Intracoastal Waterway

The Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) is a 3,000-mile (4,800 km) inland waterway along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts of the United States. Some sections of the waterway consist of natural inlets, saltwater rivers, bays, and sounds, while others are artificial canals. It provides a navigable route along its length without many of the hazards of travel on the open sea.

Context and early history

The shipping hazards and safe havens of the Atlantic coast have been well known and appreciated since colonial times, and considered of great commercial, communication, and military importance to both the colonial power and the newly established, independent United States. The physical features of the eastern coast were advantageous for intracoastal development, resulting from erosion and deposition of sediment over its geologic history, but also enhanced and redistributed by the action of the Atlantic ocean currents along it. Since the coastline represented the national border and commerce of the time was chiefly by water, the fledgling US government established a degree of national control over it. Inland transportation to supply the coasting trade at the time however, was less known and virtually undeveloped, but when new lands and their favorable river systems were added in 1787, a radically new and free national policy was established for their development and transportation use. Over time, internal improvements of natural coastal and inland waterways would develop into the Great Loop, which allows for waterborne circumnavigation of the eastern continental United States, using minimal ocean travel, with the Intracoastal Waterway providing its eastern end.

Palm Beach

Palm Beach may refer to:

Places

Hotels

Others

See also

Boca Raton, Florida

Boca Raton /ˈboʊkə rəˈtoʊn/ is the southernmost city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States, incorporated in May 1925 (first incorporation in 1924). The 2014 population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau was 91,332. However, approximately 200,000 people with a "Boca Raton" postal address reside outside its municipal boundaries. Such areas include newer developments such as West Boca Raton. As a business center, the city's daytime population increases significantly. It is one of the wealthiest communities in South Florida. Boca Raton is located 43 miles (69 km) north of Miami and is considered one of the principal cities in the Miami metropolitan area.

Boca Raton is home to the main campus of Florida Atlantic University and the corporate headquarters of Office Depot and ADT. It is also home to the Evert Tennis Academy, owned by professional tennis player Chris Evert. Town Center Mall, an upscale shopping center in West Boca Raton, is the largest indoor mall in Palm Beach County. Another major attraction to the area is Boca Raton's downtown, known as Mizner Park.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Fort Lauderdale /ˌfɔərt ˈlɔːdərdeɪl/ (frequently abbreviated as Ft. Lauderdale) is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast 23 miles (37 km) north of Miami. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010 census.

The city is a popular tourist destination, with an average year-round temperature of 75.5 °F (24.2 °C), and 3,000 hours of sunshine per year. Greater Fort Lauderdale which takes in all of Broward County hosted 12 million visitors in 2012, including 2.8 million international visitors. The city and county in 2012 collected $43.9 million from the 5% bed tax it charges, after hotels in the area recorded an occupancy rate for the year of 72.7 percent and an average daily rate of $114.48. The district has 561 hotels and motels comprising nearly 35,000 rooms. Forty six cruise ships sailed from Port Everglades in 2012. Greater Fort Lauderdale has over 4,000 restaurants, 63 golf courses, 12 shopping malls, 16 museums, 132 nightclubs, 278 parkland campsites, and 100 marinas housing 45,000 resident yachts.

Distant Shores

Distant Shores may refer to: