The Florida Seafood Festival celebrates Apalachicola’s vibrant fishing industry. Held at the mouth of the Apalachicola River under the shady oaks of Battery Park, this festival features fresh seafood, arts and crafts exhibits & live music.
Recent Articles
Indian Key: Favorite Florida Keys kayak trail to historic island
Indian Key is once again open to kayakers. If you’ve ever dreamed about exploring a deserted tropical island, here’s your chance: Take your kayak down to the Florida Keys and paddle out to Indian Key State Park to explore jungly ruins and snorkel a rocky shoreline.
Orlando Wetlands: Perfect stop for wildlife lovers
Orlando Wetlands Park is a must-stop for birders and wildlife fans. It’s home to over 100 roseate spoonbills, 1,700 alligators and 200 species of bird. A 5,000 square foot visitor just opened with exhibits and live animals on display. The park is only 20 minutes off I-95.
Alabama Jack’s: Classic way to start a trip to Florida Keys, for sale for $4.9 million
Stopping at Alabama Jack’s, a fish shack and dive bar on a remote road between Homestead and Key Largo, has been the classic way to start a Keys trip for decades. It’s shabby, atmospheric and authentic.
Celebrate a migration miracle at fall monarch butterfly festival is Nov. 7, 2026
On their 2,000-mile fall migration, thousands of monarchs stop in Florida’s Big Bend and Panhandle in October and November. A top viewing site is St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, a half hour south of Tallahassee. There is a monarch festival at the refuge Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024.
Sebring HGTV makeover wins Emmy
Central Florida’s ‘City on the Circle’ is enjoying a rebirth after renovations by HGTV stars Erin and Ben Napier on ‘Home Town Takeover.’ The Sebring episodes won a Daytime Emmy.
7 state parks with camping near Tampa Bay
From beach camping on a tropical island to camping on rivers in dense forests, you might be surprised by these Florida state parks with camping in the state’s second largest metropolitan area. (5th in a series)
Florida Boat Shows Calendar
With more than a million registered vessels, Florida is the Boating Capital of the Nation, so it should come as no surprise there are more than two dozen major boat shows across the state each year, including the world’s largest in-water boat show next weekend in Fort Lauderdale.
Seminoles American Indigenous Arts Celebration, Nov. 6-7, 2026
The Seminoles American Indigenous Arts Celebration offers tradition like fry bread & alligator wrestling, and celebrates diverse native cultures with dancing, wildlife presentations and music.
Endangered right whales return to North Florida coast every winter
A Fernandina Beach family festival Nov. 7-8 raises awareness of right whales and how to help them. Endangered right whales are viewed close to shore in North Florida every winter.
Miami’s Stiltsville: See it by boat on tours in Biscayne National Park
Folks have been fascinated with Stiltsville since the first shack went up in Biscayne Bay a mile from land in the 1930s. Biscayne National Park and a non-profit partner offer regular boat tours that tell the Stiltsville story and take you close to the houses.
Old Florida scenic drive: Fort Pierce to Jensen Beach to Stuart
The west side of the Indian River Lagoon has an Old Florida flavor — especially the scenic 20-mile drive between Stuart and Fort Pierce. The region has enough places to explore to make a great getaway.
Bike and Hike
East Central Regional Rail Trail: 50 mile bike trail; something for every rider
The East Central Regional Rail Trail deserves a catchier name because it’s a great bike trail – long, smooth, scenic and well-supported with signage and amenities. It travels through one of the most rural areas of Florida with miles of paved path without an intersection.
Beaches
Surf fishing is a fun family outing
There’s no better time for surf fishing than late summer and early fall, when massive schools of mullet run down the coast and game fish chase the feast. Here’s the gear you need, best places to fish and how to fish from shore.
Camping
Long Point Park is a delightful island campground near Sebastian Inlet
One of my favorites, Long Point is a spacious county park with an abundance of waterfront sites on an island in the Indian River Lagoon.
Springs
Cool Escapes: Florida’s best springs to swim, tube, snorkel & dive
Floridians survive the heat and humidity of our brutal summers by turning to the state’s wealth of cool, clear, refreshing springs. These are our picks for the best springs in Florida.
Snorkel and Dive
Pigeon Key: Island on Seven Mile Bridge has scenery, history
As you cross the Seven Mile Bridge, you pass the little green island with yellow cottages and palm trees surrounded by dazzling blue water. You can visit this tiny paradise, which offers fascinating history, tropical beauty, even great snorkeling.
