Image source

 

If you’re known as The Sunshine State, then chances are you’re going to be a hotspot for anyone vacationing, staycationing or just hopping around the globe as their nomadic heart sees fit… and that is exactly what Florida is. It is The Sunshine State, a haven of great weather, exotic locales, gorgeous coastline and mega-tourist destinations. It has something for everyone, even those families traveling to a new destination that are a little weird and wonderful.

 

You see, Florida is more than just a bunch of mainstream attractions and novelty must-dos. It is also home to some of the most offbeat and bizarre experiences anyone can hope to stumble upon, which is why we love it, and why we’re sure you will too.

 

You’ve Gotta Check Out This Zoo

When you come across lists that contain zoo’s, they are always in capital cities, which is what makes this one different. Naples Zoo is a must-pop-by destination if you’re in Florida with your kids, not least because it houses the Fosa (yeah, that’s a Madagascar reference). But that isn’t all because it also has some of the most stunning animals known to man, like tigers from Indo-China, and laughing hyenas and awesome leopards and loads of other things for your kids to gawp at. It also has some of the most celebrated educational experiences including live shows and feeding performances. Yeah, you can watch the tigers eat stuff. Now that’s cool.

 

Image source

 

The Everglades National Park

Okay, this is every bit as gorgeous, astounding and picture perfect as the name suggests it is, and it has always been seen that way. You see, after the Second World War, a bunch of environmentalists decided that this place was such a spectacle of natural beauty that it needed to be protected by the government, and they agreed. The rest say the say is history or, in this case, the rest is the second largest national park in America (second only to Yellowstone). Of course, you may be thinking that it is a challenge to hop from one side of Florida to the other but a) it isn’t because you can literally get this shuttle https://www.FloridaShuttleNow.com/Naples-to-Miami and b) it will be totally worth the trip. What makes it so special? Well, how about this for a quick list: rivers, lakes, subtropical marshes, swampland, otters, crocs, turtles and even panthers. Now that is a collection of animals to drop jaws. But if that isn’t enough, you can ride an airboat through the swamps.

 

Unleash Your Inner Nerd

If you’ve got a young boy (or a husband) with you, then this is going to make their trip by blowing your minds because Florida is where the Kennedy Space Station is. This is 140,000 acres of great American history, where the most influential space launches took place, where the rockets were launched. Come on, if that is everything that you have ever dreamed of experiencing as a family then we just don’t know what it is. It is total Nerdvana.

 

Safari parks Aren’t Just In Africa

If you’re on this list it is because you want weird and wonderful and nothing quite lives up to that like the Tampa-based Busch Gardens. This is a safari park experience that focuses its every effort on getting you up close and personal with some of the most crazily exotic species out there. They have elephants, giraffes, rhinos, cheetahs, gorillas, meerkats, penguins, sharks and just about everything for anyone. Don’t take our word for it, look at the list here https://seaworldparks.com/en/buschgardens-tampa/animals/know-our-stars/. Of course, if that isn’t enough to peak your interest then how about the fact that have a ton of different tours for you to experience, from the Serengeti Night Safari to the Elephant insider tour. Come on. That’s gotta grab you by the ears.

 

They Have One Of The Most Famous Beaches

Miami Beach. Yup. You can go and experience Miami Beach, which is sat on one of the islands that are only linked to the mainland of Florida by a network of bridges. That is pretty cool. If you’re wondering what makes this different from just every other beach in the world, then we have two things to say. Firstly, you’ve not seen a truly golden beach until you have seen this one. And secondly, the art deco buildings here are incredible. Then there is the food. Good food comes from great restaurants and that is what this place is saturated with great restaurants. Sure, your kids may just want fries, but you deserve to taste quality cooking.

 

Image source

 

They Have A Serious Race Here

If you’ve never been into Nascar, well, that’s fine. In fact, that is totally normal. But you can’t come to Florida and not at least give their infamous Daytona 500 race a day of your life because it is one of the most legendary sporting events in the world. It is everything you imagine it to be but bigger, better and louder. It is what makes American racing so emphatic, and it is almost a way of living in the Sunshine State, that thing that beats in their heart, Forget the tourist traps like Universal Studios and Disney World, this is what Florida is about to the locals. Yeehaw.

 

There Is A Town Called Celebration

This town was originally the vision of The Walt Disney Company who hailed it as the town of the future, and you can completely understand the link between it and Disney the moment you see it. There is just that vibe about it, that artificially perfect small town that could easily be nestled behind Main Street at Disney World. It is bold colors and crazy ideas and just totally peculiar. It is exactly like it has fallen out of the mind of someone delusional but in a good way. The fire station is oddly great, the fountain is dreamy, and the community is amazing. It is worth a look, if not just to imagine what it would be like to live in that place Edward Scissorhands lived in.