It’s easy to find a beach in Florida. It’s harder to find a hidden beach, a beach where you experience a sense of discovery and delicious isolation. Here, however, I share my favorites, discovered over many years.
Author: Bonnie Gross
Glamping in Florida: Luxury meets nature in these 15 parks
Glamping in Florida is now offered in 14 state and one national park, where some fancy tents come with chandeliers. The idea: Be in the wild, but be comfy.
Nine Key West restaurants for authentic local flavor
Key West has so many restaurants that it’s hard to make a decision where to eat. Here’s an intriguing list of restaurants filled with local color and character. It started with recommendations from a fellow blogger who ate his way through Key West.
Stone crabs right at home in historic Everglades City
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 authentic Old Florida atmosphere.
Fanning & Manatee Springs: Hidden treasures for cabins, camping
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.
Lovely Turkey Creek in Palm Bay combines kayaking & hiking
A scenic kayak outing on Turkey Creek takes you to Palm Bay’s Turkey Creek Sanctuary, where you can explore 3.5 miles of trails. Along the way, see dolphins, manatees and other wildlife.
Lafayette Blue Springs State Park: Cool springs, comfy cabins, kayak the Suwannee
Remote, rural and picturesque, northwest Florida rewards your long drive with sparkling springs, the beautiful Suwanee River and scenic rural roads. This state park’s cabins make a great base to explore the region.
The Yearling: At restaurant near Ocala, eat like a cracker
This historic restaurant near Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park at Cross Creek is a great place to eat like a cracker. It offers an old Florida ambiance and menu.
Micanopy, setting for Old Florida movie, is base for getaway packed with nature and history
Micanopy is right off I-75 near Gainesville, but it feels far away — like a small town in a Florida long gone. That’s why it was site for filming of ‘A Land Remembered,” a beloved Florida family saga.
Peace River Botanical Gardens: A delight in Punta Gorda
Peace River Botanical Gardens in Punta Gorda exceeded my expectations with its whimsical monumental sculptures and lovely gardens in a scenic riverfront site.
11 outstanding outdoor things to do in Amelia Island
With eight state parks, a national park, scads of history and top beaches, Amelia Island and Fernandina Beach make a great base to explore northeast Florida.
Ochopee: Cutest, smallest post office in the US
A scenic road through Everglades National Park also brings you past a cute little roadside stop: the smallest post office in the US. In an era where post offices are being closed to save money, this little outpost dating to 1953 is a survivor.