Florida Off The Beaten Path Tips by swings

Pack a picnic and get away from the stress

Go out onto the back roads of Florida and look for an inviting place to have a picnic. Find somewhere that's not crawling with other tourists, a place where you can hear yourself think, and enjoy some time alone or with just your family. Read a book, play catch, or just catch some rays (with sunscreen on, of course)...

Take time to smell the... orange blossoms!

Since at least the early 1900's, the citrus crop of Florida has been hugely important to Florida's economic health. In "old Florida" it was so common to see acres and acres of citrus groves from the highways, but it's becoming a less frequent sight nowadays. More frequent damaging frosts, as well as more housing developments, have pushed most of the big groves out of Central Florida, but you can still catch the scent of orange blossoms wafting on the late winter breezes!

Right now in late February, my friend's tree is full of white blossoms...

While travelling through Florida... at least from the Orlando region and southwards, unroll the car windows and try to catch that sweet scent, lingering on the air. You'll remember it forever...

Go get some fresh oranges

The Florida citrus crops: oranges, grapefruits, lemons and limes, are harvested from (approximately) early winter through early spring. Look for the roadside stands displaying their harvests, or look for U-Pick places where you can pick your own!

BUT: Don't pick from private property without first asking permission. And if you see some "wild" oranges, they may or may not still be sweet. The reason for this is that all the sweet varieties have been grafted onto the original, wild, bitter orange root stock, which makes them stronger trees.