Cedar Key located in Levy County is about an hour’s drive southwest of Gainesville – Alachua County. The small city of Cedar Key is a quaint, old-fashioned, Olde Florida vacation spot offering beautiful beaches, world-famous fishing and bird-watching, art galleries, island shops, indoor and outdoor dining – serving fresh seafood straight from the Gulf of Mexico.  On Cedar Key you’ll find fishing charters and guided tours, as well as, kayak & canoe rentals – fully outfitted for a day of paddling and fishing fun.

The small town feeling is absolute – transportation is by car, but the road is shared with bicycles and golf-carts. Drivers and pedestrians wave to locals and visitors alike greeting each other with a warm welcome to the island community.

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Crystal River located in Citrus County offers warm Gulf water, spring-fed rivers, gentle manatees, world class fishing and bountiful lakes. Explore great golf courses, hike through unspoiled forests, go scalloping, kayaking and paddleboarding or visit a national wildlife refuge where you’ll find a wonderland of salty bays, estuaries and marshes mingling with the Chassahowitzka River. Inside the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, manatees are the highlight (in fact, the refuge was created for their protection). Discover international and Florida cuisine from fresh crab and seafood straight off the boat to good ole’ home-style cookin’.

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Dunnellon located in Marion County lies west of Ocala and north of Homosassa. This small town located on the Rainbow and Withlacoochee rivers is a paddler’s paradise. Here you’ll find something for everyone: from beautiful Rainbow Springs State Park and magical waterways to the tree lined streets of the Dunnellon “Boomtown” Historic District. Spend yours days on a river boat ride, tubing, swimming, kayaking down the river, fishing for that big bass or shopping for one-of-a-kind gifts at the unique shops and antique stores.

Gainesville located in Alachua County is home to Florida’s largest and oldest university, The University of Florida. Boasting a combination of college-town vitality and protected natural beauty, Gainsville offers a one-of-a-kind place where culture meets nature. Enjoy world-class museums, performing arts, and live music. Discover miles of biking and hiking trails where one can spot a variety of wildlife like birds, bison, wild horses or alligators. Canoe, kayak or paddleboard along scenic rivers, or dive in one of the crystal clear freshwater springs. Known as Gainsville’s cultural centerpiece, the Hippodrome State Theatre offers live theatre performances, films, gallery exhibits, classes, and special events. Tour the UF campus and explore the Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art and the Florida Museum of Natural History. For outdoor adventure, take your pick of area parklands (descending into a 120-foot-deep sinkhole into a miniature rain forest makes Devil’s Millhopper Geological State Park a must). When you are done adventuring for the day, kick back at a craft brewery and savor innovative cuisine and specialty cocktails at inspired local restaurants. Whatever your passion, the nature and culture of Gainesville and Alachua County awaits.

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High Springs in Alachua County is known as Florida’s gateway to the largest concentration of freshwater springs in the world. Here one can enjoy award winning cuisine, including farm-to-table and vegan options, at one of the many locally owned downtown restaurants, then finish the night off with live music and a locally brewed beer. Filled with early 20th century charm, downtown High Springs is home to many cute shops where you’ll find a variety of all natural products, clothing, antiques, and much more. Outdoor adventures can canoe, kayak, tube or sup board down the Santa Fe River. Or, if you are up for it, take a swim or cave dive in one of the many freshwater springs, where the water is always 72 degrees. Try Ginnie Springs Outdoors or Blue Spring Park, the waters are shockingly clear, blue and cool.

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Lake City located in Columbia County is abundant with natural beauty and outdoor activities. In this pristine part of Florida, you’ll embark on a natural theme park for outdoor enthusiasts, festival goers, music lovers and those who simply want to spend a little time in a quiet, tranquil setting. Lake City has crystal-clear freshwater springs, rocking music festivals, history, culture, paddling and biking. Ocean Pond in Osceola National Forest is a favorite of boaters and skiers. Florida’s largest Civil War battle was fought just east in Olustee, and a large-scale reenactment takes place inside Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park every February. Explore Lake Isabella and the surrounding historic district to view grand 19th- and early 20th-century homes. Friday’s downtown you can shop the farmers’ market and mingle with the locals at a family-friendly evening event. There’s antiques shopping too, and be sure to visit the Lake City-Columbia County Historical Museum.

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Madison County is all about the trails. Stop and start where you wish along a 100-mile road biking loop; horseback riding trails; fishing and canoeing trails on the Aucilla, Suwannee and Withlacoochee Rivers; a back roads driving tour; or a walking tour of downtown. You’re likely to see the Wardlaw-Smith-Goza mansion used as a hospital during the Civil War, historic cemeteries and the Ladell Brothers Outdoor Environmental Center, where a black-gum red maple swamp hides. O’Toole’s Herb Farm grows and sells organic, fresh-cut herbs and invites the public into its display gardens and greenhouses. In season, all of Madison blooms with magnolias, camellias and dogwoods, accentuating her Southern charm.

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Micanopy located in Alachua County was once a critical hub for commerce in Florida, “The Town that Time Forgot” is now known for its 19th-century buildings offering visitors antiques, art, food, music, and hospitality under the shade of enormous oak trees. Micanopy is Florida’s self-proclaimed antiques capital. Named in honor of a Seminole Indian chief and settled in 1821. Amidst the peace and quiet in Micanopy oldest inland community stands the gracious Herlong Mansion Historic Inn and Gardens. Built in 1845 as a Cracker-style farmhouse by one of Micanopy’s original families, was made over as a Greek Revival mansion by one of the family’s daughters in 1910. Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park allows you to spot bison (yes, bison!) and wild horses from a 50-foot-high observation tower.

Steinhatchee located in Taylor County is known for its Spanish moss, the egrets that lure so many visitors, and the abundant fishing opportunities. Wade along the shoreline of Keaton Beach’s public park or view the scenery from an observation tower at Hagen’s Cove. Bring your snorkel, mask, fins, mesh bag and a diver’s down flag. Back at the docks, you can hire help to clean your catch. You won’t want to miss the adventure-filled scallop season – typically starts in mid-summer and runs to early September. Naturally, in a town just inland from the Gulf of Mexico where the Steinhatchee River flows, you’ll find perfect places for North Central Florida fishing.

Tallahassee, Florida’s capital, is home to Florida State University and Florida A&M University. Good manners, gradual hills, plantation homes and oak-canopied roads lend Tallahassee her genuine Southern charm. Drive the Miccosukee Canopy Road Greenway for a six-mile immersion before stopping at Goodwood Museum and Gardens. The plantation’s circa-1840 main house functions as a museum with original collections and furnishings. Old and new coexist downtown, where the current and former capitol buildings contrast their streamlined and domed styles. Take a walking tour of Railroad Square Art Park, warehouses-turned-galleries, studios and shops. Just a short walk away, explore CollegeTown, a district on the edge of FSU’s campus.

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White Springs  in Hamilton County is a quintessential small Florida town and home of the annual Florida Folk Festival. Considered to be “Florida’s Original Tourist Destination”, she attracted well-heeled tourists in search of the relaxing, medicinal waters of the White Sulphur Springs. Mossy oaks and the wild Suwannee River are especially popular with paddlers, hikers, bikers, bird watchers and anglers. The town serves as the head of the 170-mile Suwannee River Wilderness Trail, which ensures you’ll find your share of outdoor enthusiasts. Canoe or kayak to Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park. A 97-bell carillon sounds Foster’s music, including Florida’s state song. Annually, the park hosts festivals, like the Florida Folklife Festival every Memorial Day weekend, or Rural Folklife Days in the fall. The river also leads to Big Shoals State Park – when the water level’s right, the rapids rate a Class III.