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Our favorite canoe and kayak trails: Best kayaking spots in Florida
This is your first step in planning adventures for the coming cooler weather. We’ve paddled dozens of Florida waterways and here’s our pick for the best places to kayak by region plus a few “unsung” favorites we recommend you discover.
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Shooting for the stars at Kissimmee Prairie Preserve
Amateur astronomers love this place in the heart of Florida’s cow country. With 54,000 acres of wide-open prairie 25 miles from the nearest town, light pollution does not exist, making the Kissimmee Prairie Preserve one of a few destinations in Florida for stargazing under a pure night sky. The campground set aside for astronomers is known as “the red light district.”
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Florida Folk Festival: Memorial Day Weekend
The Florida Folk Festival marks its 67th year at Stephen Foster State Park over Memorial Day Weekend. The annual event celebrates Florida’s land, people and diverse cultural heritage.
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Wakodahatchee Wetlands in Delray Beach: Watch the wood storks nesting
One of the best places to see wood storks and other wading birds nesting up close in winter is Wakodahatchee Preserve in Delray Beach. In February and March, dozens of storks build nests close to an easy-to-walk .75 mile boardwalk.
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Nine ways ways to find the real Florida — 15 minutes off I-75
You don’t have to drive hours off the interstate to find Florida’s natural beauty and funky history. You can find treasures within 10 minutes of these I-75 exits.
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Discovering 100-year-old Vero Beach, Driftwood Inn
This laid-back beach town isn’t famous, but it charms visitors with its funky Florida history, gorgeous beaches and a cute downtown with interesting restaurants and shops. In 2019, it celebrates its 100th birthday.
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It’s firefly season at Blue Springs. Wait, what’s firefly season?
Blue Spring State Park, home to manatees in the winter and a favorite place for a swim in bracing spring water in the summer, will allow visitors to stay after closing during firefly season through March 31. If that took you by surprise, you’re with me. But there is a firefly season and Blue Spring, located 35 miles north of Orlando in Orange City, is firefly central.
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Kayaking Blue Cypress Lake: Exceptional scenery, so many ospreys, near Yeehaw Junction
Chances are, you’ve never heard of Blue Cypress Lake near Yeehaw Junction. If that’s so, you’re missing a spectacular natural lake rimmed by old growth cypress trees and home to hundreds of ospreys and osprey nests. This lake is the headwaters of the mighty St. Johns River. What a great kayak destination!
