Florida Travel Guide
The aptly named Sunshine State is in effect a huge resort packed with things to see and do. Its position between the Caribbean and the rest of the US gives the population a unique flavour. There are Cubans seeking a better life, retired Americans looking to ease aching bones in the sun and tourists lured by beaches and theme parks. Yet Florida is a state that has so much more to offer.
Historically, after customary bickering with the old colonial powers, in this case the Spanish, Florida became a state in 1845. After the Civil War it began to be a serious agricultural entity and attempts were made to launch a fledgling tourist industry. Railroad connections were good and Florida seemed ready to take flight but the stock market crash of 1926 put something of a crimp in the States progress.
WW2 introduced a whole new generation to the pleasures of Florida by way of the troops stationed there for coastal defence.
In the 60's the State government worked hard in enticing Mr Disney to set up his second theme park in the heartland of the state. From this point on there has been no turning back.
When to Go
Beware Spring break when certain resorts are filled with students looking to behave badly.
Weatherwise Florida is good most of the year round. The south is more tropical, the north more temperate. Central Florida can be very sticky, hot and wet in summer, further south this period can go from June to October. In Miami, with the sunny, dry weather between Christmas and March come the crowds. Prices also go up in this peak season. There is a risk of hurricanes from June to November.
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