Diversions & Excursions
A Beach for Everyone
When it comes to spending a day at the beach in our area, you really can’t go wrong, but it does help to have an idea of what to expect before you head out. Below, we break down a few of our favorite beaches and what makes them unique. Fred Howard Park Beach: The family […]
Beaches of Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is blessed with miles of shoreline, but not all beaches offer the same experience. Over the years, I have spread my towel out on the powdery white sands of some of the most popular and obscure beaches in the area. Although all are beautiful in their own way, five stand out. Clearwater Beach […]
A Day in the Sponge Capital of the World
Florida is home to many “Capitals of the World.” The “Shark Tooth Capital of the World” is Caspersen Beach, the “Shark Bite Capital of the World” is New Smyrna Beach, and the “Golf Capital of the World” is Naples. So, on what our family likes to call Sunday Funday, we decided to take a ride […]
TECO Manatee Viewing Center
Much as Tampa’s beloved snowbirds drive south for the winter, manatees also seek out a more temperate habitat as temperatures drop. The mammals are attracted to warm water, and where better to go than TECO’s Big Bend Power Station in Apollo Beach? According to TECO’s website, the power station takes water from Tampa Bay for […]
Where to See Manatees
Every year, as Florida’s Gulf waters begin to cool and the winter air settles in, something magical happens beneath the surface. From November through late March, manatees make their annual pilgrimage from the chilly open waters of the Bay and the Gulf into the state’s warm, crystal-clear springs. Manatees, officially known as Trichechus Manatus Latirostris, […]
Historic Egmont Key
The Sunshine State is filled with history. Florida’s coastline is sprinkled with relics from centuries past, each telling its own story of times forgotten. From shipwrecks resting beneath our tropical waters, historic ruins hidden inland, and more than 300 historic forts and batteries, Florida’s past lingers all around us. Just south of Fort De Soto […]
Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park
There’s a certain magic in Florida’s springs. I’m not sure if it’s the crystal-clear turquoise waters coupled with the canopy of Spanish moss–draped cypress trees, or the wildlife that calls it home. But few places capture that wild, old-Florida charm quite like Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, a place where education, conservation, rehabilitation and native […]
A Visit to the Capybara Cafe
If you had ever told me that I would enjoy feeding the world’s largest rodents, I would not have believed you. I am not generally a huge animal person, but I have to admit I was intrigued when I learned about the existence of the Capybara Café in St. Petersburg. I decided to experience the […]
A Day Trip Mirada Lagoon
We spent a blistering summer day at Mirada Lagoon in San Antonio, Florida, and it felt like stepping into a Caribbean resort. This massive 15-acre, man-made lagoon is the largest in the United States, and is just minutes away from its sister property, Epperson Lagoon. As I set foot on the soft white sand, I […]
