Another Paradise- Cayo Costa State Park

Hello everyone!

Welcome back to my blog. It is time to share some information about another beautiful Florida State Park. I will be actually visiting this park next weekend, and all the information provided below will certainly help me enjoy my time better at the park, and I truly hope you find this information helpful as well.

Cayo Costa State Park is located at a beautiful island on the west coast of Florida. It is surrounded by islands such as Captiva and Sanibel, which are also known as being great locations to visit. The only way to get to the Cayo Costa Park is by water, so therefore you can bring your private boat or take a ferry conveniently located at the nearby islands. The price for a ferry ticket ranges from $32-$50, depending on where you are taking the ferry and whether you will be staying half or full day at the park.

This place is just beautiful and full of activities for the family to enjoy. There is the Cayo Costa Amphitheater where you can go to learn more about the animal species and the history of the park, which is usually narrated by the park rangers or volunteers. This is a great opportunity for the children to learn about the importance of taking care of the natural resources and to become more familiar with the wildlife.

The greatest attraction of the island is the beach. There is about 9.5 miles long of plenty of space for you to spend a great day there. At the beach you can go shelling, snorkeling, swimming, or even enjoy a beautiful day only sunbathing if you want to. It is a great place to relax and to enjoy the beautiful view of the Gulf of Mexico. Fishing is also allowed at the island, but you may be required to have a license in order to fish. For those who enjoy hiking, there are approx. 6 miles of hiking trails where you can explore and enjoy the natural beauty of the park. Furthermore, it is very common to see dolphins and manatees swimming close to the beach.

Due to the park being located at a small island, there are only about 12 cabins and 30 tents spot for the visitors that would like to spend the night there. It is very important that you make reservations if you are intending to spend the night at the park. For those, like me, who don’t enjoy camping as much, there are plenty of hotels available in the area.

Please keep in mind that it is very important that you bring your own food. They have picnic locations and pavilions where you can barbecue. There is a gift shop where you can buy drinks and snacks, but not an actual restaurant. At the gift shop you can also rent or buy camp items as well as rent kayaks.

Overall, this is an amazing place to visit and to spend a day full of activities and excitement. I can’t wait to explore this amazing Florida State Park on my next weekend getaway.

Hope you can get a chance to enjoy it as well!

P.S. For tips and information on cool places to visit (outside of Florida), visit my good friend JP’s travel blog.  You will be surprised to see how many beautiful places and great travel tips are available to help you plan your next vacation.

Amazing place - Hugh Taylor Birch State Park

Hi Everybody!

It is time to share another enchanted Florida State Park!

A friend of mine told me about this park and when I saw the pictures of it, I fell in love with it right away.

The park I have chosen to share today is the Hugh Taylor Birch State Park, located conveniently in South Florida, more precisely in the city of Fort Lauderdale. If you are coming to the area by airplane, the closest airport is the Fort Lauderdale International Airport which is minutes away from the park. I recommend renting a car once you arrive at the airport, because there are not many transportation options available in the area. In contrast, you do not have to worry about a place to stay in Fort Lauderdale, there are many great hotels available for you to choose from.

I am impressed with so many activities that Birch State Park offers for its visitors and I am can’t wait to spend a day there this summer. For a very small fee you are able to enjoy all the activities available at the park. They charge $2.00 if you come by foot, bike, or rollerblading; $4.00 for a single car occupant; and $6.00 per car with maximum of 8 people. I am glad that with this small fee everybody will be able to afford a fun day at the park. 

Since the park is located at the intracoastal, with the water taxi ride you can have a great time and appreciate the beautiful view. If you enjoy being around nature, there are trails available for hiking while learning about the plants and the wildlife. There are also paved trails where you can ride your bike or go skating. For those who enjoy fishing, there are areas available where this activity can be performed. However, fishing is not permitted in the mangroves and you might need to get a fishing license as well.

 For those who enjoy kayaking and canoeing, they have a facility at the park with many options for rent. The beach is easily accessible by a tunnel under A1A, where pedestrians can walk freely.  The park also offers pavilions for rent where you can have a barbecue or a picnic with the luxury of having electricity and water available right there.

There are also many events going on at the park all year long. One of the programs they have is the Wellness Program, where once a month they have a seminar to educate people about the natural resources and how to live a better and healthy life. Besides that, the park offers Educational Programs for the kids where they can learn about the history of the park as well as the animals and the ecosystem.  The park also encourages volunteerism and promotes the importance of giving back to the community.

This park is a great place for the whole family to enjoy some time together and have a great time.

I hope I was able to help you plan a day of your next vacation.

Enjoy your summer in Florida!

Honeymoon Island- Florida State Park

Have you ever heard this expression: “The best is yet to come”? This expression totally applies to the Florida State Parks. Every week, I end up posting an even more beautiful location than the week before, and there is just so much to visit and to do in Florida that I can never get enough!

The State Park I chose to share today is called Honeymoon Island, located at the city of Dunedin, which is about 45 min from Tampa, FL. As the name suggests, it is definitely a nice place for honeymooners. The view is amazing, and the beaches are gorgeous. It is a nice destination for newlyweds. This Florida State Park offers plenty of activities not only for honeymooners, but for the whole family.  You can even bring your pet to the park. They accommodate everyone.

There you can also explore the island by bicycle or surrey that you can rent right there at the park. Also the park offers activities such as canoeing and kayaking, for those who enjoy a little adventure. For those who like fishing, there are a great variety of fish in that area and you are welcome to fish at the park (license may be required). There is also a hiking trail of approximately 2.5 miles, for those who like to enjoy a nice walk. The park also offers picnic facilities and pavilions where you can also do barbecue.

About lodging, there are many hotels in the area that can accommodate the whole family. Since there are so many places to visit around there, I recommend driving a few more minutes and stay at Clearwater, which is my favorite city in Florida.

Overall this is an enchanted location to visit and you will be overwhelmed with the amazing view and things that the Honeymoon Island State Park has to offer.

Don’t waste your weekend sitting on the couch. Pack your bags and enjoy Florida.

P.S. For tips and information on cool places to visit (outside of Florida), visit my good friend JP’s travel blog at http://jpstravelblog.blogspot.com. You will be surprised at how many beautiful places and great travel tips are available to help you plan your next vacation.

The Coolest State Park Ever!!!

Hello everyone! It is that time of the week again!

I just can’t get enough of how many unknown locations are available to us in Florida. I get so overwhelmed when I am doing my research that if I could I would take 2 weeks’ vacation just to visit those places that are not very advertised to the public. I just found another amazing Florida State Park that is worth every penny, and I hope that once you finish reading my post you feel empowered to start planning your next weekend getaway.

The park I chose to share with you today is the Weeki Wachee Springs State Park which is located just north of Spring Hill. This place is awesome; they managed to make a water park in the springs, how cool is that? The park offers water slides and many activities for the whole family to enjoy. The admission fee for the park is very reasonable comparing to what the park has to offer. For only $13, you can enjoy the majority of the activities there, which for me it is a bargain.

If you are looking to explore the nature through canoeing or kayaking, they have those available for rent there. There is also the River Boat Cruise where the tour guide gives a lot of good information about the park and the animals and at the same time you get to enjoy a really nice boat ride. Another fun activity especially for the children is the animal shows, where visitors can learn more about them and see the animals closely.

What I found most interesting about this park was the fact that they have real people dressed as mermaids performing at the park. This attraction has been in place for more than 60 years and became famous after movies were filmed there. The mermaids perform underwater, just like the little mermaid cartoon; they eat, drink, and dance making it very interesting for the audience. It is a must go!

The park offers, for additional fees, other awesome activities for the children to enjoy during the summer such as the “Adventures under the Spring Mermaid Camp”, where the children will have an amazing experience of what would be like to be a mermaid.  There is also the Junior Lifeguard Camp where children will be able to learn about the basics of water rescues, CPR, and other fun activities. Regarding lodging, the park does not offer a camping area, but there are many hotels to choose from at a very good price.

So, if you are looking to plan a mini weekend vacation, my advice to you would be to spend a day at the Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, and since Tampa is about 45 minutes away, I would suggest going to Busch Gardens the next day. Tampa is a great city that offers many activities for the whole family, but if you are looking for a little adventure, I highly recommend going to Busch Gardens.

Vacation season is on and there are still so many places to visit in Florida. I hope I was able to help you to make the decision of visiting another enchanted location in Florida.

Enjoy Florida!

P.S. For tips and information on cool places to visit (outside of Florida), visit my good friend JP’s travel blog at http://jpstravelblog.blogspot.com. You will be surprised at how many beautiful places and great travel tips are available to help you plan your next vacation.

The Canyons

Hello Everyone!

I was actually very anxious and excited to share with you this place that I have discovered recently. I was traveling not too long ago and I stopped at one of those rest areas and I grabbed a few of those brochures that they have displayed with information about things to do in the area, but I didn’t pay much attention to it. It wasn’t until last week, that I was cleaning my drawer and I found one of those brochures that was actually promoting one activity that I have been dying to do it but never had the opportunity to do it, which is Zip lining. Honestly, I have no idea that we had this in Florida and I am so happy to know that we do!

This location is not at a Florida State Park, but I thought that it was worth it to share with those who like adventure. The Canyons, Zip line and canopy tours, is a great place to spend a day in the nature and having lots of fun. About an hour and half away from Orlando, more precisely located in the city of Ocala, The Canyons are considered to be the Highest, Fastest, and Longest zips in the state of Florida. They have certified guides that will be with you at all times ensuring the safety of all the guests.

You will be able to enjoy about 2 ½ hours of zip lining, 2 rope bridges, a Rappel and walks through remote location. Be prepared to spend a day exercising and enjoying nature. Also, for those who like horses, once you arrive at the location, you will be able to explore the entire property riding on a horse admiring the view. Depending on the activity that you choose, they have different pricing.

Now, the one I can’t wait to go to is the Super Zip. It seems like you are flying like a super hero, you don’t even have to hold on to anything, you can just “fly” hands free. And to make even more pleasant, you can enjoy the view with a friend side by side.

Although most people would love to go zip lining, they actually have some requirements in order to participate in the activity. A person must weigh between 70 and 270lbs, kids have to be older than 10, children must be supervised by an adult at all times, and everybody must sign the “participation agreement form”. Also, due to the adrenaline that you will experience in this activity, in order to ensure the safety of all participants, all participants must be in good health, and they reserve the right to exclude those people that they feel won’t be able to participate in the activity.

 

Overall this is an amazing opportunity for those who like adventure and those who enjoy nature. If you are in the Orlando area, it is worth it to plan a day to spend at the Canyons. As far as places to stay, there are a few hotels in the area where you can get discounts for visiting the canyons. Honestly, I cannot wait to go there. I am actually planning to go there in September, because I believe it won’t be too hot there. You can reserve your spot online, and it is very easy to do it. I have already reserved mine.

Hope to see you there! 

P.S. For tips and information on cool places to visit (outside of Florida), visit my good friend JP’s travel blog at http://jpstravelblog.blogspot.com. You will be surprised at how many beautiful places and great travel tips are available to help you plan your next vacation.

Visit MacArthur Beach State Park!

Hi everyone!

It is time to share another enchanted place to visit in Florida.  

I found this adorable park in the Palm Beach County area, and I wanted to share with you the beauty of the John D. MacArthur Beach State Park.

This awesome park is open every day from 8AM to sunset and with only $5 per vehicle, you can spend an amazing day with your family and friends there. For directions, click here. Also, there are a variety of hotels in the area, so you can just pick the date and go.

 What I liked the most about the park was the fact that it offers many activities for its visitors to enjoy, and most of them are free of charge. For example, the park offers to its visitor’s free lessons such as Intro to Snorkeling, Intro to Kayak Fishing, Intro to Surfing, and Butterfly Talk and Walk program.  How can you say no to that?

They also have many events going on at the park, especially during summer time, for adults and children. There is always something fun to do there! There is one activity there that I really want to go to is the Sea Turtle talk and Walk. There is a $10 fee and the tickets can be purchased online. There are a few restrictions to participate in this walk, but those are necessary for the protection of the visitors and the turtles. For those who like turtles, you will have a unique opportunity to see a nesting loggerhead sea turtle.  It is so worth it and I can’t wait to go there.

Take a day off and enjoy Florida!

Next Stop: Bahia Honda State Park

Hello everyone!!!

The location that I chose to share with you today is the Bahia Honda State Park. Although I haven’t had a chance to go there yet, I drove by it once when I was on my way to Key West and I fell in love with the view. Also, I have heard only good things from friends that have been there already and all of them say the same thing: OMG, you have to go!

Bahia Honda is located in the Florida Keys, more precisely in the Overseas Highway (MM 37) and is very easy to get there. There is only one route, so it is very simple. Take Florida Turnpike South and go all the way till the end, then you will continue to drive South on US1 and will keep driving until you see the signs for Bahia Honda State Park. However, if you prefer getting more precise directions just click here.  The nearest airport will be Key West International Airport; however, due to its size and capacity most flights are routed to the Miami International Airport.

Bahia Honda is famous for having the Old Bahia Honda bridge where people from all over the world stop by to take a picture of it. The view is amazing and the beaches are beautiful.  

There are many activities for the whole family to enjoy. You can go snorkeling, kayaking, fishing, sightseeing and more. For those interested in a place to camp, they have a camping area for RV’s as well as tents. Also they offer cabin rentals for those who want to stay more comfortable overnight at the park. To reserve a cabin or a camping spot, click here.  

Cabins available for rent at Bahia Honda

If you are looking for a quick weekend getaway or a regular week vacation, going to the Florida Keys is a safe bet. You will not be disappointed if you take a day of your vacation to spend at the “enchanted” Bahia Honda State Park. This place is awesome and I can’t wait to go there this summer!