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Move over Miami, there are other Florida vacations worth checking out

| June 29, 2010 2:00 PM

If you're looking for a summer travel destination where you'll find something for absolutely everyone in the family to enjoy, you may be among the many Americans planning West Palm Beach vacations this year. The city, located just 90 miles north of Miami, has a lot to offer - great beaches, some of the world's best golf courses, incredible shopping and amazing entertainment, all in close proximity.

West Palm Beach is home to the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, which during the 2010-2011 season boasts a powerful line-up that includes the new Mel Brooks musical "Young Frankenstein," a superb revival of "West Side Story," Disney's "Beauty and the Beast," "Dreamgirls" and "The Color Purple." Art lovers also have plenty of museums to visit, including the Norton Museum of Art, which features works by Monet and Picasso, and the Whitehall Flagler Museum, which is just across the bridge on the island of Palm Beach.

While visiting the island Donald Trump and many other celebrities call home, be sure to visit Worth Avenue to see where "the other half" shops. It's not uncommon to find a dress in the window there that costs more than most people make in a month. For those who actually do want to buy things when they shop, there's City Place, an outdoor mall back in West Palm Beach proper, that has everything from Macy's, Ann Taylor and Anthropologie to Gap, Brookstone and one-of-a-kind gift shops. There's even an IMAX movie theater, a Barnes %26 Noble bookstore and dozens of restaurants, including Cheesecake Factory and Kona Grill. Depending on when you go, you may luck out and catch a free concert on the plaza.

If dad is the one who did your vacation planning, his love for golf may have been the real motivator for choosing this vacation destination. West Palm Beach vacations are easy to plan with golf in mind. Palm Beach County has more golf courses than any other county in the country, and you don't have to drive far to make a pilgrimage to the golf world's mecca. PGA National, the home of the PGA of America, is just 20 miles away.

And, of course, no visit to Florida is complete without a visit to the beach. The city of West Palm Beach is on the Intracoastal Waterway and doesn't actually have a beach, but you don't have to go far to find one. Just cross the bridge into Palm Beach, head South on A-1-A and before you know it, you'll start seeing turnoffs for public beaches.

If you want to visit West Palm Beach this summer, now is the time to book. Cheap airline tickets are available, for a limited time.

Courtesy of ARAcontent