Florida Fun

A Strangler Fig Embraces a Tree Along the Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk in Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park, Fla.

Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park: Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk

Reading inspires adventure. After reading “The Orchid Thief” by Susan Orlean earlier this year, visiting Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park became a priority. I finally stepped foot in Florida’s largest state park and soon realized, I’ll need to make a return visit or two.

Culinary Travel Featured Florida Fun Travel News

What’s New in Florida Travel for 2021: Adventure Trails

As the coronavirus pandemic swept into the Sunshine State and country, you may have missed the announcement of some adventure trails launched in 2020 and 2021. Five destinations with trails are uniquely Florida. They all are fun to follow and offer a new way to discover a slice of Florida.

Featured Florida Fun Nature Travel

Earning My Floridian Cred by Canoeing the Peace River Hunting for Fossils

Paddling the Peace River is something you must do to be considered a true Floridian. Even us Yankees who relocated to the Sunshine State can earn our Florida cred by paddling a portion (or all) 106 miles of the Peace from Polk County in Central Florida to Charlotte Harbor in Southwest Florida. Here’s a confession, up until March, I have never paddled the Peace River.

Featured Florida Fun Nature Travel

This Sweet Florida Glamping Spot Has Donkeys!

I love camping but I’m at the age where hotel camping is more my speed. Needing to reconnect with nature and center my soul, I used HipCamp to find a sweet Florida glamping spot near Jacksonville called the Good Karma HoneyBee Bnb.

Seashells Collected with Treasure Seekers Shell Tours

Featured Florida Fun Nature Travel

Tips for Planning a Shelling Vacation in Southwest Florida

Interested in planning a shelling vacation in Southwest Florida? Following is a response I provided a reader looking for advice on planning her shelling vacation.

Pad Thai at the Peace River Beer Company in Punta Gorda, Fla.

Culinary Travel Disclosure Featured Florida Fun

Where to Eat in Punta Gorda: Peace River Beer Company

Wondering where to eat in Punta Gorda, Florida? Give the Thai dishes at Peace River Beer Company a try!

A Boardwalk Trail in Highlands Hammock State Park, Sebring, Fla.

Featured Florida Fun Nature Travel

10 Reasons to Love Highlands Hammock State Park in Sebring, Florida

Lush, dense forests, ancient oak trees, boardwalk trails, and history are some of the reasons to visit Highlands Hammock State Park. Here’s what I love about this Sebring park.

Featured Florida Fun Nature Travel

Get Outside and Get Treasure Hunting!

Discovering treasure hunting during the pandemic has been a bright spot It’s a way of getting outside, keeping my body and mind active, staying safe by socially distancing from others, and discovering new places, whether in my neighborhood or another state.

Statue of Jose Marti in Ybor City, Tampa, Fla.

Featured Florida Fun

Here’s How to Legally Step Foot on Cuban Soil Without Leaving Florida

There’s a small plot of land in Tampa’s Ybor City neighborhood owned by the Cuban government. Yes, seriously. I mean, it’s Florida so anything’s really possible.

Budget Travel Culinary Travel Featured Florida Fun

Things to do in Southwest Florida with Visiting Friends & Family: Janet’s Itinerary

Do you live in Southwest Florida and looking for things to do with visiting friends or family? Here’s an itinerary for my friend Janet’s Feb. 2020 visit which includes activities in Sarasota, Punta Gorda, Englewood and North Fort Myers.