For years, we’ve been telling you to “winter differently” and this winter season is no exception. Winter getaways are about more than trading snow for sun. And while that can be all you need to do to winter differently, why not do something completely different this winter when spending your days in the sun versus the snow and cold.
Find a Festival
Kick off the year with something possibly out of the ordinary (depending on your seafood tastes) and check out the Fellsmere Frog Leg Festival (January 16-19) that features not only frog leg dinners, but also gator tail menu items. There are also rides, live music and vendors (nearest resort is Encore Sunshine Travel); or head to a tamer seafood festival in the Florida Keys and attend the Florida Seafood Festival set for February 15 and 16 (stay at Encore Sunshine Key or Fiesta Key). How about the Florida State Fair for the festival of all festivals – the 2025 State Fair will be held in Tampa February 6-17 (stay at Thousand Trails Peace River and you’re about 70 miles from the fair.)
Do Something Quirky
In the art world, Salvador Dali may well be considered the King of Quirk so if you’re camping at Encore Terra Ceia Village head to the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg which is home to over 2,000 of Dali’s works. Then venture a bit north to catch a classic “how do they do that” experience in Weeki Wachee, home to a live mermaid show that dates back to the 1940s (stay at Encore Crystal Isles). Did you know that Sir Winston Churchill was actually gifted a live lion? Although long gone, Rota is now stuffed and resides at the Lightner Museum in St. Augustine (stay at Encore Bulow to visit Rota.) Some funky monkey fun can be found at Miami’s Monkey Jungle where the monkeys roam free, and visitors walk through cages tunnels to see them monkeying about. Stay at Encore Miami Everglades to visit Monkey Jungle.
Historic Sights
These are not necessarily the most visited tourist attractions in Florida, but they are sights you should see whether you go to Florida every winter or occasionally. Perhaps the oldest is Castillo de San Marcos, the Spanish military fort built in 1672, which can be found in St. Augustine (the country’s oldest city). As a living history museum, visitors can enjoy period-dressed docents who will explain the life and activities of the people who lived here (stay at Encore Bulow). Historic homes and estates in Florida include the Ernest Hemingway House and the Harry S. Truman Little White House, both in Key West (stay at Encore Sunshine Key or Fiesta Key), the winter estates of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford, both in Fort Myers (stay at Encore Fort Myers Beach), the home of educator and Civil Rights leader Mary McLeod Bethune in Daytona Beach (stay at Encore Sunshine Holiday Daytona) and Vizcaya, the winter home of industrialist James Deering in Miami (stay at Encore Miami Everglades).
Read More:
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- Good things come in pairs! Check out these pairs this December
- These towns take you back in time. Are you joining us on the trip?
- Explore the Thousand Trails Camping Pass and the Thousand Trails Cabin Pass
- Find more campgrounds at ThousandTrails.com.
