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1 week ago | 
floridarambler.com | Bonnie Gross
Two and a half years after Category 4 Hurricane Ian slammed Sanibel in September 2022, the beaches, the sea shells, the birds and the wildlife — all the natural stuff — is back. But many things people built are still a work in progreess. While Sanibel was recovering from Hurricane Ian, along came two more hurricanes in 2024, Milton and Helene, which slowed the effort. But as summer 2025 approaches, Sanibel is gaining momentum in its recovery. A key milestone is the rebuilding of Sanibel Causeway.
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1 week ago | 
floridarambler.com | Bonnie Gross
Folks who dream of picnicking or even camping on their own little island can make that dream come true — and pretty easily – by kayaking the Indian River Lagoon. Within sight of many boat ramps, the Indian River Lagoon is studded with attractive little islands that will fulfill your fantasy of having an island to yourself.
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2 weeks ago | 
floridarambler.com | Bonnie Gross
The Ocklawaha River almost died, but kayaking one of its pristine sections, you’d barely know it now. This section of the Ocklawaha River near Ocala forms the western border of Ocala National Forest. Here the Ocklawaha is wild, pristine, profoundly quiet and lined with ancient cypress trees. It’s the sort of the place where in an eight-mile kayak trip, we saw one beer can, two man-made structures and dozens of birds, turtles and gators.
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2 weeks ago | 
floridarambler.com | Bonnie Gross
This is one of the most scenic bike path in South Florida. This paved, traffic-free trail hugs the shore of Lake Worth, with views of statuesque royal palms lining the waterway as sailboats and yachts glide by. Biking here, on a barrier island that has been the home of presidents (Kennedy and Trump), the famous and the merely rich, you feel you are experiencing an exclusive place not many get to enjoy.
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2 weeks ago | 
floridarambler.com | Bob Rountree |Bonnie Gross
Veteran journalists who worked together at Fort Lauderdale's SunSentinel newspaper, Bonnie and Bob founded FloridaRambler.com in 2010 to explore the natural, authentic Florida, writing about their natural interests in hiking, biking, paddling, RV and tent camping, wildlife, unique lodging, dining and historic places.
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3 weeks ago | 
floridarambler.com | Bonnie Gross
Downtown Dunedin may surprise you. A decade ago, I bicycled on the Pinellas Trail through Dunedin and I remember I thought it was cool that there was a great ice cream shop and a brewery right off the bike path. It was a charming little downtown, but I don’t recall there was a lot else there. Today it’s a busy and vibrant place, home to eight craft breweries, popular coffee shops, great restaurants plus boutiques and galleries. Its historic downtown buildings have been restored.
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3 weeks ago | 
floridarambler.com | Bonnie Gross
Visitors have been taking scenic boat tours of Florida waterways ever since there were visitors to Florida. The state’s very first tourist attraction, Silver Springs in Ocala, began its famous glass-bottom boat tours almost 150 years ago. Clearly, they were on to something — there are few better ways to see the state’s beauty than on a Florida boat tour. With 1,800 miles of coastline and 12,000 miles of rivers and streams, you’ll never run out of places to cruise.
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3 weeks ago | 
floridarambler.com | Bonnie Gross
Beaches, trails and wild places make you feel free from the commercial world, but even there, you often have to pay to get in. As I’ve traveled around Florida researching Florida Rambler articles, however, I’ve found many free things to do in Florida. Some of my favorite places have no admission charge (which probably helps make them my favorites!)I’ve scanned through all the stories I’ve written for Florida Rambler since we founded it in 2010 to choose my 10 favorite free things to do in Florida.
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3 weeks ago | 
floridarambler.com | Bonnie Gross
Quick: Name a national park in Florida. You said Everglades National Park, right? You probably didn’t say Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve or De Soto National Memorial. And therein lies a great opportunity, because there are 11 national parks in Florida, several of which are little known hidden treasures.
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4 weeks ago | 
floridarambler.com | Bonnie Gross
It happens all the time: Northerners come to Florida and discover a place that is different and fascinating, and then they never leave. Few, however, capture that place in a work of art that speaks to millions around the world. Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings did that, and if you have ever read The Yearling or seen the great 1946 Gregory Peck/Jane Wyman movie by that name or perhaps the excellent 1983 movie Cross Creek starring Mary Steenburgen, then you know what I’m talking about.
