Eyewitness Travel Family Guide Florida

by DK

  Florida Folk Festival www.floridastateparks.org/folkfest

  Sack of St. Augustine www.augustine.com

  Sanibel Shell Festival www.fortmyers-sanibel.com

  Springtime Tallahassee www.visittallahassee.com/events

  Zoo Miami’s Great Egg Safari www.zoomiami.org/Egg_Safari

  Summer

  The fun carries on with festivals featuring great food and beach activities. July 4 brings fireworks, the rodeo promises Old West excitement, and the Blue Angels aerobatics fill the skies with thrills.

  June

  The Monticello Watermelon Festival, near Tallahassee, offers arts and crafts, a bed race, and cool, juicy watermelon for $1 a slice. More sweet treats await at the Panhandle Watermelon Festival in Chipley, which includes live music, a parade, an antique car show, a street fair, and dancing. Not far away, in Fort Walton Beach, pirate gangs skirmish at the Billy Bowlegs Pirate Festival, which has a whole bunch of activities for young buccaneers.

  At Anastasia State Park, the Beach Bash challenges the imaginations of sand-castle builders, and offers scavenger hunts and nature walks for families. For a change of pace, the Silver Spurs Rodeo in Kissimmee, 4½ miles (7 km) south of Gatorland, offers a chance to watch bareback riding, bronco riding, and barrel races.

  July

  Independence Day on July 4 is celebrated all over the state, but Miami has the biggest events of all. The festivities begin at 11am in Key Biscayne, and feature a parade with marching bands, stilt dancers, floats, and bagpipers. Head to Bayfront Park for America’s Birthday Bash, a full day of fun and food, including an afternoon Kids’ Zone and fireworks starting at 9pm. Miami Beach offers free blues and jazz concerts and nighttime fireworks.

  More than 100 stocky, bearded Ernest Hemingways show up in Key West for the Papa Hemingway Look-Alike Contest, a highlight of the Hemingway Days Festival. Don’t miss the mock “running of the bulls,” in which bulls on wheels are pushed around with Hemingway look-alikes perched on top.

  All eyes are on the sky when the Blue Angels, the US Navy Flight Demonstration squadron, perform their famous aerial stunts. The Blue Angels Air Show is held in Pensacola. Arrive early to get a seat in the bleachers at the National Naval Aviation Museum viewing area.

  Ernest Hemingway look-alikes on fake bulls at the Hemingway Days Festival, Key West

  August

  In Key West, the end of summer means the opening of the lobster season and cause for a party, Lobsterfest, with free concerts, a street fair, and lots of lobster to eat. A 45-minute drive north of Panama City, in Wausau, an all-American small-town parade, arts and crafts vendors, and great food make the Wausau Possum Festival a much-loved tradition.

  America’s Birthday Bash www.bayfrontparkmiami.com

  Beach Bash www.visitflorida.com

  Billy Bowlegs Pirate Festival www.billybowlegspiratefestival.com

  Hemingway Days Festival www.hemingwaydays.org

  Lobsterfest www.keywestlobsterfest.com

  Monticello Watermelon Festival www.monticellojeffersonfl.com

  Silver Spurs Rodeo www.silverspursrodeo.com

  Fall

  More seafood feasting, medieval jousting on horseback, lavish Latin parades, Halloween, and the American Sandsculpting Festival add flavor and fun to a fall visit. Late summer and early fall are the least crowded times in the theme parks.

  September

  The oldest city in the US, dating from 1565, celebrates the St. Augustine Founding Anniversary with a re-enactment of the Spanish landing near the spot where it took place. More historic hi-jinks take place on British Garrison Day, at the Castillo de San Marcos, when Colonial re-enactors portray the British troops who occupied St. Augustine in the late 18th century.

  October

  In Tampa, costumes come out in the Cuban neighborhood of Ybor City for Guavaween, a Latin celebration of Halloween that includes live music, a costume contest, and a full day of Halloween activities.

  Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show is one of the world’s largest displays of boats, from skiffs and canoes to super-yachts. Shuttles, water taxis, and riverboats take visitors to the show’s various venues. Hook the Future fishing clinics for kids teach young anglers how to catch the big ones.

  November

  The entries in the American Sandsculpting Festival at Fort Myers Beach boggle the imagination with sand sculptures ranging from statues of Venus to giant butterflies. The Florida Seafood Festival in Apalachicola has oyster-shucking and eating contests, blue-crab races, and the chance to explore a charming historic nautical town.

  The Medieval Fair in Sarasota takes visitors back to 11th-century England as jousters in armor tilt at each other on horseback. The North Florida Fair in Tallahassee has more contemporary lures, such as livestock contests, rides, pig racing, and magic shows, plus lots of food and music.

  American Sandsculpting Festival www.fmbsandsculpting.com

  British Garrison Day www.staugustineinfo.com

  Florida Seafood Festival www.floridaseafoodfestival.com

  Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show www.showmanagement.com

  Guavaween www.guavaweentampa.com

  North Florida Fair www.northfloridafair.com

  St. Augustine Founding Anniversary www.staugustineinfo.com

  Winter

  Boats brighten the harbors with holiday lights, art shows abound, pirates parade, and the circus and state fairs delight in the busy winter season. Note that Christmas and New Year vacation weeks are the most crowded at theme parks; plan to arrive early to avoid crowds.

  December

  Holiday parades on the water dazzle, as boats compete for best displays. The biggest and brightest parades are the Winterfest Boat Parade in Fort Lauderdale, with over 100 boats competing for the best decorated, and the Jacksonville Light Parade, which ends in a blaze of fireworks.

  Millions of tiny lights create a magical scene during Nights of Lights in St. Augustine, a two-month-long celebration. Night tours led by storytellers in period garb, train and trolley tours, and art walks through the narrow brick streets add to the festive feel. Fort Taylor’s Pyrate Invasion, in Key West, includes sailing trips with the “pirates.”

  January

  The New Year means football championships in Florida, with the Orange Bowl in Miami, the TaxSlayer Bowl in Jacksonville, and the Outback Bowl in Tampa hosting top college teams and attracting fans from near and far.

  Epiphany, also known as Three Kings’ Day or Twelfth Night, brings a gala Three Kings Parade, featuring the costumed Three Wise Men, in Miami’s Little Havana. All ages will enjoy a stroll along Las Olas Boulevard, in Fort Lauderdale, to see life-size sculptures, colorful paintings, jewelry, and photography at the Las Olas Art Fair.

  Pirates invade Tampa in late January or early February, tossing beads to the spectators from lighted floats at the elaborately costumed Gasparilla Pirate Festival, which is followed by a lively street fair. Meanwhile, the Alachua County Fairgrounds are transformed into a medieval marketplace, with another chance to see knights in armor jousting on horseback, for the Hoggetowne Medieval Faire, on weekends at the end of January and into February.

  February

  A favorite with children, Circus Sarasota pitches its tent for most of the month of February each year, bringing world-class international circus talent to thrill the crowds. In Daytona Beach, engines roar for the fabled Daytona 500 race.

  The 12-day Florida State Fair in Tampa is a chance for the state’s farmers to show off their best animals – from sheep and cows to pygmy goats, exotic pigeons, and rabbits. The fairgrounds overflow with rides, music, food booths, a colorful horse show, a dog show, and plenty of free country-western entertainment.

  The Swamp Cabbage Festival in La Belle, east of Fort Myers, has some unique entertainment on its agenda, including an armadillo race. The festival also features a parade, a rodeo, food stalls, arts and crafts, and the crowning of Miss Swamp Cabbage Festival.

  The Coconut Grove Arts Festival
in Miami is one of the best and most colorful outdoor fine arts shows, a place where people get the chance to meet and talk to artists and enjoy good food and music. Children can have a go at creating their own works of art.

  Race cars on the track during the Daytona 500, a famous NASCAR event

  Florida State Fair floridastatefair.com

  Fort Taylor’s Pyrate Invasion www.keywest.com

  Jacksonville Light Parade www.JaxHappenings.com

  Las Olas Art Fair www.artfestival.com

  Orange Bowl www.orangebowl.org

  Outback Bowl www.outbackbowl.com

  Swamp Cabbage Festival www.labelleswampcabbagefestival.org

  TaxSlayer Bowl www.taxslayerbowl.com

  Winterfest Boat Parade www.winterfestparade.com

  Public Holidays

  New Year’s Day Jan 1

  Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday 3rd Mon in Jan

  President’s Day 3rd Mon in Feb

  Memorial Day last Mon in May

  Independence Day July 4

  Labor Day 1st Mon in Sep

  Election Day 1st Tue in Nov

  Veterans Day Nov 11

  Thanksgiving 4th Thu in Nov

  Christmas Day Dec 25

  < Introducing Florida

  Sports and Outdoor Activities

  Spectacular view of the TPC Blue Monster golf course at the Doral Resort, Miami

  Florida’s sunny climate means that families can enjoy outdoor activities and sports year-round. The state’s excellent nature parks and preserves attract hikers and cyclists, while its numerous beaches and rivers offer opportunities for boating, fishing, sailing, surfing, snorkeling, and swimming. There are also tennis courts and the well-developed golf courses that Florida is so famous for. Fans of all ages can enjoy cheering on some of America’s top sports teams.

  Biking

  Cyclists will find bike paths in nature preserves, parks, state forests, and on beaches. Rails-to-Trails, former railroad routes that are now paved for bikers and hikers, are ideal for family outings. The 14-mile (23-km) Jacksonville–Baldwin Trail near Jacksonville winds beneath a leafy canopy. The Myakka River State Park offers miles of bike trails through scenic landscapes. The state’s official bike trails guide can be found online.

  Biking guides www.dep.state.fl.us/gwt; railstotrails.org

  Hiking

  Florida’s many state and national parks offer excellent hiking. The Florida Trail, stretching over 1,500 miles (2,500 km) across the state, has options for short hikes. In Ocala National Forest, trails take hikers through pine and hardwood forests, and prairies. The 10-mile (16-km) trail from Clearwater Lake Recreation Area to Alexander Springs includes one of the region’s largest natural springs. Park websites have maps and suggestions for hikes.

  Hiking www.floridastateparks.org; www.floridahikes.com

  National Parks www.nps.gov

  City trails

  The path through Sarasota’s Bayfront Park borders Sarasota Bay, while Tampa’s 4.½-mile (7-km) Bayshore Boulevard is called “the world’s longest continuous sidewalk.” Jacksonville’s Arlington Lions Club Park offers a path and boardwalks along the St. Johns River (see Vizcaya Museum and Gardens), and Miami’s mile-long Riverwalk through Bayfront Park (see Pérez Art Museum Miami) has shops, cafés, and art galleries. The trail in Matheson Hammock County Park offers a taste of wilderness in the city.

  Florida Trail www.floridatrail.org

  Kayaking and canoeing

  Most parks, nature centers, and wildlife refuges on the coast or on rivers offer paddling; John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, and Everglades National Park are both scenic. The Suwannee River Wilderness Trail, in the Panhandle, has multiday paddling trips with conveniently spaced river camps.

  Suwannee River Wilderness Trail www.floridastateparks.org/trail/Suwannee-River-Wilderness-Trail

  Fishing

  Islamorada in the Florida Keys is the state’s sport-fishing capital, while the Panhandle’s Destin has its largest charter boat fleet. The Destin Fishing Rodeo has big money prizes, and categories for kids and teens too. Lake Okeechobee, inland from the Treasure Coast, is the choice spot for freshwater fishing.

  Destin Fishing Rodeo www.destinfishingrodeo.org

  Snorkeling and diving

  The Keys are the site of America’s largest living coral reef, and Biscayne National Park is rich with colorful coral. The Keys Shipwreck Heritage Trail features nine sites to explore. The Datura Avenue Snorkel Trail, near Fort Lauderdale, is an artificial “shipwreck,” and shallow-water snorkeling can be enjoyed on Siesta Key’s Crescent Beach, or around the rock jetty at St. Andrews State Park on the Panhandle.

  Datura Avenue Snorkel Trail www.floridadiveconnection.com

  Watersports

  The calmer waters off the Gulf Coast, and the Intracoastal Waterway, are ideal for sailing. The Fort Lauderdale area offers 300 miles (480 km) of inland waterways and Sebastian Inlet State Park offers great surfing opportunities. Short sailing courses are available at Windward Sailing at Fernandina Beach or at the Offshore Sailing School® at Fort Myers. Cocoa Beach is the state’s undisputed surfing and parasailing center, and the Ron Jon Surf School offers lessons.

  Surfing in Sebastian Inlet State Park, Vero Beach

  Parasailing cocoabeachparasail.com; daytonaparasailing.com

  Rails-to-Trails www.railstotrails.org

  Ron Jon Surf School www.ronjonsurfschool.com

  Sailing schools windwardsailing.com; www.offshoresailing.com

  Golf and tennis

  The golf courses at the Doral Resort in Miami and the Mangrove Bay Golf Course in St. Petersburg are well known. There are miniature golf courses in almost every Florida town, and no experience is required. Tennis enthusiasts will find public courts in most towns, many offering lessons, and tennis programs at most resorts. In Bradenton, the IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy, where top pros train, offers teen programs.

  Golf www.doralresort.com; www.golfstpete.com/mangrove_bay.html; www.lpgainternational.com

  IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy www.imgacademy.com

  Miniature golf www.golflink.com/miniature-golf/state.aspx?state=FL

  Spectator sports

  In the fall, the Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Jacksonville Jaguars provide football action. Late fall and winter are best to catch the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic basketball teams, and ice hockey competition gets fierce for Miami’s Florida Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning. March brings the Grapefruit League, the chance to see 15 baseball teams prepare for the season. The Tampa Bay Rays and Miami Marlins are in action from April through October.

  An ice hockey match in progress between the Florida Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning

  Florida Panthers panthers.nhl.com

  Jacksonville Jaguars jaguars.com

  Miami Heat www.nba.com/heat

  Tampa Bay Rays tampabay.rays.mlb.com

  < Introducing Florida

  Going Wild

  Birdwalk in Myakka River State Park

  Florida is a paradise for spotting wildlife, from alligators, dolphins, and manatees to pelicans, egrets, and great blue herons, and there are plenty of preserves where sightings are almost guaranteed. In addition, guided walks to see sea turtles are offered by nature centers all along the Atlantic coast in June and July. Be still so as not to frighten the birds and animals away, and observe the signs about not feeding them.

  Everglades National Park

  The only subtropical preserve in North America, the Everglades teems with wildlife, from tiny frogs to full-grown alligators. Covering 1,562 sq miles (4,046 sq km), and accessible from both east and west coasts, the park is home to birds such as the roseate spoonbill, wood stork, and great blue heron, and is the only place in the world where alligators and Florida crocodiles coexist. National Park Service rangers offer tours from the park’s many visitor centers.

  www.nps.gov/ever

  Myakka River State Park

  This park (see The Circus
Arts Conservatory) is home to 57 sq miles (148 sq km) of untouched wetlands, prairies, and woodlands. Stroll along a canopy walkway in the tree tops, or spot alligators, turtles, and birds on hiking trails, on airboat rides that skim over the water, or by canoeing or kayaking in the Myakka River.

  www.floridastateparks.org/park/Myakka-River

  Lion Country Safari

  A 4-mile (6-km) drive-through safari in this extensive preserve (see Lion Country Safari) in West Palm Beach offers the chance to see more than 900 animals from around the world living freely in the open. They are divided into seven home regions, from the pampas of South America to the forests of India and the Serengeti of Africa. Spot lions, tapirs, tortoises, llamas, zebras, giraffes, chimpanzees, and hippos, to name just a few. The safari is sure to be a hit with kids, and tickets include an amusement park with rides and a water “sprayground.”

  www.lioncountrysafari.com