Florida is really an amazing place, though when people think of Florida most think of either the beaches, the everglades, or the sunshine; all are amazing parts of the state I call home, but far more interesting things are available than the typical. In an age of staycations and day trips many Floridians know that there are some great things to do closer to home, so let’s take a look at just a few of my personal favorites.

1. Weeki Wachee Mermaids:

Floridians know that if you want to see a real mermaid you go to Weeki Wachee Springs. People come from all over the world just to live their dream of becoming a mermaid, and go through rigorous training to learn to perform underwater in their mermaid tails. For almost 60 years, the mermaids and a prince perform their rendition of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid in the Mermaid Theater, which is situated over a freshwater aquifer, for delighted guests of Weeki Wachee Springs. Each day, 117 million gallons of clear, fresh water bubble out of the subterranean caverns of the spring that is so deep that the bottom has never been found. The basin of the spring is 100 feet wide with limestone sides; the mermaids swim in the basin 20 feet below the water’s surface, in a constant five mile per hour current. Along with the mermaids you will see manatees and turtles swimming about the beautiful freshwater spring.

2. Stiltsville in Biscayne Bay:

About a mile off the shore of Biscayne Bay you can see seven wooden shacks floating above the cerulean waves which have been affectionately named Stiltsville. Originally part of a 27 structure community, created in the 1920s or 1930s, the shacks were used as gambling and drinking dens during the days of Prohibition and were only accessible by boat. Over the years hurricanes, fires, and general rowdiness of the patrons destroyed all but the seven remaining buildings. These days, Stiltsville is owned by the Biscayne Bay National Park Service and docking and visits are only allowed with a permit; but you can still enjoy the view of the structures from the shore for free.

3. Monkey Jungle:

Created in 1935 and located in Miami, Monkey Jungle is situated on 30 acres of a natural subtropical forest where orangutans, gorillas, tamarins, and many other varieties of primates and parrots run wild. As Monkey Jungle advertises, “Where Humans are Caged and Monkeys Run Wild,” visitors are able to walk through the jungle in tunnel cages that wind through the monkey’s habitat or get up close and personal on a tour.

4. Devil’s Den Underground Spring:

This amazing Prehistoric underground spring has been used as a privately owned scuba diving training center since 1993 and offers both diving and snorkeling. Staying a comfortable 72 degrees year round, steam rises from the spring in the winter months. This must have given early settlers quite a scare as they named it Devil’s Den. Fossils and stalactites found in rock formations have dated back 33 million years to the Pleistocene Age; some of which can be found at the University of Florida’s Museum of Natural History.

5. The Legend of Spook Hill:

In Lake Wales there is a hill where gravity is defied. If you place your car in neutral you will appear to roll uphill on the spot known as Spook Hill; before cars, settlers reported that horses would struggle to walk downhill in the spot. The legend is that Seminole Indian Chief Cufcowellax and a 17 foot, man-eating alligator once engaged in a battle on that very spot. The Chief was a great warrior and the leader of several villages that all surrounded the body of water called Lake Wales. The tribe lived in fear of the monstrous gator that would emerge from the lake and attack the villagers nightly. During the battle the Chief called upon the Great Spirit and the Forces of Nature to assist him and he defeated the alligator that had been terrorizing his people. Locals have theories for why this is: Depending on who you ask, some say that there was a shift in the earth’s gravitational field because the Chief evoked power from the Forces of Nature there during the battle. Others say it is the spirit of Chief Cufcowellax protecting his land. Then there are those who say it is the spirit of the defeated alligator looking for a fight. Either way, it’s definitely worth the trip.

6. Jules’ Undersea Lounge/Hotel in Key Largo:

In the lagoon at Key Largo Undersea Park, at a depth of 30 feet, is the world’s only underwater hotel. Jules’ Undersea Lodge was originally an underwater habitat called La Chalupa research laboratory and was used to explore the continental shelf off the coast of Puerto Rico. Just to enter the underwater habitat you must dive down 21 feet and enter through the “moon pool” in the bottom of the habitat. In the cottage sized structure sits on legs, five feet above the ocean floor. You can get comfortable and watch the ocean life and scuba divers swim around you. From the website, “Designed for comfort, the air conditioned living space has two private bed rooms and a common room. The eight by twenty foot common room is a multi-purpose room providing the galley, dining and entertainment areas. Each of the bedrooms and the common room is equipped with telephone, intercom, VCR/DVD and our latest addition of the, "i home", so you can enjoy your own choice of music from home. But the main focus of attention is the big 42 inch round window that graces each room.”

7. Disney’s Town of Celebration:

The town of Celebration, found in Osceola County, is no ordinary town; it is known as “the town that Disney built.” I can tell you from personal experience that as beautiful as this town is, there is a creepy aura that twitches inside your head when you are in the presence of such perfection. This Truman Show-like town is actually more of a community spread across 11 square miles of former swampland turned Disney real estate. Even Celebration’s Main Street is modeled after Disney’s Main Street. It feels too perfect to be real. All the architecture and color schemes are coordinated to complement one another. Bright pastel colors on the buildings and signs are never faded. Perfectly cut grass and clean streets, not a speck of garbage. Unnervingly chipper residents… Well, you would be too if you could afford to live there. These days, homes in Celebration range from around $300,000 to over 1 million dollars. But trust me, the Home Owner’s Association is STRICT.

8. Dinosaur World in Plant City:

In Plant City, just before Exit 17 on Interstate 4, you will see a giant T-Rex telling you to go to Dinosaur World. You should listen to his advice. Dinosaur World is Jurassic Park in real life, minus all the death and dismemberment. With 20-acres of land to explore, you will find over 200 life size dinosaurs of various species, interactive shows and exhibits, including “the boneyard,” a giant skeletal playground, the Prehistoric museum, animatronic dinosaurs, and much more. This is a family owned theme park that caters to dino-lovers of all ages and even has birthday packages.

9. Venetian Pool in Coral Gables:

Coral Gables offers the Venetian Pool. In 1924, after the mining of a coral rock quarry for use in Miami neighborhoods, what was left was a large hole in the middle of a town. Instead of filling in the hole the city decided to create a public pool modeled after a Venetian grotto. Not only is the Venetian Pool the world’s largest freshwater swimming pool but it is also the only swimming pool listed in the National Historic Register. The pool comes complete with coral rock caves to explore, cascading waterfalls, and a natural filtration system through nearby aquafers that assure that the clear blue waters remain crisp and clean year round.

10. Big Bend Power Station Manatees:

Usually the sight of smoke filling the air above a power plant makes people cringe, but during the winter months, people in Apollo Beach think of manatees. When the waters of the Tampa Bay fall below 68 degrees manatees and other sea creatures flock to Tampa Electric’s Big Bend Unit 4’s discharge canal in search of warmer waters. Saltwater is routinely taken in from Tampa Bay to cool Unit 4 then flows back into the bay as clean as it went in, but far warmer. The power plant even created a Manatee Viewing Center where people can come to see the majestic and adorably pudgy creatures in large numbers. The viewing center also has an environmental education building that shows colorful displays and gives information about manatees and their habitat, how the power station generates electricity, how they respond to severe storms, and even has a hurricane simulator. Outside the viewing area you will find an award winning butterfly garden and a 50-foot-high wildlife observation tower for guests to get the best possible view of manatees in the waters below.

Florida is a gorgeous place to explore. This list could go on for hours as there are so many other amazing things in Florida worth your time. Abandoned theme parks, freshwater caverns, orange groves, animal sanctuaries, singing airplane runways… But perhaps we will save those for another article.