The Florida Folk Festival began in 1953 at Stephen Foster State Park on the Suwannee River and is a Memorial Day weekend tradition. The annual event celebrates Florida’s land, people and diverse cultural heritage.
Remarkably unchanged, this is a jewel in a remote town surrounded by untamed Everglades. A stay here is not for everybody, but it’s an exceptional place for a drink in the bar and a visit to the historic lobby.
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.
Sea-turtle walks are like seeing a nature documentary in person, and they’re back in many places for 2023. But you need reservations to join these night-time beach walks to watch giant sea turtles nesting.
However you choose to explore Cumberland Island, the island spreads its magic and its history out like the long limbs of its great live oaks, inviting you to come for an unforgettable experience.
International Dark Skies Week is April 2-8, 2024, but you can gaze at the stars around any New Moon. We recommend these 12 campgrounds for the best experience. #DarkSkyWeek #DiscoverTheNight
There’s a good reason Boca Grande is a favorite among the rich and famous: It’s beautiful, unspoiled and preserves the charm of Old Florida. It makes a satisfying daytrip, especially on a bike. Another plus: The historic lighthouse at the southern tip just reopened 16 months after being slammed by Hurricane Ian.
Campers get a front-row seat to the passage of yachts, sailboats and trawlers crossing the state through locks at three Army Corps of Engineers campgrounds.
Spring in Florida is blueberry season. Blueberries have become one of the most popular u-pick crops in the state. Our guide helps you find farms where you can go in the fields and experience where food actually comes from when you’re exploring Florida’s backroads.
One of the best ways to see Florida’s Everglades is via the Tamiami Trail to the Shark Valley entrance, home to a terrific bike trail and abundant wildlife. Visitors have been reporting outstanding wildlife viewing during holiday visits.
Mile-by-mile guide to the scenic Overseas Highway through the Florida Keys with points of interest, restaurants, campgrounds and lodging, kayak launches and beaches. Updated for 2024.
Like a lot of visitors, for years I had overlooked Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park on my visits to Key West because it is tucked away out of sight. But the historic fort and great beach are worth discovering.
One of the best places to see wood storks and other wading birds nesting up close in spring is Wakodahatchee Preserve in Delray Beach. In February to April, dozens of storks build nests close to an easy-to-walk .75 mile boardwalk.
Florida Southern College in Lakeland has been named one of the 20 most beautiful college campuses in the country. The campus is unique: Nowhere else in the world has more buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.
The Van Fleet Trail into the Green Swamp is one of the most rural, isolated rides you’ll find in Florida. It’s flat. It’s straight. But if you want to truly get away from it all and encounter a little wildlife along the way, here’s the place.
The first weekend of April is the time to pull out your fishing gear again and fish in freshwater — no license required.
These terrific county parks are popular with locals, but not well-known to people even one county away. At these hidden gems, you’ll find springs, beaches, wildlife and even great campsites.
You don’t have to dig deep or look very hard to find a shark’s tooth on the beaches of Venice, so every year this Florida city celebrates its unique place in the world with the Venice Sharks Tooth Festival.
The Gulf coast along Charlotte Harbor has miles of wild shoreline, making it a wonderland of wildlife and natural beauty and ideal for sea kayaking.
Free days in national parks come six times a year and they’re a good deal. Some Florida national parks now charge $25 and $35 for admission.
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.
Siesta Key is famous for its top-ranked beaches, but this kayak trail is another reason to visit. It takes you through a bird-filled preserve to a beach accessible only by boat. The origin of this beach involves the fascinating tale of Midnight Pass, which some locals want to restore.
What might be our favorite Florida zoo just made the US News and World Report list of best zoos in the US. The Brevard Zoo is not huge, but it is highly interactive, including offering kayaking on waterways through the zoo. It’s in Melbourne, which makes a great weekend getaway destination.
Wild flamingos are spotted occasionally in Florida. A hurricane, however, brought many more of the pink birds to new locations. Where can you see them? We have some tips.
Sebring, a small town along the lovely Lake Wales Ridge in Central Florida, is staking a claim for something new — Florida’s first (and only) craft soda festival, the Sebring Soda Festival. Local small-batch sodas made with real sugar are making a comeback, partly as an outgrowth of the craft beer phenomenon. This Sebring festival is a good opportunity to taste what it’s all about.