By Dalia Colon
 

To some of you, 30 is ancient.

For others, as my friend Pete once told me, "I've got T-shirts older than you!" Rather than aggravate the generational divide, I thought we could close the gap with a round of "Top 30 Things to Do in Florida Before You Turn 30." Here's my Florida bucket list. After you read it, please offer your suggestions.

Florida Bucket List

  1. Spend New Year's Eve in Key West.
  2. Swim with the manatees.
  3. Ride SheiKra.
  4. Develop a respectable golf swing.
  5. Eat a Cuban sandwich in Tampa.
  6. Eat another Cuban sandwich in Miami. Decide which was better.
  7. Take a surfing lesson.
  8. Ride in a hot air balloon.
  9. Go shelling.
  10. Visit the state's capital.
  11. Buy a boat. Or better yet, make friends with someone who owns a boat.
  12. Shop at a farmers market.
  13. Catch a fish.
  14. Drink a mojito on South Beach.
  15. Attend a spring training baseball game.
  16. Go camping.
  17. Go glamping. Decide which was better.
  18. Tailgate at a college football game.
  19. Attend a beach wedding.
  20. Stay at a luxury hotel. Or at least have lunch there.
  21. Take your four-legged friend to a dog beach.
  22. Drive along one of Florida's heritage trails.
  23. Eat a kumquat. 
  24. Go antiquing.
  25. Attend Gasparilla.
  26. Climb to the top of a lighthouse.
  27. Reward yourself with a slice of key lime pie.
  28. Attend a fruit festival - strawberry, blueberry, grapefruit . . . take your pick.
  29. Buy a SunPass.
  30. With the money you'll save on tolls, start a Roth IRA. It's time to grow up, kid.