MOSQUITO LAGOON, FL — Have you seen this redfish before? I wouldn’t be surprised. A quick-and-dirty calculation of the ratio between fishermen and redfish in the Mosquito Lagoon suggests that the 43-inch trophy in the photograph above has almost certainly appeared on numerous Facebook profiles before starring on my own wall. And this fish (or […]
Day Trip: Go Greek at the Tarpon Springs
TARPON SPRINGS, FL — A good vacation can remind us how pleasant it is to stay at home. To that end, a day trip that includes the northbound drive from Clearwater to to Tarpon Springs along US Highway 19 may be especially effective. Try it. Go ahead. Fasten the kids into the backseat on a […]
Rainbow River Tubing: An Existential Adventure
RAINBOW RIVER STATE PARK, FL — They say that any dead fish can float downstream. But so what? If we discovered a live fish that managed to float downstream of its own volition, choosing the simple pleasure of idleness on a sunny afternoon above the sisyphean drudgery of fighting the ceaseless current, we’d applaud that […]
Manatee Springs State Park: Chiefland, Florida
MANATEE SPRINGS STATE PARK, FL — When naturalist William Bartram visited Manatee Springs in the late 1700s, he said the place was astonishing: “This charming nymphaeum is the product of primitive nature, not to be imitated, much less equaled, by the united effort of human power and ingenuity!” Two centuries later, much of that beauty […]
Kayak the Ocklawaha River for a Scenic Glimpse of Old Florida
OCKLAWAHA RIVER, FL — Deep under the shade of cypress, swamp maple and sable palms, central Florida’s Ocklawaha River runs clear and cool, even now in the stifling heat of summer. Out here on a weekday afternoon, far removed from the sound of civilization, you can kayak through a forest so thick you’ll wonder if […]
Silver Glen Springs: A Scenic Jewel of Ocala National Forest
SILVER GLEN SPRINGS STATE PARK, FL — If you can manage to visit on a quiet day — and it is possible, but not on busy weekends or holidays — there are few better places to enjoy the unspoiled beauty of Ocala National Forest than Silver Glen Springs. “People tend to think there isn’t much […]