text:
Flin Flon

Flin Flon is a city of about 5100 people North of 53 in Manitoba on the border with Saskatchewan. A small part of Flin Flon is located inside Saskatchewan, making it only one of two undivided border cities in Canada (alongside Lloydminster), although it is never enumerated as one of Saskatchewan's cities.

Understand
Flin Flon was founded in 1927 by Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting (HBM&S) to exploit the large copper and zinc ore resources in the region.

The town's name is taken from the lead character in a paperback novel, The Sunless City by J. E. Preston Muddock. Josiah Flintabbatey Flonatin piloted a submarine through a bottomless lake where he passed into a strange underground world through a hole lined with gold. A copy of the book was allegedly found and read by prospector Tom Creighton.

When Tom Creighton discovered a high-grade exposure of copper, he thought of the book and called it Flin Flon's mine, and the town that developed around the mine adopted the name.

The character of "Flinty", as he is locally known, is of such importance to the identity of the city that the local Chamber of Commerce commissioned the minting of a $3 coin which was considered legal tender amongst locally participating retailers during the year following its issue. A statue representing Flinty was designed by cartoonist Al Capp and is one of the points of interest of the city.

Its main industry is mining, and the town is dominated by the mine's smokestack. The town is largely constructed on exposed rock face, giving it a surreal, almost lunar, atmosphere. It is adjacent to the Saskatchewan town of Creighton.

Flin Flon experiences a humid continental climate. There is a wide range in seasonal temperatures, with warm summers and bitterly cold winters. Temperatures in January have an average low of −22.9 °C (−9.2 °F) and an average high of −14.7 °C (5.5 °F). Temperatures in July have an average high of 24.1 °C (75.4 °F) and an average low of 13.6 °C (56.5 °F).

By car

 * Flin Flon is primarily accessed from within Manitoba via Highway 10. From Saskatchewan, Highway 167 connects through Creighton; Hwy 167, in turn, links to Highway 106 (aka the Hanson Lake Road), with follows a long a winding path towards Nipawin, Prince Albert and points west and south.

By bus

 * Operates the following routes to Flin Flon:
 * Operates a route three days per week between Winnipeg and Flin Flon including stops in Portage la Prairie, Neepawa, Ste. Rose du Lac, Dauphin, Swan River, and The Pas. Travel time to Flin Flon from Winnipeg is 11.25 hours, from Portage la Prairie is 10 hours, from Neepawa is 8.75 hours, from Dauphin is 6.75 hours, from Swan River is 4.5 hours, and from The Pas is 1.75 hours.
 * Operates a route two days per week between Flin Flon and Cedar Grove including a stop in The Pas. Same day transfer available at Cedar Grove for transfer to and from Thompson and Winnipeg.  Travel time to Flin Flon from The Pas is 1.5 hours, from Cedar Grove is 4.75 hours, from Thompson is 9.75 hours, and from Winnipeg is 9.75 hours.

Airline

 * Operates daily direct prop-jet service to Winnipeg (about $450 one-way), and one flight to Winnipeg that stops in The Pas.

See

 * The Hundred Stairs/Bomb shelter: In 1935, these stairs were built for pedestrians as a short cut to get to downtown from Third Avenue (located by Rotary Park). These stairs were rebuilt in 1993. In 1947, a 140-meter tunnel was conceived to get pedestrians between Third Avenue and downtown (Main Street), Flin Flon, instead of walking up the Hundred Stairs.  The price tag for this endeavor would be $32,000.  The crew got within 4 meters of completing the tunnel when enthusiasm waned and the dimensions of the tunnel shrank to a point where it became a storm sewer outlet.  During the Cold War, citizens figured that if worse came to worse, they could hide in the tunnel.
 * Sewer Boxes: Flin Flon is the only city in the world to locate its sewage lines above the ground. This is necessary in some areas of the city because of the masses of near-impenetrable bedrock.  Instead of burying the pipes, they are surrounded by a wooden casing and run above ground to create a unique snake-like appearance.  Early settlers built these above-ground sewer and water lines, becoming the settlement's first "sidewalks".  They are still used regularly today as fully usable sidewalks.
 * The North Park: The flowers in this park are entirely made from metal, representing all provinces and territories of Canada.
 * The Stack: The Flin Flon stack, at 250 m (825 ft.) tall, is the tallest free-standing structure in Western Canada.
 * Flinty's Submarine: This statue of fictional character Flintabaty Flonaton is featured on the submarine from the book The Sunless City.
 * Denare Beach, Saskatchewan Museum: On Moody Drive in Denare Beach, the museum is open daily early July - September. On display are birch bark bitings, Native crafts, pottery from the Old Fort Henry site and artifacts from the early exploration and settlement days of the area.

Do

 * Hapnot Lake Wildlife Sanctuary: On Ross Street near the downtown area. This duck pond home for hundreds of indigenous birds and ducks that return annually to nest in the town in the summer.
 * Wahlenberg Look-Out Site: on the corner of Bellevue Avenue and Dion Street, this lookout offers a panoramic view of Ross Lake and is one of the highest points the city.
 * Ross Lake: in the middle of the City of Flin Flon, it is surrounded by cliffs.
 * Flinty's Boardwalk: A 4.2-km hike around Ross Lake offers great views of the area, and plaques that explain how the geology of the area.
 * Recreational fishing: for lake trout, whitefish, northern pike and walleye in summer and winter. In April, the Flinty Fishing Derby takes place on Lake Athapapuskow, offering cash prizes up to $25,000.
 * Recreational fishing: for lake trout, whitefish, northern pike and walleye in summer and winter. In April, the Flinty Fishing Derby takes place on Lake Athapapuskow, offering cash prizes up to $25,000.
 * Recreational fishing: for lake trout, whitefish, northern pike and walleye in summer and winter. In April, the Flinty Fishing Derby takes place on Lake Athapapuskow, offering cash prizes up to $25,000.

Creighton
Creighton is a small town in Northern Saskatchewan, adjacent in to Flin Flon. Denare Beach, located on Amisk Lake, is 15 minutes south of Creighton on Highway 167 and offers many water-related recreational opportunities.

Go next

 * Churchill
 * Thompson
 * The Pas

title: Flin Flon


text:
Flint

Flint is an industrial city an hour northwest of Detroit in Michigan. It was the home of many General Motors factories, including the Buick World Headquarters, Flint has fallen on hard times over the past 30 years due to the decline of the American automotive industry. Despite these misfortunes, the city has an outsized history, including decisive roles in the growth of the American labor movement and community schooling and evident in a host of extensive and well-endowed cultural institutions. Flint has seen a dramatic reduction in crime while simultaneously enjoying a revitalizing Downtown and growing colleges and universities are found within the city's limits.

Understand
Sometimes considered a suburb of Detroit, Flint is more accurately described as a "satellite" city. Like Saginaw, Pontiac, and other factory towns in Michigan, Flint's identity is often influenced and predicted by the Motor City and the peaks and valleys of the American auto industry. Because these cities and Flint have become symbols of urban blight and economic ruin, it is tempting to write them off at the worst as ghost-towns, or at the best as smaller clones of Detroit. In fact, each city is regionally distinct, both in terms of the local institutions they have raised in times of prosperity and crisis, and in the emphasis of civic response.

In Flint's case, for example, the imprint of Charles Stewart Mott, General Motor's most famous philanthropist, often overshadows that of Billy Durant, who actually founded the corporation. Streets, parks, estates, neighborhoods, colleges, and lakes have been named after Mott and his family, and the Mott Foundation funds and supports many cultural events here. But this reverence toward a more glorious past is just as often tempered by frustration with its side-effects and outcome. The bulk of Sloan Museum (see below), for example, is a measured analysis of the opportunities and hazards of rapid industrialization. Much of the literature to come out of Flint, such as Rhonda Sanders' Bronze Pillars (1995), focuses on the vitality of the African-American community, and its struggle against housing compacts and discrimination in the factories. It is true that many other communities have struggled with these very issues, but the height from which Flint has fallen -- from Michigan's "second city" and acknowledged birthplace of the world's largest corporation to an international symbol of crime and poverty -- has left deep scars on Flintites (or Flintstones; another heady debate in these parts).

Understanding Flint requires understanding that its situation is more complex than that presented by the media, whether this is the General Motors filmstrips of the 1950s, or the Michael Moore film. This means that there is more to the place than vacant lots and shuttered factories: The Flint Institute of Arts and annual jazz festival are comparable with cities many times this size, and a lively regional music scene is rooted in such venues as the Machine Shop and the Local 432. One should be aware, however, that any visit is likely to become a referendum on the successes and failures of the American Dream. There is a lot to see and do in Flint, but much of this may be of a sobering and thoughtful effect; certainly a far cry from the dunes of Lake Michigan or Ann Arbor's boutiques. Flintstones (or Flintites) will be open and generous in pointing you to the best bars, restaurants, museums, and parks; they will also give you their own candid thoughts on the plight of their city.

Get in
Flint is a major transportation hub, and in fact this is one of the ways in which its automotive history continues to serve the city well. Flint can be accessed by plane, train, car, and bus.

By train

 * Route stopping at Flint:
 * Blue Water operates daily between Port Huron and Chicago including stops in Flint, East Lansing, Battle Creek, Kalamazoo, Niles, and New Buffalo.
 * Blue Water operates daily between Port Huron and Chicago including stops in Flint, East Lansing, Battle Creek, Kalamazoo, Niles, and New Buffalo.

By car
Flint is most directly served by I-69, which runs from the Port Huron, MI crossing to Sarnia, Canada, through Flint and southwest through Lansing, MI, Fort Wayne, IN, and Indianapolis, IN, and I-75, which runs from the Sault Ste. Marie, MI crossing to Sault Ste. Marie, Canada, south through the Straits of Mackinac, Saginaw, MI, Flint, Detroit, MI, Toledo, OH, Dayton, OH, Cincinnati, OH, Lexington, KY, Knoxville, TN, Chattanooga, TN, Atlanta, GA, Tampa, FL, and Miami, FL. Just south of Flint, US-23 routes south through Ann Arbor, MI, Toledo, OH, to Columbus, OH.

By bus

 * You can get to Flint from Detroit's suburbs via the Mass Transportation Authority (MTA) Regional Services. See below.
 * You can get to Flint from Detroit's suburbs via the Mass Transportation Authority (MTA) Regional Services. See below.

By public transportation
As the last section might suggest, Flint is easy to get to, but can be difficult to get around without a car. MTA, the public transit agency, is a reasonably priced (if time-consuming) way to reach your destination, and if you expect to stay within the Downtown area, walking is certainly an option.

By car
While it might be possible in theory to explore Flint without a car, very few people would want to do so. Even after one considers the time and effort saved here, there is something singularly appropriate about traveling the boulevards and parkways, the industrial zones and factory strips, in the vehicle this city helped popularize. Of course, it also helps that Flint is a delight to drive, with a coherent network of roads and expressways linking the city to the suburbs, and abundant parking and a lack of congestion (ironically due to Flint's decline in population from the 1970s to the 2010s). Among the city's much-touted $400-million redevelopment efforts are miles of infrastructural repaving and repair, and it is generally possible to get between any two points of the city in ten or fifteen minutes, or to access the remotest suburbs in well under an hour.

The streetscape of Flint is based on two grids, one which conforms to the river for several square miles in proximity to Downtown, and another which is cardinally oriented. While Flint by-and-large conforms to its grids, there is enough topographical variation to cause many roads to split and angle. Some major roads the follow this pattern are Welch Blvd., Flushing Rd., Chevrolet Ave., Miller Rd., Saginaw St., and Dort Hwy. Within some neighborhoods, the broader streets become curving boulevards with grassy medians, and sometimes this is the only relic of a formerly affluent area.

Few roads Downtown now are one way with the four of them are north-south streets: Beach, Church, Harrison and Wallenberg. Saginaw Street bisects this area from north to south, and dividing east and west addresses, while the bridge at Saginaw street divides the city into north and south.

In the larger grid, neighborhoods are divided by major "mile" roads: to the north (running east-west) one passes Hamilton or Davison, Pasadena, Pierson, and Carpenter, to the south (running east-west) Court, Lippincott, Atherton, and Hemphill (on the half-mile), to the east (running north-south), Lewis, Dort, and Center, and to the west (running north-south) Fenton or Saginaw, Dupont, and Ballenger or Clio. It will be important to have a map: while these roads are generally straight, they don't always connect up as one would expect, and it should be easy to navigate as long as you can maintain a basic orientation.

For getting around the city quickly, though, and for reaching most of the suburbs, nothing is faster than Flint's four expressways: I-69, I-75, I-475, and US-23. A trained Flintite can use this network of 70mph roads to go from a coney at Angelo's (see below) to a shake at the Atlas (see below) in about five minutes. I-75 runs to the west of Flint, with access (from south to north) to I-475, US-23 (only driving south) Bristol, I-69, Miller, Corunna, Pierson, Mt. Morris, and 475 again. I-475 runs through east Flint proper (meeting up with 75 outside the city) with access (from south to north) to Hill, Bristol, Hemphill, Atherton, I-69, Court (only driving south), Robert T. Longway, Davison/Hamilton, Stewart, Pierson, Carpenter, Saginaw St. (in Mt. Morris), Clio Rd., and I-75. I-69 runs through south Flint proper with access (from east to west) to Center, Dort, I-475, Saginaw, Hammerberg, and I-75. US-23 splits from I-75 just south of Flint, serving the south suburbs.

With a map in your hand, this network is not only sane; it is comprehensible and convenient.

By bicycle
Flint has little in the way of bicycling trails, although development is planned to extend these further throughout the city and suburbs, particularly throughout the West Side. The most extensive bike route is the Flint River Trail which extends north from downtown Flint to the city of Genesee on the Halloway Reservoir. Other routes link the Riverfront trail to Downtown, the Cultural Center, and Kearsley Park.

Due to Flint's relatively compact size, many attractions are within a short distance of each other by bike. Cyclists are urged to use caution, however, especially on major thoroughfares such as Robert T. Longway or Chavez Drive, as traffic can be fast and heavy, and hills and curves tend to obstruct vision for both cyclists and motorists.

Downtown Flint
Downtown Flint covers approximately one square mile near the center of the city, bounded roughly by Fifth Avenue to the north, I-69 to the south, I-475 to the east, and Thread Creek to the west, with most commercial activity focused along Saginaw Street and the University of Michigan-Flint Campus.

 * The Walking Tour of Downtown Flint is an effort sponsored by the Flint Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (see above) is intended to tout the local economy and encourage investment. This simple self-guided walking tour includes a map of the downtown district with an emphasis on local architecture.  Flint's skyline features a surprisingly diverse and well-preserved collection of significant Art Deco construction, as well as their (generally less well-loved) successors.

Flint Cultural Center
The Cultural Center is a campus constructed in the 1950s and 60s alongside Mott Community College (see below) with local support and funds from the General Motors. Arranged in a park like setting along both sides of Kearsley Street just east of 475, this area hosts nine separate entities managed under the organizational umbrella of the Flint Cultural Center Corporation, and is often touted as Flint's crown jewel. The Cultural Center includes the Mott Applewood Estates, Bower Theatre (home of the award winning Flint Youth Theatre), Longway Planetarium (Michigan's largest), the Flint Institute of Arts (Michigan's best endowed after the Detroit Institute of Arts), the Flint Public Library, the Flint Institute of Music (home to the Flint Symphony Orchestra), Sloan Museum and its adjuct Buick Gallery & Research Center, The Sarvis Center, and The Whiting Auditorium (which often hosts touring Broadway productions).

History

 * The Motor Cities National Heritage Area -- Flint is an undertaking of the National Park Service to present and teach the public about the growth of America's automotive industry. Pick up literature at Sloan Museum (see above), and go on a walking or driving tour of such sites as the former Buick-City automotive plant, used in the manufacturing of Sherman tanks during World War II, and the Fisher Body Plants, where a sit-down strike during the bitter winter of 1937-38 led to the official recognition of the United Auto Workers (UAW).  Such tours are largely unguided and will have to be self-motived, but they can also be among the most poignant of what the city has to offer.  They take the extremes of Flint from the square miles of brownfield left by the demolition of Flint's largest factories to the still-beautiful bungalows built for autoworkers in the struggling Civic Park neighborhood, or the stately neoclassical manors of the still-affluent Woodcroft neighborhood.  Many of the areas included in these tours are far off-the-beaten-path.  Travelers would be well-advised to travel in groups and during the daytime.

Sites in the suburbs

 * Crossroads Village is a family-friendly attraction reminiscent of a late 19th-century town. It features a cider mill, the Huckleberry Railroad, and the Genesee Belle steam boat.

Do

 * Venues for taking in a show include the "New" McCree Theater, the Flint City Theatre (which performs at the Good Beans Cafe), the Flint Community Players, Vertigo Productions (at the Masonic Temple downtown), and the University of Michigan-Flint theatre and dance program.
 * Venues for taking in a show include the "New" McCree Theater, the Flint City Theatre (which performs at the Good Beans Cafe), the Flint Community Players, Vertigo Productions (at the Masonic Temple downtown), and the University of Michigan-Flint theatre and dance program.
 * Venues for taking in a show include the "New" McCree Theater, the Flint City Theatre (which performs at the Good Beans Cafe), the Flint Community Players, Vertigo Productions (at the Masonic Temple downtown), and the University of Michigan-Flint theatre and dance program.

Festivals and events
During the summertime Flint hosts a series of lively festivals and events, usually centered downtown or at the Cultural Center. These include Juneteenth, The Flint Art Festival, Flint 4th of July Celebration, The Flint Storytellers Festival, Quilts at the Crossroads, The Flint Gallery Walk, The Flint Jazz Festival, and the internationally famed Bobby Crim Festival of Races and more. For a real dose of the city, any and all of these festivals are a great time to visit, because this is when the locals come out to play.
 * Fire & Ice Festival, late February, run by the Flint Downtown Development Authority
 * Crim Run Your Ice Off 5K, of the Crim Fitness Foundation's Grass Roots Race Series
 * Marti Austin Kids Classic (May) youth (age 0-12) races at Flint Cultural Center
 * Tour de Crim (May) - bike ride/obstacle challenge along the 10 mile Crim race path
 * Flint Storytellers Festival: late July from 10AM–10PM at and by the Flint Public Library. Entertaining stories for all ages and storytelling workshops.
 * "Keep On Keepin On Afrikan American Festival": mid-August
 * Flint Folk Music Festival: late July, Kearsley Park
 * Drop Fest: early Aug
 * Flint Jazz Festival: early Aug
 * Back To The Bricks: mid-Aug
 * Crim Festival of Races: late Aug
 * Flint Festival of Quilts: mid-Sep
 * Bikes on the Bricks: mid-Sep
 * Aerosol and Audio: mid-Sep Parade Flyer
 * "Keep On Keepin On Afrikan American Festival": mid-August
 * Flint Folk Music Festival: late July, Kearsley Park
 * Drop Fest: early Aug
 * Flint Jazz Festival: early Aug
 * Back To The Bricks: mid-Aug
 * Crim Festival of Races: late Aug
 * Flint Festival of Quilts: mid-Sep
 * Bikes on the Bricks: mid-Sep
 * Aerosol and Audio: mid-Sep Parade Flyer

Downtown

 * Flint Crepe Company
 * The Lunch Studio
 * Cafe Rhema
 * Halo Burger, Saginaw and 4th Streets
 * El Potrero Mexican Restaurant, Saginaw and Court Streets
 * Subway, Bus Station
 * Tom Z Flint Original Coney Island, Grand Traverse & Court Street
 * Battiste's Temple Dining, Masonic Temple, Saginaw and 4th Streets
 * Flint Farmer's Market, 300 East 1st Street and Stevens Street
 * B-Dogs Hot Dog Cart
 * Beirut Restaurant and Grocery
 * Charlie's Smokin’ BBQ
 * Chef Nate’s Wing Bar
 * Chubby Duck Sushi
 * Latina's Restaurant
 * Mexico at the Market Taqueria
 * Steady Eddy's Café’
 * Sweet Peaces Vegan Café
 * University Pavilion, Saginaw and Kearsley Streets
 * Jilly's Pizza (810-232-3298) Pizza, salads
 * O'Blendz (810-232-3272) Fruit smoothies, grilled panini sandwiches
 * Oriental Express (810-235-1681) Mandarin cuisine
 * Sportlite Grill (810-233-5347) Mid-Eastern cuisine
 * Subway (810-767-0965)	Subs, wraps, soups and salads

Carriage Town

 * Hoffman’s Deco Deli
 * Good Beans Cafe
 * Tenacity Brewing

Downtown

 * 501 Bar & Grill
 * Table and Tap
 * Cork on Saginaw
 * Blackstone’s Pub & Grill
 * Torch Bar & Grill
 * Churchill’s Food & Spirits
 * The Loft

Sleep

 * Holiday Inn, Robert T. Longway Blvd. If you want to be a minute or less away from the Cultural Center, downtown, and the University of Michigan-Flint.

Stay safe
Flint has long been one of the most dangerous cities in the United States, and as in most American cities, crime in Flint is heavily connected to the illegal drug trade and associated gang activity. The areas of Flint with the highest crime rates will be of little interest to visitors, but there is still enough of an overall threat that some additional precautions are warranted. Be sure to travel in groups, thoroughly plan out your travel route ahead of time, stay out of deserted or poorly-lit areas, and don't flash cash or other valuables. Additionally, walking after dark in most areas of Flint is not advisable. The Flint area has a surprising amount to offer visitors, but it is not a place that rewards exploration over planned activities, so it's really best to play it safe.

Stay healthy
A crisis began in 2014 due to high lead concentrations in the city's drinking water. While the city was forced to use the contaminated drinking water supplies for an extended period, by late 2016 the water supplies were changed to the same Lake Huron waters that supply the city of Detroit.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Flint


text:
Flint (disambiguation)

There is more than one place called Flint:

UK

 * Flint (Wales) - A town in North Wales.
 * Flintshire - a county in North Wales

USA

 * Flint- A town in Michigan.

title: Flint (disambiguation)


text:
Flint Hills

The Flint Hills is a region of Kansas.

Understand
The Flint Hills encompasses 13 Kansas counties (Butler, Chase, Chautauqua, Cowley, Elk, Geary, Greenwood, Lyon, Marshall, Morris, Pottawatomie, Riley, Wabaunsee) and smaller areas of 7 peripheral counties (Clay, Dickinson, Jackson, Marion, Ottawa, Saline, Shawnee). Some people are surprised to learn that such a large section of Kansas is so hilly, as much of the rest of the state is relatively flat.

Cities
Cassoday- Home of the Cassoday bike run. 1st Sunday of the month.
 * — boyhood home of former president and World War II General Dwight D. Eisenhower.

 * — This sleepy college town becomes an explosion of activity in early June when the prestigious Unbound Gravel bicycle race rolls through.
 * — home to Kansas State University
 * — home to Kansas State University
 * — home to Kansas State University

Get in
Manhattan Municipal Airport

Get around
Driving is the best way to get around in this region.

Stay safe
Kansas is a part of Tornado Alley. If you are traveling in this region, it's a good idea to brush up on Tornado safety.

title: Flint Hills


text:
Flitwick

Flitwick is a town in Bedfordshire. It is located about ten miles south of Bedford and ten miles north of Luton.

By car
Flitwick is from junction 12 of the M1.

By plane
The nearest airport is Luton Airport  miles south.

By bus
The main bus services are as follows:

Do

 * Leisure Centre

Drink
Pubs in Steppingley - approx west of Flitwick :

Go next

 * Go north to Ampthill on A5120 with Houghton House.
 * Go south to Dunstable by the A5120 and visit Whipsnade Zoo.
 * Go west to Woburn with its safari park.

title: Flitwick


text:
Floating the Missouri River

The Missouri River is in United States of America. The Missouri--Mississippi River system forms the United States' longest stream. It was the route of the Lewis and Clark expedition, Native Americans, fur traders, steamboats and railroads.

Understand
The Missouri is navigable by canoe and/or powerboat from Headwaters State Park near Three Forks, however there are 8 dams between Toston and Fort Benton. Some of these dams are quite extensive and difficult to portage. Great Falls until just above Fort Benton white water conditions apply and it is generally only navigable by raft or other whitewater type boats. From the traditional head of steamboat navigation at Fort Benton, Montana to where it joins the Mississippi River at Saint Louis is mainly free of obstruction.

Below Fort Benton it is possible to float by canoe or powerboat the entire length. However the river is a series of alternating free floating stretches interrupted by lakes backed up behind major dams. Often it is necessary to portage around the dams. Generally the free flowing areas and lakes are 150 miles or longer. Thus any particular segment makes a very reasonable trip. Some segments are more suitable for powerboats, some more suitable for canoes.

Primitive camping along the river is generally necessary, although there are many towns with fancier accommodations. Legal access to campsites is possible in the entire Montana portion. Missouri has an extensive water trail program with designated campsites every few miles. Policies in the other states vary. Check carefully before going.

Prepare
Careful preparation and planning is necessary. Much of the river through Montana and the Dakotas is very remote and you will be entirely dependent on your own resources. Cell phone coverage varies from non--existent to spotty. Find out boating and camping regulations.

Make sure you have the proper boat and equipment and know how to use it. Carry adequate drinking and cooking water. Mark Twain is reputed to have said "The Missouri River is too thick to drink, and too thin to plow." Aside from the river's heavy silt load, there may be runoff containing agricultural chemicals.

Montana Stream Access Law - "all water capable of recreational use can be so used by the public (between the ordinary high water marks) without regard to the ownership of the land underlying the waters." If you are going to do any boating in Montana, this law will clarify your rights and responsibilities.

Get in
It is possible to get to selected launching points by highway. Some points are quite close to airports or Amtrak routes. Outfitters or marinas may be able to arrange boats and pickup or drop off service on the river.

Boating
 Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument

Starting at Fort Benton, Montana: 150 miles of free flowing river through spectacular badlands. Powerboats are very restricted, but canoe outfitters are abundant.

Fort Peck Lake

The 130 mile lake behind Fort Peck Dam is entirely within the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Area. Marinas with powerboats are available at the town of Fort Peck. Both powerboats and canoes will need to portage around the dam. Camping is allowed on the shore of the lake.

Fort Peck, Montana to Williston, North Dakota

This free flowing 150 mile reach is often too shallow for powerboats. It flows through beautiful prairie country. Scenic snags (logs) and shallow sandbanks are common. There are no known canoe outfitters for this reach, but if you can outfit yourself, it is possible to shuttle between Glascow or Wolf Point, Montana and Williston by Amtrak.

Access from the river is possible to the small towns of Poplar and Brockton Montana, located in the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. Fort Union National Monument's large U.S. flag is visible at the North Dakota border. Slightly further downstream at the confluence of the Yellowstone River is Fort Buford. Both of these reconstructed 19th century forts are worth a visit.

Lake Sakakawea North Dakota

Lake Sakakawea to Bismarck North Dakota

Lake Oahe

Pierre South Dakota to St. Louis Missouri

Stay safe
Much of the river is very remote. River hazards include strong currents, sand bars, snags, dams, and bad weather--particularly thunder storms. Off river hazards include poisonous snakes, insects, changing water levels, and possibly crime in the lower more urban reaches. The lower 800 miles of the river may have heavy barge traffic.

Go next

 * Mississippi River

title: Floating the Missouri River


text:
Florø

Florø is a charming coastal town in Sogn og Fjordane. Previously the key town in the area, after road transport became predominant the focus has shifted to the industrial town of Førde. Florø however retains the character of the times when the sea was the highway.

By boat
Hurtigruten (the coastal steamer) calls Florø. Express boat twice a day from Bergen.

By bus
Sixteen times a day from Førde.

Go next
Visit some of the many nearby islands. Kinn. Svanoy (deer farm). Kalvag (old fishing village).

Visit Sunnfjord, scenery en-route & excellent open-air museum.

title: Florø


text:
Floreana

Floreana Island, also known by its Spanish names of Isla Floreana and Isla Santa Maria, and by its English name of Charles Island, is one of the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador.

Understand
Floreana island is in the far southern portion of the archipelago. The island has a total area of 173 km² (67 sq mi), and its highest point, at 640 m (2100 feet), is a now-extinct volcano. Floreana has been inhabited the longest of any of the Galapagos islands, having been used as a water and food source by whalers and pirates as far back as the 1600s. As a result of human disturbance the wildlife of the island has been vastly disrupted, with the native giant tortoise now completely extinct and introduced rats, pigs and goats having decimated the native plants and birds.

The human history of the islands includes caves and shelters used by early buccaneers, as well as the first official settler of the Galapagos, an Irishman named Patrick Watkins who was stranded in 1803 and then settled to sell supplies to whalers. Later residents included convicts, pirates and colonists, and in the 1930s there were intrigues involving love, hate, and even mysterious deaths, as chronicled in the book A Galapagos Affair.

The town of Puerto Velasco Ibarra on the northwest side of the island offers lodging and food to visitors wanting to stay on the island. The island is homecto about 100 people.

See the Galapagos wildlife page for information on the flora and fauna of the islands.

Punta Cormorant
Noted for the volcanic green olivine crystals found in the beach, Punta Cormorant offers a trail overlooking a saltwater lagoon that is a favorite of flamingos. While it is never guaranteed that flamingos will be present, this site is one of the best in the islands for spotting the colorful birds. Beyond the lagoon the trail leads to a magnificent white-sand beach, with sands so fine that the beach is sometimes referred to by guides as "flour beach". Green sea turtles lay their eggs in the sands here during the night, and their tracks leading to and from the sea mark the beach.

Post Office Bay
Post Office Bay is located along a white sand beach. Long used by whalers, the post office barrel has been in use since 1793. Today primarily tourists use the post office barrel, leaving a handful of postcards and in turn collecting postcards left by others. Traditionally it is expected that people will take only those mailings destined for people that they can personally deliver to, but these days people often settle for someone from their own country, and simply add postage and drop things in the mail upon their return home.

Highlands
A road leads from Puerto Velasco Ibarra to the highlands of Floreana. Trails to the tops of some of the hills provide excellent views of the island and, for snail lovers, provide access to one of the only endemic snails on the islands. For non-snail lovers, caves and tunnels used by buccaneers in the 17th and 18th century offer a glimpse into the human history of the islands. While it is possible to walk to some of the highland sites, most groups will travel on benches set in the backs of trucks that can be hired from town.

Devil's Crown
Arguably the best snorkeling site in the islands, Devil's Crown is a collapsed volcanic cone that boasts an extraordinary number and variety of fishes. In addition, sharks, sea lions, sea turtles and eels can be found amongst the rocks and corals. The current around Devil's Crown can be very strong, so those without strong swimming abilities should be careful.

Champion
A small island located very near Floreana, snorkeling around Champion can be excellent. Landings are not permitted on the island, but the extremely rare Charles mockingbird can sometimes be seen from the water.

Buy
The Wittmer family hotel has a shop selling souvenirs, suntan lotion, aloe, and other sundries needed by visitors. Bring cash, and be prepared to pay a premium (although not an unreasonable one) for all items.

Sleep
The Wittmer family have a small hotel, restaurant, gift shop and post office in Puerto Velasco Ibarra. There are also a few places available on Airbnb.

Go next
The closest islands to Floreana are:

 * Espanola
 * Isabela
 * Santa Cruz

title: Floreana


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Florence

Florence (Italian: Firenze) is the capital of the region of Tuscany in Italy, with a population of about 383,000 (2016). The city is a cultural, artistic and architectural gem, and is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. The birthplace of the Italian Renaissance, Florence was the home to powerful families, creative geniuses and scientific masterminds who left their legacies in the city's many museums and art galleries. The city also has a very rich literary history, being the birthplace of the famous poet Dante, and standard Italian today is primarily based on the dialect of Tuscan spoken in Florence.

Understand
Politically, economically, and culturally, Florence was the most important city in Europe for around 250 years, from some time before 1300 until the early 1500s.

Florentines reinvented money, in the form of the gold florin. This currency was the engine that drove Europe out of the Dark Ages, a term invented by Petrarch, a Florentine whose family had been exiled to Arezzo. They financed the development of industry all over Europe, from Britain to Bruges, Lyon and Hungary. They financed the English kings during the Hundred Years' War. They financed the papacy, including the construction of the papal palace in Avignon, and the reconstruction of St. Peter's and the Vatican when the papacy returned to Rome from the "Babylonian captivity".

Dante, Petrarch, and Boccaccio pioneered the use of the vernacular — the use of a locally spoken language, rather than Latin — and in their case, it was Tuscan, which, because of them, became the lingua franca for the entire Italian peninsula, and eventually the basis for standard Italian following unification in 1871. Because Dante, et al., wrote in Tuscan, Geoffrey Chaucer, who spent a lot of time in Northern Italy and who used some of Boccaccio's little stories to inspire his Canterbury Tales, wrote in English. Others started writing in French and Spanish. This was the beginning of the end of Latin as a common language throughout Europe.

The Florentines, perhaps most notably Filippo Brunelleschi (1377-1466) and Leon Battista Alberti (1404-1472), invented Renaissance architecture. This architectural style revolutionised the way Rome, London, Paris and every other major city in Europe, from Barcelona to St. Petersburg, was built.

Florentines were the driving force behind the Age of Discovery. Florentine bankers financed Henry the Navigator and the Portuguese explorers, who pioneered the route around Africa to India and the Far East. It was a map drawn by the Florentine Paulo del Pozzo Toscanelli, a student of Brunelleschi, that Columbus used to sell his "enterprise" to the Spanish monarchs, and which he then used on his first voyage. Mercator's famous "Projection" is a refined version of Toscanelli's map, taking into account the Americas, of which the Florentine was obviously ignorant. The western hemisphere itself is named after a Florentine writer who claimed to be an explorer and mapmaker, Amerigo Vespucci.

Galileo and other scientists pioneered the study of optics, ballistics, astronomy, anatomy, and so on. Pico della Mirandola, Leonardo Bruni, Machiavelli, and many others laid the groundwork for our understanding of political science.

Opera was invented in Florence.

And that is just a smidgen of what went on in this city, which never had a population above 60,000 from the first attack of the plague in 1348 until long, long after it became unimportant.

And there were the Medici, perhaps the most important family that ever lived. The Medicis changed the world more than any other family. Forget all the art for which they paid. They taught first the other Italians, and then the rest of the Europeans, how to conduct statecraft. For example, Catherine de' Medici (1519-1589) married Henry II of France (reigned 1547-1559). After he died, Catherine ruled France as regent for her young sons, and was instrumental in turning France into Europe’s first nation-state. She brought the Renaissance into France, introducing everything from the châteaux of the Loire to the fork. She also was, to 16th- and 17th-century European royalty, what Queen Victoria was to the 19th and 20th centuries — everybody’s grandmama. Her children included three kings of France, Francis II (ruled 1559-1560), Charles IX (ruled 1560-1574) and Henry III (ruled 1574-1589). Her children-in-law included a fourth king of France, Henry IV (ruled 1589-1610), plus Elizabeth of Hapsburg, Philip II of Spain (of Armada fame), and Mary Queen of Scots.

And that is without mentioning any artists. From Arnolfo and Cimabue to Giotto, Nanni di Banco, and Uccello; through Lorenzo Ghiberti and Donatello and Masaccio and the various della Robbias; through Fra Angelico and Sandro Botticelli and Piero della Francesca, and on to Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, the Florentines dominated the visual arts like nobody before or since. And this list does not include many who, in any other place, would be considered among the greatest of artists, but in Florence must be considered among the near-great: Benvenuto Cellini, Andrea del Sarto, Benozzo Gozzoli, Giorgio Vasari, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Fra Lippo Lippi, Buontalenti, Orcagna, Pollaiuolo, Filippino Lippi, Andrea del Verrocchio, Bronzino, Desiderio da Settignano, Michelozzo, the Rossellis, the Sangallos, Pontormo. And this list does not include the prolific Ignoto. Nor does it include the near-Florentines, such as Raphael, Andrea Pisano, Giambologna, the wonderfully nicknamed Sodoma and so many more, such as Peter-Paul Rubens, all of whom spent time in Florence and were educated by it.

Climate
Florence boasts a Mediterranean climate with hot, mostly dry summers and mild, wet winters. Day temperatures during summer are very hot, ranging from 30°C in June to 33°C in July and August. Winters experience day temperatures ranging from 11°C in January to 14°C in February. Springs and autumns are mild to warm, with day temperatures ranging from 16°C in November to 27°C in September. Sunshine is abundant throughout the year, with sunshine hours being very elevated in summer and discretely elevated also in winter.

By plane
The airport of Florence itself is Amerigo Vespacci International Airport (FLR IATA) (4 km northwest of the center), locally known as "Peretola", to which there are flights from major destinations in Western Europe. There is only one runway covered by hills, and therefore the flights that land there are relatively infrequent and expensive.

The airport is connected by tram line T2 connecting the airport to the train station SMN; The station is on the south side, and ends at Piazza dell'Unità Italiana. The tram station is controlled, to the left of the main entrance. The trams run every 5-15 minutes (depending on the time of day) until 12:30 (02:00 on weekends). One-way tickets cost €1.70 (as of January 2024) and can be purchased with cash or credit cards at vending machines at each station. The tram ride is about 20 minutes from end to end.

Taxis charge a flat rate of €25 from the airport to anywhere in the historic center of Florence, plus €1 per large item of luggage.

Other airports serving Florence are Bologna and Pisa.

Bologna (BLQ IATA) is the preferred option which is an hour's drive from Florence by car or train. From the airport of Bologna there are flights all over Europe when the dominant airline is Ryanair. From the airport there are also Emirates and Turkish Airlines flights, so these companies can be used to reach Bologna across Asia, Africa and Oceania.

Another airport that is used is the airport of Pisa. which is an hour and a half away from florence by train. There are fewer flights to Pisa than Bologna. So Bologna is better option.

It is better to book a flight that does not land or take off in the evening, because during these hours the reliability of the trains in Italy is quite low, and it is not worth taking the risk of missing a flight, or the last train. Taxi drivers in Bologna and Pisa, if you get stuck there at night, will not agree to take you to Florence.

If you are coming from North America from where there are no flights to either Bologna or Pisa, it is better to use the airport in Rome Fiumicino rather than Milan Malpensa, because from Rome the trip to Florence is much faster.

By train
Frequent direct trains connect Florence with Rome (90 mins), Milan (1 hr 40 min), Venice (2 hr), Naples (2 hrs 50 min) and Italy's other main cities.

Coming by train from other countries usually involves changing at Milan. However a direct Nightjet runs from Munich leaving around 20:00, reaching Florence around 06:00 and continuing to Rome, with the return leaving Florence towards 22:00 to reach Munich shortly after 08:00. The fare is about €100. This Nightjet divides and also runs to Vienna, with similar times.

Almost all trains go to the main station, on the north edge of the historic old town, near most accommodation and sights. There's a bank of Trenitalia ticket machines (cards or cash accepted) on the terminus platform concourse, staffed kiosks in the main hall, and various fast food options there and nearby. An underpass leads south into Piazza SMN.

A few regional trains bypass SMN, calling at Firenze Campo Marte, 2 km east near Florence Stadium, Firenze Statuto 1 km north of SMN, and Firenze Rifredi, 2 km north of SMN. Unless your ticket specifies otherwise, it's valid for any connecting train between those stations and SMN - you'll seldom have to wait longer than ten minutes. Otherwise, take a bus or taxi from the street outside.

By car
Florence is well connected by good highways to the rest of Italy. Autostrada A-1 runs to Bologna, Milan and the North, and to Rome and the South. Use Firenze-Impruneta exit for these routes and for Siena via the "Fi-Si" highway. A-11 runs to Pisa and the West: for north of the river follow A-11 to the end, for south of the river turn onto A-1 south to Firenze-Scandicci exit.

However, driving in Florence is very problematic. Driving in the historic centre - inside the wide "viale" where the old city walls were (and still are, south of the river) - is strictly prohibited, except for residents with permits. This is ferociously enforced by camera - if you drive in the prohibited areas, you will be hunted down and sent a stiff fine - around €100 for every camera you pass before escaping the zone. The city raises over €50 million in traffic fines each year, half of this from traffic zone offences.

If you're just visiting for the day, use the Park & Ride areas at the edge of town, for instance Villa Constanza (described below under "By bus"). You can't leave your car overnight here.

If you're driving to pre-booked accommodation in the centre, check ahead with them: given your car registration (Italian targa) they may be able to get you a 30-minute waiver, barely enough to find the hotel in the warren of old streets, drop luggage and check in, then take the car out of the zone. Central car rental offices likewise have a waiver and permitted route to exit and re-enter the city.

Firenze Parking run a dozen or so edge-of-centre parking lots, with a long walk or a short bus ride to the centre. For example the lot just north of Piazza della Liberta charges €10 per day, €70 per week.

Near the centre, parking is more expensive: e.g. a garage costs €30 per night. On the street, you can only use a blue parking space, if you're lucky enough to find one free. White parking places are for residents only and yellow ones are reserved. The price is €1 per hour and charges apply from 08:00 to 20:00; leave the ticket visible inside the car. You need coins for parking, as the machine won't accept banknotes or cards.

By bus
Flixbus ply direct between Florence and Rome (3 hr 30, two per hour), Milan (4 hours, roughly hourly), Perugia (2 hours, 4 times), Naples (7 hours, every 2-3 hours), Geneva (12 hours, one overnight, else change in Milan), Marseille (9 hours overnight), Paris (17 hours), Munich (4 per day, 9 hours), Zurich (9 hours), Frankfurt (14 hours), Vienna (12 hours) and Budapest (14 hours).

Buses that originate or terminate in Florence stop at the downtown bus station on Piazzale Montelungo next to SMN railway station. Buses that are passing Florence between other cities pick up and drop off at, just off Autostrada A-1 on the west edge of the city - take Tram 1. (And see "Get around: By tram" for practicalities.) The parking lot is short of shelter or other facilities.

By foot
Most of the major tourist sights in Florence are within easy walking distance of each other. It is possible to walk from one end of the historic center of Florence to the other - north-south or east-west - in a half hour. Walking is not only an easy way to get around, it also offers the chance to 'take in' much more of the city life. Be warned though, that electric motor scooters are small enough to fit where cars cannot. They are relatively quiet but quick and in the summer they often travel into the plazas. Some of the streets in central Florence are closed to traffic. Many more are simply too narrow for buses to get through. Therefore, bus and car tours are not recommended. This is a very small, compact city that really needs to be seen on foot.

By bicycle
There is a bike rental service organized by the city. Bikes can be hired at several points in the city (and returned to the same place). One of the most convenient for tourists is at the SMN Station. There are other locations at many railway stations, but often with restricted opening hours. In addition, some hotels provide their guests with free bicycles. Bike shops also often rent bikes and some of them organize guided bike tours in the countryside.

While there are hills north and south of the center of town, almost all of the historic center of Florence is easy for bikers, because it is flat. But there is a problem: traffic is terrible, with buses, trucks, cars, motorcycles, motorbikes, bicycles, and pedestrians fighting for almost no space. However, a network of cycle paths make it often much faster to circumvent the city centre than to cycle directly through historic streets, even if the destination is in an area such as Santa Croce or Santa Maria Novella.

By taxi
Taxis are available, but it may be best if you have your hotel or the restaurant you are eating at call ahead. When taxis are called by phone, the nearest one available is sent to you through the company's radio system with its meter ticking away. In Florence, it can be difficult to hail a cab from the street curb. You either call for one or get one at the very few taxi stands. One popular taxi stand is at the central Santa Maria Novella Train Station, and there are others in a few major squares. The first taxi in the taxi stand line should be available - ask in case of doubt. Most taxis do not take credit cards for payment, so be sure to have cash on hand. Taxis in Florence are relatively expensive. Tipping is not expected, unless the driver helps you carry luggage, etc.

By bus
Another way of getting around is by using the public buses from AutolineeToscane.

A single paper ticket costs €1.70, a carnet of 10 tickets is €14 (as of 2024 these are no longer easily available). One can buy tickets at tabacchi (shops selling tobacco, which are marked with official looking "T"s out front"), kiosks/newsagents/bars where the symbol "Biglietti AutolineeToscane" is shown, as well as at the AutolineeToscane ticketing office at the bus station outside Santa Maria Novella train station. Within 90 minutes of stamping you can hop-off & hop-on on any bus of the urban AutolineeToscane network. Tickets need to be stamped when entering the bus (from the front and rear doors of buses - the central door is supposed to be exit only; though now it is more accepted to enter from the central door). If you are unable to find a ticket vendor, the automated parking kiosks will sell one for €1.70 and accept contactless card payment and coins. A ticket may also be available from the driver at €2.50 but there is no guarantee that the driver will agree to sell them. Hold tightly onto the hand rails as Florence traffic is unpredictable and frequent sudden braking is necessary. Unlike bigger cities such as Rome or Naples, buses in Florence are relatively "safe." Keep a close eye on your belongings and avoid showing off cash, jewelry, etc., especially in very crowded buses.

By tram
There are two tram lines in the city. The first one runs from Villa Constanza Park & Ride on the south-western edge of the city, just off the A-1, so most users are commuters. It runs into town through the western burbs of Scandicci and L'Isolotto to SMN main railway station (25 min), then turns north to Rifredi and the University/Hospital area. It runs daily 05:00-00:30 every three to ten minutes, and a single ride costs €1.50. The second line connects the airport and the near west side to the city centre and the Santa Maria Novella station. By 2025, the network will have been extended to Piazza della Libertà and Piazza San Marco.

By car
Don't even think of it - see "Get in". Just thinking of it is probably enough to incur a fine.

See
Consider whether you'll benefit from buying a Firenzecard, described earlier, but learn from Stendahl and don't try to see too much. Most tourists rush to do the Uffizi, the Duomo and the Bargello. These are indeed splendid, but you may wait hours to get in, and be jostled by tour groups. Pre-book if you know you want to see them; otherwise spread out and see stuff that is equally fine but less touristy. A long weekend here could comfortably take in a sprinkling of old churches, and a couple of museums or galleries. But leave time and energy for just enjoying the ambience.

Churches: the standout is definitely the Duomo or Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. But other fine churches north of the river include San Lorenzo, Santa Maria Novella, Santa Trinita, Santa Croce, Santo Spirito, SS Annunziata and Ognissanti. Highlights south of the river are Santa Maria del Carmine and San Miniato al Monte.

Art galleries: aim to do at least one of Uffizi, Pitti Palace, Accademia, Bargello and the Museum of the Works of the Duomo. They are filled with the brilliant creations of all the renaissance big names: Donatello, Verrochio, Desiderio da Settignano, and Michelangelo. There are also several modern galleries.

City views: the classic panorama is from Piazzale Michelangelo, on the hillside just south of the river, and from San Miniato al Monte a little higher up. But every tour bus pauses here for photos so it can get mobbed. There is also a great view from the dome of the Cathedral or Giotto's Bell Tower, and an even greater line to climb them.

Florence is featured in Assassin's Creed II; see Assassin's Creed Tour.

Piazza del Duomo

The Cathedral, Santa Maria del Fiore, is an astonishing confection dominating the piazza below and the skyline above. It's the fourth largest Christian church in the world, behind the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace in Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire; St Peter's in Rome; and St Paul's in London. It's an early example of "technology-forcing" - like the US lunar missions of the 1960s, the 13th-century Florentines started building it without knowing how they'd complete it, until along came Brunelleschi and his vast crowning dome. The eye-catching facade is 19th-century. In front of the cathedral is the ornate medieval Baptistery, in use until modern times. Also in the piazza is the Bell Tower, designed by Giotto. The artwork from these buildings has been replaced by replicas, with the originals in the adjacent Museum of the Works of the Duomo. Buy a combined ticket online for €18 (concessions €3) to enter the following monuments (one entry per monument, valid for 72 hours after first use, book up to 30 days ahead; all closed first Tuesday of the month):

Museums
Book ahead for the big-name museums. All of these (plus Boboli Gardens) have a combined booking portal and there are several combi-tickets. In practice, it's Uffizi that draws the biggest crowds and so is hardest to access; your options are:
 * - Just wait in line. On a good day this could mean a 4-5 hour wait, hopefully in good weather. On a bad day you wait 4-5 hours outside in bad weather then they sell out and turn you away. This is especially likely on the first Sunday of the month when entry is free. Tuesday too is crowded, since it's closed Monday so there's pent-up demand.
 * - Go on an organised tour - these have a pre-booked slot and you step right in. Caveat emptor, as tour operations range from the shambolic and rushed to the sublime and educating.
 * - Buy a Firenzecard, so you skip the usual line. Upmarket hotels sometimes also have access to priority slots.
 * - Book online, paying €4 extra and pre-printing your email for a fixed time slot. Be there at least an hour ahead, because so many people are skipping line, there's a line to skip the line.
 * - Book by phone on +39 055 294883, likewise paying €4 extra for a fixed slot and arriving an hour early. It's not clear how long you'll typically wait to get through by phone.

 * A Contemporary Art gallery is sited in, and there are several other collections around city centre.
 * A Contemporary Art gallery is sited in, and there are several other collections around city centre.
 * A Contemporary Art gallery is sited in, and there are several other collections around city centre.
 * A Contemporary Art gallery is sited in, and there are several other collections around city centre.
 * A Contemporary Art gallery is sited in, and there are several other collections around city centre.
 * A Contemporary Art gallery is sited in, and there are several other collections around city centre.

Old town centre

 * Piazza della Signoria is the grand open space in front: not quite a square, as Palazzo Vecchio blocks out one corner. Sights here are the equestrian statue of Cosimo de Medici, the Fountain of Neptune, the statue of David, and Loggia dei Lanzi, an open arched gallery of Renaissance sculpture.
 * Piazza della Signoria is the grand open space in front: not quite a square, as Palazzo Vecchio blocks out one corner. Sights here are the equestrian statue of Cosimo de Medici, the Fountain of Neptune, the statue of David, and Loggia dei Lanzi, an open arched gallery of Renaissance sculpture.

South bank of the Arno

 * Pitti Palace: see Museum listing above.
 * Natural History Museum ("La Specola") is on Via Romana next to Pitti Palace. Open Tu-Su 09:00-16:00.
 * Museo Stefano Bardini: collection of early Florentine art, housed in the Palazzo Mozzi just south of Ponte alla Grazia. It's open F-M 11:00-17:00.
 * Natural History Museum ("La Specola") is on Via Romana next to Pitti Palace. Open Tu-Su 09:00-16:00.
 * Museo Stefano Bardini: collection of early Florentine art, housed in the Palazzo Mozzi just south of Ponte alla Grazia. It's open F-M 11:00-17:00.
 * Museo Stefano Bardini: collection of early Florentine art, housed in the Palazzo Mozzi just south of Ponte alla Grazia. It's open F-M 11:00-17:00.
 * Museo Stefano Bardini: collection of early Florentine art, housed in the Palazzo Mozzi just south of Ponte alla Grazia. It's open F-M 11:00-17:00.
 * Museo Stefano Bardini: collection of early Florentine art, housed in the Palazzo Mozzi just south of Ponte alla Grazia. It's open F-M 11:00-17:00.

Do
Great places to walk include along the Arno and across any of its bridges; through narrow, medieval back streets in the Santa Croce area; and in the Oltr'Arno, on the south side of the river, which is in many ways like Rome's Trastevere or Paris's Left Bank, but far, far smaller.

 * Climb the Duomo or Campanile: Traverse the winding staircases inside the Duomo or the nearby bell tower to see some of the best views of Florence. Not only can you see the Tuscan countryside in the distance and the impressive palaces and churches of Florence in the fore, but it also shows you just how large the Duomo is.
 * Stroll the Boboli Gardens: These extensive gardens behind the Pitti palace provide excellent views of the city of Florence and numerous sculptures in a relaxed environment. Stop in the hilltop café, grab a drink and a seat outside and enjoy the view.
 * Street performers strut their stuff in front of Palazzo Vecchio of an evening. Performances can range from violin duets to people dressed as sculptures. A nice place to stop while you eat your after-dinner gelato.
 * Join a monastery: those aged 18-35 are invited to take a two-day spiritual retreat at Badia Fiorentina on Via del Proconsolo. Or just come to hear sung vespers at 18:00 and mass at 18:30 nightly in this peaceful church, filled with artwork. It's central yet virtually free of tourists.
 * Football: ACF Fiorentina play soccer in Serie A, Italy's top tier. Their home ground Stadio Artemio Franchi (capacity 43,000) is 2 km northeast of city centre.
 * Football: ACF Fiorentina play soccer in Serie A, Italy's top tier. Their home ground Stadio Artemio Franchi (capacity 43,000) is 2 km northeast of city centre.

Buy
There are a few places to buy things, from the high-end jewelry stores lining the Ponte Vecchio to some of the most famous shops in the world — Gucci, Pucci, Ferragamo, Valentino, Prada, Armani, Ermenegildo Zegna, Buccellati, Frette — as well as many more wonderful shops that aren't yet world famous. Souvenirs related to art and Florence's sights can be found everywhere. Books, leather goods, art handcrafted journals, frames, pencils etc. in that gorgeous Florentine paper with swirls of color and gold are great gifts.

It is increasingly difficult to find bargains, but keen-eyed shoppers can still find good deals on smaller side streets running off of those above and elsewhere in the centre of town. Better stores in/near the city centre offer superb leather, sometimes at decent prices, perhaps after some bargaining. Goldsmiths on the Ponte Vecchio display beautiful, quality work but can be very expensive. Shops that are not in the very centre of the city are significantly cheaper. There are also superb shopping streets, such as Via Tornabuoni, Via del Parione, and Via Maggio. The San Lorenzo Market is now largely for tourists. There are also a couple of collections of "outlets" in the suburbs.

Some of the most uniquely Florentine shops and sights can be found in the Oltrarno, which is Florence's "Left Bank" and home to countless generations of artisans. This section of town can be found by crossing "Ponte Vecchio" (the old bridge) or Ponte Trinità from the center. This "undiscovered" Florence is a must-see.

Beware: If the police catch you while buying a knock-off version of something with a brand from an (illegal) street vendor, you can be fined up to €10,000. You'll see plenty of people on the street selling imitation Gucci sunglasses, Rolex watches, and Prada purses dirt cheap. It's okay if the item doesn't have a real brand on it, but buying a knock-off is illegal.

Eat
Restaurants have separate prices for food that is taken away or is eaten standing up versus sit down; don't try to sit at a table after paying for food or coffee from the restaurant's take away booth. Also ask always beforehand for the price if you want to sit at a table. Otherwise you might be uncomfortably surprised. Cappuccino al banco i.e. standing up might cost €1-3, but at a table €4.

Florence's food can be as much of a treat to the palate as the art is a treat to the eye. There is good food for any price range, from fine restaurants to take out food from window stands. You will find the best price/quality ratio outside the historical centre, where locals go to eat. The worst ratio is probably in the neighbourhood of Mercato di San Lorenzo or immediately south of the Duomo where there are a lot of tourist restaurants. Conversely many of the best restaurants in the city are found in the Santa Croce district or across the river in the Oltrarno. In many trattorias requests for pizza may be met with a rebuff as not every trattoria will have a pizza oven. For local pizza look for smaller establishments in the Sant'Ambrogio district.

The best lunch places don't always turn out to be the best dinner places. Dinner in Florence really starts some time between 19:00 and 21:00. If a place looks like they're preparing to close before 20:00, it might not be the best option for an evening meal.

Typical Tuscan courses include bistecca alla fiorentina which is huge t-bone steak weighing from 500g to 1,500g. It has always price given per 100g, e.g. €3.5 etto (an etto is a "hectogram" or 100 gram-ettogrammo). crostini toscani are crostini with Tuscan liver pâté.

There is also a uniquely Florentine fast food with a 1,000-year history - lampredotto, a kind of tripe (cow stomach, or calf for preference, but a different part than the more familiar white "honeycomb" kind, dark brown in color; the name comes from its wrinkled appearance, which apparently reminds locals of a lamprey fish). The trippaio set their carts in the public squares in the centre, dishing out the delicacy straight from the cauldron in which it is being boiled with herbs and tomatoes, chopping it and slapping the portions between halves of a Tuscan roll; the top is dipped in the broth. A mild green parsley- or basil-based sauce or a hot red one goes with it.

There are many gelato (Italian ice cream) stands; some connoisseurs consider the better Florentine gelato the finest in the world. Often gelato is made in the bar where you buy it. Because of this there are many exotic flavors of ice cream like watermelon, spumante or garlic. It's hard to find a gelato place open very late, so after dinner might not be an option. Near the Duomo, though, there are a few places open after 22:00.

Tuscany is also the wellspring of cantuccini, also called biscotti di Prato. (In Italian, the singular of biscotti is un biscotto.) It's traditional to enjoy them after a meal by dipping them in vin santo ("holy wine"), a concentrated wine made from late-harvested grapes, but you can also buy bags of them in stores throughout the city and eat them however you like.

Budget
There are numerous caffè and pasticcerie where you can find excellent sandwiches. Schiacciata sandwiches are one of the most famous Florentine specialities, and can be the most affordable meals available with a typical cost of €4-7. The most famous Sandwich shop L'Antico Vinaio near the Palazzo Vecchio has recently become extremely popular due to social media interest and one can queue for up to 45 minutes to buy one there. Fortunately there are many equally good (if not better) and cheaper Schiacciata options available nearby.

Pizza sold by weight is an equally excellent solution for budget dining (vegetarian and vegan options are almost always available), as is any caffè displaying a "Primi" card in its window where you'll find pastas and other dishes at low reasonable prices. The delis (rosticcerie) are very affordable (and the food is often quite good), and some also have dining tables if you don't want to take away.

You can buy the makings for a picnic or snack at the Mercato Centrale. This large market has everything you might need, often at lower prices than supermarkets. The stalls will also sometimes vacuum seal whatever you buy so you can take it home with you.

A general rule: the closer you are to the historic old town, the higher the price.

Mid-range

Dessert

 * Perché No Via dei Tavolini 19. Freshly made daily from quality ingredients. The pear will be made with real pears and will taste of pears. Typically fruit flavors will be made with seasonally available fruits. Chocolate flavor will taste of cocoa rather than chocolate milk-powder. If you are a chocolate fan, this is the place to go. Specialties are "sorbetto" (ice cream made with water rather than milk, both with fruit and standard flavors, and "mousse" ice creams. Ask for the "special" taste of the day.
 * Perché No Via dei Tavolini 19. Freshly made daily from quality ingredients. The pear will be made with real pears and will taste of pears. Typically fruit flavors will be made with seasonally available fruits. Chocolate flavor will taste of cocoa rather than chocolate milk-powder. If you are a chocolate fan, this is the place to go. Specialties are "sorbetto" (ice cream made with water rather than milk, both with fruit and standard flavors, and "mousse" ice creams. Ask for the "special" taste of the day.
 * Perché No Via dei Tavolini 19. Freshly made daily from quality ingredients. The pear will be made with real pears and will taste of pears. Typically fruit flavors will be made with seasonally available fruits. Chocolate flavor will taste of cocoa rather than chocolate milk-powder. If you are a chocolate fan, this is the place to go. Specialties are "sorbetto" (ice cream made with water rather than milk, both with fruit and standard flavors, and "mousse" ice creams. Ask for the "special" taste of the day.

Drink
Tap water is safe but those who prefer bottled water will find it plentiful. Still (naturale) and sparkling (gassata) water is available for free from a fountain set into the wall of the Palazzo Vecchio.

Make sure to sample the excellent wines of the region.

Chianti is the local wine that can be ordered cheaply. Many eateries will offer carafes of various sizes of "house chianti", usually for under €4.

Bars

 * Uffizi Museum The bar at this museum offers an amazing view overlooking la Piazza della Signoria, but it's only accessible through the museum, so you'll have to buy a ticket.
 * Irish Pub (The Fiddlers Elbow) Piazza Santa Maria Novella. This pub has plenty of seating, in addition to live music and great staff.
 * Bebop-great coverbands everynight and a €4 pint. Can be found north of the Duomo on the right on Via Dei Servi, before you reach Piazza d Annunziata.
 * Ambrosia - Found in Piazza de Ambrosia. This is primarily a wine bar, and you can sample some great wines at a low cost provided you come with friends and share the price of whole bottles.
 * Rivoire Piazza della Signoria. Founded in 1872 this terrace facing the Palazzo Vecchio is a Florentine institution.
 * Paszkowski or Gilli. On the Piazza Republica, next to the hotel Savoy. The terraces on the other side of the piazza are equally pricey.
 * Rivoire Piazza della Signoria. Founded in 1872 this terrace facing the Palazzo Vecchio is a Florentine institution.
 * Paszkowski or Gilli. On the Piazza Republica, next to the hotel Savoy. The terraces on the other side of the piazza are equally pricey.

Sleep
As elsewhere the price of hotels in Florence has been climbing quickly in the last few years. The golden rule here is if you want something cheap you'll have to stay outside of the historic center. The area around the train station is cheaper, but not as safe, especially for women travelers at night. If you are looking at big chain hotels you should be aware that they are usually quite a distance from the centre, the Novotel for instance is almost at the airport.

Certain hotels, particularly those oriented toward business travellers offer special reduced rates during the weekend (e.g. Starhotel Michelangelo) or during slow weeks like Baglioni. Sometimes you can also get a substantial discount by reserving online. In the train station there is a tourist information office which also offers hotel reservations; you can often get good deals through them at the very last minute, but it's not guaranteed.

Budget
There are quite a number of one or two star alberghi within a short distance of the station. Young women can find accommodation with certain convents at very low prices, and usually in historic locations. On the other hand, you'll have to forget about any late-night Tuscan craziness.

Camping
There are campsites round the edge of town: to SW is Ostello Tasso Ente, north is Elite Firenze Gestioie SRL, NE is Camping Albergue, east is Me & Mom in Tuscany, and 3 others further east in Rovezzano. Camping Michelangelo south of town has closed.

Connect
Florence has 5G from all Italian carriers, but as of Sept 2021 coverage remains patchy.

Stay safe
Florence is generally safe and healthy, but beware the inevitable purse-snatchers and pickpockets. They thrive in crowds, particularly around SMN railway station and on the buses, sometimes working with a decoy such as an insistent beggar. If you have a bag with a classy, noiseless zipper, it will be opened.

Also beware at night around tourist spots such as Ponte Vecchio where pickpocketers may approach you pretending to be drunk and friendly, and then snatch your belongings when your guard is down.

Go next

 * Florence is a great starting point and base for a tour of Tuscany. Attractive day trips include Pisa, Lucca, San Gimignano, Arezzo, Pistoia, Fiesole, Lucignano, Siena, and of course the wine zone of Chianti. Greve in Chianti is the market town of the Chianti zone and it is in the hills surrounding Greve that you can rent a B&B room or a small apartment on a working vineyard for less than a hotel in Florence. The SITA Pullman buses take you to Greve and Panzano in about an hour. From then on you see few cars and many cypress and olive trees.
 * The SITA bus station is just west of the train station in Florence. This is where to go to catch a bus to Siena, San Gimignano, and so on. If you're at the roundabout, facing the train station, go 90 degrees left and stay on the left until just past the fork. You will see the entrance to the SITA garage on your right.

 * Biking options outside of the city include the Chianti area, where you can fully enjoy the hills and the elegance of the landscape surrounding you, which has been taken care of endlessly through centuries. Strong scents can be enjoyed in Spring. The warm temperatures and usually stable weather in the good seasons can make the ride even more enjoyable. If you feel more energetic, ascents to Vallombrosa from Pontassieve through Tosi can be very enjoyable. You start from the Arno river plain and you end up in a thick, shady, fresh forest. In all cases, avoid the hottest hours in Summer and be aware of the traffic, which can be heavy and not cyclist-savvy, until you get in secondary or less populated roads.
 * UNESCO World Heritage Listed rural building complexes (Medici Villas and Gardens) are scattered around Florence:
 * Biking options outside of the city include the Chianti area, where you can fully enjoy the hills and the elegance of the landscape surrounding you, which has been taken care of endlessly through centuries. Strong scents can be enjoyed in Spring. The warm temperatures and usually stable weather in the good seasons can make the ride even more enjoyable. If you feel more energetic, ascents to Vallombrosa from Pontassieve through Tosi can be very enjoyable. You start from the Arno river plain and you end up in a thick, shady, fresh forest. In all cases, avoid the hottest hours in Summer and be aware of the traffic, which can be heavy and not cyclist-savvy, until you get in secondary or less populated roads.
 * UNESCO World Heritage Listed rural building complexes (Medici Villas and Gardens) are scattered around Florence:

title: Florence


text:
Florence (Alabama)

Florence is a city in northwest Alabama near Mississippi and Tennessee.

By car
US Highway 72 which runs from East-West from Chattanooga to Memphis passes through Florence. Most major attractions, hotels,restaurants, etc are located on or near US 72 or Florence Blvd as its known within the City of Florence. US Highway 43 runs North-South from Nashville, TN to Mobile Alabama. It travels the same path as US 72 through Florence.

Florence lies about 48 miles west of Interstate 65 Exit 351 in Athens, Exits 340A-340B Decatur/Huntsville, Exit 310 at Cullman.

By plane
Near Florence, there are a few options for flying in and out. Boutique Air has service to Northwest Alabama Regional Airport from Atlanta. More flights can be found leaving from Huntsville, AL; Birmingham, AL; Nashville,TN; and Memphis, TN. Huntsville would be the shortest drive at just over one hour. The others are a little more than two hours drive.

By bus
Greyhound buses stop at a gas station at 358 Cox Creek Pkwy.

Do
Enjoy fishing at the "Small Mouth Bass Capital of the World" around Wilson Dam, a regular on popular fishing shows. Alternatively, hiking, motor boating, and water skiing can be tried.

Books

 * Read The Store by T. S. Stribling. This is the 1933 Pulitzer Prize winner that many believe was inspired by Rogers Department Store which closed in 2001.

Go next

 * Huntsville, famous for the U.S. Space and Rocket Center
 * Tuscumbia, home to the Alabama Music Hall of Fame and a Moon Tree (a loblolly pine whose seed went around the moon)

title: Florence (Alabama)


text:
Florence (disambiguation)

There is more than one place called Florence:

Canada

 * Florence (Nova Scotia) - community in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia.

Italy

 * Florence - The capital of the Tuscany region of Italy.

United States of America

 * Florence (Alabama) - A city in the state of Alabama.
 * Florence (Arizona) - A city in the state of Arizona.
 * Florence (California) - A city in the state of California.
 * Florence (Colorado) - A city in the state of Colorado.
 * Florence (Illinois) - A city in the state of Illinois.
 * Florence (Kansas) - A city in the state of Kansas.
 * Florence (Kentucky) - A city in the state of Kentucky.
 * Florence (Massachusetts) - A city in the state of Massachusetts.
 * Florence (Minnesota) - A city in the state of Minnesota.
 * Florence (Mississippi) - A city in the state of Mississippi.
 * Florence (Missouri) - A city in the state of Missouri.
 * Florence (Montana) - A city in the state of Montana.
 * Florence (New Jersey) - A city in the state of New Jersey.
 * Florence (New York) - A city in the state of New York.
 * Florence (Oregon) - A city in the state of Oregon.
 * Florence (South Carolina) - A city in the state of South Carolina.
 * Florence (South Dakota) - A city in the state of South Dakota.
 * Florence (Texas) - A city in the state of Texas.
 * Florence (Wisconsin) - A city in the state of Wisconsin.

title: Florence (disambiguation)


text:
Florence (Kentucky)

Florence is a city of 33,000 people (2019) in Kentucky's Northern Ohio River Region, near Cincinnati. Florence is well known in surrounding cities for a water tower visible from I-71/I-75 that reads "Florence Y'all".

Go next

 * Check out Covington or Newport, 20-odd minutes away, by heading north on I-71/I-75.
 * Or, travel further north over the Ohio River into Cincinnati.
 * Or, you could head south to Lexington.

title: Florence (Kentucky)


text:
Florence (Oregon)

Florence is a city on the Central Oregon Coast.

Understand
Many of the ideas in Frank Herbert's Dune series came to him during a 1957 trip to Florence to write a magazine article for Simon & Schuster about a US Department of Agriculture project there to plant a species of European beach grass near the Siuslaw River. The project, it was hoped, would moderate the widespread intrusion of the dunes upon the local ecology, where the wind and sand interfered with railroads and highways, hindering the growth of local forests and it was feared, the spread would threaten the local water supply. Interestingly, Herbert never finished the article.

Florence is also known as the site of the exploding whale, an incident when the Oregon State Highway Division tried to remove a beached whale by dynamite - with unintended results.

By bus
Porter Stage Lines run a twice-daily service from Ontario (Oregon) to Coos Bay, which calls at Florence. It connects in Eugene with Greyhound bus and Amtrak train services. Through ticketing is available.

By car
The scenic Oregon coast route, US Highway 101, passes through Florence. The Eugene-Florence Highway, Oregon route 126, follows the Suislaw River valley to dead-end on 101 at Florence.

Do
Go sandboarding on the Oregon Dunes, the largest expanse of coastal sand dunes in North America. Sandboards can be rented in town or along the 101. The closest dunes are behind Fred Meyer.

Play golf at Florence Golf Links. A Rees Jones design and a true links course, Sandpines was voted "Best New Golf Course" by Golf Digest in 1993 and "4-1/2 Star Rated 'Places to Play in USA'," by Golf Digest for 2006 and 2007. A truly unique course in Oregon.

Eat
Restaurants are clustered in the old town, especially in Bay Street; those on the river side of the street usually have decks over the river.

The Waterfront Depot in Bay Street, with a river deck, is the restaurant most strongly recommended by locals, and reservation is advised. It is housed in the former railroad depot from Maplethorpe, a few miles up the Suislaw River. The Italian restaurant (1285 Resto Bar) opposite the Waterfront Depot is under the same ownership and is also strongly recommended by locals.

Old Town Florence packs many more great restaurants, many with river views and a great atmosphere.

Go next
Drive, cycle or hike down the scenic Oregon coast. Hike on the beaches, cycle on the Oregon Coastal Cycle Route, and drive on US 101. Hikers and cyclists are advised to proceed southwards in summer, when strong, cold north winds prevail.

Visit the many sand dunes along the coast south of town (and in town)

Walk out to the end of the North Jetty at the mouth of the Siuslaw river.

Devil's Elbow: Sandy beach, picturesque historic lighthouse and bridge. A short drive north of Florence.

Yachats

title: Florence (Oregon)


text:
Florence (province)

The Metropolitan City of Florence (Italian: Città metropolitana di Firenze), formerly the Province of Florence, is an administrative region of the Tuscany Region of Italy.

Cities

 * (Firenze) – Capital of the Region and the Metropolitan City.

Other destinations

 * - northern part of the Metropolitan City of Florence
 * Valdarno - an area southeast of Florence:

See
The Medici Villas and Gardens north of Fiesole are a UNESCO World Heritage site consisting of 16 major and 11 minor villas owned by the powerful Medici family in the 15th-17th centuries. One of the most known is the Medici Villa of Pratolino with a giant statue of Colossus in the publicly accessible gardens.

Itineraries
Seven Bridge Road in Valdsrno. 49 km (30 miles). Between Reggello (FI) and Arezzo there is an ancient scenic route that up to the 13th century was the main method of transportation in the area, then following the move of the various castles in the valley, gradually lost its original importance, to become a route loved by cyclists and joggers. The Setteponti is also known as the street of churches, starting with S. Pietro in Cascia, home of a masterful triptych by the world famous artist, Masaccio; then the parish church of Santa Maria in PiandiScò; and then continuing with Badia a Soffena in Castelfranco di Sopra; the parish of Loro Ciuffenna just outside Gropina; and St. Justin. Car traffic is minimal on this road and the various curves make smooth the path where you can admire fantastic views over the valley to the villages along the road. Also you can admire the "Balze of Valdarno" with their pinnacle and spire of rocks that represent a characteristic landscape, but little known, of the Valdarno, that deserves to be seen. Leonardo da Vinci remained fascinated and he represented it in some of his paintings, like in the background landscape of the Mona Lisa. Step in the midst of endless olive trees interspersed here and there by vines, forage crops and olive trees, while in the more pronounced slope one finds thick green patches of vegetation.

Eat
It can be very difficult finding a good restaurant open from about 14:00 to 19:00.

Vegetarians and vegans should have no problem eating in Florence as staff at Italian restaurants tend to be very accommodating. Try ribollita, a regional specialty vegetable soup. 100 percent vegan and delicious. Pizza in Italy (and authentic Italian restaurants elsewhere) do not use dairy products or eggs in their dough.

Go next

 * Chianti

title: Florence (province)


text:
Florence (South Carolina)

Florence is a city in the Pee Dee Country Region of South Carolina. It was the site of the Florence Stockade, a Confederate POW camp, notably bad but still maybe not as bad as Andersonville, then a railroad hub, and nowadays a regional center for medical care and manufacturing, including as it sits at the terminus for I-20. Even though it got started rather late, in 1871, it's more or less the hub for northeastern South Carolina, aka Pee Dee Country.

By plane
Florence Regional Airport has nonstop service to Charlotte on American Airlines.

title: Florence (South Carolina)


text:
Flores

There's more than one place called Flores:

Guatemala

 * Flores (Guatemala) - a city

Indonesia

 * Flores (Indonesia) - an island

Portugal

 * Flores (Azores) - an island in the Azores

Uruguay

 * Flores (Uruguay) - a department

title: Flores