MIAMI (AP) With its sizzling beaches and steamy nightlife, it's no wonder Miami is a top vacation spot for snowbirds, spring breakers, international tourists and passengers heading out on cruises from Florida ports. Over 13 million people visited the city in 2011, according to the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Getting past sticker shock, though, can be difficult for anyone on a budget. Expect to pay $20 for a burger at trendy restaurants, the same for cocktails. Just getting past the velvet ropes of a popular nightclub can run $300.

To avoid draining your pocketbook, do as the locals do and enjoy Miami's free attractions. In addition to beaches and people-watching, take in spectacular water views while biking over a causeway. Become an art enthusiast or critic while browsing neighborhoods lined with galleries and graffiti murals. Or catch a movie outdoors on a nighttime picnic.

THE BEACHES

Even if you can't afford to stay in luxury hotels with ocean views or you're not trendy enough to get into the beachfront clubs, the sand and turquoise waters of South Beach are free, accessible and popular with visitors along Ocean Drive from about Fifth Street up to Collins Park. You'll share the sand with locals, day-trippers and tourists staying in nearby hotels.

Other activities in the South Beach area include a free New World Symphony concert projected onto a 7,000-square-foot wall (650 square meters) of a building designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry at 500 17th St., during Wallcasts (http://www.nws.edu/wallcasts.aspx). Bring a blanket or picnic to enjoy the experience. Or watch a movie under the stars at the free SoundScape Cinema Series on the corner of 17th Street and Washington Avenue. Movies begin at 8 p.m., http://www.mbculture.com/Scroll.aspx?id=232.

If you're coming by car, parking can be a challenge. Street parking is easier in North Miami Beach. Information about other beaches in the area can be found at http://www.miamiandbeaches.com.

ART DECO BUILDINGS AND LINCOLN ROAD

Miami Beach is recognized by the National Register of Historic Places for having the largest concentration of 1920s and 1930s resort architecture in the U.S. The 800 buildings are known for their Mediterranean and Art Deco styles, with pastel colors, porthole windows, curved walls, and distinctive lettering on historic hotel signs. Walking tours cost $20 to $30 but many of the buildings are easily recognized. National Geographic offers detailed notes for a self-guided tour, mostly along Ocean Drive between Fifth and 17th streets, http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/city-guides/miami-walking-tour-1/ .

Perhaps the absolute best free thing to do in Miami Beach is to go people-watching along Lincoln Road http://www.lincolnroad.org/. The pedestrian mall lined with palm trees, dozens of shops, restaurants and bars is a popular tourist destination and hangout spot for locals along with their designer dogs.

See original here:

Miami: 5 free things to do while you are here

RESCUE crews are in a race against the clock after an 18-metre long fin whale beached itself in New York City's Queens district.

Read the original here:

Whale beaches itself in New York

SCARBOROUGH and South Trigg beaches have been re-opened after a 3m shark forced the closure of both beaches earlier this afternoon.

Continued here:

Shark scare closes Scarborough, Trigg beaches

Rescuers are trying to help an 18-metre-long whale that has beached itself in New York City.

Experts said the ailing whale, reportedly a female, was a finback, the second biggest animal species in the world after blue whales, and came ashore in the Breezy Point neighbourhood of Queens.

Police and firefighters immediately began spraying it with water to keep it alive until experts could take over.

But Mendy Garron, a regional specialist for the federal fisheries service, said the sea mammal was "really emaciated, not in good condition at all". She said it was not moving very much and that this assessment meant the whale was unlikely to get back to sea.

Experts will now decide what to do after assessing the animal's health.

But Ms Garron said the best course of action is often to euthanize a beached whale as "in many of these cases, when an animal of this size strands, they are usually compromised in some form or another".

The sea mammals beach themselves for different reasons - natural causes, old age or disease, and sometimes because of collisions with boats.

Adult finbacks can reach up to 27 metres and weigh up to 70 tonnes. They are found in all the world's oceans and they can live to 100 years old.

At least 25 species of whales and dolphins have been seen in the New York region.

Breezy Point, which was badly damaged in Superstorm Sandy, lies at the end of the Rockaway peninsula where the Atlantic Ocean gives way to New York Harbour.

Read more:

Finback Whale Beaches In New York City

Big waves crashed along San Diego County beaches Thursday, and the biggest of them all were spotted south of Cardiff, forecasters said.

Link:

High surf advisory for San Diego's beaches

MIAMI - With its sizzling beaches and steamy nightlife, it's no wonder Miami is a top vacation spot for snowbirds, spring breakers, international tourists and passengers heading out on cruises from Florida ports. Over 13 million people visited the city in 2011, according to the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Getting past sticker shock, though, can be difficult for anyone on a budget. Expect to pay $20 for a burger at trendy restaurants, the same for cocktails. Just getting past the velvet ropes of a popular nightclub can run $300.

To avoid draining your pocketbook, do as the locals do and enjoy Miami's free attractions. In addition to beaches and people-watching, take in spectacular water views while biking over a causeway. Become an art enthusiast or critic while browsing neighbourhoods lined with galleries and graffiti murals. Or catch a movie outdoors on a nighttime picnic.

THE BEACHES

Even if you can't afford to stay in luxury hotels with ocean views or you're not trendy enough to get into the beachfront clubs, the sand and turquoise waters of South Beach are free, accessible and popular with visitors along Ocean Drive from about Fifth Street up to Collins Park. You'll share the sand with locals, day-trippers and tourists staying in nearby hotels.

Other activities in the South Beach area include a free New World Symphony concert projected onto a 7,000-square-foot wall (650 square meters) of a building designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry at 500 17th St., during Wallcasts (http://www.nws.edu/wallcasts.aspx). Bring a blanket or picnic to enjoy the experience. Or watch a movie under the stars at the free SoundScape Cinema Series on the corner of 17th Street and Washington Avenue. Movies begin at 8 p.m., http://www.mbculture.com/Scroll.aspx?id=232.

If you're coming by car, parking can be a challenge. Street parking is easier in North Miami Beach. Information about other beaches in the area can be found at http://www.miamiandbeaches.com.

ART DECO BUILDINGS AND LINCOLN ROAD

Miami Beach is recognized by the National Register of Historic Places for having the largest concentration of 1920s and 1930s resort architecture in the U.S. The 800 buildings are known for their Mediterranean and Art Deco styles, with pastel colours, porthole windows, curved walls, and distinctive lettering on historic hotel signs. Walking tours cost $20 to $30 but many of the buildings are easily recognized. National Geographic offers detailed notes for a self-guided tour, mostly along Ocean Drive between Fifth and 17th streets, http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/city-guides/miami-walking-tour-1/ .

Perhaps the absolute best free thing to do in Miami Beach is to go people-watching along Lincoln Road http://www.lincolnroad.org/. The pedestrian mall lined with palm trees, dozens of shops, restaurants and bars is a popular tourist destination and hangout spot for locals along with their designer dogs.

Follow this link:

Miami: 5 free things for visitors, from beaches to art and Little Havana

BALI VILLA SANUR 4 BEDROOMS -- NGS-CS-456-4
This outstanding Bali villa offers the perfect base to explore around. Sanur was the first exclusive resort area in Bali and is well known for its seven kilometers white sand beach was voted by Forbes Traveler as one of the world #39;s 25 sexiest beaches. http://www.balibookingservices.comFrom:balibookingservicesViews:0 0ratingsTime:01:14More inTravel Events

See the original post here:

BALI VILLA SANUR 4 BEDROOMS -- NGS-CS-456-4 - Video

How to Pronounce Washed
Learn how to say Washed correctly with EmmaSaying #39;s "how do you pronounce" free tutorials. Definition of wash (oxford dictionary): verb 1 [with object] clean with water and, typically, soap or detergent: Auntie Lou had washed all their clothes he washed down the woodwork in the kitchen [no object] clean oneself with soap and water: he reached for the soap and began to wash (with reference to a stain or dirt) remove or be removed by cleaning with water and detergent: [with object and adverbial]: they have to keep washing the mould off the walls figurative all that hate can #39;t wash away the guilt [no object, with adverbial]: the dirt on his clothes would easily wash out [no object, with adverbial] (of fabric, a garment, or dye) withstand cleaning to a specified degree without shrinking or fading: a linen-mix yarn which washes well [no object] do one #39;s laundry: I need someone to cook and wash for me literary wet or moisten (something) thoroughly: you are beautiful with your face washed with rain 2 [with object and adverbial of direction] (of flowing water) carry (someone or something) in a particular direction: floods washed away the bridges [no object, with adverbial of direction] be carried by flowing water: an oil slick washed up on the beaches [no object, with adverbial of direction] (especially of waves) sweep or splash in a particular direction: the sea began to wash along the decks [with object] (of a river, sea, or lake) flow through or lap against (a country, coast ...From:Emma SayingViews:0 0ratingsTime:00:13More inHowto Style

Read more:

How to Pronounce Washed - Video

7News - Drowning prompts beach warnings
Surf lifesaving authorities have warned tourists to take extra caution at beaches, as foreign visitors make up a quarter of beach drowning. Roscoe Whalan reports.From:7NEWSViews:0 0ratingsTime:01:27More inShows

Read the original post:

7News - Drowning prompts beach warnings - Video

Lakshadweep Trip India
If you are looking for a beach vacation then, Lakshadweep and its beaches is the ultimate holiday destination. Visit :- http://www.atriptoindia.comFrom:Abhishek JainViews:0 2ratingsTime:01:11More inTravel Events

See the rest here:

Lakshadweep Trip India - Video

skisflex instead of school
trip along the beachesFrom:milantrnkastevensViews:0 0ratingsTime:00:25More inEducation

Originally posted here:

skisflex instead of school - Video

Mr Meticulous | Cleaning Services Sydney
Mr Meticulous services all areas of Sydney. From both Sydney CBD, the inner city suburbs, eastern suburbs, lower north shore, inner west, northern beaches and south sydney. The map to the right shows you the reach of Mr Meticulous. We have trained cleaners ready to clean for you in your area, whatever type of clean you are after. We would be happy to take your call, whether you have further questions, would like a quote, or want to book your clean with us now, ph 9904 1905.From:Shawn MattosViews:3 1ratingsTime:00:59More inHowto Style

View post:

Mr Meticulous | Cleaning Services Sydney - Video

Mountain Range on Hawaiian Island Dissolving
A mountain range on Hawaiian Island is dissolving, according to researchers. According to a study from Brigham Young University, a mountain range on the Hawaiian Island of Oahu is slowly dissolving due to groundwater removing mass from within the mountain. The researchers say Oahu will eventually become flat like Midway Island. This prediction is a long time away yet, as the island of Oahu, home to the capital city of Honolulu is actually increasing in elevation as the plate tectonics are slowly being pushed northwest. This growth should last for 1 and a half million years before the island begins to see the effects of the dissolving groundwater that carries away rocks and minerals from within the mountains themselves. Other research on the erosion and geological changes in the Hawaiian Islands says that some 70 percent of the beaches on all of the islands have been eroding at an alarming rate over the past one hundred years. Lead author of the study, Doctor Charles Fletcher from the University of Hawai #39;i Geology and Geophysics department said: "Over a century of building along the Hawaiian shoreline... has led to some development that is located too close to the ocean. A better understanding of historical shoreline change and human responses to erosion may improve our ability to avoid erosion hazards in the future."From:geobeatsViews:2 1ratingsTime:01:11More inTravel Events

See more here:

Mountain Range on Hawaiian Island Dissolving - Video

The Paradise Hill: Where Luxurious Relaxation Becomes Your Reality
TheParadiseHill.com Welcome to The paradise hill where luxurious relaxation becomes your reality. The Paradise Hill is located in the exclusive neighborhood called Palatine Hill in the beach town of Rincon Puerto Rico. Once at the paradise hill there is no need to ever leave. This luxurious space allows you to enjoy tropical tranquility throughout the apartment. There are breathtaking views from living room, bedroom and the salt water infinity pool. You both can lounge around in your living room which boasts plenty of natural light and decorated in modern european style and you can have fun preparing your meals in your fully equipped adjoining kitchen. If a workout is part of your everyday routine, you can keep up your fitness regimen at our home gym. And after your workout you can revitalize yourself in your naturally lit bathroom or take an afternoon siesta with our famous tropical breeze caressing your body. The paradise hill has everything you need for a reclusive relaxing vacation for two or four. However, don #39;t forget that we are located near some of the most beautiful beaches in Puerto Rico and within the small town of Rincon famous for its modern touch with old world charm. So give us a call. Don #39;t wait another minute. Make luxurious relaxation your reality today.From:TheParadiseHillViews:0 0ratingsTime:01:41More inTravel Events

Follow this link:

The Paradise Hill: Where Luxurious Relaxation Becomes Your Reality - Video

FAR North Coast Surf Life Saving is expecting a busy holiday season on our beaches this year.

Go here to see the original:

Stay safe in surf

Several Illawarra beaches were closed yesterday due to dangerous surf.

Continue reading here:

Beaches shut due to fickle rip tides

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Volunteers who patrol California beaches for plastic, cigarette butts and other litter will be on the lookout this winter for flotsam from last year's monstrous tsunami off Japan's coast.

Armed with index-size cards, beachcombers will log water bottles, buoys, fishing gear and other possessions that might have sailed across the Pacific to the 1,100-mile shoreline.

The March 2011 disaster washed about 5 million tons of debris into the sea. Most of that sank, leaving an estimated 1 1/2 million tons afloat. No one knows how much debris strewn across an area three times the size of the United States is still adrift.

Tsunami flotsam has already touched the Pacific Northwest and Hawaii this year. The West Coast is bracing for more sightings in the coming months as seasonal winds and coastal currents tend to drive marine wreckage ashore.

Like the past winter, scientists expect the bulk of the debris to end up in Alaska, Washington state, Oregon and British Columbia. Last week, the Coast Guard spotted a massive dock that possibly came from Japan on a wilderness beach in Washington state.

Given recent storm activity, Northern California could see "scattered and intermittent" episodes, said Peter Murphy, a marine debris expert at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which recently received a $5 million donation from Japan to track and remove tsunami debris.

To prepare, state coastal regulators have launched a cleanup project to document possible tsunami items that churn ashore. Working with environmental groups, volunteers will scour beaches with a checklist. It's like a typical beach cleanup, but the focus will be to locate articles from Japan.

Until now, efforts in California have been haphazard. The goal is to organize tsunami debris cleanups at least once every season stretching from the Oregon state line to the Mexican border and then posting the findings online.

Debris from Asia routinely floats to the U.S. It's extremely difficult to link something back to the Japanese tsunami without a serial number, phone number or other marker.

Of the more than 1,400 tsunami debris sightings reported to NOAA, the agency only traced 17 pieces back to the event, including small fishing boats, soccer balls, a dock and a shipping container housing a Harley-Davidson motorcycle with Japanese license plates. No confirmed tsunami debris so far has reached California.

Continued here:

West Coast girds for more tsunami debris in winter

Bay Cottage Times, 2007-8 version 1
This is the rough draft of what I hope to be an even more beautiful memoir of great times on Garden Bay, Michigan. It omits all the glorious moments parading in the Fourth of July pageant, which I was too busy being a part of to do any camerawork, but there are great photos of that on our picasaweb site. This captures some legendary moments: the waterski prep and first ride of True Dragonfly, beaches, sand, mexican train, porches and Uncle Fred #39;s sea monster (catch that at the end). These are some of the greatest moments of my life.From:dflyfamilyViews:1 0ratingsTime:11:56More inPeople Blogs

More:

Bay Cottage Times, 2007-8 version 1 - Video

Elephant seals new born pups nurse on the Ocean beach at Piedras Blancas near HWY-1 California
Elephant seals new born pups nurse on the Ocean beach at Piedras Blancas near HWY-1 California, few miles North of San Simeon and Hearst Castle http://www.parks.ca.gov Birth In late December, the females begin to arrive and form "harems" on the beaches of the Reserve. Much smaller than the males, they average ten to twelve feet in length and weigh 1200 to 2000 pounds. Three to six days after she arrives, the female gives birth to the pup that was conceived the previous year. Normally only one pup is born to each female, and she nurses for 25 to 28 days. Nursing Ordinarily, a mother nurses her own pup, although if they are separated another female may adopt the youngster. Feeding on its mother #39;s rich milk (55% fat), the pup grows from approximately 75 pounds at birth to 250-350 pounds in less than a month. Some resourceful pups nurse from two or three females. They can weigh 600 pounds and are aptly called "super weaners". en.wikipedia.org http://www.elephantseal.org TilTul tiltul.com LinksYouWantToRemember CIMG1626 Elephant seals new born on the beach HWY 1 near Hearst Castle.MOVFrom:MultiBrowsersViews:0 0ratingsTime:01:26More inScience Technology

Follow this link:

Elephant seals new born pups nurse on the Ocean beach at Piedras Blancas near HWY-1 California - Video

Turtle Beach XP400 UNBOXING
This is an unboxing of one of Turtle beaches top models the XP400 Music by: Dance of pixies by machinimasoundFrom:adroso360Views:1 1ratingsTime:07:32More inScience Technology

The rest is here:

Turtle Beach XP400 UNBOXING - Video