Indian Rocks Beach Florida - Condos & Homes on the Gulf of Mexico

When you look at relocation destinations in Florida, you tend to be looking for one of two things: either you want a place that would be wonderful to live in, or you want a location that has all of the thrills and excitement you need in a vacation spot. Indian Rocks Beach, Florida satisfies both.

This beautiful community is small enough to know your neighbors, and close enough to the major attractions of the area to keep you excited. Take a short trip outside of town and find yourself at Busch Gardens, Walt Disney world, Universal Studios, or Sea world. Or even forget the trips to amusement parks and stay home on the beach. Enjoy yourself surfing, sailing, scuba diving, or just lying in the sun on one of the many, many beaches.

Indian Rocks Beach is actually a barrier island on the West Coast of Florida, meaning that every home or condo is walking distance from the water and everyone can enjoy the special benefits of living near the Gulf of Mexico. Feast on fresh fish from local fishermen or even go out and catch your own!

When searching for property on Indian Rocks Beach its best to start with a price range in mind. Brand new condos, such as Bella Capri start at upwards of $1,000,000 and offer luxurious residences with exclusive beachfront view. These Italian inspired condos have timeless Mediterranean architecture, spacious floor plans, and the upscale life you would expect in this price range. But, dont dismay you can still get a newer condo just steps to the beach for under $500,000. Check out Beach Paradise and you can have the best of Indian Rocks Beach living and one of the best buys on the beach. Beach Paradise features large floor plans, oversized garages, and stunning kitchens with granite countertops. Theres many other options as well for single family homes here in Indian Rocks Beach.

In addition to the beautiful homes and condos that are available all over the area, there are rental cottages for the vacationers and the restaurants and gift shops that are prominent in any vacation area. Just 45 minutes from Tampa International, this amazing little community (less than one square mile!) is both easy to access and in a world of its own. Youll see on your first visit that Indian Rocks Beach is a place to stay.

Bob Lipply is a top Real Estate Broker Associate in the Tampa Florida Real Estate area. He and his team have been helping families relocate to Florida and on the selling end get top dollar for their homes with great success. Lipply Real Estate also specializes in Indian Rocks Beach Real Estate visit his website where you can search the MLS for up to date available homes for sale.

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Secrets of Paddlewheel Cruises

There is probably no cruise vacation that is more American than traveling by paddleboat along one of American's most majestic rivers. Paddlewheels or steamboats offer unique cruise vacations that take you to some of America's best loved and most scenic cities and sees them as they were meant to be seen--from the water. From the waterways of Alaska to a steamboat down the MIssissippi, the steamboat cruise is the all-American vacation.

The paddlewheeler may sound as American as apple pie and it certainly conjures up thoughts of Mississippi gamblers, dance hall girls, and the American frontier. However, paddlewheel ships actually originated in China and can be found all over the world. Americans in the 19th century took the ancient concept of using a paddlewheel and made two improvements: they moved the wheel to the stern or back of the ship (ancient Chinese vessels had the wheel in the front) and they powered these new vessels with the steam engine.

You can book a paddlewheel cruise from a few different lines. Some of them also feature old-fashioned furnishings and a staff in period costumes. You may also be treated to some themed events during your cruise.

Paddleboats cruised the Mississippi in the 19th century, but most of these ships were working vessels. They carried merchandise as well as passengers up and down the river. Some of the best known ports on the route include St. Louis and Memphis, but the Mississippi runs as far north as Minneapolis and as far south as New Orleans, where it empties into the Gulf of Mexico.

Accommodations on these modern versions of paddlewheel cruises tend to go back to the style of the day when travel was more leisurely but also a bit grander. Expect stately touches on the ship and modern amenities along with antique furnishings. One does not grab a bite on a steamboat; it's more typical to dine. While paddlewheelers today do accommodate our modern preference for the casual lifestyle, this is about as far from the "barefoot" cruise as you can get.

In their day, the American steamboats frequently offered gambling, entertainment that for its day was considered racy, and music from a calliope. A calliope is a very loud, steam-operated instrument most frequently associated with the circus. You'll find them on some steamboat cruises today, along with lots of music in the evenings (the type depends a lot on the cruise you take).

Before the Civil war, many Southern plantations along the Mississippi were deliberately built on the river so that they could send their crops more easily to market. Cruising by paddlewheeler allows you to see some of these antebellum mansions the way they were meant to be viewed by a party approaching on the river.

Even many Southern cities on the Mississippi were built to be visited not by land but by waterway. The grand dame of all river cities in the United States remains New Orleans. Katrina notwithstanding, New Orleans is back. You can visit the French Quarter (which abuts the Mississippi River) and at least one major cruise line is using New Orleans again as a port.

Probably the best known line for this type of cruise vacation is Majestic America, which offers Mississippi River and other paddlewheel cruises (http://www.majesticamericaline.com).

Paddlewheels also are frequently used on shorter day trips. Brunch cruises, short sightseeing cruises, or even day-long cruises can be found all over the country (including in Orlando, a landlocked city). While this can be a great way to sample the experience of a steamboat trip without committing to a cruise, it's not going to be as true a steamboat experience as a multi-day journey on the river.

While the steamboat may seem old-fashioned or even clumsy, their small size and design actually makes them far more maneuverable than larger vessels. Captains typically have a bit more latitude in setting their course and itinerary, meaning that depending on the time of year and the river conditions, the captain may be able to travel to slightly different areas to get the best views of wildlife or other sites of interest.

Don't expect to find lots of passengers; a steamboat cruise will take only a few dozen to possibly a few hundred passengers on any one trip. This means that passengers on a steamboat cruise will get to know each other, interact with each other, and actually rediscover the pastime of conversation. While you won't find as many activities on a steamboat as on a large cruise ship (there won't be a miniature golf course, ice-skating rink, or rock wall), you will find more opportunities to get to know other people.

Since steamboats have always been known for their music, you can usually expect lots of rollicking evening entertainment, from jazz cruises on the Mississippi to other dance bands in the North. Steamboats may be nostalgic and stately but they aren't quiet, especially at night.

And while the Mississippi River cruise has to be the quintessential steamboat experience, you'll also find river cruises that go as far north as Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Washington state and even Alaska. The Alaskan cruises, in particular, boast that they can access ports and areas that are off-limits to the larger cruise ships.

Whether you're looking for a red-white-and-blue cruise experience or just as slightly different spin on the traditional cruise vacation, a paddlewheel cruise in the U.S.A. offers a wonderful vacation experience.

Mandy Karlik is a freelance travel writer and loves to cruise. To learn more about paddlewheel cruises and other cruise options, check out some of her other articles on http://www.thecruise-shopper.com .

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