Episode 1 Getaways

It's our most popular holiday destination outside of Europe,

with over 100,000 Irish people travelling here every year.

Yes, this week we're in Florida.

Most come with one thing in mind - the world's best theme parks.

But there's more to this sunshine state than Minnie Mouse

and Spider-Man.

We're going to jump in a rental car and go a bit further afield.

We're headed to the lively Miami and the lovely Key West.

It's the other side of Florida in Getaways.

On our website we asked you for your recommendations

for what we should see and do here.

And you've been e-mailing and texting your suggestions.

We're taking a nine and a half hour flight from Dublin to Orlando

on the southeastern tip of the USA.

Most visitors to Orlando head straight for the theme parks,

and there are plenty on offer.

Walt Disney World Resort has four parks

including the old favourite Magic Kingdom.

Here you can meet all the well-loved characters and try the latest rides.

But on this trip we're going to concentrate on some of

the other attractions Florida has on offer.

A lot of feedback we got confirmed what we expected -

if you really want to experience Florida, you got to travel around,

and let's face it, you're not going to get very far without a car.

Madam, are we ready?

The good news is that car rental

and fuel costs are relatively cheap in the US.

The bad news is that Florida's highways are very, very busy,

so don't underestimate travelling times between major towns and cities.

We're heading east out of Orlando

to a completely different sort of visitor experience...

..with very big rides.

Ones that you're not allowed anywhere near. Boo!

-MAN:

-Lift-off!

As always, we're keen to hear your suggestions,

-and as recommendations go, this one was pretty unanimous.

-Yeah.

Stephen Cassidy, Jay Douglas, Zoe Connell, Gary Hall, Mike McGuigan,

you amongst other people said we definitely had to come here.

Where is here? It's the Kennedy Space Centre.

This is where Nasa has launched its space flights since the 1960s,

including the moon landings.

Mere mortals are not allowed to drive, but there is a bus tour

that takes you around the launch pad and the assembly building.

It also takes you to the home of this baby.

Look at this!

This is the Saturn V rocket.

This is from the golden age of the space race.

-This rocket would have taken men to the moon.

-To the moon!

And you know what?

It's funny cos you see it in the movies, you see it on the telly

all the time since you were a kid, but actually it is enormous!

If you still can't wrap your head around the actual size of this,

take a look at this scale model. All of this is used to launch the rocket.

We go right the way up and then you start to see

what actually went into space and what landed in the moon.

This tiny little portion at the top of it.

Check out the three astronauts.

Minuscule at the very, very tip. It must have been absolutely terrifying.

At the main visitors' centre there is the equally awesome sight

of one of the space shuttles,

complete with burn marks from re-entry.

And outside, you can even interact with human beings

who have been there and done that.

This is Bruce Melnick.

This man has not been to space once, he has been to space twice.

-Is that true?

-That's true. Back in 1990 and 1992.

It's amazing. It's almost indescribable.

It's one thing to see movies of it and pictures of it,

but when you're actually there floating in zero gravity,

floating around looking out the windows

and the world just zips below you.

-It's an absolute honour to meet you, Bruce.

-Nice to meet you, Joe.

I'm shaking the hand of a man who's been in space twice.

Back on the road and it's a four hour drive south to our next destination.

With a population that's one third Cuban origin and typical temperatures

in the 80s even in winter, Miami is an American city like no other.

Mark Cumberton from Dublin suggested that

the one thing you have to do in Miami is to take a speedboat tour.

Guide Kim showed me around.

So this is where Miami really began,

right here at the mouth of the Miami River.

I mean, there are essentially two Miamis, right?

You've South Beach over here and then you have this area.

But they're kind of considered two very different parts of Miami.

They are. They're very, very different.

They've revitalised the whole area downtown

and it's the place to go now.

South Beach, obviously the draw for tourism.

Number one tourism destination in Miami is South Beach.

The trip takes you past Star Island

where the houses go for serious money.

This is Gloria Estefan's house?

They actually have two houses on Star Island.

One of them is currently on the market for 40 million.

-What?!

-Yes!

-40 million?!

You know when Gloria Estefan sang Rhythm Is Going to Get You?

This is what the rhythm gets you.

A house like that.

Well played, Gloria.

A mile out in the middle of nowhere it seems is the abandoned

Stilt Town, otherwise known as Stiltsville.

These stilt houses are incredible. I've never seen anything like this.

What are these?

They started building them back in the 1920s up through the 1960s

and they're kind of founding Miami families who've passed these houses

along over the generations that use them as fishing shacks

or party pads, that type of thing.

During Prohibition they used them for speakeasies.

You had the rum coming from the Bahamas, that type of thing.

Al Capone was supposedly out here gambling.

-Apparently he had a casino.

-You know something?

We should maybe start our own little speakeasy today.

Brought some beers out up on the deck, a bit of Charleston.

-Should have brought the beer.

-Yeah, I never thought.

-Not like me.

-Exactly.

Over the last 20 years the Art Deco South Beach has been rejuvenated.

If you don't mind looking somewhat ungainly,

why not try the Segway tour?

The morning is the best time to see the dazzling east-facing strip

in its multicoloured glory.

Brian Fitzsimons suggested a visit downtown to Little Havana.

And I'm here to soak up the Cuban atmosphere at the enormous

Cafe Versailles.

Cafe Versailles is the real deal.

It's so important that presidential candidates come here

to woo the Cuban vote.

This is an example of just some of the food you'll find

on Cuban menus around the area.

This is a house special.

Slow roasted pork marinated overnight,

big lump of crackling on the top.

Looks absolutely delicious.

Then you've got the Cuban sandwich.

Cheese, layers and layers of meat, pickle. Absolutely gorgeous.

Finally, the one I've been waiting for.

It's a whole red snapper. Flash fried, a bit of salad.

I'm not into onions, so I'm going to chuck them to the side.

But this looks really good.

You eat it skin and all.

Mmm. It's delicious.

Really crisp skin.

Lots of garlic seasoning and then beautifully moist flesh underneath.

Absolutely gorgeous.

I'm in Miami's Wynwood district cos I really want to show you this.

I want to show you how a neighbourhood

that was previously run down was completely transformed by art.

Seven years ago a local businessman hit upon the idea

of turning these walls and warehouses into canvases for murals.

Now it's home to probably the most impressive range of street art

in the world.

The mural behind me is by Chor Boogie.

His last piece sold for 700,000.

I met with Marlo Courtney at Wynwood Walls,

the centre of this extraordinary outdoor exhibition.

These artists are not paid to exhibit their work,

but they love the idea of being able to share their work with the public.

You'll have sort of less enlightened officials in certain cities

who would regard graffiti and street art as a blight on the city,

but Miami embraces it and celebrates it.

Today you see these artists who back in the day

when they were painting subway cars in New York as Futura did

and Kenny Scharf and all the original guys,

today their art is embraced

and is sold in galleries for considerable amounts of money,

it's collected.

So it really has gone to the next level

because when you look at it

and you look at the content of what is being displayed, it's really

quite remarkable to have these big walls that are now masterpieces.

Indulge me and forgive me,

but as they say on this side of the pond,

I'm like a kid in a candy store.

I absolutely love this. You should really come here to see all this.

It's all free.

Meanwhile I found another way to enjoy the bay.

I've come about an hour's south of Miami

to try the latest watersports craze - jet packing.

I want you to put all of your weight on the seat.

No experience required, just a safety drill and a sense of balance.

One, two, three.

It's mildly terrifying at first, until you get used to balancing.

I wouldn't recommend it unless you're absolutely comfortable in the water.

Good. All right. Let's take a little break for a second, OK?

It's pretty special. Can I go again?

That was a perfect recovery. That was awesome.

But it doesn't take long to take off.

There you go. Nice. There you go.

That's it. Nice height.

That's it. Perfect height.

At 200 a pop it's not cheap,

but as action-packed treats go this takes some beating.

But I'm not sure I'd recommend trying the backflip on your first go.

Sorry, I think I went slightly wrong.

-Excellent job. That was perfect.

-Nice way to finish.

If you like dancing, and according to the website many of you do,

then South Beach is the place to be.

Some of the best nightclubs in the world.

And a lot of them do dance classes,

so you can hit the dance floor properly

and shake what your mama gave ya!

Shake what your mama gave ya!

And if like me you have two left feet, they make it easy for you.

Salsa Mia is a dance studio where most nights they put on classes

-for absolute beginners, like me.

-All right, guys,

what we're going to teach you tonight is Miami style salsa.

This is more like, "I want to go to a party. I want to go to a barbecue.

"I just want to go and dance salsa."

One, two, three, and five, six, seven.

One, two, three, and five, six, seven.

We go forward with the left and back with the right.

And once you've got the basics you can head to

Mango's Tropical Cafe downstairs to practise your new moves.

And a few old ones as well.

If you're planning to stay in Miami

there are lots of good hotels to choose from.

We stayed at the Royal Palm, South Beach.

It has a lovely period feel to it with lots of Art Deco features

and it's just a block from the beach. It costs...

Next door is the even more luxurious Loews Miami, South Beach.

If you fancy lounging around then there's a great pool area.

Five nights here will cost...

Later on we'll be bringing you more from the sunshine state

as we head to the Florida Keys, but now a short break getaway

for those who want to stay a bit closer to home.

I'm here in Islandmagee, which isn't actually an island at all.

It's a 12km long peninsula on the east Antrim coast

that sits between Larne Lough and the Irish Sea.

I'm taking a sea tour, which I reckon is the best way to see

what's on offer along this stretch of coastline.

After leaving from Ballylumford

our first pot of call is Portmuck harbour,

where I've been told you can often see seals and porpoises.

But no blubbery friends here today, just some slick Northern Irish folk.

Have a look in the shore in there.

You'll see all that's left of a little steamer.

It was suppose to be a very lucky ship,

but it ran aground three times before it ended upon the shore here.

-It's not that lucky.

-No, it's not that lucky.

It must have been carrying whiskey or something.

It must have been drinking it, never mind carrying it.

These are gannets.

They're pretty large birds that fly into the water at 60mph.

It looks like they've kind of lost control,

but they're actually eyeing the prize,

going for small fish underneath the water.

It's amazing.

But what I'm really here to see is

Northern Ireland's latest tourist attraction.

This is the Gobbins cliff walk.

It's incredible just how close to the edge the steps, the tunnels,

the bridges are.

And this is the exact route that the Edwardians used to take

back in the day. This bridge is quite iconic.

It's amazing. Who knew they were such thrill-seekers?

-This beautiful old walkway has been brought back to life.

-Yes.

It first opened in 1902 and it was designed by Berkeley Deane Wise,

a chief of the Belfast and Northern Counties Railway.

And at that time it was more popular than the Giant's Causeway.

-And it looks pretty tough.

-It is quite tough.

It has been kept very, very similar to what the original path was like.

Some of the steps are quite tall, some of the path is quite narrow,

and it is challenging.

And some of it goes underground, is that right?

One of the caves will take you down below sea level.

And in the olden days they used to employ a man to keep it pumped out.

So it's like going back in time.

-It's like stepping back in time.

-Lovely.

And if you want another step back in time

I'd recommend Carrickfergus Castle.

Built in the 12th century by John de Courcy.

It had many lives since then.

It's been a prison, a military base

and even an air raid shelter during World War II.

And to be fair, it's in pretty good nick considering all of that.

And because it's in good shape it's possible to get a feeling

for the everyday workings of the castle over the centuries.

This is de Courcy's great room where he held court, welcomed guests

and had big banquets. It's pretty sweet.

And who knows what you might find?

King John on the john. Lovely.

And I think I've found the best-kept secret in the area.

This is Kilcoan Gardens where owner Cherry Townsend

tends around five acres of gardens.

As well as running summer events,

Cherry also holds flower arranging workshops

and I've come to try my hand at making a wild bouquet.

I love this type of flowering and these beautiful wild bouquets,

-so we're going to make one, right?

-We are indeed. It's great fun.

We're start with the phlox, and if you add the feverfew on...

at an angle and every time you add flowers on at an angle

across the flowers towards you, turn the flowers in your hand.

That's perfect. Like an X.

-Starting with the tall flowers, right?

-Exactly.

Start with some of the bigger taller flowers.

Take a peony and again cross over.

So this is apple mint. It smells lovely.

Oh, that is beautiful.

-People love it, I'm sure.

-They do.

When they come down and they see the garden and...

-Get back to nature.

-Exactly.

Once you get to this stage it becomes a little bit easier

because the more flowers you have the more natural they look.

-And you do afternoon tea here as well?

-We do indeed.

We do afternoon tea and can have a tour of the garden

and then I'll do a flower demonstration.

Perhaps you could take a snapdragon. Put that in. Nice deep colour.

I'm quite proud of that for a first attempt.

That's really lovely. Well done.

-Really good job.

-Thank you.

If you're looking for somewhere to stay in the area

then we've found something a little unusual.

Blackhead Lightkeepers' Houses.

The Blackhead Lighthouse once guided ships including

the Titanic along Belfast Lough.

Two adjoining houses have been restored by the Irish Landmark Trust

and are available to rent.

So I'd recommend getting the fire going

and enjoying the views of this local beauty spot.

We're in Florida and heading south, in fact,

we're going to the southern most part of the USA - the Florida Keys.

-Oh, look at that.

-Gorgeous.

Palm trees. Glistening water. It's kind of magical.

The Florida Keys are a long string of islands

stretching over 120 miles into the Gulf of Mexico,

with a little help from some very impressive bridges.

You're rarely more than a couple of hundred metres from the water.

Plus, endless dive shops, beach bars and deep sea fishing.

And then there's this place,

suggested by Sarah Murphy from County Tipperary.

Now we have featured aquariums many times

on previous series of Getaways,

but I'm about to do something I've never done before,

and I will guarantee neither have most of you

because this is an aquarium with a difference.

Because here you can get up close and personal with the residents.

You don't need to be a qualified diver to do this.

Instead of carrying tanks around, an umbilical pipe feeds you the air.

All ages are welcome,

but the stingray encounter, the kids must be accompanied by an adult.

The food makes you a magnet for the dozens of species living here.

And some, like Spotty the giant ray, get pretty friendly.

That was one of the most incredible things you will ever do.

It's hand feeding fish. The big guys just come up and are like,

"Ah, yeah. You've got food for me. Thanks." Away they go.

And you get the little guys sniping in.

And you get Spotty here. Spotty's like the coolest.

Spotty's like a dog. Honestly, that's incredible.

Florida, and the Keys in particular used to get a bad rep

when it came to protecting the environment, but places like this

and tons more along the coast are trying to change it.

Richie Moretti and his team have a large hi-tech facility here

where they try to nurture sick turtles back to health.

So what about this guy - Skipper?

What we're trying to do is fatten him up as much as we can.

As soon as that neck gets as wide as the skull...

-He's good to go.

-Yeah.

We have very simple rules. You eat, you poop, you're out.

So generally when the turtles come in what's wrong with them?

Well, they come in with the normal problems

that you would find in a people hospital.

Instead of children walking in front of cars,

it's turtles swimming in front of boats.

Turtles will eat the wrong things.

They'll eat plastic, it looks like a jellyfish.

-And it will plug 'em up.

-How often do you do releases?

We get to release about 50 turtles a year, and that's exciting.

The releases often take place on beaches,

but today we're heading further out to sea.

Some turtles will have spent a couple of years getting better,

so releasing these old friends is often an emotional experience.

All right!

CHEERING

Well done! Are you having a little weep?

-Your first turtle.

-Bye, my first turtle!

-Bye!

-Oh, look!

And another way to appreciate the Florida Keys' unique ecosystem

is to explore the mangrove swamps by kayak.

And today we have a rather unusual tour leader.

Good girl.

The mangroves offer an experience like no other.

Oh, my word! Look at this!

This is just gorgeous. Look at this.

I'm waiting for Yoda to pop out at any point.

-AS YODA:

-Beautiful, it is.

What the pictures don't show is just how humid

and steamy it is in the mangroves.

I wouldn't try this without someone who knows their way around.

We were shown the passageways

and some of the currents can get quite strong.

That's turned me perfectly.

Yeah, the turning circle in this isn't great, look.

Oh! And as if by magic we reappear.

Oh, man, look at that!

Make sure you're well protected against mosquitoes

and you'll be glad to know it will be extremely rare to find

an alligator or croc in these salt waters.

If you keep driving south you finally hit Key West,

the southern most town in the USA.

Packed with picture-postcard shops, laid back people

and plenty of seafood restaurants.

Everywhere you go in the Keys you will see a dish on the menu

called conch.

It's basically a large sea snail.

And also they use the shell for another purpose.

And Kelly here is going to show me. Kelly, what do you do with it?

We blow the conch shell. We use this to signal special events.

Weddings, births, boats coming in from a day at fishing

and we even use this on the boat.

-It's a US Coastguard approved signalling device.

-And still used?

It's still used to this day. Give it a whirl.

-Just in here?

-Just blow into the end of the conch shell.

-All right.

CONCH SOUNDS WEAKLY

That's all right, right?

It's all right. You've got the attention.

You want to show me how it's done?

For those of us that are a little more seasoned...

-Shall we?

-Go for it.

CONCH SOUNDS CLEARLY

Kelly, you're wheelin' on that horn.

But it's not just the giant mollusc that the area is known for.

Key lime pie. Tell me a little bit about this. What do we do first?

It's very simple.

We've got the Key lime juice, sweetened condensed milk,

egg yolks and a crust, and that's all we need.

You're going to start here with six egg yolks.

Manually this is quite the challenge.

We're going to add two cans of sweetened condensed milk to that.

Oh, I love condensed milk.

And as soon as your eggs are blended with your milk

then you add the juice.

You're going to see how that thickens up.

And in the old days they didn't cook the pie.

This chemical reaction was enough,

but nowadays because of the fear of raw eggs we cook it

for about 20 minutes.

All we have to do is dump it in the crust and put it in the oven.

-Your pie is baked.

-It looks delicious!

Cooled down and we've topped it with real whipped cream.

Mmm.

Oh, it's gorgeous.

Kind of like cheesecake, but nicer.

-It's got your touch.

-Aw, thanks.

CONCH SOUNDS

How do you like 'em apples?

Key West is small enough to walk around easily

and soak up the unique holiday vibe.

One figure has done more than anyone else to put Key West on the map.

And that is legendary Nobel Prize winning author Ernest Hemingway.

And this is where he lived.

For many years this was the biggest house in Key West.

Hemingway came here in 1928 and fell in love with the place,

mainly due to the big game fishing.

He bought this house, this is actually his studio,

and it's here that he wrote 70% of his life's work,

most notably A Farewell to Arms.

This is actually his typewriter. I'm sitting in Papa's chair.

Legend has it that Hemmingway bought it

because it was near the lighthouse,

and for a man who was fond of his bars,

a lighthouse is a good way to find your way home.

As you'd expect in a major holiday destination,

the Florida Keys has a great range of waterfront hotels to choose from.

We stayed in the Hyatt Place at the Faro Blanco resort in Marathon,

which has great rooms.

As always, the rates fluctuate with the seasons.

We visited in May when a standard double room costs...

It's fair to say that a trip to Florida is probably not going to be

the cheapest holiday you'll ever have.

But it does offer amazing experiences and you do get your money's worth.

Most likely Orlando will be your main base

and the Rosen Inn At Pointe Orlando

is a good value, family-run, motel-style option.

Very well located in the middle of the theme park district.

It costs...

If you have a family it can be very cost-effective

to go for a self-catering villa.

Sheraton Vistana Villages is a good option.

A huge resort with spacious villas

and a selection of pools scattered about.

Seven nights here will cost...

We booked our holiday package including hotels

and flights with American Holidays and Aer Lingus.

In summer there are four direct flights a week

from Dublin to Orlando.

If you'd like more information please visit our website.

-Today was probably my favourite Getaways day ever.

-Really?

Mm-hm. Released a turtle into the wilderness.

I drove a Camaro, and I didn't crash it.

-I'm thankful for that as well.

-Yeah, I bet you are.

And then I'm having a little strawberry daiquiri to finish it off.

There we go. I tickled Spotty the fish.

I walked in the footsteps of Papa Hemmingway.

Now I'm drinking something out of a coconut.

I can't ask for much more than that. Cheers.