Directory A–Z - Florida - page 1128

PRACTICALITIES
Electricity Voltage is 110/120V, 60 cycles.
Measurements Distances are measured in feet, yards and miles; weights are tallied in
ounces, pounds and tons.
Newspapers Florida has three major daily newspapers: Miami Herald(in Spanish, El
Nuevo Herald), Orlando Sentineland the St Petersburg Times.
Smoking Florida bans smoking in all enclosed workplaces, including restaurants and
shops, but excluding 'stand-alone' bars (that don't emphasize food) and designated
hotel smoking rooms.
Time Most of Florida is in the US Eastern Time Zone: noon in Miami equals 9am in San
Francisco and 5pm in London. West of the Apalachicola River, the Panhandle is in the
US Central Time Zone, one hour behind the rest of the state. During daylight-saving
time, clocks 'spring forward' one hour in March and 'fall back' one hour in November.
TV Florida receives all the major US TV and cable networks: Florida Smart
( www.floridasmart.com/news ) lists them by region. Video systems use the NTSC color TV
standard.
Camping
Three types of campgrounds are available: undeveloped or primitive ($10 per night), public
or powered ($15 to $25) and privately owned ($25 and up). In general, Florida camp-
grounds are quite safe. Undeveloped campgrounds are just that (undeveloped), while most
public campgrounds have toilets, showers and drinking water. Reserve state-park sites in
advance (yes, you need to!) by calling 800-326-3521 or visiting www.reserveamerica.com .
Most privately owned campgrounds are geared to RVs (recreational vehicles; motor
homes) but will also have a small section available for tent campers. Expect tons of amenit-
ies, like swimming pools, laundry facilities, convenience stores and bars. Kampgrounds of
America (KOA; www.koa.com ) is a national network of private campgrounds; its Kamping
Kabins have air-con and kitchens.
A growing trend is free camping (or 'framping'), where you're able to legally sleep in your
car or camper, or pitch a tent on public land. Sites can be as un-glamorous as casino car
parks, or as picturesque as a soft grassy knoll by a billowing brook. Note, you can't just
pitch a tent wherever you want, and you can be fined by the police if you're sleeping in the
wrong place. One of the best resources for frampers is www.freecampsites.net .