2014 Travel Guide to Florida by MarkintoshDesign

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DISTINCT REGIONS So many reasons to go!

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EDITOR’S MESSAGE

n 2013, my husband and I embarked on a 35-day road trip through the state of Florida from north to south. We started in Monticello and Tallahassee, then swung west to Pensacola on the Gulf coast, drove all the way down to Key West along the west coast, then up again along the Atlantic coast to Fernandina Beach and Amelia Island, with a few forays into the interior along the way. What a treat that was and it is a trip I highly recommend! Along the way, we experienced what each of the eight regions has to offer visitors and found some gems we’d love to revisit and explore further. There is a saying in Florida: the farther north you go, the more south you are. Laced with moss-draped live oak trees, warm hospitality smothered in southern charm and miles of beaches with sand soft as silk, northern Florida is the Old South as you imagine it to be. Want to get away from it all? We found a few enclaves that satisfy this purpose, such as the Nature Coast of Florida on the Gulf of Mexico. Formerly known as “the lonesome leg” of Florida, this is where you’ll find real-life critters including 19 endangered or threatened species in their natural habitat, the unpredictable and pristine beauty of nature, quaint villages and Native American sites, lower prices, no lineups and fresh seafood served with spectacular sunsets. Meanwhile, on the Atlantic coast, sparsely populated Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River, Brevard, Flagler and Nassau counties are sure to win your heart. We drove for miles admiring uninterrupted views of the Atlantic coast. Beach lovers must check out Pensacola Beach, the beaches of South Walton, Clearwater Beach (voted best beach in 2013), Anna Maria Island, Siesta Key, Sanibel, Captiva and Marco Island along the Gulf coast, as well as Delray Beach, Flagler Beach and Fernandina Beach on the Atlantic. And surfers won’t go wrong at Cocoa Beach or Flagler on the Atlantic. For nightlife, there are Panama City Beach, Clearwater Beach and Naples on the Gulf coast, Miami, Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale, Delray Beach and Daytona Beach on the Atlantic and Orlando in Central Florida. And let's not forget about Key West, the epitome of coastal nightlife. While seaside communities might draw us to the Sunshine State, we mustn’t neglect the charms and attractions of Florida's inland communities where less commercial and authentic experiences await you. Tallahassee and Gainesville are the epicenter of college sports while fishermen and outdoorsmen flock to the lakes, state parks, forests and campgrounds in the interior. We shopped for bargains at Aventura Mall in North Miami, at the outlets in Vero Beach and St. Augustine and found artistic treasures in boutiques and art galleries in Naples, Key West, Delray Beach, Stuart, New Smyrna Beach, St. Augustine and Fernandina Beach. And who can overlook spring training, the amazing array of golf courses, the professional sports teams, the scuba diving and snorkeling opportunities on offshore reefs and sunken ships, the fishing tournaments . . . the list goes on and on. There are so many reasons to visit Florida. Our lodging experiences ran the gamut from chain hotels to cozy, out-of-the-way bed and breakfasts and inns. I can honestly say Florida hospitality is hard to beat. Finally, I’m proud to report our 2013 Travel Guide to Florida was awarded the “2013 Silver Flagler Tourism Award in the category of Resource/Promotional Materials—Consumer” by VISIT FLORIDA. Our team of contributors hopes you enjoy our 2014 issue as much as we loved putting it together for you and wishes you safe travels through Florida.

Donna S. Vieira Editor

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

2 0 14 T R AV E L G U I D E T O

FLORIDA www.floridatravelguide.travel

The 2014 Travel Guide to Florida is published by Globelite Travel Marketing Inc., a leading lifestyle media company and publisher of The Travel Guides to Canada, The Travel Guide to California, and Dreamscapes Travel and Lifestyle Magazine. Joseph P. Turkel, President and Group Publisher Valerie Saunders, Vice President Judi Scharf, Vice President PUBLISHER ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER EDITOR EXECUTIVE EDITOR COPY EDITOR ART DIRECTOR CIRCULATION MANAGER DIRECTOR OF FINANCE PRESIDENT & GROUP PUBLISHER ACCOUNT DIRECTORS

Joseph P. Turkel Bonny Mager Donna S. Vieira Judi Scharf Kevin Fritz Mark Tzerelshtein Julia Wall Gloria Mungo Joseph P. Turkel

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WRITERS Darien Arden, Susan B. Barnes, Mary & Bill Burnham, Kevin Canessa Jr., Alisson Clark, Jennifer Wylie Fauser, Sandra Friend, Kevin Fritz, Melanie Green, Janet Groene, Linda Haase, Jen Karetnick, Olive Jade, Debi Lander, Rochelle Lash, Kristen Manieri, Jill Martin, Kevin & Amanda Mims, Jeff Ostrowski, Kate Pocock, Edward Schmidt Jr., Chelle Koster Walton, Judy Wells, Richard Westlund, Kenneth Wilhoite, Steve Winston FLORIDA OFFICE: 401 E. Las Olas Blvd., Suite 130-446, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 Tel: 1-888-700-4464 Fax: 416-497-0871 email: tigc@rogers.com www.floridatravelguide.travel CANADIAN OFFICE: Globelite Travel Marketing Inc. 3 Bluffwood Drive Toronto, Ontario M2H 3L4 Tel: 416-497-5353, 1-888-700-4464 Fax: 416-497-0871 email: tigc@rogers.com www.floridatravelguide.travel ISSN: 1926-2531 (Print) ISSN: 1927-7253 (Online) No part of this publication can be reproduced or duplicated without the written permission of Globelite Travel Marketing Inc. The opinions in this magazine are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Globelite Travel Marketing Inc. Publications Mail Agreement 40047932. Contents ÂŠ copyright 2014. Printed in Canada.

AL AB

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Graceville

ESCAMBIA OKALOOSA

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Miami Beach Miami Kendall

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FLORIDA BAY Big Pine Key

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MAP OF FLORIDA 10

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SOUTH EAST

TABLE OF CONTENTS

34 GENERAL INTRODUCTION AND INFORMATION 16

WELCOME TO FLORIDA: Endless Adventures Await

HISTORY: Explore Historic Treasures

TRAVELERS’ TIPS: Helpful Reminders for Visitors

TRIVIA: Think You Know Florida?

STATE GEMS: Crowd-pleasing Destinations

FLORIDA STATE PARKS: Where History Comes to Life

FLORIDA VACATION THEMES

80 12

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

THEME PARKS: The World’s Favorite Playgrounds

FLORIDA LIGHTHOUSES

ARCHITECTURE AND GARDENS: Blooms Among Historical Splendor

FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT: Where Memories are Born

ARTS AND CULTURE: Floridian Masterpieces

VACATION HOMES: Property Investments

BEACHES: Sandy Havens

ROAD TRIPS: Oh, What Sights You’ll See!

CAMPGROUNDS: Bunking with Nature

PETS: Leaders of the Pack

MONEY-SAVING TIPS: Enjoy More for Less

WILDLIFE VIEWING: Mother Nature’s Gifts

GOLF: Chasing the Sweet Spot

WEDDINGS AND HONEYMOONS: Happily Ever After Starts Here

SPAS: A World of Wellness

SPORTS: Plenty of Action for All

ECOTOURISM: Go Wild

GAMBLING: Place Your Bets

FLORIDA REGIONS, COUNTIES, CITIES AND ATTRACTIONS 102

SOUTHEAST FLORIDA: A Recipe for Excitement

108

Greater Fort Lauderdale: Paradise Found

112

Sunny Isles Beach: Florida’s Riviera

114

Florida Keys: Embrace the Island Life

116

Delray Beach: The Complete Package

120

Cultural Council of Palm Beach County: Make a Cultural Connection

124

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA: Wrapped in Nature

134

CENTRAL EAST FLORIDA: Recreation for Young and Old

140

St. Lucie County—Fort Pierce, Port St. Lucie & Hutchinson Island: A Natural Choice

142

New Smyrna Beach Area: Follow the Locals

144

City of Fort Pierce: Sunrise Never Looked So Good

146

CENTRAL FLORIDA: A Mecca of Merriment

157

Kissimmee: At the Center of It All

158

Highlands County: Unwind Among Heavenly Landscapes

160

Central Florida’s Polk County: A Family-oriented Destination

162

CENTRAL WEST FLORIDA: Exciting, Eclectic and Enticing

168

Citrus County: An Eco Paradise

172

NORTHEAST FLORIDA: Where Extraordinary is Ordinary

178

Jacksonville: River City by the Sea

180

NORTH CENTRAL FLORIDA: Where Nature and Culture Meet

186

Gainesville: College-town Charm

188

Wakulla County: The Great Outdoors

192

NORTHWEST FLORIDA: A Slice of Southern Hospitality

198

Santa Rosa County: Florida’s Playground

FLORIDA RESOURCE DIRECTORY 200

Florida Time Zones

200

Annual Florida Festivals

201

Average Monthly Temperatures and Precipitation

202

Florida’s Public Holidays

202

Florida Associations and Travel Groups

202

Florida Cruise Ports

203

Florida State Parks, Forests & Regional Recreation Spaces

206

National Parks, Memorials, Monuments and Preserves

206

Car Rental Companies

206

RV Rental Companies

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Tourism Information Sources in Florida

207

Mileage Chart Between Key Florida Cities

208

Bus Tour Operators

208

Major International Airports

208

Airline Service to Florida from Canada and the USA

COVER: A beach umbrella in Naples, Florida. Photo: © Roberto A. Sanchez/iStockphoto.com

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WELCOME TO FLORIDA!

ENDLESS ADVENTURES AWAIT The Magic Dancers at a basketball game at the Amway Arena in Orlando

Enjoying Barbie The Dreamhouse Experience at Sawgrass Mills in Sunrise

hen visitors think of Florida, many picture tropical weather, beaches and umbrellas. Given this peninsular state boasts nearly 1,200 miles of coastline, of which 663 are foot-friendly sand, they’re not far from wrong. Nonetheless, Florida’s waterways acquaint travelers to a different side of the state. Lake Okeechobee—in the center of the state—is the second-largest freshwater lake in the contiguous United States. It not only provides drinking water for many surrounding and southern counties, but it’s also an agricultural resource for the state’s abundant produce. It offers some of the best largemouth bass fishing in Florida, and the protective dike that encircles the lake is part of the National Scenic Trail, a 110-mile route, which is popular with hikers, naturalists, cyclists and horseback riders.

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BY JEN KARETNICK

Tennis in Sarasota

In addition, Florida has more than 30 firstmagnitude freshwater springs—the most of any state or nation in the world. Most of these watering holes, including Wakulla Springs, one of the deepest, and Silver Springs, one of the largest, are clustered in Central West and North Central Florida. Finally, Florida also claims quite a river culture, notwithstanding the famed River of Grass, a.k.a. the Everglades, where the native and nonnative wildlife is the most diverse. From airboat rides and alligator spotting in the swamps to kayaking along the immortal Suwannee River, framed by cool, green woodlands, to crabbing in the tributaries of the Apalachicola River, waterway adventures are endless. If you’re especially protective of Florida’s natural culture, you can also participate in what is perhaps the weirdest hunting competition in the nation: the Florida “Python Challenge.” A recently established annual event, the Challenge asks participants to bag as many as they can of non-native Burmese python, mostly released pets and their

progeny, the numbers and fierceness of which are unbalancing the ecosystem in the Everglades. Prizes include cash for the most and the biggest pythons caught.

A BOUNTIFUL LAND Florida, which means “land of flowers,” is virtually covered in blooms, ranging from its state flower, the orange blossom, to exotic bougainvillea and birds of paradise. In fact, Florida is largely agricultural and depends on export crops as diverse as sugar cane and tomatoes to survive, while still leaving plenty available for passersby to purchase. Its biggest trade is in sweet corn and green beans, and visitors are often amazed to find farm stands and U-pick farms offering everything from boiled peanuts and blueberries in Gainesville to mangoes and lychees in the deep south areas of Redland and Homestead. Throughout the year, festivals, such as Plant City’s Florida Strawberry Festival in late winter and the mid-summer International Mango Festival at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Coral Gables, are hugely enjoyable, multi-day attractions.

Wave runner

Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament in Kissimmee

Visit 50 acres of southern-styled gardens at Harry P. Leu Gardens in Orlando.

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

WELCOME TO FLORIDA!

Re-enactment at Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine

Florida Fossils exhibit at the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville

BREAK OUT THE SUNSCREEN

SPORTS GALORE

Blessed with climates that range from subtropical in the northern areas to tropical in the coastal and southern regions, Florida is known as the “Sunshine State.” Temperatures average a balmy 70 F daily, with highs usually peaking in the low 90s in July and August. And while the lowest temperature ever recorded in the winter of 1899 was –2 F in Tallahassee, the normal lows, which only last a couple of days, hover around the 40s or 50s during January or February. All in all, although Florida has its share of inclement weather, it’s renowned for being the warmest state in the US mainland. A couple of Florida’s cities, including Panama City Beach on the northwest coast and Daytona Beach on the east coast, are fa-

When it comes to professional sports, Florida is again in the running for “best in the country” and has a plethora of stadium and bowl games for sport fans to enjoy year-round. That doesn’t include, of course, the famous baseball spring training facilities. Nor does it take into account the myriad golf and tennis tournaments and facilities in Orlando, Daytona, Naples, Miami and other cities. Of special note, Marlins Park in Miami, the new home for the Miami Marlins, which opened for the 2012 baseball season, is truly user-friendly. And Miami Heat fans will be mobbing the American Airlines Arena in 2014 looking for a “three-peat” in the National Basketball Championship—so get tickets early if you can. In addition, racing fans never get

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

enough of the heats in Daytona, Homestead and other speedways throughout the state.

FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT Resorts and attractions, such as SeaWorld Orlando, Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, Miami Seaquarium, Barbie The Dreamhouse Experience at Sawgrass Mills in Sunrise, Busch Gardens Tampa and LEGOLAND Florida, are an inescapable part of Florida’s identity and destinations in their own right. Water parks, such as Shipwreck Island Waterpark in Panama City Beach, Adventure Island in Tampa and Adventure Landing in Jacksonville offer thrilling experiences for the whole family and are especially refreshing in the summertime when the air can be quite humid. Popular smaller parks include Lion Country Safari and Rapids Water Park, both in Palm Beach County, and Butterfly World in Broward County. Or head farther south to Biscayne National Park, where all the aforementioned outdoor activities are available together with snorkeling, diving and glass-bottom boat tours. In fact, most of the 173,000 acres of the park are underwater and only accessible by boat! It’s certainly worth renting one to search the islands for evidence of native tribe inhabitants, to explore shipwrecks and to drift above the coral reef system, where more than 200 species of fish thrive. With more than 4,300 square miles of total water area and 54,252 land miles waiting to be discovered, Florida never disappoints. FL

PHOTOS: FLORIDASHISTORICCOAST.COM; JOHN JERNIGAN/VISIT GAINESVILLE

If you prefer bottled fruit, wineries are popping up everywhere, with many offering both grape varietals and tropical fruit vintages.

mous for their Spring Break popularity, which usually lasts a couple of weeks in March. The rest of the year these cities are family-friendly and attract boaters and fishermen, as well as water sports enthusiasts to some of the most gorgeous beaches, both natural and groomed, in the country. The currents of Key Biscayne and the coastal areas around Fort Myers, particularly Sanibel and Captiva islands, are perfect for learning the rudiments of paddleboarding, ocean kayaking and other water sports. If you’re shell hunters, the Gulf Coast, from Fort Myers to Sarasota, is where to go. And if you’re lucky, you may find thousand-year-old sharks’ teeth.

HISTORY

EXPLORE HISTORIC TREASURES

BY RICHARD WESTLUND

The Miccosukee Museum of Natural & Tribal History in Miami

ack in April 1513, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León set foot on a sandy Atlantic beach near today’s St. Augustine and christened the new land “La Florida,” probably because of the abundance of spring flowers. That discovery 500 years ago was one of the defining moments in Florida’s rich history, which spans from prehistory through today’s Space Age. Today, visitors can explore the historic treasures found everywhere in the state, from Hemingway’s home in Key West to Pensacola, the “City of Five Flags.” Here’s a brief look at some of the highlights of Florida’s rich and intriguing past.

RELICS FROM THE PAST Thousands of years before the first European explorers arrived, Florida was populated by Native Americans, whose artifacts can be found at various architectural sites. For example, the

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

Tequesta people lived near the mouth of the Miami River, where a recent excavation uncovered the remains of a village. Now, the state Division of Historical Resources has preserved the site as the Miami Circle Park. Many Florida museums contain Native American artifacts made from bones, shells and stone dating back thousands of years.

EUROPEAN INFLUENCES Forty-two years after Ponce de León became the first European visitor to Florida, Pedro Menéndez de Avilés founded St. Augustine, now the oldest continually inhabited city in North America. With an historic district containing more than 30 colonial-era buildings, St. Augustine provides a unique glimpse into Spanish colonial life. One of the highlights is Castillo de San Marcos, the oldest masonry fortification in the continental US.

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Experience Spanish colonial life at the Colonial Quarter in St. Augustine

Celebrating the rich and colorful Spanish heritage in St. Augustine

Offshore, Spanish galleons from the New World carried gold and silver coins and other forms of wealth on the hazardous journey back to Europe. Salvage expeditions have recovered some of those doubloons, anchors, cannons and other treasures, while other underwater sites along the Florida Keys, Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico are readily accessible to divers. For example, the Florida Panhandle Shipwreck Trail covers 12 wrecks from Pensacola to Port St. Joe. Unlike St. Augustine, Jacksonville can trace its roots to the French who landed at the mouth of the St. Johns River in 1562 and founded Fort Caroline two years later. However, a Spanish force soon captured the fort, and the French became a distant memory. In 1763, Spain traded Florida to Great Britain in exchange for Havana, Cuba, which then divided the region into East and West Florida. Meanwhile, Pensacola flourished under Spanish, French and British rule, giving it the distinction of flying five flags (including the US and Confederate banners). During the American Revolution, both East and West Florida remained loyal to the British, but after the Treaty of Paris was signed, Spain once again took control, and the peninsula became home for hundreds of escaped slaves and Native Americans displaced from their ancestral homes. One branch of the Creek tribe moved to Central Florida and became known as the Seminoles. After several bitter conflicts in the early 1800s, General Andrew Jackson led a successful campaign that gradually resulted in US control over the region. Meanwhile, a handful of surviving Seminoles moved farther south to the Everglades, where they gradually rebuilt their society. Today, visitors can learn about the Seminole and Miccosukee tribes, sample native cuisine, take a ride on an airboat or watch alligator wrestling at Billie Swamp Safari and other attractions along US 41 (Tamiami Trail) and I-75 (Alligator Alley). Clewiston’s Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum (which means “a place to learn”) is a living village of early Seminole culture and well worth a visit.

A STATE IS BORN Throughout the early 1800s, Florida’s population was concentrated in North Florida, where Tallahassee became the territorial capital. One

Re-enactment of Juan Ponce de León's landing south of Ponte Vedra Beach

of the city’s highlights from that era is The Grove, an historic mansion finished in the 1830s by Richard Keith Call, an aide and advisor to General Jackson. In 1845, Florida became the nation’s 27th state under governor William Dunn Moseley. Another famous Floridian was composer Stephen Foster, whose song, Old Folks at Home, became the state anthem. In White Springs, the Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park reflects his memory. When the Civil War broke out in 1861, Florida joined the Confederacy. With a population of just 140,000—half of them AfricanAmerican slaves—it was the smallest state to secede from the Union. During the war, Union

troops occupied numerous ports and there were several small fights. Now, “soldiers” in Civil War uniforms annually re-enact the Battle of Olustee near Lake City. The state has also published the Florida Civil War Heritage Trail, a guidebook to Florida battle sites.

AFRICAN-AMERICAN INFLUENCES In the century following the Civil War, Florida’s African Americans made significant contributions to the nation’s culture. An annual festival in Eatonville honors Zora Neale Hurston, a leading 20th-century author whose works influenced writers such as Toni Morrison and Ralph Ellison.

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

HISTORY The remains of Fort Dade, a Spanish-American War-era fort on Egmont Key

restoration project. The theater is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Taking aim on the gun deck at the Pirate & Treasure Museum in St. Augustine

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

In Miami, the 400-seat Lyric Theater opened in 1913 and soon became a major entertainment center for African Americans in the state’s segregated society. Closed in the 1960s after becoming a church in 1959, it has been part of a massive reconstruction and

In the late 19th century, railroad magnate Henry Flagler put Florida “on the map” as a warmweather vacation destination. He extended his Florida East Coast Railway from Jacksonville south to Miami and the Florida Keys, building luxurious resorts such as the Hotel Ponce de León in St. Augustine and The Breakers in Palm Beach. Near Marathon in the Florida Keys, the Pigeon Key Foundation restored a five-acre island that was the site of a Flagler railroad work camp, which is now on the National Register of Historic Places. On the Gulf coast, railroad owner Henry Plant built the Tampa Bay Hotel, which later became part of the University of Tampa. Other historic sites in the area include the sponge diving docks in Tarpon Springs and Tampa’s Ybor City, known as the Latin Quarter for more than a century. Visitors can enjoy Cuban coffee and cigars and dance to the rhythms of Latin music.

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HISTORIC SITES

In fact, many Florida cities have an historic downtown neighborhood with buildings from the early 1900s. One example is Stranahan House on the New River in Fort Lauderdale. A few miles to the south, Dania Beach—once known as the “tomato capital of the world”— now has an antique district along US 1. In Fort Myers, inventor Thomas Edison and his friend Henry Ford built Florida homes, known today as the Edison & Ford Winter Estates with a museum, botanical gardens and laboratory.

20TH CENTURY AND BEYOND In the first two decades of the 1900s, Florida’s population began to explode, thanks to the development of new cities and communities along the railroad lines. Entrepreneur Carl Fisher helped turn a sandy island into the City of Miami Beach, and George Merrick’s master plan for a new community called Coral Gables led to a frenzied real estate boom in the mid-1920s. But hurricanes and the Great Depression slowed Florida’s growth to a standstill during the 1930s, despite the founding of Cypress Gardens near Winter Haven and Marineland south of St. Augustine—the state’s first two theme parks.

Author Ernest Hemingway spent more than a decade in Key West, and his residence is now the Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum. During World War II, the US Army, Navy and Coast Guard set up training bases in Florida, while German U-boats sank freighters and other merchant ships off the coast— creating more wrecks for today’s scuba divers. After World War II, the development of air conditioning and the Interstate highway system sparked a population boom that has never stopped. The flow of immigrants increased after Fidel Castro came to power in Cuba in 1959 and helped transform Miami into a major commercial and financial center. The Cuban Museum in Miami pays tribute to that important chapter in South Florida’s history. In 1949, Cape Canaveral was chosen as a test site for the US missile program. A decade later, the Cocoa Beach-Titusville area was the heart of the nation’s space program, including Apollo 11, the 1969 mission that carried astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to the moon. Now, the Kennedy Space Center allows visitors to experience the years of the Space Race—a fitting ending to Florida’s timeless historical story. FL

FEATURED LINKS Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum ahtahthiki.com Billie Swamp Safari billieswamp.com Edison & Ford Winter Estates edisonfordwinterestates.org Florida Panhandle Shipwreck Trail floridapanhandledivetrail.com Historic Stranahan House Museum stranahanhouse.org Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex kennedyspacecenter.com Miami Circle flheritage.com/archaeology/projects/miamicircle Old City, St. Augustine oldcity.com Olustee Festival olusteefestival.com Pigeon Key Foundation pigeonkey.net Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park floridastateparks.org/stephenfoster The Cuban Museum cubanmuseum.org The Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum hemingwayhome.com The Florida Civil War Heritage Trail flheritage.com/preservation/trails/civilwar/index.cfm The Grove flheritage.com/grove Ybor Chamber ybor.org Zora Neale Hurston Festival zoranealehurstonfestival.com

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

TRAVELERS’ TIPS

HELPFUL REMINDERS FOR VISITORS BY KEVIN FRITZ

Smathers Beach in Key West

lorida is one of the most distinct states in America, boasting a diverse collection of quaint towns and ecosystems mixed fluidly with bustling cities and spectacular beaches. Like all destinations, it also has its nuances. Keeping these helpful tips in mind will make your stay even more enjoyable.

ACCOMMODATION It can be challenging at times to book a place to stay sight unseen from thousands of miles away. Contact the local convention and visitors bureau in the city or county you will be visiting for free assistance—and peace of mind.

BANKS Money is pretty much available at all times. Good thing—you’re on vacation! Most banks are open Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 4 PM, however, Bank Atlantic and TD Bank have locations open seven days a week. ATMs (automated teller machines) can be found at banks, grocery and convenience stores and at

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

most attractions, venues and festivals. Many stores will allow debit card users to obtain “cash back” above their purchase without charging a transaction fee.

BOILED WATER ALERTS When a pipe breaks as a result of age, or most often due to a construction mishap, low water pressure inside the pipe may allow some contaminants to enter the water. When that happens, “Boil Water Alerts” are issued. Those affected are notified door-to-door, by signs posted in the neighborhood, and through radio, television and local newspapers. If you find you are under a Boil Water Alert, disinfect any water used for drinking (including pets), cooking, brushing teeth, rinsing contact lenses, shaving and making ice. Water does not need to be disinfected for bathing, showering or laundry.

DEALS There are plenty of deals to be had in the Sunshine State. Check with the visitors bureau

CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT: ANDY NEWMAN/FLORIDA KEYS NEWS BUREAU/HO; VISIT ORLANDO; VISIT FLORIDA; STEVE HEAP/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Take advantage of Orlando's Deal Season from August 15 to September 30.

Water taxis are an affordable way to see the sights in Fort Lauderdale and Miami.

in the area you will be visiting to take advantage of special offers. Here’s a sampling: • In Miami, PamperPallooza is held in July and August when spa treatments are discounted to US$99 at the city’s most desired locations. • August 15 to September 30 is Orlando’s Deal Season where you’ll find the best prices of the year at theme parks, attractions, hotels, restaurants and more. • In the Daytona Beach area, less expensive meals can be enjoyed at Inlet Harbor on the water and at Ocean Walk restaurants.

DRIVING Florida is a wonderful place to explore by car. Bring your own or rent the vehicle of your choice from the many rental companies throughout the state. Visitors ages 16 and up holding licenses from other states or countries may drive in Florida. Besides Florida’s Interstate highways—4, 10, 75 and 95—many other roads and bridges are toll roads. Alligator Alley (also known as Everglades Parkway) between Naples and Miami is a toll road, as is Florida’s Turnpike. State Road 408 (East-West Expressway), the Beachline Expressway and State Road 417 (Orlando’s bypass) are all toll roads in the Orlando area. US 441 and US 27 provide rural and free alternatives to Florida’s Turnpike. To make your road trips more pleasant, purchase a SunPass Mini transponder at one of the more than 2,000 retail locations for US$5. It can save you up to 15 to 20 percent off tolls, and make your trip a lot quicker bypassing all the toll booths along the way. A minimum opening balance of US$10 is required. Note that some gas stations charge more per gallon for using a credit or debit card. Fuel prices vary, but prices in the Disney World area and Gainesville tend to be higher than other places in Florida. Avoid buying gas just outside the Orlando International Airport, where some stations charge more than US$5 a gallon.

HEAT Heat exhaustion can affect anyone, especially young children, the elderly and those who are already sick. Symptoms include mild muscle cramps to dehydration. If you or someone you are with feels faint, get inside—almost every building in Florida is air-conditioned.

Respect wildlife: Alligator in swamps of Everglades National Park

Gatorade works well to restore fluids and potato chips or pretzels can help restore salt.

HOLIDAYS Keep in mind that banks and government offices, including the post office, are closed on major US holidays as are other businesses. However, most attractions remain open yearround. When a federal holiday falls on a Saturday, it is typically observed on Friday. If it falls on a Sunday, it is observed on a Monday. Holidays are listed at the back of this guide.

’GATORS Florida is home to the American alligator—you may even see one or two sunning along waterways. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, alligators are found in all of the state’s 67 counties in marshes, swamps, rivers and lakes. Do not feed the ’gators—it’s dangerous and illegal. Don’t allow pets to swim, exercise or drink in or near waters that may contain alligators and do not swim with your dog. Alligators are most active between dusk and dawn.

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

TRAVELERS’ TIPS Stay tuned to weather and driving conditions.

TIPPING In America, please tip for good service. It’s how many in the service industry make their living. Add 15 to 20 percent for wait staff and bartenders; airport shuttle drivers, valets and bellhops, US$2 per person; maid service, US$2 per night; tour guides, US$2–$10 per person, depending on length and enjoyment; and fishing guides, 10 to 15 percent.

TRAVEL INSURANCE You can’t plan for bad weather, but you can ensure your vacation does not leave you high and dry. If weather does significantly put a damper on your trip, travel insurance policies reimburse you for your expenses if you submit your receipts as supporting documentation.

WEATHER CONDITIONS Smoking is not permitted inside Florida restaurants or bars that serve food, however smokers can enjoy the outdoor patio at some locations. Many public areas, such as parks, have also banned smoking. Restaurants are air-conditioned and can be quite chilly. Dining is casual at the majority of Florida’s eating establishments; resort wear— collars, slacks and jackets—may be required at club houses and upscale restaurants. Drivers and front-seat passengers must wear seat belts. All children under 18 are required to wear seat belts, regardless of where they are sitting. Children, three and younger, must be secured in a federally approved child-restraint seat in the back seat; children, ages four and five, also must be in the back seat and secured by a child-restraint seat or a safety belt. Headlights are required during inclement weather. Florida has strict drunk driving laws with zero tolerance for drivers under the age of 21. Texting by the driver is illegal in Florida. Pedestrians always have the right of way at crosswalks. And remember, hot pavement acts like ice when rain first hits it, so be cautious driving during rain showers.

TAXIS, TRAINS, BUSES AND TROLLEYS AMTRAK provides the Silver Service/Palmetto, connecting Jacksonville and Orlando to either

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

Tampa or Miami with stops along the way. Greyhound bus service links many Florida cities. Some tips to consider: • Enjoy the free bus transportation from Sunny Isles hotels to South Beach in Miami. • Water taxi passes are available through the Fort Lauderdale website where you’ll also find an app for the trolley system. The cost is US$2 for an all-day pass. • In Orlando, the I-Ride Trolley offers transportation in the International Drive resort area for US$1.25; kids 12 and under ride for free.

SAFETY FIRST While Florida is a safe place to visit, don’t let your guard down when on vacation. Keep your car doors locked, even while driving, and secure your belongings as best as you can, keeping valuable items in your trunk. When at your hotel, use the safe in your room for jewelry, passports and important papers—that’s why it’s there. If there is not one in your room, secure valuables with the front desk.

Year-round temperatures averaging in the 60s up north to the 70s down south are the reason people flock here. However, summers can be hot and humid, with temperatures between 80 F and 95 F and evenings in the 70s. Nature’s way of cooling the air arrives in the form of afternoon thundershowers. Note that hurricane season runs June 1–November 30 and be aware of hurricane evacuation routes. Winters can be cool in Florida, followed by moderate springs. Falls are spectacular. Keep in mind Florida is the lightning capital of the United States, so the adage “If thunder roars, go indoors” is a serious life-saving expression in the Sunshine State. FL

FEATURED LINKS AMTRAK amtrak.com

Best Western Florida Hotels bestwesternflorida.com

Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles flhsmv.gov

TAXES AND FEES

Florida’s Turnpike

Florida’s base sales tax on purchases is six percent, with some counties adding discretionary taxes. Most hotels charge a “tourist” tax and some will add a “resort or amenities tax” to your bill. There also may be a parking fee. These can all add up significantly, so check with your accommodation prior to booking to know exactly what you will be charged when you check out.

Greyhound

turnpikeinfo.com greyhound.com

I-Ride Trolley iridetrolley.com

LYNX golynx.com

Metrobus miamidade.gov/transit

Superior Small Lodging superiorsmalllodging.com

PHOTO: V&V HOSPITALITY & MEDIA SERVICES.

OUT AND ABOUT

TRI VI A

THINK YOU KNOW FLORIDA? BY BY JILL MARTIN

SOUTHEAST FLORIDA • North America’s only living coral reef is off the Florida Keys. • Stretching from north of Key Largo to Key West, the Overseas Highway has been designated one of “America’s Scenic Byways” and the only All-American Road in Florida. • How did a man weighing 110 pounds carve and lift more than 1,100 tons of coral? It’s one of the world’s greatest mysteries. Explore Coral Castle in Homestead for yourself. • Fort Lauderdale is known as the “Venice” of America because of its more than 300 miles of inland waterways.

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

• With more than 350 stores, Sawgrass Mills in Sunrise, Florida, is the largest outlet mall in the US.

•

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA

•

• Naples has more golf holes per capita than any other city in the US. • The smallest post office in the nation is found in Ochopee on US 41 near Naples. The bathroom is a couple of miles away. • Because of their geographic formation lying east to west instead of north to south, shelling on the islands of Sanibel and Captiva is rated among the best in the world. • The notorious pirate Jose Gaspar is rumored to have buried more than $30 million in treasure in Charlotte Harbor. It has never been found. • Carmaker Henry Ford and inventor Thomas Edison both had winter homes in Fort Myers. These neighboring estates are open to the public.

CENTRAL EAST FLORIDA • The largest single-story building in the world is the Vehicle Assembly Building at

• •

Kennedy Space Center. It’s 525 feet tall and covers eight acres. There are 203 steps to the top of Florida’s tallest lighthouse at Ponce Inlet. Once a former training location for the US Navy SEALs, Fort Pierce is home to the National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum. The “Sailfish Capital of the World” is Stuart, two hours north of Miami. Daytona Beach is one of the few Florida beaches on which you can drive.

CENTRAL FLORIDA • When the Magic Kingdom opened October 1, 1971, admission was US$3.50. • Orlando has the second largest number of hotel rooms in the country—more than 120,000. • There are more than 1,200 horse farms in Ocala, making it the “Horse Capital of the World.” • Half-way between Cocoa and Orlando, you’ll find the town of Christmas, where street names include Candy Cane, Sleigh Bell, Frosty and those famous reindeer. • The world’s largest collection of Frank Lloyd Wright-designed structures is found at Florida Southern College in Lakeland.

PHOTO: TAMPA BAY & COMPANY

merica’s 27th state overflows with interesting history, odd facts and quirky events that may leave you scratching your head. You probably already know Florida is home to the world’s greatest theme parks, but do you know which roller coaster is the longest? At 4,429 feet, the new Cheetah Hunt at Busch Gardens Tampa beats Disney’s Expedition Everest by a mere five feet. Here are other fun facts about the Sunshine State you may not know:

The Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Tampa

TRI VI A

CENTRAL WEST FLORIDA

NORTHEAST FLORIDA • Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine is the oldest masonry fort in North America and the only one still standing from the 17th century. It’s said to be haunted. • Built in 1878, the Palace Saloon in downtown Fernandina Beach is the oldest saloon in the state. It sold ice cream during the years of Prohibition. The canals of Fort Lauderdale

St. Augustine waterfront

• Florida’s largest city, Jacksonville, was known as Cowford until 1822 because this is where cattle were transported across the St. Johns River. • The St. Johns River is one of the few rivers on the planet that flows north instead of south. • Established in 1565, St. Augustine is the oldest continually occupied city in the US.

NORTH CENTRAL FLORIDA • Of the 497 verified bird species that call Florida home, 372 can be seen in Tallahassee.

• The deepest natural spring on Earth is Wakulla Springs, 14 miles south of the capital. It’s also one of the longest and deepest freshwater cave systems in the world. • Bones of a 12,000–18,000-year-old mastodon were found in Wakulla Springs. Nicknamed “Herman,” he now resides at the Museum of Florida History. • Florida State University is home to the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, the largest and highest-powered magnet lab in the world. Its equipment can produce a magnetic field one million times stronger than the Earth’s magnetic field. • In the late 1920s, a banker in Quincy convinced friends and neighbors to purchase stock in a company called Coca-Cola. By 1930, this town of 7,000 had at least 67 millionaires.

NORTHWEST FLORIDA • The small town of Apalachicola produces 90 percent of Florida’s oyster supply and 10 percent of the nation’s. • There are only two naturally round lakes in the world. One is in DeFuniak Springs. • The world’s largest artificial reef lies off the coast of Pensacola. The USS Oriskany (nicknamed the Mighty O) was purposefully sunk there in 2006. • Having been ruled by Spain, France, Britain, the Confederacy and the US, Pensacola lives up to its nickname, “City of Five Flags.” • The idyllic beachfront town of Seaside is where they filmed the Jim Carrey movie, The Truman Show. FL

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

FROM THE TOP: V&V HOSPITALITY & MEDIA SERVICES; GREATER FORT LAUDERDALE CVB

• On average, St. Petersburg/Clearwater receive 361 days of sunshine each year. • Once part of the original Sunshine Skyway Bridge, the longest fishing pier in the world jets 1.5 miles into Tampa Bay. • Opened in 1905, the oldest restaurant in Florida is the Columbia in Ybor City. It’s also the world’s largest Spanish restaurant. • The town of Venice has a Shark Tooth Festival each year in honor of its distinction as the “Shark Tooth Capital of the World.” • Nature photographer Clyde Butcher is today’s equivalent of Ansel Adams. Visit his outstanding gallery and studio in Venice, close to Sarasota. He might be there.

STATE GEMS

CROWD-PLEASING DESTINATIONS

BY KRISTEN MANIERI

Feeding tarpon on Islamorada

ometimes the best-kept secrets and most atypical activities make for the finest vacation memories. Whether it’s an off-the-beaten track attraction or a diner frequented only by locals, Florida is dotted with surprising little delights. Here are some of the state’s “do-not-miss” experiences.

BRADENTON/ANNA MARIA ISLAND/LONGBOAT KEY While most people visit Anna Maria Island for its miles of pristine beaches and dozens of great restaurants, a trip wouldn’t be complete without a visit to Anna Maria Donuts where fresh, made-to-order donuts are customized with your choice of icings and toppings. At the tail end of Longboat Key, Mote Marine Laboratory features touch tanks and interactive exhibits to showcase its more than 100 species of marine life. Meander through a whimsical

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

collection of galleries, studios, boutiques and cafés housed in colorful cottages at the Village of the Arts in the city of Bradenton where oneof-a-kind finds turn typical shoppers into happy treasure hunters.

DAYTONA BEACH AREA Chocolate lovers ought to steal away from the beach to visit the Angell & Phelps Chocolate Factory where chocolatiers give guests a glimpse into their world of sweets on free tours Monday through Saturday. There’s no better photo opportunity than from the top of the giant Ferris wheel at Daytona Beach Boardwalk, a short stroll from the iconic Daytona Beach Pier. Motorcycle enthusiasts will want to visit Bruce Rossmeyer’s Destination Daytona where a 109,000-squarefoot showroom is packed with Harley Davidson motorcycles, apparel and accessories.

CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT: BOB KRIST/FLORIDA KEYS NEWS BUREAU; TOM SHELBY/BRADENTON AREA CVB; SPACE COAST OFFICE OF TOURISM

Relaxing at Bean Point on Anna Maria Island in Southwest Florida

FLORIDA KEYS Blink and you might miss Robbie’s Marina on your way through Islamorada. Wander into the tack shop and onto the dock and you’ll soon see what all the fuss is about. Splashing around in the water are dozens of giant tarpon just waiting for their next meal, which often comes courtesy of tourists who buy buckets of fish to hand feed these fearless creatures. Once you arrive in Key West, consider a visit to Dry Tortugas National Park, a 100-square-mile collection of islands that can only be reached by ferry or seaplane. Once there, spend the day exploring the secluded and pristine 19th-century fort or snorkeling the surrounding crystal-clear waters.

FLORIDA’S SPACE COAST Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex continues to delight guests with new attractions including the unveiling of the 90,000-squarefoot Space Shuttle Atlantis exhibit, featuring more than 60 interactive exhibits and high-tech simulators. Guided kayaking tours down the Nyami Nyami River at the Brevard Zoo in

Melbourne gives paddlers a river’s-edge vantage point of the zoo’s Expedition Africa animals. For just US$6, guests can float past giraffes, rhinos and gazelles. Or set out into the wild on the Manatee & Dolphin Encounter kayak trip with A Day Away Kayak Tours. This two-hour tour heads out to the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge where encounters with West Indian manatees and bottlenose dolphins are commonplace.

PRECIOUS ISLANDS Amidst Florida’s better-known destinations lay a handful of idyllic hideaways savvy travelers hope the crowds will never discover. Untouched and unfussy, these island gems offer a quiet, laid-back escape.

LITTLE PALM ISLAND Perhaps the most exclusive and luxurious island retreat, Little Palm Island is discreetly tucked in

FORT LAUDERDALE

the Florida Keys and is accessible only by boat or

Miles of beaches and intracoastal waterways make this area a haven for water-focused activities, which include kitesurfing, the popular year-round sport that combines kite flying, wakeboarding and windsurfing. Newbies can take lessons at the Fort Lauderdale Kite Surfing School. The less adventurous might prefer a dining cruise aboard the JungleQueen Riverboat or a lively sightseeing tour on an amphibious vehicle with Fort Lauderdale Duck Tours. Back on land, visit the 10-acre Butterfly World, home to more than 10,000 free-flying butterflies.

seaplane. Guests settle into one of 30 private

Birdwatching at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

extraordinary variety of birds. Water taxis to the island

thatched-roof bungalows for a getaway filled with gourmet food, spa pampering and plenty of pool or beachside nothingness.

CAYO COSTA Featuring miles of nature trails and untouched beaches, the Gulf-side barrier island known as Cayo Costa is an outdoor lover’s paradise. This 2,426–acre state park just north of Captiva Island offers humble overnight cabins and tent camping. Expect to see a host of wildlife including manatees, dolphins and an can be taken from nearby Pine Island.

CABBAGE KEY Rumor has it that Jimmy Buffett penned his famous Cheeseburger in Paradise song after visiting this secluded seaside escape. By boat, helicopter or seaplane, visitors travel to Cabbage Key for the picturesque views, stellar fishing, beautiful beaches and tranquil nature trails. No cars are needed (or allowed) on this 100-acre island just north of Fort Myers. But since the handful of cottages, inns and restaurants are all within a short stroll of each other, no one complains about the lack of transportation.

CEDAR KEY Roughly two hours north of Tampa on Florida’s Gulf coast, the small, relaxed island community of Cedar Key is home to artists and writers inspired by its pristine environment. The island’s natural beauty and rich history as a major supplier of seafood and timber products draw hosts of people each year to walk its historic streets, browse the shops and galleries, explore the back bayous and enjoy world-famous seafood restaurants.

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

STATE GEMS Father and son fishing in Lee County

Located in 90 feet of water, roughly 28 nautical miles off Sanibel Island, the sunken Coast Guard Cutter USS Mohawk provides an unforgettable diving experience. Now home to thousands of fish, sea turtles and bull sharks, the Mohawk recently became an underwater art gallery showcasing photography by Austrian artist Andreas Franke. Peel back Fort Myers’s layers on a walking tour with True Tours, a 90-minute journey that focuses on the area’s historical attractions. Later, grab lunch at Barnacle Phil’s, an eatery on North Captiva Island that’s only accessible by boat.

JACKSONVILLE The hospitality room at the Budweiser Brewery Tour

In 2014, the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens celebrates its 100th birthday, a milestone marked by the unveiling of the new Land of the Tiger exhibit, housing six tigers. Visit the King Street District, which recently sprang up in Jacksonville’s historic Riverside neighborhood, now home to a number of locally owned restaurants and two breweries offering organic, local and sustainable options. Beer lovers will appreciate the behind-the-scenes tour of Budweiser’s brewing process during the Beermaster Tour complete with samplings directly from the finishing tank.

KISSIMMEE

Miami's Design District

Airboat rides through Central Florida’s lakes are always an exhilarating ride, but the wow factor is amplified during a night tour with

Boggy Creek Airboat Rides when guests head out after sunset in search of alligators, which can only be spotted by the red glow of their eyes. Another evening attraction to check out is the new AntiGravity show featuring a fusion of high-energy acrobatics and theatrics. Test your own physical skills at the 4,700-acre Forever Florida wildlife conservation area as you zip or cycle through the treetops or partake in an overnight horseback safari.

MIAMI Don’t miss the awe-inspiring Vizcaya Museum & Gardens, the Mediterranean-style estate built beginning in 1914 by wealthy industrialist James Deering. Tour the inside of the home filled with turn-of-the-century art and furnishings, and wander around the meticulously manicured 10-acre gardens overlooking Biscayne Bay. Spend an afternoon shopping in the Miami Design District, home to design stores and galleries. Take a drive over the Rickenbacker Causeway to Key Biscayne where sandy beaches and Florida’s only federally recognized underwater archaeological trail awaits.

NAPLES There is no shortage of ways to explore the outdoors in Naples, the posh southwest town perched on the Gulf of Mexico. Consider hiking at the 2,500-acre Pepper Ranch & Preserve in Immokalee or hiking the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary where a 2.25mile boardwalk trail is open to the public daily. Don’t miss the chance to explore Everglades National Park, one of Florida’s most unique places. Plenty of tour companies are ready to lead the charge, many of which offer bicycle tours—the optimal option for exploring the swamps, marshes and hardwood hammocks.

ORLANDO Definitely spend time at the theme parks as the new attractions at Magic Kingdom, Universal Studios and SeaWorld will be tough to miss. But if you can spare a few days to experience “Orlando,” head to Wekiwa Springs State Park where a pristine spring makes for a memorable swim and the river teeming with wildlife makes for an unforgettable paddling excursion. Harry P. Leu Gardens is another Orlando green space that’s too often overlooked, however the

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM RIGHT: GREATER MIAMI CVB; VISIT JACKSONVILLE; LEE COUNTY VCB; PALMBEACHFL.COM

FORT MYERS AND SANIBEL

An aerial view of John D. MacArthur State Park in North Palm Beach

FEATURED LINKS 7venth Sun Brewery 7thsunbrewery.com

A Day Away Kayak Tours adayawaykayaktours.com

Angell & Phelps Chocolate Factory angellandphelps.com

Anna Maria Donuts annamariadonuts.com

AntiGravity Theater antigravityorlando.com

Barnacle Phil’s northcaptiva.net/IslandDining.htm

Blue Angels blueangels.navy.mil

Boggy Creek Airboat Rides bcairboats.com

Brevard Zoo

50-acre botanical park just north of downtown is arguably one of Central Florida’s most beautiful spaces. Finally, pay a visit to the newly revived Church Street District where some of the best restaurants and bars are found, as well as the Mad Cow Theatre, a top-notch professional company featuring plays and musicals.

THE PALM BEACHES AND BOCA RATON One of Florida’s coveted treasures is that its sandy coastline is the nesting ground for sea turtles. Each summer at MacArthur Beach State Park, visitors can participate in guided nighttime turtle walks in June and July designed to provide a glimpse of loggerhead turtles laying their eggs. If you’d rather be in the water, book a guided full-moon kayaking or paddleboard tour at the Jupiter Outdoor Center. Boasting more than 7,000 pieces and an extensive collection of photography, the Norton Museum of Art is an excellent venue to visit. Be sure to check its calendar in advance to see if there is an interesting talk, concert or children’s program planned.

PANAMA CITY BEACH Spend a day splashing and swimming at Shipwreck Island Water Park where 20 acres of slides and rides provide sun-drenched pleasure. Show-stopping dolphins and sea lions populate Gulf World Marine Park, where live shows and exhibits showcase marine animals ranging from sharks to penguins. Interactive programs invite guests to be a dolphin trainer for a day, meet a sea lion, and even participate in a sleepover, during which guests learn about the nighttime habits of marine animals. Known as the “Wreck

Diving Capital of the South,” the area offers divers the chance to come face-to-face with giant rays, octopus and pufferfish that make their home in bygone vessels.

brevardzoo.org

Bruce Rossmeyer’s Destination Daytona brucerossmeyer.com

Budweiser Beermaster Tour budweisertours.com

Butterfly World

PENSACOLA Besides being the home of the world-famous Blue Angels, who can be seen practicing their awe-inspiring aerial maneuvers high above the clouds, Pensacola also boasts the 50-acre Gulf Breeze Zoo, where guests can feed giraffes and let parakeets perch on their fingers inside the Australian Free-Flight Budgiery. Families will want to check out the Pensacola Children’s Museum, where curators have brought history to life through a series of interactive and educational exhibits that captivate the imagination.

butterflyworld.com

Cabbage Key cabbagekey.com

Capital Cuisine Restaurant Week and Concert Series visittallahassee.com/capitalcuisine

Castillo de San Marcos nps.gov/casa

Cayo Costa State Park floridastateparks.org/cayocosta

Cedar Key Chamber of Commerce cedarkey.org

Ciro’s Speakeasy and Supper Club cirostampa.com

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary corkscrew.audubon.org

Daytona Beach Boardwalk daytonabeachboardwalk.com

SARASOTA

Dry Tortugas National Park

Kids love the whimsical Sarasota Children’s Garden just north of the downtown core. Here they can wander through a fantasyland filled with mazes, tree forts and a pirate ship. Catch a show on the full-dome screen at the Bishop Planetarium at the South Florida Museum in Bradenton, where programs range from astronomy lectures to rock ’n’ roll computergenerated animation shows.

Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park

nps.gov/drto floridastateparks.org/wakullasprings

Everglades Area Tours evergladesareatours.com

Florida EcoSafaris at Forever Florida floridaecosafaris.com

Fort De Soto Park pinellascounty.org/park/05_ft_desoto.htm

Fort Lauderdale Duck Tours www.fortlauderdaleducktours.com

Fort Lauderdale Kite Surfing School fortlauderdalekitesurfing.com

ST. AUGUSTINE As America’s oldest city, St. Augustine is rich in character and history. Key highlights include the iconic Castillo de San Marcos, the oldest structure of its kind in the continental United States. Creators of Colonial Quarter, a new attraction on St. George Street, bring the area’s Spanish and British heritage to life through authentic exhibits including a leatherworking

Gulf Breeze Zoo gulfbreezezoo.org

Gulf World Marine Park gulfworldmarinepark.com

Harry P. Leu Gardens leugardens.org

Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens jacksonvillezoo.org

John D. MacArthur Beach State Park floridastateparks.org/macarthurbeach

JungleQueen Riverboat junglequeen.com

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

STATE GEMS Tampa Bay, a paradise for cyclists

FEATURED LINKS Jupiter Outdoor Center jupiteroutdoorcenter.com

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex kennedyspacecenter.com

Key Biscayne key-biscayne.com

Little Palm Island Resort & Spa littlepalmisland.com

Lowry Park Zoo www.lowryparkzoo.com

Mad Cow Theatre madcowtheatre.com

Miami Design District

shop, an 18th-century Spanish home, and the live handcrafting of a real 50-foot caravel. Around the corner, the Pirate & Treasure Museum pleases swashbucklers with one of the world’s largest collections of genuine pirate artifacts.

ST. PETERSBURG/CLEARWATER Thanks to endeavors such as the new Warehouse Arts District, St. Petersburg is earning a reputation as one of Florida’s preeminent arts and culture destinations. A place for working artists to collaborate and create, this district houses about 16 arts businesses and organizations. Fort De Soto, arguably the area’s best park, is an ideal place to hang out on an undisturbed beach or kayak among the manatees. Craft beer aficionados will love the rapidly growing brewery scene in the area, now home to 10 brewpubs including the 7venth Sun Brewery in Dunedin and Sea Dog Brewing Company in Clearwater.

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

miamidesigndistrict.net

TALLAHASSEE Spend the day at Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park where one of the world’s deepest freshwater springs and largest cave systems invites visitors to explore the 6,000-acre state park and wildlife sanctuary on swims, hikes or glassbottom boat tours. Take a trip back into Old Florida at the Tallahassee Museum, featuring wildlife habitats, restored 19th-century buildings, and a 1920s caboose and railway exhibit. Be sure to check out the museum’s newest adventure: the Tree to Tree Adventures Course offering three different levels of aerial obstacles. Tallahassee hosts several culinary festivals throughout the year, including the Greek Food Festival (November) and the annual Brewfest festival held every fall, featuring more than 200 different beers. Each May, the annual Capital Cuisine Restaurant Week offers discounted, threecourse, prix-fixe menus at local restaurants.

Mote Marine Laboratory mote.org

Norton Museum of Art norton.org

Palma Ceia Neighborhood Association palmaceiana.org

Panama City Dive Charters panamacitydiving.com

Pensacola Children’s Museum historicpensacola.org

Riverside Avondale Preservation riverside-avondale.com

Robbie’s of Islamorada robbies.com

Sarasota Children’s Garden sarasotachildrensgarden.com

Sea Dog Brewing Company seadogbrewing.com

SeaWorld Orlando seaworldparks.com/en/seaworld-orlando

Shipwreck Island Waterpark shipwreckisland.com

South Florida Museum southfloridamuseum.org

St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum thepiratemuseum.com

TAMPA BAY Set aside a full day to explore Lowry Park Zoo, a 56-acre wildlife wonderland with more than 1,500 animals and loads of interactive adventures and rides for smaller kids. Adults love Ciro’s Speakeasy, a 1920s-inspired restaurant and lounge located in an unmarked building at Howard Avenue and Bayshore Boulevard. Reservations, as well as the secret password, are required to enter. A paradise for cyclists, walkers and skaters, the Tampa Bay area has more than 100 miles of paved and off-road trails that wind through urban, suburban and rural environments. For boutique shopping, visit the charming Palma Ceia district where more than 100 unique art galleries, boutiques, antique shops, restaurants and cafés line the antique red-brick roads. FL

St. Petersburg Warehouse Arts District Association warehouseartsdistrictstpete.org

Tallahassee Museum tallahasseemuseum.org

The Beaches of Fort Myers and Sanibel FortMyers-Sanibel.com

The Church Street District churchstreetdistrict.com

The Colonial Quarter colonialquarter.com

True Tours truetours.net

Village of the Arts villageofthearts.com

Vizcaya Museum & Gardens vizcayamuseum.org

Walt Disney World disneyworld.disney.go.com

Wekiwa Springs State Park floridastateparks.org/wekiwasprings

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT BOTTOM: GLENN HASTINGS; TAMPA BAY & COMPANY; JOHN WIDDOWS/SHUTTERSTOCK

The Wakulla River Canoe Trail in Tallahassee is part of the Statewide System of Greenways and Trails.

FLORIDA STATE PARKS

WHERE HISTORY COMES TO LIFE BY DEBI LANDER

uan Ponce de León discovered La Florida 500 years ago and since then it has been a state of exploration, discovery and innovation. Today, Florida visitors interact with living historians and park rangers at numerous state parks, many of which also include gorgeous beaches.

FORT CLINCH Begin in northeast Florida at Fort Clinch near Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island. Daily tours with period re-enactors provide a glimpse of garrison life during the Civil War. First Weekend Garrisons draw crowds with artillery and medical demonstrations and soldier drills. Stroll the grounds and observe soldiers and civilians working in the laundry, infirmary, kitchen, barracks, quartermaster and carpenter shop. Special candlelight viewings are popular on Saturday evenings every first weekend except December. Fort Clinch features a new beach and pier boardwalk and new interpretive videos. Anglers can fish from the pier or try surf fishing. Hikers and bicyclists enjoy a six-mile trail through the park. A full-facility campground offers overnight accommodation.

Re-enactment at Olustee Battlefield

OLUSTEE BATTLEFIELD HISTORIC STATE PARK Located near Lake City and 50 miles west of Jacksonville, Olustee was the site of Florida’s largest Civil War battle on February 20, 1864. More than 10,000 cavalry, infantry and artillery troops fought a five-hour battle in the nearby pine forest. The day ended with 2,807 casualties and a Union retreat to Jacksonville. Olustee Battlefield features a visitor center with historical information and artifacts. A re-enactment is held every February.

FORT FOSTER Travel down the middle of the state to find Fort Foster at Hillsborough River State Park, a reconstructed fort from the Second Seminole War with more than 100 artifacts. The site offers an explanation on conflicts between the Seminole nation and the US military. Step back in time at Fort Foster Rendezvous with skirmishes in February and and the Candlelight Evening Tour of Fort Foster with a skirmish in December.

Zachary Taylor Historic State Park in Key West. Designed to defend the coastline, the fort was built by the army from 1845–1866. During the Civil War, Fort Taylor remained under federal control—one of only three fortresses in Florida to do so. The complex continued on “active duty” status through 1947. Today, it’s a National Historic Landmark containing the largest cache of Civil War-era seacoast cannons in the US. Guided tours are available daily and December features Fort Taylor’s annual Pirate Fest. Visitors can explore inside and outside the fort, enjoy fishing or simply lazing on the beach. Don’t miss this location’s spectacular Key West sunset. FL

FEATURED LINKS For a full list of Florida state parks, visit floridastateparks.org or see our Resource Directory at the back of this guide.

Fort Clinch State Park floridastateparks.org/fortclinch

Fort Foster State Historic Site floridastateparks.org/fortfoster

Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park floridastateparks.org/forttaylor

FORT ZACHARY TAYLOR

Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park

Find Florida’s southernmost state park, Fort

floridastateparks.org/olusteebattlefield

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

THEME PARKS

THE WORLD’S FAVORITE PLAYGROUNDS

BY JENNIFER WYLIE FAUSER

hrills, adventure, mystery, magic. Many words describe Florida’s theme parks where the shared activities are as diverse as the participants. From the engaging penguins at SeaWorld Orlando, the iconic attractions of Universal Orlando Resort and the wonder of Walt Disney World to the splendor of LEGOLAND Florida and the thrills at Busch Gardens Tampa, the myriad experiences that await you defy description.

SEAWORLD ORLANDO Whether you’re a thrill-seeker or ready to learn about animals, SeaWorld Orlando has something for everyone. Immerse yourself in SeaWorld’s newest realm, Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin, where you can experience the mystery and wonder of Antarctic life on the ice through the eyes of a penguin, then walk through a 30 F habitat home to more than 200 penguins. Up close is the name of the game at SeaWorld: above land, under water, over head . . . everywhere you turn, you are nearly nose-to-nose with animals, including sea lions, beluga

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

whales, bottlenose dolphins, stingrays, sharks, and even some favorite four-legged friends. Zoom on Kraken, challenge Journey to Atlantis watercoaster, and brave Manta, the only flying roller coaster of its kind in the world. Don’t miss One Ocean, SeaWorld’s killer whale show that connects guests to the sea; TurtleTrek, a 360-degree, 3D dome theater experience shown through the eyes of a sea turtle; and Blue Horizons, featuring the majesty and splendor of dolphins, exotic birds and aerialists. An ocean of fun is waiting to be explored at SeaWorld Orlando. Jump in and dive deep. Aquatica, SeaWorld’s Waterpark, features some of the world’s most thrilling water rides, including 38 slides, rivers and lagoons and 84,000 square feet of sparkling white, sandy beaches. Aquatica also includes remarkable animal habitats that are the hallmark of SeaWorld and provide up-close animal encounters, including Commerson’s dolphins, tropical fish, tortoises and macaws. Relax on beaches alongside double wave pools or go the extra step and reserve your own private cabana for the day. Guests can also enjoy an all-you-care-to-eat

CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT: SEAWORLD PARKS & ENTERTAINMENT; SEAWORLD PARKS & ENTERTAINMENT; UNIVERSAL ORLANDO; DISNEY ENTERPRISES INC.

Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin attraction at SeaWorld Orlando

The finale at the Blue Horizons Theatrical Animal Show at SeaWorld Orlando

Optimus Prime at Universal Orlando Resort

buffet featuring a variety of pizzas along with traditional hot dogs, pulled pork, baked chicken, classic side items and desserts at Banana Beach. Recently ranked No. 1 in the 2013 TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Awards, Discovery Cove is the perfect place to spend the day relaxing in a breathtaking tropical atmosphere and experiencing the most exciting animal encounters the world has to offer. This all-inclusive day resort invites guests to swim with dolphins, snorkel among thousands of tropical fish and hundreds of rays and handfeed exotic birds. Pristine beaches, lush landscaping, and a winding river and waterfalls welcome you into an oasis like nowhere else. Your retreat includes freshly prepared breakfast and lunch, snacks and beverages (water, soft drinks and alcoholic) throughout the day, plus swim and snorkel gear, towels and eco-friendly sunscreen. Capacity is limited and advance reservations are required. Discovery Cove admission also includes 14-day unlimited passes to SeaWorld Orlando and Aquatica, SeaWorld’s Waterpark, before, during or after your visit.

UNIVERSAL ORLANDO RESORT Universal Orlando Resort offers two theme parks featuring more than 25 of the world’s most outstanding rides and attractions, a night scene out of this universe, and a bevy of dining and merchandise options. Universal Studios Florida packs a punch with iconic attractions such as Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, MEN IN BLACK Alien Attack, Shrek 4D, and Revenge of the Mummy. Star-struck visitors also love Barney, riding Woody Woodpecker’s Nuthouse Coaster and a bike ride with America’s favorite extra-terrestrial, E.T. Or guests could find themselves in the middle of an epic battle between the Autobots and Decepticons at the new, larger-than-life TRANSFORMERS: The Ride–3D. If you’ve ever wondered where in America the beloved Simpson family hometown of Springfield is actually located, look no further. Springfield, USA, now resides in Universal Studios, complete with The Simpson Ride, Krusty Burgers and of course, Duff Beer. It’s about good versus evil, imagination versus reality and good old-fashioned thrills at Universal’s Islands of Adventure. Defeat villains

on The Amazing Adventures of Spiderman; propel from zero to 40 mph in two seconds flat on The Incredible Hulk Coaster; help save the day on the Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls flume ride; and get into (and out of) mischief with The Cat in the Hat. Then of course, there’s the Wizarding World of Harry Potter where guests ride with dragons, hippogriffs and Harry Potter as they explore the mysteries of Hogwart’s castle, stock up on wizarding supplies and partake in butterbeer. Although primarily a ride-focused park, Islands of Adventure offers a few shows such as The Eighth Voyage of Sinbad Stunt Show, Poseidon’s Fury and Oh! The Stories You’ll Hear!, a daily show in Seuss Landing featuring Sam of Green Eggs and Ham, The Cat in the Hat, Thing One, Thing Two, The Grinch, and the Lorax dancing to musical renditions of the good doctor’s best-loved stories.

WALT DISNEY WORLD Walt Disney World resort is home to four theme parks, two water parks, 35 resorts, full-service spas, golf courses, miniature golf, running trails, beaches, boat rides, themed shopping, dining and entertainment galore. It’s also home to Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Pluto, Goofy and every prince and princess you can recall; not to mention some dwarfs, more than a hand-full of villains and even a couple of dragons. From the moment you step foot onto Main Street, USA, inside the Magic Kingdom, you’ll feel a zip-a-dee-do-dah in your heart. Classic

attractions such as the Haunted Mansion, Hall of Presidents, It’s a Small World, Space Mountain, and of course, the Pirates of the Caribbean encompass nostalgia and wonderment. Dumbo, the Flying Elephant ride—an oldie but goodie—has recently been re-imagined leaving guests twirling with delight at a new queue line experience that invites little guests to climb and play inside the big-top tent before boarding the famous airborne pachyderm. Grab a bite in Fantasyland’s brand new Be Our Guest restaurant before splashing in to see Ariel’s newest attraction, Under the Sea— Journey of the Little Mermaid. Later, rest a bit as you oooh and ahhh over the beauty and glitter of the nightly light parade. Dazzling and brilliant fireworks at Magic Kingdom are not to be outdone. Choreographed to beloved Disney music and set to the backdrop of Cinderella’s Castle, every blast, boom and sparkle will be one more drop of pixie dust in the bucket of your perfect Disney day.

Expedition Everest at Disney's Animal Kingdom in Lake Buena Vista 2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

THEME PARKS

LEGOLAND Florida

The force will be with you as you venture into Hollywood Studios for a day full of adventure, animation and mania. Launch into delightful darkness on the Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith; free fall in fear on The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror; and fight the dark side on Star Tours The Adventure Continues. Whether it’s singing, shooting or showing off, The American Idol Experience and Toy Story Midway Mania! are two attractions you won’t want to miss. A little breather is required here and there. Kick back during the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! and the classic attraction, The Great Movie Ride. Get in line early to snag a seat at Fantasmic!, Hollywood Studio’s amazing nighttime show. It’s well worth the wait. Epcot is known for its World Showcase. Eleven nations surround the World Showcase Lagoon (also site of the nightly fireworks spectacular), all of which offer authentic cuisine, cultural entertainment, kids’ activities and region-specific merchandise. Before you begin your world travels (note: World Showcase typically opens an hour or so after the main park opens), enjoy many wonderful attractions in Future World. Themed areas focusing on discovery and scientific achievement invite all ages to participate in hands-on educational and entertaining experiences. Tame to extreme rides such as Test Track Presented by Chevrolet, Spaceship Earth, Mission SPACE and Soarin’ are sprinkled throughout the area, along with quick-service dining and theme park merchandise stores. Animals real, extinct and folk-lored thrive at Animal Kingdom. Experience high adventure with up-close encounters of the prehistoric kind, safaris through the forest, savannah and

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

jungles, and a trek up Mount Everest to find the Yeti. Wave hello to favorite Disney pals during the afternoon parade and be sure to grab a great family photo at the Oasis entry garden.

LEGOLAND FLORIDA There’s no blocking the fun when you spend a day at LEGOLAND Florida, located 45 minutes from Orlando and Tampa. Unlike other rideheavy parks, LEGOLAND allows kids of all ages and heights to enjoy the experience. Various levels of driving rides enable tots to teens to zoom around with glee. Toddlers love Duplo Village, while the adventurous zoom, splash and soar in Lego Technic, the most extreme portion of the theme park. Enjoy the splendor and beauty of Florida’s historic Cypress Gardens, watch the wake at Pirate’s Cove—LEGOLAND’s water and ski stunt show—and cool off at the new water park (additional admission fee). July 2013 saw the opening of The LEGO World of Chima, a highly-themed area featuring thrilling and interactive rides and attractions for all ages. The centerpiece attraction, The Quest for CHI, sets guests off on an otherworldly and super-wet adventure. Those interested in even more splashing can head over to Cragger’s Swamp, filled with playful bubbles, intermittent water spouts and interactive elements that trigger swamp water effects. At the Speedorz Arena, kids can enjoy a super-charged competition where multiple players battle against each other using ripcord-powered LEGO vehicles. Add in a character meet-andgreet experience, a merchandise location and the 4D LEGO Chima Movie Experience, and you have a signature playland unlike any other.

Who says popping your head up in the middle of a tiger’s den is a bad idea? Not at Busch Gardens Tampa where views of animals never experienced before are all yours. Get inches away from Bengal tigers and clever orangutans in Jungala. See who can be the best primate and challenge the family to a climb on a three-story maze of rope, bridges and nets. Scream your heart out on SheiKra, the ferocious, floorless dive coaster that climbs 200 feet to the edge of a 90-degree drop. Relax as you hop aboard the Serengeti Railway for a panoramic journey along the edges of the wild. Kids love playing with favorite friends at the Sesame Street Safari of Fun while they splash, climb and enjoy rides (some even have no height restrictions). Fly through the desert with Grover, visit Elmo’s Tree House and cool off in Bert and Ernie’s watering hole. You can even dine with your child’s furry friends. And, of course, there are the ever-popular crowd-pleasers—Madagascar Live! Operation: Vacation, a live musical show featuring Alex the Lion and his friends, and Iceploration, an ice show held daily at the Moroccan Palace Theatre. Preying on the fears of visitors, Falcon’s Fury, the tallest freestanding drop tower in North America, opens in spring 2014. Guests climb nearly 300 feet then pivot 90 degrees in midair to a facedown dive position where they plunge at 60 mph straight down to where they started. This conservation-focused theme park provides entertainment, education, up-close animal encounters and thrilling adventure to create family fun that just comes naturally. While in Tampa, be sure to hop across the street to Adventure Island water park for exhilarating rides, great slides and merriment for the entire family. FL

FEATURED LINKS Aquatica, SeaWorld’s Waterpark aquaticaorlando.com

Busch Gardens Tampa buschgardens.com

Discovery Cove discoverycove.com

Florida’s Theme Parks visitflorida.com/theme_parks

LEGOLAND Florida florida.legoland.com

SeaWorld Orlando seaworldparks.com/en/seaworld-orlando

Universal Orlando Resort universalorlando.com

Walt Disney World disneyworld.disney.go.com

PHOTOS: 2010 CHIP LITHERLAND PHOTOGRAPHY; PALM BEACH COUNTY CVB

BUSCH GARDENS TAMPA

Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse & Museum

Florida

LIGHTHOUSES BY KATE POCOCK

ince most of Florida occupies a long peninsula that separates the Atlantic Ocean from the Gulf of Mexico, the state has by far the longest coastline on the eastern US coast. Most of the coast is low and sandy, broken occasionally by narrow inlets. Therefore, to ensure visibility from a distance, the Florida coast requires tall lighthouses. The Florida Lighthouse Association works hard for the preservation of all the light stations. Florida has about 30 lighthouses, including several of the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most famous light towers. Not all are open to the public. The following is a list of those people can visit, climb and access easily.

SOUTHEAST FLORIDA and THE FLORIDA KEYS Cape Florida Lighthouse in Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park floridastateparks.org/capeflorida; key-biscayne.com/about/light.html Garden Key Harbor Lighthouse at Fort Jefferson National Monument: located on an island; part of Dry Tortugas National Park; good view available from top of the fort; grounds open, tower closed; access by ferry day trip only. nps.gov/drto Hillsboro Lighthouse: currently open to visitors eight times a year. hillsborolighthouse.org

Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse and Museum jupiterlighthouse.org Key West Lighthouse and Keeperâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Quarters Museum| kwahs.com/lighthouse.htm

NORTHEAST FLORIDA Amelia Island Lighthouse: limited-access tours available first and third Wednesday of each month; property open to public for viewing on Saturdays, 11 AM to 2 PM fbfl.us

Loggerhead Key Lighthouse located on an island; part of Dry Tortugas National Park; access by private boat with permit. nps.gov/drto

St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum staugustinelighthouse.org

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA

NORTH CENTRAL FLORIDA

Boca Grande Lighthouse in Gasparilla Island State Park floridastateparks.org/gasparillaisland

St. Marks Lighthouse: located in St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge; grounds open, tower closed. fws.gov/saintmarks

CENTRAL EAST FLORIDA

Seahorse Key Lighthouse in Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge: open to the public during the annual Cedar Key Seafood Festival in October; accessible by boat. fws.gov/cedarkeys

Cape Canaveral Lighthouse on United States Air Force Base: must be a US citizen to visit. canaverallight.org Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse & Museum ponceinlet.org

NORTHWEST FLORIDA

CENTRAL FLORIDA No lighthouses

Cape St. George Lighthouse seestgeorgeisland.com; stgeorgelight.org

CENTRAL WEST FLORIDA Anclote Key Lighthouse in Anclote Key Preserve State Park: open on special occasions; accessible by ferry. floridastateparks.org/anclotekey Egmont Key Lighthouse in Egmont Key State Park: open on special occasions; accessible by ferry. floridastateparks.org/egmontkey

Cape San Blas Lighthouse: Currently closed to visitors. visitgulf.com/cape-san-blas-lighthouse Crooked River Lighthouse crookedriverlighthouse.org Pensacola Lighthouse and Museum pensacolalighthouse.org

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

ARCHITECTURE AND GARDENS

BLOOMS AMONG HISTORICAL SPLENDOR BY KEVIN FRITZ

The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in Delray Beach

ecause Florida was discovered more than 500 years ago, some of the architecture found in parts of the Sunshine State is a surprise to many who associate the state more with the art deco of South Beach, an architectural treasure unto itself. Associated gardens, many of which surround famed architectural sites, explode with tropical flowers, palms and fruit trees, blending with northerntype flora evident by snapdragons and sunflowers. The foliage can be as diverse as the state’s climate zones since temperatures vary 20 F between Tallahassee and Miami.

SOUTHEAST Nestled on the shores of Biscayne Bay, the Barnacle, built in 1891, was home to Ralph Middleton Munroe, one of Coconut Grove’s pioneers. Its gardens contain one of the last remnants of the once vast Miami Hammock, the tropical hardwood hammock that graced much of the area in the 1920s.

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

While visiting Coconut Grove—one of Miami’s oldest neighborhoods—a visit to The Kampong will have your mouth watering for an exotic fruit salad. Candle fruit, peanut butter fruit, egg fruit, cocoplums and more than 50 varieties of mango are on site. Miami’s architecture is a splendid blend of art deco, Mediterranean Revival and Miami Modernist also known as MiMo. The Miami Design Preservation League offers 90-minute walking tours in the Miami Beach Architectural Historic District. Take time to visit the Vizcaya Museum & Gardens, a Mediterranean Revival estate built in 1916 and home to a collection of rare orchids. Second only to Miami’s vivid architecture is whimsical Key West. Its historic homes are known as “conch” houses, a term first referred to those built with conch shells, and later describing the wooden homes built by settlers. Historians will love the Harry S. Truman Little White House in Key West, which, for health

CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT: CULTURAL COUNCIL OF PALM BEACH COUNTY; LEE COUNTY VCB; BOK TOWER GARDENS; MANSION AT TUCKAHOE

Aerial view of the Edison & Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers

The Mansion at Tuckahoe on Jensen Beach in Martin County

The Kitchen Garden at Pinewood Estate in Lake Wales

reasons, US President Truman visited 11 times, first in November 1946. Also in Key West, the legacy of John James Audubon, the world-renowned naturalist, lives on at the Audubon House & Tropical Gardens. Audubon first visited the Florida Keys in 1832. Note the 1850s medicinal and herbal garden. The Wray Botanical Collection at Flamingo Gardens in Davie features more than 3,000 exotic, tropical, subtropical and native plants and trees. The centerpiece of the gardens, which include the Butterfly and Hummingbird Garden, Croton Garden and Bromeliad Garden, is a natural hammock of 200-year-old live oaks dotted with orchids and epiphytes. In Palm Beach, Whitehall (c. 1902), a 75room, 100,000-square-foot mansion, built by Standard Oil co-founder Henry Flagler as a wedding present for his wife, overlooks the Intracoastal Waterway. It is now called the Flagler Museum.

In Delray Beach, the famed Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens offers 200 acres of tropical bonsai, golden koi ponds and nature trails. The Bonnet House Museum & Gardens in Fort Lauderdale has five distinct ecosystems to discover.

SOUTHWEST Two men whose ideas changed the world shared property in Fort Myers that will marvel all ages. The Edison & Ford Winter Estates feature the homes of inventor Thomas Edison and carmaker Henry Ford, and 20 acres of gardens. Edison experimented with bamboo from the gardens while inventing the light bulb and the common goldenrod to produce rubber for Firestone car tires. Pose for a photo next to the largest banyan tree on the estate. Today, the original four-inch Ficus bengalensis sapling, a gift from magnate Harvey Firestone, is the largest in south Florida, taking up an entire acre and measuring almost 400 feet around.

Opened in 1940, the 10-acre Sarasota Jungle Gardens showcases the rare Australian nut tree and a bunya bunya tree. If you love orchids, drop by the nearby Marie Selby Botanical Gardens and marvel at the collection of more than 6,000 of these unique flowering plants. While most pre-Civil War plantations are located in North Florida, the antebellum Gamble mansion in Ellenton gives you a chance to step back in time to the days of this thriving sugar plantation. Once the home of Major Robert Gamble, it’s the only antebellum house still intact in Florida. The Village of the Arts is a community of artists housed in colorfully painted 1920 and 1930 cottages in Bradenton. Check to see if there is an “artwalk” scheduled when you visit. Wander over to Old Main Street to view the neoclassical-style buildings dating back to 1898. Sign up for an historical walk of downtown. Completed in 1913, Mable Ringling’s Rose Garden at the Ringling Estate in Sarasota boasts almost 1,200 varieties of roses laid out in a 28,000-square-foot circular design. Just beyond the Secret Garden, you’ll find the plots of Mable and John Ringling.

CENTRAL EAST The Bamboo Pavilion in Vero Beach was built in Colombia, shipped and reassembled at the McKee Botanical Garden. Originally opened in the early 1930s, the garden is known for its 18acre subtropical jungle hammock. The nation’s largest public collection of tropical bonsai trees is found at the Heathcote Botanical Gardens in Fort Pierce. Experience

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

ARCHITECTURE AND GARDENS Frank Lloyd Wright architecture at the Florida Southern College campus in Lakeland

Bok Tower Gardens and Pinewood Estate in nearby Lake Wales comprises 50-acre hilltop gardens surrounding a 205-foot “singing tower” that houses one of the world’s finest carillons with 60 bells that ring every half hour. Pinewood Estate, built in the 1930s, is a 20room Mediterranean-style home, sitting among a spectacular collection of ferns, palms, camellias and magnolias. Visitors are pleasantly surprised that the largest concentration of Frank Lloyd Wright designs in the world resides west of Orlando in Lakeland. Wright designed and oversaw the construction of 12 structures on the campus of Florida Southern College, including his only planetarium and theater-in-the-round. October 2013 saw the opening of the Sharp Family Tourism and Education Center, the first Wright structure built on the original site, for the original client, since 1966.

CENTRAL

The Sunken Gardens in St. Petersburg

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

Just a few miles north of downtown Orlando, the Harry P. Leu Gardens and Leu House Museum is a 50-acre botanical park with a 19th-century house. The gardens, created in 1936, include 50 varieties of azaleas, 50 species of bamboo, more than 2,000 camellia plants and 50 kinds of citrus trees. The house, the oldest part of which was built in 1888 by Angeline and David W. Mizell, is open for tours daily (except Christmas Day). Winter Park is home to many architectural trends from the 1880s. Grand mansions can be seen all over town, and Park Avenue, the epicenter of Winter Park, presents original structures from the town’s founding that are still in use. Take the Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour, which meanders through the city’s chain of lakes and canals, passing by beautiful lakeshore mansions of yesteryear, mixed seamlessly with modern-day architecture.

CENTRAL WEST On the Gulf coast, the Henry B. Plant Museum in Tampa, circa 1891, originally served as the 511-room Tampa Bay Hotel. Known for its Moorish revival architecture, opulent European furnishings and spectacular tropical gardens, it was a getaway for the rich and famous in its day catering to the likes of Teddy Roosevelt and Babe Ruth. Today, the museum is part of the University of Tampa. Sunken Gardens in St. Petersburg is home to some of the oldest tropical plants in the region. This 100-year-old hidden treasure features cascading waterfalls, demonstration gardens and more than 50,000 tropical plants and flowers. Don’t leave St. Petersburg before visiting the Dalí Museum. Designed by architect Yann Weymouth, it is said to combine the rational with the fantastical. The outdoor Mathematical Garden allows visitors to experience the relationship between math and nature. Be sure to traverse the labyrinth in the southeast corner.

NORTHEAST Washington Oaks State Gardens in Palm Coast is known for its shoreline of coquina rock formations. Picnic or swim from the beach or seawall along the Matanzas River, or discover nature on its hiking and bike trails. Nowhere are America’s roots more profound than St. Augustine, which was governed under

CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT: VISIT ST. PETERSBURG/CLEARWATER; CENTRAL FLORIDA CVB; VISIT GAINESVILLE

microclimates as you pass through Mediterranean and tropical plants in the Japanese Garden, Reflection Garden, Herb Garden and the Rainforest Display. In Jensen Beach, the Mansion at Tuckahoe showcases Mediterranean design with interior terrazzo floors, eight fireplaces and marble restrooms. Overlooking the Indian River, it was built in 1938 by Ann Bates Leach, an heiress to the Coca-Cola fortune.

FEATURED LINKS Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park floridastateparks.org/maclaygardens

Audobon House & Tropical Gardens audubonhouse.com

Bok Tower Gardens boktowergardens.org

Bonnet House Museum & Gardens bonnethouse.org

Castillo de San Marcos nps.gov/casa

Eden Gardens State Park floridastateparks.org/edengardens

Edison & Ford Winter Estates edisonfordwinterestates.org

Flagler College flagler.edu

Flamingo Gardens flamingogardens.org

Fort Pickens nps.gov/guis/planyourvisit/fort-pickens.htm

Fort Clinch State Park floridastateparks.org/fortclinch

Frank Lloyd Wright and Florida Southern College franklloydwrightatfsc.com

Gamble Plantation Historic State Park floridastateparks.org/gambleplantation

The Water Garden at the Kanapaha Botanical Gardens in Gainesville

González-Alvarez House staugustinehistoricalsociety.org

Harry P. Leu Gardens

five flags in four centuries. The oldest city in the US, there are 36 buildings of colonial origin still standing to be discovered. St. Augustine’s González-Alvarez House, the oldest surviving Spanish colonial dwelling in Florida, has been occupied since the 1600s. Architect and history buffs will love Flagler College, serving as the Hotel Ponce de León from 1888 to 1967. It was built by the same Henry Flagler who co-founded Standard Oil and championed the overseas railroad in the Florida Keys. Be sure to visit the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Augustine built between 1793 and 1797, known as America’s first parish, and Castillo de San Marcos, the oldest masonry fort in the continental US. Its architecture splendidly depicts the “bastion system” of fortification. The Timucuan Ecological & Historic Preserve in Jacksonville provides tours of the Kingsley Plantation, the oldest standing plantation in Florida. Take time to tour the three acres of riverfront gardens at Jacksonville’s Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, showcasing a blend of tropic and northern backdrops. At Fernandina Beach, Fort Clinch is one of the most well-preserved 19th-century forts in the country.

NORTH CENTRAL The Kanapaha Botanical Gardens in Gainesville offers 62 acres of wheelchair-accessible and dog-friendly paths and labyrinths surrounded by azaleas, double-crowned cabbage palms and southern magnolias.

The Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park in Tallahassee displays ornamental gardens first planted in 1923 by Alfred B. and Louise Maclay. Considered a “masterpiece of floral architecture,” 1,200 acres feature a secret garden, a reflection pool, a walled garden and hundreds of azaleas and camellias. Pack a lunch! The property provides swimming, fishing, canoeing and kayaking on its resident Lake Hall. The Tallahassee Museum features native wildlife, pioneer buildings and a plantation home with slave quarters. A half-mile nature trail brings you to a dry sinkhole, gopher tortoise burrows, oak hammocks, longleaf pine trees, and Lake Hiawatha surrounded by cypress trees.

leugardens.org

Harry S. Truman Little White House trumanlittlewhitehouse.com

Heathcote Botanical Gardens heathcotebotanicalgardens.org

Henry B. Plant Museum plantmuseum.com

Henry Morrison Flagler Museum flaglermuseum.us

Kanapaha Botanical Gardens kanapaha.org

Manatee Village Historical Park manateeclerk.com/historical/ManateeVillage.aspx

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens selby.org

McKee Botanical Garden mckeegarden.org

Miami Design Preservation League mdpl.org

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens morikami.org

Old Island Restoration foundation oirf.org

Sarasota Jungle Gardens sarasotajunglegardens.com

NORTHWEST The 161-acre Eden Gardens State Park in Santa Rosa Beach features the renovated, two-story Wesley house with its elegant white columns and a wrap-around porch built in 1897. This restored mansion is furnished with family heirlooms and antiques, and it holds the second largest collection of Louis XVI furniture in the US. Visit Fort Pickens completed in 1834 on Pensacola Beach, the spot where the infamous Apache Indian Geronimo was held prisoner in 1886–87. The area became a tourist mecca for the first time, attracting more than 400 people to see the famed Geronimo. Next, take a “ghostly encounter tour” of the Pensacola Lighthouse, circa 1859, as you climb 177 steps to the top. FL

Sunken Gardens stpete.org/sunken

Tallahassee Museum tallahasseemuseum.org

The Barnacle Historic State Park floridastateparks.org/thebarnacle

The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Augustine thefirstparish.org

The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens cummer.org

The Dalí Museum thedali.org

The Kampong ntbg.org/gardens/kampong.php

The Ringling ringling.org

Timucuan Ecological & Historic Preserve nps.gov/foca/index.htm

Village of the Arts villageofthearts.com

Vizcaya Museum & Gardens vizcayamuseum.org

Washington Oaks Gardens State Park floridastateparks.org/washingtonoaks

Winter Park cityofwinterpark.org

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT

WHERE MEMORIES ARE BORN

BY JENNIFER WYLIE FAUSER

hroughout Florida, your family will find fabulous thrills, magnificent memory-making moments, and of course, tons of relaxation, education, sun and merriment.

SOUTHEAST There are few destinations where kids can feed a giraffe and ride a camel at the same place but world-renowned Miami MetroZoo offers both, along with more than 2,000 animals, comprising 500 different species, 40 of which are endangered. As you stroll along beautiful landscaped walkways visiting more than 100 exhibits, check out the Amazon and Beyond exhibit, which hosts the infamous anaconda, as well as the giant river otter, jaguar and harpy eagle. You’ve not experienced a museum quite like the Miami Children’s Museum. Here kids climb through a two-story sand castle, walk through a six-foot piggy bank, investigate a 900-gallon marine tank, and “sail” through the newly redesigned Carnival cruise shipshaped exhibit. Amusement and learning go

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

Carnival Cruise exhibit at the Miami Children's Museum

hand-in-hand as your family takes a grocery shopping challenge, explores the Everglades, and goes for a little friendly rock-wallclimbing competition. Every little girl wishes she were Barbiesized just to live in her house. Dreams do come true at the new Barbie The Dreamhouse Experience in Sunrise. Saunter into a 10,000square-foot realm of Barbie doll’s home for personalized touches, interactive surprises and virtual experiences that promise a dreamy day for anyone with a little girl’s heart.

After some rest and relaxation at the beach, get your heart pumping again with a visit to the Everglades Alligator Farm in Homestead. Notorious for some of the largest alligators, the farm is located near the main entrance to the Everglades National Park and is home to more than 2,000 of them. Your day promises to be full of excitement and value with ’gator feedings and shows, exotic snake viewings and even an airboat tour (included with admission). Forget oceanside. Go straight to oceanview aboard the Yankee Freedom III catamaran ferry direct from Key West to Dry Tortugas National Park to explore majestic coral formations, encounter rare migratory birds, and tour the Civil War-era Fort Jefferson. Luxury and comfort are promised on board the only commercial vessel licensed to carry passengers to one of the nation’s most remote national parks. For those aspiring to be more like Ironman, Tiki Jetpack Adventures on Islamorada Key offers the perfect vacation experience. Those with superhero aspirations receive training on

CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT: GREATER MIAMI CVB; TIKI JET; NAPLES, MARCO ISLAND, EVERGLADES CVB; V&V HOSPITALITY & MEDIA SERVICES

Flying high with Tiki Jetpack Adventures on Islamorada Key

Identifying dolphins with the 10,000 Islands Dolphin Project aboard the Dolphin Explorer

a 30-foot tiki-themed pontoon boat and then strap on jetpacks for a 25-minute flying adventure of a lifetime including take off, soft turns, hovering and, of course, landing. The Keys offer much more than bars and the beach. Downwind Kayak Tours from Key West Eco Tours, Key Largo’s Coral Restoration Foundation, or Clydesdale-drawn carriage rides through romantic Islamorada are unique adventures you won’t want to miss.

SOUTHWEST Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples believes that when children play they learn and when families play together, they connect and create memories that last a lifetime. And so it goes at the newest exhibit Build it up KEVA. Using imagination, innovation and gravity—not glue—kids of all ages (and grown-ups, too) can build structures out of KEVA planks before they explore the rest of the museum, which includes the Banyan Tree exhibit, journeying through the Everglades, “eating” it up at the World Café, and piquing artistic interest at the fine art collection. Great for a rainy day or to escape the sun, except Monday when it’s closed. Looking for the perfect place to soak up the sun? The 14-acre Sun Splash Family Waterpark in Cape Coral offers thrilling high-speed water slides, including a five-story free-fall slide and frolic for the little ones at the Tot Spot. Named “one of the 100 places that can change your child’s life” by National Geographic, the 10,000 Islands Dolphin Project invites you on board The Dolphin Explorer on Marco Island to join dolphin researchers on an ecotour that is both fun and educational. Southwest Florida has even more to offer including the Imaginarium in Fort Myers, Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens, Circus Sarasota, Sarasota Jungle Gardens and the Bishop Planetarium/Parker Manatee Aquarium at South Florida Museum.

CENTRAL EAST Beach time is key in this region of Florida. However, be sure to take some time away from the rays to experience all it has to offer. Daytona International Speedway, home to the Daytona 500, will blow the sand off your

shoes with its unique tours and experiences. Take the family to explore NASCAR garages, Pit Road, victory lane and all that makes this place the world center of racing. Got a need for speed? Indulge in the ultimate NASCAR fan experience and jump in the fast lane for the Richard Petty Driving Experience. Depending on your adrenalin-seeking level, choose to sit shotgun with a NASCAR instructor as you reach speeds up to 160 mph, or grab the wheel for an experience of a lifetime and drive the car yourself. Now, kids, ages 6 through 13 who are at least 48 inches tall, can also face the wind in the Junior Ride Along experience as they sit shotgun with a professional driving instructor for three exhilarating laps. This experience is sure to claim the checkered flag of fun. Explore a piece of world history at Kennedy Space Center in the Cocoa Beach area. A visit to the space center is a full-day, inspiring adventure as you learn about the history and future of the space program and explore hands-on, interactive space attractions. Home to the United States Astronaut Hall of Fame, which features the world’s largest collection of personal astronaut memorabilia, guests will be over the moon with intrigue when they experience simulation exhibits such as the Shuttle Launch Experience and the Astronaut Training Experience. Space Shuttle Atlantis now calls Kennedy Space

The Kennedy Space Center in Titusville

Center home and tells the incredible story of NASA’s 30-year space shuttle program. This trip will be one giant leap of delight for your family. Beyond the beautiful shores of the Central East Florida region, show your family more about Florida’s marine life by visiting the Marine Science Center in Ponce Inlet. Wow them by standing next to a full-size manatee, see how they measure up to a giant leatherback turtle, check out a real whale skull and be in awe of the 300-year-old brain coral.

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

FA MILY ENTERTAINMENT

Captain Memo's Pirate Cruise in Clearwater Beach

Before you book all your vacation days at the theme parks, save a couple of days for Central Florida’s unique, amazing attractions that don’t include a mouse, whale or Harry Potter. Get up close (without becoming lunch) to Florida’s iconic “giant lizards” at Gatorland in Orlando, the alligator capitol of the world. Watch live ’gator feedings, learn about various exotic reptiles, catch a glimpse of the white alligators and cheer on the ’gator wrestlers. Be sure to offer a toothy grin to the attraction’s newest resident, Bonecrusher II, a 15-foot, 1,400-pound American crocodile. This halfday attraction also features a splash park for kids, included with admission. Expand your visit and book an unforgettable family adventure on the Screamin’ Gator Zip Line Tour. You’ll get a bird’s-eye view of the park’s alligators, including a wild ride over the ’gator mating marsh. A trip to Gatorland promises to take the bite out of boring vacations. For adventure lovers who have had their fill of roller coasters, iFly Indoor Orlando treats visitors to the ultimate indoor skydiving experience. Learn what it really feels like to skydive without having to jump out of a perfectly good airplane. Safety instruction and gear are all included in the price of admission.

Wild Florida Airboat Tours at the headwaters of the Everglades in Central Florida

Ready for a little less adventure and a little more mind-sharpening time with the family? WonderWorks in Orlando turns your vacation upside down with more than 100 hands-on exhibits that tweak the mind and pique interests. Experience an earthquake, feel the chill of the water the night the Titanic sank, muscle up the brain to move a ball across a table, and build the theme park ride of your dreams, then ride it using virtual technology. After nourishing your brain with a day of wonder, feed the tummy and giggle at the Outta Control Magic Comedy Dinner Show (reservations recommended). If you have more time to spare, consider the Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Sanford, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! in Orlando, flip for fun on a flying trapeze at the Orlando Circus School, or get back to nature aboard an airboat tour with Boggy Creek Airboat Rides.

CENTRAL WEST If your kids are dolphin crazy, or perhaps just crazy for Winter, the beloved dolphin of the movie, Dolphin Tale, they will flip over meeting the star face to face at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. Get up close and feed the stingrays, wade with Atlantic bottlenose dolphins (additional fee) and get to know all of the rescued dolphins, sea turtles, otters and sharks at the aquarium for an afternoon of heart-warming delights. What’s a trip to Florida without a little pirate adventure? Captain Memo’s Pirate Cruise in Clearwater is the original pirate adventure in Florida and worth its weight in gold. You’ll get lost in pirate antics of treasure hunts, face painting and dancing as the ship sets sail in search of bountiful dolphins during the cruise. Wild water life is all the rage in Central West Florida so check out Crystal River Tours to snorkel with wild manatees, Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo and The Florida Aquarium.

NORTHEAST Northeast Florida offers great history, shopping and fantasy for all. America’s oldest city, St. Augustine, is an historical gem. Tour Castillo de San Marcos, a fort built between 1672 and 1695 by the Spanish. Try to reclaim your youth at Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth and get schooled at the Oldest Wooden School House, constructed more than 200 years ago. Beyond history, St. Augustine

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

FROM THE TOP: V&V HOSPITALITY & MEDIA SERVICES: VISIT ORLANDO.

CENTRAL

Carriage rides in St. Augustine

FA MILY ENTERTAINMENT boasts amazing and unique shopping, and great ghost tours where you and your first mates journey through 300 years of high-seas adventure spying rare pirate artifacts. Heading to Jacksonville? Your visit won’t be complete without a trip to Marineland where you’ll get more dolphin experiences than if you lived in the ocean yourself and, of course, the Jacksonville Zoo where you can feed the giraffes.

NORTH CENTRAL Beyond great universities, North Central Florida is home to antiques, excitement and chills. Journey to Lake Alice in Gainesville to see alligators in the wild. When dusk hits, head across the street to the Bat House for a little nocturnal exploration. Speaking of things that fly, Florida’s Museum of Natural History on the campus of the University of Florida immerses you in a 6,400square-foot butterfly wonderland like none other. Get your heart pitter-patterin’ as you test your fear factor with Big Bend Ghost Trackers in the most haunted small town in the country, Monticello. And be sure to putter an afternoon away checking out the cool antique cars at the Tallahassee Automobile Museum before you cruise on home.

NORTHWEST Very few free attractions are worth an extra drive, but the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola is the sure exception. This is one place where you can look and touch. Climb inside the cockpit, play with the control sticks and flip the switches. Home to the Blue Angels training squadron, motionbased simulator and flight simulator exhibits, this museum soars. The Florida Gulfarium in Fort Walton Beach is a marine adventure park where you’ll

discover turtles, fish, penguins, stingrays and dolphins. Offering an array of additional animal encounters (extra fee and reservations required) including feeding penguins, splashing around with otters, or getting noseto-nose with the dolphins, a day at Florida Gulfarium promises to be a real splash. Still looking for more to do? Check out the Sea Dragon Pirate Cruise and the Science & Discovery Center of Northwest Florida in Panama City Beach and the Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola. FL

FEATURED LINKS Barbie The Dreamhouse Experience

Gatorland

barbiedreamhouse.com

gatorland.com

Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park fountainofyouthflorida.com

Big Bend Ghost Trackers

Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park

Ripley’s Believe It or Not!

bigbendghosttrackers.com

gulfarium.com

ripleys.com/orlando

Boggy Creek Airboat Rides

iFly Indoor Skydiving

Sarasota Jungle Gardens

bcairboats.com

iflyorlando.com

sarasotajunglegardens.com

Captain Memo’s Original Pirate Cruise

Imaginarium Science Center

Science & Discovery Center of Northwest Florida

captainmemo.com

imaginariumfortmyers.com

scienceanddiscoverycenter.org

Castillo De San Marcos

Island Horse Drawn Carriages

Sea Dragon Pirate Cruise

islandhorsedrawncarriages.com

Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens

centralfloridazoo.org

jacksonvillezoo.org

Circus Sarasota

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex

circussarasota.org

kennedyspacecenter.com

Clearwater Marine Aquarium

Key West EcoTours

seewinter.com

keywestecotours.com

C’mon! Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples

Marine Science Center

cmon.org

marinesciencecenter.com

Coral Restoration Foundation

Marineland Dolphin Adventure

coralrestoration.org

marineland.net

Crystal River Tours

Miami Children’s Museum

crystalrivertours.com

miamichildrensmuseum.org

Daytona International Speedway

Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens

daytonainternationalspeedway.com

caribbeangardens.com

Everglades Alligator Farm

National Naval Aviation Museum

everglades.com

navalaviationmuseum.org

Five Flags Speedway

Miami Seaquarium

5flagsspeedway.com

miamiseaquarium.com

Florida Museum of Natural History

Oldest Wooden School House

flmnh.ufl.edu

oldestwoodenschoolhouse.com

Florida Recreation & Park Association

Orlando Circus School

frpa.org

orlandocircusschool.com

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

piratecruise.net

South Florida Museum/Bishop Planetarium/ Parker Manatee Aquarium southfloridamuseum.org

St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum piratesoul.com

Tallahassee Automobile Museum tacm.com

Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo lowryparkzoo.com

The Bats of the University of Florida Bat House wec.ufl.edu/extension/wildlife_info/wildlife_uf/bathouse.php

The Dolphin Explorer dolphin-study.com

The Florida Aquarium flaquarium.org

Tiki Jet tikijet.com

WonderWorks wonderworksonline.com

Yankee Freedom III yankeefreedom.com

Zoo Miami miamimetrozoo.com

PHOTO: V&V HOSPITALITY & MEDIA SERVICES.

nps.gov/casa

Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens

One bedroom and studio apartments with full kitchens conveniently located near the historic Hollywood Broadwalk • Flat screen tv • Free wi-fi • Washer/dryer on premise • Free parking • Courtyard for sunbathing • Garden area with picnic tables & bbq grill • Trip Advisor Rated 810 South Surf Road Hollywood, Florida 33019-2103 Tel: 954-923-1925 | Fax: 954-981-6878 Toll Free (US and Canada only): 1-877-923-1925 E-Mail: info@marinevillas.com

ARTS AND CULTURE

FLORIDIAN MASTERPIECES

Vizcaya Museum & Gardens in Miami

hen a destination is known for its sunshine, theme parks and 663 miles of beaches, it’s easy to overlook its world-class art museums and performance halls, not to mention historical museums and sites.

SOUTHEAST

The Ringling in Sarasota

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

In Miami, the Vizcaya Museum & Gardens cannot be missed. Built in the early 1900s as the winter home of James Deering, the main building now houses an incredible, ornate collection of many cultures and periods of art, including ancient Roman sculptures, Renaissance tapestries, 17th- and 18th-century statues, Chinese ceramics, rococo and neoclassical furniture, and so much more. Founded in 1941, the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach remains one of Florida’s major cultural institutions. Renowned

internationally for its distinguished permanent collection of American, Chinese, Contemporary and European art as well as photography, its masterpieces of 19th- and 20thcentury painting and sculpture include works by Brancusi, Gauguin, Matisse, Miró, Picasso, Davis, Hassam, Hopper, Manship, O’Keeffe, Pollock and Sheeler. Special exhibitions, lectures, tours and programs for adults and children are scheduled throughout the year. Kids and kids-at-heart will find the joy in science through hands-on, interactive displays and more at the South Florida Science Museum and Aquarium in West Palm Beach, the Fort Lauderdale Museum of Discovery & Science and the Miami Science Museum.

SOUTHWEST Encompassing 20 acres of historical buildings and gardens, a botanic research lab and a

CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT: V&V HOSPITALITY & MEDIA SERVICES; GREATER MIAMI CVB; V&V HOSPITALITY & MEDIA SERVICES; VISIT ORLANDO

BY SUSAN B. BARNES

The Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola

ANNUAL EVENTS museum, the Edison & Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers is quite remarkable. Discover for yourself the private lives of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. It’s where you’ll also find the largest banyan tree in the US. Inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural styling, Sarasota’s Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall’s calendar is filled with opera, ballet, orchestra and star-studded performances throughout the year. The Museum of Art on the Ringling Estate in Sarasota houses his personal collection of paintings and sculptures by the “Old Masters,” as well as American and Asian masterworks. Also on the property is the Asolo Repertory Theatre, the largest Equity theater in Florida. The Gamble Plantation in Bradenton is the only surviving antebellum plantation house in southern Florida. In nearby downtown Bradenton, the Village of the Arts is a charming collection of bungalows transformed into art galleries—perfect for strolling and perusing, and perhaps even collecting. Outside of Bradenton, the historic town of Palmetto boasts its own historical park for a peek back in time, as well as the Madira Bickel Mound State Archaeological Site, an ancient Native American location.

CENTRAL EAST A $20-million “green” rebuilding of the Elliott Museum in Stuart graciously captures the spirit

JANUARY Forks & Corks Food, Wine & Beer Festival, Sarasota Key West Food and Wine Festival Key West Literary Seminar Las Olas Art Fair Part I, Fort Lauderdale FEBRUARY ArtFest Fort Myers Everglades Seafood Festival, Everglades City

of the area’s rich history through art, history and technology exhibits. In addition to these exhibits, its extensive baseball collection, which includes baseball cards, balls, bats and other items, may just be the most comprehensive signed collection outside of Cooperstown, New York. Batter up! Artists who seek inspiration while in Florida may want to look into the world-famous residency program at the Atlantic Center for the Arts in New Smyrna Beach. For a shorter stay, stroll through the Mark and Margery Pabst Visitor Center & Gallery, which includes three interconnecting galleries: the Master Artist Gallery, the Jean G. Harris History Gallery and the Jack Mitchell Portrait Gallery. Outside, visitors can saunter along trails, which feature public art and sculptures, indigenous plants and animals. The Florida Museum for Women Artists in DeLand is the only museum in the southeastern

Naples National Art Festival Northeast Florida Scottish Highland Games & Festival, Green Cove Springs South Beach Wine & Food Festival, Miami ULTRA Music Festival, Miami MARCH Las Olas Art Fair Part II, Fort Lauderdale APRIL Florida’s Birding & Photo Fest, St. Augustine/Ponte Vedra Florida Wine & Balloon Festival, Sarasota Gulf Coast Rhythm & Ribfest, Palmetto Pensacola Jazz Festival Seabreeze Jazz Festival, Panama City Beach MAY ArtsNaples World Festival Food & Wine on Pine, Anna Maria Island JULY Caladium Festival, Lake Placid Hemingway Days, Key West Key Lime Festival, Key West SEPTEMBER Pensacola Seafood Festival Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam, Panama City Beach OCTOBER Clearwater Jazz Festival Les DeMerle Amelia Island Jazz Festival Panama City Beach Seafood & Music Festival NOVEMBER DeLand Fall Festival of the Arts Miami Jazz Fest DECEMBER Art Basel, Miami Beach Bradenton Blues Festival

CineDome in Orlando Science Centre 2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

ARTS AND CULTURE The Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg

CENTRAL The Orlando Science Center features hands-on activities and plenty of ways to make science enjoyable. Get engaged and learn at the same time . . . just don’t tell the kids! In Winter Park, the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art is an impressive showcase for the world’s most comprehensive collection of works by Louis Comfort Tiffany, where visitors can admire intricate jewelry pieces, pottery, paintings, art glass, leaded-glass windows and lamps, as well the chapel interior the artist designed for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. A Monet painting at the Harn Museum in Gainesville

Since 1929, Bok Tower Gardens, a National Historic Landmark in Lake Wales, has welcomed more than 23 million guests onto its historic landscapes, not to mention 126 bird species that pass through the area. Visitors to the gardens should also check out the Pinewood Estate, an enchanting Mediterranean-style mansion built in the early 1930s for Charles Austin Buck. The Appleton Museum of Art in Ocala features a world-class permanent collection, incredible exhibits and year-round special events for all to enjoy.

CENTRAL WEST The Armed Forces History Museum in Largo is 35,000 square feet of permanent, interactive exhibits, including replicas of wartime scenarios beginning with World War I. For something a little more surreal, visit The Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, which houses the largest collection of the artist’s works outside of Spain. In Tampa, the Museum of Science and Industry isn’t only about science; there are zip lines and a high ropes course, too. Exercise your mind and your body! For a different type of mental engagement, stop by the Tampa Museum of Art and view the stunning traveling exhibits. Right next door is the Glazer Children’s Museum. Make a day of it!

NORTHEAST Set on the banks of the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, the gardens at the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens have an amazing history that dates back more than 100 years. A not-to-be-missed favorite among locals and visitors alike is the Italian Garden. Flagler College in St. Augustine is an art destination itself. Tours are available daily and highlight the National Historic Landmark, which was built in 1888 as the Hotel Ponce de León. It’s considered one of the best examples of Spanish Renaissance architecture. While on campus, stop by the Crisp-Ellert Art Museum for a peek at exhibits on display.

NORTH CENTRAL The Harn Museum of Art in Gainesville features enticing traveling exhibits, however its

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT: JOHN JERNIGAN/VISIT GAINESVILLE; V&V HOSPITALITY & MEDIA SERVICES; VISIT FLORIDA

US to exhibit art of all disciplines, created exclusively by women. Exhibits include contemporary art, collections and traveling exhibits. Science is tons of fun for the entire family at the Museum of Arts & Science in Daytona Beach. And military history buffs will want to plan visits to the National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum in Fort Pierce, dedicated exclusively to the elite warriors of Naval Special Warfare.

FEATURED LINKS Appleton Museum of Art appletonmuseum.org

Armed Forces History Museum armedforcesmuseum.com

Atlantic Center for the Arts atlanticcenterforthearts.org

Bok Tower Gardens boktowergardens.org

Crisp-Ellert Art Museum flagler.edu/crispellert

Edison & Ford Winter Estates edisonfordwinterestates.org

Elliott Museum elliottmuseumfl.org

Flagler College Architecture Tour legacy.flagler.edu

Florida Museum for Women Artists floridamuseumforwomenartists.org

Florida Museum of Natural History flmnh.ufl.edu

Glazer Children’s Museum glazermuseum.org

Goodwood Museum & Gardens goodwoodmuseum.org

Harn Museum of Art Flagler College in St. Augustine

harn.ufl.edu

Hippodrome Theatre thehipp.org

permanent African, Ancient American, Modern and photography collections are also worth a visit. Be sure to walk through the new Asian wing. And if you’re all about the natural side of history, you’ll certainly want to stop by the Florida Museum of Natural History. The best of Broadway shows make their way to Gainesville’s Hippodrome Theatre, as do independent films and musicians. What’s more, the theatre’s visual art gallery hosts Florida artists in eight annual exhibitions. The Hipp (as it’s known locally) truly is a destination for artists of all mediums. In Tallahassee, the state capital, the Museum of Florida History’s “Forever Changed: La Florida, 1513–1821” exhibit depicts the Spaniards’ arrival in Florida as well as the area’s adoption as a US territory. During their brief occupation of Florida, the British established a plantation system along the Florida/Georgia border in northern Florida. Today, 71 plantations—the largest collection anywhere in the US—covering more than 300,000 acres exist, many of which are privately owned. However, the Goodwood Museum & Gardens, where the home—once the centerpiece to this 2,400-acre plantation— has been restored to its 1930s heyday, is open to the public for tours.

NORTHWEST In Pensacola, the past is very much present. Roughly bound by Bayfront Parkway, Tarragona, Romana and Cevallos streets, a walk around the Pensacola Historic District is a must. Also known as the Seville Historic District, it contains the Historic Pensacola Village, the flagship T.T. Wentworth Jr. Florida State Museum, the Pensacola Children’s Museum and Seville Square. Located in the heart of downtown Pensacola, the historic Saenger Theatre sets the stage for a variety of shows such as CATS and Sesame Street, as well as performances by the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra, Harry Connick Jr., David Copperfield, Robin Williams and others. Another must-stop is the National Naval Aviation Museum where the Blue Angels just may be taking flight! The Indian Temple Mound Museum, in the heart of the historic downtown Fort Walton Beach, houses interpretative exhibits depicting 12,000 years of Native American occupation. In addition to more than a thousand artifacts, it features one of the finest collections of prehistoric ceramics in the southeastern US. The Man in the Sea Museum in Panama City Beach introduces visitors to the roots of diving with interpretive drawings, a large collection of rare diving equipment and exhibits featuring underwater habitats. FL

Indian Temple Mound Museum fwb.org/museums/indian-temple-mound-museum Man in the Sea Museum maninthesea.org

Miami Science Museum miamisci.org

Museum of Discovery & Science mods.org

Museum of Florida History museumoffloridahistory.com

Museum of Science & History themosh.org

Museum of Science and Industry mosi.org

National Naval Aviation Museum navalaviationmuseum.org

National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum navysealmuseum.com

Norton Museum of Art norton.org

Pensacola Historic District historicpensacola.org

Saenger Theatre Pensacola pensacolasaenger.com

South Florida Science Museum and Aquarium sfsciencecenter.org

Tampa Museum of Art tampamuseum.org

The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art morsemuseum.org

The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens cummer.org

The Dalí Museum thedali.org

The Ringling ringling.org

Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall vanwezel.org

Vizcaya Museum & Gardens vizcayamuseum.org

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

VACATION HOMES

PROPERTY INVESTMENTS BY RICHARD WESTLUND

Luxury residences on the canal in Miami Beach

f you love the Florida vacation lifestyle— beaches, boating, golf, entertainment, shopping and dining—why not purchase a home or condominium in the Sunshine State? Every year, thousands of visitors decide to purchase a vacation home or a permanent residence in Florida, a state that offers some attractive tax benefits. Other visitors who aren’t quite ready to buy often book seasonal or longterm rentals for their next visit. With elegant luxury penthouses, beachfront condominiums along the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico and elsewhere, townhouses and estate homes in golf and country club communities, over-55 adult communities for retirees, and moderately priced homes and condos, Florida offers something for everyone. In addition to all the lifestyle benefits, owning a Florida property can also be an excellent long-term investment.

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

Today, more than 25 percent of all Florida real estate transactions involve a foreign buyer—the highest rate in the nation, according to Florida Realtors, the statewide real estate trade association. As a result, Florida has large second-home communities filled with Canadian, European, Russian and Latin American buyers, as well as those from elsewhere in the USA. Whatever your native language, you can probably make new friends in Florida!

THE RIGHT CHOICE When beginning a search for a Florida home, there are two basic approaches to consider: location and lifestyle. You may already know where in Florida you want to live—perhaps near your parents’ home, close to the grandchildren or within walking distance of nightlife. If so, you should familiarize yourself with the neighbor-

CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT: JORG HACKEMANN/SHUTTERSTOCK; BRADENTON AREA CVB; ROYAL SHELL VACATIONS, INC.; ROYAL SHELL VACATIONS, INC.

Relaxing on the porch of a rental home on Anna Maria Island in Southwest Florida

Poolside elegance in the Naples area

hoods, look at typical houses, condos or townhomes, get a sense of prices, and contact a real estate professional who knows the local market and can help you make the right choice. Another strategy is to focus on your desired lifestyle, such as living in a private golf community, a high-rise on the beach or a scenic, rural location. That allows you to compare homes, prices and amenities in different communities around the state. For example, a four-bedroom estate home on the Gulf coast will cost more than a Central Florida inland location. Again, a real estate professional can help you. Plenty of room for the family

THE BOTTOM LINE If you’re considering a move to Florida, be aware there are some differences in home design and construction compared with houses in cooler climates. For instance, few Florida homes have a basement, because of the underlying hard limestone rock and high ground water level. Newer homes may be more spacious and feature modern kitchens, baths, flooring and fixtures. Florida’s leading singlefamily homebuilders include Dezer Development, The Related Group of Florida, Lennar, Toll Brothers and Minto, all of which have developed residential communities throughout the state. Condos and apartment buildings also vary widely in design and construction, and often develop distinct “personalities.” The size of the building or community can also make a big difference in terms of lifestyle, amenities and costs. A high-rise condo with 600 units is like a miniature city with many services and amenities, and a higher monthly maintenance fee. However, if the purchase price and monthly fees are a big consideration, you may prefer a smaller building with a pool, spa or entertainment area—or no amenities at all. Since condos have been a major part of the Florida market since the 1970s, the age and condition of a building can affect its desirability and price. A recently constructed residence may have a more appealing design, new appliances, marble baths and other modern features compared to an older unit that has never been updated. However, the older unit may still appeal to buyers on a tight budget.

OTHER OPTIONS If you love the Florida lifestyle, but aren’t ready to buy, consider a seasonal rental. You can enjoy the beach, boating, golf, shopping and all the attractions for several weeks or months without making a permanent financial commitment. It’s also a good way to “sample” different locations and lifestyles to see where you feel most comfortable if you do decide to purchase in the future. Almost any type of home, condo or apartment can be used as a seasonal rental at locations around the state. For example, the Condo Alliance of the Tampa Bay Beaches handles vacation resort condo rentals in the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area. Buying a vacation club membership or a time-share unit is another “in-between” option.

With a timeshare—sometimes called “interval ownership”—you can purchase one or two weeks in a professionally managed community located in your favorite destination. Many buyers like the familiarity and peace of mind that comes from returning to the same Florida community year after year. Most vacation clubs and interval-ownership programs allow you to “swap” your vacation weeks and spend that time in other locations. Or you may be able to put your unit into a rental pool if you will not be using the time yourself.

REGIONAL APPEALS While US and international visitors purchase homes and condos throughout the state, four regions tend to attract the largest share of

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

VACATION HOMES Colorful beach condominiums

state’s northwestern region appeals to families and friends also seeking a weekend getaway within a few hours drive from home.

THE PRACTICAL SIDE

FEATURED LINKS Anna Maria Vacations annamaria.com

Condo Alliance of the Tampa Bay Beaches flcondoalliance.com

Dezer Development dezerdevelopment.com

second-home purchases: Southeast, Southwest, Central and the Panhandle. Southeast Florida has traditionally attracted buyers from the Northeast US, Canada, Europe and Latin America. Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton and West Palm Beach have many waterfront condos and apartments that appeal to those accustomed to a faster-paced lifestyle, which includes cultural, shopping, dining and sports activities. Southwest Florida historically appeals to buyers from the Midwest, Canada and Europe.

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

Golf, boating and white sandy beaches are among the major attractions. This is a preferred destination for empty nesters and retirees who want a relaxing lifestyle. Central Florida is prime family vacation territory, attracting buyers from throughout the US and around the world. The primary appeal: owning or renting a home near Orlando’s theme parks and just a short drive from the beach. The Panhandle attracts buyers from throughout the Southeastern US. With its miles of beaches and small-town communities, the

Florida Association of Mortgage Professionals famb.org

Florida Realtors floridarealtors.org

Lennar lennar.com

Minto minto.com

The Florida Bar flabar.org

The Related Group of Florida relatedgroup.com

Toll Brothers tollbrothers.com

FROM THE TOP: MARK WINFREY/SHUTTERSTOCK; NICKOLAY KHOROSHKOV/SHUTTERSTOCK

Resorts in the city of Destin

After a multi-year downturn, prices for vacation homes and condos are once again on the rise in many Florida markets. Be sure to take a close look at the local community, since pricing and inventory of residences for sale can vary dramatically from neighborhood to neighborhood or from building to building. For vacation-oriented buyers, it’s best to avoid buying a foreclosure or a distressed property and to look for a home or condo that’s in “move-in” condition. Since financing a second home is an important consideration, take time to talk with several lenders about mortgage terms. One source is the Florida Association of Mortgage Professionals, which offers an online directory. It’s also a good idea to talk with an attorney before buying a home. Obtaining legal advice in advance can help you protect your investment and minimize potential tax liabilities. The Florida Bar offers an online “find a lawyer” service. While it may take a little time to navigate the legal and financial issues, purchasing a Florida home can turn a great short-term visit into an appealing long-term lifestyle. FL

BEACHES

Aerial view of Clearwater Beach in Central West Florida

Enjoying the view on Fort Lauderdale Beach

arm, blue-green water. Soft, white sand. Beaches are Florida’s original tourist attraction. With more than 1,000 statute miles of coastline and warm, usually calm waters, it’s no surprise Florida boasts some of the world’s best beaches. Gulf beaches are known for their white sand, green waters and a multitude of shells. The waves are generally tiny, and water tem-

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

peratures can get well into the 80s in the summer and quite chilly in the winter. The Atlantic waters can be a bit rougher and temperatures don’t swing as much. South Florida’s coast is warmed by the equatorial Gulf Stream current so water temperatures range from the low 70s in the winter to the low 80s in the summer. However in Central and North Florida, the Atlantic can dip into the 60s and even 50s during winter. “We’re really lucky in Florida—we don’t have any bad beaches,” says Stephen Leatherman, who produces a widely watched annual list of the nation’s top 10 beaches. “Some are better than others. It depends on what you’re looking for.”

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE Whether you’re seeking solitude or a party scene, Florida offers something for beachgoers of every stripe. Southeast Florida has much to boast about. In Miami Beach, an international party destination is just steps from the sand.

Twenty-three beach miles between Hollywood and Fort Lauderdale have been certified as Blue Wave Beaches by the Clean Beaches Council of Washington, D.C., since 1999, which ensures they are clean, safe and user-friendly. Fort Lauderdale Beach, now frequented by a tonier clientele, has been transformed into a beach-chic destination that’s within easy reach of all the best oceanfront hotels and just a hop, skip and a jump from the bars, restaurants and activities across the road. Cocoa Beach, Jacksonville Beach and St. Petersburg Beach also offer city-meets-sea vibes. If you prefer peaceful beaches, destinations such as Canaveral National Seashore on the Atlantic coast and Caladesi Island State Park in Dunedin take you away from civilization. At such remote locations, you might see more pelicans and dolphins than people. For something in between, view a sunset at Naples Pier or stroll past the mega-mansions in Palm Beach.

CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT: GREATER FORT LAUDERDALE CVB; VISIT ST. PETERSBURG/CLEARWATER; VISIT JACKSONVILLE

BY JEFF OSTROWSKI

SANDY HAVENS

AN EXPERT’S FAVORITES To identify some of Florida’s can’t-miss beaches, we turned to Leatherman. Also known as Dr. Beach, he’s the director of Florida International University’s Laboratory for Coastal Research. Leatherman travels North America to grade beaches on a 50-point scorecard, which includes facilities and sand and water quality. Among his top picks from south to north: Bahia Honda, Big Pine Key The Keys are mostly known for fishing and diving, but Leatherman recommends this spot for swimming in the Keys. Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, Key Biscayne Cross the Rickenbacker Causeway from Miami to Key Biscayne, and you feel like you’re stepping into another world. Cape Florida State Park, located at the south tip of Key Biscayne, provides clear, emerald-colored waters and gentle surf, and you can climb the Cape Florida Lighthouse. Barefoot Beach Preserve County Park, Bonita Springs Voted the sixth best beach in the US for 2013, this Gulf setting in Southwest Florida stretches for nearly two miles. Leatherman likes the shallow water, small waves, fine sand and plentiful shells.

Siesta Beach, Sarasota This stretch of sand along the Gulf of Mexico won top honors in Leatherman’s 2011 rankings. Leatherman lauds the wide, sugar-sand beach and the quality of the water. “The powdery sand is nearly pure quartz crystal,” Leatherman says. “The beautiful blue-colored water is clean and clear, making it so inviting to bathers and swimmers.” The beach park at Siesta Key includes showers and bathrooms, snack bars, grills and picnic tables. Leatherman gave the beach extra credit for banning smoking. He offers a couple of caveats: The beach gets crowded during the summer, and the water can be chilly during the winter. Fall and spring bring the right combination of lighter crowds and warmer water. Fort De Soto State Park, Tierra Verde This beach is near the bustle of St. Petersburg, but it’s also removed. “It has so much to offer,” Leatherman says. “There’s fishing from the piers. There’s shelling. They also have a dog beach now.” Caladesi Island State Park, Dunedin Most Florida beaches are cheap and accessible. Not Caladesi Island. You’ll pay $8 a vehicle to enter Honeymoon Island State Park. From

there, a 15-minute ferry ride costs $14 a person for adults and $7 for children 6 to 12. If you don’t mind a long walk, you can reach Caladesi Island by taking a two-mile stroll up the beach from Clearwater. Rewards include powdery sand, clear water, eateries, a hiking trail, kayak rentals and few crowds. Nearby Honeymoon Island also has emerged as a good pick, Leatherman says. He downgraded the beach because of debris left from a failed development. But Honeymoon Island’s beach has been cleaned up and there’s now a nature center. St. Andrews State Park, Panama City Like Caladesi Island, this is another beach that’s tough to reach—which is just the way Leatherman likes it. “That’s a bird-lover’s paradise,” Leatherman says. “It’s in the Panama City area, but a world away. It’s beautiful and unspoiled. Not many people go over there because of access.” Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park near Eastpoint This Panhandle beach boasts brilliant white sand and clear waters. Birding and fishing are popular and there’s camping and hiking. Leatherman ranks it as the third best beach in the country for 2013. FL

FEATURED LINKS Bahia Honda State Park bahiahondapark.com

Barefoot Beach Preserve County Park friendsofbarefootbeach.org

Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park floridastateparks.org/capeflorida

Caladesi Island State Park floridastateparks.org/caladesiisland

Canaveral National Seashore nps.gov/cana

Dr. Beach drbeach.org

Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park floridastateparks.org/stgeorgeisland

Fort De Soto Park pinellascounty.org/park/05_ft_desoto.htm

Siesta Beach visitsarasota.org/siesta-key

St. Andrews State Park floridastateparks.org/standrews Jacksonville Beach in Northeast Florida 2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

ROAD TRIPS

OH, WHAT SIGHTS YOU’LL SEE! BY KENNETH WILHOITE

nce Florida’s sun has baked the chill from your bones, the inevitable question arises: What else is there to do? Take a road trip, of course! From adventurous airboat rides in the Everglades to the soul-soothing sunsets over the Emerald Coast, there is a Florida road trip perfect for your whole family. Grab your camera, sun block and sense of wonder and come along for some memorable adventures in fabulous Florida.

MIAMI TO NAPLES THE EVERGLADES ALONG THE TAMIAMI TRAIL (US 41) 96 miles, 2 hours There is no better place in North America to get up close and personal with nature than in the Everglades. City-living stresses quickly recede when a warm tropical wind and the scent of nature surround you. The Tamiami Trail through the Everglades starts at exit 25 off the Homestead Extension of

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

the Florida Turnpike. Heading toward Naples, the wild beauty of the third-largest national park in the lower 48 states captures you almost instantly. The shallow-water Everglades is a 1.5-million-acre “river of grass.” The gentle flow of water between Lake Okeechobee and Florida Bay supports one of the most biologically diverse areas of the Americas. It is home to the alligator and the endangered American crocodile. Three hundred fifty species of birds, including 16 different species of wading birds, such as the roseate spoonbill (often confused with flamingos), also call the Everglades home. In addition, more than 25 species of orchids grow here naturally. An early waypoint is the Miccosukee Indian Tribe Casino on the right. Continuing west, watch for alligators along the banks of the waterway. Choose an adrenalin-charged airboat ride or in-the-water nature safari from the numerous opportunities available. The Shark Valley Visitor Center is a key stop. Located about midway, the center’s fasci-

CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT: NAPLES, MARCO ISLAND, EVERGLADES CVB; NAPLES, MARCO ISLAND, EVERGLADES CVB; VISITCITRUS.COM; ST. PETERSBURG/CLEARWATER AREA CVB; VISITCITRUS.COM

Boardwalk at the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in Naples

A golden sunset in Southwest Florida

An art gallery in Homosassa

nating displays include an underwater camera giving you an enchanting look below the surface of the ’Glades gentle flow. Plan time to drive the mile-long loop road or take the tram tour down to the Observatory Tower. Up high, you have a splendid photo opportunity to capture the grey-green grass prairie swaying like sea waves in the warm tropical breeze. The Miccosukee Indian Village is a preservation site for this small tribe’s rich traditions. The professional museum and lifestyle exhibits are entrancing. The alligator demonstrations are riveting, and you will leave thinking very differently about these Mesozoic creatures. Be sure to try the food sampler that includes ’gator steak, frog legs and Indian fry bread. Big Cypress Gallery offers both fabulous photography of the Everglades and guided walking tours for all ages. The Big Cypress National Preserve holds its not-to-be-missed Swamp Heritage Festival each December. The Festival spotlights 10,000 years of habitation in South Florida’s wilderness with thought-provoking presentations, demonstrations of the rugged life in this inhospitable place and tasty introductions to the local cuisine. In Naples, visit the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, home to one of the last remaining groves of old-growth bald cypress trees in the world. From a protected boardwalk, you can admire one of the most breathtakingly beautiful flowers in the world, the ghost orchid.

CLEARWATER TO CHIEFLAND THE NATURE ROUTE (US 19) 119 Miles, 2.5 hours without stops The nature route of Central Florida is a trip back to places where time runs slower, more gently. Start with the Cracker Country Living Museum on the Florida State Fairgrounds. Dating from 1870–1912, the museum’s 13 original buildings, exhibits and live demonstrations provide a fascinating look back in time to Florida’s rural past. Paralleling the Gulf Coast’s Big Bend, you pass hundreds of places and towns with hard-topronounce Native American words such as Chassahowitzka and Wicki Wachee, as well as

Access Honeymoon Island via the Dunedin Causeway.

others that reflect the heritage of Central Florida. For sheer beauty and tranquility, aptlynamed Honeymoon Island is accessible via the Dunedin Causeway (Route 586). Thatchedroofed bungalows, sun-drenched beaches, nature trails, and some of the best shelling on the Gulf make this an enchanting diversion. The Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge is a nature lover’s must-see. Its 31,000 acres of saltwater bays, estuaries and brackish marshes are home to more than 250 species of birds, more than 50 species of reptiles and amphibians, and at least 25 different species of mammals, including the endangered West Indian manatee. These gentle plant-eating giants are fascinating. Since the refuge is only

Snorkeling in the Crystal River, home of the manatee

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

ROAD TRIPS accessible by boat from either Chassahowitzka or Homosassa, you have a good chance to see one of these magnificent creatures. Crystal River calls itself the “home of the manatee.” The spring-fed river remains a constant 72 F year-round, attracting manatees during the winter months when the Gulf of Mexico cools off. Hook up with one of the local manatee or river tours to arrange for glassbottom boat rides and even a swim with the manatees. Stop by the Plantation for fine dining and local history. East of Chiefland, the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park is celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Yearling. The park has a number of programs planned through March 2014. The Manatee Springs State Park represents the best of Florida’s protected natural springs. This first-magnitude spring produces an average of 100 million gallons of clear, cool water daily. Meandering through hardwood wetlands connecting with the Suwannee River, the spring is a route for manatees to reach the warmer spring headwaters in winter.

CHIEFLAND TO CARRABELLE Panacea Mineral Springs in Wakulla County

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

SCENIC HISTORIC ROUTE (US 98N) 150 Miles, 2.75 hours without stops In Chiefland, Routes 27, 19 and 98 merge for the leg north. On the way to Perry, you will see the cattle and farm land typical of North Central Florida—a very different view of the Sunshine State. Perry’s annual Florida Forest Festival features lumberjack exhibitions and demonstrations. Watch for the Brahman cattle specially bred for Florida with their characteristic camel-like hump. There are also bison and deer in this stretch of the scenic drive. Turn right on Spring Creek Highway to Wakulla Springs State Park. Thought to be the deepest fresh-water spring in America, Hollywood used the springs as the location for three Tarzan movies and the horror film, Creature from the Black Lagoon in 1954. Sopchoppy, nestled in the heart of the Apalachicola National Forest, is a placid haven for the outdoor enthusiast. Watch for soaring eagles and their large nests. Carrabelle is located at the mouth of the Apalachicola River, which supplies fresh water to one of the richest oyster bays in North

CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT: V&V HOSPITALITY MEDIA SERVICES; V&V HOSPITALITY MEDIA SERVICES; EMERALD COAST CVB; BILL STRENGTH/PENSACOLA BAY AREA CVB

A quiet fishing community along Route 98

America. In November, the town hosts the Florida Seafood Festival, Florida’s oldest maritime event. All things oyster are the centerpiece of this two-day feast, which draws visitors from around the world. At the end of the day, sit on the deep porch of C-Quarters Marina with a cool drink and listen to the locals tell tales of oystering on Apalachicola Bay.

APALACHICOLA TO PENSACOLA THE EMERALD COAST ROUTE (US 98) 163 Miles, 3.5 hours without stops In the late 19th century, Apalachicola was the third-largest commercial port on the Gulf of Mexico. Today, the town is famous for the oysters still hand-tong harvested in Apalachicola Bay. Between January and March, the restored Dixie Theater hosts professional music and stage performances. Port St. Joe celebrated its centennial in 2013. Have dinner on the patio of the Sunset Coastal Grill—sweet succulent Apalachicola oysters accompanied by their specialty cheese grits—and be mesmerized by a spectacular sinking sun. Panama City Beach came in as No. 51 on CNN’s 100 most beautiful beaches in the world in 2013. White-sugar sand, one of the Gulf ’s largest natural concentrations of bottlenose dolphins and 320 days of sunshine a year are among the reasons it is the new Spring Break capital. From Miramar Beach west, the Emerald Coast Parkway passes highrises and hamlets, interspersed with nearby stretches of dunes, wilderness and breathtaking water scenes. The Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park at Fort Walton Beach offers stimulating hands-on encounters with bottlenose dolphins, sea lions, stingrays and seals. At Navarre Beach, cross the Intracoastal Waterway channel to the barrier islands to drive through the magnificent dunes along the Gulf Islands National Seashore. Pause at one or more of the pull offs and walk this wild sea oat stabilized stretch of the Emerald Coast. At the end of Pensacola Beach’s new pier, look down through the clear blue-green water at the sharks and dolphins that often congregate there. The last stop along the dunes drive, Fort Pickens stands guard to Pensacola Bay. Spanish, British and French galleons negotiated this narrow opening in the 16th and 17th centuries as they traded dominion over Florida’s first capital.

Natural unspoiled beach along the Emerald Coast of Florida

FEATURED LINKS Apalachicola National Forest fs.usda.gov/apalachicola

Big Cypress National Preserve nps.gov/bicy/index.htm

Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge fws.gov/chassahowitzka

Clyde Butcher’s Big Cypress Gallery clydebutchersbigcypressgallery.com

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary corkscrew.audubon.org

Cracker Country crackercountry.org

Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park floridastateparks.org/wakullasprings

Florida Forest Festival floridaforestfest.com

Florida Seafood Festival floridaseafoodfestival.com

Gulf Islands National Seashore Sunset in the Pensacola Bay area

Across the bay in Pensacola, visit the newly expanded National Naval Aviation Museum. Home to the Blue Angels, the original aircraft and artifacts here are priceless national treasures. Try your hand at flying a fighter jet in the flight-training simulators. An in-person visit to Joe Patti’s World Famous Seafood Market is a seafood lover’s must-do stop. For more than 80 years, this venerable waterside emporium has delivered fresh Gulf seafood to locals and now ships all over North America. FL

nps.gov/guis

Honeymoon Island State Park floridastateparks.org/honeymoonisland

Joe Patti’s Seafood joepattis.com

Manatee Springs State Park floridastateparks.org/manateesprings

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park floridastateparks.org/marjoriekinnanrawlings

Miccosukee Indian Village miccosukee.com

National Naval Aviation Museum navalaviationmuseum.org

The Everglades National Park nps.gov/ever

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

CAMPGROUNDS

Canoeists and kayakers at Oleta River State Park in North Miami

Camping on the beach in Fort Myers

hank the Tin Can Tourists. In the 1920s, they rumbled along rough roads to Florida and found their way down the coasts, living out of their cars and eating warmed-up meals from tin cans. Since then, a predictable migration of campers comes to Florida every winter, with flocks of RVs taking over vast swaths of campgrounds throughout the state. Luckily, Florida has plenty of campsites to go around. Whether you’re looking for somewhere to plunk that RV near an urban area or want a real in-the-woods experience under the shade of old oak trees, Florida’s diverse inventory of campgrounds includes more than 50 at Florida State Parks, hundreds more on other public lands, and private sites of every stripe. Bring a tent, drive down in your RV, book a cabin, or pull that fifth wheel—Florida has you covered.

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

SOUTHEAST Sunlight shimmers over blue-green waters as you look out of your tent over the calm shallows of the Atlantic Ocean in the Florida Keys. At Long Key State Park, all 60 sites are right on the beach for tent and RV campers to enjoy. Wander along nature trails, kayak through mangrove tunnels or learn about marine life at a ranger program. At John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park on Key Largo, it’s not far from its 47 campsites in a tropical forest to board a boat for snorkeling and diving adventures on the offshore coral reefs. Renting for less than US$60 per night, the rustic cabins at Oleta River State Park might be the least expensive place to stay in Miami. You’ll need to bring your own linens and bathrooms are down the trail at the bathhouse. In the heart of C.B. Smith Park in Pembroke

CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT: LEE COUNTY VCB/FORTMYERSSANIBEL.COM; GREATER MIAMI CVB; VISITCITRUS.COM; BAKER COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

BY SANDRA FRIEND

BUNKING WITH NATURE

RV site at the Chassahowitzka River Campground in Central West Florida

Pines, the 71-site RV park has full hookups and a laundry facility. Centered on Paradise Cove Water Park, it’s a place for summer enjoyment, with a driving range, mini golf and batting cages amid nearly 300 acres. From the pool deck at Lake Okeechobee Outpost in Pahokee, you can see water as far as the horizon—the vast Lake Okeechobee is one of America’s largest lakes. Bring an RV, pitch a tent or rent a waterfront cottage at the only place you can camp on the “Big O” shoreline. It’s rustic, but to be expected—it used to be a state park.

SOUTHWEST Step back into Old Florida and pitch a tent under the oaks at Fisheating Creek Outpost in Palmdale. An ancient forest shades the tentfriendly section of the campground, which hugs the cypress-lined banks of Fisheating Creek. The creek is one of Florida’s wilder places to paddle, with canoe and kayak rentals and shuttles available near the camp store. A quiet place for an RV getaway, Ortona South Campground on the Caloosahatchee River is managed by the Army Corps of Engineers. The well-groomed 51-space campground perches above the Ortona Locks so you can watch sailboats go by and get in some fishing from the piers. Set your camper up and settle in for the season at Rock Creek RV Resort in Naples, where winter activities keep residents abuzz at the clubhouse and around a heated pool.

CENTRAL EAST Sheltered by a canopy of live oaks, the 177 sites at Manatee Hammock Campground south of Titusville are riffled by breezes off the Indian River Lagoon and have a view of rocket launches at Kennedy Space Center. With 30 tent sites plus a game room and swimming pool, it’s a popular destination for family camping. Tent campers have their own escape at quiet Lake Ashby Park in Volusia County, where the playground and restrooms are within an easy walk of the deeply shaded primitive campsites.

CENTRAL Watch the sun rise over the marshes of Lake Lowery at Oak Harbor Lodging and RV Park, a 198-site family-owned campground that feels like a nature park. At Cherry Pocket Fish Camp, rustic cabins and RV sites provide out-the-door access for fishing on Lake Pierce; at night, their famed restaurant draws diners from around the region. A county park on a breezy peninsula, Trimble Park is a birder’s delight, with shady tent and camper spaces not far from antiquing in Mount Dora. Splash in a spring in the Ocala National Forest by spending a night at one of several popular campgrounds; Alexander Springs has the best swimming, snorkeling and paddling for all ages.

Ocean Pond Campground in Baker County

tent out to Anclote Key State Park—accessible only by kayak or private boat—and camp on that quiet island?

CENTRAL WEST Paddlers love Chassahowitzka River Campground, the launch point for adventures in watery Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge. Near Dade City, Withlacoochee River Park offers primitive tent sites ideal for families to take the kids on their first camping trip, as well as RV sites near a replica 1840s village. With 238 sites, many of which look out on Tampa Bay, Fort De Soto Park is on every camper’s list. But did you know you can take a

NORTHEAST In Jacksonville, you can’t get closer to the beach than Huguenot Memorial Park Campground, which features 71 sites on a spit of sand at the mouth of the St. Johns River. Campers at Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area in Flagler Beach enjoy a soft strum of the waves at night and can borrow bedtime stories from a campground library for the kids.

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

CAMPGROUNDS

FEATURED LINKS Exploring the St. Johns River and connecting with nature near Jacksonville

Alexander Springs Recreation Area floridasprings.org/visit/map/alexander-spring

Anclote Key State Park floridastateparks.org/anclotekey

Blackwater River State Park floridastateparks.org/blackwaterriver

C.B. Smith Park broward.org/parks/cbsmithpark

Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge fws.gov/chassahowitzka

Chassahowitzka River Campground chassahowitzkaflorida.com

Cherry Pocket cherrypocket.com/motel_rv ellieraysrvresort.com

Fisheating Creek Outpost fisheatingcreekoutpost.com

Fort De Soto Park pinellascounty.org/park/05_ft_desoto.htm

Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area floridastateparks.org/gamblerogers

Henderson Beach State Park floridastateparks.org/hendersonbeach

Huguenot Memorial Park visitjacksonville.com/directory/ Huguenot-Memorial-Park

Indian Pass Campground indianpasscamp.com

John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park floridastateparks.org/pennekamp

Lake Ashby Park floridahikes.com/lake-ashby-park

Lake Okeechobee Outpost palmbeachfl.com/places-to-stay Biking on Amelia Island

Long Key State Park

venue at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park, a massive campground for RVs and tents, with cabin rentals and a popular diner.

floridastateparks.org/longkey

Manatee Hammock Campground brevardcounty.us/ParksRecreation/ North/ManateeHammock

Oak Harbor Lodging & RV Park

NORTHWEST

At Ocean Pond Recreation Area in the Osceola National Forest, watch the sun set over a two-mile-wide cypress-lined lake.

NORTH CENTRAL Centered on its own bubbling spring on the Santa Fe River, Ellie Ray’s RV Resort has cabins and deeply shaded tent and RV sites. If you love concerts—from Phish to Willie Nelson—head to Florida’s top outdoor music

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

Imagine your own private white-sand beach on a gentle bend of a freshwater river. Campers at Blackwater River State Park in Santa Rosa County can sneak away from their gravel sites in the woods (optimized for RVs and campers) down a nature trail and boardwalk to a quiet getaway; day visitors to the park have a busier swimming hole upriver. For sugar-sand beaches with a salty breeze, head for Henderson Beach State Park and its 60 campsites in Destin’s dunes, or to T.H. Stone Memorial St. Joseph Peninsula State Park, with its camping options to delight all visitors, including backcountry tent camping and A-frame cabins above the bay. With tent spaces, RV sites and modern cabins overlooking the scenic straits of St. Vincent Island, Indian Pass Campground promises a quiet getaway. FL

oakharbor-rv.com

Ocala National Forest fs.usda.gov/ocala

Ocean Pond Recreation Area bit.ly/oceanpond

Oleta River State Park floridastateparks.org/oletariver

Ortona South Campground floridaparks.com/floridafederalparks/ ortonasouth.htm

Osceola National Forest fs.usda.gov/osceola

Rock Creek RV Resort rockcreekrv.com

Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park & Campground musicliveshere.com

T.H. Stone Memorial St. Joseph Peninsula State Park floridastateparks.org/stjoseph

Trimble Park floridahikes.com/trimblepark

Withlacoochee River Park swfwmd.state.fl.us/recreation/areas/ withlacoocheeriverpark.html

CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT: AMELIA ISLAND TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL; VISIT JACKSONVILLE; VISIT ST. PETERSBURG/CLEARWATER; ST. AUGUSTINE, PONTE VEDRA & THE BEACHES VCB

Ellie Ray’s RV Resort and Lounge

PETS

BY JEN KARETNICK

LEADERS OF THE PACK Beach dogs in St. Petersburg/Clearwater area

Pet-friendly dining in St. Augustine

fraid to take your pets on vacation because you’re not sure how they’ll be received? Lay your fears to rest. Many Florida venues consider Fido and Fifi part of the family and welcome them.

SHOPPING HOUNDS Kiosks at Aventura Mall between North Miami Beach and Hollywood sell carriages for small breeds to rest their paws. However, while toys and miniatures are usually perfectly acceptable in strollers or when carried along the main thoroughfare, they’re not always allowed inside stores. For a unique shopping experience, hit the Coconut Point Mall in Estero in Southwest Florida, where there are marked water fountains for dogs as well as “clean-up” stations. On the first Thursday of every month, there’s

“Dog’s Nite Out,” a gathering of canines and their caregivers, located on Cinema Way in front of Hollywood Theaters across from DipidyDawg, a gourmet bakery and boutique for pooches. Prefer to eat and drink alongside your pup? Check out Jacksonville Landing, which hosts “Yappy Hour,” complete with giveaways, treats, and a doggy beauty or lookalike contest from 2 to 5 PM every third Sunday of the month.

CANINE PLAYGROUNDS For a complete list of dog-friendly parks and beaches, visit DogFriendly.com, which offers information on 20 cities with coastal access. This handy list is especially helpful if you want to know if and where leashes are required. (While many parks and beaches invite animals

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

PETS A dog-friendly park in Miami

Sanford’s Paw Park, the oldest off-leash dog site in Central Florida, features a separate play area for small breeds, self-watering bowls, plenty of live oak shade trees and even showers to cool down your critters on sweltering days. Tampa Bay boasts more than a dozen offleash parks, including Mango Dog Park, a shady, five-acre tract with swim areas and pavilions; Curtis Hixon Waterfront Dog Park and Davis Islands Dog Park, both of which are feted for their water features; and a few Paw Playgrounds (in Anderson, Boca Ciega and Fort De Soto), which are fully fenced and even offer showers. For more water recreation and exercise, as well as raised bathing tubs and an agility course, visit Jacksonville’s off-leash, fenced, multi-acre Dog Wood Park facility.

HOWL-WORTHY EVENTS Do you travel because of your pet? If not, perhaps you should start! Orlando, for instance, hosts more than eight annual events, such as Paws in the Park Pet Walk, which raises money for the SPCA of Central Florida; the Orlando Pet Fair at the Orlando Science Center; and the Pampered Pet Expo at the Orange County Convention Center. There’s also the Annual Doggie Art Festival in nearby Winter Park and the Posh Pooch Festival, a multi-tiered contest at neighboring Celebration’s Lakeside Park. Check out Bark at the Ballpark days—one at the George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa and another at the Bright House Field in Clearwater—where you can take in a game and pet vendors simultaneously. If you’re into breed-specific destinations, head to South Beach in Miami in January, for the Dachshund Winterfest. Holidays such as Halloween are arguably the most interesting times to travel with animals, if only to participate in events such as the Pet Masquerade and Parade in Key West, which, even though the dogs are leashed, can be quite a howl.

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

to frolic, some require pets to be regulated on six-foot leashes.) One must-stop on the Gulf of Mexico is Dog Island just south of Carrabelle, which is accessible only by ferry or boat and welcomes leashed, well-behaved, four-legged sidekicks everywhere, except in the nature conservatory. South of Cocoa Beach in Central East Florida, Canova Beach Dog Park is a popular dog hangout. Be sure to enter the beach through the south crossover to avoid any fines. Prefer off-leash beaches? Consider Lee County Off-Leash Dog Park, south of Fort Myers Beach and north of Bonita Beach; Roger Scott Complex Dog Park in Pensacola, where facilities include human and hound water fountains and pooper-scooper stations; Happy Tails Canine Park in Bradenton; and Higgs Beach Dog Park in Key West, where small and large animals have separate playgrounds.

If you need a spot for your pet to stay while in Southeast Florida, check it into Camp Canine, a “country club and spa” for dogs and cats. The Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood locations are cage-free, and pets have the luxury of indulging in plenty of playtime. Grooming and shuttle services can also be arranged. Ditto The Lodge at New Tampa. Not only does this canine hotel provide special accommodation complete with exercise lanais attached to an air-conditioned suite, you can make arrangements for your pup to enjoy a swim, a private ball toss with a staff member, a HydroSurge massage bath and playtime in the park. Feline guests are welcome too. The Happy Paws Pet Resort in Orlando is virtually viral-free with hospital-grade air-conditioned units, and is double-insulated for noise reduction so your cat isn’t freaked out by barking dogs. There’s a bone-shaped salt-water pool for exercise and fun, and the staff offers “concierge” grooming services and training. With more than 80 pet-friendly business listings, Orlando is among the friendliest dog towns in Florida. The Loews Hotels group welcomes them with the “Loews Loves Pets” program, which includes personal notes from general managers on hotel pet services and local dog walking routes, gourmet pet food menus, and even catnip and videos for entertainment. The Wyndham Orlando Resort permits furry guests, as does the Sheraton Lake Buena

CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT: GREATER MIAMI CVB; GREATER MIAMI CVB; ANDY NEWMAN/FLORIDA KEYS NEWS BUREAU.

PET RETREATS Patron at a pet-friendly café in Miami

Ringing in the New Year in Key West

FEATURED LINKS Aloft Hotels starwoodhotels.com/alofthotels

Aventura Mall aventuramall.com

Camp Canine campcanineflorida.com

Canova Beach Park brevardcounty.us/ParksRecreation/South/Canova

Coconut Point Mall simon.com/mall/coconut-point

Curtis Hixon Waterfront Dog Park tampagov.net/parks

Davis Island Dog Park davisislanddogpark.com

DipidyDawg Bakery & Boutique dipidydawg.com

Dog Island Park carrabelle.org

Dog Thirty dog30.com

Dog Wood Park jaxdogs.com

Happy Tails Canine Park dogpark.com/happy-tails-canine-park

Hard Rock Hotel hardrockhotelorlando.com

Jacksonville Landing jacksonvillelanding.com

Vista Resort. The Hard Rock Hotel in Orlando permits pups on the premises and gives you a hand with pet beds, food and leashes. (For other properties in the Wyndham, Sheraton, and Hard Rock chains, call ahead to ascertain how pet-friendly the property is before booking.) Residence Inn by Marriott in Sebring allows Rover and friends; for other Residence Inns, just call and ask. For a more urban stay, check out the chic Aloft hotels, in Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Doral, Miami and Orlando, with outlets opening by the end of 2014 in Tampa and South Beach. At Aloft, the saying goes: “Pets are more than just fun—they’re family, too!”

STRUT YOUR STUFF Lincoln Road in Miami Beach is the place to stroll, especially if you’re rooming at the “pupular” palace known as the W South Beach, which provides a special pet bed and dogwalking service. You can do the same at the W Hotel Fort Lauderdale, then spend a lovely afternoon in and out of cafés and art galleries on North Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard or East Las Olas

Boulevard where many proprietors tolerate “purse-carried” pups, and nearly every outdoor café welcomes a well-behaved canine curled up under your table. Wild East Asian Bistro even has a “dog-friendly” area, so you needn’t worry about sitting near someone who is fearful of pooches. Or stroll down Duval Street in Key West. Stop in at Dog Thirty on White Street with a leashed animal for holistic and organic products, and lope around Mallory Square for two hours before sunset every evening and take in the ritualistic Key West Sunset Celebration.

Key West Sunset Celebration

TAIL-WAGGING FAVORITES

Residence Inn by Marriott

sunsetcelebration.org

Lee County Off-Leash Dog Park leeparks.org

Mango Dog Park pawsofmangopark.com

Pampered Pet Expo pamperedpetexpo.com

Paw Park of Historic Sanford pawparksanford.org

Paws Park pawsparkjaxbeach.com

Paw Playgrounds pinellascounty.org/park/dog_parks.htm

Piglet’s Pantry pigletspantry.com

Posh Pooch Festival celebration.fl.us/celebration-events/annual

Pet boutiques have sprouted throughout Florida. Plenty of treats are available at Piglet’s Pantry-Dog Bakery in Mount Dora, which also holds “Yappy Hour” every third Friday of the month. Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming in Winter Park offers a bounty of treats, and also caters to your pet’s grooming needs. There are currently 16 outlets in Florida, with more on the way. Scout out more dog-friendly spots at Florida Pet Pages (floridapetpages.com) and pet-friendly hotels at bringfido.com/lodging/state/florida. FL

marriott.com

Roger Scott Complex Dog Park visitpensacola.com/landing/pensacola-pets

Sheraton Lake Buena Vista Resort sheratonlakebuenavistaresort.com

The Lodge at New Tampa thelodgefordogs.com

The Loews Hotel Group loewshotels.com

Wild East Asian Bistro wildeastbistro.com

Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming woofgangbakery.com

Wyndham Orlando Resort wyndham.com

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

M O N E Y- S A V I N G T I P S

Order a free rewards card for savings and special offers at Aventura Mall in North Miami.

f you’re on the lookout for ways to stretch your dollar on your Florida vacation, here are some fantastic tips that can save you a bundle on everything from accommodation to theme park tickets. No special codes to memorize, no strings attached; just great offers and local tips your wallet will love.

KNOW YOUR SEASONS

Take advantage of "deal-season" hotel rates in Orlando.

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

Florida is a big state so seasons vary greatly from south to north. In January, the average high temperature in Key West is 74 F, but in Panama City Beach it is a much cooler 62 F. Know your seasons, and you’ll understand when and where to find the best deals. Winter yields great rates in northern Florida; in the heat of summer, head to southern Florida. Orlando has its own seasons, which coincide with school calendars. Meaning, if you’re like most families and have to travel during spring, summer or winter breaks, prices are higher. Visit Orlando recommends families visit during “deal season,” August 15–September 30. In ad-

dition, you can get a free Orlando Magic Card and take advantage of savings on a variety of attractions, restaurants and shopping. Get yours at VisitOrlando.com/magiccard or at the Orlando Visitors Center.

THEME PARK DISCOUNTS If you plan to spend time in any of Florida’s theme parks, such as Walt Disney World, Busch Gardens Tampa, Universal Orlando Resort and SeaWorld Orlando, do some pre-planning and purchase tickets before you arrive at the gate. There are many reputable ticket brokers you can find online—Mousesavers.com, Ticketmomma.com, UndercoverTourist.com and OfficialTicketCenter.com—all of which are well known and respected. In a glance, you can see ticket prices and any other discounts that qualify you for additional savings (military, wholesale clubs and automobile clubs). Brokers also have tickets to several dinner theater shows, such as Medieval Times and Arabian Nights, as well as other area attractions and special events.

CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT: VISIT ORLANDO; AVENTURA MALL; GREATER MIAMI CVB; GREATER MIAMI CVB

BY JILL MARTIN

ENJOY MORE FOR LESS

Buy a special pass for unlimited visits to Zoo Miami.

COLLECT COUPONS Locals have their go-to coupon books but the secret is, you don’t have to be a local to use them—you just have to know where to get your hands on one. A favorite is the Entertainment Book. Simply go to entertainmentbook.com and enter a city or zip/postal code. Buy it, then pack it! One book has literally thousands of dollars in coupons; it will pay for itself in just one day. You’ll also find coupons in the service plazas along Florida’s Turnpike. Stop in and take a moment to notice the racks of brochures with coupons inside. What’s more, four of South Florida’s top attractions—Lion Country Safari, Miami Seaquarium, Museum of Discovery & Science and Zoo Miami—offer a special pass that provides unlimited visits for 100-plus days during the summer months. Get yours at SummerSavingsPass.com.

EXPLORE LODGING OPTIONS You don’t have to sit through a two-hour vacation ownership presentation to take advantage of comfortable, spacious, condominium-style accommodation with multiple bedrooms and full kitchens. You just have to know where to make your reservation. Thousands of timeshare owners post units they are unable to use at RedWeek.com, and you can reap the roomy benefits. You can also visit the websites of vacation ownership resorts, check availability and book. Even if you can’t stay for the entire week (as timeshare units are normally leased in weekly increments), the savings will still be worth it, especially during the off-season. Favorite websites include flcondoalliance.com; LegacyVacationResorts.com; WestgateResorts.com; VRBO.com; and MyResortNetwork.com.

MEMBERSHIP RATES Score even more discounts by joining local clubs and/or organizations, if you’re not already a member. For instance, the American Automobile Association (AAA) offers discounted rates on everything to do with travel, from car rentals to hotel rooms. Wholesale shopping clubs offer travel discounts as well.

KIDS’ AND “WE” TIME Many resorts offer programs for kids as part of their amenity packages. These programs pro-

vide supervised childcare during certain hours of the day—or night—and are a far cry from being a babysitting service; they provide educational, entertaining and non-stop enjoyment! While your children are singing karaoke, dancing the conga, creating arts and crafts or learning about marine life, you and your spouse can enjoy some relaxing “we” time. What’s even more appealing is when these programs are complimentary or included with the daily resort fee, as they are at the Harbor Beach Marriott in Fort Lauderdale or Club Med Sandpiper Resort in Port St. Lucie. One of the best in the state is Splash’s Kids’ Club at the Holiday Inn Resort Panama City Beach. Do your research and be sure to ask your resort if they have a program, if they charge a fee, and what the age requirements are for participation.

FLIGHT DEALS Everyone has heard, “book at least 21 days in advance for the best price and seat availability,” however there are exceptions. Visit websites such as TripAdvisor.com or Airfarewatchdog.com and register for airfare alerts. You’ll be sent an email when fares on routes you’re interested in drop, and when they do, jump on it. Florida also has a few airports of which you might not be familiar. In 2011, Panama City’s Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP) was the first international airport to be built in the US in more than a decade. Northwest Florida Regional Airport (VPS) offers easy access to Fort Walton Beach and Destin; and Tampa International (TPA) is only an hour or two from Orlando and flight deals are frequently offered.

SOCIAL MEDIA SAVINGS Whether you love it or hate it, there are benefits to social networking. On Facebook, it’s common for resorts, hotels and attractions to offer “fans only” discounts. “Like” them and you could get a free night, free meals or a percentage-off discount. Be social media savvy, and you will most definitely save. Resorts and attractions love to tweet their deals, too—in 140 characters or less.

WATCH FOR FREEBIES If the best things in life are free, especially in Florida, then get outside. Many beaches, parks and festivals don’t charge an entrance fee, or if they do, it’s only a few dollars. In Miami, ride a bike into Matheson Hammock Park along the mangrove-lined bike path and sidestep the entry fee. You’ll find a beautiful city skyline waiting and the busiest kiteboarding beach in the south. You can also find off-the-beatenpath attractions, such as the Florida Keys Wild Bird Center in Tavernier, south of Key Largo. Admission is free (donations are welcome), and you can stroll the boardwalk to the bay, past resident owls and hawks. FL

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

WILDLIFE VIEWING

MOTHER NATURE’S GIFTS BY SUSAN B. BARNES

TAKE FLIGHT More than 500 species of birds have been documented in Florida, and with careful planning, you can likely spot a few on your list. The 2,000-mile Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail features more than 500 sites designed to promote bird and wildlifewatching opportunities, as well as encourage conservation. Additional popular birding destinations include Sanibel Island in Southwest Florida, where more than 200 species, such as the purple gallinule have been sighted; Highlands Hammock State Park in Central Florida, where the endangered scrub jay nests; Clay

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

County in Northeast Florida, where bald eagles are often spotted; and Wakulla County in Northwest Florida, where you may catch a glimpse of a snowy plover or observe the popular whooping crane migration in the late fall.

PLAYFUL DOLPHINS Everyone loves them, and there are plenty of dolphin-sighting opportunities around Florida. Whether you’re strolling the beach and spot a pod feeding offshore or taking a boat tour and catch them playing in the wake, there’s nothing quite like it! If you’re in the Apalachicola Bay area along the Gulf coast of northern Florida, watch for these playful creatures as they frolic and hunt in one of their favorite feeding grounds. Winter guests at the Night Swan Intracoastal Bed and Breakfast in New Smyrna Beach on the Atlantic side may often observe them from the dock— or their waterfront room—as mothers teach their young to feed in the safety of the Intracoastal Waterway.

GENTLE GIANTS Gentle, slow-going manatees are found throughout Florida. In the summer, they can be seen swimming along the Gulf shoreline, and in winter, they make their homes in areas where natural springs are found, venturing out only to feed on aquatic plants. Manatees, herbivores by nature, are susceptible to hypothermia and prefer water where temperatures are 72 F and higher. They cannot survive for extended periods in water colder than 63 F. During winter months, chances are you’ll see manatees at Lee County Manatee Park in Southwest Florida; Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in Central East Florida; Blue Spring State Park, bordering Central East and Central Florida; Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, TECO Manatee Viewing Center and Three Sisters Springs in Central West Florida; and Manatee Springs State Park in North Central Florida.

FROM THE LEFT: VISIT FLORIDA; JOE DETRICK/VISITCITRUS.COM

hile Florida may be renowned for its wild scenes—be it Spring Break in Daytona Beach and Panama City or any time of the year in Miami’s South Beach—there is plenty of natural—and probably better behaved—wildlife in the Sunshine State as well.

Southern bald eagles

Year-round, manatees can be observed at the Miami Seaquarium, Mote Marine Lab in Sarasota, SeaWorld Orlando, and Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa. The oldest manatee in captivity, Snooty, turned 65 in 2013 and resides at the Parker Manatee Aquarium at the South Florida Museum in Bradenton.

BOBCATS, PANTHERS AND BEARS In addition to manatees, red wolves, Florida panthers, black bears, bobcats, Key and whitetailed deer, alligators, river otters and much more can be seen at Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park in Central West Florida.

MARINE LIFE The undersea world is teeming with life and there are several areas throughout Florida where snorkeling and scuba diving rival that found in the Caribbean. John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo in the Florida Keys is one such destination. Whether you take a glassbottom boat tour, don a snorkel and mask or opt to scuba dive, you’ll be amazed by the coral reefs populated by colorful fish, and perhaps even a sea turtle or shark!

TAKE REFUGE Conservation is big in Florida and several wildlife refuges, conservancies and aquariums throughout the state rehabilitate injured animals, as well as provide educational opportunities. If you’re so inclined, you can assist in the care of rescued marine mammals by volunteering your time and helping with their rehab at the Marine Mammal Conservancy in Key Largo. The J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island features a new manatee and alligator exhibit, as well as interactive displays that encourage visitors to be actively involved. Get an up-close look at wildlife rehabilitation in the expanded wildlife hospital at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida in Naples. Peek at baby animals through a one-way glass window at the Wildlife Nursery. The Clearwater Marine Aquarium may in fact be home to the most famous rescue of all— Winter, star of the movie A Dolphin Tale.

A TURTLE’S PACE Each year, sea turtles make their way from the ocean to Florida’s coastlines to lay up to 100

eggs apiece. Turtles begin depositing their eggs in May and hatching starts in July and finishes at the end of October. Just one in every 1,000 turtles born survives to adulthood. If you’re visiting Florida during sea turtle nesting season, nighttime beach tours afford the opportunity for a front-row seat to watch this natural phenomenon. Organizations offering such excursions include Gumbo Limbo Nature Center in Boca Raton; the Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach; Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch in Southwest Florida; Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge in Melbourne Beach; and Amelia Island Sea Turtle Watch in Northeast Florida.

Meet a manatee face to face in Citrus County.

FEATURED LINKS Amelia Island Sea Turtle Watch ameliaislandseaturtlewatch.com

Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch & Shorebird Monitoring islandturtlewatch.com

Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge fws.gov/archiecarr

Blue Spring State Park floridastateparks.org/bluespring

Clearwater Marine Aquarium seewinter.com

Conservancy of Southwest Florida conservancy.org

Florida Trail Association

WATER TRAILS

floridatrail.org

The 190-mile Great Calusa Blueway Paddling Trail in Southwest Florida is ideal for canoeing, kayaking and stand-up paddling. Featuring its own mobile app, global system coordinates, and plenty of restaurants and overnight options ranging from camping to deluxe accommodation, the paddling trail is a destination unto itself. Fall visitors should check out the Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival. In Northwest Florida, take a pontoon boat ride on the Wakulla River at Wakulla Springs where wildlife abounds. Fall and winter seasons are the best times of the year to view the river’s wildlife, which includes alligators, manatees, migrating birds, deer, snakes and more. Hikers, bikers and casual walkers may spot all types of wildlife on the Florida National Scenic Trail. Covering 1,400 miles from southern Florida to northwest Florida, the trail encompasses state and county parks and forests. FL

Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail floridabirdingtrail.com

Gumbo Limbo Nature Center gumbolimbo.org

J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge fws.gov/dingdarling

Loggerhead Marinelife Center marinelife.org

Marine Mammal Conservancy marinemammalconservancy.org

New Smyrna Beach Area Visitors Bureau nsbfla.com

Night Swan Intracoastal Bed & Breakfast nightswan.com

TECO Manatee Viewing Center tampaelectric.com/company/mvc

The Great Calusa Blueway calusablueway.com

The Great Calusa Blue Paddling Festival calusabluewaypaddlingfestival.com

The Parker Manatee Aquarium southfloridamuseum.org/TheAquarium

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

GOLF

CHASING THE SWEET SPOT BY EDWARD SCHMIDT JR.

The PGA Tour's Honda Classic crowd in Palm Beach

or a golfer, arriving in Florida is much like standing in front of a massive buffet table with no idea what to select. There are so many enticing golf course possibilities, the task is difficult, but, oh, so enjoyable. Few places in the world have the immense selection of golf courses like Florida. There are nearly 1,500 courses in diverse settings and styles with big-name designer tags such as Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Pete Dye and Tom Fazio, to name a few. Better still, the well-designed layouts feature a variety of tee settings offering play opportunities for all skill levels. Whether you’re a professional fine-tuning your game or a novice just starting out, you’ll find a great place to tee up in Florida. So grab your clubs, bring your “A” game and peruse this enviable golf menu.

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT: PALM BEACH COUNTY CVB; NAPLES, MARCO ISLAND, EVERGLADES CVB; VISIT ORLANDO; ST. LUCIE COUNTY TOURISM

Golfers in paradise

The Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate

SOUTHEAST Gentlemen and ladies, start your golf carts. Whether it’s Miami, Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale or another beach community, you’re never far from a golf course. Donald Trump recently purchased the Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Miami and is spending millions to upgrade an already outstanding resort where five championship golf courses beckon players. In Aventura, 18 miles north of Miami, Turnberry Isle Miami has two palm- and lakedotted courses with high-impact water features. The property showcases a Mediterranean-designed resort hotel, voted one of the “world’s best” by Travel + Leisure Magazine. PGA National Resort and Spa in Palm Beach Gardens is home to The Champion, site of the PGA Tour’s annual Honda Classic, and four other impressive layouts plus the PGA National Golf Academy.

SOUTHWEST Encompassing golf-happy communities such as Naples, Fort Myers and Sarasota, this region of the state is extremely welcoming to the whitedimple ball set. The upscale, family-owned Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club has been entertaining golfers since the late 1920s. Redesigned, refurbished and enhanced several times, the course often receives accolades as one of the top women-friendly golf courses in the nation. For fans of legendary Scottish designer Donald Ross, the venerable Bobby Jones Golf Club in Sarasota has two 18-hole championship courses and a nine-hole executive course ideal for players of all skill levels.

The 8th hole at the PGA Village in Port St. Lucie

CENTRAL EAST Daytona Beach is home to the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), which is headquartered at LPGA International, an upscale resort/residential complex with two highly rated layouts: the Arthur Hills-designed Legends Course and the Rees Jones Champions Course. To fully immerse you in the golf experience, the PGA Village in Port St. Lucie, owned and operated by the PGA of America, has 54 holes

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

GOLF outs designed separately by Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and Arnold Palmer as well as the ANNIKA Academy, a golf school and teaching facility headed by golf great Annika Sorenstam.

CENTRAL Home to celebrity golfers such as Bubba Watson, Annika Sorenstam and Arnold Palmer, Orlando, which has more than 125 courses within a 45mile radius, is a fantastic golf destination. The Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate is one of the state’s most comprehensive golf resorts with two championship courses designed by Greg Norman, a lighted nine-hole, par 3 layout, and the world headquarters for the David Leadbetter Golf Academy. For those who love Scottish and links-style golf, the Villas of Grand Cypress Orlando is home to Jack Nicklaus’ New Course, which incorporates replicas of St. Andrews’ stone bridges and walls, deep pot bunkers and seven double greens. Nicklaus also designed 27 other holes at the resort. Less than a 10-minute drive from Walt Disney World, Reunion, a Wyndham Grand Golf & Spa Resort, features three 18-hole lay-

CENTRAL WEST There are an estimated 100 public-access courses in the Tampa metropolitan area with an excellent selection of resort and daily fee layouts. Two Arnold Palmer-designed courses await you at Saddlebrook Resort in Wesley Chapel near Tampa. A wonderland of cypress, pines, palms, undulating fairways and well-maintained greens, the courses are the quintessential high-quality Florida resort experience. If you want to play where the pros tee up, the 900-acre Innisbrook, a Salamander Golf & Spa Resort in Palm Harbor, offers 72 holes of golf including the spectacular Copperhead Course, which hosts the PGA Tour each March for the Tampa Bay Championship. Highly rated TPC Tampa Bay, a co-design by Bobby Weed and Chi Chi Rodriguez, is a great challenge in a natural setting that’s been designated as an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary. Golfing in Ponte Vedra

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

NORTHEAST FLORIDA This golf aplenty area is brimming with highprofile courses and resorts. In Ponte Vedra Beach, headquarters for the PGA Tour, the Sawgrass Golf Resort & Spa is home to 99 holes of golf featuring THE PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass, where the famous No. 17 island hole awaits you. Near St. Augustine, the sprawling 6,300-acre World Golf Village resort/residential development draws golf enthusiasts with the World Golf Hall of Fame and the King & Bear and the Slammer & Squire courses. Two other area resorts on golfers’ must-play lists are Hammock Beach, a Salamander Golf & Spa Resort in Palm Coast with 36 holes of ex-

FEATURED LINKS Bay Point Wyndham Resort baypointwyndham.com Doral Golf Resort & Spa trumphotelcollection.com/miami Fountains Country Club fountainscc.com

Hammock Beach hammockbeach.com Innisbrook innisbrookgolfresort.com LPGA International lpgainternational.com Mark Bostick Golf Course ufgolfcourse.com Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort omnihotels.com Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate omnihotels.com Perdido Bay Golf Club perdidobaygolf.com PGA National Resort & Spa pgaresort.com PGA Village St. Lucie pgavillage.com Reunion reunionresort.com Saddlebrook Resort Tampa saddlebrook.com Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort sandestin.com Sawgrass Golf Resort & Spa sawgrassmarriott.com Southwood Golf Club southwoodgolf.com The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club naplesbeachhotel.com TPC Tampa Bay tpctampabay.com Turnberry Isle Miami turnberryislemiami.com Villas of Grand Cypress Orlando grandcypress.com World Golf Village worldgolfvillage.com

FROM LEFT BOTTOM: ST. AUGUSTINE, PONTE VEDRA & THE BEACHES VCB; PANAMA CITY BEACH CVB

designed by Tom Fazio and Pete Dye and a stateof-the-art 35-acre learning and performance center for instruction and game improvement.

An 18-hole championship course in Panama City Beach on the Gulf coast

later renovated and modernized by architect Bobby Weed in 2001.

NORTHWEST

ceptional golf, and Omni Amelia Island Plantation, 30 miles north of Jacksonville, which has three picturesque and challenging courses certified by the Audubon International Certified Sanctuaries.

NORTH CENTRAL Away from the theme parks and attractions, this region of the state offers a slower pace and superb golf options.

Southwood Golf Club in Tallahassee, a design by PGA Tour star Fred Couples, is set on lush former pastureland accented by rolling hills, giant oaks dripping with Spanish moss and impressive native grass areas. In Gainesville, the Mark Bostick Golf Course, situated on the northwest corner of the University of Florida campus, is a legendary Florida course, designed by Scotsman Donald Ross in the 1920s and

Known for its outstanding deep-sea fishing, the town of Destin is also home to Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, a 2,400-acre resort development offering play on four championship golf courses. Highlighting the impressive lineup is the Raven Golf Club, a Robert Trent Jones, Jr. design that weaves through marshes and pine trees, and the Rees Jones-designed Burnt Pine Golf Club, with its phenomenal views along the Choctawhatchee Bay. In Panama City Beach, Bay Point Wyndham Resort has two layouts that provide a comprehensive test of your golf skills. The resortâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s high-profile Nicklaus Course has spectacular panoramic views of St. Andrews Bay and the Grand Lagoon. The Pensacola area entices golfers with up to 15 courses, including the Perdido Bay Golf Club, a venerable championship layout that was the former site of the Pensacola Open for 10 years. FL

WEDDINGS AND HONEYMOONS

HAPPILY EVER AFTER STARTS HERE

BY KRISTEN MANIERI

A vintage wedding in St. Augustine

n endless number of wedding venues span the Sunshine State, making it the perfect place to plan a dream destination nuptial. From pirate ships to royal castles to barefoot beach ceremonies, Florida has it all.

ROMANCE ON THE HIGH SEAS Bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Gulf of Mexico to the west, it’s no surprise Florida has a bevy of boats ready to sail couples and their guests into the sunset. For those planning a large event, a luxury yacht might be in order, such as the Yacht StarShip, which departs from downtown Tampa’s Channelside or from Clearwater and accommodates up to 600 guests. In Miami, the 135-foot Carrousel yacht can sail locally or all the way to the Bahamas. It comes with a dining room, dance floor, and expansive deck for an outdoor ceremony with the twinkling Miami skyline as a backdrop. Located in beautiful Destin, SunQuest Cruises offers weddings aboard Solaris, a three-deck luxury yacht with 5,300 square feet of passenger space and a chef team capable of cooking up a gourmet spread.

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

For an intimate affair, New Moon Sailing on Captiva Island sails up to six guests to Pine Island Sound on the Gulf of Mexico, or it can take couples to a nearby island for a private beach wedding. Disney Cruise Line, departing from Port Canaveral, gives couples the chance to exchange “I do’s” on board the ship or during a beachside ceremony on Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay. For a swashbuckling affair, couples might consider a pirate ship wedding at a few different locales throughout Florida, including on board the Black Raven in St. Augustine where brides can marry their matey at sea by an officiant clad in pirate duds. There’s also the 100-foot Buccaneer Pirate Cruise sailing from Destin, as well as Captain Jack Sparrow’s weddings at sea, located in the Florida Keys.

SUNSET SHINDIGS Visitors to Florida’s Gulf of Mexico will find hundreds of miles of coastline perfect for sunset views and beachfront wedding vows.

CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT: GENE DUNCAN; GLENN HASTINGS/FLORIDASHISTORICCOAST.COM; AMELIA ISLAND CVB

Cinderella Castle in Magic Kingdom

In Key West, where the sunset is celebrated every night, the Ocean Key Resort & Spa hosts weddings on its Sunset Pier, an expansive deck surrounded by turquoise water. Couples tying the knot at the Ritz-Carlton Sarasota can choose from a variety of reception sites on its 11-acre property, including the Beach Club, perched right on a white sandy beach. At nearby Longboat Key, brides and grooms host a barefoot event on the snow-white sands of the Resort at Longboat Beach Club. For a casual affair, couples can consider the Sandbar Restaurant on Anna Maria Island where a menu of local seafood and fun frozen cocktails make the perfect complement to the amazing nightly sunsets. Located on the palatial Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort, Walker’s Landing provides a rare sunset wedding venue on Florida’s east coast. Situated on the marsh side of the Plantation, this octagonal-shaped facility boasts a sprawling balcony overlooking the wild salt marsh. Gaining in popularity are sunrise weddings, which are ideal for couples looking to get married on the Atlantic coast. Great options include a ceremony on St. Augustine Beach followed by a brunch reception at the House of the Sea & Sun or The Hoyt House, a luxury Amelia Island inn, which hosts small sunrise beach ceremonies followed by champagne

brunches back at its dining room in the Historic District of Fernandina Beach.

CASAS AND CASTLES Florida is filled with historic homes and luxurious mansions where couples can say “I do” in style. In St. Augustine, the castle-like Lightner Museum, built by Henry Flagler in 1887, and the Casa Monica Hotel both provide venues for brides looking to play up an historic theme enhanced by horse-drawn carriage rides and private trolley tours through the streets of America’s oldest city. Another historic spot is Ellenton’s Gamble Plantation, an antebellum mansion that was once an extensive sugar plantation. Not too far away in Sarasota, it doesn’t get any more opulent than a wedding at Ca’ d’Zan Terrace, the Venetian Gothic-styled waterfront mansion located on the Ringling estate and overlooking Sarasota Bay. The pre-eminent spot for nuptials in Miami is the Vizcaya Museum & Gardens where the sprawling grounds of this magical mansion make for an unforgettable affair. With Cinderella Castle perched in the distance, the Wedding Pavilion at Walt Disney Word Resort is always a favorite for the true princess-at-heart. After the ceremony, brides can choose from a seemingly limitless list of reception sites including one of the countries at Epcot’s World Showcase. FL

The palatial Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort in Northeast Florida

FEATURED LINKS Black Raven blackravenadventures.com

Buccaneer Pirate Cruise destinpirateship.com

Ca' d’Zan Terrace ringling.org

Carrousel Yacht Extraordinaire carrouselyacht.com

Captain Jack Events jacksparrow.net

Casa Monica Hotel casamonica.com

Discovery Cove discoverycove.com

Disney Cruise Line disneycruise.disney.go.com

Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings & Honeymoons disneyweddings.disney.go.com

Gamble Plantation floridastateparks.org/gambleplantation

Lightner Museum lightnermuseum.org

Magic Kingdom Park Disneyworld.disney.go.com

New Moon Sailing newmoonsailing.com

Ocean Key Resort & Spa oceankey.com

Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort omnihotels.com/Resorts.aspx

Sandbar Seafood & Spirits sandbar.groupersandwich.com

SunQuest Cruises sunquestcruises.com

The House of the Sea & Sun houseofseaandsun.com

The Hoyt House hoythouse.com

The Resort at Longboat Key Club longboatkeyclub.com

The Ritz-Carlton Sarasota ritzcarlton.com/Sarasota

Universal Orlando Resort universalstudios.com

Vizcaya Museum & Gardens vizcayamuseum.org

Yacht StarShip Dining Cruises yachtstarship.com

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

S PAS

Pool at the Ritz-Carlton South Beach in Miami

Marriott Sawgrass Spa pool

pa life and Florida go together as brilliantly as the state’s glorious sun, sand and sea. Spanish explorer Ponce de León landed in 1513 near present-day St. Augustine in search of a mythical fountain of youth that he had heard about from Native Americans. Now, 500 years later, the quest for beauty and wellness is stronger than ever. Deluxe spas are opening in chic urban boutique hotels, as well as in large resorts that also focus on golf, tennis and kids’ stuff. More than 100 major properties throughout the state have top-drawer wellness centers where guests can choose from blissed-out relaxation, fitness routines or the pursuit of beauty and buff bodies. It’s all blended with the flavors of Florida. Citrus scrubs, oils infused with aromatic hibiscus and massages with bamboo wands are some of the indulgences. Here’s a peek at some of Florida’s finest spa sanctuaries.

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

SOUTHEAST Florida’s Gold Coast is possibly the world’s most glamorous stretch of luxurious hotels and spas. Here, you need beautiful beach-worthy bodies and tender-loving skin care. Start at the sexy Bliss Spa at W South Beach, which rocks with house music, a hot milk and almond pedicure and painless waxing—so they say! You can Blissspa in the party town of Fort Lauderdale, too. The oceanfront Ritz-Carlton, South Beach is one of Miami’s superbly redesigned art deco hotels. It has a museum-worthy art collection, a VIP floor and the DiLido Beach Club with a master mixologist. The sensual Rhythm Massage at the Ritz-Carlton Spa combines Carita products from France and Latin music. Also oceanfront, the Trump International Beach Resort is a modern landmark in Sunny Isles Beach. At Trump’s luxurious Aquanox Spa, you can customize treatments in your guest room or pool cabana and add bubbly and choco-

CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT: MARRIOTT SAWGRASS; RITZ-CARLTON SOUTH BEACH; BLUE HARRMONY SPA; THE WESTIN DIPLOMAT RESORT & SPA

BY ROCHELLE LASH

A WORLD OF WELLNESS

Lounge at the Blue Harmony Spa in Orlando

late truffles. The coco balm wrap and the Citrus Samba are among Florida-forward services. The Heavenly Spa at The Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa in Hollywood recently opened with panoramic water views, the delicate aroma of white tea and the latest in body and spiritual wellness. The Illumination Facial combines Vitamin C, algae and organic mud to clarify skin. The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood mixes action at the gaming tables with soothing spa programs. The Orange Blossom Special will buff your body with pure sugar cane and aromatic oils. Do a Seminole vacation biathlon by combining this location with another resort-casino in Tampa. The stunning Seagate Hotel & Spa is a discovery in the cool town of Delray Beach. This posh boutique hotel has its own beach club, country club and the Seagate Spa with a Vichy shower and a Hot Yoga studio. Don’t you just love the GirlsJust-Want-to-Have-Wine package featuring a Chardonnay pedicure and a Merlot facial? Nature is the theme at N Spa at The Delray Beach Marriott where pure essential oils and herbal essences are used. The blissful stone massage hydrates and nourishes skin and the scalp massage delivers vitamins with warm oil. Palm Beach County is a haven for the high life. At the iconic Spa at The Breakers, insiders opt for the Moonlight Massage, the Cardio Kick class and the Guerlain Abeille Royale Facial with bee products. The luxurious Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa (formerly the Ritz-Carlton) offers one of the richest body and face treatments in the world, done with a fusion of crushed diamonds, rubies, sapphires and amethysts.

SOUTHWEST The picturesque communities of Fort Myers, Sanibel Island, Marco Island and Naples are calm havens for superior spa retreats. For water lovers, the Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club has had a major makeover, adding a delightful beachfront pool complex. At the spa, your skin is pampered with hydrotherapy baths infused with minerals and aromatherapy oils. The Spa at the Hilton Marco Island Beach Resort, facing the glorious Gulf of Mexico, likes to tailor treatments to each guest. Ponce de

León would have adored the Eminence antiaging facial, almost a fountain of youth. Nearby, the Marriott Marco Island Resort & Spa has unveiled $250 million in renovations. Here, the spa features fitness classes, plunge pools and a Balinese massage incorporating Hindu, Chinese and European techniques. The luxurious, eco-sensitive Stillwater Spa at Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa in Bonita Springs offers private yoga, Caribbean hair braiding and an ancient Eastern massage administered by the therapist’s feet.

CENTRAL EAST Spa guests are encouraged to embrace their Zen at the Costa d’Este Resort in Vero Beach, a chic, beachfront, celebrity-owned haven with sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean, where specialty treatments include an 80-minute personalized body ritual guaranteed to take you to the ultimate state of relaxation. Similar indulgences also await you at the Shores Resort & Spa in Daytona Beach. Among them is an 80-minute massage for couples, featuring sensual lavender aphrodisia body oil followed by a candlelit soak in a claw foot bathtub infused with sea salts and rose petals.

The fitness studio at The Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa in Hollywood

TIP Special spa weeks offer discounted treatments. Florida Spa Week (spaweek.com) takes place in April and October. Miami and The Beaches present specials in July and August (MiamiSpaMonth.com) and Fort Lauderdale is on the beat in September (sunny.org/hotels/spas/spa-chic). For more locations, log onto visitflorida.com.

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

S PAS

Yoga on the beach at the Marriott Marco Island Resort & Spa

Couples Spa at Omni Amelia Island Plantation

Grande Lakes has new dermatologistdeveloped treatments and a Grande Ultimate Rescue massage.

FEATURED LINKS Aquanox Spa trumpmiami.com/spa-salon

CENTRAL WEST The 60-year-old Tahitian Inn captures the grace of Old Florida at the heart of South Tampa. The Tahiti Seaweed Wrap and the Polynesian Body Polish are among favorites at the pretty South Seas-inspired Serenity Spa.

Bliss World South Beach blissworld.com/spa

Blue Harmony Spa blueharmonyorlando.com

Costa dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Este Beach Resort costadeste.com

Eau Spa eauspa.com

Heavenly Spa

CENTRAL Chilling out at a spa is just the ticket after a full-day outing at Walt Disney World, Universal Studios Florida, SeaWorld Orlando or the Kennedy Space Center. The new Blue Harmony Spa at the Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek caters to the next generation. The Clear and Pure Facial is geared toward teens while the Fancy Fingers Manicure is tailored to children 6 to 11. The sophisticated spa at the Ritz-Carlton Orlando,

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

The area surrounding Jacksonville is a water wonderland with eco-adventures, quiet beaches, history, plus all-around golf, tennis and wellness getaways, such as the Ponte Vedra Beach Resort and the Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort and Spa. The spa at the picturesque Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort offers the sublime Plantation Blossom Ritual with lemon, papaya, cherry blossom and rice powder cream to soften the skin and invigorate the body.

diplomatresort.com/heavenly-spa

Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort Golf Club and Spa marcoislandmarriott.com

N Spa nspas.com

Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club naplesbeachhotel.com

Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort omnihotels.com/ameliaisland

Ponte Vedra Beach Resorts pontevedra.com

Ritz-Carlton South Beach ritzcarlton.com/southbeach

Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa sawgrassmarriott.com

Serenity by the Sea sandestinbeachhilton.com/serenity

Stillwater Spa coconutpoint.hyatt.com

NORTHWEST

Tahitian Inn

The dreamy northwest Gulf coast around Pensacola and Panama City is home to splendid beaches and resort life. Serenity by the Sea, the spa at Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa, does body treatments to the music of waterfalls and offers customized sports pedicures and pregnancy massages. FL

The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes

tahitianinn.com the-ritz-carlton.grandelakes.com

The Seagate Hotel & Spa theseagatehotel.com

The Spa at The Breakers thebreakers.com/the_spa_at_the_breakers

The Spa at the Hilton Marco Island Beach Resort hiltonmarcoisland.com/thespa.aspx

The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino seminolehardrockhollywood.com

FROM THE TOP: MARRIOTT MARCO ISLAND RESORT & SPA; OMNI AMELIA ISLAND PLANTATION

NORTHEAST

SPORTS

PLENTY OF ACTION FOR ALL

BY JEFF OSTROWSKI

Follow your favorite team during spring training season in Florida.

rom laid-back spring training games to frenzied football action, Florida offers sports fans a bit of everything. There’s auto racing, tennis, golf—even hockey. And if you’re more interested in participating, Florida offers plenty of action on water and land.

START YOUR ENGINES In Florida’s auto-racing world, no event looms larger than the Daytona 500. NASCAR’s biggest race is scheduled for February 23, 2014, at Daytona International Speedway, which is home to other events throughout the year. For fans who prefer to know what it feels like to ride shotgun or to sit behind the wheel, the Richard Petty Driving Experience lets you ride in and even drive a stock car on the famous 2.5-mile oval. The Homestead-Miami Speedway also hosts a NASCAR race and other events. Like Daytona, this track also gives fans a chance to drive. Its Mario Andretti Racing Experience sells training sessions that include either a ride-

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

along or solo drives for five or eight racing minutes in an open cockpit, full-size Indy car.

PLAY BALL! Baseball is a big deal in Florida, where the Major League Baseball season starts early. Every March, Florida’s Grapefruit League is home to spring training for 15 clubs, including the Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays. The state’s spring-training stadiums have undergone a major upgrade over the years. Fans no longer sit on metal bleachers. Instead, the ballparks have turned into smaller versions of Major League stadiums, complete with luxury suites. Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter (spring-training home to the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals) was designed by the same architecture firm that drew up the well-regarded Camden Yards in Baltimore. For years, Florida’s big-league baseball ended in April, when the players headed north.

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EverBank Field, home of the NFL Jacksonville Jaguars

Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach

But now Florida is home to two big-league teams, the Miami Marlins and the Tampa Bay Rays. The Marlins, who won the World Series in 1997 and 2003, play in a striking new stadium in Miami. Because Marlins Park has a retractable roof, rainouts no longer pose a problem. Among the new park’s quirky features are an outfield sculpture that twirls when a Marlin hits a home run and a bobblehead museum. Join the party at the Clevelander at Marlins Park where up to 250 fans can enjoy field-level seats, accessibility for the disabled, table service located beside the visiting team bullpen and a menu of classic food selections. The Rays, who reached the World Series in 2008, play in Tropicana Field, an indoor stadium in St. Petersburg. Polo in Wellington

COURTSIDE FANATICS Florida has emerged as a basketball powerhouse, too, thanks to LeBron James’ high-profile decision to join the Miami Heat in 2010. The Heat reached the NBA Finals in 2011 but lost, then won the NBA championship in 2012 and 2013. The state’s other NBA team, the Orlando Magic, has reached the NBA finals twice. College hoops are big news, too. The Florida Gators have won two NCAA championships and Florida State and the University of Miami field strong teams.

FOOTBALL FEVER Florida fans are passionate about all their sports, but football has the strongest hold. The state is home to three NFL teams—the Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jacksonville Jaguars. Florida fans love their pro teams, however they’re even more excited about their college teams. Florida, Florida State and Miami all have produced NCAA championships and Heisman Trophy winners. The football teams at the University of Central Florida and the University of South Florida have stepped up their games in recent years.

HOCKEY BUZZ Hockey doesn’t generate the same passion among Florida fans as other sports, but the Sunshine State boasts two NHL teams nonetheless. The Florida Panthers play in Sunrise, near Fort Lauderdale, and the Tampa

Bay Lightning skate in Tampa. Both teams have enjoyed occasional success. The Lightning won the Stanley Cup in 2004, and the Panthers reached the NHL finals in 1996.

GRAND SLAMS While hockey isn’t exactly synonymous with Florida, tennis is. The Sony Open in Key Biscayne offers spectators the chance to see some of the sport’s biggest stars. In 2013, Andy Murray won the men’s tournament while Serena Williams captured the women’s trophy. The 2014 event is scheduled for March 17–30. The annual Delray Beach International Tennis Championship also draws a big crowd.

EQUESTRIAN EVENTS Florida is home to a dozen high-profile teams and a number of big-time events, however there are plenty of highlights that’ll never make SportsCenter. For horsepower on four legs rather than four wheels, check out the Palm Beach International Equestrian Club, a mecca for the horsey set in Wellington, west of Palm Beach. The 120-acre club hosts the Winter Equestrian Festival, the nation’s largest and richest grand prix jumping event. Olympic equestrian athletes from around the world compete. Wellington also is home to International Polo Club Palm Beach, which attracts players from around the world.

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

SPORTS Kayak through mangrove trails in the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area.

If you’d rather participate than watch, Florida offers no shortage of opportunities. Florida is most famous for its water sports, and fishing tops the list. Anglers can find plenty to like in Florida, a state that counts more than 2,000 miles of tidal shoreline, 7,000-plus lakes and more than 10,000 miles of rivers. The state is responsible for some 700 world-record catches, according to the Florida Sports Foundation. Saltwater anglers can cast from the beach or from one of the state’s dozens of piers, and they can reach deeper waters by boat. In the Atlantic, there are blue marlin, grouper, amberjack, wahoo, dolphin, snook, redfish, bluefish and Spanish mackerel, among other species. Gulf catches can include sea trout, grouper, pompano, shark, mackerel, snapper, snook and tarpon. For freshwater anglers, the primary prize is the largemouth bass. March and April, when the bass swim into shallow water for spawning, are prime time for catching bass. The largemouth bass is the most common type of bass in the lakes of Central Florida and South The artificial reef Spiegel Grove in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary off Key Largo

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

Florida. In North Florida, anglers can catch the smaller Suwannee bass in the Suwannee River, the Ochlockonee River and the Santa Fe River. Even if you don’t land a record fish, you can witness the feats of anglers who have. At the International Game Fishing Association Fishing Hall of Fame & Museum in Dania Beach, nearly 200 specimens that broke world records are on display, including a 2,664-pound great white shark. The museum includes interactive and educational displays, an outdoor wetland and a library filled with books and videos about fishing.

LEAVE ONLY BUBBLES If you’d like to get up close to Florida’s marine life, the state’s warm, clear waters are ideal for snorkeling and diving. Among the easily accessible snorkeling destinations are John Pennekamp State Park in Key Largo and John MacArthur State Park in Palm Beach Gardens. The state’s reefs and shipwrecks are a paradise for divers. The waters off the Keys are home to numerous shipwrecks that have turned into reefs, such as the Spiegel Grove, a

CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT: VISIT FLORIDA; VISIT ST. PETERSBURG/CLEARWATER; ANDY NEWMAN/FLORIDA KEYS NEWS BUREAU/HO

GONE FISHING

FEATURED LINKS Alafia River State Park floridastateparks.org/alafiariver

Daytona International Speedway daytonainternationalspeedway.com

Florida Gators gatorzone.com

Florida Grapefruit League floridagrapefruitleague.com

Florida Panthers panthers.nhl.com

Florida Sports Foundation flasports.com

Florida Trail Association floridatrail.org

Footprints in the Sand Eco Trail visitpensacolabeach.com/eco-trail

Fort Lauderdale A1A Marathon & Half Marathon a1amarathon.com

Gasparilla Distance Classic tampabayrun.com

Gate River Run gate-riverrun.com Runners in the Annual Seven Mile Bridge Run near Marathon in the Florida Keys

Homestead-Miami Speedway homesteadmiamispeedway.com

International Game Fish Association

510-foot Navy ship, which was sunk near Miami in 2002 after it was retired. The vessel sits in 130 feet of water. Now covered with sponges and corals, it attracts schools of tropical fish. Experienced divers can enter the old vessel, however dive operators steer beginners away from swimming inside the Spiegel Grove.

CHALLENGING RACES Florida offers some of the best ocean swimming you’ll find anywhere, so be sure to pack your goggles. If you’re interested in more than just a casual swim, consider one of Florida’s open-water swim races. Swim Miami hosts races ranging from one mile to 10 kilometers in April, and the Tampa Bay Open Water Swim stages one-mile and half-mile swims in May. Truly hard-core endurance athletes can sign up for the 12.5-mile Swim Around Key West, held each June. In 2013, the winner completed the course in just over four hours. For athletes who like to bike and run after they swim, Florida offers a busy schedule of triathlons. The Miami and Tampa regions host a number of tris, and Clermont, just west of Orlando, has emerged as a hub for athletes who want to go faster. Clermont’s National Training Center includes a 76-yard pool and physiology lab. Runners looking for warm weather and flat courses are attracted to Florida’s winter races. Among the big events in 2014 are the Walt Disney World Half Marathon (January 11) and Marathon (January 12), the Miami Marathon and Half Marathon (scheduled for February 2),

the Fort Lauderdale A1A Marathon & Half Marathon (February 16), Tampa’s Gasparilla Distance Classic 15K (February 22) and Jacksonville’s Gate River Run 15K (March 8).

igfa.org

International Polo Club Palm Beach internationalpoloclub.com

Jacksonville Jaguars jaguars.com

John D. MacArthur State Park

HIT THE TRAILS If you prefer trails to pavement, Florida offers hiking and mountain biking—however you might have to search for trails that are firm amid Florida’s sandy soil. Oleta River State Park in North Miami Beach—home to a series of trail races and offroad triathlons—is an oasis of calm in the midst of the bustling city. You can canoe and kayak in a natural preserve and watch dolphins and manatees. If you want to break a sweat, try hiking, mountain biking or trail running on the park’s twisting single-track trails. Alafia River State Park, east of Tampa, is another hot spot for hiking, mountain biking and trail running. This park south of Brandon includes 37 miles of trails on gently rolling terrain. Pensacola Beach in Northwest Florida is establishing itself as a premier eco destination with the completion of the Footprints in the Sand Eco Trail in 2013. Along the way, hikers learn the secrets of Pensacola Beach’s white sand, discover the dangerous journeys of sea turtles, identify mysterious seashells and much more. Serious hikers love the Florida Trail, a 1,400mile network of hiking paths through the middle of the state. Marked with a distinctive bright-orange blaze, the Florida Trail offers plenty of opportunity to spot alligators and birds. FL

macarthurbeach.org

John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park pennekamppark.com

Mario Andretti Racing Experience andrettiracing.com

Miami Dolphins miamidolphins.com

Miami Heat nba.com/heat

Miami Marathon and Half Marathon ingmiamimarathon.com

Miami Marlins miami.marlins.mlb.com

National Training Center usantc.com

Oleta River State Park floridastateparks.org/oletariver

Orlando Magic nba.com/magic

Palm Beach International Equestrian Club equestriansport.com

Richard Petty Driving Experience drivepetty.com

Roger Dean Stadium rogerdeanstadium.com

Sony Open Tennis www.sonyopentennis.com

Spiegel Grove spiegelgrove.com

Swim Around Key West swimaroundkeywest.com

Tampa Bay Buccaneers buccaneers.com

Tampa Bay Lightning lightning.nhl.com

Tampa Bay Open Water Swim swimacrossamerica.org/TampaBay

Tampa Bay Rays tampabay.rays.mlb.com

Walt Disney World Half Marathon and Marathon rundisney.com/Disneyworld-marathon

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

ECOTOURISM

BY SANDRA FRIEND

GO WILD

Kayaking off the coast of Sarasota in Southwest Florida

ild places define Florida, however it’s the scenery and the wildlife that make a visit to the Sunshine State truly unique. Nowhere else in the United States are there mangrove-lined shores and American crocodiles, hundreds of shimmering freshwater springs and lush tropical forests. With thousands of miles of trails on land and on water, Florida is a top-notch destination for nature lovers. Home to more than 160 state parks and the birthplace of the National Wildlife Refuge System, it is also a haven for wildlife rescue and animal rehabilitation. Explore on your own or hire a guide—but go, learn and enjoy.

SOUTHEAST The Everglades, the watery heart of South Florida, covers more than 734 square miles of sawgrass prairies, mangrove swamps and trop-

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

ical hammocks. You won’t find anything like it on Earth. Experience the heart of this wilderness via its many trails, roads and guided tours offered in Everglades National Park, including the popular Shark Valley Tram Tours. Paddle through the water supply for West Palm Beach on a guided trip at Grassy Waters Preserve, which encompasses 23 square miles of Everglades habitat, or slosh through its summer sogginess at Apoxee Park, a designated urban wilderness where you’ll get your feet wet between islands of tropical trees on the self-guided Apoxee Wilderness Trail. The Loxahatchee Chapter of the Florida Trail Association offers free guided walks at Apoxee. In the Keys, the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary protects offshore coral reefs and backcountry islands. Its Blue Star program helps you select ecotour and dive operators who take proper precautions to

CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT: WWW.SARASOTAFL.ORG; KENT PHILLIPS; CHARLOTTE HARBOR & THE GULF ISLANDS VISITOR'S BUREAU

The Wild Africa Trek adventure at Disney's Animal Kingdom in Buena Vista

FEATURED LINKS Aardvark’s Florida Kayak Co., Inc. floridakayakcompany.com

Acme Bicycle Shops acmebicycleshop.com

Amelia River Cruises ameliarivercruises.com

Apoxee Park wpb.org/park/apoxee-park

Apoxee Wilderness Trail floridahikes.com/apoxee-wilderness-trail

Barr Hammock Preserve floridahikes.com/barr-hammock-preserve

Bicycle Loaner Program teampuntagorda.org/bicycleloaner.html

Big Cypress National Preserve nps.gov/bicy

Big “O” Birding Festival bigobirdingfestival.com

Blue Spring State Park floridastateparks.org/bluespring

Blue Star Dive Operators sanctuaries.noaa.gov/bluestar

Bok Tower Gardens boktowergardens.org

Central Florida Nature Adventures kayakcentralflorida.com

Conservancy of Southwest Florida conservancy.org

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park disneyworld.disney.go.com/destinations/ animal-kingdom Biking along natural trails in Charlotte Harbor & the Gulf Islands

protect sensitive habitats. Based on Key Largo, the Coral Restoration Foundation offers volunteer opportunities for divers to help re-establish coral colonies. In Key West, the Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center provides an understanding of the habitats above and below the waters. Birding is big along Lake Okeechobee, where the Big “O” Birding Festival, an annual showcase of birding locales in Glades and Hendry counties, is held each March. Yearround, Hendry County Audubon and the South Florida Water Management District provide birding tours to STA5, part of the Great Florida Birding Trail.

SOUTHWEST Lush cypress strands decorated with orchids and bromeliads await visitors bold enough to explore the western Everglades known as the

Big Cypress Swamp. Blanketing more than a million acres, this watery wilderness is America’s own Amazon, accessed through public lands such as Big Cypress National Preserve and Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park, where swamp walks enable visitors to experience the wild with a guide. For a gentle peek into a cypress strand not far from Interstate 75, take a wander through Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in Fort Myers. Kids will love “indoor field trips” at the new Dalton Discovery Center, the central feature of the revamped Conservancy of Southwest Florida Nature Center. Guided group ecotours, electric boat rides on the Gordon River, kayak rentals, and boardwalks meandering through the 21-acre preserve provide a look at Naples as it once was. Learn to row a dragon boat or stand-up paddleboard at the new Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, a venue where

East Central Regional Rail Trail volusia.org/trails

Everglades National Park nps.gov/ever

Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park floridastateparks.org/fakahatcheestrand

Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center floridakeys.noaa.gov/eco_discovery.html

Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary floridakeys.noaa.gov

Florida Oceanographic Society floridaocean.org

Florida Trail Association floridatrail.org

Florida Trail Association, Loxahatchee Chapter lox.floridatrail.org

Fort De Soto Park pinellascounty.org/park/05_ft_desoto.htm

Gainesville “Old Florida” Birding and Nature Festival gainesvillebirdingandnaturefestival.com

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

ECOTOURISM Ecotourism in Tampa Bay

Olympic athletes train and visitors can hone their human-powered watersports skills. Bicycles are big around Charlotte County, with the free Yellow Bike Loaner Program offering visitors a new way to explore Punta Gorda. Guided rides by Phoenix Rising Kayaks get you out into Amberjack Environmental Park and Oyster Creek Regional Park, while Acme Bicycle Shop offers cycling tours into the 65,000-acre Fred. C. Babcock-Cecil M. Webb Wildlife Management Area.

Segway tour on Amelia Island

Get to know Florida’s marine communities better at the Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center, a 57-acre facility in Stuart with touch tanks and boardwalks through the mangrove forest; it offers guided after-dark turtle nesting walks on Hutchinson Island. There are more than 225 acres to explore at Oxbow EcoCenter, where programs for children and adults alike showcase the spectrum of nature found in Port St. Lucie. Connect West Volusia’s springs on the Spring-to-Spring Trail, a cyclist/walking path with segments around Blue Spring State Park and Gemini Springs Park. Tiny Green Springs Park in Enterprise serves as a trailhead for the first section of the East Central Regional Rail Trail, which will eventually connect to Edgewater and Titusville along the Indian River Lagoon. With more than 200 acres of natural habitats conserved in New Smyrna Beach, Indian River Lagoon Preserve Park is the region’s newest park, which offers birding, fishing and a kayak launch on the waterway.

CENTRAL Early birds catch the early birds with a photographer’s pass at Gatorland in Orlando. Slip in before the crowds to capture top-notch images of the many nesting birds above the alligator ponds. At Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the Wild Africa Trek harnesses you into a hike above hippos before boarding a bouncing safari ride that takes you past exotic animals in the African savanna. Paddle Lake County’s Blueways with Central Florida Nature Adventures or swirl down a natural lazy river that flows out of a cave at Kelly Park near Apopka. Paved with pebble rock from phosphate mines, the newly

2014 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA

CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT: ECOMOTION TOURS; ROBERT LA FOLLETTE/WWW.ROBERTLAFOLLETTE.COM; VISIT TALLAHASSEE

CENTRAL EAST

opened Preserve Trail at Bok Tower Gardens showcases a restoration area above Lake Wales.

CENTRAL WEST Visitors have more places to play at WernerBoyce Salt Springs State Park thanks to the recent addition of the Main Gate trailhead, providing more hiking and a kayak launch into its vast coastal marshes. The Nature Coast is known for its mazy marshes, so hiring a guide is recommended. Aardvark’s Florida Kayak Co. offers unique tours of the 23,000-acre St. Martins Marsh Aquatic Preserve, as well as more standard manatee tours, a mainstay of the Crystal River-Homosassa area. Celebrating its 50th year, Fort De Soto State Park attracts millions annually to its beaches along Tampa Bay; its trails lead you into mangrove forests where manatees cruise the shallows. For a memorable adventure north of Tampa, go on safari at Giraffe Ranch, a 47-acre working game farm and wildlife preserve.

Or take a guided trip through the estuaries between St. Augustine and Flagler Beach with Ripple Effect Ecotours and its quiet new vegetable oil-powered boats.