Explore historic Fort Jefferson in Dry Tortugas
You’ll need to take a boat or seaplane to get there, but spending some time in the Dry Tortugas National Park is worth the trip. Seventy miles west of Key West, the 100-square-mile park is home to Fort Jefferson, coral reefs and marine life (it’s a really good place for snorkeling) and a large variety of birds.
Visitors will find an abundance of sea turtles (loggerhead, green, hawksbill and leatherback), which is how the Dry Tortugas derived their name.
Fort Jefferson, built between 1846 and 1875, is the largest all-masonry fort in the country and features 2,000 arches and decorative brickwork.
The park doesn’t have any restaurants or hotels; the only lodging is in its campground.
Info: 305-242-7700, www.nps.gov/drto/index.htm
Happy trails in Palm Beach County
Beaches aren’t the only attraction on Florida’s southern Atlantic coastline. Lace up your hiking boots and go for a stroll at two spots in Palm Beach County.
At Lantana Nature Preserve, boardwalks and gravel trails shaded by sable palms and sea grapes lead visitors through the coastal habitat on land which once housed the town dump. Mangroves and native plants are marked with easy-to-read signs.
Butterflies and wading birds appear happy to call this 6.5-acre coastal treasure home.
A pretty gazebo gives hikers a spot to relax after a stroll, and there are plenty of benches for reflecting and resting along the trails.
The preserve is at 400 E. Ocean Blvd. east of the Ocean Avenue Bridge and next to the Carlisle senior living facility. Hours are from sunset to sundown and admission is free.
Another ideal location to take a hike is the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee Wildlife Refuge west of Boynton Beach.
The 147,000-acre refuge is home to all manner of flora and fauna, including 257 species of birds and a healthy population of alligators.
Those interested in plants will want to check out the quarter-mile Cypress Swamp Boardwalk, which begins and ends at the visitor’s center. Cypress trees, ferns and airplants are abundant there. At the end of the trail is a butterfly garden. The visitor’s center has wildlife displays and a gift shop.
The 0.8-mile Marsh Trail, an earthen dike around a freshwater impoundment, is a good trail for bird watchers, especially those looking for waterfowl and birds of prey.
Bicyclists have access to a 12-mile trail at the south end of the refuge.
The refuge, on U.S. 441 about two miles south of Boynton Beach Boulevard, is open from sunrise to sunset. Admission is $5 a carload or $1 for pedestrians. Call 561-734-8303 or visit www.loxahatcheefriends.com.
Solomon’s Castle: A quirky kingdom in Central Florida
Early castles were built from earth or timber, but Howard Solomon constructed his from old newspaper press plates. His shiny silver castle and art gallery towers over 90 acres of Central Florida swampland between Arcadia and Zolfo Springs in Ona.
The artist, carpenter and stand-up comic bought his spread in the 1970s and has been working on it since.
Solomon’s Castle, with its Boat in the Moat restaurant, has become a popular tourist destination and a bed-and-breakfast. Admission is $10 for adults, and $4 for kids 12 and under.
For reservations or more information, call 863-494-6077 or visit www.solomonscastle.org.
Island paradise reachable by boat or seaplane
On its own palm tree-laden island a few miles off Little Torch Key, Little Palm Island Resort & Spa provides a one-of-a-kind experience for guests who pay big bucks for the pleasure.
Accessible by boat or seaplane, the resort offers thatched-roof villas on stilts, a fine restaurant, pool, spa, Zen garden, gift shop, white sand beaches and hammocks strung between Jamaican palms. From scuba to fishing, there is plenty to keep you busy, if you want to be active.
With rates that start at $990 a night (depending on season), this is no Gilligan’s Island. But Thurston Howell III would have loved it here.
Info: 800-343-8567 or www.littlepalmisland.com.
Take a trip to Jupiter’s wild side
Busch Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the wildest hospitals you’ll ever find and a much-loved zoo, too. At 2500 Jupiter Park Drive in Jupiter, the sanctuary is home to snakes, alligators, crocodiles, raccoons, otters, panthers, gopher tortoises and lots of gorgeous birds.
Founded in 1994 by Peter Busch of the Anheuser-Busch beer family, the nature center and rehabilitation center mends sick, injured and orphaned animals so that they can return to their natural habitats.
The center is open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Admission is free but donations are encouraged. For more information, call 561-575-3399 or visit www.buschwildlife.org.
