Florida harvest festivals and farm tours demonstrate that you can soak up a little autumn spirit, even in Florida. All across Florida, farms create family fun with traditional harvest activities like pumpkin patches and corn mazes.
Deborah Hartz-Seeley
In the fertile rural Redland area in Homestead, you can tour Fruit and Spice Park, where you taste exotic tropical fruit and learn about unusual plants that grow here. You’ll see fruit trees that flourish here that do not grow anywhere else in the contiguous US.
Coral Castle is a 100-year-old site made of 30-ton blocks of limestone somehow arranged by a lovesick eccentric into a Stonehenge-like work of art.
Like a lot of original Florida tourist attractions, it can be corny, playing up a mystical angle. But it is also listed on the National Register of Historic Sites and is strange and wonderful in its own way.
U-pick farms in Florida prove that agriculture thrives here. You’ll find many blueberry farms, plus everything from chestnuts to peaches to citrus. Include one of these stops when you’re exploring Florida’s backroads.
Orlando Wetlands Park is a must-stop for birders and wildlife fans; it’s home to over 100 roseate spoonbills, 1,700 alligators and 200 species of bird. What’s even better: A half-mile boardwalk opened this winter providing great views of nesting birds in a cypress island. It’s only 20 minutes off I-95.
Stroll along the delightful paths through the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in Delray Beach and discover the outdoors in a new way with these tips.
The Naples Botanical Garden has bounced back beautifully from Hurricane Ian, as has much of the Naples area. The garden is ever-changing and stunning. Go discover its beauty.
Christmas, Florida, is an old-time roadside attraction that is a throwback to another era. It’s close to the outstanding Orlando Wetlands Park.
Ponce Inlet is a calm ocean-front town at the tip of a barrier island. Its beachfront was hit hard by Hurricane Nicole’s storm surge Nov. 7. But its stunning lighthouse is open to visitors, as are many parks, its inlet beach and picturesque places to eat fresh seafood.
These top Palm Beach county parks are perfect places to have an adventure on bike, foot or kayak. We include some hidden gems you might not know and tips on things not to miss. They are also ideal places to take visitors during the winter.
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.
Lakes Wales is blessed with the historic and grand Bok Tower Gardens, but there are other things to do, from funky ‘Spook Hill’ to a pretty pathway around the lake for biking or walking.
This Palm Beach Island garden is an insider’s secret. It’s the only botanic garden in Florida devoted only to native plants and it is full of delights. It’s free and is one of many things that makes the exclusive Palm Beach town worth a visit.