Paul M. Franklin - Backroads of Florida: Your Guide to Great Day Trips & Weekend Getaways

Finding Floridas Backroad Gems

Early morning light filters through the branches of an ancient oak on the grounds of Eden Gardens State Park in Floridas Panhandle.

When we started researching and writing this book, there was one question we were asked most: Does Florida even have backroads? Its an understandable query, as many who visit the Sunshine State experience it by rocketing along interstates to Orlando or the latest beach resort.

However, for those who know and love Floridas tens of thousands of miles of two-lane blacktops, posing such a question is like asking if the Rockies have mountains.

In fact, the minute you get off the interstate and head into the lesser-known regions of the state, youll find wonderful places filled with stunning natural beauty, incredible history, and true once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Want to snorkel with a manatee or get up close and personal with a sixteen-foot alligator? Want to hunt for sunken treasure or watch a rocket blast off for the stars? This is the place to do it. Beyond the famous Florida of sand and sun, youll discover the states rich seafaring history and awe-inspiring wilderness, places where cowboy legends and tropical mysteries abound. The backroad roamers know the secret: For whichever flavor of Florida you seek, there is a scenic byway or a two-lane road to take you there.

But where exactly do Floridas backroads and byways lead? Of course, into the heart of the wet, wild, all-natural Florida Everglades, where tranquil estuaries, horizonless marshes, and darkly inviting swamps are home to alligators gliding silently through mirror-black waters. The roughly 1.5 million acres here are adventure central, where you can hike hidden trails through ancient forests of pine and moss-draped oaks; paddle your kayak through tidal wetlands teeming with herons, egrets, and roseate spoonbills; or drift along black-water rivers where mighty cypress trees festooned with delicate orchids reach from the dark waters to the sky.

The spicy fragrance of citrus blooms, the state flower, often fills the air along Floridas backroads and byways in the early springtime.

Floridas backroads also lead into the heartland, a little-explored world of rolling green hills, lush citrus orchards, and sparkling lakes, where quarter horses run in white-fenced meadows and parklike cattle ranches line miles of shady byways. They pass through charming small towns, such as Mount Dora, Madison, and Lake Wales, that offer timeless storefront main streets lined with craft and antique shops, galleries, and ice cream parlors.