There are excellent reasons to stop in Islamorada on your Florida Keys trip, including a cluster of cultural attractions. A new top-notch museum in Islamorada has a Clyde Butcher photo exhibit this summer.
Don’t rush through the Keys to Key West. Stop and savor the recreational opportunities with a stay at Old Wooden Bridge Cabins, an off-the-beaten-path spot that is a perfect base for kayaking, seeing Key deer or visiting Bahia Honda State park.
The beach town of Marco Island is all manicured and modern, but here are four adventures into the wild and authentic Florida that are within a quick drive. You can wade across a lagoon to a wild beach or have lunch in a funky fishing town or stroll on a boardwalk into a beautiful old growth cypress swamp.
The nation’s first wildlife refuge was created by President Teddy Roosevelt to stop plume-hunters from wiping out several species of birds. The birds are back, and spring is a great time to visit. (You’ll need a kayak for a closeup look.)
The billboards on the Turnpike are gone, and so are the discount coupons, but the legendary Desert Inn is still kickin’ at Yeehaw Junction.
Kayaking the Chaz on the central Gulf Coast takes you over turquoise springs, down twisty creeks, and you might just see a manatee, otter or bald eagle. This is one of Florida’s premier kayaking rivers.
Hukilau is a festival of tiki culture that attracts more than a thousand people to Fort Lauderdale every year to celebrate rum drinks, tiki trinkets and nostalgia for the 1950s. If you don’t attend, you still might want to visit the unique bars and restaurants that attract the tikiphiles.
TAMPA — The Florida State Fair marks its 114th year. Our annual guide includes campground and lodging links with a full menu of things to do nearby.
At Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park near Jacksonville, Florida’s largest Civil War battle will be re-enacted, with gun smoke, booming cannons and cavalry. Three of the famous “Colored Regiments” were among 10,000 troops that fought here.
This is Old Florida as it should be, rustic and ready for curious visitors without the pretentiousness or the high prices of the Florida Keys.
