The Florida Explorer

There is nothing else like the Everglades–this river of grass–in the whole world. You cannot find it anywhere else but in South Florida. That means, for us FL residents, that you are a very fortunate person indeed.

My goal is to read deep, deep, deep into the FL literature cannon…but this month I got a bit sidetracked, mostly by Stephen King because one of my goals is to read all of his books. Here’s what my beach bum reading looked like this month:

BG’s Food and Wine Fest is one of their Big 3 Events (a term I just made up now–Food and Wine, Howl-O-Scream, and Christmas Town). Let’s look at what we know so far about the food, drinks, bands, and everything else.

I ended up in Wesley Chapel by chance. I was starting a new chapter in my life, one with a wife and a child. I was switching gears from a life of world travel to settling down. My heart was always in Florida so I knew that was the only place I could possibly settle down.

The Tampa Bay Times recently announced that my hometown boasts the highest median household income in Tampa Bay at $86,885. The population is also projected to double in the next few years. Is this good? Is this bad? I don’t know. One thing I do know is that this means opportunity.

I was amazed when I first heard of Mickler’s Floridiana. It sounds like the coolest place on Planet Earth to hang out at. Unfortunately, like all good things…it came to an end, but it doesn’t mean it can’t be immortalized in a blog post.

I love going to the Florida State Fair and I love not spending loads of money. Luckily, this is possible. Here are the 19 free things I’m most looking forward to at the 2020 Florida State Fair.

I’m a sucker for vintage FL postcards, so I’ve decided to start collecting them and putting them on this site. All the postcards in this article are from the public domain–meaning you can copy them and use them how you please for free.

Like everybody else, I was shocked at the news of Kobe Bryant, along with his daughter and 7 others, passing away in a helicopter crash. It hit me, even though I never met the guy and he never knew of my existence.

There are 5 Water Management Districts in Florida, and each district is run by an organization tasked with managing our water resources, meaning flood protection, managing water during shortages, digging wells, recharging aquifers, etc.

Cost of shelter is most people’s greatest expense. However, when I first moved to Florida as a broke college graduate I lived 19 months rent-free by living in a tent.

There is a supply and demand problem for campsites in the Florida Keys. Not a lot of sites and everybody wants to go. Luckily, this article will give you an edge to successfully book your dream camping trip to the Florida Keys.

We recently made a map of all the Florida State Parks, but let’s not forget about all the amazing Florida State Forests! There is a ton to explorer here. Enjoy!

I love watching shows set in Florida, but sometimes it’s hard to find them. So I put together this comprehensive list for everybody’s viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

Finally! An interactive map of all the Florida State Parks. I could never find a good one, so I made one instead:

Visiting all 175 Florida State Parks has been in the back of my mind for a long time. And it wasn’t until recently that I actually started thinking about this being a real possibility.

Ginnie Springs is a privately owned campground along the Sante Fe River in Gilchrist County known for its three springs, scuba diving, snorkeling, paddle boarding, canoeing, river tubing, camping and party atmosphere.

Most people overestimate what they can do in a year and they underestimate what they can do in a decade.

Tony Robbins

While working on an article about my pleasant family camping trip to Ginnie Springs, I was amazed to learn that the State of Florida is planning to allow Nestle to suck Ginnie Springs dry so that the company can make a lot of money.