The Sunshine State

If you’re done nipping at the heels of the puerto rico primary, and you’re ready to get away, what better state than florida? The state has built a reputation and identity surrounding tourism. If for no other reason, you should experience florida just because it’s the one place where everyone else has already visited.

Why Florida?

That may not sound like much of a reason to travel to anywhere, but if you can’t swap stories about the lines at Disney World, the mosquitoes in the Everglades, the luxury Florida villas you stayed in, the cold spring water at Ichetucknee, or the superiority of the white sand beaches of the Panhandle, well, I’m sorry my friend, but you’re just out of the loop.

With 16 million citizens and 170,000 square kilometers of land, Florida is as large and as varied as a medium-sized country, and as such can’t be seen in a weekend. It has been said that to truly understand a culture (and Florida has several), one must spend months immersed in it. With Florida this is a dangerous proposition. Many people who come to visit end up staying for the rest of their lives-which can make a person a little crazy.

Regions

Florida PanhandleCities include the State Capital of Tallahassee, Destin, Pensacola, and Panama City Beach.

North FloridaThe most culturally “Southern” part of Florida, anchored by the city of Jacksonville. Historic St. Augustine and the college town of Gainesville are other destinations.

Central FloridaTheme park capital of the world, hosting Walt Disney World, SeaWorld, Universal Studios Florida, Kennedy Space Center, Cypress Gardens, Daytona International Speedway, and Gatorland.

South FloridaHome to the beaches of Miami, the swamps of the Everglades, and the beauty of the Florida Keys

What’s It Like?

Florida is astonishingly compact, and facile to get around by car: crossing among the east and west coasts takes a couple of hours, and one of the longest travels, between the western extremity of the Panhandle and Miami, can be taken in a day.

The climate of Florida is tempered somewhat by its proximity to water. Most of the state possesses a humid subtropical climate, except for the southern tip which borders on tropical and the Florida Keys which possess a true tropical climate.

The climate of Florida is tempered somewhat by its proximity to water. Most of the state possesses a humid subtropical climate, except for the southern tip which borders on tropical and the Florida Keys which possess a true tropical climate.