Florida

Located just 10 miles from downtown Tampa right off I-4, this short trail runs through a 31-acre botanical garden.  The park has a variety of exotic plans, ferns, flowers and plants as well as a 0.3 mile boardwalk through cypress, maple and oak trees.  Run by Hillsborough County, there's a $2 fee...

A few miles after the Big Cypress visitor center you will find the Kirby Storter Boardwalk. This is a short 1 mile trail through a mature cypress strand. It is a pretty neat experience since in the Everglades in order to be in the middle of a habitat like this, you have to get your feet wet, howe...

SCUBA dive the Air Force Barge, AKA Englin Barge, located at Latitude 30.35415°, Longitude -86.49302°. For this trip, I went through ScubaTech, a local Destin dive shop that rents dive gear, fills tanks, and takes groups out on various reef and wreck dives in the Destin area. They offer 3 hour an...

St. Andrew's Bay at Carl Gray Park: Panama City's Shallow Water Paradise for Sunset Wading Scenic views during the Panama City golden hour... what a nice little combo. St. Andrew's Bay accessed via Carl Gray Park offers a unique coastal experience with incredibly shallow, calm waters perfect for...

This fort was one of the last large brick forts finished in the 1800s. The fort was first established in 1847 and was almost complete when the Confederate army took control of the fort in 1860 but by 1862 it was back under Union control. The fort was then finished but left mostly empty. It was no...

Tucked in the Myakka Wilderness, along the Myakka River, is Deep Hole. After hiking through expansive Florida dry prairie and hammocks of ancient trees draped with spanish moss, you come to a large sinkhole, 200 ft across and 130 ft deep. During the dry season it is home to hundreds of american a...

SCUBA dive the "Miss Louise" tug boat wreck, located at N 30:22.287, W 86:25.317. For this trip, I went through ScubaTech, a local Destin dive shop that rents dive gear, fills tanks, and takes groups out on various reef and wreck dives in the Destin area. They offer 4 hour (2 dive) trips on their...

North Beach in Fort De Soto Park, consistently ranked among Florida's best beaches. This pristine stretch of white quartz sand offers stunning views of the Gulf of Mexico and Tampa Bay, making it perfect for catching a sunset.  The beach features crystal-clear shallow waters ideal for swimming...