Florida Travel Guide
Although it's the state nickname, describing Florida as just The Sunshine State is like calling Katie Couric "perky." Sure, it's true, but not all the time--and it doesn't nearly begin to describe the state's other marketable assets. There's a lot more to the state than just sunshine--which, by the way, isn't even a 24/7 given; it does rain here. Weather aside, choosing the best of Florida is by no means simple. While millions of visitors flock to Florida to escape the bleakness of winter and being landlocked, they don't all come down just for sun, fun, and Mickey Mouse. Sure, the promise of (mostly) clear skies and 800 miles of sparkling, sandy beaches is alluring, as are the animatronics and roller coasters in Orlando and Tampa, but there's much more to the state than that. In fact, in many ways, Florida is like a beautiful, blonde beauty queen who everyone thinks is all fluff until they find out she also happens to be a Rhodes scholar. Okay, so we're not saying that Florida is brilliant, per se, but what we are saying is that there's more than meets the eye that makes this one of the country's most popular year-round vacation destinations.
Here you can choose from a colorful, often kitschy assortment of accommodations, from deluxe resorts to mom-and-pop motels. You can visit remote little towns like Apalachicola or a multicultural megalopolis like Miami. Devour fresh seafood, from amberjack to oysters--and then work off those calories in such outdoor pursuits as bicycling, golfing, or kayaking. Despite overdevelopment in many parts of the state, Floridians have maintained thousands of acres of wilderness areas, from the little respite of Clam Pass County Park in downtown Naples to the magnificent Everglades National Park, which stretches across the state's southern tip.
Choosing the "best" of all this is a daunting task, and the selections in this chapter are only a rundown of some of the highlights. You'll find numerous other outstanding resorts, hotels, destinations, activities, and attractions described in the pages of this book. With an open mind and sense of adventure, you should be able to come up with some bests of your own.
