Punta Gorda is blessed with a beautiful riverfront location, but it doesn’t have a beach. And there lies the reason it has an off-the-beaten-track quality. It’s a great place for kayaking, biking, hiking, birding and discovering funky crab shacks and other authentic Florida experiences.
Historic Florida
Winter Garden: Old Florida town thrives around great bike trail
Here’s a great weekend getaway for bicyclists. The appealing West Orange Trail, a 22-mile rail-trail, goes right down the middle of the lively main street in Downtown Winter Garden. Stay in the Historic Edgewater Hotel for a great base with Old Florida charm.
Nostalgic images from Old Florida holidays, thanks to a master photographer
It’s hard to imagine the world then – Florida before Disney; life before the Internet. But the photos of a Sarasota photographer, Joseph Janney Steinmetz, can help transport you.
Navy Seal Museum: A long history of heroics
FORT PIERCE — The Navy SEALs are the backbone of U.S. Special Forces, and Floridians have a unique opportunity to explore their history at the National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum in Fort Pierce, the birthplace of Navy frogmen.
Delray Beach: Lots of things to do for a great weekend getaway
Delray Beach makes a great weekend getaway: It’s a charming, walkable urban area with outstanding gardens, historic buildings, a great downtown main street and an open, natural beach.
Everglades City: Kayak historic city, sample a few of the 10,000 Islands
Kayaking the Barron River is the best way to appreciate this unspoiled historic Everglades City and to explore the nearest of the 10,000 Islands on Florida’s Gulf Coast.
Jacaranda Hotel: Affordable historic Avon Park inn
Here’s an interesting stop far off the beaten path: The Jacaranda Hotel opened in 1926 and has been providing comfy rooms and good food ever since. It’s located in the historic district of Avon Park, a little town in the middle of the state’s cattle and orange-grove country.
Howley’s diner: It’s back to the ’50s in West Palm Beach
Howley’s Diner has been there for 60 years. It’s not just retro, this West Palm Beach diner is the real deal — from its terrazzo floors to its tin ceiling.
