Most people travel to Florida for one of the many theme parks that are dotted around the central part of the state. Many of these visitors don't realise what else this area of the USA has to offer.
Historic Sites
More than any other state, Florida has a claim to be a history great. It has the oldest continuously occupied city and port in America on its North East coast, St Augustine. The town was founded in 1565 by Spanish admiral and pirate hunter, Pedro Menéndez.
Business tycoon, Henry Flagler, also did much for this city, by building railroads, hotels, and hospitals. One of the hotels is now the Lightner museum which gives visitors a glimpse of 19th century daily life, with its paintings, cut glass, sculpture and furniture.
On the outskirts of the main town centre is the Castillo de San Marcos, a fort built in 1672 to defend Spain's claims in the new world. When wandering around this historic site it is not hard to rest on one of the ancient stones with the smell of the ocean and a cooling breeze and imagine what life was like a few hundred years ago.
Another 'must see' while in St Augustine is the 1824 lighthouse built on the site of an old Spanish watchtower. Standing 165 feet tall, it was the first lighthouse to be built in Florida. The lighthouse and attached museum are on Anastasia Island which is joined to the mainland city of St Augustine by the historic Bridge of Lions, currently undergoing restoration.
Across on the other coast and not so far back in history, just about 80 years ago, are the Edison Ford winter estates in Fort Myers. They are one of the 10 most visited historic homes in America. Apart from the beautifully preserved homes, one of the best features is Thomas Edison's laboratory, left exactly as it was the day he died. Next door is also a museum housing over 200 of one of his best known inventions, the phonograph.
Museums and Art Galleries
For a large variety of museums and art, drive a couple of hours north of Fort Myers to Sarasota, the cultural capital of Florida, with over 25 museums, art galleries and theatres.
The Ringling Brothers museum has some amazing circus artefacts along with beautiful gardens containing many large Banyan trees. One of the highlights for many is the 1920's Ca d'zan, a recently restored Venetian style mansion, complete with furnishings that evoke a spirit of lavish parties and high living. Standing on the tiled terrace overlooking Sarasota Bay it's not hard to see oneself dressed in 1920s garb sipping a martini!
A little further north is the Tampa Bay area. This too has its fair share of art museums. The Salvador Dali Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts in St Petersburg have a wonderfully diverse choice of art to suit everyone's taste. From Dali to Renoir and Monet to O'Keefe it's all represented.
Over the bay is the quaint town of Dunedin. A sister city to Stirling, Scotland and originally founded by two Scots in 1899. It was named after their hometown, Dùn Èideann, the Gaelic for Edinburgh.
The town itself has an appealing old America feel with cobbled streets and one small main shopping street. The tiny post office housed in an old railway car adds to the atmosphere as does the Friday organic market with foods from around the world.
Once a year the Scottish Clans descend on Dunedin for the annual Highland Games. The town is host to many street fairs throughout the year, and the absence of any franchise restaurants or corporate signage keeps it unique.
Best Beaches
Florida has over 663 miles of beaches so there is plenty of choice. Some of the most beautiful and not too crowded on the west coast are Sanibel Island, Anna Maria Island, North Clearwater beach and Caladesi Island.
Caladesi Island State Park and Honeymoon Island have been consistently voted among the best beaches in the world. According to Dr Stephen Leatherman from the Florida International University, also known as Dr Beach, Caladesi was voted the number one beach in America in 2008.
Enjoy Florida for it's natural beauty and history not just for the theme parks.
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