TABLE OF CONTENTS VISIT FLORIDA Official Vacation Guide CONTENTS Welcome 8 Welcome from VISIT FLORIDA (continued) Events 54 2019 Events and Festivals Resources Florida Trivia 148 Only in Florida 4, 6 VISIT FLORIDA on the Web 10 Statewide Resources 66 State Map More Information 100 Reader Service Card VISIT FLORIDA Socialize With Us ON THE WEB facebook.com/VISITFLORIDA instagram.com/VISITFLORIDA Regions NORTH Overviews, Maps and Visitor Services 68 North Florida NORTH youtube.com/VISITFLORIDA twitter.com/VISITFLORIDA pinterest.com/VISITFLORIDA North Florida 8 4 1 2 3 5 7 EPIC EXCURSIONS, GLORIOUS GOLF AND COASTAL CUISINE NORTHWEST The stunning Perdido Key shoreline marks Florida’s westernmost reaches. Head east along Route 98 to South Walton , one of Florida’s best-kept secrets, where 16 unique seaside arts enclaves beckon with eclectic shops and galleries and sparkling turquoise waters. Looking for a family-friendly spot? Head east to Panama City Beach . Here, you’ll fi nd 27 miles of beaches and all-ages attractions like Pier Park, featuring SkyWheel, the towering Ferris wheel-style observation wheel recently added at the park. 9 6 KEY 75 19 Interstate Destin NORTH CENTRAL State capital Tallahassee off ers a vivid glimpse of Old Florida alongside inviting culinary and cultural scenes. While you’re here, check out the old and new Capitol buildings as well as the Museum of Florida History. In winter, spot manatees at impressive Wakulla Springs . Many more refreshing springs (and manatees) lie to the east. Head to Gainesville to catch a Gators game and explore the Florida Museum of Natural History. U.S. Highway State Highway KEY 75 19 72 Interstate U.S. Highway State Highway Controlled Access Divided Highways Toll Highways Divided Highways Principal Through Highways Airport i KEY 75 72 Interstate U.S. Highway State Highway Jacksonville Museum of Science and History (MOSH), photo by Daron Dean St. Augustine Bella Bella in Tallahassee, photo by Colin Hackley 19 Controlled Access Divided Highways Toll Highways Divided Highways Principal Through Highways Airport i KEY Wild Bill’s Beach Dogs, South Walton, photo by Peter W. Cross 75 19 72 72 Interstate U.S. Highway State Highway Controlled Access Divided Highways Toll Highways Divided Highways Principal Through Welcome Center NORTHEAST Vibrant Jacksonville teems with craft beer, public art and cultural attractions. Award-winning golf courses abound here, too. For coastal hiking and camping, head northeast, where Fort Clinch State Park near Fernandina Beach abounds with seaside hiking and camping. History buff s will want to venture even farther south to St. Augustine , the oldest continuously occupied European settlement in North America, and check out Castillo de San Marcos National Monument. Animal lovers can meet rescued pigs, goats and cows at Rooterville Animal Sanctuary near Melrose. OFFICIAL FLORIDA VACATION GUIDE ✹ 69 Controlled Access Divided Highways 1 Welcome Center 6 Toll Highways Perdido Key Highways Gainesville Jacksonville Fernandina Beach St. Augustine Airport 2 Divided South Highways Walton i Welcome Center Principal Through 3 Highways Panama City Beach 4 7 8 Airport i 5 Tallahassee Welcome Center Wakulla Springs 9 68 ✹ VISITFLORIDA.com 94 Central Florida CENTRAL CENTRAL 1 6 Central Florida The VISIT FLORIDA Official Vacation Guide is published annually for VISIT FLORIDA Ken Lawson VISIT FLORIDA President & CEO Lino Maldonado Chair, VISIT FLORIDA Board of Directors 10 BREEZY BEACHES, THRILLING THEME PARKS AND WONDERFUL WILDERNESS 4 CENTRAL EAST East coast getaway Ormond Beach is a peaceful contrast to nearby spring break hubs. To the south, aspiring astronauts will have a blast exploring Kennedy Space Center. Want to catch some surf? Head to Sebastian Inlet , known for some of the best waves in the state. Explore museums and galleries in Vero Beach , where you can learn the interesting history of citrus growing on the Treasure Coast. 9 7 5 2 8 3 KEY 75 19 CENTRAL Ever-evolving Orlando regularly off ers new experiences at its family-friendly attractions. Explore the wonders of Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. In Winter Haven , catch a ride on Legoland ’s virtual-reality roller coaster. If you’re looking for outdoorsy excursions, Ocala National Forest boasts expansive wilderness and crystal springs; Lakeland ’s Safari Wilderness Ranch puts you face-to-face with roaming zebras and African Watusis, plus adorable lemurs you can feed by hand. Interstate U.S. Highway State Highway KEY 75 19 72 Interstate U.S. Highway State Highway Controlled Access Divided Highways Toll Highways KEY 75 19 72 Interstate U.S. Highway State Highway Controlled Access Divided Highways Cocoa Highways Beach, photo by VISIT FLORIDA Divided Toll Highways Divided Highways Principal Through Highways Airport i i KEY 75 72 Principal Through Highways Airport Welcome Center LEGOLAND, photo by LEGOLAND Florida Kennedy Space Center, photo by Peter W. Cross Interstate U.S. Highway State Highway 19 72 Controlled Access Divided Highways Toll Highways Divided Highways CENTRAL WEST Downtown St. Petersburg off ers phenomenal museums, including The James Museum of Western and Wildlife Art, one of downtown’s newest additions. Don’t miss out on world-class dining along Central Avenue. Award-winning beaches lie 15 minutes west. Get cosmopolitan with a stroll along Tampa ’s downtown Riverwalk and check out the Treasure Seekers exhibit at Tampa Bay History Center. North in Homosassa Springs , you’ll fi nd unspoiled nature teeming with wildlife, including manatees. Controlled Access Divided Highways 1 Principal Through Ormond Highways Beach Toll Highways Airport 2 Divided Highways Sebastian Inlet i Welcome Center Principal Through 3 Highways Vero Beach Airport i 4 Welcome Center 6 Ocala Lakeland St. Petersburg Tampa Homosassa 7 8 Orlando Welcome Center Winter Haven 9 5 10 94 ✹ VISITFLORIDA.com OFFICIAL FLORIDA VACATION GUIDE ✹ 95 126 South Florida SOUTH SOUTH Produced By Miles Partnership 6751 Professional Pkwy. West, Suite 200, Sarasota, FL 34240 Phone: 941-342-2300 www.MilesPartnership.com Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information published in this guide. However, VISIT FLORIDA and Miles are not responsible for any errors or omissions that might occur. All advertising information is the responsibility of the individual advertiser. Appearance in the guide does not necessarily reflect endorsement of the product or service by VISIT FLORIDA or the publisher. Copyright Miles Partnership 2019. Reproduction without written permission prohibited. KEY 1 Sarasota Sanibel/Captiva Naples KEY 5 Delray Beach 19 75 Interstate U.S. Highway South Florida 2 1 3 KEY 6 75 Interstate 72 State Highway Fort Lauderdale 19 7 U.S. Highway 72 Miami Controlled Access Divided Highways Toll Highways Divided Highways Principal Through Highways Airport i State Highway 8 4 Marco Island 75 Interstate 19 U.S. Highway State Highway Controlled Access Divided Highways Toll Highways Key West LUXURIOUS LOUNGING, ADVENTUROUS ART AND SUPERIOR SWIMMING SOUTHWEST You generally won’t fi nd hordes of beachgoers crowding this low-key coastline, but you will fi nd award-winning beaches like Siesta Beach, where you can catch a Sunday sunset drum circle. Sarasota off ers days’ worth of can’t-miss museums and restaurants. Farther south, scour the sand for shells at Sanibel and Captiva Islands . For miles of unadulterated nature, head inland to Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary near Naples. Or, discover luxurious beach communities like Bonita Springs and Marco Island . Ready for an Everglades adventure? Head southeast and catch an airboat ride. KEY 75 19 72 5 72 Interstate U.S. Highway State Highway Controlled Access Divided Highways Toll Highways Divided Highways Principal Through Highways Airport i Divided Highways Principal Through Highways Airport i Welcome Center 2 Controlled Access Divided Highways Toll Highways Welcome Center 3 6 Divided Highways Principal Through Highways Welcome Center 4 Airport i 7 Welcome Center SOUTHEAST Choose your adventure along this lively coastline. Explore Jupiter’s Blowing Rocks Preserve. Check out the boutiques and bars that line Delray Beach ’s Atlantic Avenue. See Fort Lauderdale ’s waterways at night from a lighted stand-up paddleboard. Or, enjoy Miami’ s exciting arts scene, perhaps best epitomized by the Wynwood District. Further south, the Florida Keys off er world-class diving. Don’t forget to stop for a craft brew at Islamorada Brewing Co. on your way to the old Hemingway haunts of Key West . Sanibel Island Lighthouse, photo by Peter W. Cross 8 Blowing Rocks Preserve, photo by Peter W. Cross Siesta Beach, photo by Visit Sarasota County Key West, photo by Peter W. Cross OFFICIAL FLORIDA VACATION GUIDE ✹ 127 126 ✹ VISITFLORIDA.com Printed on paper containing 10 percent recycled content. 6 ✹ VISITFLORIDA.com
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