Hidden gems, beaches, road trips & local guides across the Sunshine State.

Picking your own fruit is one of the sweetest ways to spend a Florida day. The fields around Plant City are known for berries, and a few farms nearby grow other treats too. Grab a sturdy basket, tuck a few dollars in your pocket, and get ready to fill up on fresh flavor. Here are…

Wekiwa Springs State Park in Apopka offers one of Central Florida’s easiest escapes from the crowds. For a small entrance fee, visitors can spend the day swimming in clear spring water, hiking shaded trails, paddling the Wekiva River, or simply relaxing under the trees. The spring is the main attraction, especially on warm Florida days,…

Some barbecue places win you over with polished dining rooms and trendy menus. Peebles Bar-B-Q does it with smoke, history, and meat that has been cooking low and slow in Auburndale since 1947. The screened-in building is simple, the atmosphere is old-school, and on a hot day you will definitely feel the Florida heat. But…

Long before roller coasters and cartoon castles, Florida road trips meant clear springs, quirky museums, and attractions you spotted from the car window. Around Ocala, that old-school spirit is still alive. Some of these stops are a short drive away, and others are worth a longer cruise down the highway. Pack a towel, a camera,…

Big Ray’s Fish Camp does not look like the kind of place people drive across Tampa for, and that is exactly part of the appeal. The little Interbay Boulevard seafood shack keeps things simple: order at the counter, grab a picnic table, and wait for baskets of crispy shrimp, conch fritters, grouper, and some of…

Just west of Pensacola, there is a soggy, sunny patch of land where plants actually eat bugs. Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park protects some of the rarest carnivorous plants on the Gulf Coast, and walking among them feels like stepping onto another planet. It is easy to visit, cheap to enter, and full of strange…

For some people, the best place to live in Florida is not the one with the biggest beach, the flashiest downtown, or the closest theme park. It is the place where everyday life simply feels calmer. Across the state, a handful of smaller communities stand out for crime rates that sit well below the Florida…

Aunt Kate’s in St. Augustine pairs classic Florida seafood with one of the area’s most relaxing waterfront settings. Set along the Tolomato River, the restaurant gives diners wide-open views of the water while serving the kind of unfussy coastal food that fits the scenery perfectly. Seafood takes center stage, with shrimp, fish, and other Southern…

For anyone avoiding gluten or dairy, walking into a bakery can feel like a long list of things you cannot have. That is what makes All The Goods Bakery in Tallahassee such a refreshing find. The entire shop is built around gluten-free and dairy-free baking, with cookies, breads, cakes, pastries, and other treats designed so…

Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park near Copeland protects one of Florida’s wildest swamp landscapes, and hidden within it is one of the state’s most elusive flowers: the ghost orchid. When it blooms, the pale white flower seems to float in midair because its roots blend so naturally into the surrounding trees. The display is brief…

Old Heidelberg Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale brings old-world comfort food to South Florida with the kind of hearty plates that are hard to forget. One of the standouts is the Jaeger schnitzel, a crisp breaded cutlet finished with rich mushroom gravy and served with classic German sides. The dish hits all the right notes: crunchy,…

Hidden a few steps from downtown Clermont sits a tiny village where time slows way down. Inside its gates, a sweet little chapel waits for visitors who like quiet corners and old stories. The village is free to explore, and it is full of old homes, a depot, and a school. Ready to find out…

Sometimes the setting is just as memorable as the meal. Across Florida, a handful of restaurants have moved into historic mansions, Victorian homes, riverfront houses, and beautifully restored estates where creaky floors, wraparound porches, old fireplaces, and century-old details are all part of the experience. You can dine inside a former presidential retreat, sip cocktails…

Some of Florida’s best road-trip stops are not beaches, springs, or theme parks. They are the kind of old-school delis where the bread is fresh, the meats are sliced to order, and the sandwiches barely fit in the wrapper. Across the state, Italian markets and neighborhood sub shops are still stacking rolls with salami, capicola,…

The Donut Man in Winter Haven keeps things wonderfully simple: fresh donuts, classic flavors, and the kind of neighborhood atmosphere that makes a morning stop feel familiar even on a first visit. What keeps people coming back is the freshness. A warm glazed donut straight from a new batch has a completely different appeal, with…

Tucked along Orange Avenue in Clearwater, a historic Episcopal church has been ringing out over the neighborhood for nearly a century. It is home to a carillon of 49 bells and windows that glow with color when the sun hits them just right. Visitors and members alike call the building beautiful, and the people inside…

Sebring may be best known for lakes, citrus groves, and one of Florida’s most famous racetracks, but its food scene deserves a little attention too. Around town, you can go from burgers under string lights and steaks by the lake to hibachi dinners, towering pancake stacks, and old-fashioned ice cream floats. Some spots are made…

Tampa has a long ribbon of waterfront path that locals use almost every single day. It stretches along Tampa Bay and gives you big water views, palm trees, and fresh air without leaving town. Whether you run, bike, skate, or just stroll, there is a spot for you. Here are eight things that make this…

Some restaurants feed you, and some give you a story to tell later. Lester’s Diner on State Road 84 in Fort Lauderdale does both, with a foot-long hot dog, coffee poured into giant 14-ounce cups, and doors that stay open all day and all night. With more than 10,000 Google reviews and a 4.4-star rating,…

You do not need a plane ticket to feel like you have escaped to Europe. Hidden across Florida are grand villas, medieval cloisters, Moorish mansions, Venetian-style pools, and storybook buildings that look wildly out of place beneath the palm trees. Put them together, and you have a road trip that feels less like a drive…

The Kitty Beautiful in Orlando gives cat lovers plenty of reasons to stay awhile, but one feline has a special role. Bongo is the cafe’s resident cat, meaning he is not waiting for adoption like many of the other cats guests meet during their visit. His signature ties and familiar presence have made him part…