Florida – Things to do when staying in your Florida holiday home.
In such an energetic and outdoors region as Florida, the things-to-do list is always crammed with great ideas. This means that whether you are staying in your Florida holiday home or hotel for two weeks, two months or two years, there will always be plenty to amuse, inform and enthral you. Typical Florida entertainment ranges from the thrills of the Orlando region theme parks, to the rather more sedate (and often, free) appreciation of outstanding natural beauty, so there really is something to delight every visitor.
Reach for the Moon!
The John F Kennedy Space Center is the launch headquarters of NASA and its visitor complex at Cape Canaveral is one of the top destinations in the USA. As well as telling the story of NASA’s exploration of space through exhibits, films and guided tours, the centre is the only place on Earth where you can tour the launch pad, meet an astronaut, see ten-storey-high rockets from all eras of space exploration, marvel at artefacts of the historic moon landing and train in spaceflight simulators. The Center is worth visiting at any time of year but, depending on when you are staying at your Florida holiday home, you may find your trip coincides with the launch of a space shuttle or rocket launch. Check the Center’s website for launch schedules and viewing tickets.
Meet the wildest locals near your Florida holiday home
Few states in America can offer as many opportunities to get so close to wildlife as Florida. Things to do range from swimming with dolphins in Key West or Miami, watching a few of the turtles who lay 40,000-84,000 nests every year on Florida’s beaches, or getting almost personal with a manatee (also called a sea cow).
The latter is a shy and lumbering marine creature and is an endangered species. It is also Florida’s wildlife symbol. While there are many viewing centres throughout Florida (see www.floridaconservation.org for a full list), the best places are Crystal River in Citrus County and Blue Springs in Volusia. The manatee populations in these areas are actually increasing, thanks to the implementation of strong protective measures.
And then there are the alligators that hang out in the Everglades, in the south of the state. Spotting alligators is a uniquely Florida entertainment and an unforgettable adventure. Even if your Florida holiday home or hotel is some way upstate, the experience of watching an alligator pass just a matter of feet in front of you is one that is worth every mile you travel to reach their swamp home. For further details of visiting the Everglades, see our Sports and Outdoors in Florida page
Learn about the Indians
Just as so many other indigenous peoples did across the Americas, the Seminoles and the Miccosukee tribes fought with words, with weapons, and with their own blood to protect their world and their land, and they resisted attempts to be moved west by the European settlers. Most were eventually removed, however, but a small number (300-500) of Seminoles remained and continued to fight. They never surrendered. Today’s Seminoles refer to themselves as the ancestors of Florida’s ‘unconquered’ Indian tribe. Among the best places to learn more are the Ah-Tah-Thi-Khi Museum at Big Cypress Seminole Reservation, west of Miami (www.seminoletribe.com/museum), and Miccosukee Indian Village, west of Fort Lauderdale (www.miccosukeeresort.com).
Take your car to the beach!
Daytona Beach, nicknamed the Birthplace of Speed, is home to America’s stock-car racing fraternity, and some 20 miles of hard, compacted sand. This is where Sir Malcolm Campbell set and broke records, and an 18-mile stretch of this firm sand makes up one of the few remaining beaches in Florida where cars are still allowed. For $5, you can cruise it throughout daylight hours, but don’t push the gas too hard! The speed limit is a strict 10 mph. Speeding is reserved for the world famous Daytona International Speedway where the annual Daytona 500 (February) and many other racing events are held. Speedway tours are available (assuming there is no racing!), as are thrilling interactive games ie changing tyres in a pit-stop competition, and simulator experiences.
Look to the sky for free Florida entertainment
Ask any Brit who has bought their own Florida holiday home what they consider to be the best free attraction of the state and they are likely to mention sunsets. At this southern latitude, they are simply spectacular. The fishing pier in Naples, on the Gulf Coast, is a well-known sunset favourite and many tourists and locals are drawn to the beach to watch the sun melt into the horizon. But wherever you are looking out from – over water, over open prairie, over the rooftops or through the leaves of mangrove tree – the sunsets are always memorable. And not only are they free, this particular form of Florida entertainment is performed every single night so it’s easy to fit it into your Florida-things-to-do list.
