Oh, I got the impression you were driving, sorry. (So... curious if you'll be able to talk the pilot into trying to land anywhere near my house, which would have to entail commandeering a stretch of road somewhere - a plant emergency it would indeed be - HAHAHA!!!) If my past experiences with such things are typical, due to the logistics of Disney, it would take more than half of a day to accomplish renting a car, shopping, returning the car, getting back through the layers of D. You will be glad you stayed on the property, getting in/out is time-consuming. FL isn't known as a mecca of succulents, it's not easy to keep them from rotting in heavy rains while in tons of sun (not under a cover from rain) in the SE in general. Palms - sure, though Orlando's a bit north of where can Plumeria can reliably grow without some damage/protection. Many plants that are house plants to you might be sold as landscape plants in FL (if they are not noxious weeds, as so many are - like Begonias and Syngonium.) There are not really any 'house plants' by the time you get to Miami. Not that there aren't plenty of pots inside places, they just don't have to be, so the displays are not necessarily so specific. Even up where I am, there is no standard display of house plants, save Pothos, Sans & Scheff. Other plants show up, disappear, never know what I'll see, at the mercy of BBSs with no real plant stores to be found. I feel like I'm sounding very negative, which I don't want to do, just don't want you to waste valuable vacation time and $ on any disappointment. I've asked on the FL forum and gulf coast forum about places to shop, and basically got nothing. I hope the info helps you investigate your possibilities, not dampen your excitement! Pave the way for enabling the rest of us. I have the identical fantasy. A really awesome plant store would be something to plan a vacation around to me, anywhere close enough to drive to. Hope you have a blast & take some cool plant pics! The landscaping at D is incredible.

Bill, 6b isnt too bad, the data they collected included the major freezes of the 1980's so that probably lowered your zone from a 7a to a 6b. But winters like this year is what kind of evens things out a little bit since it has been a very mild winter! We got down to 13F here which actually is considered a pretty normal lowest temperature for the average mild winter, but the duration of warm weather this winter is something I haven't seen here in many years. I think that if you get colder than your zone more than 2 times in a decade, then you shouldn't be classified in that zone. After looking at NYC records, its clear that it does actually fit that definition as a zone 7b which I thought was suprising. And as for Miami, the city center definitely wont go below 35F so its a solid 10b. The more rural areas outside the city did get a freeze during that bitter 2010 cold spell, but the coastal areas of Miami only went down to the mid 30s. Florida seems like it got a bit colder with this new zone map, one of a few places that showed cooling with this zone map. But the major cities of Southeast Florida (Fort Lauderdale down to Miami and points south) is all a zone 10b now and in the 1990 map, only Miami was in a small pocket of zone 10b. No Problem Joey! Randy, I always thought that the USDA zone map should be taken as just a guide. It gives people a good idea of what kind of climate they have, and I think the zone maps are really intended for those gardeners that dont really know a lot about their climate. Gardeners like all of us are aware that the zones dont tell even half the story. Minimal temperatures during the winter are probably the most important factor for most plant's survival, especially in temperate climates, but its not the only factor. And once you get past zone 9a, I think that the duration of heat and freezes is a lot more important than minimal temperatures. Its the same reason why a zone 10b in Miami can grow a ton more tropicals than a zone 11 in Malibu! And a zone 7b in New York and a zone 7b in North Carolina are 2 totally different climates. You wont see live oaks and spanish moss lining streets here in NYC, but you might see something like that in a zone 7b in the southern states. And It seems to me like some areas are a bit more detailed than others with this map. I see a lot of detail from this map in my area, but Northern Florida and Georgia dont have as much detail it seems. For example, I would definitely consider Savannah Georgia and all of Coastal Georgia a zone 9a, but on this map about half of Georgia's coastline including Savannah is only a zone 8b. And I think that some of the more rural parts of Northern Florida are a bit too warm on this map. -Alex

Hey FOAS, Jessie wins. I was making a list (*on the paper table cloth at the Watershed Restaurant) of CF members whom I have met; I think I'm at 33 meetings. Ironically Jessie was my first many years ago! *I mention this because someone in our party thought I was writing on a real cloth.

Yes! Please come and visit my city! I was born and raised here, and absolutely could not possibly live anywhere else! WOW - $400 for a meal for two at Emerils? I've eaten there several times and never more than $45 per person, including wine. Some of the best (average priced) restaurants ARE in the French Quarter. Whenever I'm in the Quarter, I ALWAYS get a bowl of gumbo at "The Gumbo Shop", just to the left and down 1/2 block from St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square. And, as someone mentioned, don't overlook the Cafe duMonde; you gotta have the cafe au lait and beignets! The "Lucky Dogs" are great, and are sold by cart vendors - all over the Quarter. (Don't worry about eating something sold ON the street, as Lucky Dogs is a very old tradition, and is constantly supervised by the Dept. of Health - never a problem.) Chart House for steaks The Gumbo House for gumbo (and lots of other great food) Bella Luna for elegant dining Irene's for good cajun variety Central Grocery for 'the original' Muffaletto Port O'Call for the best cheeseburgers in the world Pontalba Cafe for the best po-boys Acme Oyster House for the best oysters, half shell or fried Galatoires for elegant dining Mike Anderson's for fun, casual lunch or dinner I wish everyone could experience New Orleans! There is so very much to see and do. The Quarter is only a small part. Take the Aquarium/Zoo/Streetcar tour - it's great. We often take visitors on that. Take a ride on the ferry across the river to Gretna and back. Fun. Take a tour of the Superdome - you won't forget it! Go thru the museums by Jackson Square, and the St. Louis Cathedral is a beautiful sight. See Tulane campus. Go to the Lakefront, and to the Garden District. You will love our city.....truly the City That Care Forgot - The Big Easy! Y'all come on down, y'heah?