Unique Florida Vacation Guide: Top Picks
Our Top Picks For Unique Florida Vacations
Please see Introduction for Tips on
using Our Vacation Guide Section.
See Tampa Bay and
Old Florida for More Top Picks.
Lion Country Safari (West Palm Beach)
Lion Country Safari is an exceptional experience for both kids and adults.
Spend the first night in the adjacent KOA RV Park and your kids will hear the
lions roaring at night. Then next morning, drive through America's first
cageless zoo. Over 1,000 animals are along the 5-mile drive-thru preserve. You
can take your time and stop - no pressure to move on. The animals will come
right up to the RV! Finish off in their integrated theme park/garden with a lot
of "play activities" for the kids and peaceful shade for the parents. Lion
Country Safari is really beautiful, open park and the best way we have ever
seen to see Africa's large animals.
Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park (Homosassa)
A real Gem. Best place we have found to see Manatees and Native Florida Birds
& Mammals up close. The only place we know of where you can view
Manatees year-round in the wild. Lots of BIG fish, fresh & saltwater are in
the Spring. Beautiful, well-shaded walk (important in Summer). Most of the
birds are not caged and a lot fly in. All the animals seem very happy!
Sebastian Inlet State Park (Melbourne/Sebastian/Vero
Beach)
A beautiful and clean park, surrounded by gorgeous water, it is a favorite spot
for picnicking, swimming, surfing, fishing, shrimping, clamming, crabbing,
boating, snorkeling, scuba diving, bird watching, camping and enjoying nature.
One of the best surfing beaches in Florida, a number of Tournaments are held
here. With two jetties, the Inlet excels in fishability from shore. RV sites
overlook the Inlet. Nearby McLarty Museum is our Favorite Treasure Museum...
treasure is still found on the beach!
Highlands Hammock State Park (Sebring)
Our favorite park for walking preserves a piece of Florida that has been
untouched since the Europeans landed. Nine short hiking trail loops encompass
all the major inland Florida Plant Eco-systems - see it all at one destination!
A paved loop drive through the dense hammock provides easy access. Nice biking,
too.
Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary (Bonita Springs)
Corkscrew Swamp is the largest remaining stand of Virgin Bald Cypress in USA.
It is the BEST Boardwalk through a Swamp & place to see wild Alligators up
close (see Bellowing Gator in Photo Tour) that we have seen. Owned by Audobon
Society - perhaps that explains the most bird calls we've heard in one place!
Black Bear & Otter Scat were on the Boardwalk. Nice visitor's center. The
Sanctuary is a REAL GEM!
Lovers Key State Park (Ft. Myers Beach)
Close to Ft.Myers Beach, the park is actually four Keys with an intricate
network of waterways between the Mangrove Islands. The opportunities for great
Canoeing/Kayaking and Fishing are superb in both variety and close
accessibility. Locals told us Shelling is better than the heavily visited
Sanibel. Close to Civilization, but still a Primative feel, the large parking
lots suggest going in the off-season and not on a weekend. Best way to see how
Mangrove Islands become Barrier Dune Islands over time.
Carribean Gardens (Naples)
A Zoo set in a Garden-Parkland. We were particularly impressed by the Quality
Feeling: nice Tropical Parkland walks, Boat Tour amoung the Monkey Islands and
Lion, Tiger, Leopard, Cougar Section. There is even an Alligator Feeding,
Playground,and on-site Subway. Great for kids & adults alike.
Silver Springs (Ocala)
The world's largest clear Artesian Spring and Florida's oldest public
attraction. Many movies are made here - Tarzan, James Bond, Sea Hunt and more.
In fact, your impression of what a Florida Swamp or an African Jungle should
look like, probably, is colored highly by what you have seen on movies filmed
here! World-famous Glass-bottom Boat Cruise. What is lesser known is the
quality Zoo here, esp. Bears, Gators and Feeding the Giraffes.
Ravine State Gardens (Palatka)
This is NOT what you think off as Florida. One hundred (100) feet deep, it is a
rarity in Florida and well worth the side-trip. Walking its trails, you will
have alternating images of being in the Smoky Mounains, an African Jungle, a
Japanese Garden or a Cedar Forest in California ( No... we were not on
something that day!). This is a GEM for walking or a picnic.
Smyrna Dunes Park & Beach (New Smyrna Beach)
This little hidden gem is built on 250 acres at the northern tip of the New
Smyrna Beach peninsula adjacent to Ponce Inlet. The park is home to a variety
of animals, birds, reptiles, marine life and vegetation and consists of five
ecosystems (ocean, river, dunes, scrub zone, saltwater marsh). Three miles of
elevated wooden walks, picnic areas, pavilions and an observation tower allow
visitors to enjoy the park while protecting the sensitive sand dunes from foot
traffic. When we were there, we saw Bobcat & Raccoon tracks! Very exciting
and rare so close to high-rises. The adjacent beach is known for being one of
the best with excellent fishing and surfing and is one of the few where you can
drive the RV on the beach.
Historic Spanish Point (Osprey, South of Sarasota)
Both a beautiful Garden walk and very interesting late 1800 History &
Indian Archeology. The tour is very illuminating in explaining how the Webb
family of five got off a boat in 1867 into total, lonely wilderness and
developed the Estate from scratch over 40 years. A very courageous story. I
found the Packing House particularly interesting in showing the pre-Henry-Ford
"production line" created by John Webb for processing his Oranges for shipment
to the North. I also liked the Indian Shell-mound Archeology display as much as
the more well known site in Crystal River.
Rainbow Springs (Dunnellon)
Perhaps the best of the Public Florida Natural Springs, because of the parallel
Hill with Waterfalls and beautiful Paths and Views. Excellent Play/Picnic Area.
Also, the Spring and River for canoeing are among the best we have seen for
depth and clarity. A good side-trip from Homosassa and Crystal River.
Washington Oaks State Gardens (South of St. Augustine)
We had memorable experiences at this truly unusual combination: world-class
Gardens, exotic Beach, uplifting Hike through several ecosystems, and History.
The coquina-rock formations on the beach remind one of some foreign island. The
Gardens rank with Cypress Gardens (closed) amoung our favorites. The Gardeners
were friendly and helpful to Nita who was looking for unusual Florida plants
for our garden.
Henry Leu Gardens (Orlando)
Best we have seen to show Tropicals that will grow in Florida with widest &
exotic variety. Best in having each clearly labeled. Beautiful grounds and
walks.
Marineland (South of St. Augustine)
The Original - long before Sea World. Still Best: On-The-beach (enjoy both),
Education (vs. Shows), more Friendly and up close, Peaceful (vs. crowds). We
noticed small children really liked it.
Heathcote Gardens, Beaches & Mangrove Matties
Restaurant (Ft. Pierce)
Little known, but a gem, Heathcote Gardens has many paths bordered by a wide
variety of trees and numerous beds of intensively planted ornamental annuals,
plus an herb garden. Ft. Pierce Inlet State Park & adjacent Pepper Beach
are popular surfing and fishing destinations. Mangrove Mattie's has a great
location along the Inlet and excellent food. The Harbor Branch Oceanographic
Institute has some highly interesting & educational Tours.
J. Dickinson State Park, Beaches & Rotties
Restaurant (Stuart)
One of the top rate State Parks, we think J.D. is particularly notable for the
RV sites nestled under Australian Whispering Pines, Deer and Fishing
opportunities. Gilbert's Bar Museum was a 'House of Refuge' was shipwrecked
sailors in the late 1800s. Bathtub Reef is so named for the calm water inside
the reef. Jensen Beach is popular. Rotties is another 5-star restaurant for us.
Bok Tower Gardens (Lake
Wales)
A true Sanctuary located at the top of the highest hill in central Florida.
Spirtually peaceful walk. The Tower contains a glorious sounding Carillon.
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