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By Lesley Abravanel
Florida is a media darling of sorts, a state that's no stranger to headlines, for better or for worse. Some would say that Florida is the Kardashian sister of the 50 states, sometimes celebrated, other times ridiculed (they don't call us FloriDUH for nothing), but almost always a subject of conversation. And while one may think that the Sunshine State is a one trick pony, an open book, or a one-dimensional destination with an ocean view and an animated rodent as erstwhile spokesperson, well, they'd be wrong. Once you dust off the sand and dig deeper, you'll discover that there's more to Florida than meets the eye, attractions and stories that have, unlike that aforementioned, ahem, reality television sideshow, managed to fly under the radar. We dug up a few of the coolest for you.
Photo caption: Dinosaur World in Plant City, Florida.
Concerned for his patients suffering from yellow fever, physician John Gorrie invented the ice machine, the coolest predecessor to air conditioning, in Apalachicola, which is awesome because Apalachicola is known for having some of the finest oysters in the world. In fact, 90% of the briny mollusks sold in the state and 10% nationwide are harvested here. The city has a monument to him, and a replica of his ice machine is on display in the John Gorrie Museum, (46 6th St.; tel. 850/653-9347; www.floridastateparks.org/johngorriemuseum). Oysters on ice can be found all over town so you can thank Dr. Gorrie for those, too.
Photo caption: The John Gorrie Museum is dedicated to the creator of the ice machine. Apalachicola, Florida.
The Palace Saloon (117 Centre Street, Fernandina Beach; tel. 904/491-3332; www.thepalacesaloon.com) isn't your typical Florida watering hole. Located on Centre Street in downtown Fernandina Beach since 1878, the Palace is Florida's oldest saloon, one which is rumored to be the last tavern in the country to close during prohibition -- if it even closed at all. During the dry years, the Palace sold, uh, ice cream. Gin chip anyone? A fave hangout amongst socialites of the old school bold faced kind -- Vanderbilts, Carnegies and Rockefellers, the Palace also happens to be the first hard liquor bar in the state to sell Coca-Cola. With or without rum.
Just over a half hour away in Jacksonville is Anhauser-Busch, (111 Busch Drive, Jacksonville; tel. 904/696-8373; www.budweisertours.com) whose Beer School is a hops happy 45-minute class explaining the finer points of the beverage along with food pairing suggestions too. Class is just $10 and held Monday through Saturday between the hours of 10 a.m. (!) and 4 p.m. If class isn't your thing, there are all sorts of free tours brewing there.
Photo caption: The Palace Saloon in Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island, Florida.
Florida's got its fair share of celebrities (animatronic and otherwise) living and vacationing here, but just off of I-4 in Plant City, you'll find a 50-foot T-Rex and scores of other prehistoric rock stars at Dinosaur World, (5145 Harvey Tew Rd., Plant City; tel. 850/717-9865; www.dinosaurworld.com) a museum devoted to the behemoth bad asses of Bedrock. Visitors can also sift thruogh sand in search of authentic fossils to take home and see the dinosaurs come alive in the Prehistoric Museum at the animatronic dinosaur scene.
More earthy adventures can be had at Florida EcoSafaris at Forever Florida, (tel. 407/957-9794; www.floridaecosafaris.com), an excellent ecotourism attraction located in St. Cloud, just one hour southeast of Orlando. Departing from a picturesque Florida cattle and horse ranch, guests journey deep into the 4700 acre Forever Florida Wildlife Conservation Area encompassing 12 distinct ecosystems boasting natural streams, forests, pastures, wetlands and wildlife including alligators, black bears, white-tail deer and the endangered Florida panther.
Adrenaline addicts will love the Zipline Safari, Central Florida's biggest zipline adventure as well as the first zipline roller coaster in country, launching from a height of 65 feet, gliding along a rigid rail system that winds through treetops, jumping and dipping through 1000 feet of insanity or, for coaster-fans, ecstasy. More ziplining takes place in the state's capital, at the Tallahassee Museum's (3945 Museum Dr Tallahassee, 850/575-8684, www.tallahassemuseum.org) Tree to Tree attraction, allowing you to choose from three different zipline courses 19 zip lines and 70 obstacles that have guests swinging from ropes over Cyprus swamps, crossing log bridges, and surfing through the sky.
Photo caption: Dinosaur World in Plant City, Florida.
Formed by a hurricane in 1848, John's Pass (12901 Gulf Boulevard, Madeira Beach; tel. 727/394-0756; www.johnspass.com), today a shopping, dining and fishing village, in Madeira Beach is a treasure trove in more ways than one. Connecting Florida's West Coast Intracoastal Waterway with the Gulf of Mexico, John's Pass sees hundreds of pleasure, fishing and gambling boats on a daily basis. Local lore says that John LeVeque, a French cabin boy turned pirate amassed an outrageous fortune that was hidden right off the beach on an island on Florida's west coast. Years after retiring from grueling pirate life, LeVeque sailed off to claim his fortune, an effort thwarted when a hurricane tore his island in two, rendering his treasure map useless. While a geographical treasure was born in the form of the pass between the two land masses, the monetary one was never ever found and still quite possibly earning interest just off of Madeira Beach.
Photo caption: The pier at John's Pass Village in Madeira Beach, Florida.
Florida is a media darling of sorts, a state that's no stranger to headlines, for better or for worse. Some would say that Florida is the Kardashian sister of the 50 states, sometimes celebrated, other times ridiculed (they don't call us FloriDUH for nothing), but almost always a subject of conversation. And while one may think that the Sunshine State is a one trick pony, an open book, or a one-dimensional destination with an ocean view and an animated rodent as erstwhile spokesperson, well, they'd be wrong. Once you dust off the sand and dig deeper, you'll discover that there's more to Florida than meets the eye, attractions and stories that have, unlike that aforementioned, ahem, reality television sideshow, managed to fly under the radar. We dug up a few of the coolest for you.
Photo caption: Dinosaur World in Plant City, Florida.
Photo caption: The John Gorrie Museum is dedicated to the creator of the ice machine. Apalachicola, Florida.
Just over a half hour away in Jacksonville is Anhauser-Busch, (111 Busch Drive, Jacksonville; tel. 904/696-8373; www.budweisertours.com) whose Beer School is a hops happy 45-minute class explaining the finer points of the beverage along with food pairing suggestions too. Class is just $10 and held Monday through Saturday between the hours of 10 a.m. (!) and 4 p.m. If class isn't your thing, there are all sorts of free tours brewing there.
Photo caption: The Palace Saloon in Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island, Florida.
More earthy adventures can be had at Florida EcoSafaris at Forever Florida, (tel. 407/957-9794; www.floridaecosafaris.com), an excellent ecotourism attraction located in St. Cloud, just one hour southeast of Orlando. Departing from a picturesque Florida cattle and horse ranch, guests journey deep into the 4700 acre Forever Florida Wildlife Conservation Area encompassing 12 distinct ecosystems boasting natural streams, forests, pastures, wetlands and wildlife including alligators, black bears, white-tail deer and the endangered Florida panther.
Adrenaline addicts will love the Zipline Safari, Central Florida's biggest zipline adventure as well as the first zipline roller coaster in country, launching from a height of 65 feet, gliding along a rigid rail system that winds through treetops, jumping and dipping through 1000 feet of insanity or, for coaster-fans, ecstasy. More ziplining takes place in the state's capital, at the Tallahassee Museum's (3945 Museum Dr Tallahassee, 850/575-8684, www.tallahassemuseum.org) Tree to Tree attraction, allowing you to choose from three different zipline courses 19 zip lines and 70 obstacles that have guests swinging from ropes over Cyprus swamps, crossing log bridges, and surfing through the sky.
Photo caption: Dinosaur World in Plant City, Florida.
Photo caption: The pier at John's Pass Village in Madeira Beach, Florida.