Quaint Florida town ranked in US top 10 summer travel destinations

​From the manatee-themed décor to the actual manatees lazily swimming through Three Sisters Springs on cold winter days, anyone who has visited Crystal River, Florida, knows this small town has charm like nowhere else--and it was recently ranked as one of the top US travel destinations to visit this summer by USA Today.

"This is definitely a humble brag, but we are going to toot our own horn because we are too excited to keep it to ourselves. Crystal River ended up in the top 10 Best Summer Travel Destinations for USA Today's 2023 Readers' Choice awards," said Discover Crystal River Florida on a public Facebook post yesterday.

"We were voted 7th to be exact for the entire United States. We are proud of this accolade because we were first nominated by a select panel of travel experts, and then voted on by the public. This means a lot to us, so we wanted to share this with you. Maybe next year we will make into the top 5? Fingers Crossed!"

USA Today describes Crystal River as "magical" and a natural beauty.

"About 80 miles north of Tampa, you’ll find Crystal River – a magical Gulf Coast town displaying the natural beauty of the Sunshine State without the crowds," the article states in part, furthering that while Crystal River is most famous for its manatees, which can often be seen swimming in the waters around Crystal River during the winter months, it is also a great place for water activities in the summer including swimming and boating.
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Crystal River made the list with other top US destinations including Mackinac Island, Michigan, Mobile, Alabama and Door County, Wisconsin. To see the full list you can find the article here.