Nov. 6 is Great VISIT FLORIDA Beach Walk

Not sure about you but I’m ready to put misconceptions about the Deepwater Horizon Oil spill’s impact (or lack of) on Florida’s beaches behind and move forward. In an effort to show the world the Sunshine State’s fantabulous beaches, the “Great VISIT FLORIDA Beach Walk” will happen Saturday, November 6, 2010, on Florida’s 825 miles of beaches.

VISIT FLORIDA, the state’s official source for travel planning, made the announcement yesterday during the 43rd Annual Florida Governor’s Conference on Tourism at the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate. The Beach Walk will build on Florida Live’s success.

Florida Live was launched shortly after the oil spill and provided an opportunity for residents and visitors to upload same-day photos to show the world what the beaches look like. It also includes a links to beach cams, destination Twitter feeds and multi-media content generated by VISIT FLORIDA Outdoors & Nature Insider, Kevin Mims.

19th Annual Charlotte Harbor Freedom Swim — Kevin Mims, Outdoors and Nature Insider for VISIT FLORIDA, Participating in the Freedom Swim Across the Peace River, Charlotte Harbor, Fla. July 4, 2010

Kevin spent about two months on the road documenting what he saw and experienced in Florida. He uploaded videos, photos and blog posts as well as interact with followers on Facebook and Twitter. Florida Live was complemented with VISIT FLORIDA’s television and radio spot campaigns to spread the word most of the beaches were oil free and Florida is still the best travel destination in the world.

The “Great VISIT FLORIDA Beach Walk” is an opportunity for residents and visitors to “Share a Little Sunshine” by taking and sharing photos and videos of Florida beaches and uploading them to the Florida Live site.

The purpose? To depict a real-time snapshot of Florida’s 825 miles of beaches and demonstrate to the world they are clean, clear and open for business.

Shell Tree at Stump Pass Beach State Park, Florida

Volunteer Florida is coordinating volunteers to photograph and video every mile of beach in Florida. I checked their website but didn’t see any information about how to participate but check their site often for updates. The Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association and Florida Lottery are helping to promote the event.

Read the full announcement on VISIT FLORIDA’s Sunshine Matters blog and be sure to save the date: Nov. 6, 2010, for the Great VISIT FLORIDA Beach Walk.

Updated Oct. 11, 2010: Registration for The Great VISIT FLORIDA Beach Walk is open. Check out my post with details.

Jenn

Jennifer A. Huber is an award-winning travel and outdoor blogger and writer in Southwest Florida. Originally from Buffalo, N.Y., a hiking trail led her to a career path in the tourism industry for more than 30 years. She spent a decade with a park management company in Yellowstone, Death Valley, and Everglades National Parks. She founded the travel blog, SoloTravelGirl.com with the goal of inspiring others to travel alone, not lonely. The unexpected death of her former husband in 2008 reminded her how short life is. His passing was a catalyst for sharing her experiences with the goal of inspiring and empowering others to travel solo. Jennifer holds a Travel Marketing Professional certification from the Southeast Tourism Society, is a certified food judge, member of the NASA Social community, and alum of the FBI Citizens Academy. When not traveling, she is either in the kitchen, practicing her photography skills, or road tripping with her dog, Radcliff.