Springtime in Florida
 

My DH and I plus a mature dog are traveling via a motorhome to Florida. Planning on being there from mid March until the end of April. We will be bringing our motorcycle and beach cruiser bicycles. We are fit and active 45/60 YOs, with the exception that DHs knee can't handle more than 5 miles at a time. Prefer off the beaten path if possible but realize we have to deal with crowds for the must do's

We DON'T need any info on St Augustine, St. Petersburg, or Daytona as we have been there before. Don't need info on Disney, Busch Gardens, Cypress Gardens, or Univ. Studios. And we are trying to AVOID Miami. We will be going to Big Pine Key to stay with friends for a few days to go fishing on their boat. And have friends in Bonita Springs that we will also visit. Looking for good places to hit.

We like going where the locals go!! We like fine dining yet we are comfortable at a shack if the people watching is good. Love seafood and breweries; good espresso. DH is a motorcycle nut, especially classics. I am an environmentalist that is insane for animals.

I am especially looking for info on the panhandle and Gulf side as St Pete's in the only place we have visited. And if anyone has any dog kennels they trust that would be good to know if we decide to take an over night trip. Thinking of basically doing a giant loop (more like a U) starting at Jacksonville area then down to the Keys then up the Gulf and finish around the panhandle. And I am leaving hubby and dog in FLA to come home for biz. It would be nice to fine him a place to set up camp for a couple weeks.

Questions
Is the JFK Space Center worth a visit? Gilbert's Bar House of Refuge? Yulee Sugar Mill Ruins State Historic Park? Henry Flagler Museum? Cloister of Monastery of St. Bernard? Villa Vizcaya? Naval Air Station in Pensacola? Torreya State Park? De Funiak Springs area?

Long post but wanted to cover the bases to alleviate responding to too many replies that ask for more information :)

While in the Bonita area, somehow take a boat to Cabbage Key, off Upper Captiva. You can thank me later.

The nicest place that I know in the Melbourne area for your RV is Wickham Park. http://www.brevardcounty.us/ParksRec.../Wickham/Home#
Enjoy your time on the Space Coast.

Kennedy Space Center is one of the best sites in FL, and the one single place I recommend to everyone. Better than Disney IMO if you're not bringing kids. It's also close to New Smyrna Beach, which is charming. Mt Dora is not too far, an artsy small town good for a day. The Air Force Museum in Pensacola is fantastic. Enjoy.

IMO both Viscaya and the Spanish Monastery (as it is more commonly called) are worth a visit. I am curious as to what you do with the dog. Does s/he stay in the R/V when you are touring or what?

Sebastian Inlet State Park.

On the west side:

In Ft. Myers, visit the Edison home and lab on McGregor Blvd.

Do take the National Park tour into the mangroves from Everglades City.

Go to Corkscrew Swamp Audubon site.

Visit Ding Darling on Sanibel, near dawn and/or dusk.

Go to Lovers Key State park south of Ft. Myers Beach

Off Alligator Alley:

Go to the Shark Valley section of the National Park.

I really like Wakulla Springs State Park near Tallahassee and Apalachicola both at the "armpit" of Florida.

Apalachicola has been spared because the beach is on a barrier island, so it remains Funky Old Florida. As usual, don't go to the places that advertise big. Ask around.

Vizcaya is definitely worth a trip. I also really enjoyed the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo. We took a really interesting boat tour. We also did a tram ride in the Everglades in Shark Valley. You can also do the same tour by bicycle which I'd like to do if we ever go back. It was one of our favorite day trips.

We should just mention that many beaches in Florida do not permit dogs at all in certain months, and fewer still permit dogs to "run free."

Hey there! I'd definitely recommend that you go and visit Brevard County, it's lively but not crowded and places for peaceful relaxation are abundant. Pompano Beach, in particular, has always been pretty close to my heart, it absolutely summarizes Florida for me - glamorous with spectacular buildings like the new Sabbia Beach Condos condominium ( http://sabbiabeachcondos.com/gallery ) but also full of friendly and down to earth people.

OMG, didn't they condemn those Sabbia Beach Condos? Why are you promoting them here?

Pompano is in Broward County (perhaps that was a typo above) and I'm still wondering about that dog while the humans are touring.

Apparently JosephMiller who registered here to promote those condos doesn't even know where they are. There is a Brevard County (Melbourne, Titusville, Kennedy Space Center, etc.) -- so I don't think it was a typo, just a mistake. Pompano may be close to his heart, he just doesn't know where it is.

Spring technically begins March 20, and Florida offers plenty of ways to get festive without breaking the bank. Here are five low-cost ways to celebrate the season.

1) April 5-7, Jacksonvile Beach's Springing the Blues Festival will have you singing a happy tune; admission to the waterfront event is free.

2) On April 6, attend Springtime Tallahassee, the annual festival that includes a parade, free concerts, vendors and more.

3) You can't go wrong with a spring training game, where Major League baseball comes with only a minor pricetag.

4) Rack up good karma, and possibly even a discount on accommodations, when you sign on for a volunteer vacation at KeysVoluntourism.com.

5) Book a day of free fun during the Amelia Island Book Festival, happening April 27 at the Atlantic Recreation Center.

Nice cut and paste, Peter.

The Space Center is definitely worth a visit. I'll add Jetty Park to tomfuller's suggestion above as a good place to stay if you're interested in the space center. There are a couple of rocket launches scheduled for the March/April timeframe and you can see them very well from Jetty Park. http://www.jettyparkbeachandcampground.com/camp_index

As far as the panhandle goes, I'll second the Apalachicola suggestion.

In the spring time restaurant date and trips are in season book something http://www.a1limo.org/ . Make it all easier.

Geez. How many of these idiots need to register to advertise their limo businesses. This is the fourth one I've triangled today alone!

And what he wrote doesn't even make sense, Neo! Geez, indeed. Joining you in triangling it.