10 Exciting Things to do in Florida

Florida swimming pool

Florida stands out among all the states for Things to Do. For starters, the sun shines all year round here. That’s obviously why it’s called the Sunshine State. Although there are other cities on the West Coast of the US that get pretty sunny as well, you get more of a tropical feel in Florida. That’s what makes Florida a very exciting place.

You will never run out of exciting things to do in Florida. No matter what time of the year, believe me there is no shortage of things to do in Florida. So, if you’re wondering what the Sunshine State has in store for you, then read on.

Disney crewThe most exciting things to do in Florida is to visit the happiest place on earth, Disney World.

Of course, Disney World isn’t the only theme park in Florida. There is Universal Studios are a lot more theme parks in this sunny state.

For example, the Busch gardens Safari features a lot of amazing animals. Legoland is a place where you can create wonderful family memories. SeaWorld features a lot of thrilling rides for you to enjoy. Likewise, the pop culture ambiance of Universal Studios is worth the experience.

The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex offers you a once-in-a-lifetime experience to see the Space Shuttle Atlantis.

You are never going to run out of exciting things to do in the sunny state of Florida.

#2. Do Some Shopping for More Things To Do In Florida

Florida ShoppingFlorida offers a wide array of shopping options. Whether it’s a mall, an outlet, a specialty store, an antique shop, or a flea market; you will be able to find one in the sunny state of Florida.

As result, you will find an array of retail stores in Pensacola. If you want to do some outlet shopping, then Destin is the place to be.

There are also a lot of quaint boutiques along the white-sands of Rosemary Beach. You can also check out the coolest swimwear boutique on Seacrest Beach. There are also a couple of fashionable shops on the Seaside. You can find more beach fashion in the shops on Watercolor.

Other awesome places to shop in Florida are the following:

  • Pier Park in Panama City Beach
  • International Plaza and Bay Street in Tampa Bay
  • 5th Avenue South in Naples
  • Bell Tower Shops in Fort Myers
  • Clinton Square Market in Key West
  • Florida Mall and The Mall at Millenia in Orlando
  • Avonlea Antiques Mall in Jacksonville
  • Worth Avenue in Palm Beach
  • The Galleria Mall in Fort Lauderdale

#3. Check Out the Fashion Scene

Thanks to its tropical weather all year long and its vibrant nightlife, Florida is known for sexy fashion. The Miami Fashion Week is very popular and it features the sexiest show which is the Miami Swim Fashion Week. It ranks number 3 out of the 10 fashionable U.S. states. This is according to Cosmopolitan.com. One thing for sure, you’ll definitely be able to catch the latest fashion when you visit Florida.

#4. Sample One-Of-A-Kind Dining

Sample One-Of-A-Kind Dining in FloridaAccording to SpoonUniversity.com, the best part of traveling is eating. Florida has some of the best restaurants that offer gustatory delights.

The restaurant row in The District of Miami features world-renowned chefs. This dining establishment offers creative dishes that are worth the experience.

Dine in style at The Circle at The Breakers. Imagine Renaissance landscapes in the backdrop and classical music playing in the background, while overlooking the scenic ocean view. This is definitely not an ordinary eating experience.

Experience local eats at The Floridian in St. Augustine. This local restaurant offers plenty of options for the discerning traveler. Make sure to try their famous fried green tomato bruschetta, shrimp and sausage pilau dish, and pickled pepper shrimps.

Columbia is Florida’s oldest restaurant and interestingly, it’s also the largest Spanish restaurant in the world. This century-old restaurant is well-known for its mouth-watering Alicante snapper and fillet mignon. Their Valencia paella is also a must-try. What’s unique about this restaurant is that you can enjoy a flamenco dance performance.

Enjoy a relaxing atmosphere at Getting’ Crabby At The Stern House. This popular crab shack features the best crabby platters consisting of Alaskan king crabs and snow crab.

The Ragtime Tavern is an open-air restaurant in the center of Atlantic Beach. Dine and enjoy some music. Aside from its creative and mouth-watering menu, this restaurant is well-known for its beers.

You can’t leave Florida without trying Cuban food in Versailles. Despite its French-sounding name, this Cuban restaurant is an iconic establishment featuring dishes such as chicken fricassee, cortadito coffees, Vacca fritta, and of course, Cuban sandwiches.

If you’re craving for some Chinese food, then you have to try Toa Toa Chinese Restaurant. Their freshly-made Dim Sum is a must-try.

The Conch Republic Seafood Company is located in The Key West Bright district. This is a historical dock that now features a restaurant. You have to try their signature dishes such as fried calamari, conch fritters, lobster tail stuffed shrimp, and tempura-battered cracked conch.

The highest-rated Floridan restaurant is in Panama City. The HogNose Snapper is a favorite for both tourists and locals. With its Southern charm, you have to taste their fried green tomatoes, cheese grits, Southern-style grouper sandwich, and key lime pie.

#5. Experience the Exciting Nightlife

Seniors enjoying a tropical beach

Seniors enjoying a tropical beach

Florida is known for its exciting nightlife. If you’re a fan of Jersey Shore, Pitbull, and Drake; you’d think that Miami offers the most exciting nightlife in the Sunshine State.

According to Sun-Sentinel.com, there are two other cities that are way ahead of Miami in terms of nightlife. Those two cities are Fort Lauderdale and Pompano Beach.

Based on the list of the top 50 cities for nightlife, these Floridan cities ranked as follows:

  • Fort Lauderdale at number 9
  • Orlando at number 10
  • Palm Beach at number 12
  • Miami at number 25

Nonetheless, you will find the cities of Florida in the top 25 cities for the best nightlife.

#6. Explore Nature

Florida is also home to some of the greatest natural wonders of the world. One of its most famous is the Ocala National Forest. This is a preserved sand pine scrub forest and is one of the largest in the country. It features a variety of wildlife. You can therefore view it while enjoying a quiet hike on the Florida National Scenic Trail, a 1300-mike hiking trail.

If you find yourself in Panama Beach, don’t miss the St. Andrews State Park. This is also a great place to hike and enjoy some water activities.

Florida is home to some of the world’s largest and crystal-clear springs.

Wakulla Springs State ParkFor example, the Wakulla Springs State Park in North Florida is considered to be the largest and the deepest springs in the world. Consequently, the fresh-water from the Three Sisters Springs is a great place to swim.

Another natural wonder of Florida is the Venetian Pool. This is the largest freshwater pool in the country and it’s in the City of Coral Gables in South of Florida.

The Blue Spring State Park in Orange City is another natural wonder that you should see. It’s home to West Indian Manatees. During certain seasons when you can’t swim in the water, you can take a cruise to see the wildlife.

Speaking of natural springs, the Silver Springs in Ocala

Silver Springs in Ocala Floridais a must-see as well. It features a glass-bottom boat where you can the underwater wildlife in the crystal-clear waters below.

If you’re a lover of seashells, then you have to drop by Bowman’s Beach. After collecting some of the most amazing seashells, you can just laze around and wait for the magnificent sunset on the beach.

Another scenic park to satisfy your nature tripping in Florida is the Torreya State Park. This is home to Florida’s rare species of trees called Torreya. It’s also home to a large variety of bird species.

Ocala is a haven for horse enthusiasts. Tagged as the horse capital of the world, the magnificent horse ranches in this area are awesome natural wonders of Florida as well.

These are just some of the few natural wonders of Florida that you can enjoy. There are a lot more parks and spring waters to see.

#7. Enjoy the Beach

Well, it’s a well-known fact that Florida is home to some of the best white-sand beaches in the world. This list would be incomplete without the famous white-sand beaches of Florida. According to Planetware.com, the

11 top beaches in Florida are the following:

  • Bahia Honda
  • Miami Beach
  • Fort DeSoto
  • Clearwater Beach
  • Cocoa Beach
  • Fort Lauderdale Beach
  • Venice Beach
  • Fort Myers Beach
  • George Island State Park
  • Panama City Beach
  • Daytona Beach

Beautiful Florida Beach It doesn’t matter what season it is, you can always take a swim in Florida’s top beaches.

#8. Watch Some Pop Concerts and Shows

Florida Concert The pop concert scene in Florida is also pretty interesting. For instance, thanks to the 7000-seating capacity of Hard Rock Live, the pop scene is alive in Florida. You can watch some of the world’s best pop artists in this state-of-the entertainment venue.

It’s not just home to world-class pop concerts but to award-winning shows and sports events as well. So, if you find yourself in the Sunshine State, don’t fail to check out who’s playing at the Hard Rock Live. In addition, you might just be able to catch your favorite performer.

#9. Indulge in the Arts

Florida has long been known for its white-sand beaches, exciting nightlife, and world-class entertainment. Not long ago, this Sunshine State added arts to the list of exciting things to do. Over the years, an array of world-class museums and artworks have made Florida their home.

Whether you’re an art enthusiast or not, you will definitely appreciate the diverse art scene of Florida. You can visit some of their world-renowned museums. According to TripsToDiscover.com.

Here are 12 of the best museums in Florida.

  • Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg
  • Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota
  • The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art in Winter Park
  • Perez Art Museum Miami
  • The Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens in Jacksonville
  • Wynwood Walls in Miami
  • Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg
  • Vero Beach Museum of Art
  • The Harn Museum in Gainesville
  • The Lightner Museum in St. Augustine
  • Cornell Fine Arts Museum in Winter Park
  • Museum of Contemporary Art in North Miami

Florida is also home to some of the best cultural attractions of the world.

  • New World Symphony
  • Miami City Ballet
  • Seraphic Fire
  • Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County
  • Opera Tampa
  • Ybor City
  • The Florida Orchestra
  • Sarasota Ballet
  • Sarasota Orchestra
  • Sarasota Opera
  • Manatee Players
  • Tropic Cinema

These are just some of the few cultural attractions that await you in the Sunshine State.

#10 The Sport Scene

Florida Pro Sports TeamsMany people say that Florida is the golf capital of the world!

Meanwhile, the numerous golf courses in Central Florida can easily back up the claim.

As a result, Florida ranks second in terms of golf holes per capita than any other State nationwide and You can pretty much find a golf course in most of the gated communities found on 55Next.com

Things to do in Florida-Golf Coarse found on 55next.comCentral Florida isn’t the only place in Florida where there is an abundance of golf courses. As a matter of fact, entire state of Florida is home to about 1250 golf courses. That’s a lot of golf courses, more than what you can find in any other State. So, if you’re a golf enthusiast or you either want to take it up or just watch some exciting golf tournaments, Florida is the place to be.

The sports scene in Florida isn’t just about golf.

Things to do in Florida-55Next Pickle Ball image

The Sunshine State offers more sports than just golf. If you’re curious about pickleball, then you won’t have a hard time checking it out in Central Florida. Don’t, for one minute, think that it’s a sport exclusive for seniors because it’s not. The popularity of pickleball is spreading and Florida has some of the best courses in the country.

Another sport that’s pretty popular in Florida is platform tennis. This is also another hybrid of tennis that’s gaining popularity. You will find the best platform tennis courts in The Villages. As a result, even racquet enthusiasts will find something exciting to do in Florida.

The sports scene of Florida doesn’t end there.  Florida is home to world-class arenas, stadiums, and parks where you can watch American football, basketball, and baseball. Of course, Florida is also home to 5 of the best sports teams of all time.

  • Jacksonville Jaguars
  • Orlando City F.C
  • Miami Heat
  • Tampa Bay Lightning
  • Miami Marlins

In conclusion, you will never run out of sports to either play or watch when you travel to Florida. The sports scene is definitely something to experience.

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TJ Harrington

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