West of Orlando, the city of Clermont is in a hilly and water-rich part of Central Florida. Conditions around the city are just right for growing fruit, and for much of the 20th century the countryside was covered in citrus groves. Since the 1950s, the city’s symbol has been the Citrus Tower, a skyscraper celebrating …
The baking soda manufacturer, Henry Addison DeLand (1834-1908) founded this beautiful city in 1882. He also established Stetson University here, and his intention was for DeLand to become the Athens of Florida. That nickname has made it into the 21st century, and I don’t think it’s a bad description. Stetson University has a picture-perfect campus, …
A cultural beacon for Greater Orlando, the picture-perfect city of Winter Park originated as a winter resort for the wealthy in the 1880s. With its canals, lakes, moss-draped live oaks, and Mediterranean Revival architecture, I will never tire of exploring Winter Park. You can do this on foot, wandering among cypress trees at lakeside parks, …
In the southern end of Seminole County, Casselberry is just ten miles north of downtown Orlando. Highway 17 and State Road 436 intersect here, connecting the city with communities across Central Florida. One thing that strikes me about Casselberry is how much there is going on at Lake Concord Park. There are dozens of public …
Founded nearly 60 years ago, Lauderhill lies just north of Miami along a beautiful stretch of the state’s Atlantic coast and is conveniently close to many of Florida’s most visited attractions. For those traveling without kids, Miami’s around-the-clock nightlife is an alluring option, and if art, culture, and natural attractions are more your cup of …
Located on Florida’s southern Atlantic coast between Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale, Boynton Beach is home to some of the state’s most scenic stretches of coastland and is close enough to many historical, cultural, and natural attractions to make day trips a great option for those with their own set of wheels. Though it’s technically …
Constantly growing since the 1960s, Tamarac is a city of more than 70,000, close to Pompano Beach and Fort Lauderdale. In the best possible way, the city feels a little like the edge of the world, as it borders the Everglades with a giant area of sawgrass marsh reaching out to the horizon in the …
NASCAR’s headquarters, a world-renowned race track, and more than 20 miles of Atlantic beaches, Daytona Beach’s signatures are known around the world. Daytona International Speedway is held in the same esteem as Madison Square Garden or Fenway Park, and the excitement peaks with the legendary Daytona 500 every February. The beaches, with their white sand …
Ask me for the best place to go kayaking in Sarasota County, and my honest answer would be North Port, a land-locked city a few miles north of Charlotte Harbor. North Port has a grid of canals, adding up to almost 80 miles, eventually linking with the ‘wild and scenic’ Myakka River. In the last …
Incorporated in 1925, the city of Jupiter is in northern Palm Beach County and is part of the Miami metropolitan area, which is the state’s largest population center, home to more than six million residents. Jupiter is between Lake Okeechobee to the west and The Bahamas, which lie off the Atlantic coast to the east. …