Manatees have been a part of Florida culture and folklore since before European settlers landed on her shores. In 1492, Christopher Columbus recorded the first known written mention of a manatee in North America, mistaking the gentle giant for a mermaid. This was a common enough mistake for seafarers that the scientific name for manatees […]
Featuring more than 200 exotic and native animals, McCarthy’s Wildlife Sanctuary in West Palm Beach, Florida is an ideal attraction for animal lovers. Unlike most zoos and safari parks, the Sanctuary is unusual as it gives visitors the opportunity to have up-close and personal experiences with many of the animals. Featuring White Tigers, Black Leopards, Scarlet […]
In the heart of the Ocala National Forest, Juniper Springs is a subtropical oasis featuring sparkling springs, nature trails, wildlife viewing and camping under the shady oaks. It is an unusual setting unlike any other park in the United States due to the hundreds of bubbling springs and larger vents gushing out of the earth […]
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park is the very first undersea park in the United States and a true playground for water enthusiasts. Encompassing over 70 nautical square miles of coral reefs, seagrass and mangrove swamps, there are fun options for every level of adventurer from glass bottom boat tours to kayaking, snorkeling and scuba […]
If you are a Dutch Immigrant, Pulitzer Prize-winning author, humanitarian, advocate for world peace and editor of the wildly popular Ladies Home Journal, how do you wile away your 1921 winter vacation in Florida’s Lake Wales Ridge? Why not build the fabled Bok Tower and bird sanctuary on one of the highest hills in Florida? […]
Warm Mineral Springs labels itself as the Fountain of Youth due to the warm mineral-ladened waters that attract bathers to it’s shores. Famed Ponce de Leon may have died in Florida while searching for the Warm Mineral Springs which may in fact be the storied Fountain of Youth. The Springs is also an archaeological treasure […]
Highlands Hammock State Park gives visitors the opportunity to enjoy a Florida hardwood forest as it would have looked 100 years ago. The park was opened in 1931 as part of a grass-roots environmental movement to preserve the tropical hardwood hammock. Highlands Hammock is one of the original four state parks when the Florida State […]
RV Day Trips are an excellent way to find even more days a year to enjoy your investment and make the cost of owning an RV even more economical. RV ‘daycations’ are a perfect quick break in a hectic week to relax, recharge, and enjoy time with friends and family without a major time commitment. […]
St George Island is a 22-mile long barrier island that offers miles of undeveloped beaches and ample activities to please the entire family. Clear gulf waters are perfect for boating, swimming, sunbathing, shelling and amazing fishing. Wildlife watching is at it’s peak during the summer months when sea turtles and shore birds are nesting on […]
The first bat house was constructed in 1991 after then-Governor Bob Martinez complained of the odor while attending an event at Griffin Stadium which was home to about five-thousand Brazilian and Mexican free-tailed bats. Using bat excluders which allowed the bats to leave but not return, about three thousand of the colony was slowly captured […]
