevations. Neither local banks
nor the FHA will finance home building on them
while local savings and loan associations refuse to
advance more than 20% of building costs. All too
often, lots of this type are offered for sale by mail,
sight unseen.
Few Northerners are aware that half of Florida,
including almost all the populous coastal resort area,
is within 25 feet of sea level, and much of it at an
elevation of ten feet or less. A fine sand topsoil
underlain by clay hardpan complicates soil penetra-
tion so that during summer rains, septic tanks can
overflow and toilets and drains back up inside homes.
As many as 160,000 bacteria per ounce has been
found in filth water overflowing from flooded septic
tanks. This situation occurs only in depressed, low
lying areas but since this is the cheapest land, the
risk of buying cheap lots sight unseen by mail is all
too apparent.
All subdivisions built with FHA or VA loans are
checked by county health departments but cheap pri-
vate developments are seldom submitted to the State
Board of Health for prior review. The Florida State
Board of Health cannot legally prevent creation of a
land development nor the actual construction of homes
even though it is known that sanitary facilities will
prove inadequate. Permits are required before septic
tanks can be installed but it is difficult to refuse a
septic tank permit after a home has already been
constructed. There has, for example, been a good
deal of unsanitary overflow from septic tanks in low
lying parts of St. Petersburg, a shortcoming now
being remedied by a city wide sewage installation
This is not to say that all lots sold by mail in
Florida are undesirable or will prove unsanitary.
Many lots are on high ground and served by sewers
and city water supplies. But I would emphasize that

you see a lot before you buy it, especially after a
heavy summer downpour. And if a septic tank is
necessary, don't fail to check with an engineer to
ensure that grade levels and water table are safe.
On all city and suburban property, you should
expect a public water supply with the mains already
in place. Or failing this, there should be an adequate
community water system. Since much of Florida's
water contains an offensive hydrogen sulphide odor
and is corrosive, the plant should include some type
of aerator, ground storage, and a chlorinator to re-
move these undesirable components. Some Florida
water also contains iron or/ground color requiring
further treatment. You should also expect an elevated
water tank. Many cheap natural flow supplies in-
stalled in poorly planned subdivisions have proved
woefully inadequate during periods of heavy use. In-
dividual wells are satisfactory in rural areas but
do be sure the well is deep enough or you will never
have clear water.
Your residential area should be strictly zoned
against the intrusion of industry, cemeteries, rail-
roads, and the like, and the restrictions should be
rigidly enforced. Failing this, the area should be
protected from encroachment by some natural barrier
such as waterways, parks, or golf courses. Also, the
area should be zoned for the price class of the home
you intend to erect on it. To be sure, go to the zoning
commission's office and find out. Ask also whether
zoning restrictions are altered frequently and if they
are, regard this as a bad sign. Florida municipalities
make their own zoning regulations. For this purpose
each community is divided into districts, in each of
which zoning regulations are standard. But standards
may vary from district to district, even within the
same small town. So be certain to inquire exactly
what zoning regulations apply to the district in which
you plan to buy. The most common zoning classifica-
tions are type R-l, the highest residential specifica-
tion usually calling for a home with 1,200 square
feet or more of floor space; and R-2 calling for 1,000
square feet or more. Provided your section lies adja-
cent to one of the city's better residential districts and
outside it-that is, on the side away from the down-
town section-you should be fairly safe, however. Try
to ascertain, too, whether a major thoroughfare is
planned to go through your section; if it is, look
elsewhere.
Youri object in going to all this trouble is, of course,
to try and visualize what the area will look like ten
years from now. If in the course of a decade, your
home is going to be one of fifty others lined up on tiny
lots looking directly across to the unkempt yards with
a constant stream of traffic passing by, you will never

regain its true value. On the other hand, if you have
chosen a lot in a tightly zoned area, you can expect
to show a profit of 10%o-20% on your original invest-
ment (after depreciation) when and if you should
sell. And if you must drive to work, or use a bus at
any time, try to select an area with a convenient bus
stop from which you can reach your place of work
within 20 minutes at most.
Actually, few Florida lots are located in such ideal
surroundings as to fit every single one of these re-
quirements perfectly. But you should at least observe
the principal rules for lot buying and try to choose
a lot which concurs with two thirds of the other
requirements.
Your problem will then be what to build on it. If
you want to see what not to build, just drive around
the older sections of any Florida city and take a
quick look at all the bizarre, unsuitable places put up
during the boom of the 20's. There are Cape Codders,
Moorish palaces, Old Southern homes, places with
facades like Japanese or Hindu temples, Swiss cha-
lets, and California-Spanish d-signs with microscopic
patios. None of them were designed for Florida liv-
ing. All are hot, dark, and poorly ventilated; they
were designed by northern builders with little or no
idea how life should be lived in the sub-tropics. Even
a contemporary ranch style home so popular else-
where in the U.S. is unsuited for Florida.
Remember, you'll be deep in the sub-tropics with,
from May through September, temperatures and con-
ditions identical in every way with those in the real
tropics. In your ideal Florida home you'll want light,
air, and plenty of access to the outdoors. Northern
style homes do not achieve this. But Florida's new
functional architecture does with glass, concrete
block, and sunshine, gay pastels, and exquisite curves
and angles. The modern Florida designed and built
home is devoted entirely to the idea of comfortable
sub-tropical living. So unless you are buying a stock
FHA approved model-many of which have open
air Florida rooms or breezeways-your best plan is
to hire a progressive minded Florida architect to
design your home. Investing in a modern Florida
type home is something you will never regret. For in
a few years, no other type of house will be salable at
all.
In return for a fee of approximately 6%, a Florida
architect will design and supervise construction of a
home tailored to give you the best in Florida living:
you'll get ventilation for every room on at least two
sides with a southern exposure for the dining and
living rooms. The south, or front side, will be wide
open to the winter sun and summer breezes while a
row of small windows high up in the north wall of

your home will provide a lee side escape for hot air.
Four foot wide eaves on the east, south, and west
sides will prevent the high summer sun from pene-
trating your rooms and will help keep rain off
painted exterior walls. (Paint is notoriously short-
lived in Florida; this is just one example of the many
ways in which an architect will save you money in
the long run.) Your architect will give you picture
windows with louvres and jalousies. He'll ventilate
and insulate your roof; probably you'll get a flat one
for cheapness. Other savings will enter into the pic-
ture: since there is no frost, foundations and water
pipe footings can be shallow. Your architect will give
you a large garage or utility room because he'll save
you 25% over northern costs by omitting a basement;
in its place, he'll provide additional storage space.
He'll see that your porch faces the yard and not the
street; if you have selected a waterfront location,
you'll get tile floors and some facility for raising
furniture off the floor in case of a hurricane. In fact,
your entire ground floor would be higher than usual.
In any case, no matter where you are located, you'll
be well advised to have a concrete floor covered with
ceramic tile. And chances are, you'll get an attractive
light grey roof to reflect the sun's rays and to set your
house off with a harmonious relief.
You'll have two or more places in your home where
you can eat and sleep outdoors in summer. Every
corner of the house will have cross ventilation. And
you'll probably have a solar hot water heater with an
auxiliary electric booster which will provide you
with hot water at all times for practically no cost at
all. (If you do intend having one of these solar water
heaters, install it while building to save money.)
Because heating is of no very great consequence in
Florida, your architect may leave selection of this to
you. In southern Florida it is possible to heat by fire-
place alone but most people-including myself-find a
small circulating oil or gas heater perfectly adequate.
Some people, however, prefer built-in electric wall
heaters but these are expensive to install. To keep cool,
you can, if you wish, air condition one or more rooms
with a unit costing about $350. Home air conditioning
units have never attained much popularity in Florida
though, as most people find portable electric fans do
a creditable job at one twentieth of the price. Away
from the vicinity of large lakes and the ocean, where
the land cools appreciably after dark, attic fans are
a useful adjunct for cool living in Florida's sub-
tropical climate. For complete instructions on the
correct operation of attic fans for night cooling and
daytime circulation of cool night air, read Arthur
Carson's How to Keep Cool, $1 postpaid from
Harian's.

A home on the Florida keys
Since bays, peninsulas, and other barriers
cause water to dam up and flood during a
hurricane, the safest places are-on keys sur-
rounded by plenty of uninterrupted water area.
Reefs and banks to seaward also help break
the seas and lessen chances of damage. Best
way to picture how safe any particular site
may be is to study a Coast and Geodetic Sur-
vey chart of the area. Your home should be
built at least three feet off the ground.
Beware of buying land that needs dredging
and filling in with blasted rock if other build-
ings are already erected near your site. Dyna-
miting would crack them, which means your
site could not be levelled or. filled. Another
tip to bear in mind is that this blasting costs
only half as much in the softer oolite south
of Marathon as it does in the harder coral of
keys north of that community.
Be sure your land has been properly sur-
veyed and that the permanent survey markers
are still intact. Since many have been de-
stroyed, your best plan is to take out title
insurance. Also check up on your oil and
mineral rights as some 50% of key land has
been leased for this purpose. And finally be
sure you will get water, for recently no fur-
ther connections were being made until the
new pipeline to Key West was completed.

Although the preceding facts are given to acquaint
you with the best features of an ideal Florida home,
they will also give you a very good idea of what to
look for when purchasing any type of home in Flor-
ida. Any home without adequate cross ventilation
and lots of light should be regarded with disfavor.
Once your home is erected, its value can be in-
creased 5%-10% by proper landscaping. For this
purpose, FHA loans are available for $100-$2,500.
As I have said several time already in this book,
lawns are unsuited to the stb-tripicc and. most expert
gardeners in Florida prefer to look out '!qlrich
green mass of luxuriant tropical verdure. If you wanit'
palms-and who doesn't since they're a constant re-
minder of sunshine and warmth-send to the State
Agricultural Department at Tallahassee for Bulletin
#228, Native and Exotic Palms of Florida which
tells you all about where the different species grow

Public land in Florida

For information about sale of lands that
have reverted to the state for non payment of
taxes, inquire of the Clerk of the Circuit
Court in the Florida county in which you are
interested.
State lands up to 40 acres in extent are
subject to homestead entry by Florida citizens
who are veterans of World War II. For in-
formation, write Secretary and Engineer,
Trustees II Fund, Capitol Bldg., Tallahassee.
Small 5-acre tracts of public land in
Florida may be leased as homesites or for
recreational purposes for as little as $1 an
acre. For details write to the Regional Ad-
ministrator, Bureau of Land Management,
Washington 25, D.C. Ask for the pamphlet
Small Tracts and inquire about the availability
of classified public lands in the part of Florida
in which you are interested.

and how to raise them. If you plant the right type of
decorative trees, shrubs, and hedges, you can have an
almost year around supply of delicious fruits and
provide excellent landscaping at the same time. De-
spite the fact that the breadfruit tree will not grow in
mainland Florida, you can, if you wish, pick many of
your meals from trees in your garden. You can live in
a paradisical house in a sub-tropical Eden. And if
you do the landscaping yourself, the whole works-
architect, house, lot, furniture, and landscaping-need
not cost you more than $8,000 combined.
You could do the entire job yourself for much less,
of course for something like $5,500 or $6,000.
Hundreds of people, young and old, have built their
own homes in Florida. Some lived in trailers on the
lot while doing it and then, because they bought the
trailer in the North, have sold it for as much as they
gave for it. Others, especially on the keys, have built
small unsealed cabins in which they have lived while
building. But many people elsewhere in Florida find
it just as convenient to rent while erecting their own
homes during~A~e summertime.
CosTis r having the average home built work out
- ''$7-$10 per square foot, building costs varying by
as much as 25% in different parts of Florida. The
usual breakdown of the total is to allow 10% for the
lot, 6% for the architect, 3% for landscaping, and
12% for legal expenses. Concrete block stucco
(CBS) construction costs 5%-10% more than frame

but is advisable only if you have your walls firred
(that is, to leave a space between the plaster and
concrete block to combat dampness). The way homes
are built nowadays, either construction is equally
satisfactory with frame homes almost 100% termite
proof.
Whatever you do, though, don't sign any papers
without getting professional advice. If you are using
an architect, he can probably save you many legal
expenses by using standard forms. But otherwise,
you should not even make a deposit on a lot without
legal advice.
Closing costs on a small home in the $7,000 bracket
amount to around $160, or $300 with FHA financing.
These sums include a survey, documentary stamp
tax, appraisal fee, and intangibles tax. Title insurance
costs an additional $2.50 per thousand plus a flat
$2.50 basic charge.
Naturally, you'll want to choose a home you can
pay for without straining your resources. Most family
economists agree that the value of your home should
not exceed 2y times your annual income while
monthly payments should not be more than one
fourth of your monthly remuneration. Most Florida
mortgages are resold within a short time to out of
state institutional lenders; on older properties the
interest rate is 6%. To be resold, these mortgages
have to offer pretty watertight security insofar as the
resale value of your Florida home is concerned. So if
you experience any trouble getting a mortgage for
under 66% of the value of your property, be sus-
picious-you are probably buying a lemon.
Find out exactly how much your taxes amount to
with homestead exemption, add in the cost of insur-
ance, and figure out your total monthly payments.
Monthly payments on a 10-year loan at 4 % amount
to $10.36 per thousand, at 6% to $11.10. Over ten
years you will pay $1,218 in interest on a 4/% loan
while over a 20-year period you would pay $2,592, or
more than twice as much. So if you want to buy your
Florida home as cheaply as possible, put down as
large a lump sum as you can afford. The monthly load
will then be easier to carry and in the long run you'll
pay far less.
Should you buy an older Florida home? Provided
you can find one with good light and ventilation, in
good condition, and in a well maintained section, an
older home can be an excellent buy. While costs of
undeveloped land and new homes have been steadily
rising, the cost of older Florida homes has already
reached a peak and begun to swing downwards.
Naturally, you should not expect to realize any
appreciation on your investment; if you resell you
will probably lose out. Yet for anyone who is posi-

tive they will not move or sell later on, an older
home has many advantages. You'll get more floor
space for your money, a central location often with
view, better construction and quality; usually you'll
get a sewer and city water, your taxes will be low,
and, most important, you'll get a ready made yard
complete with bearing citrus and fruit trees, flowers,
and lawn for which you'd otherwise have to wait
three or four years. Do be sure that an older home
is in good condition, avoid houses that require ex-
terior wall paint, and at all costs spurn California
type stucco structures not built of solid tile (instead
they are actually of frame construction with the
stucco hung on wire-these often sell cheaply but are
true lemons). For other cautions consult the box in
this chapter.

How to make money from Florida real estate
With few exceptions, all the great real estate for-
tunes of America were made during periods of rap-
idly growing cities. So it is interesting to dwell for
a moment on the advice of John Jacob Astor who
revealed the principles behind his operations. His
advice was:
"Buy on the fringe and wait. Buy land near a grow-
ing city. Buy real estate when other people want to
sell. Hold what you buy."
Florida is now in a stage of growth corresponding
closely with that earlier period of the industrial age
when the Astor fortune was made. It is a stage of
fast growing cities, of quick profits in some cases, and
a stage where the big time real estate investor or
speculator with his seasoned experience and profes-
sional guidance does not have nearly such an advan-
tage over the smaller operator as was the case some
years ago.
The first problem confronting the investor seeking
to follow Astor's "buy on the fringe" advice is to find
out which cities are growing, or will grow, fastest.
To a great extent, the answer can be found in the
city and town directory in the second part of this
book. Even if some of the actual cities listed seem
somewhat on the mature side, there will often be
found smaller spring-off communities close by which
are just beginning to grow. In some cases, communi-
ties have yet to begin their growth and this is where
the best opportunities lie provided you are prepared
to wait and allow the city's expansion to roll over
your property and increase its value.
In all cases, one should be prepared to do some
waiting. That is the whole secret of successful real'
estate investment or speculation. It is virtually im-
possible to be certain of buying at the bottom of the

market and, in a few weeks' time, being able to realize
twice or thrice the original value. Such cases occurred
on the Gold Coast during the boom of the 20's-but
they didn't last long. Far better is it to buy or make
a payment on a piece of land that seems firmly estab-
lished in the path of progress and then allow it to
"ripen" for a, few years till the profit can be realized.
To be able to do this, one should have the necessary
means to take care of the mortgage, improvements,
and taxes. But even in the light of such wise precau-
tions, it is only true to say that in Florida's fastest
growing cities, the profit can come much more rap-
idly. Yet one should be prepared to sit and wait, just
the same. For failure to be able to carry the land for
a few years can mean the loss of all your operating
capital instead of making a handsome profit. The
downpayment needed to handle deals that can bring
you $20,000-$30,000 or even $50,000 within a few
years or less is often not more than $5,000. But costs
of improvements and carrying charges have brought
failure to many a shoestring operator.
Assuming you have the necessary finance to invest
in and hold a likely piece of land, and have chosen a
promising community or a location with very strong
expectations of new industry or population, where
should you buy?
It is rather unlikely that you will be able to pur-
chase a plant site in advance, so the two types of
property remaining are business and residential loca-
tions. In a small community that has just commenced
a rapid growth, watch carefully for the first indica-
tions of where the better class residential district will
develop. At the same time, a nucleus of downtown
stores will have begun to grow, probably along the
main highway that runs through the community.
Chances are that the best residential district will be
located well back off the main highway on higher
ground to one side or the other.
As soon as the locations of the two districts, the
downtown retail section and the higher priced resi-
dential section, have become evident, go quietly about
purchasing frontage adjacent to the business district
on the most direct route to the new residential district.
In nine cases out of ten, this will be the site of the new
downtown business district of the future. This is
where the chains and department stores will locate
and where many small stores will gather to obtain the
custom of shoppers drawn by the steady advertising
of the department stores. If you have any choice
between sites on one side of the street or the other,
buy on the shaded or south side, for here will come
the women's stores which always bid for the best
locations. (Incidentally, this is also the best location
if buying your own land on which to start a store.)

Be sure, of course, that the town's planners don't
intend to have a park or ban business from the prop-
erty you are considering. Most small towns at this
stage have few such plans, however, although Flor-
ida's new zoning laws may have to be looked into.
In attempting to forecast what will become the fu-
ture 100% business location, be cautious of ex-
tremely wide streets or very narrow ones. Wide
streets are all right for drive-in business establish-
ments but the larger chain and department stores
which rely on foot shoppers, shun them. Long, nar-
row lots confine their utility to chain stores and
smaller shops. While chain stores bring excellent
rental income, the biggest profits can be realized
from department stores, many of which today are
demanding parking space in addition to a building
site.
In buying other downtown or central property,
beware of sites near the railroad depot or close to
the tracks. These seldom rise in value. Nor does land
around an industrial plant or cemetery. Land front-
ing on the main highway at either side of town is
invariably a good investment even if you have to pay
higher-than-market prices for it. For those opening
a roadside business, property bordering the outer
side of a curve in the road is an excellent prospect.
Buy a 500-foot frontage if possible for drive-in fa-
cilities for a roadstand or filling station. If there is a
recreational attraction such as a state park or lake
close at hand, buy land for a farm produce roadstand
on the outside of a curve where you will be on the
right hand side of the road facing homeward bound
traffic. A filling station seems to do best on the op-
posite side of the road where people can fill up as they
leave town for their Sunday drive. In buying highway
frontage, a good point to remember is that most cities
will grow away from their nucleus towards their
nearest city neighbor.
One way to be certain of buying desirable business
property is to arrange a lease-back purchase. Through
the real estate departments of Florida banks you may
often hear about opportunities to purchase land for
lease back to oil companies, drug and chain stores,
and sometimes post offices. Few of these concerns
wish to tie up their money in real estate and they
prefer to lease sites from individuals. For this reason,
they are often anxious for an individual to purchase
the site they require and lease it back to them. Mort-
gages on this type of property are easily obtainable
for;75%-90% of value, at 4% interest or less, and
returns on your investment are excellent.
As a Florida city grows, opportunities for cen-
trally located apartment houses occur as the popula-
tion increases. Principal housing demands are, of

course, for small modern homes on large lots, with a
trend in the middle income groups, and definitely so
in the upper groups, for a bathroom with each bed-
room and a two car garage or carport. But there will
always be a demand for year around rental apart-
ments in Florida, preferably nowadays of the compact
two bedroom types. Built to single or double story
plans, such apartments catering to medium and upper
income bracket clientele will generally yield a good
return as an investment. Buildings of more than two
stories, including stores and offices, seldom pay nowa-
days. It is a fact, sad but true, that apartments built
for lower priced rentals seldom pay off in these times.
By pooling their money, however, small groups of
friends or individuals are often able to form syndi-
cates and buy up an apartment house cheaply in
Florida. Those that select a capable manager then
frequently obtain returns as high as 15% annually
on their investment.
Now let's take a look at the fringe lands of our
fast growing Florida community. Wherever rough
or broken land, swamp or lake or river meets a town's
borders, the town will stop growing in that direction.
Of course, if a river is bridged, the growth goes on
beyond. But few bridges are built in a city's early
years. Often, the most profitable fringe lands will be
on level to slightly rolling terrain-light woodland is
advantageous for future shade tree attractions-ad-
jacent to existing improvements and bus routes.
This is where allotment companies step in and buy
acreage for sub-division. You can purchase this land
and sell at a profit when the company scouts come
round. Or you can try marketing it yourself. Al-
though a highly specialized business, like all other
businesses sub-dividing can be learned. There are
many books and cooperative real estate agents to
advise you. Most sub-dividing nowadays is done on
the principle of 4 or 5 to one. That is, a fourth or
fifth of the selling price becomes profit, a fourth goes
to buy land, a fourth goes for improvements, and a
fourth goes for selling and other expenses. But in a
fast growing Florida community with a ready made
clientele, advertising and selling can be reduced ma-
terially leaving a much greater profit margin and
something to take care of mistakes if any are made.
If an allotment company is already selling vacant
lots in a city that you believe is going to grow fast,
the smaller investor can often make a nice profit by
buying one or more vacant lots and holding them.
Buy early, if possible, and do not attempt to sell until
the company has sold its last lot. Once their competi-
tion is out of the way, the lot can generally be sold
for a profit that will yield a return of at least 8%-10%
annually on the original investment, including taxes

and assessments for improvements. The formula for
successful speculation in Florida lots is simply never
to buy a vacant lot unless there appears to be an
obvious demand for it. In a fast growing city, mis-
takes of this kind are harder to make than in a larger,
slower growing northern city. But they can befall
the incautious.
On the outskirts of larger, well established cities
will be found many opportunities for profitable in-
vestment. Undeveloped cross road sites on main
arteries radiating from city centres will almost cer-
tainly rise in value. While they may not immediately
become the location of new business districts, they can
often be leased for five or ten years to a gas station
until business begins to group at that spot. If new
sub-divisions are to be opened on either side of a
cross roads of this nature, such frontage will almost
inevitably bring future rich rewards as business sites.
Business frontage bordering new highways, or
highways due to be widened, is usually a good buy,
even if bought above market prices. In fast growing
suburban areas, business districts usually spring up
at intervals of 2-3 miles apart in each direction.
Although prices of older homes, motels, and hotels
have reached a peak in Florida, prices of new homes
and undeveloped land continue to rise. This is largely
because most of the best land near cities has already
been used and high, dry, easily drained lands are
becoming harder to find. The outlook for future in-
vestment? Near cities, land which costs more than

average to develop can still be purchased cheaply
by the acre. Within a few years, shortage of land
will force developers to purchase and open up this
land, even at higher cost. And much of this acreage,
when sold by the foot, will bring good profits to
today's investors. Thus Florida's undeveloped lands
continue to sell well and rise steadily in price, espe-
cially in southern Florida and in Dade County in
particular.
Of course, you'll know that it is cheaper to buy and
sell Florida land on the installment plan, just as it is
elsewhere. In fact, most Florida deals are closed for
a 29% downpayment followed by three equal annual
installments. This permits the seller to prorate his
capital gains tax over four years. Too, as the six
months holding rule can lower your taxes, few prop-
erties are sold within six months of purchase. Mort-
gage payments are also favored on buildings because
you can then depreciate the property much more
rapidly and with greater deductions from your taxable
income. This tax lore has done much to reduce fast
buy and sell deals in Florida and to encourage buyers
to hold and wait.
There are rich rewards for the real estate investor
or speculator in present day Florida. The man who
can grasp the change that is taking place and has
the foresight to make a fairly good estimate of de-
velopments in his community over the next 4-8 years,
will be the wealthy man of tomorrow.

Investing in real estate for profit on the East Coast of Florida

-a special report

(Reprinted from the Fabulous Gold Coast of Florida,
by Percy Brower, leading Gold Coast real estate
authority.)

With the number of visitors and new residents
increasing each year by leaps and bounds, with the
surface of industrial development barely scratched,
the Florida East Coast is still in its infancy. Hotel,
apartment, and industrial properties will continue to
be "Blue Chip" real estate investments for larger
capital. Smaller investors will necessarily seek new
communities along the 375 miles of Florida's Gold
Coast where development prices are still low. It is
my opinion that anyone who buys wisely in a Gold
Coast community being developed along sound lines
and where BUILDING CONSTRUCTION IS
UNDER WAY, should never regret it. When you
buy real estate at current low prices in a new sound
growing community you are turning back the calen-

dar of Gold Coast history and opening for yourself
the same wonderful investment opportunities that the
present large East Coast centres, during their early
growth, offered to early investors.
About twenty-five years ago, Felix Isman, a highly
successful real estate operator wrote "Throughout
the history of real estate, GROWTH and crowds
make values-and always will. The most spectacular
enhancement in real estate has been and will be in
PLACES WHERE PEOPLE PLAY." He cited
Atlantic City, Coney Island, Long Beach, and Miami
where this story was being proven and since Isman
wrote that, investors in real estate have made hun-
dreds of millions of dollars in the very resorts he
mentioned.
Florida (and particularly its East Coast) is an
outstanding example of both the "Growth" theory
and "Play" theory.

Ocean front is still soaring along the Gold Coast
according to Mr. W. R. Overbeck of Lee and
Williams, real estate brokers in Miami Beach. He
quotes a parcel in South Hollywood sold for $420
a front foot in 1950 with an offer of $700 a front
foot turned down by the purchaser a year later in
1951 and a parcel at Sunny Isles sold for $600
a front foot less than a year ago is now being leased
on a basis of $1,000 per front foot. More recently, a
large tract sold in Dade County at $350 an acre, rose
the following year to $850 an acre, and two years
after the original purchase was being offered at $2,200
per acre. Another tract near Miami purchased at
about the same time for $650 an acre sold three years
later at $3,250 per acre.
There are numerous instances all along the Gold
Coast of people purchasing property and building
motels and beach apartments which when rented
brought them thirty and forty percent annually on
their investment. Many of these investors sold out
promptly for double and triple their original cost
and the new purchasers at the higher prices are
getting attractive returns from their investment.
While not as active as Miami, Palm Beach is also
a "Blue Chip" zone for big investors in hotel sites
and business properties with many profitable trans-
actions recorded. The population has almost doubled
since 1945 and assessed valuations including a re-
valuation in 1947, have risen in five years from
$37,935,410 to $83,739,670, an increase of 26% a
year.
A vast building program since the war has made
real estate values soar at Daytona Beach. The Upper
Gold Coast, including Daytona Beach and Greater
Melbourne, is recognized as a summer resort for
Floridians and residents of other southern states.
Along this beautiful stretch of ocean front has been
developed the "beach apartments" as distinguished
from the overnight motor courts or motels of Jack-
sonville and along through highways, and from the
hotels of Miami and Palm Beach.
These beach apartments charge higher rates than
the overnight motor courts, lower rates than the

better hotels. They are more luxuriously equipped
than the motels, usually have a kitchen and are rented
by the week, month, or by the season to people who
prefer seclusion away from traffic, on the ocean front.
They contain from five to fifty units, average about
ten, and have the appearance of a large private home
or garden apartments. They are considered residen-
tial and are often built alongside of and in between
private homes. Even in the summertime it is often
difficult to find a vacancy in many of these attractive
beach apartments. The erection of these profitable
income producers, which are a recent innovation
along the ocean front, has often doubled, tripled, and
quadrupled real estate values in the sections where
they have been built. Some beach apartments have
been sold and re-sold three and four times in a single
year, each time at a substantial profit.
There are literally hundreds of beach apartments
on the Daytona Peninsula running miles south of
the city. Similar development has started on the
Greater Melbourne peninsula between Melbourne
and Sebastian Inlet. This strip of ocean front, a palm-
studded plateau, is particularly adaptable for beach
apartments. Beach apartment development and the
erection of many private year 'round homes in recent
years have created considerable real estate activity
in Melbourne. Its population has doubled in the past
ten years. Building permits have increased sharply
each year for the past three years and real estate
is beginning to change hands at higher and higher
prices.
In Vero Beach, south of Melbourne, building per-
mits have increased from $212,805 in 1940 to $2,630,-
993 in 1950. I have not found a single town along
the Gold Coast where the valuation has not shown
remarkable enhancement over the past ten years. In-
vestors from the North will continue to invest huge
sums in the central areas of big Florida cities. You
cannot stop the ever onward and upward progress
and enhancement anywhere along Florida's fabulous
Gold Coast. For the smaller investor, however, there
are still many opportunities in new Gold Coast com-
munities where they can still get in on the ground
floor and grow up with the town.

CHAPTER XII

EDUCATION and SCHOOL DIRECTORY

by

George Adams, author of
How to Afford that College Education...And Where to Study

Every year, some 50,000 out-of-state children
attend Florida's public schools while their parents
vacation in the state. Florida schools have modern
buildings and good standards; seldom can a northern
child qualify for placement in a higher grade than
the one in which he or she was studying in the North.
All that is necessary for a visitor to do to qualify
his child for entry into a Florida public school is to
buy a Florida auto tag. If no car is owned, even this
step is unnecessary. There is no minimum time limit
for which an out-of-state child must be enrolled in
a Florida school; after a physical and mental exam-
ination, the child is entered in the grade for which
he or she qualifies. Local principals do, however,
accept credits from out-of-state schools. For informa-
tion about schools in any Florida community, write
to the Superintendant of Public Instruction at the
local county seat.
In the field of higher education, Florida offers
courses in almost every branch but dentistry and
medicine (and will have those soon at Coral Gables).
Standards of courses range from satisfactory to ex-
cellent. One of the best things about college in Florida
is its lower cost. You can obtain a bachelor's degree
in liberal arts, for instance, for around $4,000 instead
of the average $5,000 required for the U.S. as a
whole. Another point in favor of going to college in
Florida is that while doing so, you enjoy year around
living in the Sunshine State with all the benefits of

Institutions of Higher Education in Florida

that good Florida living that go with it. Some colleges
even have beach cottages and camps.
Each of the principal four year colleges offers a
liberal arts course with specialization in a wide num-
ber of subjects ranging from bait casting to water
skiing. All the colleges save one provide year 'round
programs and all are co-educational. Night classes
are available in Tallahassee and Miami among other
places.
To meet the needs of Florida's fast growing popu-
lation, 16 new two year community colleges and 3-4
four year colleges have been planned as part of a
public higher education project. And to meet the need
for new schools, counties have been empowered to
borrow state funds against anticipated receipts with
which to begin immediate construction of new schools.
All Florida schools are organized on a county sys-
tem, 51% of funds being supplied by the state (mostly
from sales tax) and 49% from ad valorum taxes in
the counties. Thus each county has its own superin-
tendent of public instruction with responsibility vested
in a county school board; there are no separate city
schools. Through the state's Minimum Foundation
Program all children receive equal minimum oppor-
tunities regardless of the wealth of their county and
rural schools offer substantially the same program as
urban schools. Noteworthy is Florida's standard of
teacher training which ranks third in the nation, 96%
of all teachers possessing four year college degrees.

RATING :
*****Senior colleges whose degrees
carry highest prestige and earning
power.
****Senior colleges with the highest
attainable regional accredition.
***Other senior colleges.
**Junior colleges with regional ac-
credition.
*Junior colleges not having regional
accredition.

*****Florida State University,
Tallahassee. Tuition free to Flor-
ida residents. Co-ed, State owned,
enrollment 6,100. Degrees: A.B.,
B.S., and wide range of profes-
sional degrees.
*****University of Florida,
Gainsville. Tuition free to Florida
residents but fees total about $150

a year. Co-ed, State owned, en-
rollment 8,000. Degrees: B.A.-
Ph.D., etc., with wide range of
courses.
****Barry College, Miami
Shores. Women, Catholic, enroll-
ment 300. Degrees: A.B., B.S.
****Florida Southern College,
Lakeland. Co-ed, Methodist, en-

rollment 1,500. Degrees: A.B.,
B.S., in liberal arts.
****University of Miami, Coral
Gables. Co-ed, private, enrollment
7,700. Degrees: A.B., B.S., and
professional degrees.
****Rollins College, Winter
Park. Uses conference study plan.
Co-ed, private, enrollment 600.
Degrees: A.B., B.S., B.Mus.
****John B. Stetson University,
DeLand. Co-ed, Baptist, enroll-
ment 2,075. Degrees: A.B., B.S.
****University of Tampa, Tam-
pa. Co-ed, private, enrollment
1,000. Degrees: A.B., B.S.
***Jacksonville College of Music,
Jacksonville. Co-ed, private, en-
rollment 75. Degrees: bachelor
and professional.
***Webber College, Babson
Park. General business training.
Women, private, enrollment 65.
Degrees: B.B.S.
**Jacksonville Junior College,
Jacksonville. Co-ed, municipal
and county enrollment 160. De-
grees: A.A.
**Palm Beach Junior College,
Lake Park. Co-ed, municipal and
county, enrollment 400. Degrees:
A.A.
**St. Petersburg Junior College,
St. Petersburg. Provides 13th
and 14th grades. Co-ed, munici-

pal and county, enrollment 450.
*Chipola Junior College, Mari-
anna. Tuition free to Florida resi-
dents, provides 13th and 14th
grades. Co-ed, municipal and
county, enrollment 166.
*Orlando Junior College, Orlan-
do. Co-ed, municipal and county,
enrollment 200. Degrees: two
year diploma.
*Pensacola Junior College, Pen-
sacola. Co-ed, municipal and
county, enrollment 385.
OTHERS
Fairmont Junior College, Or-
mond Beach. Co-ed, private.
Florida Naval Academy Junior
College, St. Augustine. Men,
private.
Florida Christian College, Tam-
pa. Provides occupational
courses. Co-ed, Church of
Christ, enrollment 200.
Ringling School of Art, Sarasota.
Co-ed, private, enrollment 175.
Degrees: B.A., designing.
St. Augustine Junior College, St.
Augustine. Co-ed, private.
University Foundation, St. Au-
gustine. Co-ed, private.
PRIVATE SCHOOLS
Admiral Farragut Academy, St.
Petersburg. Junior and senior
high. Boys, enrollment 250.

Bartram School, South Jackson-
ville. Grades 5-12. Girls, pri-
vate, enrollment 100.
Bolles School, Jacksonville. Jun-
ior and senior military high
school. Boys, enrollment 345.
Cathedral School, Orlando. Ele-
mentary and kindergarten.
Girls, enrollment 90.
Miami Country Day and Resi-
dent School, Miami. Elemen-
tary grades. Boys, private, en-
rollment 250.
Miss Harris School, Miami. All
grades, takes seasonal out-of-
state pupils. Girls, private, en-
rollment 200.
Pine Crest School, Fort Lauder-
dale and Pompano Beach. Spe-
cializes in seasonal out-of-state
pupils.
Ransom School, Miami. Junior
and senior high. Boys, enroll-
ment 100.
Shorecrest Outdoor School, St.
Petersburg. Grades 1-7. Co-ed,
private, enrollment 250.
St. Josephs Academy, Loretta.
Elementary. Boys, Catholic,
enrollment 200.
St. Josephs School, Key West.
Elementary. Boys, Catholic,
enrollment 250.
St. Leo College, St. Leo. Junior
and senior high. Co-ed, Catho-
lic, enrollment 225.

CHAPTER XIII

FLORIDA'S DIVORCE LAWS

Along with Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Arkansas,
Wyoming, and the Virgin Islands, Florida has, since
1935, provided very easy laws for the dissolution of
marriage. But the surprising thing about it is that
many couples who come to Florida to get divorced
find life so attractive here that they decide to stay
married instead. Actually, divorce lawyers believe
this is due to the state's rapid solution of the housing
problem. A sizeable number of divorces develop out
of living in cramped quarters or sharing a home
with in-laws. When couples find they can buy their
own homes in Florida for as little as $500 down,
many kiss and make up.
Although it is possible to obtain a final decree in
as short a period as two weeks from time of filing,
certain legal requirements must be met. The most
important is that the plaintiff must have resided in
the state for at least 90 days prior to filing a Bill of
Complaint. Further, the plaintiff must have no pres-
ent intention of returning to live in any other state.
Proof, such as witnesses, voting registration, or a
declaration of residence, is needed to support the 90-
day residence requirement. To prove you intend re-
maining in Florida, you can buy a home, bring all
your possessions here, or get a job.
Actual divorce is granted only upon one or more
of the following nine grounds:
1. One of the parties was already married when
your marriage took place.
2. The parties are close blood relations.
3. The defendant habitually indulges in "violent
and ungovernable" temper.
4. The defendant has already obtained a divorce
from the plaintiff in another state or another
country.
5. The defendant is naturally impotent.
6. The defendant has deserted the plaintiff for one
year.
7. The defendant is guilty of adultery.
8. The defendant is guilty of extreme cruelty (in-
cluding mental cruelty).
9. The defendant has been continually and habitu-
ally drunk.

A marriage cannot be dissolved in Florida except
upon one or more of these grounds. Most lawyers
can, however, use other grounds on the basis that
they have contributed to one of the above. For exam-
ple, addiction to drugs is not a basis for divorce but
can be the cause of extreme cruelty. In fact, the
majority of Florida divorces are granted for extreme
cruelty. Usually, witnesses, or their sworn statements,
are needed to support the complaints of the plaintiff.
If the defendant is also in Florida and answers the
complaint, a final decree is usually rendered in as
short a period as two weeks. If the defendant is in
Florida and does not answer the complaint, the final
decree usually takes four weeks. If the defendant is
not in Florida and service by publication is required,
the final decree usually takes six weeks.
What does all this cost? The minimum fee is
normally $250 for an uncontested divorce and a good
deal more if complications are involved. If you must
get a divorce, however, you may as well enjoy the
Florida sunshine while getting it. And provided it
has been obtained without fraud, once you've got it
you'll have a sound decree recognized in every other
state of the union.

Honeymooning in Florida
Realizing that the Land of Flowers is one of
the most attractive places in which a couple
can wed or honeymoon, some Florida hotels
offer discount rates or a gift such as cham-
pagne or a cabana to honeymooners. For a
June marriage, it would be hard to find a more
exotic setting in which to enjoy luxurious,
uncrowded comfort at cut costs than in a
Florida oceanside resort.
If you're thinking of getting married in
Florida, you'll want to know that the state
requires you to wait 72 hours from midnight
of the day you apply for a license. And a blood
test is obligatory.

PART II

FLORIDA CITY and TOWN DIRECTORY

Since there are over 2,000 communities in Florida,
we could not possibly describe all of them and chances
are you wouldn't want to know anything about Two
Egg or Rattlesnake anyway. So instead, descriptions
and facts have been confined to places which are of
interest to:
(a) vacationers; particularly resorts with low
summer rates.
(b) retired people; particularly places where you
can still retire on a small income.
(c) small business opportunists, real estate in-
vestors, and job seekers (including retired
folk).
For easier identification of these cities and towns
on the map, we have divided Florida into six regions.
These are:
1. South Florida-all of Florida south of Naples
and Fort Lauderdale to Key West.
2. Mid-Florida-the middle East Coast and in-
land area.
3. The West Coast-from Aripeka to Bonita
Springs, including adjacent inland regions.
4. Northeast Florida-the northeast coast and
inland sections.
5. North Central Florida.
6. Northwest Florida.
A glance at the map preceding each section will
serve to illustrate which areas each region covers.
Cities in each region are listed in alphabetical order,
the number following each city name being the latest
estimated population. In order to give an idea of the
relation of older folk to younger people, the median
age of the population in 1950 is given for all cities
of more than 5,000 population. And to illustrate-
for the sake of seekers of small business opportuni-
ties-the growth of these cities and their consumer
purchasing power, I have quoted also the percentage
change of population between 1940-50, and the
median incomes of families and unrelated individuals
for 1950.
The remainder of the facts are self-explanatory.
Housing availability is slanted principally at retired
people. Too, it must be clearly understood that the

rentals quoted here are available only on a year
around basis or during summer. It is hopeless to
expect to find low priced rentals in any southern
Florida resort at any time between November and
May. Year 'round rentals only are quoted because
when we speak of retiring in Florida, we mean stay-
ing in Florida all year. A person cannot properly
retire in Florida if he spends half the year somewhere
else.

Maps

Although we could have used ordinary highway
maps to show the six regions of Florida, we used
State Road Dept. maps instead. This was done in
order to show more clearly the state's plans for
projected new roads. These are shown by dotted
lines. It is considered that for opportunity seekers
studying development of the state, these less common
maps will prove more worthwhile than ordinary high-
way maps which can be picked up at any filling sta-
tion. Readers will find, however, that the State maps
used in this book show the location of communities
equally as well as oil company maps and that they
may also be used for reference to highways and routes.

Recommendations

Following descriptions of towns and cities, you
will find listings of recommended restaurants, hotels,
motels, and trailer parks. To provide state-wide
coverage, recommendations have also been given for
many towns and cities whose other facilities have
not warranted description. These places are listed in
alphabetical order along with other cities so that
you will find recommendations for almost every com-
munity of any importance in Florida.
I have been told by several motel and hotel owners
that one well known author of a Florida book of
recommendations charges $125 to list each single
establishment. This is not the case in this book. These
recommendations have been carefully selected from
the reports of Harian readers, travel clubs, and
dozens of other reliable sources. They were then
checked in the field by the same professional hotel
and restaurant inspectors who had previously worked

in Mexico, Cuba, Central America, and all over
Europe for other Harian books of recommendations.
Only establishments that could meet our standards
were finally selected. And not one cent has been
charged for any listing in this book nor has any
gratuity been accepted.
It must be pointed out, however, that new places
are constantly being opened and that before we can
judge an establishment, it is necessary for it to be in
operation for some time. Otherwise a place could
open with a flourish and then proceed to drop its
standards. For this reason, many recently opened or
brand new hotels, motels, and restaurants are not
included. Moreover, we do not pretend that this is
a complete guide to all the best places in Florida.
All we claim is that, at the time of writing, all of
these places were operated at the standards we
describe and, therefore, should prove reliable. This
presupposes that the same management will continue
to operate the establishment to the same standards
and that the same chef will continue to be employed.
Should you not find a high standard of cuisine in a
restaurant recommended for its food, be sure first
that it is not the chef's day off.

If it is not, we should appreciate a postcard telling
us about it. Likewise, should you feel that the stand-
ards of any of these places are not as described, a
postcard to that effect will lead to an immediate
check. And if you find a good place which is not in
this book and which you'd like to recommend, write
us about it and we shall investigate it at once. Please
address cards to: Hotel and Restaurant Inspection,
Harian Publications, Greenlawn, New York.
If you cannot get into a recommended restaurant,
your best plan is to eat at hotel dining rooms, par-
ticularly those of resort hotels. But whatever you
do, don't be misled by advertisements claiming
"Southern Cooking": the value of a cuisine has
nothing to do with its style of cooking. If choosing
a motel, you can fairly safely rely on any which are
members of the Superior or Quality Courts groups.
While there are several other groups which maintain
high standards, membership in others is no guarantee
of quality at all.
All hotel and motel rates quoted are the minimum
rates effective during the peak winter season. For
an idea of reductions in effect at other seasons, see
the opening of Chapter IV.

Catholic Church and Jewish
Synagogue facilities in Florida

Catholic churches and synagogues
of all three denominations-reformed,
orthodox, and conservative-can he
found in most large Florida cities like
Jacksonville or Miami but synagogues,
and sometimes Catholic churches, are
absent from many smaller Florida
towns. Below is a listing, unfortunately
incomplete, of Catholic church and
synagogue facilities in smaller Florida
cities. Letter C denotes Catholic
church available, S synagogue avail-
able; in other cases the distance in
miles is given to the nearest church,
i.e. C 6 m.

Arcardia. C.
Auburndale. Neither.
Boca Raton. C in winter.

Boynton Beach. C.
Bradenton Beach. C.
Clearwater. C.
Cocoa. C.
Coral Gables. C, S.
Dade City. C.
Dania. Neither, but both nearby.
Destin. C 6 m.
Eustis. C.
Fort Lauderdale. C, S.
Fort Meade. Neither.
Fort Walton. C.
Frostproof. Neither.
Groveland. Neither.
Haines City. C.
Hollywood. C, S.
Howey in the Hills. Neither.
Key Largo. C.
Lake City. C.
Lakeland. C, S.
Lake Worth. C.
Largo. Neither.

Leesburg. C, S.
Madeira Beach. C 3 m., S 6 m.
Marathon. C.
Melbourne. C.
Miami Beach. C, S.
Naples. C.
New Port Richey. C.
Okeechobee. C.
Orlando. C, S.
Palatka. C.
Palm Beach. C.
Palmetto. C 1 m.
Plant City. C.
St. Petersburg. C, S.
Sanford. C, inactive S.
Tampa. C, S.
Umatilla. Neither.
Vero Beach. C.
West Palm Beach. C, S.
Winter Haven. C.
Winter Park. C.
Yankeetown. C 15 m.

------------- -~ ---. II_ I IIII

C C

$>

9.*
0
Q

Coral Gables, 27,852. This neat
and attractive, quiet and cultural col-
lege town with a Mediterranean flavor
lies just six miles from Miami. A self-
guided city tour map can be obtained
free from the Chamber of Commerce,
220 Aragon Ave. You'll find Coral
Gables a city of beautiful and expen-
sive homes, many located on deep
waterways leading out to Biscayne
Bay. The University of Miami here
stimulates considerable cultural activ-
ity and there are numerous active com-
munity clubs. But despite a few older
homes being available from $11,000,
the average house is in the $14,500-
$19,000 class with a bath to each b.r.
And unless you have an upper bracket
pension, you'd do well to consider re-
tirement elsewhere. Small furn'd apts
begin at $70 a mo., furn'd homes at
$120. Gardening is excellent, there are
three hospitals, a fine library, and TV
2 ch. Very little part-time work is
available. Median age is 32.4, the
population has grown by 139.2%, and
its median income has been $2,228.
Many residents commute to full-time
work in Miami, and due to its
rapid growth, small business oppor-
tunities in Coral Gables remain good.
RECOMMENDATIONS Eat: Black
Caesar Forge Gourmet Club, Coral
Reef Rd. An intriguing, cave-like wine
cellar where chicken and grilled steaks
are specialties. Well known-and ex-
pensive. Coral Way Cafeteria, 147
Miracle Mile (also at 110 N.E. 79th
St.). Pleasing and inexpensive DR;
closed Sundays. Loffler Bros. Oyster
House, 280 Alhambra Circle. Good
seafood, beer and wines served in
strongly nautical atmosphere, medium
prices. Open from noon to 9:30 p.m.,
a/c. My Brother's Place, 1210 Ponce
de Leon Blvd. General menu with good
steaks and pastries; liquor available
but no bar service. Open 5 p.m. to 9
p.m. (Sept.-April) except Thursdays.
Moderate prices. Stay: HOTELS
New Antilla Hotel, 1111 Ponce de
Leon Blvd. 60 rms, $4-$8 Ed. In at-
tractive grounds with swimpool and
DR, a/c. Town and Country Studio
Apt Hotel, 600 Coral Way. 20 units,
$15 Ed. Excellent accommodations,
a/c, swimpool, some apts. MOTELS
University Court Motel, 1390 S.
Dixie Highway. 40 units, $7.50 Ed.
Located on water with fishing dock,

1. South Florida

swimpool, patio, TV in lobby, some
apts.
Dania, 8,000. A small, older, and
relatively quiet Gold Coast mainland
community where tomatoes are the
principal crop, Dania is a favorite with
retired municipal and industrial work-
ers from Illinois and New York. For
the metropolitan advantages of Fort
Lauderdale and Hollywood are but
three miles distant. Dania offers gar-
den and music clubs, a 6,500 vols.
library, TV 4 ch., golf, shuffleboard,
tennis, horse and dog racing, and a
recreation center. Gardening and salt
water fishing help cut living costs,
which rate medium. In summer, sand-
flies and mosquitoes can be trouble-
some and the drinking water report-
edly contains sulphur; a hospital is
four miles distant. Rentals are in fair
supply: 3-room furn'd apts at $85, 1
b.r. furn'd homes $100, and 2 b.r.
furn'd homes $150 a mo. Few older
homes are for sale, the average new
home running from $8-10,000.
Poinciana Park and Spar Rich are
residential communities outside the
city with homes from $10,000 up;
land held to the N.E. and along the
waterfront is appreciating in value.
Within the city the S.E. and S.W.
residential sections have homes from
$7,500 up; good real estate invest-
ments for profit are business property
fronting U.S. 1 or new homes for
resale. The chief retirement subdi-
visions lie west along Sterling Road
where are homes in the $5,000-$9,000
class suited to pensioners with $1,500-
$1,650 a year while N.W. along Bro-
ward Road there are homes in the
$8,000-$i2,000 class suitable for pen-
sioners with $1,650-$2,400 a year. The
S.W., S.E., and N.E. sections feature
homes in the $10,000 and up class
suitable for those with retirement in-
comes of $2,400 and up. Residents
with heart trouble and arthritis highly
recommend Dania to newcomers.
Seasonal work occurs in hotels,
stores, and tomato packing but the
outlook for retired folk is not too
favorable. The general job outlook is
fair with the best opportunities in
construction and allied industries.
Fastest growing firm is Apex Prod-
ucts, Inc., (plastic novelties). Already
growing rapidly, the new turnpike is

expected to expand Dania's utilities,
land, and building developments on a
grand scale. Future business opporfuni-
ties should prove excellent: recent un-
filled needs called for a carpet sales
and cleaning service, day nursery, den-
tist, and public stenographer. REC-
OMMENDATIONS Eat: Le Cordon
Bleu. Good French cuisine, seafood,
and cellar.
Everglades, RECOMMENDA-
TIONS Stay: HOTELS Rod and
Gun Club. 44 rooms, $24 Ad. Consists
of a lodge and several cottages, often
frequented by celebrities. DR has ex-
cellent cuisine, particularly seafood;
unusual cypress bar. Open Sept.-July.
Fort Lauderdale, 62,000. An ex-
otic, civic conscious, sub tropical Gold
Coast city interlaced with 140 miles of
palm bordered rivers and canals. With
almost 10% of its area in waterways,
Fort Lauderdale has justly earned the
title of "tropical Venice." This is a
popular summer vacation spot with five
miles of splendid public ocean beach.
The sportsman's capital of the East
Coast, Fort Lauderdale offers unpar-
alleled fishing, the world's largest and
most luxurious yacht basin, baseball,
library, a casino with public pool,
Little Theatre, concerts, opera, horse
and dog racing, children's parties, and
almost every sport and pastime com-
mon to the Sunshine State. You'll find
an excellent choice of hotels here,
many with floral, shaded patios. Most
now remain open in summer, new ones
are constantly under construction. The
better beach hotels offer summer rates
of $4-$12 a day single, $5-$14 double.
There are really big summer reduc-
tions here: $22 a day winter rooms go
for $5-$6 a day in summer. With early
winter reservations, you can have a
choice of rooms from $3 to $35 and up
double. There are also hundreds of
apartments. Many which rent for $110
a week in winter drop to as low as $25
a week in summer; others are avail-
able for as little as $40 a month. Two
b.r. apartments with two bathrooms
renting for $225 a month in winter
have come down as low as $45 a month
in summer. If driving through, do try
to see the New River illuminated by
night.
Named for the captain of an Army
fort built during the Seminole Wars,

Fort Lauderdale was first incorpo-
rated as a city in 1911. Midwesterners
and their wealth built the immaculate
homes and floodlit lawns, private docks
and well groomed gardens for which
the city is nationally renowned. Growth
has been most spectacular since 1946
when vast new shopping areas, hotels,
and office buildings began to change
the skyline. Local experts predict a
100,000 population by 1960. West of
the city's spreading suburbs the little
known Central and Southern Florida
Flood Control Project is undertaking
an astronomical construction job to
guarantee that never again will a flood
on the scale of the 1947 disaster in-
undate the city. Look north of Fort
Lauderdale and you'll see a fabulous
new 'resort community, Coral Ridge,
rising outside incorporated limits along
the famed Galt Mile. Yet no amount
of progress can destroy the city's es-
sentially homey Midwestern atmos-
phere, its solid community spirit and
aura of wealth. (If you doubt this last,
visit the sumptuous Bahia Mar Yacht
Basin, the nation's largest, a Florida
institution complete with ballroom,
clubhouse, restaurant, and shopping
center.) Every year half a million
tourists stream into Fort Lauderdale
and in spring the city resounds to a
youthful immigration of 20,000 college
kids. All this, plus the priority given
Lauderdale's 5,000 yachts at road
bridges, makes driving interminably
congested (though slightly relieved by
4-laning of U.S. 1). But congestion
plus need for a new $21,000,000 sewage
system-already planned-and over-
crowded schools are about the only
faults you'll find with this tropical
paradise. There's a 25,000 vols. library,
good TV reception, and a 150 bed
hospital already being enlarged with
another of equal capacity under con-
struction.
Not unnaturally, Fort Lauderdale
has become a retirement Mecca for
thousands of senior citizens from the
Midwest, East, and Canada. And until
recently, few managed to retire and
lead a full life on much less than $75
a week. The reason? High property
prices and taxes, homes began at $15-
27,000. But new developments like
Tracy Homes, Broward Estates, and
Riley Field Co., have changed all that.
Nowadays, Fort Lauderdale has some
of the lowest priced tract homes in
Florida. For only $8,990 cash or
monthly payments of $55 you have
been able to buy 3 b.r., 2 bath homes
on 85' x 110' corner lots; 2 b.r. homes

within the city limits for $6,000; and
nice 3 b.r. homes with carport for
$9,250. These low prices have brought
down the price of older homes so that
places can be found from $6-12,500,
occasional 2 b.r. waterfront homes even
sell for $8,500. Of course, it still costs
money to run your own Cadillac and
crbin cruiser but the myth that only
Midwestern executives could afford to
retire in Fort Lauderdale has been
pretty thoroughly exploded by now.
Year around rentals are fairly numer-
ous from $100 a month but with some
searching away from waterfront areas,
you can usually find a modest 3-room
unf'd apt for as low as $55, 2 b.r.
places $60-$85 a mo. But count on
paying somewhat more till you "dis-
cover" one. Median age in the city
has been 34.4, median income $2,513.
A rapidly growing city, Fort Lau-
derdale's population increase has been
101.9%, making for excellent real es-
tate investment in fringe property to
the west and north, and equally good
opportunities for new business. Un-
filled needs are everywhere: recent
ones called for a topflight beach res-
taurant, suburban retail stores, supper
club, and medical specialists.
Many job openings occur in seasonal
service establishments during winter
but the work is for 6-7 days a week
and the pay not so lucrative as many
incoming people assume. The major
openings in late 1955 were for wait-
resses, bus boys, bellmen, maintenance
men, kitchen helpers, cooks and dish-
washers, auto mechanics, retail sales-
persons, and TV repairmen. The out-
look was poor for hotel, apartment, and
motel managers, persons with execu-
tive and technical backgrounds in
industrial activities, retail store mana-
gers, skilled construction tradesmen,
and bartenders.
RECOMMENDATIONS Eat:
Beachcomber RestauraLt, 2905 E.
Las Olas Blvd. Good cuisine, especially
seafood. Open from Oct.-Sept. except
Tuesday during summer. Brown's
Restaurant, 229 S.W. First Ave.
Large DR and terrace with good meals
at medium prices. Open from 11 a.m.-
9 p.m. except Sundays. Jack Valen-
tines Restaurant and Supper Club,
3901 S. Federal Highway. Open Dec.
15-April 21, 6 p.m.-2 a.m. Excellent
seafood, children welcome, floorshow
nightly. M & M Cafeteria, 124 S. E.
First Ave. Spacious a/c DR, lunch
and dinner only; medium prices. Organ
music at dinner. Terrace Patio, 2400
E. Las Olas Blvd. Excellent DR offer-

ing first class cuisine; prices are me-
dium to expensive. Open Jan.-April
Pioneer House, 335 S.E. Sixth Ave-
nue. Widely acclaimed Southern type
menus. Stay: HOTELS Coral Sands
Hotel, 1226 E. Las Olas Blvd. 50
rooms, $14 Ed. An Alsonett resort hotel
with patio, DR, cocktail lounge, and
swimming pool. Open all year. Es-
cape Hotel, 2900 Rio Mar St. 120
rooms, some hskpg, $18 Ed. White
stucco resort hotel built around a
patio. The dining terrace overlooks
large swimpool. Has Balinese decor
cocktail lounge. Governor's Club
Hotel, 236 S.E. First Ave. 103
rooms, $10 Ed. Centrally situated.
First class DR, open from 6 p.m.
until 10 p.m. daily; good cocktail
lounge and sun bathing facility 's. Holi-
day Hotel, S. Atlantic Blvd. 60 rooms,
$22 Ed. Smart new beach Alsonett
hotel with comfortable accommoda-
tions, good DR, cocktail lounge, swim-
pool, sunroof, and private beach. Lau-
derdaie Beach Hotel, Atlantic Ocean
Front. 152 rooms, $31 Ad. Large resort
hotel, open from Dec.-April. DR has
excellent cuisine. Riverside Hotel, 620
E. Las Olas Blvd. 124 rooms, $12 Ed.
Bright, attractive rooms overlooking
New River. Good cuisine in DR; patio
and sundeck facilities. Open Nov.-May.
Trade Winds Hotel, 1 N. Atlantic
Ave. 84 rooms, many with balconies
over the beach, $31 Ad. First class DR
and terrace overlooking the sea; has
a/c cocktail lounge, patio and swim-
pool. Open Nov.-Sept.; advance reser-
vation advised. Wynholm Hotel, 321
N. Atlantic Blvd. 45 rooms, $16 Ed.
Small attractive resort hotel with quiet,
tastefully furn'd rooms, many with sea
view. Breakfast and lunch only served
in DR. Open Dec.-May. MOTELS
Amber Tides Motel, 3040 N. Ocean
Blvd. 20 units-6 hskpg, many a/c, $15
Ed. Has a patio, guests lounge; recrea-
tional facilities include TV. Anchor
Motel, 1400 S. Federal Highway. 14
units-6 hskpg, $10 Ed. Radios and TV
available, swimpool, beach. Bennett
Manor, 1241 S. Federal Highway. 20
units-5 hskpg, $10 Ed. Restful patio
and lounge; beach nearby. Coconut
Court, 1851 S. Federal Highway. 14
units, a/c optional, $12 Ed. Pleasant
court with large landscaped grounds.
No pets. Cynthia Manor Court, 1144
N. Federal Highway. 41 units, some
a/c. $12 Ed. Spacious waterfront site
with swimpool. Radio available, also
TV in guest lounge. Gateway Motel,
1115 N. Federal Highway. 33 units-
4 hskpg, a/c optional, $12 Ed. Com-
fortable, up to date units with TV in

rooms; close to beach. Santa Rita
Hotel Court, 1900 S. Federal High-
way. 12 a/c units, $10 Ed. Sonthwinds
Court, 1630 S. Federal Highway. 14
units, $12 Ed. Attractive patio. Stans-
field Motor Hotel, 1101 Seabreeze
Ave. 25 units, a/c optional, $18 Ed,
including breakfast. Neat resort type
court next to the yacht basin. Private
swimpool or ocean bathing available.
Sunnyland Motor Court, 1215 S. Fed-
eral Highway. 21 units-5 hskpg, $12
Ed. Nicely landscaped patio. Towne
and Country Motel, 1135 N. Federal
Highway. 52 smart units, some a/c,
$12 Ed. Coffee shop service and swim-
pool provided. Cassandra Manor, 1
Isle of Venice, Nurmi Isles. 17 units,
$25 Ed. Ultra modern, luxury accom-
modation with room service; private
docking space available. Lafayette
Apts, 2221 N. Ocean Blvd. 10 apts,
$125 per week. Situated close to beach;
private putting green. Open Nov.-
April. TRAILER PARKS Broward
Trailer Park, Fourteenth Ave., S.W.
(6m. S.W., Florida 84) 30 spaces; $2
day, $8 per week. Cherokee Trailer
Court, 2575 S.W. Fifteenth Ave., 15
spaces; $1.50 day, $6 per week.
Golden Beach. RECOMMENDA-
TIONS Stay: Sea Banks Hotel, 2000
Ocean Blvd. 50 rooms, $15 Ed. Quiet,
nicely maintained resort hotel facing
the sea; has private beach, cocktail
lounge, and good DR and terrace.
Hallandale. RECOMMENDA-
TIONS Eat: Hofbrau House (U.S.
1) Spacious DR decorated in Rathaus-
keller style; very good German cui-
sine and seafood at fairly expensive
prices. Has two large bars. Open noon
until 2 a.m. Joe and Agnes Chicago
Duck Inn (lm. S., U.S. 1) Pleasant
DR with many German dishes avail-
able and fine roasts; has cocktail
lounge. Old Heidelberg Restaurant.
Well known DR for German cuisine;
medium prices. Has attractive Bavar-
ian decor and bar. Open 4 p.m.-2 a.m.
daily. TRAILER PARKS Ander-
son's Trailer Haven, 19640 W.
Dixie Hiway, 39 spaces; $30 per
month. Haller's Villas Trailer Park,
109 N. Federal Hiway, 30 spaces;
$25 per month. Palmetto Trailer
Park, S. on U.S. 1, 136 spaces; $1.25
day, $8 per week. Second St. Trailer
Park, N.E. 2nd St., 39 spaces; $30
per month.
Hollywood, 25,000. Joseph W.
Young planned and developed Holly-
wood back in the boom days of 1921.
Using millions of dollars made in Cali-

fornia realty, Young hired General
Goethals of Panama Canal fame to
build Hollywood's yacht harbor and
gave the city the widest boulevard and
the largest hotel in the state. All re-
main to this day, serving as a reminder
of the hectic days before the real estate
crash. But from the depths of depres-
sion, a new Hollywood arose-equally
as sparkling and as balmy as the old
-but catering now to moderate income
family groups instead of the plutocratic
clientele of yore.
Winter tourists from New York,
Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois,
and Indiana are in the majority at this
modern resort that now is almost a
northern suburb of Miami. Standing
directly on the ocean front and flanking
the intracoastal waterway, Hollywood
offers a 6%-mile public bathing beach
with cabanas and a casino with two
public swimpools. Recreation include
band concerts, Little Theatre, two good
18-hole golf courses, dog racing Dec.-
March, winter horse racing, and just
about every other type of Florida sport
and pastime. Hotels with facilities
for family groups start as low as
$25-$50 a week in summer. Holly-
wood has a large number of apts. with
kitchen facilities and rates as low as
$20 a week prevail well into December.
A great many people have retired
on modest pensions in Hollywood, me-
dian age is 38. Food costs are generally
considered lower than in Miami 22
miles south. Year 'round rentals are
fairly easy to find: 3-room furn'd apts.,
rent from $50 a month, averaging $75;
2 b.r., furn'd homes start at $60 and
larger places, or waterfront rentals,
go all the way up to $175 a mo. Older
homes are available: 1 b.r., furn'd
homes sell from $7,500, 2 b.r. places
from $8,000. New homes are plentiful:
2 b.r. places sell from $9,200. Holly-
wood has two hospitals and a 18,000
vols. library.
Best retirement residential areas lie
west, S.E., and N.E. of the city cen-
ter. For real estate investment in
these sections lots are proving most
profitable; the general direction of
growth is west from the Florida East
Coast line. Lots are also a good in-
vestment in the higher priced Lakes
section which is growing rapidly be-
tween U.S.1 and the Inland Water-
way.
Due to its rapid 130% population in-
crease and median income of $2,641,
Hollywood offers excellent prospects
for many types of small business. Re-

cently needed were a department store,
luggage shop, physicians, a boat and
accessories manufacturer, needlework
plants, and a beach hotel. Part-time
jobs are available during winter in
hotels, restaurants, and stores.
RECOMMENDATIONS Eat:
Fowlers Restaurant, 110 S. Young
Circle. Open Nov.-May. Well operated
with good cuisine. Also recommended
are Hickory Foods, Heidelburg, and
New Plantation. Stay: HOTELS
Hollywood Beach Hotel. 500 rooms,
$48 Ad. Built during the boom, this
beach hotel was once the world's larg-
est. Stands amid 14 acres of nicely
maintained grounds; has swimpool,
cabana club and very fine DR.
MOTELS Adobe Villas Motor Court
(2%m. S., U.S. 1) 25 units, some
hskpg, $10 Ed. Filson Motel, 1753
Jackson St. 14 units-2 hskpg, some
a/c, $10 Ed. Clover Motel, 410 N.
Federal Highway. 10 units, $10 Ed.
New and most attractive rooms. El
Rancho Hotel Court (Y4m. S., U.S.
1) 17 units, some hskpg, a few a/c,
$10 Ed. New units; recreation facili-
ties available. Enchanted Isle Motel,
1601 S. Surf Rd. 24 hskpg units, a/c
optional, $14 Ed. Nice patio, sundeck,
TV in guest lounge and private beach
facilities. Harris Hotel Motor Court,
Eighteenth St. 18 units--8 hskpg, $9
Ed. Advance reservation advised. Sun-
ray Lodge, 1747 Washington St. 14
units-6 hskpg, some a/c, $12 Ed. At-
tractive modern court with sundeck and
TV in guest lounge. Open Sept.-April.
Thompson Motel, 1700 N. Federal
Highway. 18 units, $12 Ed. Nice patio
and grounds. Open Nov.-May. Wagon
Wheel Inn, 500 N. Federal Highway.
18 ranch type units, all a/c, $12 Ed
including breakfast. Radios available.
Beverly Gardens Apts., 1600 S. Ocean
Drive. 28 apts., $150 per week. Units
have one or two b.r. Holiday Beach,
Hallandale Rd. 80 units, all a/c, with
service, $10 Ed. Good DR. cocktail
lounge and swimpool provided. Lea
Mar Apts., 1736 Van Buren St. 18
units, $10 Ed. Nice rooms, TV in patio.
Open from Oct.-June. Seacrest Manor,
S. Ocean Drive. 83 units, $34 Ad. At-
tractive accommodations overlooking
the ocean, open Dec.-May.
Homestead, 5000. An inland agri-
cultural centre for the rich Redlands
farming district. Golf, farming, and
fishing are the chief recreations;
Homestead also has a small library.
The cost of living is quite low in this
section. At present, apts. rent when

available for $75 up, small homes from
$85 up per mo. New homes sell from
$8,000. A hospital is available. Few
opportunities normally exist for part-
time employment although this state-
ment may no longer apply in view of
the booming economy.
Of Homestead's residential areas
Newport Manor is a popular family
section with homes in the $8,000-
$10,000 class. Growth here is along
N.W. 8th St., and Robert Road
(west) and residential lots are the
best investments for profit. Much the
same applies to the Finrad Homes
development while the DeCarlo Homes
on 15th St., east of Krome are in
the higher $9,000-$12,000 bracket.
For retired couples the best bet is
Leisure City two miles north where
houses are available from $5,580.
RECOMMENDATIONS Eat:
Bamboo Tavern (U.S. 1) Unusual
bamboo interior. Cuisine is good; mod-
erate prices. Open noon-1 a.m. daily.
Trading Post Restaurant (U.S. 1)
Good DR, open 6 a.m.-8:30 p.m., serv-
ing seafoods, chicken and lime pie
specialties; medium prices. Stay:
MOTELS Everglades Motel (U.S.
1) 10 units, $8 Ed. New and attractive.
Homestead Motor Court (U.S. 1)
31 units-15 hskpg, $8 Ed. Cottage
type accommodation in landscaped trop-
ical gardens. TV and a/c. TRAILER
PARKS Royal Palm Trailer Park,
447 S.E. Second Ave. 98 spaces; $1
day, $5 per week. Most have sewer
connections.
Keys (Upper), 4,000. Consisting
of the first five keys met along the
Overseas Highway, the Upper Keys
are amazingly fertile coral islands
where papayas, key limes, citrus, and
mangoes thrive in gardens brilliant
with bougainvillea, flame vine, and
scarlet royal poinciana. You'll discover
all the comforts of modern living in
the three communities of Islamorada,
Key Largo, and Tavernier, making
them ideal for fishing, vacationing, or
retirement. During summer, motels
charge $4 Ed or $25 Ed weekly, hskpg
apts $30 a week up.
Drawn to these narrow islands
between ocean and bay have been hun-
dreds of retired Midwesterners. Sub-
tropical gardening and fishing are
unbeatable, there's a fine clinic in
Tavernier and a hospital at Home-
stead, TV 1-2 ch., excellent water,
and numerous social clubs and organ-
izations. Real estate prices are above
average, however; there arefew jobs,
no library, and mosquitoes and sand-

flies can be troublesome at times. Year
around rentals are scarce but new 2
b.r. homes sell from $12,500. While
employment prospects for younger
workers are poor, small business op-
portunities are excellent, especially for
part-time services offered by retired
men and women. In this fast growing
area any kind of real estate investment
is profitable; there is no zoning save
in a few instances by deed restriction.
Islamorada. RECOMMENDA-
TIONS Eat: Toll Gate Inn, Lower
Matecumbe. Well known for good
dinners. Stay: MOTELS The Is-
lander (U.S. 1) 45 units, some a/c,
$12 Ed. New, roomy accommodations
set in nice grounds. Has a/c DR, and
swimpool. La Jolla Resort Apts.,
Upper Matecumbe Key. 7 units-6
hskpg, $12 Ed. Surrounded by large
lawn; radio, outdoor grill available,
and private dock and beach facilities.
Key Largo. RECOMMENDA-
TIONS Stay: MOTELS Rod and
Reel Motel. 50 hskpg units, $10 Ed.
Beautiful new court in quiet position;
has a good DR, cocktail lounge, and
patio swimpool.
Key West, 30,000. First settled
by Bahamans in the 18th century. Key
West later saw an exciting career as
a pirate lair and as a rum runners' head-
quarters. After World War I, with its
cigar and sponge industries removed to
the West Coast, the Island community
plunged headlong into depression. By
the early 30's, half the population were
on relief. Then in 1935 a hurricane
destroyed 40 miles of the railroad from
the mainland. It was during this all-
time low that someone thought of sell-
ing the island to tourists. The Over-
seas Highway was built out for 105
miles from the mainland above the bat-
tered railroad bridges. And from that
day, Key West never looked back.
When you drive through Key'West
to the Chamber of Commerce office and
see the sign "End of U.S. 1" you have
come to the southernmost city in the
U.S., a unique, almost tropical city on
a key one mile broad, five miles long,
and only eight feet above sea level, a
city with the most equable climate in
the U.S., a city where frost is un-
known. Your first impressions will be
of the old wooden homes which still
display a haunting air of the Bahamas
among the more modern edifices of
plastic, glass, and stainless steel. Like
everyone else, you'll be awed by
the wealth of tropical vegetation in
Key West, the narrow streets bordered

by gardens of banyan and bamboo,
frangipani and tamarind, breadfruit,
avocado, and gumbo limbo. A great
deal of Spanish is still spoken in the
city and the conch English still bears
a delightful Bahaman crispness. Of
course, the restaurants specialize in
Spanish dishes and seafood and you
won't want to miss turtle steak, conch
chowder, and key lime pie. Completing
the picture of Key West is the big
submarine base here with its naval
population and the Cuban bars and
nightclubs at the western end of Duval
Street that go with it.
Key West's vacationing tempo em-
phasizes leisure, sun, and water; al-
though the key does not have extensive
beaches, the two here are good with
excellent warm water bathing on a
wide shelf of shallow sea extending
from the key. Unlike others of the keys,
Key West is relatively mosquito free.
Dress is informal, simple clothing is
preferred. Extreme swimsuits are in
poor taste. Dressing for dinner is the
exception. Until recently, Key West
did not have too much accommodation
but the horde of new motels that have
recently arisen at the Atlantic end of
Simonton Street have remedied any
shortage. Rates are reasonable, too:
for $5-$6 a day in summer you get into
the most modern motel with air con-
ditioned rooms. During summer, hotel
rooms start at $2.50-$3.50. Tourists
should see the exotic curios brought
home from romantic spots all over the
world by U.S. Navy men and now for
sale at the Ditty Box Gift Shop; and
keep an eye open for the handmade
cigars which can still be bought on the
key for 104. The Overseas Highway
tolls were abolished in 1954.
A large percentage of residents are
retired lower middle income couples
with many ex-Navy families; median
age is 25.8. Many writers and artists
live here and cultural pursuits are pop-
ular; TV is fair with 2 ch. Fishing-
which is superb with over 600 varieties
obtainable-helps cut costs. Now that
over 3,000 new dwelling units have
been completed, year 'round rental
availability is fair: 1 b.r. unf'd homes
rent from $40, 2 b.r. places $50 a mo.
and on up to $200. Some older homes
are obtainable: 2 b.r., unf'd homes sell
from $5,000-$6,000 minimum. New
homes sell from $10,000. Key West's
drinking water appeared to me a trifle
on the hard side despite claims to the
contrary by the Chamber of Com-
merce; and its pressure sometimes falls
off a little. It is pure and tastes pleas-

ant, however, and a new pipeline should
boost pressure soon. Th- key com-
munity has a 56-bed hospital and eight
doctors.
Although Key West's population in-
creased by 104.5% (median income was
$1,896) the only sizeable sources of in-
come are tourists and the Navy. Small
businesses which can cater to these
sources should succeed. A bowling
alley, deep freeze plant, a drive-in
theatre, and recreation facilities were
recent unfilled business needs. Em-
ployment opportunities arc rather lim-
ited but part-time jobs can often be
obtained during winter. Unskilled
women get 75, unskilled men $1-$1.15,
and skilled men $2.25-$3 per hour. Be-
cause Negroes are available at $1 an
hour, competition for unskilled jobs is
high.
RECOMMENDATIONS Eat:
Logun's Lobster House. Good seafood
restaurant; moderate prices. Outdoor
dining beside the sea. Caribe Restau-
rant, 407 Front St. Moderately priced,
closed on Sunday. El Patio Restau-
rant, 425 Greene St. Wide variety,
general menu DR. Open 5 p.m.-10 p.m.
except Sundays; closed May-Nov.
Raul's Restaurant, Roosevelt Blvd.
Very good a/c DR open 7:30 a.m.-10
p.m. daily during summer except Mon-
days. Dine by candlelight. Sun N Sand
Beach Club, Simonton St. Good for
moderately priced lunches and dinners.
Tradewinds Patio Restaurant, 303
Duval St. General menu with seafood
prominent; try their turtle steak and
lime pie. Open 5 p.m.-10 p.m. Stay:
HOTELS Casa Marina Hotel. 200
rooms, $14 Ed. Famous resort hotel-
the swankiest on the southern shore-
occupying beach front site amid large
grounds. Has first class DR, radio in
rooms, TV in lobby, solarium, swim-
pool and private beach. Open Dec.-
May. La Concha Hotel, Duval St.
128 rooms, some a/c, $9 Ed. One of
Key West's oldest hotels, and the sec-
ond largest; is situated in the heart
of the town. Has pleasant, high ceil-
inged rooms, good DR, cocktail lounge
and entertainment program. The Key
Wester Hotel, S. Roosevelt Blvd. 92
rooms, many hskpg, $16 Ed. New a/c
rooms and cottages in spacious
grounds. Has cocktail lounge, good
food in coffee shop, swimpool, caba-
nas and private beach. MOTELS
Atlantic Shores Motel, 510 South St.
20 units, $8 Ed. Modern, tastefully
appointed, a/c motel; has private
beach facilities. El Rancho Motel, 830
Truman Ave. 50 rooms, a/c optional,

$10 Ed. Lush growth in landscaped
grounds. Key Lodge Motel, 1004
Duval St. 24 units, some a/c, $10 Ed.
Large, nicely decorated rooms open-
ing to exotic tropical patio. Santa
Maria Motor Court, 1401 Simonton
St. 25 units-11 hskpg, some a/c,
$8 Ed. Guests have access to beach
club. Southwind Motor Court, 1321
Simonton St. 14 new units--8 hskpg,
some a/c, $8 Ed. Private beach facili-
ties offered. Advance reservation ad-
vised.
Marathon, 2,500. A real estate
boom has transformed this small island
fishing community into a thriving city
of luxurious motels, cottages, and
homes. At Marathon Shores now
stands one of the world's largest mo-
tels with 100 units, a new yacht harbor
has been completed, and everyone is
buying and building like mad. The at-
traction? Imagine a low coral-lime-
stone islet just seven feet high bathed
by multi-hued waters balmy warm the
year around; away from the island
stretch miles of bonefish flats; every
evening the sun sets in breathtaking
colors over shimmering tropic seas and
against the silhouettes of curving coco-
nut palms. Why, indeed, is there a
real estate boom in Marathon? Simply
because the keys are about the closest
approach to a South Sea atoll that it
is possible to find within driving dis-
tance of New York or Chicago.
Biggest thing in Marathon is Phil
Sadowski's Key Colony motel at
Marathon Shores, a gigantic 100-unit
project including a $150,000 swimpool
and subterranean restaurant, airstrip,
and cabana club. Nearby, developer
Sadowski blasted coral canals to pro-
vide fill for his unique Marathon
Shores waterfront residential project.
Here lots sell from $1,000, waterfront
lots from $2,000, small 1 b.r. homes
from $4,950, and duplexes in two sizes
at $6,950 and $9,900 including furni-
ture and lot. For folks who prefer
to spend only part of each year in
Marathon, a Central Renting Office
rents the units while you're away, de-
ducting 10% for their services plus
$1.50 for maid service and $1 for each
change of linen. In season these units
rent for $100 a week, in summer for
$50. Thus you can own a retirement
home entirely paid for by other people.
Time payments are also available:
50% cash with 5 year mortgages at
6%. For details write Box 305, Mara-
thon. Marathon has also been ap-
proved for Title II FHA loans. With
your own home paid for living cost can
be quite inexpensive; fishing definitely

helps cut costs. Groceries may be more
expensive than on the mainland but
this slight increase is more than offset
by savings in clothing and the negli-
gible heating required in this frost free
climate. Marathon has a sizeable re-
tired colony of Midwesterners, a Little
Theatre, afternoon card club, TV, good
tropical gardening, excellent water,
and a hospital 50 miles distant. Look
over this spick and span village on Key
Vaca: you'll find a wealth of seashore
life, luxuriant jungle, beautiful sea-
shells, rare birds and animals, and
colorful fishing docks; an extensive
mosquito control project has been in-
augurated.
Recent unfilled business needs in-
cluded a bowling alley, automatic laun-
dry, physician, 5 and 10, hardware and
drug stores, and a drive-in movie.
Marathon's spacious air conditioned
motels charge $8-$9 Ed during sum-
mer, others are cheaper. Several offer
armchair fishing from outside your
unit, some have-their own party boats
at $5 a day. A new air taxi service
links Marathon with Miami.

RECOMMENDATIONS Stay:
MOTELS Buena Vista (U.S. 1). 21
units-12 hskpg, $10 Ed. Facilities in-
clude swimpool, private beach, and
boat dock. Casa Manana (U.S. 1).
12 units--8 eff. apts., $10 Ed. A fairly
new motel. Jack Tar Key Colony (5
miles out on U.S. 1). 125 rooms,
rental units, many a/c, $8 Ed. up.
Operated by Jack Tar organization,
excellent DR, swimpool, cabana club,
recreational and shopping facilities,
and doctor available. Davis Marathon
Motel. 40 units-30 hskpg, $8 Ed.
Cabins have overhead fans, swimpool,
recreational facilities provided.

Miami, 270,000. The fastest grow-
ing city east of the Rocky Mountains
with a rapidly increasing industry and
the nation's busiest airport. This great
sub-tropical metropolis flanks 3-mile
wide Biscayne Bay from which five
causeways lead over to the serrated,
movie set skyline of Miami Beach.
Wrecked by a disastrous hurricane in
1926, Miami has never experienced a
set-back since. It has already been
labelled by a great many different
titles but a new one might well be "Los
Angeles of the East." For Greater
Miami now has almost as many satel-
lite communities as its sprawling Cali-
fornia rival. North Miami, Miami
Shores, Miami Springs, South Miami,
Hialeah, and many other neighboring
communities all pulsate to the heart-

beat of Flagler Street and Biscayne
Boulevard.
Although it is possible to vacation
in Miami-and many people do-the
majority spend their time at Miami
Beach. Winter vacationists on a budget
can, however, find commercial hotels
in Miami with rates a good deal lower
than those at the Beach while north
and west of the city are a large number
of motor courts. Whether you vaca-
tion or retire here, you'll find lots of
free activity. The free beaches at
Haulover, Crandon Park, and Mathe-
son Hammock are superior to and less
crowded than any part of commercial-
ized Miami Beach. At the Community
Center are free movies, concerts,
dances, and vaudeville. Free city sym-
phony concerts are given at Bayfront
Park. For only $1 you can enjoy a
variety of recreations at Lummus
Park; the Pier Park at 1st and Ocean
Drive offers free activities; and much
first class evening entertainment is
staged at the Public Library. Be sure
to pick up the free entertainment guide
and bus routing at the Chamber of
Commerce Building.
For retirement, Miami offers the
only big city and suburban living in
the U.S., under near tropic conditions;
and gay, glamourous, and costly as it
appears to most first time visitors,
Miami can also comfortably fit in with
modest income or pension require-
ments. Living costs need be little
higher than in many small Florida
communities; in fact, retail foods are
often cheaper and the identical infor-
mal dress is the rule. Recreations in-
clude absolutely everything that does
not require mountains or snow. There
are opera, Little Theatre, recitals,
symphony, concerts, and a new library.
No housing shortage exists here now
and a recent survey showed there were
actually more duplexes in the area
than were needed. Three room furn'd
apts. rent on a year 'round basis for
$65-$85, I b.r. homes $50-$70, 2 b.r.
homes $75-$100 a month. For a couple
able and prepared to pay higher rates,
a much wider selection of homes is
available. Furnished homes and apts.
for rent are in ample supply but un-
furnished homes are harder to find.
Building costs average $8 per square
foot. Older homes are obtainable:
a few 2 b.r. places were recently selling
for $10.000-$13.000 but the average
purchase price for attractive homes is
nearer $16,000. New 3 b.r. homes
have been available from $8,000 but
most run around $12,500. Retired folk

who prefer big city living like Miami
for its freedom from smoke, fog, smog,
and dust while health records show a
remarkably low incidence of the com-
mon cold. The median age is 35.8.
Miami has 21 hospitals with 3,082 beds,
medical services of every kind, churches
of 50 different denominations, and TV
3 ch. Drinking water is supplied from
artesian wells in the Everglades, is
aerated, coagulated, carbonated, and
disinfected before delivery, and has no
discernible sulphur taste.
Investment in real estate for profit is
never likely again to see lot salesmen
halting traffic on Flagler Street or the
Miami Daily News' 504-page real es-
tate edition which preceded the crash
of the 20's. But with its population in-
crease of 242% over the past twenty
years and its steady growth outward
in all directions, fringe lands over a
wide area should prove profitable long
term investments in the Greater Miami
area. The main residential expansion
is towards the southwest in unincor-
porated Dade County; this section,
incidentally, also offers the best lo-
cations for retirement on a small in-
come.
Elevations in the Maimi area range
from sea level to 21 feet and septic
tanks are commonly used in suburban
areas. A large new sewage system is
being constantly enlarged, however. Of
interest to prospective residents is the
gigantic new suburb of Carol City
containing 3,200 acres and slated for
10,000 new homes. Designed by Haar-
land Bartholomew Associates, the
project has its own sewage and water
system, curved streets, and 216 com-
binations of house plan, elevations, and
color schemes; most new homes have
sliding patio doors and are of stucco-
cement construction. Sample prices of
other Miami real estate are: agri-
cultural land $250-$2,000 per acre,
groves $300-$1,000 per acre, depending
on soil, elevation, and location. Com-
mercial sites range from $100-$10,000
per foot front, industrial sites 204-
$1,000 per square foot, homesites $600-
$40,000. Commercial construction costs
$5-$7.50 per square foot, industrial
warehouse type construction $3.50-
$5.50 per square foot. Most industrial
sites are in the N.W. sector. In view
of Miami's soaring population-200
new residents arrive daily-any type
of intelligent real estate speculation is
a sound investment.
Since 1945, Miami's industry has
doubled in size, fashion and garment
manufacturers are turning out $50,-

000,000 worth of goods a year while
3,500,000 vacationers come in annually.
So the median income of $2,498 is not
surprising, nor is the fact that (with
tourists) the Miami area has the
greatest per capital purchasing power
in the nation. And by 1965, say civic
authorities, Miami's population will
have passed the million mark with ten
million tourists coming in annually.
Most small business needs are now
filled in Miami and the longer devel-
oped areas but literally hundreds of
new, unfilled opportunities are opening
every month in the fast growing sub-
urbs: doctors, dentists, apparel stores,
office supplies, and auto sales and serv-
ice concerns are just a few typical
openings among hundreds of unfilled
needs in this area. Indicative of the
purchasing power available is the fact
that 50% of families make $2-5,000
a year, 12% $5-7,000, and 9% over
$7,000, comprising 40% of Florida's
total consumer market.
Here in Florida's largest city, there
are naturally more job openings than
elsewhere. But more people are look-
ing for jobs, too. During the winter,
Miami experiences a large influx of
out-of-state workers, a sizeable pro-
portion of whom would gladly remain
could they obtain year 'round work.
Further competition comes from pro-
fessional, skilled, and semi-skilled suf-
ferers from asthma and kindred ills
who also clog the labor market in
their search for a job in this haven of
health. Moreover, many Miami em-
ployers will not hire a permanent
worker who has less than six months'
residence in the city; few workers over
forty land jobs.
Yet people do come to Miami and
do get jobs. For example, the Florida
State Employment Service here fills
2,500-5,000 jobs every month through-
out the year. And the more than 75
private employment agencies must fill
twice as many more. Chief employers
are the hotels, restaurants, tourist serv-
ices, garment factories, airlines, and
food processing plants. Quite recently,
there was an almost desperate need for
sewing machine operators, hand sewers,
and cutters. Not needed were inexperi-
enced workers of any kind and build-
ing trade workers. Typical job open-
ings advertised in late 1955 were,
for women: beauticians, blouse oper-
ators, bookkeepers, barmaids, cashiers
(hotel), chambermaids, curb and coun-
ter girls, cafeteria workers, dress oper-
ators, fountain girls, factory hands,
hostesses, hand pressers, hand finishers.

insurance policy clerks, mothers' helps,
nurses and nursemaids, NCR operators,
stenographers, retail saleswomen, silk
finishers, seafood factory help, and
waitresses. Openings for men included:
auto mechanics, aircraft mechanics
($1.82 an hour to start), assemblers,
bus boys, bakers' deliverymen, office
clerks, filling station attendants, foun-
tain help, factory help, salesmen, short
order cooks, truck loaders, and theatre
ushers. Notwithstanding the competi-
tion, occasional retired persons with
well established residence have found
seasonal part-time work while a minor-
ity have steady year 'round jobs.
RECOMMENDATIONS Eat:
Betty's Restaurant, 1440 Biscayne
Blvd. One of America's finer restau-
rants without the high prices of most
showplaces. American cuisine: lunch
754-$1, dinner $1.35-$4.95. Burdines
Grill, 22 E. Flagler St. Spacious,
pleasing DR in dept. store offering
good varied menu, moderately priced;
open 11-8 p.m. except Suns. Chesa-
peake Inn, 3606 N.W. 36th St. Near
Int'l Airport, one of Florida's best
seafood restaurants, a/c, rustic nauti-
cal decor. Davis Cafeteria, 54 S.E.
1st St. Spacious DR offering good
meals at popular prices. Dobbs House,
Int'l Airport, N.W. 36th St. Moder-
ately priced general menu; open 6 a.m.-
10 p.m. The Garden, 2235 S.W. 8th
St. Good Austrian cuisine served to
Viennese music, a/c. Lunch $1.25 up,
dinner $2 up. Closed Mons. McGinnis
Sheepshead Bay, 7725 Biscayne Blvd.
Good cuisine, pleasant DR; open from
4 p.m. Old Scandia, 125 Pervis Ave.,
Opa Locka. Excellent a/c DR fea-
turing smorgasbord and other Scandi-
navian dishes; tables are candlelit and
music supplied by strolling players.
Has unique bar shaped like Viking
longboat. Red Coach Grille, 1445 Bis-
cayne Blvd. A really attractive place
fashioned after an Old English coach-
ing inn. First class cuisine, medium to
expensive. Open 4:30 p.m.-11 p.m.
San Juan Restaurant, 2436 S.W. 8th
St. Splendid seafood and general
menu, dinners from $2, a/c. Open
weekdays 5 p.m.-1 a.m., Sundays from
noon. Seven Seas, 101 S.E. 2nd Ave.
Old established restaurant specializing
in native Florida seafoods: lunch from
954, dinner $1.65 up. Closed Suns.
(Inexpensive places to eat include:
C & C Luncheonette, Chamber of
Commerce Bldg. Breakfasts from 354,
lunches 504, dinner 754 up. Harvey's
Food Shops, Inc., 720 W. Flagler St.
Lunches 504 up, dinners from $1.10.

Mayflower Restaurant, 80 S.E. Bis-
cayne Blvd. Lunches from 654, din-
ners 854 up. Tylers Restaurants, 1818
N.W. 36th St., and 1257 W. Flagler
St. Good American food, a/c, meals
from 654.) HOTELS Biscayne Ter-
race Hotel, 340 Biscayne Blvd. 200
rooms, $14 Ed. New completely a/c
hotel; very nice rooms with balconies
and good view. DR has good cuisine
and service. Cocktail room, solarium
and radio provided. Columbus Hotel,
312 N.E. 1st St. 300 a/c rooms, $14
Ed. Rooftop DR offers good cuisine
and service at moderate prices. Rooms
have wonderful view over Biscayne
Bay. Everglades Hotel, Biscayne
Blvd. 500 rooms, some eff. apts., $16
Ed. Pleasant rooms overlook park.
First class DR, good cuisine. Has
cocktail room and roof garden. Leam-
ington Hotel, 302 N.E. 1st St. 100
rooms, most a/c, $10 Ed. Free radio
in rooms and free beach facilities. DR
is a/c, cocktail lounge, too. McAllister
Hotel, Biscayne Blvd. 500 a/c rooms,
$10 Ed. Pleasant rooms with radio and
TV available, good DR, cocktail room
and solarium. Miami Airways Hotel,
5055 N.W. 36th St. 83 a/c rooms, $14.
Situated opposite airport. Attractive
rooms which may be used by day only
at half rates. Cocktail room and coffee
shop service. Miami Colonial Hotel,
146 Biscayne Blvd. 200 rooms, many
a/c, $10 Ed. Facilities include cocktail
room, coffee shop and good rooftop
solarium. Robert Clay Hotel, 129
S.E. 4th St. 164 rooms, some a/c, $10
Ed. Commercial hotel with good DR,
comfortable lounge and cabanas.
Tower Hotel, 332 S.E. 2nd Ave. 108
rooms, $12 Ed. Bay view building with
nice rooms; many a/c. Travelers Ho-
tel, 4767 N.W. 36th St. 86 a/c rooms,
$12 Ed. Smart, nicely furn'd rooms,
available at half normal rates for day
usage only. Cocktail lounge, coffee
shop. MOTELS Arbordale Lodge,
10800 Biscayne Blvd. 28 units, $10
Ed. First class court having beautiful
patio and wide lawns. Beck Apt. Mo-
tel, 427 N.E. 82nd St. 24 hskpg units,
some a/c, $8 Ed. New, double story
apt. motel. Crandon Courts, 798 Cran-
don Blvd., Key Biscayne. 53 a/c units
-42 hskpg, $12 Ed. Good court that
offers swimpool and private beach fa-
cilities. No pets. Danker's Motel
Court, 5878 W. 8th St. 34 units, some
hskpg, $9 Ed. Recreational facilities
include swimpool, children's play-
ground, radio, TV in guests' lounge.
Holiday House Motel, 11720 Biscayne
Blvd. 44 units-40 hskpg, $8 Ed. Some

rooms have a/c. La Posada Motor
Court, 5271 S.W. 8th St. 27 units,
some a/c, $12 Ed. Spanish style court
with coffee shop that serves adequate
meals. Miami Shores Lodge, 10500
Biscayne Blvd. 63 units, some hskpg
and a few a/c, $8 Ed. Smart new lodge
with pleasant rooms and cocktail
lounge. Mt. Vernon Motor Lodge,
9221 Biscayne Blvd. 25 units, some a/c,
$12 Ed. Has guest lounge, patio and
terrace; TV available. Palmer House,
11050 Biscayne Blvd. $5 Ed. Attractive
cottages. Rotunda Motel, 12225 Bis-
cayne Blvd. 40 units, $10 Ed. Pleasant
ranch type lay out. Royal Motel, 7600
S.W. 8th St. 30 a/c units, $10 Ed.
Comfortable brick units amid large
grounds. Saxon Motel, 301 N.E. 62nd
St. 148 units, some hskpg, $7 Ed. Ex-
cellent accommodations; cocktail room,
coffee shop and swimpool provided.
Sea Cove Motel, 5750 Biscayne Blvd.
30 units-13 hskpg, $10 Ed. Conveni-
ently situated with a/c available.
Shalimar Motel, 6200 Biscayne Blvd.
50 a/c units, $10 Ed. Two story bldg.
with guest room. Shangri La Motel,
11190 Biscayne Blvd. 34 units-some
hskpg, most a/c, $8 Ed. Enticing ac-
commodations in pleasant grounds with
swimpool. Trade Winds Hotel Court,
4525 S.W. 8th St. 20 units, some a/c,
$12 Ed. Popular, advance reservations
advised. Has TV and a/c. TRAILER
PARKS Al Ril Trailer Court, 8401
N.W. 14th Ave. (4m. N.) 60 spaces;
$1 day, $8 per week. Most have sewer
connections. Bell Haven Park, 3200
N.W. 79th St. (6m. N.) 350 spaces;
$1.50 day, $6.50 per week. Has snack
bar and recreational facilities. Miami
Heights Trailer Park, 3450 N.W. 79th
St. (6m. N.) 121 spaces; $2 day, $10
per week. Myrich's Trailer Park, 1600
N.W. 119th St. (llm. N.) 60 spaces;
$1 day, $7 per week. Northwest
Trailer Park, 8151 N.W. 27th Ave.
100 spaces; $1.50 day, $9 per week.
Rovell Trailer Park, 939 N.W. 81st
St. (Sm. N.) 66 spaces; $1 day, $7 per
week. Schmidt's Trailer Court, 2542
N.W. 79th St. 52 spaces; $1 day, $7
per week. 'railercoach Manors,
9674 N.W. 10th Ave. 120 spaces;
$1.25 day, $8 week. Trinidad Court,
Inc., 61 N.W. 79th St. (5m. N.)
100 spaces; $1.50 day, $7 per week.
Tropical Trailer Village, 1398 N.W.
79th St. 93 spaces; $1.75 day, $10
per week.
Miami Beach, 54,000. Gay, glit-
tering, glamourous, extravagant-
Miami Beach is a fabulous legend of
flamboyant hotels in a lush tropical

Venetian setting. Strung jewel-like
along an 8-mile barrier .beach island
are 378 hotels and over 2,000 apartment
houses; Miami Beach has more hotels
per capital than any other place on
earth, has one fourth of all the accom-
modation in Florida. Yet in 1915, the
Beach had but 33 residents and even in
1921 only four hotels had been built.
That was before Miamians discovered
how the suction pump could build them
new, level, cleared sovereign lands.
With the aid of the suction dredge,
Carl G. Fisher built up Miami Beach
with sand from the bottom of Biscayne
Bay. And on it was built the world's
greatest carnival city in a medley of
architecture ranging from Italian villas
to Greek colonnades, Spanish missions
to ultra modern Floridian styles. The
amazing thing about it all is that some-
how it seems to "belong"; but then
almost anything looks, harmonious
when surrounded by Florida's blue sea,
brilliant sunshine, and palm-shaded
sands. But incongruity has crept in.
For the beach which was formerly the
big attraction has been so chopped up
by private hotel strips that the sun-
bathing and swimming frontier has re-
treated back to freshwater pools that
flank the edge of the sands.
Dress is cosmopolitan. Women need
almost the same variety of afternoon
and spectator sportswear as they would
use in New York. Evening dress is
usual in many of the better hotels. At
the beach, you can wear anything;
there is absolutely no set taste or any
conformity with standards. Jewelry
and furs with bathing suits are com-
monly seen in winter. Only nudity is
barred. Many of the nightclubs now
remain open in summer; dinners run
from $2.50-$3 with no cover or mini-
mum charge but some clubs set a bev-
erage minimum of $2-$3 if you don't
dine. In winter, the night clubs come
to life with the nation's top entertain-
ers such as Frankie Lane, Sophie
Tucker, Joe E. Lewis, Mindy Carson,
and Danny Thomas. Clubs with a top
headliner then charge a $7.50 liquor
minimum whereass in New York it
would be a $3.50-$5 minimum and in
Los Angeles a $2 cover). The cheapest
way to do a nightclub then is to go to
the late show and try to get away with
the minimum. In common with Miami,
Miami Beach can provide you with
every kind of sport, pastime, or recrea-
tion you can think of; the emphasis is
on spectator sports such as jai alai,
dog and horse racing, football, etc.

Most hotels are new, the majority
less than 15 years old. Over 85%
now remain open in summer including
many of the oceanfront palaces. Sev-
eral of the largest hotels feature swim-
ming and diving shows on winter Sun-
days; most larger notels have rhumba
instructors and dancing pavilions.
Those on the oceanfront have private
beaches. The newest hotels are those
at the north end of the beach; the
cheapest ones those south of Lincoln
road.
Off-the-ocean hotel rates come down
in summer to $1:50 per person per day
up, two in a room, while the swank
oceanfront hostelries offer rooms as
low as $5.50 a day double. The average
overall summer rate is about $4-$8 a
day double. Top oceanfront rooms run
about $15 a day summer rates-they're
$45 in winter. Meals in the luxury
hotels cost $2.75-$3 and up and include
dancing and entertainment. Best winter
season news is that some of the medium
price bracket hotels are being forced
to lower their winter rates in order to
meet the competition from the luxury
hotels at the upper end of the beach.
Instead of trailer courts, Miami Beach
has cottage courts and beach courts.
Trailers are not permitted to remain
overnight in Miami Beach; city ordi-
nance forbids trailer courts.
A new influence in keeping hotel
rates down is the galaxy of swanky
motels at the north end of Miami
Beach outside the city limits. Some
of the more expensive provide door-
men and room service but the major-
ity charge no more than other Florida
resort motels. In common with every
other hostelry at Miami Beach they
are downright bargains during sum-
mer. And speaking of summer rates,
a new trend is developing whereby
rates are being upped slightly in June,
July, and August due to the heavy
influx of summer tourists. The very
cheapest time of year-and the best
-is the entire month of May, and
the fall months of September and
October.
Highly popular at all seasons, pack-
age vacations reach their top value
during summer. Airlines and railroads
offer a week at oceanfront hotels for
$19-$37.50 single excluding meals. And
for very little more, most deluxe hotels
offer a House Party Plan including
two meals daily and planned entertain-
ment such as evening swimpool parties,
bridge-canasta, TV, and movies. Or
on your own you could rent a luxury

housekeeping apartment for $50 a
week, find oceanfront hotels with two
meals for $13 double daily, or really
swank accommodation for $75 a week
double. If you eat out, breakfast costs
from 454, lunch from 750, dinner from
$1.50. Most people find the new motels
less expensive than hotels, however,
due to savings on tips, parking, and
other extras.
For the children of vacationers,
Miami Beach has a special school sys-
tem. Its courses of instruction are de-
signed to merge with the curricula of
the largest northern cities so as to per-
mit visitors' children to continue their
studies with a minimum of lost time.
For anyone who cares to retire in
Miami Beach-many celebrities have,
median age is 43-apts. are available
year 'round from $100 a mo., small
homes from $200. Homes for sale begin
at around $15,000. But the best bargain
for senior citizens is the Boulevard
Hotel at Dade Blvd., and Meridian
Ave. At this unique Lavin hotel, year
around rates are just $65, $78, or
$86.50 per month per person (depend-
ing on room) and including three
complete meals daily. Operated chiefly
for the benefit of retirees on small so-
cial security incomes, the Boulevard is
a seven story hotel two blocks from a
community center, with 220 outside
rooms, a 2 acre garden, and swimpool.
Most guests are aged 55-84 and many
perform small chores to earn an addi-
tional $10 a month. The best thing
about retiring in Miami Beach is the
tremendous year around city recrea-
tion program available free or at nom-
inal cost. Two large community centers
each provide nightly shows mov-
ies, dances, and vaudeville, there are
classes in scores of subjects including
arts, crafts, and languages, and nu-
merous choral, discussion, and other
groups with regular meetings. Miami
Beach also has a 60,000 vols. library,
TV 3 ch., pure drinking water, two
hospitals with 450 beds, several recrea-
tion parks, and a heart institute. Most
retirees are from New York and New
Jersey.
As for new businesses on the Beach,
you'll want to know that land is run-
ning short, that the West Indies are
drawing off some of the winter trade,
and that according to Dr. Reinhold
Wolffe, University of Miami econo-
mist, Miami Beach is already over-
crowded with hotels. The centre of
business is steadily moving north but
with 1,900 new parking units, the Lin-
coln Road shopping centre is likely

to remain stable for some years. Since
the war, the retail sales season has
extended from four months to ten
months of the year but this increase
has been taken care of by established
stores. Personally, unless I had ample
capital, I would prefer to look else-
where for a small business opportunity
than in this crowded, commercialized,
highly competitive jungle where only
the fittest survive.
Although the job outlook is highly
competitive, construction still flour-
ishes and the new turnpike is expected
to increase the boom. Best paid lines
of work are in tourist accommodations,
purveyors, retail stores, and the serv-
ice trades.
RECOMMENDATIONS Eat:
Bonfire Restaurant, 1700 79th St.,
Causeway. Good cuisine, game and
roasts cooked over hickory bonfires
in rustic Western atmosphere. Medium
priced; open daily 5 p.m.-4 a.m.
Embers, 245 22nd St. A chop house
specializing in spit-turned roasts. Also
rare game birds. Excellent cuisine;
rather expensive. Open daily 5 p.m.-
10 p.m. Fan and Bill's Restaurant,
220 21st St. New and good, enormous
meals, excellent seafood; medium
prices. Open daily 4 p.m.-11 p.m. Fu
Manchu, 325 71st St. Miami's finest
Chinese restaurant. Reasonably priced.
Open daily 4 p.m.-11 p.m. Gatti Res-
taurant, 1427 West Ave. Good Italian
and U.S. cuisine, rather expensive;
open Nov. 15-May 15, 5:30-10:30 p.m.,
closed Fris. Hickory House, 2332
Liberty Ave. General menu with broil-
ing over hickory logs. Good cuisine.
Prices range from reasonable to mod-
erately expensive. Open daily 4 p.m.-
11 p.m. for dinner only. Lighthouse
Restaurant, Bakers Haulover (Flor-
ida A1A) a few miles north of Miami
Beach. Has large DR with marine de-
cor and is noted for its excellent sea-
food. Open daily noon to midnight.
Maxim's, 9516 Harding Ave. Plush
continental DR with a la carte French
cuisine; expensive. Open daily 6 p.m.-
1 a.m. The Old Forge, 432 41st St. A
long established gourmet's rendezvous
featuring many specialties and fre-
quented by VIP's. Open 5:30 p.m.-ll
p.m. Park Avenue Restaurant, 2205
Park Ave. Excellent large DR with
impeccable service; seafoods are the
specialty, also good general menu.
Medium prices. Open every day from
5 p.m.-11 p.m. (Tip: the following
hotels and motels are also noted
for good food: Belmar, Biltmore,
Blue Grass Motel, Casablanca Ho-

tel, Delano Hotel, Di Lido Hotel,
Kimberley Hotel, MacFpdden Deau-
ville Hotel, Mount Royal Manor,
Nautilus Hotel, North Shore Manor,
Poinciana Hotel, Roney Plaza Ho-
tel, Sans Souci Hotel, San Marino
Hotel, Saxony Hotel, Shoreham-Nor-
man Hotel, Sorrento Hotel, Versailles
Hotel, and Waikiki Motel.) Stay:
HOTELS Arlington Hotel, 455
Ocean Drive. 100 rooms, $15 Ed.
Comfortable accommodations with
swimpool, sundeck, and private beach
facilities. Blue Horizon Hotel,
8933 Collins Ave. 72 a/c rooms,
$20 Ed. Attractive rooms, good DR.
cocktail lounge and swimpool provided.
Coronado Hotel, 8751 Collins Ave
100 rooms, $19 Ed. Pleasant, quiet
rooms and good recreational facilities
including cabana colony, swimpool,
solarium, music for dancing, and pri-
vate beach. DR is good and terrace
overlooks sea. Delmonico Hotel, 6393
Collins Ave. 151 a/c units, $22 Ed.
Smart new hotel with sea view DR,
cocktail lounge, patio, swimpool, cabana
club and nightly dancing. Hotel Duke,
8233 Harding Ave. 33 rooms, $8 Ed.
Small and quiet but only one block
from ocean; open Nov.-May. Fla-
mingo Hotel, 1500 N. Bay Rd. 203
rooms, some cottage accommodation,
$24 As. Sedate resort accommodations
in large landscaped grounds. Facilities
for tennis, swimming, and dancing.
Advance reservation advised. Hotel
Gale, Collins Ave. 50 rooms, some a/c,
$14 Ed. Attractive rooms; has coffee
shop, swimpool, solarium and private
beach. Fontainbleau Hotel, 44th St.
815 rooms, 250 cabanas. Fabulous new
14 story luxury palace in French
decor with Grand Ballroom, Le Ronde
nightclub, and scores of other elaborate
features. Probably the finest luxury
hotel in the world. Rates are compara-
ble with those of similar hotels on
Miami Beach. The Kenilworth, 102nd
St. 175 a/c rooms, $24 Ed. Super
Kirkeby resort hotel overlooking sea;
rather exclusive. Has oceanside ter-
race, Olympic sized swimpool, cabana
colony, cocktail room, beauty salon,
private beach, and terrace. Martinique
Hotel, 6423 Collins Ave. 140 a/c
rooms, $25 Ed. DR faces the sea;
cabana colony, swimpool and private
beach facilities. New Surf Hotel, 150
89th St. 86 rooms, $20 Ed. Ocean front
hotel; has good DR, large patio and
swimpool. Hotel New Yorker, 1611
Collins Ave. 72 rooms, $20 Ed. Good
sea front hotel with a/c DR, swim-
pool and cabanas, solarium and private

beach. Ocean Gate Apt. Hotel, 9551
Collins Ave. 48 rooms, $15 Ed. Smart
luxury apt. hotel on private beachfront;
has solarium and swimpool privileges.
Promenade Hotel, 114 a/c rooms, $24
Ed. Radio available in rooms; has good
DR, cocktail room, swimpool, solar-
ium, cabanas and TV in lobby. Roney
Plaza Hotel, Collins Ave. 274 rooms.
Celebrated old hotel, probably the best
at Miami Beach; stands amid large
grounds. There are several DR's, an
Olympic sized pool, cocktail lounge,
and dancing. Rates from $46 Ad.
Hotel Rowe, 6600 Collins Ave. 51
rooms, $12 Ed. Pleasant, neat rooms
close to sea. Swimpool and private
beach facilities provided. Closed July-
Oct. St. Moritz Hotel, 1565 Collins
Ave. 135 rooms, some a/c, $20 Ed:
New pleasant hotel with good DR,
cocktail room, swimpool, cabana club
and private beach. Saxony Hotel,
3201 Collins Ave. 214 a/c rooms, $35
Ed. An excellent resort hotel where
many rocms have window terraces;
has several DR's, smart cocktail room,
swimpool and cabana colony, and pri-
vate beach. Shoreham-Norman, Col-
lins Ave. 50 rooms, $15 Ed. Main bldg.
and villa units set in large landscaped
grounds; a/c available. Good DR,
coffee shop, cocktail lounge, sundeck,
swimpool and private beach facilities.
Surfside, 2465 Collins Ave. 120 rooms,
$20 Ed. Facilities include DR, coffee
shop, cocktail room, swimpool, cabana
club, solarium, and private beach. Tu-
dor Hotel, 1111 Collins Ave. 67 a/c
rooms, $13 Ed. Attractive hotel about
half a block from ocean; radio avail-
able in rooms, TV in lobby. Has coffee
shop and solarium. Open Nov.-May.
Vanderbilt Hotel, 2009 Collins Ave.
186 rooms, some a/c, $18 Ed. Offers
open air dining, dancing, cabana club,
cocktail room, solarium gnd swimpool.
Versailles Hotel, 3425 Collins Ave.
144 a/c rooms, $24 Ed. Unusual ocean
front hotel; a/c DR, cocktail lounge,
Olympic sized swimpool and cabana
club, card room, solarium and beauty
salon services available. DR offers a
la carte service; open 7 a.m.-9 p.m.
MOTELS Argosy Motor Inn,
17425 Collins Ave. 60 rooms, some a/c,
$12 Ed. Sea front court with private
beach; has coffee snop and TV. Ball
Motel, 16935 Collins Ave. 62 a/c units,
$12 Ed. Excellent two story bldg. be-
side the sea. Has cocktail room, solar-
ium and private beach. Blue Grass
Motel, 18325 Collins Ave. 40 units-12
hskpg, $18 Ed. Nice units among
pleasant grounds; has a/c coffee shop,

sundeck, TV in lobby and private
beach. Carib Apt., Motel, 18975 Col-
lins Ave. 170 units, $16 Ed. On
lawns with a/c coffee shop, cocktail
lounge and recreation facilities.
The Castaways, 16375 Collins Ave.
170 units and hskpg apts., $18 Ed. Ex-
ceptionally attractive accommodation
in nice grounds with swimpool and pri-
vate beach. Lido Beach Motel, 17301
Collins Ave. 51 a/c units, some hskpg,
$14 Ed. Very smart; has solarium,
swimpool, and private beach. Monter-
rey Motel, 40 Belle Isle. 50 units, some
hskpg apts., a/c. $16 Ed. Flanks Bis-
cayne Bay on Venetian Causeway, a
new resort motel with swimpool and
coffee shop. Pan American Motel,
17875 Collins Ave. 100 units, some
suites, a/c. $18 Ed. Seafront motel
with DR, subterranean parking, swim-
pool, and private beach. Daily maid
service. The Sahara, 18335 Collins
Ave. 150 units, some eff. apts., a/c. $18
Ed. Modernistic double decked motel
with private beach, 2 swimpools, DR
with terrace, and numerous resort
facilities. Sandy Shores Motel, 16251
Collins Ave. 52 a/c units, $14 Ed.
Attractive rooms, restful patio, cock-
tail lounge, swimpool and cabana
club, TV, and private beach. Sea
Breeze Motel, 16151 Collins Ave. 60
a/c units, some hskpg, $16 Ed. A/c
motel offering private beach, swimpool,
cabana club, cocktail lounge, and TV
in lobby. Suez Motel, 18215 Collins
Ave. 60 units, some hskpg, a/c. $12
Ed. New beachfront motel with patio,
swimpool, and private beach. Sunny
Isle Motel, 16525 Collins Ave. 85
rooms, some hskpg, a/c. $12 Ed.
Offers cocktail lounge, swimpool, pri-
vate beach, and children's playground
facilities. Tahiti Motel, 16901 Collins
Ave. 60 units, some hskpg, a/c. $10
Ed. New two story motel on private
beach with swimpool and coffee shop.
Tangiers Motel, 187th St., and Col-
lins Ave. 80 units, some hskpg, a/c.
$14 Ed. New and modern motel on
private beach and swimpool and coffee
shop. Informal with planned entertain-
ment. Waikiki Motel, 18801 Collins
Ave. 160 units and eff. apts, a/c. $15
Ed. Modern motel with solarium,
swimpool, and private beach. Arch-
way Ocean Villas, 6861 Collins Ave.
25 apts., $150 per week. Good accom-
modations amid spacious lawn; private
beach for guests. Open Nov.-May.
Colony Villas, 8230 Abbott Ave. 20
units-10 hskpg, $13 Ed. Nice rooms.
Green Heron Hotel, 16801 Collins
Ave. Good hotel with apt. and cottage

units facing beach. 50 units, some a/c,
$18 Ed. Has DR and seaview terrace,
shop, and private beach. Heathwood
Apts., 18671 Collins Ave. 38 a/c apts.,
$18 Ed. Two story place on seafront;
offers free newspaper, TV, swimming
from beach or pool, sundeck and out-
door grill use. Templeton Arms, 9457
Collins Ave. 23 a/c rooms, $70 per
week. Ed. Has private beach. Golden
Gate, 194th St. 650 a/c rooms and
units. Enormous new 20 acre self con-
tained resort hotel between bay and
ocean including a hotel, motel, villas,
and apts. Has 3 swimpools, cabana
club, shops, extensive sports facilities,
large private beach, Children's Village,
2 DR's, and planned entertainment.
Every room has a terrace and free
parking.
Note: we think these rates are just
as fantastic as you do. But remember
they are the peak winter rates. Go in
summer and you will pay half or less
thus obtaining luxury accommodation
at bargain rates.
Naples, 4,500. Years ago, Naples
was a small fishing village which drew
an exclusively wealthy clientele for a
secluded winter vacation. In fact, few
people knew of its 8-mile snow white
beach or recognized it as the gateway
to the fabulous fishing country of the
10,000 islands. It remained a sort of
Hobe Sound of the West Coast.
Then about ten years ago, the citi-
zens got together with plans to develop
Naples. In order to avoid any city
debt, the money was raised by donation
alone-$185,000 all told from among
500 people. But it was enough to build
new streets, parks, and services. Now
Naples is a pristine, dignified city of
homes with eight miles of public, palm-
shaded beach and a 1,000 foot fishing
pier. There are hotels, motels, cottages,
and apartments with a soaring winter
trade, and many ultra modern shops.
Lazy, restful, coconut tree-lined Na-
ples, with its low humidity record, is
ideal for summer vacations. Motels
charge $5-$7 Ed, $30-$45 Ed weekly,
seafront hotels $40-$55 Ed weekly,
others $30-$40 Ed, apartments $30-
$45, guest houses $15 Es-$25 Ed. Par-
ticularly attractive are weekly summer
rates of $40-$55 Ed at the smart Beach
Club Hotel. Inexpensive meals can be
had in town and there are no parking
meters.
Over the past two years, Naples'
building boom reached an all time
high; it is now one of the fastest grow-
ing cities in Florida. Although recrea-
tions are very informally organized,

there are golf, tennis, shuffleboard,
skeet shooting, and a winter concert
series. Life is still very carefree, how-
ever, and several artists and writers
have retired here on that account. Most
retired people are from the Midwest
They like Naples because it is a
sportsman's paradise, the southernmost
residential town on Florida's West
Coast, and because its beach is directly
on the mainland and not on barrier
beaches as in most other West Coast
resorts. Also they can find all the
facilities of a big city available in
Miami only two hours drive distant.
Transportation brings retirement
costs somewhat above average in Na-
ples so that one finds many Army
officers and executives with pensions
of $5,000 a year, but retirement can
be enjoyed on considerably less. A fine
new 75 bed hospital has been built,
there is an excellent insect control
program, extremely pure soft water,
TV 4 ch., a small library, garden and
art clubs, and recently formed state
societies. Occasional part-time jobs
can be found in stores, full-time re-
tirement jobs are less frequent.
Small furn'd apts rent from $65-$75,
2 b.r. furn'd homes $70-$100 a mo.
Older homes are rare but new 2 b.r.
places sell from $9,500-$11,500. Dedi-
cated to quiet home living, Naples is
excellently zoned; no commercial oper-
ations are permitted on the beach.
Beachfront land sells from $150 per
foot frontage, one block inland it's $50
up, on inland waterways $35 up, on the
Tamiami Trail $85 up, and rural lots
sell from $350. More expensive homes
lie in the Coquina Sands, Ridgeview
Lake, and Port Royal sections; Gulf
View Homes is a less costly northside
development, Aqualane Shores an in-
land waterfront development, and
Crayton Cove a business and residen-
tial section flanking the bay. Seven
miles north is 800 acre Naples Park
where 50' x 135' lots sell for $499 (in-
vestigate thoroughly before buying
here for these are offered by mail and
you'd probably require two). All land
in the city not privately owned is held
by the Naples Co.
In rapidly growing Naples, carpen-
ters and construction workers of all
types normally find jobs; hotels and
real estate developments pay the best
wages. Unfilled business opportunities
are naturally numerous and recently
called for more home and commercial
building, retail stores of all types, and
tourist amusements.

RECOMMENDATIONS Eat:
The Old Cove, Crayton Cove.
Charming atmosphere; music while
you eat. Stay: HOTELS Gulf Ho-.l,
415 5th Ave. S. New homey place;
American Plan only during season.
Beach Club Hotel. 136 units-some
a/c, some hskpg. $25 Ad. Good resort
hotel right on the Gulf, has DR, bar.
Naples Beach Hotel, 12th Ave. S.
118 rooms, $30 Ad. Large resort hotel
in spacious grounds. DR has good.
cuisine; other facilities include cocktail
room, swimpool, solarium, golf, tennis
and fishing privileges. MOTELS
Naples Motel, 250 9th St. 20 new
units, all a/c, $10 Ed. First class motel
in beautiful grounds. Swimming avail-
able; no pets. Siesta Terrace, 349 9th
St. 20 units, $10 Ed. SLndeck facilities.
Trail's End Motor Hotel, 309 9th St.
S. 28 units, some a/c, $10 Ed. New,
ranch style accommodations among
nice grounds.
Pompano Beach, 15,000. A se-
lect but fast growing winter vegetable
and resort centre on the Gold Coast
midway between Palm Beach and Mi-
ami. Formerly two separate towns,
Pompano and Pompano Beach were
merged in 1947 under a city form of
government. In a setting of pines,
palms, palmettos, and sea grape, Pom-
pano Beach has a four mile ocean front
of which half a mile is public beach.
A colorful landmark is the lighthouse
on Hillsboro Inlet at the north end
of the beach. You'll find really big
summer reductions here-as much as
80% below winter rates-with motels
as low as $1.50-$2 Ed per night.
The type of retired folk here might
best be described as discriminating
people with a decided taste for the
better things of life. But Pompano
Beach is not necessarily expensive. A
city park building features shuffle-
board courts, card game shelters, and
barbecues. There are also golf, TV 3
ch., a library, and five Catholic churches.
Gardening is possible throughout
the year and both fresh and salt
water fishing can help cut living costs.
Retired residents claim the climate is
beneficial to heart, sinus, and asthma
sufferers. Reasonably priced year
around rentals are not abundant but
modest 3 room apts. can be rented for
$40 a mo., 1 b.r. homes for $60, and
2 b.r. homes for $70 a mo. New homes
are for sale from $8,500-$10,500. The
Pinecrest Acres, Tod Acres, and
Lyons Park districts have homes in

Leisure City
On a 2,300-acre tract fifteen
miles southwest of Miami and
between U.S. 1 and Biscayne
Bay, Florida Sun Deck Homes
Co., of Miami are in process of
constructing an entirely new
community named Leisure City.
Approximately 6,000 modern
homes are being built of sturdy
poured concretee construction.
They sell tst $5,280, or with
FHA mortgage insurance finan-
cing, for $530 down and $31 a
month. Four other models are
also available ranging up to a
3 b.r. lake-side home with swim-
pool for $19,995. Originally
conceived to be solely a retire-
ment community, Leisure City
has also become home to many
younger families. Included in
the plans of this unique city
is a 8%-acre lake with terraced
lawns, boating, and fishing.
Curved streets designed to slow
motor traffic are another at-
tractive feature. Leisure City
lies 2% blocks from U.S.1 and
is served by 14 daily bus sched-
ules operating between Miami
and Homestead. Two high
schools, t h r e e elementary
schools, and the University of
Miami are within easy reach.
Eventually Leisure City will
have its own shopping centre.

the $5,000-$9,000 class and are suit-
able for retirement on a small income
of say $1,500-$1,650 a year. For
homes in the $8,000-$12,000 class, the
Crestview, Beachway Estates, Caliban
Ridge, Santamaria Harbor, and Con-
nor Estates are the districts to look.
Higher priced homes exist chiefly in
the Lighthouse Point, Lighthouse Point
Village, Hillsboro Isles, Hillsboro
Harbor, Pompano Beach Estates, Pom-
pano Shores, Pompano Isles, Santa
Barbara Shores, Santa Barbara
Estates, and Harbor Village districts.
But for sheer value nothing in
Florida beats the Mackle Company's
homes: including a 75' x 100' lot with
sanitary sewer, paved streets, and no
city taxes, this company is selling 1
b.r. homes for $4,950, 2 b.r. $6,110,
and 3 b.r. places for $6,490, all of
masonry construction. Similarly priced

homes exist at Collier Manor. Much
dredging is also under way here to
build waterfront fingers where large
homes sell for $20-$25,000. In this
vibrant, humming, boom town, now
the most modern community in south
Florida, almost any real estate in-
vestment or new small business should
prove profitable. Already there are five
business districts and the city is mush-
rooming subdivision by subdivision.
Part-time employment can be found
in shops and service firms. A need
for new or unfilled businesses recent-
ly existed for an air freight service,
attorney, new car dealer, blue print
shop, boat rental service, book shop,
stock and bond broker, bus service,
candy shop, chiropodist, collection
agency, credit rating bureau, delica-
tessen, dentist, department store, em-
ployment agency, farm produce road-
stand, five and ten store, hauling serv-
ice, hobby shop, hotel, jeweler, lawn
mower shop, news dealer, night club,
photographer, public stenographer, ra-
dio station, restaurant, sewing machine
sales and service, shoe repair shop,
typewriter service, and a war surplus
store. Besides catering to the popu-
lation of Pompano Beach, new stores
of this type would enjoy a much lar-
ger consumer demand buttressed by
the populations of several fast grow-
ing neighboring communities.
RECOMMENDATIONS Eat:
Cap's Place, Ocean Drive. Attractive
island setting; large DR noted for its
seafoods. Open lunchtime until mid-
night; rather expensive. McFarlands
Dining Room. (U.S. 1). Very good
DR with U.S. and French cuisine.
Stay: HOTELS Hillsboro Club, 103
rooms, $18 As. Quiet, refined beach
resort hotel with pleasant recreation
program. Sea Garden Hotel, N. Ocean
Blvd. 53 units, $15 Ed. Beach view,
a/c DR, swimpool and private beach.
MOTELS Hillsboro House, 1504 N.
Ocean Blvd. 25 units, $16 Ed. Twin
story ocean front motel with swimpool
and private beach. Sands Yachtel, 125
N. Riverside Dr. 24 units, $90 Ed
weekly. Beside yacht basin with swim-
pool. Sea Castle on the Ocean, 700
N. Ocean Blvd. 30 units, some a/c and
hskpg. $16 Ed, including breakfast.
Has private beach, TV in lounge. Sea
Grape, 1500 N. Ocean Blvd. 12 units,
some hskpg, $16 Ed. Oceanside ranch
type layout in neat grounds; private
beach and cabanas.

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Avon Park, 6,400. Founded in
1886 and named for the park-like
valley of England's River Avon, Avon
Park's city plans were revised in 1920
to provide a mile-long mall of exotic
tropical plants. Despite recent neglect,
the small parkways still form a beau-
tiful community background. Now-
adays, Avon Park is a fast grow-
ing, attractive tourist and citrus centre
with a fine business section and a flam-
boyant display of tropical plants. Avon
Park is built around 27 lakes, has TV,
3 ch., and a 4,000 vols. library; the
city is also winter training quarters for
the Toledo Mudhens. Both fishing and
gardening can be relied upon to help
cut costs; the growing season is 347
days. Avon Park has become a favorite
retirement spot for many businessmen
and Army and Navy men who, in the
aggregate, feel that living costs are
quite low. Year 'round rentals are
available: 3-room furn'd apts rent for
$45, 2 b.r. homes $55-$75 a mo. Rea-
sonably priced older homes are avail-
able while new places sell from $5,000-
$10,000. Seasonal job opportunities are
offered in the citrus industry. Recent
unfilled business needs were for a
gardening service, handicraft shop,
more tourist accommodation and rec-
reations, and general repair services.
Anxious to supplement its citrus and
cattle business with industrial payrolls,
Avon Park authorities recently called
in specialists of the Florida Power
Corporation. Now the outlook is for
new industry to move in, bringing
with it new job opportunities for
younger folk who choose to migrate
here.
RECOMMENDATIONS Eat:
Avalon Grill, 24 E. Main St. General
restaurant open 6 a.m. until 8 p.m.
Prices are medium. Stay: HOTELS
King's Jacaranda Hotel. 125 rooms,
$3 Es up. Commercial hotel offering
economical rates for long stays. Hotel
is open all year, faces mall and has
pleasant verandahs. Widely known DR
serving fine homecooked meals is open
winter only. Pinecrest Lakes Club
(3 m. S., U.S. 98) 60 rooms in
resort type establishment. $28 Ad. Oc-
cupies a waterside setting; has private
beach and dock facilities. Reservations
advised. MOTELS Isis Shores Court
(2m. N., U.S. 27) 11 units overlooking

2. Mid-Florida

small lake; private beach. $7 Ed.
TRAILER PARKS Southland
Trailer Park, North Florida Ave.
(U.S. 27) $1 day, $3.50 per week.
Belle Glade, 10,000. A very
rapidly growing city ringed by farm-
lands and pasture in cleared Ever-
glades land only two miles from Lake
Okeechobee. Gardening, which is truly
excellent, and fishing, in Lake Okee-
chobee, can both help cut living costs.
Due to the community's rapid growth,
a housing shortage temporarily exists.
When available, however, 3-room apts.
rent on a year 'round basis for $50,
1 b.r. unfd homes $45, and 2 b.r.
unf'd homes $65 a mo. When available,
new homes sell for $8,000-$10,000.
While Belle Glade certainly isn't
everyone's idea of a charming retire-
ment spot, it does offer outstanding
opportunities for anyone interested in
launching a retirement business cater-
ing to a progressive agricultural com-
munity. A modern hospital is available.
New highways to Chosen and South
Bay, Y1 miles from Lake Okeechobee,
have opened new territory with virgin
opportunities for new motels and fish-
ing camps. And further impetus to the
city's economy is springing from the
huge Central and South Florida Con-
trol Project to give almost perfect
water control to the rich Glades muck-
lands. Already an expansive new rice
industry has sprung up, complete with
mills and drying facilities. All of
which forms a background picture of
the mushrooming economy in this
pioneer agricultural community. Farm-
ing, of course, is big business but if you
intend to go in for it, don't buy land
until you have become familiar with
local problems of agriculture; over en-
thusiasm has led many notherners to
invest in Glades muckland and then go
"broke" due to inexperience.
The city's median age is 28, popula-
tion increase 89.7%, and median in-
come $1,387, which reflects the high
number of farm laborers and students
among the population. New small busi-
nesses needed recently were: apart-
ment house, automatic laundry, beauty
shop, bookkeeping service, bowling
alley, dentist, funeral home, hotel
(badly needed), physician, skating
rink, and trailer court.
Greatest employment opportunity in

Belle Glade occurs during the winter
season: immediate outlook is fair, fu-
ture prospects excellent. Greatest fu-
ture demands will be for farm, packing
house, and canning plant help. Best
prospects for a career would seem to
lie in agriculture and ranching while
for making big money, the winter
vegetable industry holds out the high-
est hopes. Belle Glade has two farm
labor camps for agricultural workers.
Boca Raton, 3,000. Rich in early
pirate and Indian lore, Boca Raton
was first settled in the late 1800's when
mail was delivered by the famous bare-
foot mailman during his 66 mile beach
hike from Palm Beach to Miami.
Came the boom of the 20's and a
fabulous Venetian style resort was
planned. But the huge development
fell through and Boca Raton today is
one of the smaller and quieter Gold
Coast communities where you can live
simply and inexpensively, or where,
if you prefer, you may enjoy cosmo-
politan club membership, still at very
reasonable cost. In fact, Boca Raton
probably offers more exclusiveness at
lower cost than any other Gold Coast
resort. The famous Boca Raton Club
remains open during summer and for
a $10 social membership fee,, good
times are had by all.
Sheltered from the ocean by a high
protective ridge, Boca Raton spans
the beach for' 3Y miles. A few blocks
behind, Lake Boca Raton separates
the beach island from the mainland,
and with canals, provides over ten
miles of scenic water frontage. The
city stands on a coral ridge running
from 16'-36' in height, is all high and
dry, debt free, has excellent water and
a sewage plan for 30,000 population,
and remains serenely unspoiled-a
haven for retired professional men,
writers, artists, and others. Besides its
two clubs, Boca Raton offers two golf
courses, all watersports, TV 7 ch., an
Art Guild, and considerable art activ-
ity, all making for ideal retirement or
inexpensive summer vacationing. In
summer, motels charge $5 Ed nightly,
$30-$35 weekly, on-the-ocean hotels
$40 Ed weekly, others $30-$35 Ed, and
hskpg apts $40. Here too, is the famous
Children's Manor providing complete
vacationing facilities for children at
$45 weekly in summer. All parking in
town is free.

Despite its appeal to executive and
professional groups, Boca Raton has
some of the lowest priced quality homes
in Florida. Within the city limits Boca
Villas is a large development with
2 b.r. homes at $9,650, 3 b.r., 2 bath at
$11,000, or on 3 levels at $12,450.
Similar prices hold at Winfield Park
and Stratoliner Estates, both near the
ocean. Other homes from $8,000 can
be found 12 miles inland at Boca
Raton Hills. All are suitable for re-
tirement on $1,650-$2,400 a year. For
higher income retirement, Riviera, Por
La Mar, and Boca Raton Estates sec-
tions are recommended. Rentals are in
fair supply, small furn'd apts at $55,
1 b.r. furn'd homes $65, and 2 b.r.
furn'd homes $75 a mo. Rapidly grow-
ing Boca Raton needs many new small
businesses including an architect, auto
paint shop, awning and blind shop,
baker, coffee shop, dentist, super-
market, office supplies, pet shop,
printer, shoe repair, veterinarian, and
watch repair service. RECOMMEN-
DATIONS Stay: HOTELS Boca
Raton Hotel and Club. 450 rooms,
$50 Ad. Exclusive luxury resort hotel;
one of the Schine group. Large
grounds, private beach and golf course
available; open Dec.-April. MOTELS
Whitehouse Motor Lodge, South 7
St. 11 units-4 hskpg. $8 Ed. Very
good accommodations close to shore.
Boynton Beach, 4,500. A quiet,
friendly resort town rising from a
Gulf Stream girt beach to lakefront
and high rolling land, Boynton Beach
has all the advantages of a small sub-
urban community with the conveni-
ence of larger cities nearby. Frequent
bus service and good roads make jobs,
shopping, entertainment, and health
facilities in the Palm Beaches prac-
tically next door, yet living costs are
lower and community cohesiveness
stronger. Boynton Inlet, with its park-
ing area and clubhouse, draws thou-
sands of fishermen and together with
various civic groups, garden club,
bridge and shuffleboard tournaments,
the town provides all around activity
for retirement or vacationing. During
summer, motels charge $3 Ed or $15
Ed weekly, on-the-ocean hotels $21
Ed, hskpg apts and guest houses $15
a week, trailer parks from $16 a mo.
Breakfasts and lunch can be had from
500, fish fry dinners 65 up. All park-
ing is free.
Boynton Beach draws many retired
middle income folk who report garden-
ing excellent and TV 6 ch. "Sand-
flies are confined to only a few areas,"

Mr. L.J. told me. "The important
thing is to locate your home with a
southeast exposure, especially the bed-
rooms. Hospital 'facilities exist 14
miles away. Full and part-time work
can often be found and the drinking
water is excellent." Rentals are in fair
supply: small furn'd apts and 2 b.r.
furn'd homes at $75 a mo. Older 2
b.r. homes sell from $9,500, new ones
$6,500-$12,000. Good opportunities
exist for real estate investment, the
entire town growing rapidly outwards.
Lands N. and S. of town could be held
for subdividing, also acreage west of
the city, and highway frontage for
business lots. Also profitable would be
lakefront lots, property in the town
center, and westward residential lots.
A tourist, sport fishing, dairying, and
nursery center, Boynton Beach has a
fairly optimistic job opportunity out-
look: Rehburg Enterprises (furniture
mfg.) and the construction trades pay
highest wages. Unfilled small business
needs recently included an auto ma-
chine shop, baker, boat repair yard,
cafeteria, day nursery, dime store,
dressmaker, roadstand, gardening serv-
ice, paint store, plumber, printer, shoe
repairer, and typewriter service. REC-
OMMENDATIONS Eat: Scampi
Restaurant. Good cuisine, best food
here. Banyan Tree (2m S., U.S. 1).
Deluxe, continental cuisine. Busch's,
Route A1A. Good seafood, closed in
summer. The Garden (N. on U.S. 1).
In charming 16 acre garden, dinners
$1.75 up. Monplaisir (1lm S. on
highway). Parisian atmosphere and
cuisine. Stay: MOTELS Boynton
Lodge (U.S. 1). 16 units-some
hskpg; all a/c, $14 Ed. Lee Manor
Inn. 16 rooms, $90 As weekly. Charm-
ing colonial style inn and cottages in
spacious parkland, good food. Sage-
N-Sand Motor Hotel Im S. on U.S.
1). 18 units-6 hskpg, $12 Ed. Ex-
cellent rooms with radio and TV. Has
coffee shop, patio, swimpool, and
ponies. Reservations advised.
Clewiston. RECOMMENDA-
TIONS Stay: HOTELS Clewiston
Inn (U.S. 27) 64 rooms-some hskpg
apts; all a/c. $8 Ed. Attractive Ever-
glades inn with good DR, cocktail
lounge. Swimpool adjoining. MO-
TELS El Patio (U.S. 27) 8 units,
some a/c $8 Ed. Homey atmosphere;
attractive grounds.
Cocoa-Rockledge, 10,000. These
are twin communities on the Indian
River mainland 15 miles by causeway
and island roads from serene Cocoa
Beach. One of Florida's finest and

most peaceful beach resorts, Cocoa
Beach has some two dozen motels and
many cottages with inexpensive sum-
mer rates. Guest houses begin at $10-
$15 Es weekly, hskpg apts $50-$75
weekly, meals cost from $754-$1.35.
Between Cocoa and Cocoa Beach miles
of fascinating riverfront drives me-
ander beside the Indian and Banana
Rivers. Take the 15 mile tree-shaded
Indian River Boulevard, or State 3
through the center of Merritt Island's
venerable orange groves. Parking in
Cocoa is free at the City Dock. There's
fine shelling at the beach, 15 miles of
wide, firm sand for driving, an 18 hole
golf course, Little Theater, tennis, and
shuffleboard courts.
Said to exert a desirable "moderat-
ing influence" on the newly retired,
Cocoa lacks the rapid northern tempo
yet its climate is not as enervating
as that of some other Florida locali-
ties. Both fishing and subtropical fruit
raising are excellent and help reduce
living costs; some retirees also keep
poultry and raise hogs. Cocoa has TV
2 ch., a 45 bed hospital, sulphur-free
water, and a 10,000 vols. library. Sand-
flies and mosquitoes are rather numer-
ous in summer but few residents are
actually troubled. Rentals are in fair
supply: small furn'd apts at $60 a mo.,
2 b.r. homes at $75. Older 2 b.r. homes
sell from $7,500-$12,000, new homes
from $8,000. Rising through gently
rolling terrain from the Indian River
to heights of 81 feet, Cocoa boasts
the highest elevation on the East
Coast. Thus location, to a larger extent
than usual, governs property prices;
riverfront locations are also rather ex-
pensive. For retirees with $1,500-
$1,650 a year, Rockledge Pines with
homes at $8-9,000 is suggested. For
retirement on $1,650-$2,400 you'll find
homes in Carleton Terrace at $9-
12,000 while higher priced homes exist
both here and in Broadview Manor.
For profitable real estate investment,
ocean front lots at Avon-by-the-Sea, or
citrus land and acreage for develop-
ment on Merritt Island should both
prove sound.
Supported by a steadily expanding
citrus, cattle, and fishing industry,
Cocoa's economy has also received a
fillip through recent new develop-
ments. Splendid new consumer markets
have been created through construc-
tion of Canaveral Harbor-only deep
water port between Jacksonville and
Fort Pierce-and a new short road
from Orlando to Cocoa. These in com-
bination with Patrick Air Force Base

and Guided Missile Test Centre, a
heavy auto traffic (4,000 cars a day
over the causeway alone), and a build-
ing boom, offer excellent potentials
for new small business and a trading
area embracing 17,000 population. Re-
cent unfilled needs called for an an-
tique shop, apartment house, awning
and blind shop, baker, boat builder,
cafeteria, day nursery, delicatessen,
and interior decorator. Suggested as
part-time businesses for semi-retired
folk are opportunities in dry cleaning,
plumbing, electrical work, retail food
stores, and other lines.
The building trades have recently
offered good employment prospects
but the best long range job opportu-
nities exist in the electronics, aircraft,
and stenography fields. For younger
men anxious to get ahead fast elec-
tronics work with the research and
guided missile developments should
not be overlooked. Retired folk have,
in the past, been able to find suitable
part-time employment.
RECOMMENDATIONS Eat:
Surf Cocktail Lounge, Cocoa Beach.
Excellent food. Stay: HOTELS
Brevard Hotel, Riverside Drive. 58
rooms, $19 Ad. Quiet resort type hotel
in the Spanish style set among citrus
trees alongside the Indian River. DR,
open year around, has good cuisine.
MOTELS Coral Sands Court (lm.
S., U.S. 1) 14 units, $10 Ed. A new
court set in spacious grounds; has a
DR. Skelly's Court, south on U.S. 1.
12 units, $8 Ed. In orange grove, a/c
rooms, restaurant nearby.
Deerfield Beach, 3,000. A Gold
Coast community held in check for
years by the refusal of some land-
owners to sell land for development
Now, however, two hundred acres of
new land have been cleared with
roads, water, and power lines in
and Deerfield Beach is headed for
growth. Planned additions include a
105-store shopping centre, several new
subdivisions, and numerous other mu-
nicipal projects.
The community stands on high level
seashore land among pines, palms and
palmetto, is quiet yet near large cit-
ies. Military men and industrialists
are among those already enjoying the
Golden Years here. Tennis, golf, soft-
ball, a yacht basin, TV 4 ch., and a
new 5,000 vols. library are all avail-
able. Gardening is excellent, particu-
larly for tropical fruits, and fishing
reduces living costs throughout the
year. Part-time employment for older
folks occurs in light industry, build-

ing, maintenance, farming, hotel and
apt. help, stores, offices, and clerical
help. For younger men employment
with local building contractors offers
the best paid job prospects in Deer-
field Beach. On the whole, the em-
ployment outlook is excellent with a
concrete ready-mix plant and a con-
crete pipe plant scheduled for early
opening. Few Florida communities
are showing such rapid or healthy
growth as this rejuvenated little city.
Recent business needs were for fish-
ing guides, boat services, gardening
services, an apartment house, attor-
ney, used car lot, bank, rental cot-
tages, day nursery, dentist, dressmaker,
furniture store, super market, laundro-
mat, loan company, photographer with
developing and printing service, and
a motel all offering good ground
floor opportunities and a chance to
grow with a fast growing community.
Rentals are not yet available in any
number but compare in cost with
those of nearby cities. Few older
homes are available either but when
sold range from $6,000-$8,000. New
2 b.r. homes can be built for $9,500.
Best building sites are on high ground
near the coast and homes should be
orientated to face the prevailing S.E.
winds.
RECOMMENDATIONS: Eat:
Riverview Restaurant, E. Hills-
boro Ave. Good American style food,
open winter evenings only till 11 p.m.
Stay: MOTELS Dudleys Sea Esta
Motel, Palma Ave. 18 units-some
apts, $75 Ed weekly. Excellent accom-
modation. Sundial Motel, (on AIA).
8 units-some apts with TV, $10 Ed.
Near beach, free radios, open Nov. 15-
May 15. TRAILER PARKS Tropi.
cal Paradise Trailer Park, U.S. 1, 32
spaces; $1 day, $7 per week. Vogt
Trailer Court, U.S. 1, 12 spaces; $1
day, $6.50 per week.
Delray Beach, 6,500. A small,
quiet, and rather exclusive Gold Coast
resort having special appeal for family
groups during the summer season. The
citq faces the ocean itself and has a
very fine beach. There are some ex-
cellent hotels open during winter
and a number of motels in the area.
The best summer feature are the family
group type apartments at specially re-
duced rates. For example, the Talbot
recommended below drops its fantastic
$270 Ed winter rate to just $63 during
summer. In few other Florida resorts
is there such a landslide in summer
rates and so much informal luxury at
so reasonable a cost.

With a library, shuffleboard, golf,
polo, tennis, and beach recreations,
Delray Beach offers retired couples
apartments or homes in a wide range
of prices. The community has a clinic
while a hospital is near at hand. Small
business needs recently included mo-
tels, stores, and new low cost housing.
Part-time employment is available
during winter in hotels and restau-
rants.
RECOMMENDATIONS Eat:
Le Domaine, 1133 E. Atlantic Ave.
Good French cuisine, open Jan-April,
5-10 p.m. Banyan Tree, U.S. 1. splen-
did dinners, music, entertainment, open
5:30-12 p.m. Patio Delray, E. Atlan-
tic Ave. Good DR with outdoor patio,
all meals. HOTELS Arvilla Hotel, 5
Salina Ave. 19 apts., $100 Ed. per
week, including breakfast. Small and
comfortable, not far from beach. Very
good DR, medium to expensive prices.
Open Nov.-May; advance reservation
advised. Colony Hotel, Atlantic Ave.
119 rooms, $25 Ad. Large resort hotel
with private beach, cabana club, swim-
pool and cocktail lounge. Sunday eve-
ning buffet suppers are very good. The
Flagler, S. Ocean Blvd. 33 apts., many
with hskpg facilities, $175 Ed. per
week. Weekly occupation only. Harbor
Hotel, 124 S. Marine Way. 22 eff.
apts., $125 per week. Smart new ac-
commodations with South Sea furnish-
ings. Seacrest Hotel, N. Ocean Blvd.
55 rooms with beach views. Open Dec.-
May. MOTELS Wright by the Sea
(1Vm. S., Florida AIA) 15 units,
$180 per week. Has comfortable ac-
commodations amid landscaped grounds
and private beach facilities. Casa del
Mar, Casuarina Drive. 12 units, $175
Ed weekly. Maid service provided.
Open Nov.-May. No pets. The Tal-
bot, 125 N. Ocean Blvd. 20 spacious
apts., $270 Ed weekly. Swimpool and
recreation facilities including radio
provided. TRAILER PARKS Briny
Breezes Trailer Park (3m N.) 350
spaces; $1.25 day, $8 per week.
Eau Gallie, 4,000. A small palm
shaded resort recently rejuvenated and
popular with summer visitors. It stands
on a low ridge overlooking the Indian
River, verdant with palms, water oaks,
pine, and palmetto. A new causeway
gives access to the beach. Summer
hotel rates start at around $3 a day
single and motel rates from $2.50 per
couple. Nearby at Lake Washington is
a bird reservation where thousands of
tropical birds nest each year. Eau
Gallie itself is also a bird sanctuary

and has a picturesque landlocked har-
bor.
Preferred for retirement by Easter-
ners and Midwesterners, Eau Gallie
has been termed "Nature's Health
Centre" by' relieved sufferers from
arthritis and asthma. Good recreational
facilities are offered senior citizens in-
cluding several clubs, shuffleboard and
tennis courts, year around concerts,
and the beach two miles distant. Many
retirees raise gardens, keep chickens,
and fish to reduce living costs. There
are a small 2,500 vols. library and
TV 2 ch. Owing to the close proxim-
ity of Patrick Air Force Guided Mis-
sile Base, rental availability remains
medium: modest 3 room apts. rent for
$60 a mo., small 1 b.r. homes for $65,
and 2 b.r. homes for $75. Very few
older homes are on the market but
new 2 b.r. homes sell from $8,000.
Part-time employment'can usually
be found as store clerks and garden-
ers. The best job opportunities for
younger men occur for electronics en-
gineers and specialists. The Wherry
Housing project at Patrick Base is
available to these workers. RCA and
PAA also offer jobs at the base. Un-
filled business needs that retired per-
sons might meet were recently for a
rooming house, apartments, motel, ra-
dio and TV repair, appliance repair,
tourist home, and handicraft produc-
tion such as pottery or weaving. Other
unfilled needs were for an antique
shop, auctioneer, new car dealer, bill-
iard parlor, chiropodist, rental cot-
tages, delicatessen, funeral home, op-
tician, physician, sewing machine sales
and service, shoe repair shop, and
a war surplus store. With almost
$3,000,000 paid out monthly in salaries
by the Air Force Test Center, the
consumer demand for most types of
new business is considerable. Re-
laning of U.S. 1 scheduled for future
completion will also improve oppor-
tunities for all types of highway sales,
service, and accommodation business.
In the back country, new drainage is
also opening up good land for small
new farms. (Warning: beware of buy-
ing homesites in the back country
for flooding can still occur.)
RECOMMENDATIONS Eat:
Frosts Restaurant (3 miles N. on
U.S. 1). General menu, seafood a
specialty. The prices are very moder-
ate indeed. Oleander Hotel (U.S.
1) Good DR and coffee shop Stay:
MOTELS Cannon's Motel (5m. N.,
U.S. 1) 8 a/c units standing off high-

way with view of the Indian River.
$7 Ed. Michele Lodge (4%m. N.,
U.S. 1) 8 pleasant units, $5 Ed.
Indlanola Court, 2% miles N. on
U.S. 1. 8 a/c units on Indian River,
all units with patios. $5 Ed; $3 Ed in
summer.
Fort Pierce, 20,000. A typical
Floridian community tucked away be-
hind 22 miles of ncn-vehicular beaches
and a deep, fish-crammed intracoastal
waterway. This is a clean, prosperous
city catering to an extensive citrus
trade, winter vegetable traffic, and
tourists. Sandhill scenery dominates
the barrier beach islands while to the
west lie hammocks and swamps. Fort
Pierce lies at the south end of Indian
River; its growing beach development
is two miles distant. The several hotels
offer winter rates $6-$10 double daily
and $25-$60 double weekly; in summer,
the most expensive drop to $30 a week
with others in proportion. There are
a number of good motels; beach cot-
tages rent in summer from $25-$50 a
week. Fort Pierce is well known as a
reasonably priced vacationing resort.
Very popular for retirement, Fort
Pierce is a friendly, easy going com-
munity where it's easy to get to know
people; the city itself is well planned
and operated specifically for good liv-
ing. The median age is 30.2. The city
has a 13,000 vols. library, 9-hole golf
course, tennis, shuffleboard, and an all
year adult recreational program. Gar-
dening is not particularly good but fish-
ing definitely helps cut costs. Year
'round rental availability is fair during
the off season, medium at other times.
Three room furn'd apts rent for $55-
$75 a mo. and up, 1 b.r. homes $65,
and 2 b.r. homes $80 a mo. Older
homes are scarce: 1 br., unfd homes
sell for $6,000-$8,000, 2 b.r., unfd
homes $8,000 up. New homes are ob-
tainable: 2 b.r. places sell for $9,000-
$10,000, in many cases at more favor-
able prices than older homes of similar
size. Fort Pierce has a modern 65-bed
hospital.
Its population increase of 67.9% and
median income of $2,035 reveal the
opportunity in this East Coast seaport-
resort. Outlying sections of the city
are developing very fast but except
for combination gas and grocery set-
ups were recently still unserved by
small retail stores. A restaurant, poul-
try and egg farms, more resort fa-
cilities, and beach and marine develop-
ments were among recent unfilled
business needs here. At the same time,

job openings were good for stenog-
raphers, building trade workers, and
teachers.
RECOMMEND \TIONS Eat:
Colonial Restaurant, 1001 S. 4th St.
Very popular large general DR with
bar; prices are moderate. Open 7 a.m.-
9 p.m. Farmer's Cupboard. (Im. S.,
on U.S. 1). Serves wholesome chicken
and steak dinners, open daily 7 a.m.-
10 p.m. Stay: MOTELS Bamboo
Court (3m. S., U.S. 1) 30 units, $8
Ed. Nice court surrounded by large
lawn. Offers free radio, swimpool and
recreation facilities. Colony Hotel
Court (0m. S., U.S. 1) 14 units, $5
Ed. Pleasant accommodations amid
spacious tropical grounds. Ludlow
Motel (5m. N., U.S. 1) 16 good units,
$6 Ed. Palomino Motel (lm. N.,
U.S. 1) 20 units, some hskpg, many
with a/c, $8 Ed. Radio available;
restaurant next door. Royal Palm
Court (4m. S., U.S. 1) 20 units-
4 hskpg, some a/c, $8 Ed. Spacious
grounds. Southernaire Motel (%m.
S., U.S. 1) 16 units-2 hskpg, some
a/c, $8 Ed. New and comfortable ac-
commodations situated next to golf
course. Ocean View Apts., 501 S.
Ocean Drive. 12 units, $8 Ed. Homey
atmosphere where children and pets
are welcome; spacious lawns. Sham-
rock Village, Fort P:erce Beach. 201
units of various types, $5 Ed. Roomy
accommodations, large swimpool, guest
lounge and full recreational program
provided.
Frostproof, 2,800. Once Florida's
principal citrus shipping point and
still basically a wealthy community,
Frostproof today is a casual friendly
little town surrounded by lakes and
scenic ridges. Inexpensive living costs
have drawn a sizeable number of small
income pensioners and the genuine
friendliness shown strangers makes
Frostproof a pleasant and low priced
inland vacation spot. In summer, mo-
tels charge $20 Ed weekly, guest
houses $15. All parking is free.
For permanent residence, Frostproof
offers an active tourist club, TV 3
ch., excellent fishing and gardening,
pure water, a small library, and a hos-
pital ten miles distant. Occasional
gnats are the only troublesome insects.
Unfortunately no job opportunities
exist for senior citizens and despite
location of a large canning plant, there
are few jobs for younger workers
either. Needed new businesses include
an attorney, fishing camp, restaurant,
and shoe store. You'll find plenty of

	Front Cover
	List of abbreviations
	Climate - the Key to Florida
	What you should know about...
	Taxes in Florida
	Your vacation in Florida
	Fishing in Florida
	Retirement in Florida
	Trailer Life in Florida
	Business Opportunities
	A Job in the Sun
	Gardening and Farming
	Florida Real Estate
	Education and School Directory
	Florida's Divorce Laws
	Florida City and Town Director...
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	Mid-Florida
	West Coast
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