If you’re planning a vacation to Florida, we don’t blame you. This state is home to some of the most beautiful scenery and entertaining attractions in the country, making it an obvious choice of destinations for anyone seeking a great vacation destination. The best places to visit in Florida are chock full of excellent ways to spend a holiday! Many of Florida’s attractions are centered around the state’s many beautiful beaches, almost all of which boast immaculate white sand and clean, cool water. In cities known for their beach resorts and hotels, these beaches also present an excellent opportunity to lounge on a beach chair and sip on a refreshing beverage. That’s what we call vacationing in style! Another reason people visit Florida is its affordability. With numerous affordable vacation cities, a vacation to this state is all but guaranteed to cost you less than a vacation in other states with similar attractions. From the price of fuel and food to the wide availability of inexpensive conventional and unconventional lodging options, this is one state that won’t cost you much to take a vacation in! While these are without doubt excellent reasons to visit the state, there’s another reason that we would argue is more compelling than any of the reasons listed above. That reason is Florida’s exquisite natural scenery! With dozens of breathtakingly beautiful state parks, this state is perfect for nature lovers from all walks of life. Naturalist tourism in Florida If you’re planning to visit Florida to take in its beautiful scenery, there are a few things you need to anticipate before you pack your bags and start making your itinerary. First of all, you’ll need to know what Florida’s natural areas have in store for you, and how you should prepare for these natural environments. First off, many of Florida’s state parks are swampy in nature. This means moisture, humidity, mosquitoes and hazardous critters of every species and genus. If you want to stay safe from these elements, you’ll need to pack mosquito repellent, sturdy garments, protective shoes and other accessories you predict you’ll need. Then you’ll need to think about what exactly it is that you’ll be doing while you’re in the state. If you’re planning on photographing the scenery, you’ll want to bring your most rugged camera equipment and accessories. Nature watchers will also want to bring binoculars in order to get up close and personal with the wildlife without actively putting themselves in danger. After you’ve packed for the trip, you’ll want to start picking destinations for your itinerary. So where will you go? We have several suggestions, which come in the form of Florida’s beautiful state parks. Who knows, maybe we’ll throw a national park into the mix too, just for fun. With that said, let’s take a look at some of Florida’s most beautiful state parks! Manatee Springs - Chiefland, FL If you’ve ever been to Florida, chances are you completely missed out on the north-central part of the state. This is understandable given the fact that most of Florida’s well-known attractions are in the southern regions of the state, but we think it’s a shame nevertheless. If you’re interested in righting this wrong, we’ve got an excellent suggestion: visit beautiful Manatee Springs state park! Named after the gentle giants that traverse the crystal clear waters of its springs, Manatee springs state park is the perfect place for a family camping trip or a solo adventure. Spacious and well maintained campgrounds offer plenty of room for roughing it in a tent or living it up in an RV; the choice is yours! During the summer, you can enjoy the most enjoyable part of Manatee Springs, the titular spring. This natural wonder is a literal wellspring of joy, providing visitors with an excellent place to swim, dive, relax and cool off on a hot July day. At a steady 72 degrees year round, the water here is always center stage. Swimming isn’t the only thing you can do here at Manatee Springs State Park, however; with miles of walkways, natural canals and direct access to the famed Suwannee River, this is one place that you don’t want to miss. Whether you go it alone or travel here with your troupe of friends, you’re guaranteed to have a good time! Dudley Farm - Newberry, FL Taking things in a somewhat different direction, the next state park on our list isn’t a nature preserve or a natural spring. It is, in fact, a farm! This isn’t just any old run-of-the-mill farm, however; it’s a historic natural park. With a history that dates back to the 19th century, this park offers visitors a fascinating glimpse into turn of the century Florida farm life. The grounds at the Dudley Farm are staffed by a dedicated team of historical reenactors who bring the exhibits to life with their committed recreation of the events that transpired on the farm in its heyday. From everyday tasks such as feeding livestock to and tending the fields to more in depth tasks such as crushing and refining sugarcane for the manufacture of sugar, there’s plenty to see here. Speaking of sugar production, its manufacture represents one of the most interesting aspects of the Dudley farm. With a period-correct cane press on site, those who visit during the proper season can bear witness to the fascinating spectacle of sugar production. During this time of the year (typically between August and October) you can watch as the sugarcane is crushed using mules and then refined in monolithic sugar pans over a roaring fire. The buildings on the Dudley farm are also preserved in a pristine state, complete with all of the trappings you’d expect to see on a 19th century sugar farm. From the archaic cloth production spindle, spinning wheel and loom to furniture that has survived over 100 years in the Florida heat, the entire farm is a marvel of historic proportions. If you’re in town, you can’t miss it! Everglades National ParkRemember when we teased the fact that we were going to talk about a national park? This is it, baby! Located in southern Florida, Everglades National Park is one of the most unique and fascinating National Parks in the country. With over 1.5 million acres of pristine wetlands to explore, this is one park you don’t want to pass up an opportunity to see. So what all does this park have to offer, you ask? The answer is “lots!” For starters, the Everglades are an excellent place to observe the flora and fauna native to the state of Florida, with tens of miles of board walkways and daily airboat tourist available to take you roaring or crawling through the swamps and glades. Anglers will love the Everglades too, as it has some of the richest fishing spots of any locale in the state of Florida. With a phenomenally varied list of species to be caught, there’s enough color and variety here to make all but the most stoic fisherman or woman salivate. Bring a pole, a tacklebox and watch the fish bite! Nature photographers too will find themselves right at home in the Everglades, with plenty of natural scenery to photograph, as well as fascinating flora and fauna. The landscapes here vary from exquisitely beautiful to mysterious and surreal, but one thing is for sure: you’ll burn through film or memory cards like a stock car burns through rubber at the Daytona 500! ConclusionNo matter which of these breathtakingly beautiful state and national parks you visit, it’s safe to say that your visit will conclude with you thoroughly convinced that Florida has more to offer than mere beaches and tourist attractions. This is a state populated by fascinating creatures, beautiful flora and spellbinding landscapes, and nothing proves this more definitively than Florida’s many parks!
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Theresa Hus
Theresa Hus is a member of the content team at The OFFICIAL Real Estate Agent Directory®, producing countless informative and trendy real estate articles for RealEstateAgent.com and its many outlets. Archives
April 2024
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