Newly updated travel books offer Florida staycation and day trip ideas

In case you nonetheless are uneasy about getting on an airplane or a cruise ship (or paying the excessive costs), it might be time for a Florida staycation.

Two not too long ago up to date journey books — Visiting Small-City Florida and 100 Issues to Do in Tampa Bay Earlier than You Die — supply good concepts for staycations and day journeys, so you’ll be able to make the most of residing in a spot that vacationers flock to. Most of their ideas keep away from the large, well-known sights, providing native gems which are off the crushed path.

Journey guides can have a brief shelf life, so it helps that each books revisited and up to date their suggestions and journeys. Tampa native Bruce Hunt not too long ago launched his fourth version of Small-City Florida, providing bite-sized profiles and restaurant and procuring suggestions for “79 of Florida’s most fascinating small cities.”

Kristen Hare, a journalist with the Poynter Institute and contributor to the Tampa Bay Occasions, simply launched the third version of her information to residing like a vacationer within the Tampa Bay space. The premise is a bucket listing concept that took on a larger resonance for her throughout the pandemic.

“Whereas that wink on the bucket listing felt cute with the primary and second editions, throughout the pandemic it has taken on a brand new sense of urgency for me,” Hare stated. “Life is brief. Nothing is assured. How we spend our time — and the individuals we spend it with — is as much as us.”

Some ideas from the authors coincide. Take into account Small-City Florida’s suggestion to seek out tiny Ozona.

“Palm Harbor has grown up round Ozona, however the little village nonetheless manages to hold on to its quiet, quirky attraction,” Hunt writes. You’ll discover a scenic part of the Pinellas Path bike overpass and a few good meals at Ozona Pig and Molly Goodhead’s Uncooked Bar, housed in a circa 1919 home. For procuring, Antiques and Uniques subsequent door to Ozona Pig “has a treasure trove of classic collectibles.”

As with lots of the small cities in Hunt’s e-book, it solely takes a day to see its sights. However Ozona is near a few of Hare’s day journey ideas. In close by Tarpon Springs, the affect of its Greek immigrants and sponge divers make a go to “really feel extra like a world journey,” Hare writes. Don’t miss the Spongeorama Sponge Manufacturing facility for procuring and its setting for historic motion pictures, take a tour by water on the St. Nicholas Boat Line and get nice Greek meals at Mykonos restaurant.

100 Issues to Do in Tampa Bay

Different ideas from Hare’s e-book that may be changed into a staycation for a few days embrace:

Lakeland: Get to the Polk County city for lunch at the Joinery food hall with a spread of distributors and sit on the patio overlooking a wonderful lake. Take a tour of Florida Southern College, the one campus architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed. Close by procuring on Kentucky Avenue has enjoyable retailers like Scout and Tag and the Lloyds of Lakeland vintage store. There are additionally nice eating places all alongside Kentucky.

Williston: Situated about 30 miles northwest of Ocala, it’s horse nation with rolling hills. “It must be on anyone’s bucket listing to snorkel or scuba dive at Satan’s Den, a pure spring inside a cave,” Hare stated. Reservations upfront are required to swim within the 72-degree blue water. Make reservations at 352-528-3344 or devilsden.com. Cedar Lake Woods and Gardens, on the identical avenue as Satan’s Den, is a beautiful botanical backyard with waterfalls, swans and numerous ranges to stroll round historical stay oaks and luxurious gardens.

North Port: Soak within the Heat Mineral Springs, 12200 San Servando Ave., on this spot about an hour south of Tampa. “It’s a hoot. That is Outdated Florida at its oldest,” Hare stated. At 85 levels, the water smells slightly funky due to the sulfur, and Hare recommends bringing a pool noodle to drift within the deeper sections — it’s alleged to be nice for the pores and skin. “It’s like a Florida spa day.”

Visiting Small-City Florida

Hunt is now on his fourth version of Visiting Small-City Florida, which he first produced in 1997 as “the antithesis of the Disney information.”

From North Florida to the Florida Keys, he focuses on cities which have fewer than 15,000 individuals. He likes to seek out mom-and-pop diners, historic basic shops and previous lodges nonetheless in enterprise that provide a window into Florida historical past.

An excellent instance is Evinston. Take a street journey to go to Cross Creek, about 22 miles south of Gainesville, that at this time continues to be as rural and scenic as when creator Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings immortalized it in The Yearling and Cross Creek. Reread the basic books and tour the Rawlings home that is still as she left it. Then do some vintage procuring in close by Micanopy, the place there are historic homes and a cemetery price seeing.

Hunt then suggests you drive round Orange Lake to the opposite aspect of Cross Creek to seek out the little village of Evinston. “There’s nothing there besides the Wooden and Swink basic retailer. However it has been there since 1882, and it’s actually cool and nonetheless a functioning basic retailer,” Hunt stated.

Different ideas:

Apalachicola: He’s a fan of the Panhandle and suggests Apalachicola, lengthy often called the oyster capital of Florida (though oyster harvesting in Apalachicola Bay is presently suspended till 2025).Possibly spend a couple of days renting a home on close by St. George Island with its fairly seashores. “It’s very laid again with some good meals and vintage retailers. And so they’ve accomplished a fairly good job of maintaining the historic really feel of Apalachicola’s downtown.”

Dade Metropolis: The east Pasco County city is turning into a foodie vacation spot. In addition to the well-known Lunch on Limoges — Florida Cracker Kitchen, there’s the native staple Olga’s Bakery and Deli, in addition to Inexperienced Door on eighth and Steph’s Southern Soul Restaurant. Along with its well-known vintage procuring, Dade Metropolis has many meals gems price exploring, Hunt stated.

Cedar Key: A few two-hour drive north of Tampa Bay, there are nice galleries, eating places like Tony’s Seafood and Steamers Clam Bar, and rustic settings to chill out and go fishing or kayaking. The historic Island Lodge has been restored to its former glory, and its eating room is understood for its native Florida seafood dishes.

Books

Visiting Small-City Florida

By Bruce Hunt

Pineapple Press, 283 pages, $19.95

100 Issues to Do in Tampa Bay Earlier than You Die

By Kristen Hare

Reedy Press, 142 pages, $17

Writer appearances

Kristen Hare: The Tampa Bay Occasions contributor will be part of radio present host Ernest Hooper in regards to the new third version of her journey e-book 100 Issues to Do In Tampa Bay Earlier than You Die at 7 p.m. April 22 at Tombolo Books, 2153 First Ave. S, St. Petersburg. Free; RSVP at tombolobooks.com/events.

Hare may also be in dialog with Occasions columnist Stephanie Hayes at 3:30 p.m. April 24 at Oxford Change, 420 W Kennedy Blvd., Tampa. Tickets are $5 at oxfordexchange.com/pages/calendar.