10 places to find the real Florida

Looking for the world’s largest beach ball?

Both "old" and "real" Florida, Pensacola (www.visitpensacola.com) has much to offer travelers. While St. Augustine was founded in 1565, Pensacola was already home to 1,400 colonists led by explorer Don Tristan de Luna six years earlier (1559).

The city has three historic districts, several museums — including one dedicated to the Civil War — and two forts: Fort Barrancas and Fort Pickens. Pensacola also boasts 52 miles of beaches and the National Museum of Naval Aviation (www.navalaviationmuseum.org), one of the largest air and space museums in the world.

Here, you can scuba dive the world’s largest artificial reef (the USS Oriskany) or fish from one of the longest piers in the Gulf of Mexico. You will also find one of the world’s largest beach balls, really a non-functioning water tower that serves as the city’s most famous landmark.

2. Wakulla Springs

Tarzan’s Secret Treasure — and ours

There are about 300 springs in the Sunshine State. One of our favorites is Wakulla Springs (www.floridastateparks.org/wakullasprings/), a popular tourist hangout since the 1930s and home to one of the largest, deepest (185 feet) fresh-water springs on the planet. "Tarzan's Secret Treasure" was filmed here.

The 6,000-acre wildlife sanctuary in Crawfordville, south of Tallahassee, has glass-bottom boats, riverboats, an old-fashioned swimming area with diving ramp, a nature trail, a stuffed alligator (200-year-old Old Joe) and a lodge built in 1937 by financier Edward Ball.

3. Cedar Key

The “other” key, known for its clams

When you talk about "The Keys," you think of the islands at the southernmost end of the state. Cedar Key (www.cedarkey.org) isn't one of those. It is a small island town on the Gulf of Mexico three hours north of Tampa.

Cedar Key has evolved from a quiet fishing and lumbering village to a home for artists and writers, retirees and tourists who want to experience Florida the way it used to be. You can watch birds, but you won’t find a movie theater or a mall. There are no fast-food restaurants. While residents ride around in golf carts, there is no golf course here, either.

You will find good seafood. The fishing (pompano, trout and shrimp) is good and Cedar Key is the No. 1 producer of little neck clams in the United States.

4. Micanopy

“The little town that time forgot”

You can almost feel your blood pressure dropping as you drive into this tiny hamlet a mile off I-75 and a 25-minute drive from Gainesville.

Sometimes called “the little town that time forgot,” Micanopy is hard not to remember once you’ve been there. Quaint little shops — one stuffed with Christmas décor and other treasures, another with unique antiques — draw in visitors strolling down Cholokka Boulevard (the town’s main street) on their way to the ice cream shop or on their way back from exploring an enchanting historic cemetery. On Saturday nights, live auctions are held in the garage of a house featured in the “Doc Hollywood” movie that starred Michael J. Fox.

The place to stay is the Herlong Mansion (www.herlong.com), an elegant bed-and-breakfast famous for its expansive second story veranda, delectable breakfasts, magnolia trees and rose garden. Guests often start the day with a yoga class.

5. St. Augustine

You’ll feel young at this “oldest” city

Tourists have been coming to St. Augustine (www.floridashistoriccoast.com) since the 1880s, thanks largely to railroad magnate Henry Flagler. His mark is very evident here (see Flagler College, www.flagler.edu, formerly Flagler's Hotel Ponce de Leon). The historic city, colonized in 1565, is chock-full of history. It's the kind of place you leave saying: "That sure was fun and we learned something, too!"

The word “oldest” is worn as a badge of distinction. You’ll find the oldest store, the oldest house, the oldest wooden schoolhouse, etc. By comparison, you’ll feel so young!

You can tour one of America's oldest man-made structures, the Fort of Castillo de San Marcos (www.nps.gov/casa/), and imagine how Spanish, British and American soldiers protected the city of St. Augustine hundreds of years ago. Ghost tours, trolley tours, horse and buggy rides, the Fountain of Youth (www.fountainofyouthflorida.com) and the Lightner Museum (www.lightnermuseum.org) ensure hours and hours of exploration.

6. Haines City

Howdy, dude, this ranch town’s for you

Early settlers to this city in the heart of Florida made their living growing and selling oranges. In the 1970s and 1980s, Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus had a theme park just north of the city.

But today, Haines City is becoming known for the 1,400-acre Creek Ranch (www.creekranch.net), a retreat that gives guests a chance to revisit the past and tap into their inner cowboy.

Guests stay in the main house or bunk house and eat meals on a large porch facing the lake. Listen to singing birds, go horseback riding, fishing, canoeing or take an airboat ride through the marshes. Skeet shooting is also available.

7. Bok Tower Garden

A “singing” oasis in the middle of Florida

Perhaps even more peaceful than Micanopy is Bok Tower Garden (www.boktowergardens.org) in Lake Wales, a central Florida destination that has welcomed 23 million visitors since 1929. The garden's biggest stars are a 201-foot neo-Gothic and art deco Singing Tower carillon and an impressive 1930s Mediterranean-style mansion. But you'll also find 126 species of birds; lots of friendly gopher tortoises and squirrels that guests are strongly encouraged not to feed; and acres of palms, ferns, oaks and pines providing a backdrop to (depending on the season) blooming azaleas, magnolias and camellias.

Mostly mulched pathways lead visitors on leisurely hikes around the 130 acres.

If you’re looking to give peace a chance, this is a good place to start.

8. Manasota Beach

A cozy beach getaway with three meals a day

Gopher turtles sometimes show up at guests' front doors at the Manasota Beach Club (www.manasotabeachclub.com), and no one seems to mind. The reptiles won't overstay their welcome.

Human guests, on the other hand, may be tempted never to leave the grounds of the 25-acre Old Florida-style retreat on an island between Venice and Boca Grande. It is so relaxing.

Unpretentious beach cottages rest among cabbage palms, live oaks and palmettos.

There’s plenty to do, from walking the miles of sandy beach, playing croquet, tennis or basketball, splashing in the pool, hiking on the nature trails or taking the club’s Hobie Cat out for a sail. Binoculars are a good idea for those who like to watch birds.

During winter months, rates include three meals a day. During the summer, guests fend for themselves when it comes time to eat.

9. Everglades National Park

The “realest” place in the state

You can't talk about real Florida without mentioning the Everglades. A national treasure, Everglades National Park (www.nps.gov/ever/) provides a home for rare and endangered species like the Florida panther, American crocodile and the manatee.

The park is huge — more 1.5 million acres in three counties. Visitors can hike, canoe, bike, camp, go on tram or airboat tours.

While the main entrance is in Homestead, there are other entrances in Shark Valley near Miami and the Gulf Coast entrance in Everglades City. Visitors can get into the Everglades on boats through coastal boundaries and waterways.

10. Key Largo

So close … and yet so far

The northernmost of the Florida Keys, Key Largo (www.fla-keys.com/keylargo/) is a short two-hour drive from West Palm Beach. The laid-back Key West vibe exists, but with fewer crowds and more snorkeling, diving and fishing opportunities. We like John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park (www.floridastateparks.org/pennekamp), a good place to picnic, swim or board a glass-bottom boat to check out the coral reef or the famous Christ of the Abyss, a 4,000-pound bronze sculpture of Jesus Christ that stands in 25 feet of water.

For a good Old Florida place to stay, consider Kona Kai Gallery, Resort and Botanical Gardens (www.konakairesort.com). Besides the comfortable rooms and many amenities (including complimentary use of kayaks and tennis court), it's one of the island's best places to watch the sun set.