Visiting senior wanderer PJK, Harrisburg PA: Recently, when traveling in the Fort Lauderdale area, we decided to drive north up Florida's boot about 40 miles to the Everglades. The area is easily accessible from resort areas and makes a great natural diversion from just being at the beach.

We booked an airboat water ride with Loxahatchee Everglades Tours. It's a fantastic way to see the still-unspoiled habitat as the flat boat glides over miles and miles of swampy water, flanked by native trees and green flora. The boat passes through carpets of water lilies, sawgrass and cattails. The area is part of the Everglades National Park, the largest subtropical wilderness in the U.S.

Center-city Los Angeles has some great hotels, both classic and contemporary, offering excellent restaurants. Whether you're a guest in the hotel, visiting Los Angeles and staying downtown or a local, hotel dining is a great experience. Luxury hotel staffs offer a higher level of quality, service and attention than anywhere else.

Here are five great L.A. hotel dining options:

The Biltmore: The stately Millenium Biltmore Hotel has been the place to stay and dine since it opened nearly 90 years ago. It’s in the midst of a lively, renovated downtown Los Angeles, with upscale dining options.

The ornate Gallery Bar and Cognac Room serves food from 4 P.M. through the evening. It features the hotel's classic dishes. The 1920's style shrimp cocktail is served in the hotel's original vintage silver. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are enjoyed at the Italian restaurant, Smeraldi's.

For those who enjoy sedate afternoon tea, there’s a formal service from Wednesday through Sunday at 4 P.M. in the beautiful Rendezvous Lounge. The space resembles a castle hall, with intricate carvings and woodwork. Millennium Biltmore Hotel, 506 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles, CA, millenniumhotels.com

The Standard Hotel offers cool and stylish dining. The eatery called The Restaurant in the lobby is open 24/7, and features an eclectic menu. The rooftop pool also serves seasonal specialties, and offers views of downtown L.A., hills and beaches. The Standard, 550 S. Flower, Los Angeles, CA, standardhotels.com

Italians call it Firenze, but by any name, it's one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Florence, the capital of the region of Tuscany, was where the Renaissance evolved in the 15th and 16th centuries.

It was influenced by superb artists, including Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, Donatello and many others. They lived and worked in Florence, nurtured by the picturesque surroundings. Consider some of the
best sights in the city:

Minstrels have a long history that goes back thousands of years. Since ancient times, they’ve roamed city streets, soliciting money with their costumes and/or musical performances.

USA Today recently ran a feature about a singer-guitarist who daily entertains in Manhattan’s famed Times Square. He dresses in skimpy jockey shorts and calls himself the Naked Cowboy. He claims he makes $150,000 a year from donations, singing and for posing with tourists. The story doesn’t mention anything about paying taxes on his income.

Consider that info next time your travels take you to Times Square, Hollywood Boulevard, Las Vegas Boulevard, Trafalgar Square or other popular tourist spot. When those colorful characters approach for a handout, you may kindly decide to pay for the privilege. However, don’t feel too guilty if you just say no thanks and keep going.