Bonnie Gross

This undated photo provided by Visit Florida shows Caladesi Island State Park in Dunedin, Florida. The beach is No. 7 on the list of best beaches for the summer of 2018 compiled by Stephen Leatherman, also known as Dr. Beach, a professor at Florida International University. It was previously named best beach on the list in 2008.

Caladesi State Park: Best way to visit one of state’s top beaches is by kayak

August 23, 2019 at 7:25 p.m.

You won't find many who disagree: Caladesi Island State Park is paradise. The isolated beach, located off the coast of Clearwater Beach and Dunedin, was named the No. 1 beach...

A Baseball Gallery with collectible cards and other memorabilia is part of the Elliott Museum in Stuart along Florida's Treasure Coast.

Past meets present at unique Hutchinson Island museums

May 12, 2019 at 5:45 p.m.

Hutchinson Island, the barrier island east of Stuart and Fort Pierce, is best known for its miles of unspoiled beaches. But in hot and humid September, it's a good place...

7 great tiki bars in the Florida Keys

August 23, 2019 at 7:18 p.m.

One of the things we love about the Florida Keys is the spot where authentic tackiness meets postcard views, and fresh fish meets pina colada: the tiki bar. If a...

The best beaches in the Florida Keys

August 23, 2019 at 7:03 p.m.

Almost every section of Florida has wider and sandier beaches than you'll find in the Keys. But the turquoise Caribbean water? And the fish and sea life you see snorkeling...

From The Sun and Moon Inn it's possible to launch your kayak right into a piece of the Great Calusa Blueway and be paddling among wildlife immediately. In the winter months, manatees are often seen right off the dock.

Great Calusa Blueway offers 190 miles for paddlers

August 23, 2019 at 6:58 p.m.

Water, the key to life, also unlocks the door to what makes Florida so special. That's why an essential Florida experience is to get out on the water in a...

The Christ of the Abyss is an 8 1/2-foot, 4000-pound bronze sculpture of Jesus Christ in 25 feet of water off of Key Largo, Florida. It was installed in 1965 as tourist attraction in John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park.

Snorkeling for all at John Pennekamp State Park in the Florida Keys

August 23, 2019 at 6:59 p.m.

Of all the wonderful state parks in Florida, only one is primarily underwater--- John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo. Snorkeling here is one of Florida's top experiences,...

Matlacha: From fishing village to artsy town

August 23, 2019 at 6:49 p.m.

What happens to old fishing towns when commercial fishing dies out? If they're lucky, artists recognize a great, inexpensive location and move in. And if they're really lucky, the new...

A small boat ferrries visitors from the parking lot to Hontoon Island State Park.

Hontoon Island park is remote and wild, yet easy to reach

August 23, 2019 at 6:43 p.m.

When you hear about traveling to a Florida island by boat, you probably picture sand and palm trees and clear blue water. While it's an island reachable only by boat,...

Explore Florida’s Ten Thousand Islands, the easy way

August 23, 2019 at 6:34 p.m.

Vast and remote, the Ten Thousand Islands off Florida's southwest coast seems challenging to visit, a labyrinth of twisting channels through thousands of remote mangrove islands. But even the casual...

Gamble Mansion’s Civil War tales remind us of Florida’s past

August 23, 2019 at 6:16 p.m.

Two miles off I-75, the Gamble Mansion has white columns to rival Tara from "Gone With the Wind" and was the site of a dramatic Civil War event. It's easy...

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