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1. Visit the Florida Everglades
Spanning more than 1.5 million acres, the Florida Everglades are a subtropical wetland ecosystem unlike any other in the world. Nine ecosystems can be found within Everglades National Park – cypress, freshwater marl prairie, freshwater slough, coastal lowlands, mangrove, pinelands, hardwood hammock, marine and estuarine.
The Florida Everglades are also home to the largest intact stand of protected mangrove forest in the hemisphere as well as one of the highest concentrations of protected species in the United States. Thirty nine native Florida species found in the Everglades are listed as threatened, endangered or are candidates for listing under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 – including the Florida panther, American crocodile, and the wood stork. All told, the Florida Everglades are home to almost 300 species of fish, 17 species of amphibians, more than 360 species of birds, 40 species of mammals and 50 types of reptiles!
It’ll probably take us multiple day trips to really explore the Everglades but we are here for it and we have our bug spray with us! Did we mention that at least 43 different species of mosquitos call the Everglades home?
2. Bike Week in Daytona Beach
Full disclosure, we get to Daytona Beach Bike Week almost every year, but this time we’ll be writing about our adventures. One of the most well-known bike weeks in the United States, this 10 day long event hosts more than 500,000 people every year. It’s great for people watching and listening to live bands but there are also some great motorcycle rides that get you away from the hustle and bustle of the party scene and we’ll also share some of our favorite restaurants in the area while we’re there!
3. Visit Key West During Lobster Season
Honestly this has been on my bucket list for years and I’ve just never made it down. The regular lobster season runs from August 6 – March 31 each year and there is also a two-day mini season in July. I generally prefer self-guided adventures but this is one I think we’ll hire a local guide for. There are lots of rules (daily limits, size of the lobster, etc.) and it seems like having a guide would be the easiest, especially since we’ve never done it before!
4. Spend a day at Discovery Cove in Orlando
Amusement parks are generally not our favorite. I’ll go if we have visitors that feel like their Florida vacation wouldn’t be complete without a day at Disney World or Busch Gardens but it’s not something we generally enjoy on our own. But a friend told me about Discovery Cove and I’m intrigued. For starters, when I visited their website the very first thing I saw was “Book Now and Enjoy Free Open Bar” which sounds like the beginning of a good day to me!
Basically, Discovery Cove is an all-inclusive day resort where for about $250.00 per person (less if you’re a Florida resident) can swim with dolphins, snorkel with thousands of tropical fish, feed tropical birds, float along a river that’s kept at 85 degrees year-round, or just relax on a beach. Breakfast, lunch & snacks are included as part of admission, as well as beer and wine for guests 20 and older. You can also add on additional experiences (at a price) like feeding rays, swimming with sharks, feeding flamingos (yes, please!), or renting a cabana or day bed for the ultimate in relaxation! The best part? Discovery Cove limits ticket sales per day so you never have to worry about it being crazy crowded.
5. Hike More
Yes, Florida is basically flat but there are tons of great hikes throughout the state and we want to hit as many of them as we can! Florida is home to 83 different habitats so no hike is going to be exactly the same and we love that! We may even get crazy and do some camping while we’re out exploring Florida’s many trails. We’ve only managed to get a few short hikes in since we’ve moved but on the first we came across a huge rattle snake in the middle of the path (he was about as excited to see us as we were to see him) and yesterday while hiking in Big Cypress National Preserve we saw four alligators up & countless birds on a relatively short hike!
6. Visit as many Springs as possible
There are more than 1,000 springs in the State of Florida, so the chances we’ll ever make it to even close to all of them is non-existent, but we’re going to try to see as many as we can! We’ve been to (and dove) a few prior to moving but now that we’re here full-time we plan to take advantage of the opportunity to explore as many of them as possible!
Many of the Florida Springs allow scuba diving and the crystal clear water makes it a perfect place to brush up on your diving skills. The temperature of the water can vary from 66 – 97 degrees but most of the springs in North Florida remain around 72 degrees year round.
7. Try a New Restaurant Every Week
I’ll admit it, we are creatures of habit. Since moving to Cape Coral we’ve found two or three favorite restaurants and have visited them on repeat for the past month and a half. But we’re changing that starting now! There are so many great restaurants in Florida and we’re ready to try as many of them as we can! We could probably eat at a different restaurant every day just in the Cape Coral/Fort Myers area and not run out of restaurants to try for well over a year so this year the plan is to try to hit as many as possible!
8. Take a ride on the Key West Express
If you are near either Fort Myers or Marco Island, you can hop on the Key West Express and be in Key West in 3.5 or 4 hours. Book in advance and you can get a round trip for between $155.00 & $165.00 (depending on what day you plan to travel). The Key West Express is a 170′ Catamaran with an air conditioned interior, several exterior sun decks, flat screen TV’s and a full-service galley and bar.
9. Spend a Romantic Weekend in St. Augustine
Back when we were dating (and living in Georgia) we spent a few weekends exploring St. Augustine and stayed in some of the cutest B&B’s. Known as the ancient city, St. Augustine is the nation’s oldest city and also (in our opinion) one of the most charming. There is so much to see and do in St. Augustine we could easily get lost there for weeks, but our goal this year is at least a weekend! No matter how you enjoy spending your days, St. Augustine probably has it. From golfing to historic sites to more than 43 miles of gorgeous beaches, St. Augustine has something for everyone. A Haunted Pub tour is also high on my list of things to do while we’re there!
10. Beaches, Boating & Exploring by Water
We love beaches, boating, snorkeling & water. One of the biggest reasons we moved to Florida was so we could spend more time on the water. Our dream was to live on a canal as close to big water was we could afford and to spend as much time as possible exploring all that Florida has to offer. We hit the jackpot when we found a house in our price range just 5 minutes to the Caloosahatchee River by water with not one but TWO boat lifts. We bought a pair of jet skis and a fishing boat as quickly as we could and plan to explore as much as we can by water this year. Also, I grew up in Bradenton and watching the sun set from Coquina Beach was one of my favorite things to do growing up so I plan to catch as many sunsets as possible now that I’m finally back!
I could easily add 1,000 more things to our 2023 bucket list of things to do in Florida but I think this is enough to keep us busy for the year! Make sure to follow us on Facebook to keep up with everything we’re doing! What are your favorite things to do in Florida? Let us know in comments below & we’ll be sure to check them out!
