Getaways to the authentic Florida
Gold Head Branch State Park has long been on my radar, a small dot on the map with a curious name in the middle of nowhere — yet close enough to Gainesville to be a camping option on game weekends. (We found dozens of campsite and cabin openings for every game this year.)
Robbie’s Marina is a don’t-miss stop as you drive through the Florida Keys. Dozens of tarpon, some more than 6 feet long, gather at the dock and lunge for fish from visitors. The restaurant there, the Hungry Tarpon, is highly recommended , too.
Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales will fill a day with exploration and beauty — manicured landscapes, history and trails atop a lofty hill in Central Florida. Here are our seven favorite spots.
Smallwood Store is an exceptional slice of Florida history at an end-of-the-road site overlooking Chokoloskee Bay near Everglades City.
There are few parks in Florida with as much to offer as Pinellas County’s Fort DeSoto Park: Camping, beaches, kayaking, biking, a dog beach and a history lesson too.
Werner-Boyce Salt Springs State Park in New Port Richey is not well known outside its area. But it’s a good place to kayak both to see springs in the park and to paddle into the Gulf to see historic stilt houses.
Environmentalists have won a few battles in Florida and paddling the Ocklawaha is a good reminder. This is a wild, untouched river that was destined to be lost forever. Today, it is a beautiful spot to explore, less busy than many nearby rivers.
Story includes today’s tropical outlook and long-range forecast, hurricane preparation checklists and tips.
One of the best ways to see Florida’s Everglades is via the Tamiami Trail to the Shark Valley entrance, home to a terrific bike trail and abundant wildlife. Visitors have been reporting outstanding wildlife viewing during holiday visits.
Campers get a front-row seat to the passage of yachts, sailboats and trawlers crossing Florida through locks at three Army Corps of Engineers campgrounds.
The beach is spectacular here — wide white sand, clear blue-green water. But the Old Florida charm of Pass-a-Grille, a community within St. Pete Beach, is what makes it stand out.
Ponce Inlet is a calm ocean-front town at the tip of a barrier island. It has free parking, the tallest lighthouse in Florida (which you can tour) plus parks, a beach and places to eat fresh seafood.
The Okeechobee KOA is the largest KOA campground in U.S. with 750 campsites on Lake Okeechobee, Florida’s fishing mecca.
Our Florida Keys Overseas Highway Mile-Marker Guide is your travel companion across these islands with notes on things to do, historic points of interest, tiki bars, restaurants and places to launch a kayak or take a hike.
Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales will fill a day with exploration and beauty — manicured landscapes, history and trails atop a lofty hill in Central Florida. Here are our seven favorite spots.
Travel and Leisure magazine calls New Smyrna Beach “Florida’s most underrated seaside city”. We think it is “Florida’s best little beach town.”
Gold Head Branch State Park has long been on my radar, a small dot on the map with a curious name in the middle of nowhere — yet close enough to Gainesville to be a camping option on game weekends. (We found dozens of campsite and cabin openings for every game this year.)
Like Cedar Key itself, the Cedar Key Art Festival is a slice of authentic Old Florida. This historic small town is located on an island on Florida’s Gulf Coast.
