Things to Do in Florida

Housed in a gorgeous former hotel built in 1887 in the Spanish Renaissance style, the exterior of the Lightner Museum is reason enough to visit. The real treats though are the various antiquities located on the inside of this three story museum.

The first floor houses a Victorian village, with shop fronts offering Victorian era wares. Take a look at the Victorian Science and Industry Room and its eclectic array of artifacts including model steam engines, stuffed birds, a small Egyptian mummy, and a shrunken head. The second floor contains samples of cut glass, Victorian art glass and stained glass work. The third floor, housed in the ball room's upper balcony, exhibits paintings, sculpture, and furniture from the time period. Overall, the museum's careful attention to details and rustic recreation of the time period make it a fun place to visit.

Home to a vast array of animals ranging from native Florida species to African wildlife, the Lowry Park Zoo is a must see for all animal and nature lovers. Rated the No. 1 zoo in the United States by Parents Magazine and the No. 1 child-friendly zoo in the US by Child Magazine, the Lowry Park Zoo is an ideal place for families with kids.

Jungle Island (formerly Parrot Jungle Island) is a glorious homage to tourism kitsch. This is one of those places kids beg to go, so just give up and prepare for some bright-feathered, bird-scented fun. Actually, the 18 acre (7 hectare) waterfront facility, lushly landscaped and using a minimum of pesticides, is pretty impressive, thanks in part to the parrots, macaws, flamingos, and cockatoos flying about in outdoor aviaries.

The Cape Penguin colony is especially cute, as is Crocosaurus, a 20 foot (6 meter) long saltwater crocodile that lives in Serpentarium. Other critters include snakes, crocodiles, gibbons and orangutans, not to mention tortoises, iguanas, and a rare albino alligator on exhibit.

You can even see animals in action, as Jungle Island host a number of shows starring roller-skating cockatoos, card-playing macaws, and numerous stunt-happy parrots. Nearby is Pinecrest Gardens, which has a petting zoo, mini-water park, and a lake. 

Vibrant Cuban culture permeates every aspect of the Little Havana neighborhood of Miami, Florida—you’ll find it in the colorful murals, the monuments to heroes past and present, the residents facing off in the domino park as they discuss politics, and in the cigar rollers at work amidst the ever-present aroma of Cuban coffee.

The Basics
The neighborhood’s colorful spirit unfolds on Calle Ocho, Little Havana’s bustling main street, reminiscent of Cuba. On this block between SW 15th and 17th avenues, the Miami Arts District contains a string of studios and galleries that showcase some of the best Latin American art in the country. Nearby, travelers will find the Bay of Pigs Museum & Library, which enshrines the crew of the ill-fated Bay of Pigs invasion, and on the two blocks at SW 13th Street, south of Calle Ocho, are monuments of Cuban patriots and freedom fighters. Many tour options combine a visit to Little Havana with tours of other popular spots in Miami and the surrounding area: South Beach and its art deco architecture, Miami Beach, the Everglades, Coconut Grove, or the art galleries in nearby Wynwood.

• If you’re not prepared to sweat through the Miami summer heat, book a bus tour or a private tour with air-conditioned transportation included.
• Walking tours and bike tours are the easiest ways to see the area.
• Half-day Little Havana tours take in the neighborhood’s sights, while full-day options also visit other Miami highlights.

How To Get to Little Havana
The Miami River separates Little Havana from downtown Miami on the northeast border. Calle Ocho (SW 8th Street) is the neighborhood’s epicenter, running between NW 22nd Avenue and SW 10th Avenue. You can get to Little Havana via the Metromover train or by bus. If you’re coming by car, take I-95 to NW 7th Street.

When to Get There
Daily life is always pulsating to the beat of Cuban music in Little Havana. A daytime visit lets travelers see the neighborhood’s charming, banal side; the nightlife that erupts after dark is worth a visit in itself.

What to Eat in Little Havana
One of the best ways to experience a culture is through its food, and Cuban culture in Miami’s Little Havana is no exception. On a Little Havana food tour, you can taste Cuban specialties such as guava pastries, chicken plantain cups, and flan ice cream while learning about Cuban traditions, history, and culinary practices from a local tour guide.

Key Largo may seem underwhelming at first glance, but “under” is the key word, as the main sights are underwater, past the touristy shops and motels. The 33 mi (53 km) island is the longest in the Florida Keys; it also has the Keys' biggest concentration of dive sites.

John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park is a must stop. The first underwater park in the U.S., Pennekamp provides some pleasant beaches, decent nature trails, and colorful coral reefs. An aquarium at the visitor center provides a glimpse of what’s under the water, and a glass-bottom boat tour shows the real thing.

If you want to go deeper, take a snorkeling trip or a diving excursion. After a day of activity, stop for seafood in one of the many restaurants on the key.

Key West is both a city and an island that is part of the Florida Keys and considered to be the southernmost city in the continental United States. With a laidback and slightly offbeat vibe, numerous famous writers, artists and musicians have called it home over the years. Cruise ships have been stopping at Key West since 1969 and today it welcomes nearly half a million cruise passengers every year.

How to get to Key West
Your ship will likely dock at either Mallory Square or the Truman Annex, both of which are just a few blocks from Duval Street in central Key West. If your ship docks further out at the Navy Mole, near Fort Zachary Taylor. In that case, trolleys are available to shuttle you into the Old Town.

One Day in Key West
Get a feel for historic Key West by taking a tour with the open-air Conch Tour Train. The train departs from Mallory Square and takes you through the Old Town area of the island, passing Duval Street, the historic seaport, and the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum. The Hemingway Museum is a must-see for any visitor to Key West. There, you can tour Hemingway’s old writing studio, see the first swimming pool in Key West, and cozy up to some of the dozens of furry felines who wander the house, descendants of the writer’s many cats.

For panoramic views of the island, climb to the top of either the observation tower at the Shipwreck Museum or the Key West Lighthouse. Grab a bite to eat and then spend the afternoon enjoying Key West from the water: swim with the dolphins, sail on a glass bottom boat, paddle a kayak or go diving or snorkeling.

Want to explore a different side of Key West? Join the Jimmy Buffett-focused Trails of the Margaritaville Tour or the spooky Ghosts and Gravestones of Key West Tour. The Key West Cemetery is also worth a stop, with above ground tombs reflecting the island’s mixed ethnic heritage.

If your ship is still in port at sunset, don’t miss the Sunset Celebration, a nightly arts festival at Mallory Square that kicks off two hours before the sun sets.

Port Information
English is the official language and the currency is the U.S. Dollar. ATMs are widely available.

Proving that little is more stimulating than hands-on fun, the Fort Myers Imaginarium was developed to be an interactive experience with one of Florida’s preeminent museums and aquariums. Giving both youngsters and their parents a chance to participate in real-life demonstrations of the wonders of nature, guests can feel the power of a hurricane, run through a rainstorm, pet sting rays and sharks, see a 3-D Dinosaur movie, be a weather forecaster or just run, jump, and explore to their heart’s content. Great for parties or the passing afternoon, time spent at the Imaginarium is always both educational and entertaining.

The Kennedy Space Center has been hurtling humans and shuttles into space since 1968 and is still a primary site for NASA launches. Parts of the sprawling campus are open to the public with daily tours offering opportunities to interact with real astronauts, test your skills with a simulated space flight, and see artifacts from the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs.

The Basics 

The campus is made up of several “mission zones,” all accessible with admission. See the Rocket Garden, filled with historic engine replicas and full-size Titan rockets; the Space Shuttle Atlantis; and the Early Space Exploration Hall, where you’ll find hands-on exhibits highlighting the pioneers of spaceflight and the global race to the moon. On-site bus tours depart every 15 minutes and narrate a two-hour route to several launch sites, including those used by the techy space explorers at SpaceX, and the Apollo/Saturn V Center, where you can navigate astronaut artifacts and walk beneath a 363-foot (110-meter) rocket from the Saturn V mission. Visit on a day trip from Orlando, or opt for an Ultimate Space Pass that includes a tour of NASA’s launch headquarters, lunch with an astronaut, two IMAX movies, the Shuttle Launch Experience, and free time to experience the center’s exhibits and galleries.

Things to Know Before You Go

• There’s lots to see and do at Kennedy Space Center, so plan on spending a full day here.
  
• The space center one of the most popular family attractions in Florida.
  
• The bus tour is included in general admission but stops running 2.5 hours before closing time.
  
• Choose a helicopter tour over the Kennedy Space Center for a bird’s-eye view of the sprawling facility.
  

How to Get to the Kennedy Space Center

The Kennedy Space Center visitor complex is adjacent to the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Titusville, 45 minutes from Orlando by car, on the eastern side of the Intracoastal Waterway. There is no public transit to the center, but several tours include transport to the Space Center from Orlando. There’s plenty of on-site parking, though only multi-day tickets include the cost of parking.

When to Get There

Because there’s so much to do, it’s best to arrive as close to the daily 9am opening time as possible. Closing times vary seasonally between 6pm and 8pm. The center is seldom crowded (except on launch days), but you can avoid large field trip groups by visiting on a weekend.

How to See a Rocket Launch From the Kennedy Space Center

To count down and feel the rumble of lift-off just a few miles away from a real launching rocket, you’ll have to time your visit just right, as only a handful take place each year. The visitor center offers the closest viewing stations for shuttles and rockets blasting off from the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral, and has four designated spots for lawn chairs (some of the spaces require tickets, which typically go on sale two weeks prior to launch).

Long disparaged as Miami's lesser northern neighbor, Fort Lauderdale has recently come into its own with a renovated waterfront, a burgeoning culinary scene, and beaches worthy of palm-swept daydreams bringing rightful attention to the Venice of America. Stretching 3,000 miles (4,800 km) between the United States' Atlantic and Gulf coasts, the city's Intracoastal Waterway provides easy access to maritime activities and on-shore attractions along the 300 miles of inland canals that wind through south Florida's unmistakable sky-high resorts and Everglades ecosystem.