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| All Articles for : wildlife |
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| Adventure Bound |
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| Anglers wait all year for the summer to come so they can chase Florida's premiere game fish, the common snook, from dawn 'til dusk. These tackle-busters, when fought on light line, have no equal in Florida waters. |
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| Tags: Marco_Island, Naples, nature, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, hiking, wildlife, |
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| Nature Rules on St. George Island |
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| St. George Island has been a favorite rest and recreation spot for humans for more than 5,000 years. Archaeologists estimate that pre-Columbian natives regularly visited to feast on the oysters that are so plentiful in Apalachicola Bay. |
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| Tags: St_George_Island, camping, hiking, parks, nature, canoeing, kayaking, birding, wildlife, Apalachicola, |
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| There's No Place Like Home |
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| It has always been a dream of mine to swim with dolphins, so we packed up and headed south to the Miami Seaquarium, which offers dolphin swim programs at its newly renovated, $5-million Dolphin Harbor. |
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| Tags: family, aquariums, St_Petersburg, wildlife, sealife, nature, Tampa, Clearwater, Miami, |
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| Lions and Lessons: Teaching Kids About Wildlife Conservation |
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| All in one place, we saw tigers, snow leopards, ocelots, Geoffrey cats, jungle cats, bobcats, cougars, lynx, servals, carcals and lions. Each cat has his or her own story. |
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| Tags: wildlife, family, Tampa, Busch_Gardens, nature, zoos, tours, |
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| Adventures in the Swamp |
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| Billie Swamp Safari offers daily tours through 2,200 acres of the reservation's wildest land, home to a variety of native species, including the reclusive Florida panther, as well as an assortment of animals most folks consider exotic, including the legendary American bison. |
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| Tags: nature, wildlife, tours, Clewiston, camping, family, Fort_Lauderdale, |
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| Real Florida Natives |
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| Sailing along in the Gulf, you’re apt to spot the gray Atlantic bottlenose dolphins (Flipper was a bottlenose) as they frolic alongside. You can frolic with them yourself at numerous spots around the state, both in the wild and at aquariums and research centers. |
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| Tags: snorkeling, wildlife, sealife, manatees, dolphins, birding, shelling, nature, |
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| A Zoo Without Bars |
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| Quickly, I grabbed Mo by the arm and spun him around. His face immediately lit up. “I don’t believe it – it’s a panther,” he whispered. |
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| Tags: nature, wildlife, parks, Egmont_Key, St_Petersburg, Everglades_National_Park, Tampa, Ocala, Okeechobee, |
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| Delve Into the Underground at the Caverns |
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| Stalactites reached down from above, often bleeding into the stalagmites poking from the floor, forming pillars and columns painted in vivid hues. |
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| Tags: Marianna, parks, nature, tours, camping, fishing, wildlife, hiking, trails, BeenThere, |
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| Island Intrigue |
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| I love to walk the quiet streets lined with taverns, clapboard cottages and tin-roofed huts, all reminders that – despite a bustling tourism crowd – this was, and still is, a commercial fishing village with a frontier persona. |
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| Tags: parks, beaches, boating, Cedar_Key, wildlife, |
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| Rails to Trails |
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| The most rural of Florida's paved trails offers superb opportunities for bird watching and wildlife viewing, and covered benches or viewing stations occur every mile. |
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| Tags: Apalachicola, Gainesville, Tallahassee, Tarpon_Springs, Wakulla_Springs, biking, nature, trails, birding, St_Petersburg, equestrian, wildlife, parks, |
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| Wild About Marathon |
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| At the Grassy Key Dolphin Research Center, kids have a lot to get excited about, because who can resist a dolphin's smile, let alone a kiss from one of the lovable mammals? Or a chance to play – even paint – with one? |
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| Tags: Key_West, Marathon, dolphins, family, museums, historical_sites, snorkeling, wildlife, nature, |
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| Birds of a Feather |
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| The unique refuge was established in 1931 to provide a wintering habitat for migratory waterfowl and is one of the oldest in the National Wildlife Refuge System. |
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| Tags: Fernandina_Beach, Key_West, Merritt_Island, Micanopy, Orlando, Sanibel_Island, Sarasota, Tallahassee, Titusville, wildlife, trails, birding, St_Petersburg, parks, nature, Homosassa, |
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| Insider Tips to Florida's Beaches |
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| And lest we forget, it's beautiful! It continually makes several of America's Top 10 lists of best beaches based on sand, water quality and facilities. |
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| Tags: Amelia_Island, Beaches_of_South_Walton, Grayton_Beach, Key_West, Naples, Palm_Beach, Sarasota, Sebastian, South_Beach, Venice, Vero_Beach, beaches, shelling, water_sports, snorkeling, romance, historical_sites, family, wildlife, surfing, sunsets, New_Smyrna_Beach, Daytona_Beach, St_Pete_Beach, birding, Ponte_Vedra_Beach, equestrian, Sanibel_Island, Hollywood, |
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| Natural Beaches |
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| If you count all bays and inlets - where you'll find the "secret" sandy getaways usually known only to locals - Florida has nearly 8,500 miles of shoreline. |
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| Tags: Amelia_Island, Apalachicola, Cape_San_Blas, Fernandina_Beach, Grayton_Beach, Key_West, Pensacola, Ponce_Inlet, Ponte_Vedra_Beach, beaches, nature, wildlife, sealife, birding, camping, St_Augustine, parks, Florida_Keys, Tampa, New_Smyrna_Beach, |
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| Paddling Pursuits |
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| Most folks who paddle the trail will make this a nine-to-10-day journey that tests self-reliance as much as it rewards the love for adventure. |
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| Tags: Cedar_Key, Estero, Flagler_Beach, Fort_Lauderdale, Kissimmee, Suwannee, kayaking, canoeing, wildlife, nature, parks, |
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| Florida's Fantastic Forests |
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| With more than one million acres of undeveloped wilderness, Florida's 31 state forests are a veritable playground for backpackers, birders, paddlers and off-road cyclists. |
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| Tags: Brooksville, Dade_City, Inverness, Jacksonville, Lake_Wales, Naples, Tallahassee, parks, nature, fishing, hiking, biking, motorcycling, wildlife, canoeing, kayaking, water_sports, camping, |
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| Walk on the Wild Side |
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| The grand sight of a whale splashing in the water is not usually associated with Florida. But northern right whales choose our northeastern coastal waters, almost exclusively, to give birth in winter months. They are among the most endangered species of large mammals in the world. |
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| Tags: Big_Pine_Key, Crystal_River, Marco_Island, Naples, Orlando, Oviedo, Pensacola, Sanibel_Island, Sarasota, Sebastian, Tallahassee, Titusville, Vero_Beach, nature, wildlife, manatees, dolphins, Everglades_National_Park, Florida_Keys, |
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| Florida's Retro Theme Parks |
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| Many of the rides are highly embellished versions of rides you might see at the state fair - scrambler, Ferris wheel, Tilt-O-Whirl, bumper cars. |
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| Tags: Homestead, Islamorada, Key_West, Orlando, Pensacola, Tampa, St_Augustine, museums, nature, theme_parks, water_parks, gardens, St_Petersburg, wildlife, zoos, aquariums, sealife, |
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| Florida Zoofari |
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| Because of this exhibit, Lowry Park Zoo was named the number one zoo in the United States for young children by Child Magazine. |
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| Tags: Gulf_Breeze, Jacksonville, Merritt_Island, Miami, Naples, Orlando, Palm_Beach, Sarasota, Tampa, zoos, wildlife, family, |
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| Family Must-Sees |
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| Your kids will be kissed and hugged by dolphins and sea lions respectively at Theater of the Sea in Islamorada. |
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| Tags: Clearwater, Crystal_River, Fort_Myers, Gainesville, Islamorada, Jacksonville, Kissimmee, Marianna, New_Smyrna_Beach, Orlando, Palm_Beach, Pensacola, Tampa, Venice, West_Palm_Beach, Winter_Haven, Walt_Disney_World, SeaWorld, Universal_Studios, Busch_Gardens, Kennedy_Space_Center, museums, wildlife, sealife, family, Siesta_Key, Fort_Walton_Beach, theme_parks, zoos, water_parks, aquariums, Everglades_National_Park, Daytona_Beach, |
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| Island Hopping in the Charlotte Harbor Area |
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| Accessible only by boat, this seemingly untouched island has more than a mile-long stretch of white-sand beach perfect for collecting seashells, fishing or soaking up the sun. |
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| Tags: Charlotte_Harbor, Englewood, Punta_Gorda, kayaking, beaches, fishing, parks, birding, shelling, nature, wildlife, geocaching, |
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| Martin County Beaches: A to Z |
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| Also, Stuart Beach offers everything Jensen Beach Park does, plus basketball, a playground and the Elliott Museum, which teaches area history and contains life-size historical replicas, including a general store and ice cream parlor. |
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| Tags: Jensen_Beach, Jupiter, Palm_Beach, Stuart, wildlife, beaches, museums, Hobe_Sound, |
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| Sandy Feet Welcome |
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| The air was crisp, the sky cloudless and it was time to put the luckiest fishing village in the world to the test. |
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| Tags: beaches, Destin, vacation_rentals, shopping, family, fishing, boating, wildlife, sports, |
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| Dry Feet, Warm Memories |
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| Plan an early morning or late afternoon visit to National Key Deer Refuge if you want to spy the endearingly tiny white-tailed deer that seek shelter there. |
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| Tags: Big_Pine_Key, Islamorada, Key_Largo, Key_West, Marathon, parks, museums, resorts, wildlife, |
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| Cruising Around Charlotte Harbor |
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| Using live bait, we released one snook after the other for a solid hour before the fish wised up. What an awesome time we had. |
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| Tags: Charlotte_Harbor, Port_Charlotte, Punta_Gorda, kayaking, wildlife, tours, cruises, parks, nature, |
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| Park It! |
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| Heading back, we were not alone. To our right, two gray snouts emerged from the water, so close we could see black nostrils and pink tongues. These manatees were actually smiling at us, alternately revealing heads and huge, fan-shaped tails. |
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| Tags: Fort_Myers, Fort_Myers_Beach, Sanibel_Island, nature, wildlife, parks, sealife, |
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| Gator Tales |
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| Captain Martin maneuvered us into swampy areas where unsuspecting 'gators splashed into the water to the left and right of us. We were lucky: We saw at least a dozen 'gators during the half-hour trip. |
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| Tags: Orlando, Oviedo, Sarasota, wildlife, |
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| Exploring Estuaries: Indian River Lagoon and Charlotte Harbor |
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| I'm startled from my historical reverie by some movement in the grass. Could I be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the threatened Atlantic salt marsh snake? |
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| Tags: Charlotte_Harbor, Cocoa, Cocoa_Beach, Merritt_Island, New_Smyrna_Beach, Tampa, kayaking, wildlife, parks, nature, |
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| Estuary Adventures in Tampa Bay |
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| The island, a major seabird nesting area with plenty of human history as well, can be reached with an hour of hard paddling. |
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| Tags: Egmont_Key, Tampa, wildlife, fishing, canoeing, historical_sites, parks, kayaking, hiking, St_Petersburg, nature, |
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| A Walk on the Wild Side |
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| Later, I spot what I can only assume is a family of sandhill cranes, two gray-and-red adults, and juveniles whose feathers have not yet turned - they're still a downy yellowish brown. |
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| Tags: Kissimmee, Lake_Wales, Winter_Haven, hiking, nature, parks, wildlife, |
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| Treasure Hunt |
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| The islands above Sanibel also hold treasure troves but are less accessible due to a lack of bridges. Good news: that makes their shell hoards less plundered. |
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| Tags: Captiva_Island, Fort_Myers, Sanibel_Island, nature, beaches, shelling, tours, birding, wildlife, family, |
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| Secrets of the Shoreline |
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| The scenery offers jungle-like surrounding where you and your family can swim with manatees, soak up the sunshine, hunt for fossils, or picnic on white-sand beaches. |
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| Tags: Bradenton, Longboat_Key, Sarasota, Tampa, nature, tours, canoeing, wildlife, |
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| Southern Comfort |
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| Like doting Old South aunties, massive live oaks hunch over the town's canopy roads waving delicate, intricate Spanish moss like lace hankies. The winding roads lead straight to the past, to natural and historic places steeped in adventure. |
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| Tags: Apalachicola, Suwannee, Tallahassee, Wakulla_Springs, nature, wildlife, parks, |
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| Toho Sunrise |
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| If you are lucky enough to be in town on Friday night, drop by the Kissimmee Sports Arena for a taste of one of Florida's favorite native sports: the rodeo. Long before The Mouse came to the Sunshine State, cowboys ruled the scrubland. |
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| Tags: Kissimmee, tours, fishing, wildlife, nature, |
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| Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach |
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| Highway 98 east from West Palm Beach takes you to Lion Country Safari in Loxahatchee, where you drive past lions, giraffes, zebras, elephants and more in your own vehicle. |
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| Tags: Boca_Raton, Boynton_Beach, Fort_Lauderdale, Palm_Beach, West_Palm_Beach, driving_tours, history, historical_sites, wildlife, museums, Tours_on_a_Tankful, |
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| Cocoa and Kissimmee |
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| Back on terra firma, go on a turtle trek. The Canaveral National Seashore, on A1A near Titusville, is a virtual turtle incubator, with hundreds of sea turtles making the journey to lay their eggs in the warm sands beside the Atlantic. |
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| Tags: Cape_Canaveral, Cocoa, Cocoa_Beach, Kissimmee, Okeechobee, Orlando, Titusville, nature, wildlife, Kennedy_Space_Center, driving_tours, Tours_on_a_Tankful, |
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| Theme Parks: Orlando |
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| SeaWorld's animal interactions are as intense as ever with "Sharks Deep Dive", the park's most daring animal interaction program where guests don wetsuits and either snorkel or scuba dive in a large shark cage for an unforgettable encounter with more than 50 sharks. |
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| Tags: Orlando, Tampa, theme_parks, Walt_Disney_World, SeaWorld, water_parks, dolphins, wildlife, Tours_on_a_Tankful, driving_tours, |
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| North Florida Outdoor Adventure Trail |
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| Wakulla, meaning "mysteries of strange water," is one of the largest and deepest freshwater springs in the world, with points at 185 feet. |
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| Tags: Apalachicola, Cape_San_Blas, Grayton_Beach, Gulf_Breeze, Live_Oak, Milton, Pensacola, Steinhatchee, Suwannee, Wakulla_Springs, parks, nature, wildlife, driving_tours, music, canoeing, kayaking, camping, |
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| Birding in Northeast Florida |
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| Belted kingfishers, brown pelicans, double-crested cormorants and a variety of herons and egrets live in nearby marshes and are regularly spotted. |
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| Tags: Amelia_Island, Fernandina_Beach, Melbourne, Merritt_Island, Ponte_Vedra_Beach, Sebastian, Tallahassee, Titusville, Vero_Beach, birding, wildlife, parks, driving_tours, |
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| Arcadia, Sebring, Okeechobee and Lake Placid |
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| The Castle, built by Renaissance man Howard Solomon (equal parts artisan and comedian), contains galleries of his art and more than 80 interpretive stained glass windows. |
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| Tags: Arcadia, Lake_Placid, Okeechobee, Palm_Beach, Sebring, trails, wildlife, museums, canoeing, driving_tours, Tours_on_a_Tankful, |
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| B&B and Bicycle |
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| We even ventured off the river, past oyster beds, into narrow waterways surrounded by mangroves. |
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| Tags: DeLand, Gainesville, High_Springs, New_Smyrna_Beach, Ponce_Inlet, Seaside, biking, parks, bed_and_breakfasts, lighthouses, wildlife, kayaking, canoeing, |
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