Florida bucket list: 20 things you have to do in the Sunshine State

Maureen Kenyon | Treasure Coast Newspapers

Show Caption Hide Caption Florida bucket list: 20 things you need to do in the Sunshine State Drive the Overseas Highway, catch a sunset, snorkel in a natural spring or watch sea turtles lay eggs. There are dozens of adventures in Florida that every year-long and winter resident needs to experience at least once. MAUREEN KENYON/TCPALM

Editor's note: This story has been updated.

When you think of Florida, what comes to mind?

Is it the miles and miles of coastline? University of Florida football? Florida State football? How about rocket launches? Do you think of alligators in the Everglades? Or do you dream about swimming with a sea cow?

Luckily, because of the Sunshine State's near-perfect weather, it's easy to plan adventures around all of those things, in winter and summer. (If summer's too hot, don't worry. We've got a few ideas for you.)

The following list contains some of the quintessential adventures and places — excluding the house that Mickey built because that's kind of a given — that every Floridian, as well as every winter resident, should experience at least once. It's a Sunshine State bucket list of sorts.

It's narrowed to 20 but there are a lot more places to visit and many more ideas out there. Which places or experiences did we miss? Email TCPalm's trends reporter Maureen Kenyon at maureen.kenyon@tcpalm.com and share your favorites.

Let the planning commence!

[ Scroll to the bottom to view a map of places on the list. ]

Natural springs

Summer in Florida is hot, sticky, hot, humid, miserable, hot and, well, hot. But hold on ... here's that idea to beat the heat we talked about earlier: cool off in a freshwater spring!

There are more than 700 natural springs — more than anywhere else on Earth — with water so clear you'll see exotic fish and manatees swimming alongside you.

A few of your new favorites might be:

Turtle walks

Every summer, Florida beaches — Atlantic coast beaches, mostly — are covered in neon-colored tape and signs to show where turtles have buried their eggs.

And if you're lucky enough to reserve a spot in a coveted turtle walk, you'll never soon forget what it felt like to see a female sea turtle lumber out of the ocean, dig a nest, lay eggs and then crawl slowly back into the sea.

For example, in Indian River, St. Lucie and Martin counties, nesting season runs March 1 through Nov. 15. The arrival of the three species commonly found there overlap, but usually leatherbacks come first, followed by loggerheads and then green sea turtles.

All sea-turtle walk programs are required to begin with an information session or talk. During that time, most programs send out “scouts” to find nesting sea turtles for the group to observe.

Unfortunately, most turtle walks probably are full by now — there could be wait lists, though — so for next season, book early; they do fill up quickly.

Popular Atlantic coast turtle walks:

Turtles do nest along the Gulf Coast, but turtle walks are rare. In Sarasota County, however, which has the most nests, trained volunteers with Mote Marine Laboratory lead groups that scout the beaches for signs of overnight nests. The walks start at 6:45 a.m. Saturday and Sundays.

More: Expert says 2018 Treasure Coast sea turtle nesting season could be unpredictable

Cocoa Beach Pier

Built in 1962, the Cocoa Beach Pier is a historical landmark on the Space Coast. Stretching 800 feet over the Atlantic Ocean, the pier was constructed with more than 2.5 miles of boardwalk planks and 270 pilings, each 40 feet in length.

Eat, fish, surf and shop ... all at the pier!

Cocoa Beach is known as the Surf Capital of the World, and now visitors can take lessons at the Cocoa Beach Surf School by Flohana. Lessons are offered daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Maybe, one day, you'll be as good as Cocoa Beach native and 11-time world champion Kelly Slater.

More: Legendary surfer Kelly Slater of Cocoa Beach says he'll retire in 2019

The pier also is a prime spot to watch rocket launches from Kennedy Space Center.

Other spots in Brevard County that offer great views of rocket launches include Jetty Park Beach and Pier in Port Canaveral, Space View Park and Sand Point Park in Titusville.

But remember, launches are subject to delays and cancellations because of weather and technical problems. Want more launch information? It's all available here.

More: Launch schedule: Upcoming Florida rocket launches and landings

Drone video: Surfers at Cocoa Beach Pier, great place to watch rocket launch Built in 1962, the Cocoa Beach Pier stretches 800 feet over the Atlantic Ocean. The pier is home to restaurants, bars, gift shops and boutiques.

Bike the Withlacoochee Trail

Enjoy a bike ride along Central Florida’s Withlacoochee Trail. Bikers — or if you prefer to hike or get around on horseback — can trek along 46 miles of a paved trail through Pasco, Hernando and Citrus counties. The trail runs from Dade City to Citrus Springs.

The Withlachoochee Trail used to be a railroad track and runs through oak hummocks, cypress swamps and pine woods. Make a few stops in charming towns like Inverness, Floral City and Dunnellon.

Check out a trail map here.

Ybor City's smoky history

Tampa's most historic neighborhood was founded in the 1880s by cigar manufacturers and became a melting pot of immigrants from Spain, Cuba, Germany and Italy.

Today, Ybor City is home to some of the world’s most famous cigar factories, and visitors can learn more about it's smoky history during a Cigar Industry History Tour.

Ybor City also is the only neighborhood on Florida’s west coast to be designated a National Historic Landmark District.

After your cigar history lesson, get a brewing history lesson. Cigar City Brewing is a good place to start your education.

St. Augustine

Founded 42 years before the English colony at Jamestown, Virginia, and 55 years before the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts, St. Augustine is the oldest permanent European settlement in North America.

If you're a history buff, St. Augustine is the place to be.

From Castillo de San Marcos, the oldest masonry fort in the continental United States, to Nombre de Dios, a Spanish Catholic mission, and from the St. Augustine Lighthouse to the 221-year-old Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine, visitors can take tours on a trolley, in a horse-drawn carriage, on a sailboat or kayak, on foot or in the air.

Browse St. Augustine's antique and specialty shops and bookstores, peruse its eclectic art community and visit the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park, touted as the likely 1513 Florida landing site of Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon.

Search for seashells

The Beaches of Fort Myers and Sanibel started National Seashell Day, so we're going to presume they know what they're talking about. While you're over there shelling, make a stop at the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum. It's the only museum in the country dedicated to shells and mollusks.

More: Want to make history? Fort Myers Beach event offers chance to be part of world's biggest human shell

Also, even though Bowman's Beach, located mid-island on Sanibel, is a pretty popular place, there's still enough room to find some beautiful shells.

Another popular spot to search for shells is unofficially called "Shell Key" and it's in the Ten Thousand Islands, south of Naples.

More: Kayaking trail to Glades envisioned from jungle of light and shadow on Collier coast

There she blows!

Blowing Rocks Preserve, 574 S. Beach Road in Jupiter Island, is a special place.

The Martin County preserve was named for its rocky Anastasia limestone shoreline, the largest on the U.S. Atlantic coast, according to The Nature Conservancy. During extreme high tides and after winter storms, seas break against the rocks and force plumes of saltwater up to 50 feet skyward.

The best way to predict a good show, said Cristin Krasco, who manages the preserve, is if there’s a small craft advisory, which are days that aren't best for the beach. Visitors also can check a webcam at the nearby Jupiter Inlet for rough conditions.

Blowing Rocks is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, except for Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. There are guided hikes at 11 a.m. Saturday. Learn more about Blowing Rocks Preserve here.

More: Craggy rock meets turquoise water at Blowing Rocks Preserve on Jupiter Island | Laurie's Stories

Snorkel with a sea cow

Another way to cool off and get up close and personal — literally — with nature is to swim with a manatee.

Crystal River, Homosassa and the waters of Citrus County are considered the manatee capital of the world. In fact, in March 2015, an aerial survey found 6,063 manatees in Florida waters. Of those, more than 1,000 manatees — fully one-sixth of the state’s entire population of manatees — was found here in the springs of Citrus County.

The springs, fed by the Florida aquifer, are the natural choice to seek warm water shelter when temperatures dip below 65 degrees.

There are options for everyone to see manatees in their natural environment, from swimming with manatees to kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding, to visiting the boardwalks at Three Sisters Springs in Crystal River and the Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park in Homosassa.

Catch a sunset

Many people say the sunsets in Key West are breathtaking, but ask someone from Southwest Florida and they'll say watching the sun set at Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel or Captiva is far superior.

More: Fort Myers Beach ranks as a top beach in TripAdvisor's 2018 awards

This isn't to diminish sunsets in Key West, but there's something about the unobstructed view — rather than battling for a spot at Mallory Square — of the sun melting into the Gulf of Mexico that creates that fantastic photo.

Other prime spots to watch a sunset in Florida: Naples Pier; Cedar Key; St. George Island; Yankeetown; and Grassy Key.

Maybe you'll be able to catch that elusive "green flash."

More: Five places to get away from the grind in Cape Coral

A time-lapse summertime sunset from Fort Myers Beach Summertime sunsets on Fort Myers Beach are worth the drive over the bridge. Watch the ball of fire disappear.

Take an airboat ride

Get the full Florida experience during an airboat ride from Naples.

Everglades Excursions, 1010 Sixth Ave. South, offers half-day tours (4 to 4½ hours for $92) and full-day tours (7½ to 8 hours for $130), including an airboat ride.

Board an authentic airboat and prepare for an exhilarating trip through the backwaters of the Gulf, including mangrove tunnels and old Indian trails. Airboat captains will wind through the rugged Ten Thousand Islands, revealing the hiding spots of alligators, manatee and other local inhabitants. The tours are fully narrated.

More: 36 Hours in Naples: The Neapolitan Way

A down-(in)to-earth experience

Update: For public safety, during the cleanup efforts after Hurricane Michael, Florida Caverns State Park is closed. Go to the Florida State Park website here for updates. The website is updated frequently.

Far from the sandy beaches Florida is best known for is Florida Caverns State Park, 3345 Caverns Road in Marianna, the only Florida state park with air-filled caves accessible to the public.

The caves have been forming for thousands of years and have dazzling formations of limestone stalactites, stalagmites, soda straws, flowstones and draperies. The Chipola River and Blue Hole spring provide areas for fishing, canoeing and boating.

More: Here are 8 things to do with the kids and in-laws now that summer is here

Take a guided tour down into the earth of the main cave. Tours are five days a week, except Tuesday and Wednesday, and last about 45 minutes.

Several other caves can be seen along the nature trails and roads that leave through

the park. Most are not open to the public, but the Tunnel Cave can be explored with a good flashlight. One of the park's nature trails leads directly through it.

The park also features a nine-hole, New Deal-era golf course.

More: Visit Florida Caverns State Park

Cheer for — or boo — UF and FSU

Even if you're not a fan of the University of Florida Gators or the Florida State Seminoles, you can't beat sitting in the stands, cheering — or hissing — during one of the country's biggest college football rivalries.

The two teams have met 62 times and Florida leads the series, 35-26-2.

The next Sunshine Showdown is Nov. 30, two days after Thanksgiving, in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville.

More: Fisher: Florida State-Florida rivalry still significant despite records

Drive the Overseas Highway

Some residents and businesses in the Florida Keys are still trying to rebuild after Hurricane Irma — the Category 4 storm that made landfall in September near Cudjoe Key — but a trip to Florida wouldn't be complete without a drive along the Overseas Highway.

The 113-mile trek through the Florida Straits takes visitors over 42 bridges, including the Seven Mile Bridge in Marathon, with views of the blue-green waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.

Drop some money into the Monroe County economy by visiting some of these places along the way.

Key Largo: Here, some of the best sites are just below the surface. Key Largo is one of the world's top spots for divers. Explore the sunken hulls of British freighters, steam engines and rescue ships and give a high-five to the upturned arms of the Christ of the Abyss statue. Remember: If you dive or snokel, don't touch the coral. It's alive! After resurfacing, dive into a Cuban sandwich at Denny's Latin Diner, 99600 Overseas Highway.

Islamorada: The Gulf Stream brings a steady flow of sailfish, tuna and kingfish as well as mullet, tarpon and trout. That's why Islamorada is known as "The Sport Fishing Capital of the World." If you're not a fisherman but you still like fish, head over to Robbie's to hand-feed tarpon. When you're done, head over to Lorelei Restaurant & Cabana Bar for a bite to eat and to watch the sun set.

Marathon: After driving over the Seven Mile Bridge, about halfway between Key Largo and Key West, visitors can get up close and personal with sea turtles at The Turtle Hospital (2396 Overseas Highway), the world's first licensed veterinary hospital, as well as kiss and shake flippers with bottlenose dolphins at the Dolphin Research Center in Grassy Key, 58901 Overseas Highway. There are sea lions there, too! If you're hungry, there's no better place than Porky's Bayside, 1410 Overseas Highway (mile marker 47.5)

Big Pine Key: This key is the one of the last remaining homes of the Key deer, and is the center of National Key Deer Refuge. These little deer, related to the Virginia white-tailed deer, weigh only between 45 and 80 pounds, fully grown. The best times to spot them running through the streets is at dusk and dawn. Remember: Don't speed in Big Pine Key and do not feed the Key deer. Bahia Honda State Park, mile marker 37, also is located here and contains arguably one of the best beaches in the country. The park is free.

Key West: Whew! Made it! Can't drive any farther than mile marker 0. Key West is the southernmost city in the continental United States and for only being 4 miles long and 1 mile wide, the county seat of Monroe County packs a punch. The city is full of artists, bars — attempt the Duval Crawl just once — museums, an aquarium, trolleys, tourists, sunsets, fantastic food and some of the best weather in the country. Highlights include the Hemingway House & Museum; the Key West Lighthouse Museum; Mallory Square; and Bahama Village.

See the Blue Angels soar

Pensacola is known as the birthplace of aviation and it's also home to the Navy's famous Blue Angels and the National Naval Aviation Museum.

At the National Naval Aviation Museum, learn about naval aviation’s history and see more than 150 restored aircraft representing the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. The historic, one-of-a-kind aircraft are displayed inside the 350,000-square-feet museum and outside on its 37-acre grounds. Admission is free.

More: Heading to the Blue Angels Pensacola Beach Air Show? Here's how to capture the best photos

The best part, though, is visitors can watch the Blue Angels practice over the Naval Air Station on select days throughout the year. Practices last about 55 minutes, and admission is free and open to the public. Click here for a practice schedule.

Update: On July 24, 2018, the National Naval Aviation Museum announced it plans to turn away visitors on practice days after the parking lots fills on practice days.

Patrick Nichols, a spokesman for the base, said the Navy met with the Escambia County Sheriff's Office because of heavy traffic in the surrounding area related to the practices, which usually take place at 11:30 a.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

More: Flying high with Blue Angels before Vero Beach Air Show | Adam Neal

Light up your life

Get in the water — at night — for a luminous kayak tour.

During the summer, the Indian River Lagoon comes to life up on the Space Coast. Blame it on the dinoflagellate, affectionately called "dino bio." The organisms create cold light within themselves and the water around them glows blue. The best time to see "dino bio" is June through October.

When the weather cools down, comb jellyfish are visible in the lagoon. The phenomenon is known as bioluminescence.

More: Not your average date night: 10 creative things to do with your love in Brevard

A Day Away Kayak Tours takes guests out to see the awesome phenomenon.

If you're lucky, you also can catch bioluminescence in the lagoon on the Treasure Coast in Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties but it's not as common. When it does occur, local kayak and paddleboard businesses set up nighttime trips to see it, too.

Robert Is Here ... with exotic fruits

Before heading into the Florida Straits, or after leaving them, there's a family-owned and operated fruit stand that has the most unique backstory we've ever heard.

Robert is Here, 19200 S.W. 344th St. in Homestead, started in 1959 when Robert's father, a farmer, set up a coffee table on the side of the road, loaded it with cucumbers, and propped up a sign pointing in the direction of his son. It read, “Robert Is Here."

Robert is Robert Moehling, and you can still find him selling cucumbers — and fruit, honey, jam, milkshakes, smoothies — and everything is locally grown or made in Florida.

Robert Is Here, about 42 miles southwest of Miami, specializes in rare and exotic fruits, mostly grown on its own farm. Find guanabana, mamey sapote — it tastes like strawberry-pumpkin cheesecake — passion fruit, tamarind, jaboticaba and other exotic — and not-so-exotic — fruits and vegetables along with honey, dressings, hot sauce, jam and other goodies.

Out back is an animal farm with parrots, goats, emus and cows and pigs, a play area and picnic tables. Oh, and those milkshakes and smoothies? They're only made with fresh fruit, milk and ice. That's it.

Like seafood? There's a festival for that

Between oyster eating and oyster shucking and running redfish and racing blue crabs, the Florida Seafood Festival — the state's oldest maritime festival — draws thousands of visitors to historic Apalachicola every November.

The 2019 festival, the 56th annual one, is Nov. 1-2 and takes place at the mouth of the Apalachicola River, about 75 southwest of Tallahassee.

Enjoy fresh Florida seafood, local artisans and the annual blessing of the fleet at Battery Park.

Views from the 22nd floor

Tallahassee has served as Florida's capital since it was a territory in 1824.

The new capitol building replaced the vintage, domed old capitol as Florida's legislative chambers in 1977. The public can watch the House and Senate at work for two months, beginning in March.

Catch breathtaking views on the skyscraper's 22nd-floor observatory that offers panoramic views of the city and a gallery featuring works by local artists. The old capitol building next door has been converted into the Florida Historic Capitol Museum, with guided tours of the governor's private office, Supreme Court chamber and other rooms.

The grounds surrounding the old capitol feature monuments that include the Combat Wounded Veterans Memorial, a replica of the Liberty Bell and Martin Luther King Memorial.

More: The Capitol: Tallahassee's most compelling building filled with stories

Thru-hiking Florida

Attention, dedicated adventure seekers. This one's for you.

Pack up your gear and head to the start along U.S. 41, halfway between Naples and Miami, and begin your 1,100-mile journey along the Florida Trail.

The Florida Trail is one of 11 U.S. scenic trails. All of them are dirt footpaths and were created by Congress. The Florida Trail starts at the outskirts of the Everglades and stretches almost the length the state, ending near an abandoned military fort near Pensacola Beach.

More: Andrew Jackson trail hike marks 200th anniversary of march to Pensacola

Sure, this might be an adventure only the accomplished hiker should attempt, but really, is there a better way to walk deep into the heart of Florida than trekking and camping along the Florida Trail?

More: 1,100 miles: Discovering Florida's hidden trail

[ Trouble seeing the map? Click here. ]

Maureen Kenyon is TCPalm's trends reporter, keeping Treasure Coast residents updated on hot topics and happenings. Do you have a story to tell? Want to start a conversation? Send an email to maureen.kenyon@tcpalm.com, call 772-221-4249 or follow her on Twitter @_MaureenKenyon_.