WELCOME TO FLORIDA

WELCOME TO FLORIDA

BRIGHTER THAN EVER

Florida is easy to explore by vehicle. Bring your own, or if you’re at least 25, rent one. Visitors ages 16 and up holding licenses from other states or countries may drive in Florida. Cash is no longer accepted on some Florida toll roads. Purchase a SunPass Mini Sticker transponder at one of the more than 3,100 retail locations for US$4.99 plus tax. A minimum opening balance of US$10 is required. Most rental cars come with a SunPass.

Drivers and front-seat passengers must wear seat belts. All children under 18 are required to wear seat belts, regardless of where they are sitting. Children, three and younger, must be secured in a federally approved child-restraint seat in the back seat; children, ages four and five, also must be in the back seat and secured by a childrestraint seat or a safety belt.

Florida has strict drunk driving laws and texting while driving is illegal. Pedestrians always have the right of way at crosswalks. And remember, hot pavement acts like ice when rain first hits it, so be cautious driving during rain showers.

The Sunshine State has attracted visitors to its sandy shores for the past 500 years, however, people first reached Florida at least 12,000 years ago. The coastline was very different then because the sea level was much lower than it is today. As a result, the Florida peninsula was more than twice its current size.

Written records about life in Florida began with the arrival of the Spanish explorer and adventurer Juan Ponce de León in 1513, marking the beginning of the American Frontier. He named what he saw "La Florida," or "place of flowers," because of the lush landscape. Indeed, Florida has 300 native plants, ranging from the thorny sweet acacia to the wild azalea.

The state lists an additional 1,300-plus introduced exotics, many of them considered invasive. Others are housed in botanical gardens, such as the renowned Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Coral Gables and the Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Sanford.

A BOUNTIFUL LAND

Ironically, the state flower, the orange blossom, is considered an exotic, albeit one that became extremely important to the region’s economy. Native to Southeast Asia, the orange tree is an evergreen shrub brought to the colony of St.Augustine in 1565. The orange and its aromatic blossom, which connotes fertility and good fortune, quickly became representative of the area. Many towns such as Davie have Orange Blossom Festivals. Today, Florida is the largest producer of oranges in the US, as well as the honey made by the bees that sip pollen from the fragrant blossoms.

In fact, Florida depends on export crops as diverse as sugar cane and tomatoes to survive, while still leaving plenty of sweet corn and  green beans available for passersby to purchase. Visitors are often amazed to find farm stands and U-pick farms offering everything from boiled peanuts and fresh blueberries in Gainesville to mangoes and lychees in the southern areas of Redland and Homestead. Throughout the year, festivals, such as Plant City’s Florida Strawberry Festival in late winter and the mid-summer International Mango Festival at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Coral Gables, are hugely enjoyable, multi-day attractions. If you prefer bottled fruit, wineries are popping up everywhere, with many offering both grape varietals as well as tropical fruit vintages.

If you prefer bottled fruit, wineries are popping up everywhere, with many offering both grape varietals as well as tropical fruit vintages.

WILD ABOUT FLORIDA

Florida is home to more than 500 bird species, which amateur ornithologists can track along The Great Florida Birding Trail. Completed in 2006 by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the 2,000-mile trail comprises four sections—the Panhandle, East, West and South—and lists what species can be found where.

Florida also has more than 170 native butterflies. In addition to finding them in the parks and in the wild, visitors can observe them in conservatories such as Butterfly World in Coconut Creek and the Butterfly Rainforest in Gainesville.

The 142 native species of amphibians and reptiles, including 50 kinds of snakes—of which only six are poisonous—are equally fascinating. You can view these and the 50 additional non-native species at many zoos and safaris, ranging from Zoo Miami to Lion Country Safari in Loxahatchee and Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo. At Jungle Island in Miami, brave guests hold giant pythons.

Visitors who prefer to check out natural habitats where wild things reside can hit any section of the sprawling Everglades. There, a range of activities, from boating and fishing to biking and hiking, puts one in close touch with nature’s biggest beasts and smallest insects. The curious can also arrange private tours with exotic animal rescue and rehabilitation operations such as the Zoological Wildlife Foundation and McCarthy’s Wildlife Sanctuary, both located in South Florida.

For conservancy on a smaller but no less important scale, many programs all over the state, such as the Museum of Science & Discovery in Fort Lauderdale, help protect sea turtle nests, and if visitors are in the area at the right time, they may be able to watch a hatching.

NEED TO KNOW

Many beaches, parks and festivals don’t charge an entrance fee, or if they do, it’s only a few dollars. If you do run out of cash, ATMs are everywhere from convenience stores to festivals. Many stores allow debit card users to obtain “cash back” above their purchase without a transaction fee. Most banks are open Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 4 PM, however, TD Bank has locations open every day, except major holidays.

Banks and government offices, including the post office, are closed on major US holidays. Most attractions remain open year-round. Holidays are listed in the back of this guide in our Resource Directory.

Florida’s base sales tax on purchases is six percent, with some counties adding discretionary taxes. In addition to pet deposits, most hotels charge a “bed” tax and some will add a “resort or amenities tax” and even parking fees.

sources:

Travel Guide to Florida, 2018

BY JEN KARETNICK

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