Contrary to a great deal of native Floridian’s belief, many tourists view Florida as a place of intrigue. They think of it as a tropical destination just made for relaxation and entertainment. As a native Floridian myself, writing about the state has helped me to realize that all of the beauty, history, and mystique that attracts and beholds visitors was staring me right in the face when I was growing up. Now, I find myself learning about seemingly unlimited special…
One gorgeous Florida day spent with Captain Don Draper and his family will resonate for a lifetime. It was obvious from the start; Don Draper has a passion, a passion for life. A passion especially for life in the ocean! “My first ocean excursion was when I was just 2 weeks old, so I've been told. I don't remember learning how to swim. I grew up at the Jersey shore in the water and around our boats. I had wonderful…
I recently had one of the most exciting adventures of my life. The afternoon started with a plan to drift lazily down the Loxahatchee River taking pictures of wildlife, as I would be blanketed by the shade from the 500-year-old Cypress trees. That plan was suddenly exchanged with an adventurous kayaking trip that I would never forget. Canoeing and kayaking on the "Wild and Scenic" Loxahatchee River is day full of adventure and beauty that is a must do for…
If you've never been to Daytona Beach, Florida before, you may be wondering what it's like. Most people think of Daytona as "that place where the NASCAR races happen," or "where spring breakers go to drink and be annoying." But Daytona Beach is a lovely destination that has much to offer any traveler. Whether you're someone who just wants to spread your towel on the beach for a week and catch some rays, or catch some fish out in the…
The Florida beaches received the No. 1, 2, 3 and 9 rankings on TripAdvisor for Best Beaches in the U.S. TripAdvisor, one of the world's most popular and largest travel community, made the announcement this week in its newsletter, TripWatch. Pinellas County’s Fort De Soto Park near St. Petersburg was awarded with the No. 1 spot, while the Florida Key’s Bahia Honda State Park was ranked No. 2; Panama City’s St. Andrew’s State Park finished at No. 3 and Honeymoon…
In all of Florida there are a select few cities that can bring the name metropolis and paradise together, and have them used interchangeably, without a doubt Naples is one of those cities. Naples is a principal city of the Naples–Marco Island Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated total population of 315,839. Despite being the largest city in Collier County, it definitely retains a certain cohesion and closeness that is common to all members that partake in its daily…
In the Northern part of South Florida Region lies a growing mega metropolis known as West Palm Beach, with an impressive 86,000 people that hustle and bustle its streets each day. With an array of colors and shapes that would make an artist brush be lively and vibrant, as to simply baffle the human imagination, to see this paradise is to recognize a slice of heaven in ones own backyard. Yet, how did this story begin, where did it all…
The news anchor was talking about water use restrictions. We were not allowed to water our lawns or wash our cars except on days that corresponded with our home address. The dry season typically begins in January for South Florida and lasts into April, but this year was unusually dry as evidenced by the water restrictions. This came as no surprise to my wife, Loren, and I. We had been hiking in Big Cypress National Preserve the prior weekend and…
I recently had the opportunity of spending a weekend at Captain’s Quarters in Keaton Beach, owned by old friends Sandra and Joe Hatcher. I was invited for some desperately needed r&r and was only too happy to be their guest. My friendship with Sandra goes back about 10 years when we were into the tourism business – Sandra at Keaton Beach and I in Citrus County. As I stopped at the two stores to pick up food items for the…
Some may call it "the Forgotten Coast", but a visit to a section of Florida's Panhandle coastline will long be remembered. That section of coast referred to as "forgotten" stretches for about one hundred twenty miles between Panama City and Tallahassee from Mexico Beach to St Marks. It seems the area was omitted from a tourism map of Florida in the nineties. The local chambers of commerce of the affected counties gathered and dubbed their area as the "forgotten coast"…