Florida Rambler

Articles

Cap's Place, the oldest Broward restaurant, a former speakeasy & casino, is a fascinating visit

5 days ago | floridarambler.com | Bonnie Gross

Every time I go to Cap’s Place, the historic landmark where presidents and celebrities have dined over almost 100 years, I wonder how long Cap’s, the oldest operating restaurant in Broward County, can survive. In a region where houses from the 1950s are considered tear-downs and highrises are popping up on every corner, how does a rustic shack opened in 1928 that you can’t even reach by car stay in business?
11 ways to enjoy Palm Beach island history, beauty & recreation

5 days ago | floridarambler.com | Bonnie Gross

Palm Beach island is the exclusive winter home of billionaires and their poorer colleagues, the multi-millionaires. It is, of course, home to what President Trump calls the Winter White House, Mar-a-Lago. A dozen presidents ago, John F. Kennedy also had a Palm Beach island home. All this history means Palm Beach island is an interesting place to visit; all that money means it is also quite beautiful. According to the Palm Beach Daily News, it is home to more than 50 billionaires.
Anastasia State Park seduces. Stunning beach, shady campground.

1 week ago | floridarambler.com | Bob Rountree

Anastasia State Park’s dune-lined beach stretches four miles along the Atlantic coast — plenty of space to spread out and find your own place in the sand. Broad and beautiful, you can ride your bicycle on packed sand below the tide line or park yourself in soft sand below its wind-swept dunes. The nearby campground is a peaceful, back-to-nature experience with a high level of privacy afforded by dense vegetation between campsites.
Charlotte Harbor Freedom Swim: Unusual July 4th tradition

1 week ago | floridarambler.com | Bonnie Gross

It started small and spontaneous. More than 30 years ago, Punta Gorda attorney Michael Haymans and some friends decided to celebrate the Fourth of July by swimming the 1.5 mile distance across the Peace River. They weren’t athletes in training; they had heard stories about how in the 1940s, swimming across the river was a rite of passage for teens. They had a good time, they told their friends, and those friends told a few more friends.
Discover the beaches of Venice, 'sharks tooth capitol of the world'

1 week ago | floridarambler.com | Bob Rountree

The teeth of ancient sharks are everywhere you look on Venice’s beaches. You don’t have to dig deep or look hard to find them. These are the sands of time, dating to a prehistoric era when 52-foot sharks prowled the waters of the Gulf. Over the centuries, Gulf currents have carried these ancient fossils into the calm waters off Venice’s beaches, where they settle near the surf line. And every few years, a hurricane comes along and kicks up a few million more.
Topsail Hill Preserve State Park: Towering dunes, perfect beach, rare lakes

2 weeks ago | floridarambler.com | Bonnie Gross

Some of the most spectacular untouched dunes in Florida and three miles of perfect white sand beach are preserved in Topsail Hill State Park in the Panhandle. The park offers 15 miles of hiking through the complete dune ecosystem, where you weave through 25-foot dunes, past rare freshwater coastal dune lakes and through pine forests and cypress swamps. It’s an unusual state park in several ways.
Two Florida Keys parks offer old-fashioned swimming holes and recreational features

2 weeks ago | floridarambler.com | Bonnie Gross

Visitors are often surprised to learn that the Florida Keys have very few sandy beaches. The water, however, is great – clear and warm year around; full of fish and sea life for snorkelers. In recent years, Monroe County opened two new Florida Keys parks that make that water accessible in enticing old-fashioned swimming holes. Even better: Both are free and right along the Overseas Highway.
8 hot tips for summer tent camping in Florida

2 weeks ago | floridarambler.com | Bob Rountree

Our sub-tropical climate is glorious much of the year, but tent camping in Florida during the summer can test your limits because of overwhelming humidity. Here are 8 hot tips to help make your tent camping experience bearable, especially during Florida’s blistering summer months. The cardinal rule for Florida tent camping is a tent at least double the capacity you need, especially in summer. The reason is circulation. More space, more air. If there are two of you camping, get a four-person tent.
After years of mango cookery, here are my best mango recipes

2 weeks ago | floridarambler.com | Bonnie Gross

June is mango month for me, and despite the humid 90-degree days, it’s my second favorite month in Florida. (It’s hard to beat the weather in March.)I’ve had a mango tree in the yard for more than four decades. On each side of my house, neighbors’ trees shower me with more mangoes. I cut up enough mangoes every day to turn my fingers orange. My husband and I eat heaps of them daily. I give them to neighbors and friends. I host my book club at my house in June with a mango-centric menu.
Circle B Bar Reserve: Park in Lakeland is more than a birding hot spot

3 weeks ago | floridarambler.com | Bonnie Gross

Two trails have reopened after being closed because of 2024 storm damage — Alligator Alley trail, which borders Lake Hancock, and the Marsh Rabbit Run trail. Summer visitors, note: Several of the trails are shaded, including Alligator Alley, the Lost Bridge Trail, Shady Oak, Tree Frog and Heron Hideout Trail. LAKELAND — If you don’t live near it, you probably don’t know about Circle B Bar Reserve, a Polk County park that is just as impressive as many of Florida’s state parks.