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Pensacola kicks off seafood fest season Sept. 27-29
Pensacola is one of the premier fishing ports on the Gulf of Mexico, and they celebrate with the fresh, local catch each year at the end of September.
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Indian Key: Favorite Florida Keys kayak trail to historic island
If you’ve ever dreamed about exploring a deserted tropical island, here’s your chance: Take your kayak down to the Florida Keys and paddle out to Indian Key State Park. Here, you explore jungly ruins and snorkel along a rocky shoreline.
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Oktoberfests Around Florida 2019
Beer is not just for Oktoberfest anymore! A guide to Florida’s year-around craft beer festivals. Includes statewide 2019 Oktoberfest dates. (Updated and revised.)
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Saturday, Sept. 21: Favorite Florida museums & gardens will be free
We love museums and we love freebies, so this is our kind of day. Participating attractions, some normally charging up to $25 admission, are free by downloading a ticket from Smithsonian Magazine.
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Thousands of birds migrate over the Florida Keys in fall; Hawkwatch keeps counts
Every fall, the skies over the Florida Keys fill with thousands of birds from hundreds of species heading south for the winter. A remarkable citizen science project, Hawkwatch, based in Curry Hammock State Park, keeps a tally. The star of the show here is the peregrine falcon, seen here in numbers unmatched by any other US location.
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Celebrate the Monarch butterfly migration in Florida’s Big Bend
On their 2,000-mile fall migration, thousands of monarchs stop in Florida’s Big Bend and Panhandle in October and November. A top viewing site is St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, a half hour south of Tallahassee. There is a monarch festival at the refuge Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019.
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Anne’s Beach in Islamorada re-opens after hurricane two years ago
One of my favorite stops on the drive down the Florida Keys — Anne’s Beach in Islamorada — re-opens Aug. 23, two years after it was devastated by Hurricane Irma. Located at mile marker 73.5, Anne’s Beach is a rare thing in the Florida Keys – a natural sandy beach. And it’s free.
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Alabama Jack’s: Classic way to start a trip to Florida Keys
Stopping at Alabama Jacks, a fish shack and dive bar on a remote road between Homestead and Key Largo, has been the classic way to start a Keys trip for decades. We revisited the open-air waterfront spot recently, and we’re happy to say: It’s as shabby and atmospheric as ever.
Florida wildlife rescue centers: Three great free outings for animal lovers
These havens for injured birds and wildlife are free to visit as you explore Florida. Animal lovers and children will especially enjoy these quick stops.
