Floridians' Bucket List

The dawn of a new year is always a great time to reassess one's life and goals. And, as Floridians, there are so many experiences to be had and places to explore in our great state before we cross through those Pearly Gates. So, to commemorate a new year and pay homage to being a responsible Floridian, Florida Monthly® has generated its very own "Floridians' Bucket List," cataloging a variety of "must-do"s for Sunshine State residents.

	Explore a miniature rain forest in a massive sinkhole at Devil's Millhopper Geological State Park in Gainesville (Alachua County).
	Traverse through 20 different biological communities at Paynes Prairie in Micanopy (Alachua County).
	Visit the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings homestead in Cross Creek (Alachua County).
	Attend a ButterflyFest at the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville (Alachua County).
	Successfully drive through Waldo without getting a speeding ticket (Alachua County).
	In October, ride a Ferris Wheel at the Baker County Fair in Macclenny (Baker County).
	Swim with the dolphins at Gulf World Marine Park in Panama City Beach (Bay County).
	Check out the old cars at the Starke Cruzin' nights (Bradford County).
	See a rocket launch, tour the visitors' complex, or explore the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame at Kennedy Space Center (Brevard County).
	Fish in mosquito lagoon (Brevard County).
	Relax at Jetty Park and watch the cruise ships set sail from Port Canaveral (Brevard County).
	Pick up something from the flea market, observe a circus performance, and watch a film in the drive-in theatre at the Swap Shop in Fort Lauderdale (Broward County).
	Watch sea turtles laying eggs along the beach in Fort Lauderdale (Broward County).
	Shop for the latest designs at Sawgrass Mills in Fort Lauderdale (Broward County).
	Have a four-hour canoeing, kayaking or tubing adventure between Look and Tremble Landing and Lam Eddie Landing on the Chipola River (Calhoun County).
	Enjoy a little bit of everything at Fishermen's Village, a waterfront mall, resort and marina in Punta Gorda (Charlotte County).
	Observe manatees in Crystal River or Homosassa Springs (Citrus County) or at Blue Spring State Park in Orange City (Volusia County).
	Feel like a kid again at the Clay County Agricultural Fair (Clay County) every April.
	Pay respect to veterans at the Camp Blanding Museum and Memorial Park (Clay County).
	Learn about Florida's illusive creature, the skunk ape, at Ochopee's Skunk Ape research Headquarters (Collier County).
	Have the ribs at Michelbob's in Naples (Collier County).
	Send a letter from the smallest post office in the United States in Ochopee (Collier County).
	Watch the swamp buggy races in Naples (Collier County).
	Tube down the river at Ichetucknee Springs State Park in Fort White (Columbia County).
	Put on some boots and watch a rodeo. Check out one of the following: the Arcadia Rodeo (DeSoto County), Okeechobee County Cattlemen's Association Rodeo (Okeechobee County), or Kissimmee's Silver Spurs Rodeo (Osceola County).
	Rent a houseboat from Miller's Marina and float down the Suwannee River (Dixie and Levy counties).
	Follow the Road to Nowhere through Dixie County's wilderness to … nowhere.
	Have an adult afternoon and enjoy a Budweiser brewery tour in Jacksonville (Duval County).
	Grab some fresh produce at Jacksonville's Farmers Market on Beaver Street, the oldest operating outdoor farmers market in Florida (Duval County).
	Enjoy a Saturday afternoon of art, food and music at the Riverside Arts Market in Jacksonville (Duval County).
	Enjoy Jacksonville's (Duval County) cultural side, and visit the Museum of Science and History, the Jacksonville Zoo, the Cummer Museum of Arts & Gardens, the Florida Theatre, or the Ritz Theatre and Museum.
	Watch the Blue Angels soar through the air in Pensacola (Escambia County).
	Kiss the moose head at McGuire's Irish Pub in Pensacola (Escambia County).
	Grab a mullet and take part in Pensacola's Interstate Mullet Toss (Escambia County) every April.
	In March, become a true Floridian at the Flagler County Cracker Day in Bunnell.
	Eat some fresh-shucked oysters from Apalachicola (Franklin County).
	Visit the World's Smallest Police Station in Carrabelle (Franklin County).
	Take a tour, go hiking, or simply immerse in nature within the Apalachicola National Forest (Franklin, Liberty, Wakulla and Leon counties).
	Shop for handcrafted goods in "Florida's Friendliest Town," Havana (Gadsden County).
	Swim and snorkel in Gilchrist County's natural areas: Blue Springs, Ginnie Springs, Santa Fe River, Ellie Ray's River Landing, Hart Springs Park, Otter Springs Park & Campground, and Fanning Springs State Park.
	Bike, skate, hike, cycle or walk along the Nature Coast State Trail (Gilchrist County).
	Hike or bike the 100-foot-wide dike surrounding Lake Okeechobee, part of the 1,400-mile-long National Scenic Trail (Glades, Okeechobee, Martin, Palm Beach and Hendry counties).
	Pet an alligator at Gatorama in Palmdale (Glades County) or at Gatorland in Orlando (Orange County).
	Buy tupelo honey during May's Tupelo Honey Festival in Wewahitchka (Gulf County).
	See where Florida's first State Constitution Convention was held at the Constitution Convention Museum State Park in Port St. Joe (Gulf County).
	Enjoy a day of music, heritage and legend at the Florida Folk Festival every May at the Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park in White Springs (Hamilton County).
	Enjoy a cucumber in Wauchula (Hardee County), deemed the "cucumber capital of the world."
	Learn about antique engines and antique cars at Zolfo Spring's Pioneer Park Days (Hardee County).
	Watch armadillo races and the Strawberry Shortcake Pageant at the Swamp Cabbage Festival in Labelle (Hendry County) every February.
	Learn about the Seminole Tribe of Florida at the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum in Clewiston (Hendry County).
	Take an airboat through the Florida Everglades with Billie Swamp Safari at the Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation (Hendry County).
	See "real" mermaids perform an underwater ballet at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park in Spring Hill (Hernando County).
	View the caladiums at the Caladium Capital of the World, Lake Placid (Highlands County).
	Party like a pirate in Tampa (Hillsborough County) during Gasparilla.
	Grab some cotton candy at the Florida State Fair in Tampa (Hillsborough County).
	Tour Bern's Steakhouse in Tampa (Hillsborough County) and then order dessert from the dessert room.
	Learn how to hand-roll a cigar at the Ybor Cigar Museum in Ybor City (Hillsborough County).
	Dive and swim at Ponce de Leon's Vortex Springs (Holmes County).
	Buy fresh citrus from any of the local farms around Indian River County.
	Take a cave tour at Florida Caverns State Park in Marianna (Jackson County).
	See where the Chattahoochee and Flint rivers come together to form Lake Seminole at the Three Rivers State Park in Sneads (Jackson County).
	Take in a performance at the Monticello Opera House (Jefferson County).
	In June, enjoy a parade, ghost tour, arts & crafts show, and more at the Jefferson County Watermelon Festival.
	Take in the pioneer spirit in Mayo for Lafayette County Pioneer Day with crafts and re-enactors.
	Go antique shopping along the downtown streets or at Renningers in Mount Dora (Lake County).
	Enjoy some authentic German breads at Yalaha Bakery in Yalaha (Lake County).
	Find some of the most beautiful shells on Captiva Island or Sanibel Island (Lee County).
	Step back in time at the Edison & Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers (Lee County).
	Stay in a bed & breakfast, such as Superior Small Lodging in Fort Myers (Lee County), St. Augustine (Saint Johns County), Clearwater or St. Petersburg (Pinellas County), Daytona Beach (Volusia County), Fort Lauderdale (Broward County), or the Florida Keys (Monroe County).
	Take a tour of the capitol building or governor's mansion in Tallahassee (Leon County).
	Attend an FSU vs. UF game (Leon and Alachua counties).
	Enjoy a night of music, dance or art during Tallahassee's 7 Days of Opening Nights (Leon County).
	Find the Elvis Presley landmark sign in Yankeetown (Levy County), where Follow That Dream was filmed.
	Take a day trip and explore Cedar Key (Levy County).
	See what was once considered the Garden of Eden, the four heads of the Apalachicola River in Bristol (Liberty County).
	Bike "The Loop," a 135-mile trail through Madison County.
	Go cave diving at Madison Blue Springs State Park (Madison County).
	Visit the De Soto National Memorial in Bradenton (Manatee County) and interact with the Living History Camp.
	Watch a game of jai-alai in Ocala (Marion County).
	Visit Ocala's Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing (Marion County).
	Take a glass-bottom boat tour at Silver Springs in Ocala (Marion County).
	Learn about one of Florida's most notorious pirates at the House of Refuge at Gilbert's Bar in Stuart (Martin County).
	Dress to the nines and attend Miami Beach International Fashion Week in March (Miami-Dade County).
	See a horse race at Hialeah Park (Miami-Dade County).
	Grab some food at Miami's (Miami-Dade County) oldest bar and restaurant, Tobacco Road.
	While in Miami (Miami-Dade County), have some authentic Cuban food.
	See one man's greatest accomplishment at the man-made Coral Castle in Miami (Miami-Dade County).
	Explore the beautiful and historic Vizcaya Museum & Gardens in Miami (Miami-Dade County).
	Travel to Flamingo, the southern-most tip of mainland Florida and Everglades National Park (Monroe County).
	See the sun set at Mallory Square in Key West (Monroe County).
	Go crazy at Key West's Fantasy Fest (Monroe County).
	Feed the tarpon at Robbie's of Islamorada (Monroe County).
	Watch key deer in their natural environment at the National Key Deer Refuge on Big Pine Key (Monroe County).
	Have a margarita at Sloppy Joe's Bar and key lime pie from Blonde Giraffe in Key West (Monroe County).
	Drive along the Seven Mile Bridge (Monroe County).
	Take a tour of the Pigeon Key Foundation & Marine Science Center (Monroe County).
	Purchase original Kino sandals in Key West (Monroe County).
	Take a picture in Key West (Monroe County) at the southernmost point.
	Purchase Florida Keys souvenirs from the Shell Man store.
	Purchase a Conch Republic passport (Monroe County).
	Snorkel or scuba dive at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park off Key Largo (Monroe County).
	See a historical reenactment at Fort Clinch State Park in Fernandina Beach (Nassau County), Dade Battlefield Historic State Park in Bushnell (Sumter County) or Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park (Baker County).
	Savor the seafood flavors at the annual Destin Seafood Festival (Okaloosa County).
	Send a letter to Santa Claus from Christmas (Orange County).
	View the beautiful stained glass windows by Louis Comfort Tiffany at Winter Park's Morse Museum (Orange County).
	Find a new piece of artwork at the Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival in March (Orange County).
	Watch the school bus races in Bithlo (Orange County).
	In October, navigate a corn maze at Long & Scott Farms, and in May, enjoy the Zellwood Sweet Corn Festival (Orange County).
	Meet Sir Gus, Jr., the camel, of the Bahia Shriners in Maitland (Orange County).
	Travel the world and attend the Epcot Food & Wine Festival in October and November, then see the Cirque du Soliel La Nouba show in Downtown Disney, both in Lake Buena Vista (Orange County).
	Drink butterbeer at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal's Islands of Adventures in Orlando (Orange County).
	Take an airboat ride at Boggy Creek in Kissimmee (Osceola County).
	Visit the JFK bomb shelter on Peanut Island, part of Palm Beach Maritime Museum (Palm Beach County).
	Walk through the exhibits at the Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens in Delray Beach (Palm Beach County).
	Take a class at the Burt Reynolds Institute for Film and Theatre Museum in Jupiter (Palm Beach County).
	Go skydiving in Zephyrhills (Pasco County) at Skydive City.
	Buy a sponge from Tarpon Springs' (Pinellas County) sponge docks.
	Play shuffleboard in St. Petersburg (Pinellas County).
	Tour the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg (Pinellas County).
	Shop, eat, fish, jet ski or parasail at John's Pass in St. Petersburg (Pinellas County).
	Spend a night at the historic, pink Don CeSar Beach Resort off St. Pete Beach (Pinellas County).
	Have some smoked mullet in Gulfport (Pinellas County).
	Visit the Isle of Capri and enjoy a grouper sandwich (Pinellas County).
	Watch a band perform at St. Petersburg's (Pinellas County) The Coliseum.
	Grab some fresh produce at the Florida Strawberry Festival in Plant City (Hillsborough County) in March.
	Make a prehistoric friend at Plant City's (Hillsborough County) Dinosaur World.
	Tour the Florida Southern College in Lakeland (Polk County) to see Frank Lloyd Wright's architecture.
	For aviators, attend Sun n' Fun, the international fly-in and expo, in March and April in Lakeland, or visit Fantasy of Flight in Polk City (Polk County).
	Listen to the famed carillons ring at Bok Tower Gardens.
	Build toy cars, tour castles and ride roller coasters at Legoland in Winter Haven (Polk County), opening in the Fall.
	Go hang-gliding at Wallaby Ranch in Davenport (Polk County).
	Watch cars "roll up" Spook Hill, not down, in Lake Wales (Polk County).
	For a bit of music, enjoy Palatka's (Putnam County) Bluegrass Festival in February or Blue Crab Festival Memorial Day weekend.
	Celebrate the Florida Azalea Festival in March at Ravine Gardens State Park in Palatka (Putnam County).
	Be entertained during the Milton (Santa Rosa County) Scratch Ankle Festival.
	Take a boat around Charlotte Harbor or to Cayo Costa State Park (Sarasota County).
	Visit The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota (Sarasota County) and tour the gardens, mansion, museum and circus exhibits.
	Dress up for the Sarasota (Sarasota County) Medieval Fair in November.
	Eat traditional Amish food at Yoder's in Sarasota (Sarasota County).
	Check out the historic murals throughout Lake Placid (Highlands County).
	Tour Sarasota's (Sarasota County) tropical oasis and rest under banyan trees at the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.
	Go to Big Tree Park in Longwood (Seminole County) to see The Senator, the largest bald cypress tree in the United States.
	Take a cruise on the St. Johns River aboard the Rivership Romance, sailing out of Sanford (Seminole County).
	Have Floridian fare at Black Hammock Restaurant in Oviedo (Seminole County), and then take an airboat around Lake Jesup.
	Go canoeing at Wekiwa Springs State Park in Apopka (Orange County) or tubing down Rock Springs Run.
	Visit both the Castillo de San Marcos and Fort Matanzas national monuments in St. Augustine (St. Johns County).
	Check out The Old School House, the oldest wooden schoolhouse in the United States, in St. Augustine (St. Johns County).
	Purchase datil pepper sauce in St. Augustine (St Johns County).
	View the historic buildings and Tiffany Louis Comfort stained glass windows on the Flagler College campus.
	Drink from the Fountain of Youth in St. Augustine (St. Johns County) at the Fountain of Youth Archeological Park.
	Tour the World Golf Hall of Fame in St. Augustine (St. Johns County).
	Become a dolphin trainer for a day at Marineland in St. Augustine (St. Johns County).
	Check out Webster's Farmers Market in Sumter County, the oldest and largest flea market in Florida.
	Pay respects to fallen soldiers and our veterans at the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell (Sumter County).
	See live musical performances, camp, or attend an art fair at the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak (Suwannee County).
	Go scalloping in Steinhatchee (Taylor County).
	Enjoy Perry's (Taylor County) Southern Pines Blues & BBQ Festival in December, Pickin' in the Pines in September, or the Florida State Bluegrass Festival in March and April.
	Visit the Lake Butler courthouse in Union County.
	Watch a Daytona 500 Race (Volusia County).
	Take part in Bikefest in Daytona Beach (Volusia County), or simply watch the crowds from Gilly's Pub 44.
	Custom make pancakes at The Old Spanish Sugar Mill inside De Leon Springs State Park (Volusia County).
	Get a reading from a medium in Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp (Volusia County).
	Enjoy a boat tour, or go swimming at Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park, where Tarzan was filmed (Wakulla County).
	Sunbathe on the Beaches of South Walton (Walton and Okaloosa Counties).
	Visit Florida's highest point, at 345 feet above sea level, Briton Hill (Walton County).
	Attend the Chipley (Washington County) Watermelon Festival in June.
	Enjoy a lawnmower race in Washington County.
	See Florida's highest waterfall at Falling Waters State Park in Chipley (Washington County).
	Participate in the annual Florida Cracker Heritage Trail ride, starting east of Bradenton (Manatee County) and ending in Fort Pierce (Saint Lucie County) in February.
	Visit both Withlacooche rivers (one in Central Florida, the other connecting to the Suwannee River in North Florida).
	Attend a spring training baseball game in Lakeland (Polk County), Dunedin (Pinellas County), Clearwater (Pinellas County), Tampa (Hillsborough County), Bradenton (Manatee County), Sarasota (Sarasota County), Port Charlotte (Charlotte County), Fort Myers (Lee County), Lake Buena Vista (Orange County), Kissimmee (Osceola County), Viera (Brevard County), Port St. Lucie (Saint Lucie County) or Jupiter (Palm Beach).
	Explore an underwater shipwreck, such as the USS Massachusetts (Escambia County), SS Tarpon (Bay County), Vamar (Bay County), City of Hawkinsville (Dixie County), Regina (Manatee County), San Pedro (Islamorada), Half Moon (Miami-Dade County), SS Copenhagen (Broward County), Lofthus (Palm Beach County), Georges Valentine (Martin County), or the Urca de Lima (Saint Lucie County).
	Learn to spell, pronounce and located on a map Istachatta, Islamorada, Kissimmee, Wewahitchka, Choctawhatchee, Pithlachascottee and Tohopekaliga.
	Drive along Alligator Alley, Old Dixie Highway and A1A.
	Bird-watch along the Florida Birding Trail, found throughout the state.
	Visit an Indian Mound, such as the Fort Walton Temple Mound in Fort Walton Beach (Okaloosa County), the Lake Jackson Mounds in Tallahassee (Leon County), Turtle Mound in Titusville (Volusia County) and the Madira Bickel Mounds in Ellenton (Manatee County). Other mounds can be found in Crystal River Preserve State Park (Citrus County), Jupiter Inlet Historic & Archaeological Site & Dubois Park (Palm Beach County), Indian Mound Park in Pompano Beach (Broward County), and Mound House in Fort Myers Beach (Lee County).
	Golf at one of Florida's more than 1,200 courses throughout the state, such as The Blue Monster at Doral (Miami-Dade County), TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach (St. Johns County) or Bay Hill in Orlando (Orange County).
	Be one with nature and spend a night camping.
	Read A Land Remembered by Patrick Smith, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, The New History of Florida by Dr. Michael Gannon, Everglades: River of Grass by Marjory Stoneman Douglas and The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings.
	Watch Ulee's Gold.
	Go deep-sea fishing.
	If in Washington D.C., visit the Florida House on Capitol Hill.
	Drink orange juice at all five of the state's welcome centers: on I-10 west of Pensacola (Escambia County), U.S. 231 near Campbellton (also near Marianna, Jackson County), I-75 at Jennings (near Lake City, Hamilton County), I-95 north of Yulee (near Jacksonville, Nassau County), and at the west entrance of the State Capitol Building in Tallahassee (Leon County).
	Visit one of the old sugar mill ruins, such as those found in Yulee Sugar Mill Ruins Historic State Park in Homosassa (Citrus County) and New Smyrna Sugar Mill Ruins State Historic Site (Volusia County).
	Canoe a portion of the Suwannee River (Levy, Dixie, Gilchrist, Lafayette, Suwannee, Madison and Hamilton Counties).
	Navigate the Ten Thousand Islands off the coast of Southwest Florida (Monroe and Collier counties).

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Floridians' Bucket List