EVERGLADES CITY — Whitewater paddling in the Everglades? Well, almost. The tides move in and out of the Ten Thousand Islands so quickly, the water rushes and ripples through the passes, so you need to catch the current going in the right direction if you want to make headway.

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.

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.

If pitching a tent on a tropical island is your thing, then add Anclote Key to your bucket list. Anclote Key Preserve State Park is in the Gulf of Mexico, three miles west of Tarpon Springs over open water, and it is accessible only by boat.

Floridians weather the heat and humidity of brutal summers by turning to the state’s wealth of clear, refreshing springs, spilling cool water out of crevices in the ground at the rate of thousands of gallons a minute..

FORT LAUDERDALE — The Southport Raw Bar is a favorite of locals, and you’ll love it, too. The water view down a canal filled with sailboats is awesome, and the seafood is fresh and tasty. This well-known, yet hidden, eatery is filled exudes ‘Old Florida’ ambience. A great place to wile away an afternoon, or take a friend to dinner.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH — A quaint Old Florida beach town is the setting for this elegant Spanish-style bed and breakfast overlooking the Indian River on Florida’s east-central Atlantic Coast.

Faver-Dykes State Park offers excellent access to the Pellicer Creek Paddling Trail, productive fishing and woodsy camping for small RV’s and tent campers. Just 15 miles from St. Augustine, the park is a gateway to history.

Over the past year, Florida Rambler has taken you to a great many authentic Florida destinations. Our favorites are Apopka, Everglades City, the Lower Keys, Punta Gorda and the back roads near Daytona Beach — all offering outdoor recreation opportunities of the first degree.

A seemingly endless hike deep into the Everglades awaits you along the levee on the southern boundary of the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge..