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.
2 V-J Day
3Labor Day
7 Fight Procrastination Day
9 California Admissions Day
21 Native American Day (California)
22 Elephant Appreciation Day
23 First Day of Autumn
A coalition of students, whose Facebook group, "Stop UCF Police Harassment," has more than 300 members organizated today's rally.
Dozens of University of Central Florida students, and a few faculty members, turned out for a rally held this afternoon in protest of the treatment of a UCF professor during a traffic stop last month by university police.
Surfers are flocking to the ocean off Volusia County to take advantage of "incredible waves" created by Hurricane Earl. At the same time, sharks are having a feeding frenzy as they chase bait fish.
A coalition of students, whose Facebook group, "Stop UCF Police Harassment," has more than 300 members organizated today's rally.
Dozens of University of Central Florida students, and a few faculty members, turned out for a rally held this afternoon in protest of the treatment of a UCF professor during a traffic stop last month by university police.
Surfers are flocking to the ocean off Volusia County to take advantage of "incredible waves" created by Hurricane Earl. At the same time, sharks are having a feeding frenzy as they chase bait fish.
UCF sophomore running back Jeff Brinson tore his anterior cruciate ligament during non-contact drills this week and out is out for the season, university officials confirmed to the Sentinel Friday afternoon.
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.
![[logo]](http://weather.gov/images/xml_logo.gif "NOAA - National Weather Service"){kind=logo}
![[logo]](http://www.sun-sentinel2.com/marketing/rssfeeds/osnews.jpg "Orlando Sentinel – Orlando news, sports and more")
