Your friendly guide to national parks, road trips, and all things outdoors
Chances are, when you think Florida, you think Orlando. Or at least Disney. But there's so much more to Orlando than Disney. There's Universal, too. I'm kidding, today isn't about either of those. It's all about Orlando day trips. While there are so many amazing things to do in Orlando, there are just as many…
Continue reading ➞ 8 Perfect Day Trips From Orlando To Get You Out Of The Theme Parks
I love Everglades City. I don't know where I want to live forever, but Everglades City is one of the contenders so far (along with Moab and the Asheville area, if you were curious.) Every January we make a trip down there and do the same things but also manage to find new things to…
Continue reading ➞ 24 Things To Do In Everglades City: Hiking Trails, Biking, Paddling, And More
I love visiting wildlife refuges and one we knew we wanted to visit when my parents were here was the J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel. It's a tiny little refuge on the bay side of Sanibel. The first time they came to visit, we went to the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge and…
Continue reading ➞ Get Your Bird On At The Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge On Sanibel
One of the things I knew I would be doing when my parents came to visit Florida this year was seeing the Alfred B. Maclay Garden State Park which just happened to be during the blooming season! This was the first thing we did on a sort of cloudy day. We didn't really know what…
I can't believe it took me three trips to Everglades City before I hiked the Marsh Trail. Even more shocking, it was three visits before I even knew this trail existed, how wild is that? And we usually stay for 7-10 days which makes it even more surprising! Well, in 2021 I managed to hike…
Continue reading ➞ Birding Paradise In Florida: Hike The Marsh Trail In Ten Thousand Islands
On our January 2020 trip to Big Cypress we hiked the swampy part of the Fire Prairie Trail. Then this year, 2021, we hiked a little further out into the prairie part of it, still on the trail though. I still haven't hiked the entire Fire Prairie Trail, but I really enjoyed the part we…
Continue reading ➞ Experience The Fire Prairie Trail In Big Cypress National Preserve
On this year's Big Cypress trip we ended up extending it by like four or five days because we were loving it so much. It was also a year of new hikes here, which was exciting! I was also able to cross off biking Shark Valley off my national park bucket list! One day I…
Continue reading ➞ Biking Shark Valley: One Of The Best Things To Do In Everglades National Park
Biscayne national park is an underwater gem of a national park just outside of Miami, Florida, not far from it's neighbor, Everglades National Park. While they're close to each other, Biscayne receives far fewer visitors and is a totally different experience. Most people skip Biscayne because it is a mostly water park, but today I'm…
Continue reading ➞ 7 Reasons Biscayne National Park Is Worth It
One area of Florida I want to explore even more than I have is the west side, specifically the southwest. I've still gotten to see quite a bit over there, though and am sharing some great day trips from Fort Myers with you today! These are all great additions to any Florida road trip. Everything…
Continue reading ➞ 8 Day Trips From Fort Myers To Experience The Beaches And Swamps Of Florida
Ahh, Florida. I love it and a lot of people are surprised when I say that. I love South Florida, especially Big Cypress, but that's not what we're here for today. Today it's all about the Everglades and what to do there that isn't hiking! It's a must-see on any Florida road trip. **Shark Valley…
Continue reading ➞ 15+ Amazing Things To Do In The Everglades That Aren’t Hiking
There are affiliate links in here. I get a small commission if you purchase through them at no extra cost to you. On my little Florida road trip in January we did a loop from Tampa to Everglades City and back. On the way back, we stopped in Matlacha, Florida for a couple of hours…
Continue reading ➞ Matlacha, Florida: The Most Creative Little Town In The Sunshine State
There are affiliate links in here. I get a small commission if you purchase through them at no extra cost to you. I knew as soon as I knew I was visiting Florida in January, specifically a little South Florida road trip, that I wanted to go to Myakka State Park by Naple specifically to…
Continue reading ➞ Myakka State Park: A Geocaching Paradise In Florida
There are affiliate links in here. I get a small commission if you purchase through them at no extra cost to you. If you've been here any amount of time, you know I love boardwalks. If you're new here, well, I love boardwalks and Florida has tons of them so you can easily explore the…
Continue reading ➞ Corkscrew Sanctuary Boardwalk: Walk The Longest Boardwalk In Florida
There are affiliate links in here. I get a small commission if you purchase through them at no extra cost to you. I love beaches. It's no secret. They are the one thing I really want to see more of. Well, and the springs. But this is about beaches. During both of my trips to…
Continue reading ➞ The Best Little Beach Near St. Augustine: Anastasia State Park In Florida