Nature Travel

Scenic pull-out in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, June 2, 2023.

5 Tips for a Memorable Summer 2023 Vacation in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited national park in the United States. These five tips will make your summer 2023 visit memorable.

Featured Nature Travel

Five Practical Tips for Avoiding Mosquito Bites this Summer

I spent 10 years living and working in three national parks. Here are my tips for avoiding mosquito bites this summer.

Some people choose to run with the bulls. I chose to swim with the bull sharks! Florida Shark Diving, April 1, 2023.

Featured Florida Fun Nature Travel

My First Time Swimming with the Bulls. A Jawesome Time with Florida Shark Diving in Jupiter

Some people choose to run with the bulls. I chose to swim with the bull sharks! My experience with Florida Shark Diving out of Jupiter, Fla., was JAWESOME! I needed a little adrenaline rush in my life and this trip on April 1, 2023, yes, April Fool’s Day, was perfect.

Photograph by Outdoor Afro from Nature Swagger by Rue Mapp, published by Chronicle Books.

Adventure Featured Inspiration Nature Travel

New Outdoor Book “Nature Swagger” Celebrates Black Joy

“Nature Swagger: Stories and Visions of Black Joy in the Outdoors.” is a book by Outdoor Afro CEO and Founder Rue Mapp.

View of the Myakka River from Snook Haven Restaurant in Venice, Fla.

Featured Florida Fun Nature Travel

Florida Travel: Ten Ways to Love Venice’s Outdoorsy Side

Shark tooth collecting, bicycling, and walking an urban forest are some of the ways you can connect with Mother Nature while visiting Southwest Florida. Here are 10 outdoorsy things to do in and around Venice.

Doe and Fawn in a Field of Florida's State Wildflower in Myakka River State Park, Sarasota, Fla., May 15, 2022.

Florida Fun Nature Travel

It’s May and Now’s the Time to See Florida’s State Wildflower Blooming in Sarasota’s Myakka River State Park

Florida’s official state wildflower is coreopsis, commonly called tickseed. Each May, it’s blooming in portions of Myakka River State Park in Sarasota, Fla.

That's me in Dames Cave in Citrus County, Fla., Oct. 2021.

Featured Florida Fun Nature Travel

A Look Inside Dames Cave Near Brooksville, Florida

Do you know Florida has caves? Here’s a look inside Dames Cave near Brooksville.

Framing of the new caging at the Peace River Wildlife Center Hospital at 223 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Punta Gorda.

Florida Fun Nature Travel

Peace River Wildlife Center Builds New Cages to Accommodate More Wildlife Patients

Peace River Wildlife Center (PRWC) Hospital is receiving and treating more patients this year over last year. To accommodate the increase, the center is building new outdoor caging and fencing for the hospital. Work began following the Punta Gorda City Council’s approval of a three-year extension of the hospital on August 25.

An ICAST attendee poses for a photo with Dr. Guy Harvey, Orlando, Fla., July 2021.

Cool Stuff Others are Doing Featured Florida Fun Nature Travel

Catching Up with Renaissance Man Guy Harvey

The COVID-19 pandemic lockdown provided opportunities of productivity. For some, it was seeing how many wine bottles they could empty. For others, it was converting their creativity into new opportunities. Renaissance man Dr. Guy Harvey chose the latter.

Featured Florida Fun Nature Travel

Meet the Instagrammers Who Inspire Us to Visit Florida

If an Instagram image has inspired you to visit Florida, meet some of the talented photographers and Instagrammers behind the photos.