With great pleasure I present West Volusia Tourism as my guest blog for June, 2021. Their motto: Old Florida. New Vibe. Let’s go soon . . . It’s a Summer to Remember in West Volusia County By David Swanberg, Marketing…
Pass-A-Grille Offers Beach Vibes & Memories
Pass-A-Grille Beach, part of St. Pete Beach in Florida, boasts the world’s shortest Main Street. Come shop till you drop in just two blocks. I saw it with my own eyes. Two blocks of chic shops and restaurants bordered by…
St. Pete Pier is an Awesome New Experience
The St. Pete Pier is all new and absolutely amazing. Twenty-six acres in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida, called the Pier District, transformed seamlessly into A park experience, A playground experience, A garden experience, A dining experience, A beach experience, A…
Valentine’s Day Means Chocolates are a Must
Valentine’s Day and chocolates go together like cats and catnip. Irresistible. Want to be tempted? Let’s go to a chocolate shop that makes every piece by hand in small batches and without preservatives. Bill Brown is the founder and chief…
Are You A Real Floridian?
Are you a Real Floridian? Only one way to know – look at this checklist and see if you’ve notched these five adventures. Not done some of them yet? Then get started and be on your way to earning your…
Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory Beckons
I’m just inside the door at the Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory at 1316 Duval Street, Key West, my feet rooted to walkway, looking around at astounding beauty – plants, trays of cut up fruit for butterflies, birds singing,…
Beach Time & Fun Time on Anna Maria Island
I’m on Anna Maria Island at a local eatery, glad to get inside just ahead of a downpour. “Hey check this out!” said a diner who arrived after me. He slid onto a counter seat two down from me and…

Bradenton Brims with History, Fun and Food
Bradenton brims with history, fun, food – a family friendly place, easy to navigate and enjoy

Lake Eola Park hosts Farmers Market
Every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Lake Eola Park in downtown Orlando becomes the place to be. Tents of all sizes line both sides of the park’s winding sidewalks for the weekly Orlando Farmers Market. Music, ethnic food,…

Winter Park Walk can be a Treasure Hunt
Like treasure hunts? Then a walk on Park Avenue in Winter Park is your kind of adventure. For starters, stepping into the Spice and Tea Exchange is an aromatic treat. Try to find your favorite spice smell – there are…

Grab flip flops, Let’s Go Visit Hollywood, Florida
Let’s go to Hollywood. No, not that one in California, instead grab your flip-flops and let’s go to Hollywood, Florida. The city of Hollywood sits on the Atlantic Ocean. It is conveniently located north of Miami and south of Fort…

A Taste of Cuba in Historic Ybor City
“History is a fragile thing,” says Max Herman, our guide with Ybor City Historic Walking Tours – a family-owned business started by his dad Lonnie Herman. Take Ybor City as an example – a place that came to be because…
Naples Loves Outdoor Farmers Markets
Naples on the West Coast of Florida has a hot and heavy love affair going on with outdoor Farmers Markets. Seven different Farmers Markets, yes seven, strut their stuff on different days of the week during the season (November through…

Florida Bed & Breakfasts Pamper Guests
Florida Bed & Breakfasts – you never know where you will find one. Wandering around Florida’s Forgotten Coast I found myself in the fishing village of Apalachicola and discovered the Coombs Inn & Suites, three lovely historic Victorian Mansions. I…

Emerson Point Preserve & Waterfront Doings in Palmetto
All that walking at Emerson Point Preserve worked up an appetite for lunch and I found myself at the Riverside Café, watching cloud shows and devouring the Dieters Delight. “How do you like it?” the waitress asked. This is my…

Old Cedar Key Walking Tour and More Adventures
The Old Cedar Key walking tour is on my list of things to do but first we need to check in. At the Faraway Inn their Office sign is turned to Open. Obi and I step inside. The manager looks…

Go Greek for a day (or two) in Tarpon Springs
“Once a week, go Greek.” Look for this motto on shirts worn by the wait staff at Mr. Souvlaki’s restaurant on Pinellas Avenue in Tarpon Springs. Be quick to take a peek because the waiters are moving pretty fast, threading…

Dade City Celebrates with a Kumquat Festival
Got kumquats? Dade City does. Thousands of kumquats will gather together in downtown Dade City on Saturday, January 30 from 9 to 5. The occasion? The annual Kumquat Festival I confess it is not easy to love a kumquat. A…

Four Travel Journalists Find Great Food on the Open Road
Lunch in a river outside Puerto Vallarta By Lucy Beebe Tobias Our bright yellow 4×4 grinds higher up into the Sierra Madre Mountains. The high peaks rise like jagged green jewels above Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico. Under a canvas canopy…

Discover Downtown St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, Florida has 360 days a year of sunshine AND cars stop to let you go across the crosswalk. What’s not to like? My friend Barbara Trow, a recent transplant to St. Petersburg, laughs as she reels off those…

Key Largo has Conch Fritters Calling Your Name
Sitting outside on the patio we all sigh with relief. After a long car ride we’re in the Keys at the Key Largo Conch House, Mile Marker 100.2 Oceanside in the Upper Keys. Something profound happens when the mainland recedes.…

Go for a Good Time in Punta Gorda
Got bikes? Nod yes. Now open up your day timer and pencil in your next ride. You are going for a good time in Punta Gorda. Some eighteen miles of pathways make a ring around the city, linking downtown areas…

Winter Park Puts a Smile in Your Step
Want to put a smile in your step? Spend a Saturday in Winter Park. Yep. Saturday. Why? Because it is Farmer’s Market Day. Every Saturday an encampment of tents fan out in a tight cluster around the old train station…

