This small town festival celebrates a uniquely Lake Placid product: caladiums, a colorful plant grown commercially almost nowhere else. There’ll be music, food, a car show, arts and crafts and tours of caladium fields.
Recent Articles
Fort Zachary Taylor State Park, Key West gem with seaweed-free beach
As Florida’s Keys suffer their worst seaweed inundation in years, the beach at Fort Zach in Key West is refreshing clear and welcoming.
Sebring showcases downtown HGTV makeover
Central Florida’s ‘City on the Circle’ is enjoying a rebirth with a renovation boost by Erin and Ben Napier of HGTV’s ‘Home Town Takeover.’
Lake Placid charms with murals, clowns & caladiums
Lake Placid has quite a few stories to tell, and they are told in murals. On the walls of 50 buildings. All over town. A good time to see them is during the annual Lake Placid Caladium Festival, July 24-26.
The best little beach town
Travel and Leisure magazine calls New Smyrna Beach “Florida’s most underrated seaside city”. We think it is “Florida’s best little beach town.”
Spiny lobster mini season July 29-30; Regular season starts August 6.
Snorkelers and scuba divers flock to the Keys for lobster mini-season before commercial fisherman set out their traps. Tips on catching (permits required), cooking and eating Florida lobster.
CCC in Florida: How young men built the state parks; museum tells the story
As you travel Florida and explore its award-winning state parks, take special note of buildings, trails and amenities we enjoy because of work by the men of the Civilian Conservation Corps. You can learn more at Highland Hammocks State Park, which has an excellent museum about the CCC in Florida.
Hacienda Hotel reborn and it’s a beauty in New Port Richey
The Hacienda Hotel again reigns as the glamorous star of downtown New Port Richey. It’s a stunning restoration of a historic gem, a gracious hotel with modest prices.
Bahia Honda State Park has it all: Top campsites and cabins plus great snorkeling
With the best beach in the Florida Keys, Bahia Honda is everyone’s favorite. We also love the park for its historic bridge, great beachfront camping and cabins.
Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens: Obon events are Aug. 15-16
Make your stroll on paths through Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in Delray Beach more delightful with these tips; join the annual Obon festival events Aug. 15-16.
Florida Keys and Key West
Bahia Honda State Park has it all: Top campsites and cabins plus great snorkeling
With the best beach in the Florida Keys, Bahia Honda is everyone’s favorite. We also love the park for its historic bridge, great beachfront camping and cabins.
Springs
De Leon Springs: ‘Pancake park’ is so much more
De Leon Springs, about an hour north of Orlando, is a state park with swimming, kayaking and fantastic history. It’s best known for — of all things — its pancakes. Our advice: spend the day and take in the adjacent Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge.
Best Beaches
Gulf Islands National Seashore: Beaches that wow, rare old forts in Panhandle
Florida Panhandle’s greatest treasure might be Gulf Islands National Seashore, with an unspoiled barrier island, sand as white as snow and a rare Civil War fort whose spooky spaces you can wander.
Go Snorkeling!
Peanut Island is an exceptional park for snorkeling, camping, kayaking
Peanut Island, reached only by boat in Riviera Beach, has clear turquoise water full of visible sea life. It’s great for a picnic at the beach — even camping. It’s an exceptional county park.
Florida’s Panhandle
Topsail Hill Preserve State Park: Towering dunes, perfect beach, rare lakes
Topsail Hill State Park preserves 3 miles of pristine beach, magnificent white sand dunes and sparkling coastal lakes. With lots of camping and cabin sites, it’s a gem in the Panhandle. The park is one targeted for development by the state with the addition of a 350-room hotel.
