Synopses & Reviews
Volume 1 offers ten single-day backroads tours in the central part of the state on Florida's little-traveled byways from south of Jacksonville to north of Tampa. Follow miles of thoroughbred farms, take a ferryboat, explore crystalline springs, visit a failed and resurrected utopia, and even drive through the mother of all speed traps. Get out of the car to enjoy beautiful picnic areas, lake and river cruises, airboat rides, snorkeling and scuba diving, and biking and hiking through the beauty of the heartland.
Review
""Follow these well-planned day trips, and you'll not only glimpse a kinder, gentler Florida, you'll learn more than a little about its history.""
Synopsis
Winner of the Horgan Award from the Florida Historical Society for a book of outstanding merit written primarily for the general reader.
In this first of a three-part series, Douglas Waitley offers an informative, laid-back tour through Florida's heartland, capturing its scenic beauty and Southern grace. Instead of buzzing through congested highway traffic, why not cruise along a shaded country backroad, stopping periodically to enjoy the hospitality of a town you've never noticed on a map? Complete with directions, detailed maps, recommended stops, and photographs of interesting sights, this book offers more than just a glimpse into the past.
Synopsis
Best Backroads of Florida, Vol. 1 is an informative, laid-back tour through Florida's heartland, capturing its scenic beauty and Southern grace. The fast lane takes us where we want to go in less time, but it has replaced the carefree see-the-world fun of travel with a list of infuriating modern consequences, such as fast food, traffic jams, road rage, fast lanes with slow drivers, slow lanes with fast drivers, wide loads, toll roads, rest stops, and kids crying, Are we there yet? In this first of a series, Douglas Waitley dishes up ten single-day backroads tours that will take you to a time when driving was actually considered part of a vacation. Instead of buzzing through congested highway traffic, why not cruise along a shaded country backroad, stopping periodically to enjoy the hospitality of a town you've never noticed on a map? After all, many treasured memories never appear on an itinerary. Complete with directions, detailed maps, recommended stops, and photographs of interesting sights, the book offers more than just a glimpse into the past. The area covered in the book extends from south of Jacksonville to north of Tampa. Sites included along the way are: Dade City, Clermont, Winter Garden, Longwood, Oviedo, Sanford, Palatka, Green Cove Springs, Penney Farms, Camp Blanding, Paynes Prairie, Ocala, Eustis, Dunnellon, Brooksville, and Pine Island.