Scenic Driving Florida

I was thrilled to have a chance to read Scenic Driving: Florida, given that this is my home state, and I have seen a great deal of it. Yet no matter how much I’ve already seen, I learned a lot from reading this book - like the fact that Florida ranks only second to Alaska in miles of coastline. Why have I never really thought about that before? How about the fact that Florida has over 1,700 rivers and streams and some 7,700 lakes?  No matter how you look at, Florida is a unique natural wonder with many unspoiled places to explore. Sure we’ve got the sunshine, the hot temps and humidity. But there is so much more here, and journalist/author Jan Annino Godown does a good job of telling us where to go and what to look for.

After an informative intro, there are 29 scenic drives to explore. Each chapter starts you off with basic facts about the area and gives you a clear, simple map to help you on your journey. You will be advised of any wildlife and points of interest to look for along the way, great places to stop and any side trips worth taking in the region. What I enjoy most is that many of these destinations are not mainstream; the author takes off the beaten path.

As soon as I read Chapter 3 on Defuniak Springs, situated in Northern Florida, I had to surf the web for historic homes for sale up there. It sounds like an adorable town – just the kind of place to explore on a long weekend. Another place I now want to explore is Wakulla Springs State Park, not far from my alma mater, Florida State University. At the bottom of the springs you can see bones of prehistoric animals when the water is clear! My husband used the book to help him plan out a fishing and hiking trip near the Suwannee River. There are so many fabulous destinations to explore, I cannot possibly list them all.

At the back of the book is a fabulous source of contact information and websites for various places of interest in each chapter. And the index is quite extensive to help you find specific listings. Jan Annino Godown knows Florida, and she shares it all with us in Scenic Driving: Florida. Whether you have lived here for many years, like me, or are just driving through, this book is a great resource to keep with you on the road.

Scenic Driving Florida

Jan Annino Godown

Globe Pequot Press

ISBN 10:       0-7627-3482-5
ISBN 13:     978-0-7627-3482-5 

Debbie Glade/smartpoodle is the Geography Awareness Editor for Wandering Educators.