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.
Author: Bonnie Gross
Barefoot Beach in Bonita Springs: Wild, wonderful and off the beaten track
Barefoot Beach in Bonita Springs occupies one of the last undeveloped barrier islands on Florida’s southwest coast.
Gulf Islands National Seashore: Beaches that wow, rare old forts in Panhandle
Florida Panhandle’s greatest treasure might be Gulf Islands National Seashore, with an unspoiled barrier island, sand as white as snow and a rare Civil War fort whose spooky spaces you can wander.
Summer adventure: Taking a Brightline train for a Miami getaway
Freed from traffic and parking woes, exploring downtown Miami on a summer getaway is appealing because of the excellent cool museums for steamy afternoons.
Old Seven Mile Bridge: One of a kind; worth seeing on drive down the Keys
The Old Seven Mile Bridge in Marathon is a must-stop on the Overseas Highway. Its history and scenic beauty make it a great place to walk or bike. The bridge ends at Pigeon Key, which you can tour to learn its fascinating story.
Lake Placid Caladium Festival, July 24-26
This small town festival celebrates a uniquely Lake Placid product: caladiums, a colorful plant grown commercially almost nowhere else. There’ll be music, food, a car show, arts and crafts and tours of caladium fields.
For your Florida bucket list: A nighttime bioluminescence kayak trip is a summer thrill
On dark summer nights in the Mosquito Lagoon near Titusville and Cocoa, the water glows from bioluminescent plankton. Kayak tours help visitors see the spectacular light show.
Ultimate Road Trip: Driving on Florida’s coastal beaches
Driving your car on the beaches is a Florida tradition going back to horse-and-buggy days. Today, only a few beaches still allow the practice. We show you where and how on the Atlantic Coast.
Dramatic Washington Oaks beach is lined with sculpted rocks
Florida has miles of beaches, but nothing like the Washington Oaks State Park beach, lined with coquina rocks that wind and surf have turned into sculpture. It’s located in Flagler Beach, where the sand looks like it has been sprinkled with cinnamon.
Six excellent day trips to fascinating Florida islands
You can’t beat a day exploring an island. Here are six alluring ones — historic, scenic, each unique in some way.