Things to do on your Florida vacation
There was a great article by Jim Abbott from the Orlando Sentinel recently providing suggestions and ideas for things to do around Florida for fun and enjoyment. The main ones are listed below to try the next time you are over on holiday…
West Florida
The new Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg houses over 2,000 items, including 96 oil paintings, hundreds of drawings and watercolors and objets d’art and a 5,000-book library in a space that’s twice the size of the former museum. The building, accented by distinctive exterior glass panels, was designed by architect Yann Weymouth, who helped to create the glass pyramid at the Louvre in Paris.
Inside, the artwork competes for attention with a grand ‘double-helix’ staircase that climbs nearly the full height of a 75-foot-high atrium. AOL Travel calls it “one of the top buildings you have to see before you die.” Admission is $21 adults, $19 seniors, $15 ages 13-18, $7 ages 6-12. (727-823-3767; thedali.org)
Tampa
A new roller coaster is scheduled to be unveiled later this month at Busch Gardens in Tampa. In its construction phase, Cheetah Hunt already has added something to the theme park’s skyline, with its towering pinnacle of track that twists skyward almost like fingers reaching toward the clouds. Cheetah Hunt will join park attractions that include the thrill rides Montu and Kumba, as well as animal encounters, safaris and stage shows. Park admission is $77.99 adults, $69.99 children. (buschgardens.com)
Fort Myers
The thought of a 190-mile paddling route might sound too daunting for a weekend warrior, but don’t worry: The Great Calusa Blueway, completed in 2007 along the beaches of Fort Myers and Sanibel Island, can be experienced in short excursions fit for novices at kayaking or canoeing. Most of the area’s inland waterways are calm and easy to navigate, offering up-close views of birds, dolphins, sponges, starfish and other wildlife. Guided archeological trips and family excursions are available and visitors can cast off in an assortment of area parks. There are minimal fees for parking and water access at the numerous put-in spots. (calusablueway.com)
Ellenton
Gamble Plantation State Historic Park in Ellenton, near Bradenton, is an 1840s home filled with the trappings of a wealthy sugar plantation owner and is the only surviving plantation house in Southwest Florida. It is believed that Confederate Secretary of State Judah P. Benjamin took refuge here after the fall of the Confederacy, until his safe passage to England could be secured. Guided tours of the house are given six times a day, Thursday through Monday and there are picnic tables on the grounds. Admission: $6 adults, $4 children. (941-723-4536; floridastateparks.org/gambleplantation)
Anna Maria Island
There’s nothing new about watching the dimming of the day, but it’s an old, cherished ritual in Anna Maria Island, a charming barrier island bordered by the Gulf of Mexico, Tampa and Sarasota bays. It’s not uncommon for the daily performance on the horizon to be greeted by spontaneous applause from the visitors that line up on the beaches to watch. Occupy the rest of the day with watersports, dining at quirky restaurants or fishing on one of the historic piers. (annamariaisland-longboatkey.com)
Central & East Florida
St. Augustine
Pirates are an itinerant lot, so it’s only fitting that the new Pirate & Treasure Museum in St. Augustine originally started as a tourist attraction in Key West. In a business sense, the St. Augustine move is a smart one, with field-tripping school kids available as a built-in audience for the attraction across the street from the Castillo de San Marcos fort. The museum also fits with St. Augustine’s own pirate lore, most notably the saga of English pirate Sir Francis Drake, who led 2,000 of his men in a raid that leveled the city in the late 16th century. Inside the museum, you can read the tales of a dozen famous pirates in electronic history books, shoot a cannon or look at the sword used by Johnny Depp in the movie “Pirates of the Caribbean.” Exhibits can be covered in an hour. Admission: $10.99 adults, $5.99 children. (thepiratemuseum.com)
Clermont
The Lakeridge Winery in Clermont sits on a 127-acre estate in gently rolling countryside that was once the center of the state’s grape industry. Lakeridge touts itself as Florida’s largest premium winery, an operation that specializes in table and sparkling wines from muscadine and hybrid grapes. The winery augments its production with events that include a winter and summer music series an annual wine and seafood festival and harvest festival. (lakeridgewinery.com)
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
A new 3-D version of Star Tours attraction will be part of the mission for Star Wars fans at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. When it debuts later this month, guests can climb aboard the Starspeeder 1000 with C-3PO and R2-D2 and some new characters. Adventures include a flight in a Tatooine podrace or a chase that could involve Boba Fett, Princess Leia or Darth Vader. The new attraction joins such favorites as Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and The American Idol Experience. One-day pass: $82 plus tax general, $74 plus tax ages 3-9 (disneyworld.com)
Melbourne
There are new arrivals this spring at the Brevard Zoo, off Wickham Road at Interstate 95 in Melbourne, most notably a baby calf born to one of the zoo’s Masai giraffes. The giraffes, of course, are one of the main attractions at the zoo, which showcases animals in five loops – Expedition Africa, La Selva, Austral-Asia, Wild Florida and Paws on Play – that take visitors along wooden boardwalks through lushly landscaped observation areas designed to make the animals look as if they’re at home. Splurge for a “Young Explorer’s Package,” which includes zoo admission along with tickets to feed the giraffes, the lorikeets and take a 20-minute train excursion around the grounds. Regular zoo admission is $13.75 adults, $10.25 ages 2-12. (brevardzoo.com)
Titusville
Reservations are now being accepted for the June Turtle Watch Program at Canaveral National Seashore, an opportunity to learn about sea turtles and the role of the National Park Service in their conservation. The programs, for folks 8 and older, are limited to 40 participants each night. Cost is $14 for ages 16 and older, free for ages 15 and under, with programs scheduled on most Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights in June. (386-428-3384; nps.gov/cana/)
Daytona Beach
Beach driving is the famous pastime at the World’s Most Famous Beach, but if you turn your car inland, Daytona Beach offers other charms beyond sand and surf. The pretty business district along Beach Street, just at the foot of the big bridge from the mainland to the beachside, is home to the cozy Abraxas Books, packed floor to ceiling with volumes old and new. Down the block, there’s the iconic Stavros Italian restaurant and Angell & Phelps Chocolate Factory, two stops that don’t require getting sand in your shoes. (daytonabeach.com)
South Florida
Miami
Although the Miami Children’s Museum has been a South Florida fixture since the early 1980s, it has really become a hidden gem since moving eight years ago to Watson Island, near downtown Miami. The museum augments its lively, kid-friendly permanent attractions with touring exhibits such as Dino Island, a prehistoric adventure land populated by nine lifelike robotic creatures on display from June 5 through year’s end. Admission: $15. (miamichildrensmuseum.org)
Coral Gables
More than a place to swim, the Venetian Pool, carved out of a limestone quarry in a quiet neighborhood near the Biltmore Hotel, is the place to go to feel like an extra in an Esther Williams movie. The pool, operated by the city of Coral Gables, is drained nightly and filled each morning with more than 800,000 gallons of spring water, framed by lovely gardens that exude a tropical vibe. Admission: $11 adults, $7.35 children. (coralgablesvenetianpool.com)
Miami Beach
The focus of a multimillion-dollar renovation in 2007, the Fillmore Miami Beach at Jackie Gleason Theater (1700 Washington Ave., Miami Beach) is a state-of-the-art performance space that occupies an iconic spot in South Florida’s entertainment history. The Gleason reference, of course, is to the legendary comedian, who moved his television show to the original theater in 1964 and helped put Miami Beach on the cultural map. Nowadays, the theater hosts an array of events from theater to classical an pop concerts. (fillmoremb.com)
Key West
One of North America’s most remote national parks now is more accessible. Key West Seaplane Adventures offers morning, afternoon and full-day trips to historic Dry Tortugas National Park aboard 10-passenger seaplanes. The park, about 70 miles west of Key West, is home to Civil War-era Fort Jefferson, the largest masonry structure in the Western Hemisphere. (keywestseaplanecharters.com)
The Florida Keys
A yearlong series of events, including bicycle and kayaking tours, is planned to mark the 100th anniversary of the completion of Henry Flagler’s Oversea Railway, the $430 million line that connected the Florida mainland to Key West starting in January 1912. (flaglerkeys100.com)
North Florida & Panhandle
Gainesville
The Butterfly Rainforest, a 6,400-square-foot living exhibit at the Museum of Natural History on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, supports a population of hundreds of species acquired from butterfly farms in the Philippines, Malaysia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Suriname, Ecuador, Belize and Florida that help protect natural habitats and promote conservation. It’s the latest addition to an attraction that used to be more famous for its dinosaur skeletons and other bones. Visitors can check out thousands of specimens at the three-story Wall of Wings or learn how to start a butterfly garden at home. Museum admission is free, with donations accepted; Butterfly Rainforest admission is $10.50 adults, $6 children. (flmnh.ufl.edu/butterflies)
Florida’s Panhandle
The 26 miles of shoreline between the tiny towns of Rosemary Beach and Seascape, along the Gulf of Mexico, offer powder-soft beaches and emerald waters that yield to a different landscape north of the coastline in towns such as Lakewood. It’s home to four state parks that include 200 miles of trails, fishing, boating and wildlife. For a leisurely look at what the area has to offer, take a road trip along the 20-mile stretch of Florida Scenic Highway 30A, which merges into the Scenic Gulf Drive. (beachesofsouthwalton.com)
Jacksonville
Explore Jacksonville’s colorful seafaring past at Jacksonville’s Maritime Museum, recently relocated to The Jacksonville Landing. Or take in Jacksonville’s Fire Museum, which displays an Ahrens Fox steam pumper used in Jacksonville’s Great Fire of 1901. Both museums are free. The Landing also is a good place to find a bite to eat, shop or enjoy a view of the St. Johns River. (visitjacksonville.com)
Cedar Key
Not far from Gainesville, the tiny fishing village of Cedar Key melds historic homes and comfortable hotels with breathtaking views and restaurants that specialize in fresh seafood. The Cedar Key Marina is the spot for fishing tackle, boat rentals or Gulf fishing charters. There’s also hiking and kayaking available at the Lower Suwannee National Wildlife refuge, about 10 miles away. (visitcedarkey.com)
Fort White
Tubing the Ichetucknee River has been a rite of passage for University of Florida students for decades, but the activity has evolved a bit from the old days of dangling six-packs into the cold water by ropes attached to discarded inner tubes. Tubers now rent colorful, specially designed flotation devices from vendors near the entrance to Ichetucknee Springs State Park, an hour northwest of Gainesville outside of Fort White. Arrive early in the summer, when the park often reaches capacity by afternoon. (floridastateparks.org/ichetuckneesprings)
Enjoy!!
