Tourists are attracted to Florida in droves. Coming from the west, I think Florida and California have a lot in common. They're both known for their sun and coast. Both are sources of oranges and have a well developed agricultural industry. Both are popular with retirees. And both have regular natural disasters.
I've been a tourist in Florida many times. And deployed to Florida even more times while in the Air Force.
Last year I had a wonderful time driving around the entire state of Florida. I spen three weeks being a tourist. My first stop was at Ft. Clinch State Park near Fernandina Beach. Not only are Florida's state parks an excellent bargain, but being January it turned out to be an almost private retreat on the beach.
I then headed down to St. Augustine. While I made the mistake of staying at a commercial park and paid for it, I had a great time exploring the alligator farm, Castillo de San Marcos, the Lighthouse & Museum, among other attractions here. Castillo de San Marcos, built in 1672-1695 and serving as an outpost of the Spanish Empire, shows the long European history of this state.
Next was a ride down the Atlantic coast driving by one of Florida's most fammous spots, Cape Canaveral. Signs of rebuilding were evident all along the coast. I'm glad no rockets were blown over.
Having seen the icon of space exploration, I headed inland to Pahokee on Lake Okeechobee. Much of Florida seems to be underwater, and this large lake underscores the feeling. Each year over six million people visit one of the 38 recreation areas that offer day-use facilities, campgrounds, hiking/biking trails, and boat ramps.
After that it was down to Key West at the rest of the Florida Keys. If I didn't have a timetable urging me to leave, I might not have. I stayed at the KOA on Fiesta Key at $100 a night. That can eat into a budget very quickly. But there are an incredible number of things to see as you island-hop up and down the islands.
My favorite part has got to be the drive across the Everglades on the Tamiami trail, which runs from Miami to Naples before turning north to Tampa. Also known as State Highway 41, there are alligators, turtles, and Anhingas.
The Florida panhandle was also a lot of fun and you can find many wonderful parks that are relatively unknown.
There are many more adventures, and I'll get photographs and descriptions up as soon as I can.
Hal Boedeker's top five favorite Super Bowl commercials
Frat humor dominated the Super Bowl commercials. Even the spot with Tim Tebow took an unexpected turn to slapstick that deflated the furor over its "celebrate life" advocacy.
TOKYO (AP) — Toyota is recalling nearly 200,000 of its signature Prius green cars in Japan for braking problems, the latest in a string of embarrassing safety lapses at the world's largest automaker.
Hal Boedeker's top five favorite Super Bowl commercials
Frat humor dominated the Super Bowl commercials. Even the spot with Tim Tebow took an unexpected turn to slapstick that deflated the furor over its "celebrate life" advocacy.
TOKYO (AP) — Toyota is recalling nearly 200,000 of its signature Prius green cars in Japan for braking problems, the latest in a string of embarrassing safety lapses at the world's largest automaker.
Here are the top single-game scoring performances in Orlando Magic
history from my quick scan of the Orlando Magic media guide. Vince
Carter's 48-point game ranks tied for 7th. His cousin Tracy McGrady
owns this list ... owns it.
Disclaimer: We try to keep our information as relevant and up to date as possible. From time to time we'll miss something. We encourage you to call verify all information and assume no liability for problems that may arise from information you may receive here. If you find something incorrect, please let me know at donald at fane.com. Thanks.