Really Florida!

This is part 4 of Florida vacation ideas.   To see the other ideas (past, present and future), you can look here to see the posts of ideas.

Florida is known for it’s beaches, for sure.  But not everyone lives by the beach.  For those more inland, cruising or paddling the rivers and lakes of the Sunshine State makes more sense.

For today’s Florida vacation idea, let’s take a look at boats and boat rides!

Go for a Boat Ride

Florida is not only surrounded by water on three sides, but we also have lots of lakes and rivers. From canoes and kayaks to cruise ships, there are boating opportunities galore!

For example, many of the Florida parks run concessions that rent canoes/kayaks.  One Florida state park that has great canoe trips is Wekiwa Springs near Orlando.  Myakka River in SW Florida has excellent canoeing as well. 

And if you’re into kayaks, check out the waterways at MacArthur Beach State Park.  And if you’re curious, the photo to the right was taken on the Loxahatchee River, which flows near Jonathan Dickinson State Park.

And one more:  the Florida Panhandle has some of the most beautiful rivers you’d ever want to paddle in a canoe (or kayak).  You can also motor along some of the larger rivers.

Take a Boat Tour!

Sunset cruises are big in the Florida Keys. And if you’re in SW Florida and hankering to visit Key West — there’s a ferry that departs daily.

The Florida Keys are especially great for boating and boar tours.  The waters there are usually pretty calm on the Atlantic side, due to the protecting effect of the coral reefs offshore.  The Florida Bay side is even calmer!  (I do have the tendency towards seasickness in rougher waters, but I never have been afflicted in Florida Bay, or on the Keys side of the reef.)

Watery eco-tours abound, especially around the Spacecoast on the Atlantic, and the Ft. Meyers area on the Gulf.  Usually canoe or kayak led for a true natural experience, there are also motorized boat tours for those so inclined (usually early and late in the day, so as to see the most wildlife).

So those are today’s Florida vacation ideas.  Check back in again later for part 5 in this series!

Do you need some Florida vacation ideas?  Maybe you’re curious about the state.  Maybe you’re a resident and want to explore…but don’t want to use a lot of gas doing it.  Maybe you’re visiting Florida for the first time and are eager to learn all you can.

You’ve got the time off — now what do you do?  In this and the next few posts, let’s explore Florida vacation ideas, from around the state.

Attractions are Everywhere (Almost)

Yes, Florida is a tourist state, and so we have lots and lots of attractions, large and small.  Of course you know about the big three (Disney, Universal and SeaWorld), but they’re in Orlando and if you’re not, it could be a long drive for you.

Not to worry, there are very few places in Florida that are more than two or three hours from some sort of destination, and most often times much closer. 

For example, St. Augustine in NE Florida is loaded with all sorts of places to see.  From the Fountain of Youth, through Ripley’s Museum; trolley tours and ghost tours.  Most all of it is in one area, so you can roam from one to the next.

The Nature Coast has Weeki Wachee Springs; Tampa has Busch Gardens.

Orlando…well, enough said there!  Enough attractions to sink a ship.

Spacecoast has Kennedy Space Center; West Palm Beach has Lion Country Safari.

Florida vacation ideas involving attractions are certainly one of the first things a visitor (and often a resident) considers.  And while there is the occasional “dud”, most attractions are worth visiting.

Here’s a listing of some Florida attractions, by regions of the state — that should get the vacation ideas flowing!

This is part 1 of Florida vacation ideas; keep on the lookout for parts 2 through 5!

The Florida Keys are gorgeous, and it’s really hard to do them justice with just words. I can say things like they are known as the “American Caribbean” or “tropical America”. Maybe even just call them “paradise”! But since they are worth a thousand words, how about some Florida Keys pictures?

The first is a photo on one of the prettiest beaches in the state, located in Bahia Honda State Park, in the lower Keys. The water is excellent for swimming and snorkeling, and there’s plenty to do at Bahia Honda.

Since it’s a Florida State Park, Bahia Honda has everything you’d expect — trails for hiking, roads for biking. Picnic areas and even beachside camping. But did you know that this park also has cabins for rent near the beach? Complete with air conditioning (very much a necessity most of the year), you can stay by the water without having to pitch a tent.

Here’s even more information about Bahia Honda State Park.

What’s next? How about a place that’s in the Keys…but not really? I’m speaking of the Dry Tortugas.

The Dry Tortugas islands are even more offshore, and you can’t drive to them — you have to take a ferry or a seaplane to get there. The name means “dry turtles” (hmm). The turtles was in reference to the sea turtles that would congregate there, and the dry was for the fact that there isn’t any naturally-occurring fresh water on the islands (of which there are seven).

There aren’t any hotels, nor any facilities on the islands, so why go there? Because of their absolute beauty.

The Dry Tortugas National Park encompasses these islands, lying about 70 miles west of Key West. There is one outpost, Ft. Jefferson, which was built in the 1800’s, then abandoned by the military.

I mentioned that there aren’t any hotels on these islands, but there is camping allowed. Real beach camping. Real primitive beach camping, although composting toilets are available. No running water, so bring your own. There are only 8 spaces available, so if you want to camp, make a reservation well ahead of time.

Snorkeling, swimming, diving and fishing are other draws for the Dry Tortugas. Plenty of wildlife, too, both under and over the sea.

Here’s where you can learn more about the Dry Tortugas National Park.

Hope you’ve enjoyed these Florida Keys pictures. More are coming up!

Not everyone knows, but there is a ferry that runs between Key West and three South Florida places– Ft. Meyers, Marco Island and now Miami. If you don’t like the hassle of driving down to the Keys (especially if you live on the Gulf Coast), why not try the easy way?

Now the term ferry in this case means “ferry people” and not “also ferry cars”. These aren’t terribly large boats, from 130 to 170 feet long, but they are large enough to be comfortable, and include amenities like flat screen TVs, a galley/bar and seating either indoors or out.

The Ft. Meyers to Key West ferry is about a 4 hour trip each way. Currently, the schedule is to leave Ft. Meyers at 8:30 AM and turn around midnight.

The Marco Island ferry also takes in the vicinity of 4 hours for the trip, but you have a slightly shorter stay as you leave Marco Island at 8:30 AM and return at 8:30 PM.

The Key West ferry to and from Miami is only available during the “season” (roughly Thanksgiving to Easter), but they may be extending it to year around — have to wait and see on that one.

A round-trip ticket is in the vicinity of $110 to $150, depending on your port city (Ft. Meyers being the most expensive). But honestly, with all that Key West has to offer, you might want to spend at least one night there in a cozy bed & breakfast, so that you have time to really enjoy the island.

So the next time you’re thinking about a trip to Key West, but dread the traffic, why not consider taking the Key West ferry and enjoy the trip in comfort?

South Florida kayaking is usually though of in terms of the ocean. The intercoastal, while an option, can get plagued by jet skis and pleasure boats. A lot of the lakes are too small to do much. But we do have the Loxahatchee River here in South Florida and it’s great for canoing and kayaking.

(A friend of mine went out to Riverbend Park not too long ago and provided these pictures of the trip.)

I love this first picture. The Loxahatchee is one of Florida’s designated “national wild and scenic” rivers, and it can be breathtaking at times. The cypress lean towards the waters; epiphytes cling to the trees; the water carries you quietly back it time.

Float past alligators and turtles. See herons stalking their lunches in the shallows. Listen to the music of the birds in the trees, calling to each other.

The photo is a kayak-eye view of the river and some paddlers ahead. The sunlight streams between the trees, giving it a mysterious quality. To me, this photo almost seems to be a watercolor painting.

If you paddle the river, stop by Trapper Nelson’s.  Here’s the story; a man called (what else?) Trapper Nelson lived on the banks of the river back in the 1930’s or thereabout. He made his living trapping and fishing, and his homestead is preserved as a view of what it was like to live here before air conditioning, without electricity or plumbing…you get the idea. I find it amazing that he did it.

The Loxahatchee has small (okay, teeny-weeny) waterfalls in spots, but nothing in the way of white water. No, this is a slow, quiet river — great for experienced and beginning kayakers alike.

Now the full paddle, from Riverbend Park through to Jonathan Dickinson State Park, is a total of eight miles. It’s not as hard as it may seem, since you need do little more than drift with the river and avoid crashing into other kayakers or canoeists.

If you do paddle the distance (it’s 5 or 6 hours), you’ll likely want to take advantage of the pickup for your kayak/canoe for return to Riverbend. The price is included in your rental, and speaking of the rental, it’s from $30 (a single kayak) to $55 (three-person canoe).

Note: I just saw a notice on the canoe rental website and it says they are closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays, effective February 27, 2008.

If you’d like to do some South Florida kayaking, go on over to Riverbend Park; it’s located at 9060 Indiantown Road in Jupiter, about a mile west of the Turnpike.

The park is open seven days a week, from sunrise to one hour before sunset.