Around 15 minutes north of downtown Orlando, Maitland is an affluent suburban city in a beautiful environment. Water dominates the townscape here, with more than 20 individual lakes. Many of Maitland’s public parks sit next to these water bodies, and I adore the stands of moss-draped live oaks and tall bald cypresses. In the 1930s …
Found where the Peace River flows into the massive expanse of Charlotte Harbor, Punta Gorda is a stunning city in Southwest Florida. This stretch of coastline has had the misfortune of being on the path of several hurricanes. Hurricane Ian made landfall just before I visited Punta Gorda. Earlier, Hurricane Charley in 2004 was even …
On Florida’s Treasure Coast, this city has a one-off location where the St. Lucie River joins the Intracoastal Waterway. Stuart is also at the eastern end of the Okeechobee Waterway, running from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico in Ft. Myers. In my view, seaside towns don’t get much prettier than Stuart. Going …
There was a time when nobody in their right mind would want to spend much time in Opa-locka. About ten miles north-north-west of downtown Miami, this city was long associated with deprivation and high crime rates. When I was in town there were a lot of green shoots. The Arts & Recreation Center downtown has …
This city in Central Florida has the only piece of developed shoreline on Lake Jesup. That 16,000-acre body of water is thought to be home to more than 10,000 alligators. On the shores you can hike in ancient cypress forest, with trees dating back 2,000 years. Local stables will take you on horseback treks, or …
In a former industrial zone, this city of almost 80,000 people has cropped up almost overnight. Doral is just west of Miami International Airport (MIA) and has quickly become one of South Florida’s most productive local economies. In the last few years alone, glitzy mixed-use developments like CityPlace Doral, Downtown Doral, and Midtown Doral have …
A few miles west of downtown Miami, the affluent Coral Gables has been dubbed The City Beautiful. I’m not about to disagree, as this is one of the most gorgeous cities in America. For this you can thank the real estate developer George E. Merrick (1886-1942). In the 1920s he designed Coral Gables from scratch. …
Next to St. Pete–Clearwater International Airport, Pinellas Park is a city with a mix of residential and industrial areas. Automobiles are a big part of the city’s identity. As well as numerous exclusive car dealerships here, there’s a high-profile automobile museum, and a short-track oval for stock car racing. You can also do some of …
Part of Florida’s Space Coast, Titusville packs a one-two punch of space heritage and natural splendor. The city is minutes from the Kennedy Space Center, NASA’s primary launch center of human spaceflight. This is still one of the launchpads for expendable launch vehicles, which you may see lifting off. I don’t need to tell you …
The place to go for outdoor adventure in Central Florida, Apopka is a city by the headwater of the Wekiva River. The transparent waters at Wekiwa Springs State Park and Kelly Park are mild throughout the year, and pure bliss on hot summer days. People flock to the springs to swim, go tubing or take …