Fanning Springs and Manatee Springs state parks on the Suwannee River offer beautiful springs, cabins, camping, kayaking & biking in Northwest Florida. Where is this Florida wonderland? Far off the beaten path.
Recent Articles
Flamingos in Florida: Back for good? They’re spotted regularly at Merritt Island Refuge
Flamingos in Florida may be making a comeback. A 2023 hurricane brought many here and some remain. Here’s where to see them.
Robbie’s Marina: Feed the tarpon; it’s the best cheap fun you can find in the Keys
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: Beautiful oasis atop Florida ‘mountain’
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 in Chokoloskee: Everglades icon still owned by original family
Smallwood Store is an exceptional slice of Florida history at an end-of-the-road site overlooking Chokoloskee Bay near Everglades City.
Fort DeSoto Park: Tampa Bay treasure delivers top beaches, camping, historic site, more
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.
Gold Head Branch State Park: Unsung treasure with cabins, camping
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.)
Werner-Boyce Salt Springs State Park: Kayak to stilt houses, hike to small springs
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.
On the Ocklawaha River, you kayak a river environmentalists saved
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.
Pass-a-Grille, one of Florida’s best beaches in a charming historic town
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.
Tampa Bay Getaways
Honeymoon Island: Spectacular natural beach with charming Old Florida history
Honeymoon Island in Dunedin has a big, natural beach where you can get away from people, but also offers a cafe and bikes and kayaks to rent. Its history involves actual honeymooners drawn here during the Great Depression in a real estate scheme.
Best Beaches
Ponce Inlet: A delightful outdoor oasis near Daytona Beach
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.
Best Camping
Nation’s largest KOA in an unlikely corner of Florida
The Okeechobee KOA is the largest KOA campground in U.S. with 750 campsites on Lake Okeechobee, Florida’s fishing mecca.
Road Trips
Epic drive through Florida’s Keys: Our Overseas Highway guide, milepost by milepost
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.
Florida Gardens
Bok Tower Gardens: Beautiful oasis atop Florida ‘mountain’
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.
Florida Keys
Robbie’s Marina: Feed the tarpon; it’s the best cheap fun you can find in the Keys
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.
