Why should kids have all the fun? Sometimes I want to be a kid again. I see you nodding yes – your inner child wants to play too! And so, it came to pass that an opportunity to do just…
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…
Shark’s Teeth and Serendipity
Sharks teeth and serendipity go together. Pick a Florida beach, any beach and show up at low tide. You are in the right place at the right time. Walk barefooted where the surf meets the sand. Adopt the shark’s teeth…
Alafia River State Park has Epic Bike Trails
Epic.Now there is a word you do not hear very often.But you hear it often at Alafia River State Park, a reclaimed phosphate mine with some of the most challenging elevation changes in the state of Florida. The park is…
Sculptures & Gardens Make a Satisfying Walk
by Lucy Tobias, copyright©2020 Sculptures and Gardens – an unusual combination. I inhaled deeply and got ready to ask this question: “What do you want garden visitors to take away with them?” My pen was poised and my reporter…
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…
Book Review: Florida’s Changing Waters
A photograph of a manatee struggling to breathe in the Indian River Lagoon during the toxic algae bloom of Summer 2016 sits at the start of Lynne Buchanan’s book of photographs entitled Florida’s Changing Waters: a Beautiful World in Peril.…
Stetson Mansion is the Best Mansion Tour Ever
Stetson Mansion in DeLand is Florida’s first luxury estate. Built in 1886 as a winter retreat for Philadelphia hat manufacturer John B. Stetson and his family, the house, built to last, still wears its legacy of luxury. Rooms on the…
Sponge Docks, Greek Food and More in Tarpon Springs
Your travel checklist for Tarpon Springs: 1. Score a parking place at the Sponge Docks. Check. 2. Take a boat ride with an old-fashioned sponge diver demonstration or a nature cruise that includes visiting Anclote Island. Check. 3. Eat way…
Take a Walk in a Park Today
Saturday, March 30, 2019 is National Take a Walk in a Park day. Do your duty! I did mine a bit early at De Soto National Memorial Park in Bradenton – a small park on the south shore of the…
Explore the Wild Side of Englewood
Englewood, Florida has a wild side. I’m thinking parks and beaches and dining discoveries. What were you thinking? Moving right along – Swim, paddle, board a boat, walk, run, amble or meander, it all works in Englewood. Day of Discovery…
Babcock Ranch is Powered by the Sun
While growing up, my passions ebbed and flowed – in second grade, horses galloped across my landscape always with me riding out front. By fourth grade being a ballerina took center stage. Did you dream dreams as a kid of…
Walk or Paddle into Florida Mangroves
Mangroves. It is the Wild West out there in the roots. The blue crab raised both claws up in the air ready for a fight with me. I stood back at a respectful distance and zoomed in with my Nikon…
Visit Peace River Botanical & Sculpture Gardens
Welcome to Peace River Botanical & Sculpture Gardens, a 27-acre site located on both sides of Riverside Drive in Punta Gorda, Florida. Soaring sculptures and spectacular gardens sit side by side in splendid accord. As soon as you park and…
Florida State Parks are Calling Your Name
I LOVE FLORIDA STATE PARKS Yes, I do. Deeply. Passionately. Just thinking about taking my dogs for walks on dirt trails shaded by tall trees or getting my wading shoes wet climbing in and out kayaks for river trips makes…
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…
Sunken Gardens Grows Lush and Exotic
Two words perfectly describe Sunken Gardens in St. Petersburg – lush and exotic. What, you say, is it still there? Oh yes, Sunken Gardens, an old Florida family roadside attraction, is still alive and thriving right in the middle of…
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…
Wauchula – go there on 3rd Saturday
Where is Wauchula? It is the place to be on the third Saturday of every month. Seriously. The city’s web site describes Wauchula as being one hour from anywhere – the public relations way of saying we’re small but we…
Florida Art Museums are Cool – Let’s Visit
September in Florida can be cruel. An early morning breeze caresses our cheeks like a lover’s touch and then bam! An hour later the thrill of fall is gone, replaced by yet another hot day and humid night – enough…
Florida’s Outdoor Coolest Spots for Summer
What would outdoor Florida be without wading along the shoreline, swimming, tubing, snorkeling, diving, kayaking, boating and fishing? Definitely a sorry place indeed – I honestly wonder how many of us would stick around without all these wonderful wet places we take…
Florida Beaches are Simply Sublime
Wahoo! I was just there – Gulf Islands National Seashore in Pensacola – a long ribbon of bright white sandy beach so alluring it had to be singing a siren song: “Come, sift the sand between your toes. Stay here.…
BOOK REVIEW: Paynes Prairie
LUCY’S BOOK REVIEW* Paynes Prairie: A History of the Great Savanna by Lars Andersen I’m convinced his mother qualified for sainthood. Seriously. Lillian Andersen used to drive her son Lars to Paynes Prairie so he could spend the day exploring,…
Living History Reenactors are Time Travelers
Shadows pinched the sunlight into slim shapes on the trail. A breeze lifted tree branches. The birds were silent. Suddenly a war cry and the sound of thundering hoofs split the air. My back tingled with fear. I did not…