Your Amazing Florida Travel Advisor

Key West Lighthouse Key West, Florida

Hi! My name is Adam Wyler. I am your deluxe Florida travel advisor. I have lived in Florida for 47 years. Florida became the 'retirement capital' in the early 20th century. Ever since then, Florida, as of 2024, is the 3rd most populous state in America. Actually, Florida wasn't much of anything but marshes and lakes right up until the invention of air conditioning in the late 19th century. There are so many different things to so in Florida, there is something for everyone. The 1st thing to talk about is how many theme park enthusiasts consider Florida to be a kind of mini-capital of sorts. Between Tampa and Orlando, there are 9 theme parks spread between 5 resort areas. In Tampa, you have Busch Gardens. Originally started as a bird gardens and regional beer brewery, Busch Gardens expanded to a major theme park and added a water park across the street in the 80's. They removed the brewery in the 90's and became a place well known for roller coasters. There are 10 operating roller coasters at Busch Gardens. They also still have a fully accredited zoo with animals out on a savannah. Over in Winter Haven, there is LegoLand for the children aged 5-12. Re-themed on the property that was originally Cypress Gardens, LegoLand has been operating in Winter Haven since 2011. They offer over 50 rides, including a roller coaster, water park, and remaining attractions from Cypress Gardens. I already have a complete description of Walt Disney World that you can read, so no need to cover that here. The other 2 parks in Central Florida are Sea World and Universal Studios-Florida. Another popular place to visit is Daytona Beach. The beaches of Daytona are famous for their beautiful sand and huge surf, but that's not why droves of tourists flock to Daytona. Historically, the Daytona 500 has been successfully run since 1959. It actually derived its history from early in the 20th century on the beaches of Daytona. Those speed racers drew speedsters right away until the France family in 1958 put their resources together to build a speedway. The Daytona 500 is the biggest yearly car race for NASCAR...otherwise known as stock car racing. The race attendance was upwards of 175,000! Florida is also the cruise port capital of America. Boasting 5 major cruise ports, you can have your pick of cruise line & itinerary all year long....including sailings through the Panama Canal! The largest and most popular Florida city for tourist is Miami Beach, but it's really the Miami vibe that the come for. While Miami typically ranks between 40-45 in US population each year, 28 million tourists visited the city in 2024. In the Florida panhandle, the sought after beach destination is Destin. Visitors have been heading to "The World's Luckiest Fishing Village" for years. Deep-sea diving is the main reason tourists are flocking to Destin, in addition to the white sandy beaches. Florida has 3 national parks....Everglades National Park, Biscayne National Park, and Dry Tortugas National Park. Everglades National Park is the largest subtropical wilderness in the US. Biscayne National Park is mostly underwater protecting coral reefs, mangrove forests, and islands accessible by boat. Dry Tortugas National Park is a remote park accessible only by boat or seaplane and features the historic Ft. Jefferson. This park is well known for incredible snorkeling and birdwatching. The last area to talk about is the Florida Keys. The Keys are a chain of over 800 islands forming a tropical archipelago. All of the Florida Keys have white sand beaches and luxurious homes and hotels. All of the Florida Keys are linked by the scenic Overseas Highway. The vibe is most definitely tropical. The Keys have three different sections. Upper Keys, with islands like Key Largo and Islamorada. Middle Keys has islands like Marathon, Duck Key, and Grassy Key. Lower Keys includes Big Pine Key, Sugarloaf Key,a and Stock Island....leading to Key West. Key West offers many unique experiences including Sunset on the Docks, Sloppy Joe's restaurant and bar, rental bicycles, and the Southernmost Point in the Continental US buoy. I hope to hear from you about your next trip to Florida!