Meet Travis McGee—beach bum, knight errant, philosopher, lady’s man. Living life aboard the Busted Flush in Bahia Mar in Ft. Lauderdale. Taking retirement in installments when he’s got the dough and going to work when he’s running low. He is without a doubt Florida’s greatest pulp hero.

Take a look at Florida Google Maps. Do you see all those thin strips of land off the coast, which consequently contain our most famous beaches? Yup, those are barrier islands. Without them Florida would be a very different place. So, how did they come to be?

Blue Spring State Park is located in Orange City and is a popular tourist destination. Activities include swimming, canoeing, camping, hiking, boat tours, and SCUBA diving. Yes, that’s right—SCUBA diving. And it’s only 40 minutes from Daytona Beach. Read along as I describe my swim upriver to the spring.

Florida has beaches, springs, space shuttles, and Disney World—there is an overabundance of places to see and explore. Yet, despite this there has been one object that has risen above the rest to symbolize Florida: The Pink Flamingo.

There are anywhere from 1-2 million alligators in Florida. And since 1948, there have been over 300 recorded alligator bites, 22 of them ending in death. The chances of you getting attacked are slim, but it is best to be prepared. Because if you’re like me; you love exploring every inch of Florida, including swampy, alligator-heavy backlands.

Here’s a great shot of Florida from NASA, taken on Shuttle Mission STS-95, October 31, 1998.