Must-See Sights in Florida
By: Danielle Neron
Tags: National Parks, Summer, Florida, Nature, Things To Do

Wherever you are in Florida, it is only 60 miles from the nearest beach. That is pretty cool! Florida is not only home to beautiful beaches, but also immersive theme parks and amazing natural parks.

There are definitely a lot of options for ways to spend time in the sunshine state. I have so many places that I hope to visit here and created a list to showcase some of my top bucket list spots. I hope that this is helpful information for anyone else who is interested in finding new things to do this Summer.

Springs

There are over 700 freshwater springs in the state. This is a greater amount than anywhere else on earth. I have been to a few in Ocala with my cousins while I visited them. This includes Juniper Springs and Rainbow Springs. Even though it is hard adjusting to the temperature of the water, the bright sun definitely eases the transition. I try to just enjoy the surroundings of the location and explore everything.

With that being said, there are so many more springs that I have added to my list since then. The first one is Weeki Wachee Springs, which is located about 45 minutes from Tampa. I think the name is really catchy. After reading more about it, I am also interested in seeing the mermaid show. I also like that they have two water slides. I have not seen that at a spring before.

The second one on my list is Devil’s Den, which is located in Williston. It seems more intimidating than other ones, but it also looks really cool! They focus on snorkeling and scuba diving, so there is no free swimming available here. I do not have a lot of snorkeling experience, but this is somewhere that I would like to visit after practicing snorkeling somewhere else first.

Nature Parks

Everglades, Mac Stone Photography, https://www.wlrn.org/news/2018-07-17/event-highlights-why-birds-matter-to-the-everglades

I have not visited a nature park in quite some time, so I am hoping to venture out to more this summer. I know that Florida has so many great ones, so it will be hard to figure out which ones I want to visit first.

Listed below are a few that I have in mind.

Everglades National Park is located in South Florida. It is over 1 million acres of wetlands, so there are plenty of animals and plants that live there. After viewing their website, I am interested in their hiking trails. In particular, I think the pineland trail looks really nice. I love pine trees! I also like that they provide a lot of opportunity for bird watching. Flamingos are some of my favorite birds, and I also like that they have eagles, pelicans, and pigeons.

Another one that I hope to visit sometime is Paynes Prairie. It is located near Gainesville. It is actually the state’s first preserve. I think the most unique factor of this park is that it is home to wild horses, bison, and deer. There is also an observation tower, which provides visitors with the opportunity to see more wildlife.

The last park on my list (for now) is Big Cypress National Preserve. Visitors have the option to hike through shallow water, which seems exciting. I also think the trees look beautiful!

Beaches

As I mention above, Florida has so many beaches. I am interested in visiting at least one of them this summer.

The first one on my list is Clearwater Beach. It is well-known, which makes it a popular tourist destination. It has also been named the number 1 beach on the Trip Advisor website. The name essentially speaks for itself, and I would love to see this beach in person. Another one that is famous for clear water is Destin beach, which is also on my list!

The next one is Anna Maria beach. After looking up some photos of it, I would like to see the sunrise or sunset there. I have never seen either from a beach before, so I hope to try it.

The last one is Pensacola beach. My family lives near Pensacola, so it would be fun to go here together! According to some information online, it is less crowded than the other beaches. A unique part of this beach is that they frequently have Blue Angels airplane shows.

I hope that this list helps give you some ideas of where to visit in Florida. It makes me excited to finally visit each place one day!