In north central Florida there are a handful of things that can entertain RVers. This state has a large variety of state parks for example (
Florida Division of Recreation and Parks).
I'm a transplant here and I must admit up front that I would rather not be living here (the term 'loath' certainly applies). That being said, I can think of a few big things that attract RVers to this state:
State Specific:
1) Sport fishing: salt and fresh water.
2) White sand beaches (not my thing - way too hot in the summer and sand gets everywhere it isn't supposed to be!)
3) Sports (Jai-Alai, Daytona 500, horse racing, greyhound racing, etc). Some of these sports are ones that are tough to find anywhere else (Jai-Alai & dog racing for example). There must be a million golf courses in this state.
4) Theme parks - word of advice here:
DO NOT visit the theme parks during the summer. Imagine long lines, 100 degree heat, high humidity and asphalt for as far as the eye can see. All that equals: Cooked Tourist.
5) Rich history: St. Augustine (
St Augustine Vacation Guide - St. Augustine, FL) is a must-see if history is your thing. The Castillo de San Marcos (
Castillo de San Marcos – St. Augustine, Fl Attractions – Spanish Fort) and Fort Matanzas (
Fort Matanzas National Monument - St. Augustine Florida Attractions) are both in the area - and much more.
6) Interesting animals not generally viewed anywhere else in the country: Salt water crocodiles, manatees and the American alligator (which you can see in a handful of other places). If you're lucky you might also spot a rare Florida Panther and dolphins and whales are pretty common.
North Central Florida Specific:
1) If horses are your thing, north central Florida is becoming a world class area for all things equine (
The Florida Horse Park in Ocala is developing a world-class international equine facility | Ocala.com).
2) Freshwater springs. This is the one state-related thing that makes this place tolerable for me. There are literally hundreds of freshwater springs in this state that are large enough to swim in. Many are huge - the size of a football field or even larger. Many of them have access to a nearby river and therefore, can often have manatees swimming in them while you are (it is a state law that you can not touch a manatee by the way, and they are really serious about it). Since the water temp is consistently and constantly 72 degrees in these springs, it is generally too cold for things like alligators and snakes. That is not to say that you can't find poisonous snakes hanging out nearby.
I happen to live close (within a half hour) to several springs; Ginnie, Poe, Ichetucknee (
Welcome to Florida State Parks) & Blue. I visit them frequently. I've attached a picture of one of the area springs below. Also, if you are dive certified, some of these springs offer cave diving opportunities. But you must be properly certified in order to be allowed to do so. Every year a few people die around here doing this activity.
So why do I dislike Florida? Mainly the heat, the humidity and the bugs. I'm not terribly keen on the snakes either and I'm not terribly used to the large amount of people - it's a pretty populous state.
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