Candid Florida

One of my family’s favorite destinations in Florida when I was growing up was Rainbow Springs State Park just north of Dunnellon. Back in the day, it was filled with flights of fantasy – cruising underwater in submarine boats to see the fish face-to-face, drifting through the treetops inside a leaf on the Forest Flite [...]

I’ve been chasing pirates across the Ancient City the past couple days, and I’m finding their echoes everywhere. “On Stranger Tides” at the IMAX has folks looking for the Fountain of Youth. Memorials to Ponce De Leon. And best of all, in the vibrant new St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum across from the Castillo, [...]

On my drive home from the Orlando International Airport Monday, I swung by a few old haunts and was delighted to see them still hanging in there. While Maitland – especially along US 17/92 – has undergone some radical changes since I used to live there, a few old standards keep hanging in there, among [...]

This Friday is National Public Gardens Day, and no better time to take a stroll – or better yet, take your mother for a stroll – at your favorite public garden. With our temperate and tropical climates, Florida is blessed with some of the most colorful and beautiful gardens in the United States. Better Homes [...]

On my first visit to a big butterfly conservatory – the Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservancy- stepping into the swirl of winged beauties, flowers, and inspiring music, I felt like I’d stepped into the movie Bambi. Right now at EPCOT, during the annual International Flower & Garden Festival, a Bambi-themed butterfly house is one [...]

If you’ve ever driven US 98 between Perry and Newport en route to Tallahassee and points west, chances are you’ve seen the tupelo honey man set up at the Bloxham Cutoff.  It never fails – every trip, I see him there.  So I did stop and buy a honeybear full of the golden stuff. The [...]