Things To Do In SW Florida

Andy Shuman | Bankrate.com (TNS)

Expressing undying love for your sweetheart on Valentine’s Day doesn’t cost any money, but nearly everything else does. Some 53% of Americans planned to celebrate Valentine’s Day in 2024, bringing the expected holiday spending total to $25.8 billion, according to the National Retail Federation’s 2024 Valentine’s Day Spending Survey.

While there’s nothing wrong with showering someone you love with gifts, it’s still possible to celebrate this wonderful holiday on a budget. Below, we’ll explore some steps savvy consumers can take to keep their expenses under control.

1. Plan ahead

Valentine’s Day is all about love — but it’s also about sweets, flowers and fine dining. Last year, OpenTable reported Saturday, Feb. 12, as the single biggest dining day of the year, with more than 50% of Valentine’s Day reservations booked by Feb. 7— and dining out exceeding pre-pandemic levels.

For 2024, lovebirds may want to plan for Saturday, Feb. 10 — and get reservations for that candlelit dinner as soon as possible, especially for top restaurants. You might want to use the same approach for buying gifts as well. Shop well in advance to make sure you get what you want and avoid overspending at the last minute. read more

Madame Tussauds Orlando has added a wax figure of Rihanna to its lineup. She’s outfitted in a bright red outfit as seen during her Super Bowl halftime appearance last year.

The figure features a baby bump to reflect the moment that she revealed she was pregnant with her second child. (Rihanna and rapper husband ASAP Rocky welcomed a son named Riot Rose in August. They have another son named RZA.)

Her performance — which included “Only Girl (in the World),” “We Found Love” and others — reportedly was the most watched Super Bowl halftime in history with more than 121 million viewers.

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The Rihanna figure appears in the music room of the Madame Tussauds location on Orlando’s International Drive as part of Icon Park.

“Rihanna is not only a global icon but also an inspiration to millions around the world,” Paul Gould, general manager of the attraction, said in a news release. “With this interactive experience, we aim to give her fans a unique opportunity to step into her world and feel firsthand the energy of her performance.” read more

A bill advancing through the Florida Legislature would delete the majority of references to climate change in state law.

House Bill 1645 would enact wide-ranging changes to Florida’s energy policy, something House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, has said is needed to ensure state residents’ power is reliable and affordable.

In the process, the bill would delete eight times the phrase “climate change” is mentioned in current law (compared to seven instances where it would be left untouched). Sometimes, the phrase is deleted from sentences that are otherwise left mostly intact.

In other cases, the bill would repeal entire sections of law that mention climate change, such as a grant program that helps local governments and school districts reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The bill would also reduce certain regulations on natural gas pipelines, preempt local governments’ control over the location of natural gas storage facilities and make it so state agencies and local governments no longer have to consider fuel efficiency when buying vehicles, among other changes. read more

TALLAHASSEE — When Florida lawmakers passed $711 million legislation to create thousands of affordable housing units last year, it was considered long-overdue relief for low- and middle-income Floridians.

Less than a year later, communities across the state are in uproar. Officials complain of proposed developments ruining the character of neighborhoods. Some say they’ve lost control of local planning.

And the law has allowed developers to avoid millions in local taxes without providing much affordable housing for lower-income residents.

A report on one of the bill’s key components shows that fewer than 500 new apartments meriting tax breaks are affordable for Floridians earning 80% or less of the median income.

Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, and other state lawmakers have recognized the outrage. The Senate on Wednesday unanimously passed a “glitch” bill addressing some — but not all — of the complaints. The legislation still has to pass the House.

Passidomo said she wants to keep working with local governments, and the law could change in future years to accommodate complaints. But she said the Live Local Act’s success will take years to realize. read more

This year’s Seven Seas Food Festival at SeaWorld Orlando features international flair with dishes from France, Italy, Ireland, India, the Caribbean, Brazil, Polynesia and beyond. There’s plenty of domestic fare, too, including a selection rooted in Milwaukee.

Jose Vargas, executive sous chef for SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, chatted with the Orlando Sentinel about menu strategy, the festival’s new eating options and just how hot is too hot.

QUESTION: How did you approach the Seven Seas menu?

ANSWER: I wanted to keep the menu simple, flavorful, easily executed. I want people to come and go and eat. And not too messy. I didn’t want to go too high-end. You want to go high end? Go to [SeaWorld restaurant] Sharks. This is fun food, drinks. .. You know, Caravale. It’s festival. It’s fun. So I wanted to have fun with it.

Q: What inspired the battered sushi from the Asian Market?

A: I also was a chef at a Japanese restaurant, and Japanese cuisine is my love. That’s my passion. Believe it or not, I’m Latino, and I just got into Asian cuisines. … Japanese is more of my heart. I love their culture, their cuisines and how modern and innovative they are. So that right there is a take on the classic. read more