County park campgrounds are increasingly on our radar as campers get shut out of crowded state parks or face skyrocketing rates at private campgrounds.
Several holiday boat parades were rescheduled for this coming week after severe weekend storms. (Others were cancelled.) Read more…
Encompassing more than 600 square miles in North Central Florida, Ocala National Forest is your playground for adventure.
The winter holidays are different in balmy Florida, but you might be surprised that you CAN hike into the woods and cut down a Christmas tree. In fact, it’s only $10 and you can also explore beautiful Ocala National Forest.
Christmas, Florida, is an old-time roadside attraction that is a throwback to another era. It’s close to the outstanding Orlando Wetlands Park.
The Sugar Express is an outreach programs by the U.S. Sugar Company, the nation’s largest sugar producer.
Good news: One of Florida’s favorite kayak runs, Juniper Springs, is open again. It might be the most pristine spring-fed river in Florida. It’s stunningly beautiful, a narrow twisty stream, best for experienced paddlers. It had been closed since 2020.
The magic of manatees draws thousands to the Crystal River on the Gulf Coast each winter. Here’s a practical guide to manatee experiences in Three Sisters Springs and Kings Bay — kayaking with manatees, swimming with manatees or admiring them from a boardwalk.
With the addition of a new brewery on Stock Island, the Florida Keys are up to 5 craft breweries. They’re great places to experience Keys style and ambiance. The beer’s good, too!
For more than 60 years, a non-profit devoted to historic preservation has convinced the owners of some of the most interesting homes in Key West to open them to visitors for a good cause. For four winter weekends, you can tour historic homes and support historic preservation in Key West.
The historic Nike missile site in Everglades National Park is a well-preserved relic of the 1960s Cold War. See a restored Nike Hercules missile during the winter season.
Next time you travel Florida’s Gulf Coast on I-75, take a five minutes detour in Fort Myers to discover a magnificent slice of old Florida – a 1.2 mile boardwalk through an unspoiled cypress swamp called Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve. It’s free!
National parks in Florida go beyond the Everglades. From the gorgeous Gulf to a remote island, there are national parks you’ve probably never heard of. Here’s a guide to them, from the famous to the obscure.
If you love kayaking and are planning a getaway, we recommend these six places as the best towns for kayaking in Florida. These small towns will deliver exceptional and authentic experiences.
The Elliott Museum has an extensive collection of antique cars, but the museum also has everything from wedding dresses to baseball cards. On Saturday, Nov. 18, it will host a free event to celebrate the opening of its modern ebikes exhibit. Visitors can test-ride ebikes and get free admission.
What could be better than this? Camping within earshot of the surf, soft breezes and soaring seagulls. Beach camping in Florida is living the dream.
Windswept beaches, pristine back country waterways, a mile-long fishing bridge, scenic campgrounds, and a lot of hands-on history.
This Miami state park is a remarkable island of green where you can kayak, mountain bike, picnic and enjoy a sandy beach. There are even rustic cabins to rent. It’s the largest urban park in Florida.
Sanibel is more famous for its beaches and seashells, but it’s a great place to explore by bike. With more than 25 miles of bicycle trails, Sanibel’s hidden beaches, pioneer cemetery and quiet neighborhoods open up to you.
J. B. Starkey Wilderness Park flies under the radar for most people planning Florida trips. It’s not a state park and it’s not near a population center. But this vast water-management preserve offers tent sites in the woods and rustic cabins you can rent quite cheaply. There are miles of trails, including an excellent paved bike trail.
Florida bike trails offer great scenery and local flavor. Here are a few great bike trails we’ve tried and recommend statewide.
Stone crab season starts Oct. 15 and Everglades City, a small, isolated fishing village south of Naples, is a place to feast on this Florida favorite in an authenic Old Florida atmosphere.
Kayaking the Chaz on the central Gulf Coast takes you over turquoise springs, down twisty creeks, and you might just see a manatee, otter or bald eagle. This is one of Florida’s premier kayaking rivers.
Cinnamon rolls and the fall season are both back; Knaus Berry Farms reopens Oct. 31. This 50-year-old institution south of Miami has generations of devoted fans. It’s a good stop for an Everglades trip or a day exploring the Redland.
As you plan your Florida travels, here are nine towns that I’ve found make great bases for exploring. Each puts you in the center of outstanding places to hike, bike, kayak and explore history. Each is surrounded by natural beauty.