Getaways to the authentic Florida
As you travel Florida and explore its award-winning state parks, take special note of buildings, trails and amenities we enjoy because of work by the men of the Civilian Conservation Corps. You can learn more at Highland Hammocks State Park, which has an excellent museum about the CCC in Florida.
The Hacienda Hotel again reigns as the glamorous star of downtown New Port Richey. It’s a stunning restoration of a historic gem, a gracious hotel with modest prices.
De Leon Springs, about an hour north of Orlando, is a state park with swimming, kayaking and fantastic history. It’s best known for — of all things — its pancakes. Our advice: spend the day and take in the adjacent Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge.
Remote, rural and picturesque, northwest Florida rewards your long drive with sparkling springs, the beautiful Suwanee River and scenic rural roads. This state park’s cabins make a great base to explore the region.
The Old Seven Mile Bridge in Marathon is a must-stop on the Overseas Highway. Its history and scenic beauty make it a great place to walk or bike. The bridge ends at Pigeon Key, which you can tour to learn its fascinating story.
Florida A1A stretches the whole length of the state’s Atlantic coast. But the can’t-miss part is this 30 miles in Northeast Florida. Here are the best stops along that route, some you might miss without our tips.
Driving U.S. 1 north of Titusville, you would never know Oak Hill even existed. But this gateway to the Mosquito Lagoon is worth finding. There’s fascinating history, a great fishing pier and the sort of atmospheric, out-of-the-way waterfront seafood shack that we love to discover.
Many people miss it, sticking to Duval Street, but one of the most scenic strolls in Key West — and a top freebie — is the harbor walk along Key West Bight, also known as the Historic Key West Seaport.
Micanopy is right off I-75 near Gainesville, but it feels far away — like a small town in a Florida long gone. That’s why it was site for filming of ‘A Land Remembered,” a beloved Florida family saga.
Perhaps you think Florida only produces fruit in winter. Not so. Summer is the time to pick blueberries at Rooney’s Front Porch Farm in Live Oak and Shadrick’s in Pinetta, blackberries at Sweet Berry Farms in Williston and lemons at Camellia Groves in Winter Haven. Some farms have fields of sunflowers in May and June. Check with the individual farms in our guide.