FLORIDA TRAVEL GUIDE
Off the Beaten Path Places, Culture, and History
This Florida travel guide helps you navigate a state that is changing culturally and geographically faster than any other in the USA. The population has increased from 5 million in 1960 to almost 22 million in 2019.
Many new Floridians drive to work or vacation on the interstate highways or toll roads. This means they never get a chance to see Florida the way it was not so long ago.
They miss out on that other Florida, what we call Old Florida. It’s a serene place of natural wonders, historic sites and towns that have somehow escaped the frantic growth of recent years.
What they see instead are thousands of other unhappy people in vehicles creeping along on multi-lane highways. They see hundreds of ugly billboards on both sides of the highway as they lurch along with other cars all in a hurry.
Sometimes they can’t even use their cruise control because traffic is stop and go. The one finger salute has become the universal language of the crowded Florida highway.
REMEMBER THE NOSTALGIA OF THE FAMILY RIDE?
Not many years ago, the family ride was a tradition in much of America, including Florida. Mom and Dad and the kids would pile into the car or station wagon and just ride around.
People believed a car was for pleasure, not just a machine to get them to work or run errands. They were not going anywhere in particular. It was just a ride to see new sights usually within few miles of their homes.
A lot of these rides were on Sunday afternoons after church. It was called “the Sunday drive”, and it was a part of American culture for most of the twentieth century
The pleasure was in the ride itself, not in the destination. In fact, there were usually no destinations unless you count stopping at an ice cream store or drive in for a treat.
This ride was not on the busy interstates or toll roads. It was on the roads less traveled because you were not in a big hurry.
The fun was in the anticipation and excitement of seeing a hill ahead and wondering what you will see on the other side. What kind of new and interesting cars you might see, people you might wave at or toot a friendly honk on the horn.
You slowed down to look at interesting old homes, historic markers, cows in a field, lakes, rivers, trees. Your joy was in what you were seeing, not just driving to get somewhere. You were not in a hurry. You just wanted to enjoy the pleasure of the ride.
That ride is what this Florida travel guide is all about. It is loaded with maps and suggestions for scenic drives, and none of these suggestions involve traveling on the interstate.
If you do want your ride to go somewhere, if the destination is important, then we have you covered there too.
This website is your Florida travel guide. Its pages are loaded with information on day trips, road trips, towns, festivals, tourist attractions, lodging, Florida history, heritage, and culture. Hundreds of maps are provided with clearly marked routes.
FLORIDA TRAVEL GUIDE NEW AND UPDATED POSTS
Recent Articles
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Florida Fish Camps: Your Getaway to Old Florida
Oct 13, 19 04:33 PM
Florida fish camps and Mom & Pop motels are quite often a piece of Old Florida on the back roads.
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Homestead, Florida Reborn After Hurricane Andrew
Oct 13, 19 02:15 PM
Homestead was nearly destroyed by Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Community volunteers came together and modern Homestead was reborn.
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16 Popular Florida Road Trips Through Old Florida
Oct 13, 19 11:35 AM
These 16 popular Florida road trips will give you an in-depth understanding of the diversity of the state.ous regions of the state.
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Alva, Florida: A Quiet Town on the Caloosahatchee River
Oct 11, 19 02:08 PM
Alva: watch the Caloosahatchee River flow by from a pretty little Florida town
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Florida Black Football Pioneers Were Civil Rights Trailblazers
Oct 10, 19 07:05 PM
Florida black football pioneers led the way to full desegregation of the state's sports teams. These are their stories.
WEBSITE AUTHOR
Mike Miller has lived in Florida since 1960. He graduated as a civil engineer from the University of Florida and has lived and worked in most areas of the state. His love of Florida is reflected in the pages of this website. Mike is the author of 18 separate Florida travel books that can be previewed or purchased at Amazon.
Mike has logged more than 2,000,000 miles in 35 different vehicles on the Florida back roads
Our Facebook page has more than 73,720 followers who love off the beaten path Florida: towns, lodging, road maps, festivals, attractions, scenic road trips, day trips, history, and more.
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