| Page Views: 3,447 Last Visit to Florida: March, 2004 | Rich Tapestry of Sand, Wetlands, & Forests by deecat - last update: Mar 4, 2005 |
From Amelia Island To Key West: Florida I've taken at least 8 vacations to different parts of Florida, including Amelia Island, Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Miami Beach, The Keys, Bonita Beach, Orlando, & Sebring.
Having spent time in all these areas really pointed out to me the wide diversity of the "Sunshine State". Florida's landscape is uncommonly lush and is punctuated by deep forests, springs, rivers, lakes, & vast wetlands. There's two separate swamplands: The Big Cypress & The Everglades. Together, these two virtually cover the southern tip of Florida.
I soon discovered that the sand beaches so popular with tourists actually account for less than 1/2 of Florida's coast. Most of the coast consists of marshes, swamps, & muddy bays.
I've noted that Florida beaches come in 3 shades of color: dazzling white, a shade of tan, & even gray. The white beaches near Panama City are nearly 100 percent quartz sand; the gray tone of Venice beach has large amounts of phosphates; the tan beaches (on the east coast) reflect high shell & iron content.
There's more than Disney World. Hopefully, visitors will discover other wonderful spots:
Pensacola in Florida's panhandle is a gold mine of history.
Tallahassee, state capital, has civil War battlefields & stately old plantation homes.
Amelia Island is stunning.
St Augustine, nation's oldest city, has restored streets, horse-drawn carriages, & old buildings.
The Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral.
Fort Lauderdale, "Venice of America" because of its many canals.
Everglades National Park, largest subtropical wilderness in the USA.
The Gulf Coast with great cities like Naples, Fort Meyers, Bonita Beach, Sanibel & Captiva Ilands..the more laid-back cities of Sarasota, Bradenton, & St. Petersburg.
Tampa has Busch Gardens; Winter Haven has Cypress Gardens.
In the middle of the state, Sebring, the golf capital.
Come visit, but see it all! |
Florida: A Treasury of Wildlife The warm weather in Florida creates the perfect environment for many types of animals. There are animals of all kinds in the water, under the water, on the land, and in the air.
This is the only place in the nation where both alligators and crocodiles live in proximity. There are more than flamingos in Florida. I captured this photo of parrots in a wildlife area near Naples. |
| Dee on one of the Gulf Beaches |
Lovely Beaches Abound While in Florida, one just becomes accustomed to all the beauty, especially the magnificent beaches. On a day like today in the winter in Chicago, I member fondly the glorious feeling of standing barefoot on those Florida beaches, absorbing the ever-present sunshine. |
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| Pros: | "Plenty of sunshine, glorious beaches, great restaurants" | | Cons: | "Traffic, hordes of people, gradual ruination of the Everglades" | | In A Nutshell: | "America's Showcase for Sun and Fun" |
deecat's Florida Travel Tips
 deecat's Florida Travelogues | | | |
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 Comments for deecat about Florida | | | | |
misterrabbit Tue Sep 8, 2009 20:40 UTC
Comprehensive and informative. Beautiful white-sand beaches. Corkscrew Swamp looks just amazing. Splendid China also looks worth a visit. Like this fresh look at Florida. | volopolo Tue Aug 18, 2009 14:56 UTC
My love state in USA | Kuznetsov_Sergey Thu Sep 4, 2008 20:06 UTC
Wow, Allan is a good tennis player! I loved your "Old" Doesn't Mean "Loser" in Tennis tip! I'd like to play a match with Allan in Florida, haha! Thanks Dee for the virtual tour. | blue_sky04 Tue May 20, 2008 04:04 UTC
Nice page on Florida! Thanks for sharing. |
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Florida Hotels
- Orlando Hotels
- The Point Orlando Resort
6039 Carrier Drive, Building A, Orlando
- Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge
2901 Osceola Parkway PO Box 10000, Orlando
- Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge
2901 Osceola Parkway, PO Box 10000, Orlando, Florida, 32830, United States, Orlando
- Marriott Vista Grande Villas
5925 Avenida Vista, Orlando
- Grand Bohemian Hotel Orlando
325 S. Orange Ave., Orlando
- Miami Hotels
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