South Florida Literary Tour
Pompano Beach: Author Elmore Leonard took his mother to a small motel on Pompano Beach, which some say was his inspiration for the Coconut Palms Resort Apartments, to where George Moran, the main character in Leonard's 1982 book, Cat Chaser, runs.
Dania Beach Pier: Harry Crews used the Dania Pier as a backdrop for a July 4th fireworks display and beauty contest in Karate Is a Thing of the Spirit.
Bahia Mar Beach Resort: Travis McGee, the protagonist in John D. MacDonald's 21 novels (including The Deep Blue Goodbye), lived at this resort, 801 Seabreeze Blvd. (tel. 888/802-2442; www.bahiamarhotel.com).
Little Haiti: The place where a no-good former oil-burner repairman wanders, in Russell Banks's Continental Drift.
Flagler Street: Where Brett Halliday's private eye, Michael Shayne, kept his office.
Hialeah Race Course: The inspiration for Damon Runyon's short story Pick the Winner. www.hialeahparkracing.com.
Cardozo Hotel: Elmore Leonard's favorite backdrop -- as seen in Get Shorty, La Brava, and Rum Punch -- was this hotel, 1300 Ocean Dr., Miami Beach (tel. 800/782-6500; www.cardozohotel.com).
Barnacle State Historic Site: James W. Hall's Hard Aground transforms the Barnacle into Mangrove House, a place with a sinister history.
Domino Park: Ana Menendez's In Cuba I Was a German Shepherd reminisces about Little Havana's most hopping spot, at the southwest corner of 15th Avenue and 8th Street.
Tobacco Road: Miami's oldest bar gets its name from the 1932 novel by Erskine Caldwell.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
