Things To Do In SW Florida

By Sam Kemmis | NerdWallet

Traveling during peak season can be a drag. Visiting Europe in the summer, for example, means contending with higher prices, tight availability and throngs of fellow travelers.

That’s why many savvy travelers choose to vacation during “shoulder seasons” that lie between peak season and low season — spring and autumn for many destinations. Yet remote work and overcrowded peak seasons have increased the popularity of these shoulder seasons.

Take the Jersey Shore, a popular seaside destination in New Jersey, for example. This coastal region has seen a significant increase in visitors during the fall months, with October through December occupancy rates in 2023 up by as much as 50% compared to pre-pandemic levels, according to a 2024 report from AirDNA, a short-term rental analytics firm. And it’s not the only place that’s getting more visitors outside of peak season.

As many destinations see more tourists spill into the shoulders, what’s the best way to avoid these offseason crowds? read more

NASA announced Friday it was forgoing the planned October launch of a pair of Mars-bound satellites on what was supposed to be the first launch of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket from Cape Canaveral.

Blue Origin in turn announced it was moving up what was supposed to be its second flight and that it was now targeting November for New Glenn’s debut.

NASA stated the decision was made because of the chances of a delay could lead to cost increases for the mission dubbed ESCAPADE, which stands for Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers.

Blue Origin set to test fire New Glenn stage at Canaveral launch pad

A big deciding factor was the hurdle of having to unload fuel from the satellites if Blue Origin missed the launch window or other factors caused a delay, NASA stated in a release.

“This is an important mission for NASA, and it’s critical we have sufficient margin in our prelaunch work to ensure we are ready to fly a tight planetary window,” said Bradley Smith, NASA’s Launch Services Office director. read more

Louis Gomez says his upstairs neighbor caused the water leak that sparked the lawsuit by his condo association.

His neighbor denies causing the leak, and the Palm Greens Condo 1 Association in West Delray says it sued the 95-year-old World War II veteran and recent cancer survivor because he refused multiple requests to allow workers to enter his 978-square-foot condo unit, built in 1974, to deal with mold caused by the leak.

After the association won the lawsuit and dispatched a repair crew to rip moldy walls and bathroom fixtures out of Gomez’s unit, it sent him a bill for nearly $18,000 for legal fees and repairs.

Gomez, who lives alone with no family and few friends, refuses to pay. He says “the big shots” are trying to take his home from him.

He said, “They said they tried to send letters to go to the court and all that. I said, ‘Look, I didn’t receive anything and I’m not going to any courts. I didn’t do anything wrong. OK? You people are all against me.’”

It’s a story that could be replicated more and more in coming years as condo unit owners and their buildings grow older together in South Florida. read more

Boeing’s Starliner completed its Crew Flight Test without its crew undocking Friday evening from the International Space Station and making the trip back to Earth.

The spacecraft launched from Cape Canaveral atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V back on June 5 with NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams docking with the ISS the next day for what was supposed to be an eight-day visit.

Issues with failing thrusters and helium leaks on Starliner’s propulsion module, though, led to a series of delays and eventual call by NASA to keep its two astronauts safe on board the ISS and send Starliner home without them.

The #Starliner spacecraft is back on Earth.

At 12:01am ET Sept. 7, @BoeingSpace’s uncrewed Starliner spacecraft landed in White Sands Space Harbor, New Mexico. pic.twitter.com/vTYvgPONVc

— NASA Commercial Crew (@Commercial_Crew) September 7, 2024

Undocking occurred at 6:04 p.m. followed by about a six-hour trip back hitting a desert landing at White Sands Space Harbor, New Mexico at 12:01 a.m. Saturday. read more

The arrival this week of Blue Origin’s new rocket landing support ship marks a busy time for Port Canaveral as government and private maritime ship traffic begins to pick up steam.

Jeff Bezos’ company is gearing up for the first launch of its New Glenn heavy-lift rocket and what Blue Origin has been calling landing platform vessel 1 (LPV1) arrived Wednesday with the company’s blue feather logo painted on its flat surface along with the official name, “Jaklyn,” which is in deference to Bezos’ mother.

It pulled up along North Cargo Berth 6 adjacent Blue Origin’s massive crane that will be used to eventually pluck the recovered first stage of New Glenn off the ship.

JACKLYN IS HERE: The long-awaited Blue Origin
landing platform vessel (LPV1) for their New Glenn rocket booster has arrived at Port Canaveral. The vessel is named after @blueorigin founder @JeffBezos ‘ mother. The Harvey Stone towed the vessel into Port Canaveral with assistance… pic.twitter.com/BCJ2N6MZDl

— Port Canaveral (@PortCanaveral) September 4, 2024 read more