What to Watch for When You Visit Florida

Florida is such a beautiful place to visit that it’s hard to know what to focus on. Maybe you spend some time (and a concerning amount of money) enjoying the man-made magic of a park like Disney World. Perhaps you prefer a more natural experience and get lost in the natural vistas like watching the sun set over the ocean. Even brief dives into the ocean provide untold beauty.

But with so much to look at, you may be missing the small wonders that are just as important in making Florida the beauty that it is. After you’ve explored the recoverable compensation after a Florida distracted driving accident and are ready for a break, consider stopping and enjoying at least one of the wonders mentioned below to truly grasp the essence of Florida.

Few things feel as romantic as walking on the beach as the sun sets beside you. Daytime beach activities typically include sunbathing, enjoying the water by swimming or surfing, playing volleyball with a team of strangers and falling asleep only to wake up either buried up to your neck in the sand or with the worst sunburn of your life. Fun times all around. But there are beauties below your feet just waiting to be uncovered: seashells and sea glass.

We all understand how pretty seashells are, which is why many children head to the beach specifically to collect them. Sea glass, on the other hand, isn’t as appreciated as often. Sometimes, pieces of glass fall into the ocean and stay there for many years. They get thrown around in the water, carried in waves and scraped against sand in that time until they eventually wash ashore as gorgeous pebbles of color.

The resulting colorful pebble is completely smooth and pretty in a way that normal glass could never achieve without this process. Each piece is prized as either a part of a collection, the missing piece in some jewelry or art or as a mystery to discover what the source was. It’s important to note that the appeal of sea glass is that its creation was an accident that happened to cause either no or only minor harm.

Do not throw glass scraps into the ocean to try and create sea glass. All you’ll be doing instead is harming people and animals for no reason and further polluting the oceans.

Every country and state has its own unique animal life of course, but none of it can compare to birds. Whether you prefer the small bug- or seed-eaters who hop around as they scrounge for food, the large and powerful birds of prey who make the latter group their dinner, or the underappreciated scavenger birds who keep the world clean by eating those that die, you probably get a massive kick out of bird watching. Seeing each species’s personality and interaction with each other is both adorable and hilarious.

Whether you’re an avid birdwatcher or just a curious person looking to see some cool animals, you should keep an eye out for the birds that can only be found in Florida. A good example of one such bird is the white-crowned pigeon. These birds tend to be very shy and this makes them hard to spot. They’re also not quite endangered yet, but they are in danger of being given that classification soon.

Once you do spot one, you’ll see quite the pretty bird despite what the name “pigeon” may imply. While its wide-open yellow eyes are kind of funny, since they always look surprised, the white feathers on their heads combined with their gray bodies and iridescent necks make them a shockingly beautiful and rare sight.

Of course, the highlight of any coastal location’s wildlife is found under the water. The diverse and beautiful Floridian sea life shouldn’t be missed, even if you have to visit a sanctuary or aquarium to see them. You’ll see the animals responsible for the beautiful conch shells you either associated with beaches or with magic and kelp forests, many types of corals which are in fact alive, sea stars, sea urchin or even an octopus or two.

If you get really lucky, you may see a moray eel or lionfish, the latter of which is vibrantly colored and covered in venomous spines. While these are pretty cool, you probably also want to see the big guys: dolphins, sharks, stingrays and, of course, the manatee. No Florida trip is truly complete until you’ve seen at least one of those.

Giant chain restaurants like McDonald’sa re everywhere. There’s no escaping them. When you’re looking for dinner, these places may seem enticing. They’re consistency just brings too much comfort to those already traveling in an unfamiliar place to ever fully disappear. But, if you want some good food then you should look for the local family restaurants instead. They tend to be treasure troves of unique interior design and delectable cuisine that has only been discovered by the locals who actually live in the area.

These small places are run mostly on passion and dreams and are supported financially by the local community who absolutely loves them and has no problem paying their higher prices. If you just want a quick snack or a cheap meal, then of course you can visit the local chain. However, if you want some tasty food you won’t find anywhere else then stop in at a local family restaurant.

While everything discussed so far is something to behold and enjoy, tourist traps are not. They’re overpriced, overpromised, underdelivered and usually just a few technicalities off of being a scam. Avoiding tourist traps can be tough sometimes, but you’ll have a heavier wallet if successful.

The best way to avoid any and all tourist traps while also getting to enjoy famous sights more is to not go at the peak of tourism season. In fact, it’s probably better to travel when that season has fully ended and not too close to when it begins again.

The places you want to visit will be a bit quieter, flights will be cheaper and those sketchy tourist trap owners will be busy preparing for the next busy season to bother you too much. Just bear in mind that the weather may be warmer, colder or wetter than during tourist season. Make sure to prepare accordingly.