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Archive for the ‘Gatwick Airport’ Category

The coastal city of Brighton has long been a favourite escape of Londoners and other residents in south east England, and a fashionable destination in its own right since its fortunes turned around in the late 18th century.

Brighton’s rise from historic fishing village to beachside favourite was aided in no small part by its popularity with the royal family, particularly the Prince Regent – later King George IV – who had a royal residence built in the early 1800s, the Royal Pavilion. This followed the construction of other regency terraces that had already proved popular with the gentry, and was accompanied by the building of other famous landmarks such as the Theatre Royal, the Brighton Dome and St Anne’s Well, broadening Brighton’s appeal among holidaymakers.

Travel to Brighton was made easier with the opening of the London to Brighton railway line around the same time, and the Palace Pier would become the first such attraction in the city, jetting out into the English Channel with modern attractions to entertain visitors. However, further developments still would come later in the Victorian period, with the construction of the West Pier in 1866 and the iconic Grand Hotel in 1864, completing the postcard image of cultural Brighton.

The city’s reputation across the 20th and into the 21st century has evolved further still, often in ways the sunbathing residents of years past could never have conceived. The most notorious association was the youth gang rivalry between ‘mods’ and ‘rockers’ in the 1960s, later dramatised by The Who in their album and film Quadrophenia, which was filmed in the city, however more recent developments have only further established its appeal.

These include the emergence of Brighton as a major centre of Britain’s gay scene, as well as a site of international relations with the opening of a conference centre in the 1970s. More recently, Brighton and Hove were merged into a single conurbation and the larger area was finally granted city status as part of the millennium celebrations by one of Brighton’s modern royal fans, HRH Queen Elizabeth II.

Brighton remains the most popular seaside escape in the UK and, with the opening of the Gatwick Express service in 2008, it’s now easier than ever for travellers arriving at the nearby airport to make the journey to Brighton, or choose the convenience of Gatwick Airport car hire as soon as they step off their flights.

Gatwick, the epitome of London airport travel, is passed through by countless visitors each and every year. For a lot of these visitors a stopover of a night or two is absolutely essential – that’s where the numerous Gatwick hotels come in. If you choose wisely you can guarantee a comfortable stay, getting you ready for the flight ahead or allowing you to recover from the previous one.

Choosing the right Gatwick hotels for your needs

Often, if it’s simply a case of a stopover, you probably won’t need anything too over the top and basic accommodation will be more than adequate. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t expect quality though. There are plenty of Gatwick hotels for you to choose from and any one of them will be up to the standards that you expect.

Of course, you might prefer that bit of extra luxury to make your stay (and your flight) even more enjoyable. You’ll be able to find plenty of available options to suit, and with everything from comfortable bed and breakfasts and guest houses to full-service hotels you’ll be able to find something appropriate.

As well as the standard of the hotel itself, you also need to consider the proximity to the airport. Unless you’re driving you’re going to want Gatwick hotels that are as close to the airport as possible, with some offering direct connections and others even being on-site for complete convenience.

Getting the best from Gatwick hotels

You always need to look for Gatwick hotels that can offer the highest level of comfort possible, as that’s the only way to ensure an enjoyable and relaxing stay. Their standards always need to be exceptional, and if you really want to get the best from your experience always take advantage of anything else that can be offered.

Most Gatwick hotels should come complete with restaurants to provide you with all the dining opportunities you could need – in this location nearby eateries could be few and far between. Breakfast should always be offered and anything else that can be provided would be a bonus, so always see what else you can find if you really want the best.

Finding Gatwick hotels made easy

There are plenty of Gatwick hotels to choose from, but this level of choice can often seem daunting. That’s why you need to leave it to the experts – head online (ideally to comparison sites) and you’ll have no problem finding the perfect Gatwick hotels so you can enjoy a truly comfortable stay.

Florida was inhabited by people 12,000 years ago and most of the animals of the world lived here. Some of them have become extinct now e.g. The saber-tooth tiger, giant armadillo, camel and of course the mastodon.

The natives, before the arrival of Europeans, in Florida used to eat nuts, plants, small animals and shellfish. They cultivated agriculture and traded with people of the South Eastern US and increased their social organizations. It is reflected in large temples that they built and village complexes.

The Spanish came here in 1513 and a Spanish explorer named Ponce de Leon named the area la Florida in honor of Pascua Florida, the feast of the flowers – Spain’s Easter time Celebrations.

The French followed, making the Spaniards flee and the French made the first permanent settlement in Florida. Spaniards returned with more forces and burned all the things that related to the French. In1763 British gained control of Florida from the Spanish, leaving the state with just a few settlements.

When the British evacuated Florida many people came pouring in, especially the slaves who escaped from various places to come here as they knew that there was no enslavement there. Many came because of favorable Spanish terms for land grabs. The Floridians that settled here became more ‘American’ than ‘Spanish.’

Finally the US took control of the territory in 1821. On 3rd March, 1845 Florida became the 27th state of the US. William D. Mosley was elected the first Governor. Its population also grew tremendously.

Florida didn’t take part in the Civil War and no battle was fought on Florida soil. Many coastal towns and forts were occupied by the Union forces though the Florida state remained in Confederate hands.

During the final quarter of the 19th century, Florida’s large scale agriculture became commercial, especially cattle rising. Cigar making industries also took root here.

The story of a momentous battle is told at the Dade Battlefield State Historic Site and the enactment of this battle is sponsored by Dade Battlefield Society. It is held on the weekends that fall nearest to the actual date of the battle. Festivities begin at 9am and continue up to the sunset of the last day.

The park has a battlefield, beautiful visitor center and a museum in 50 acres of pinelands that has oak trees, magnolias, woodpeckers, song birds and gopher tortoises and many other type of species of wild life.

Only surviving antebellum plantation house in South Florida is the Gamble Plantation State Historic Site. It used to be the home of Major Robert Gamble and his 3500 acres of sugar plants. In 1925 the park was donated to the State by the United Daughters of the Confederacy.

Today it is refurbished in the style of a plantation of mid-19th century. A guided tour to the mansion exhibits the style of living in that era.

Paynes Creek State Historic Site is situated in the memory of Captain George S. Paynes who was killed by the Seminoles. There of course used to be friction between the new white settlers and the native Indians – Seminoles. The US Govt. opened an office for the Seminoles as they could then be approached whenever needed.

In spring of 1849 the office – The Darling Store – was opened and the Seminoles attacked the office on 17 July 1849. It is now a grave site and is marked with a grave stone marked near the office. In the attack two clerks of the office were killed and one injured.

Trails for hiking go through the woods to the place where there used to be the office. The trading post and the events that happened then are located in the visitor center. Picnic tables and chairs are available here to have a great lunch and relax.