7 Amazing Florida destinations just a day trip away from the usual

65 miles by car

Miami alone offers enough vacation fun to keep you going for days, but John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo is no ordinary day trip. Encompassing 70-plus nautical miles of Atlantic Ocean waters and considered the first undersea park in the United States, this underwater playground is in a league of its own. In addition to spectacular coral reefs perfect for snorkeling and diving, the park has placed remnants of an early Spanish shipwreck about 100 feet off the beach, making it the perfect spot to teach kids and first-timers the ins and outs of the sports. Above the water, miles of paddling trails wind through natural mangroves, and a narrated glass-bottomed boat tour will have you admiring the reef without getting wet.

52 miles by car

Tony Boca Grande, with miles of powdery sand beaches, is considered the tarpon fishing capital of the world. Connected to the mainland by a scenic bridge, fishermen and families flock here for the upscale vibe and the turquoise waters. Rent a golf cart to explore the banyan tree-shaded roads that served as the setting for the movie Hoot. Check out the historic downtown’s beachy boutiques and sidewalk cafes, and indulge your sweet tooth at the Pink Pony, aka “the mother of all ice cream shops.” The Victorian-inspired Port Boca Grande Lighthouse & Museum and the Gasparilla Island Lighthouse are both worthy of a visit for their scenic views and idyllic beach settings. If you decide to spend the night, the Gasparilla Inn & Club is an Old Florida hotel complete with rooms and cottages and a golf course surrounded by Charlotte Harbor on one side and the Gulf of Mexico on the other.

44 miles by car

Inventors Henry Ford and Thomas Edison became so close that in the early 1900s they ended up with side-by-side vacation homes in Fort Myers, Florida. Today the historic estates are open for visitors to stroll through exhibits of inventions and artifacts, including a Model-T Ford that was gifted to Edison by Ford himself. Lab tours through the Edison Botanic Research Laboratory, a National Historic Chemical Landmark, provide details about the inventor’s lesser-known discoveries. Also worth exploring are the estates’ 20 acres of botanical gardens covered in native plants, including one of the tallest banyan trees anywhere in the country. Families with kiddos will love the actor portrayals of Ford, Edison, and other family members as they wander around the property providing historical context.

21 miles by car

Nestled right where the Loxahatchee River and the Intracoastal Waterway converge into the Atlantic Ocean, the 360-degree views from this 1860 lighthouse have helped save countless ships from wrecking on the shoals between the mainland and the Gulf Stream. Inside the Museum & Secret Station, housed in the last remaining building of an important World War II naval radio station, the interactive exhibits cover thousands of years of regional history. Learn about the Spanish expeditions that took place nearby and the Native Americans and early pioneers who lived in the area. The surrounding Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area has trails through a Florida scrub habitat, a tropical hammock, and a mangrove swamp. An observation tower provides a bird’s eye view of a manatee refuge.

29 miles by car

Start your day with a ferry ride to the secluded shores of Honeymoon Island, where you can swim or fish to your heart’s content. In the afternoon, take another 20-minute ferry ride to Caladesi Island. (You’re practically guaranteed to see frolicking dolphins and plenty of shorebirds.) On Caladesi, make a beeline for the beach, where you’ll have plenty of space to spread out and enjoy the unobstructed views of the Gulf of Mexico, or rent a kayak and paddle around the mangrove trails that surround this secluded island. Cafes on both isles feature casual beach fare perfect for picnics.

56 miles by car

From the moment you drive up the main path to Bok Tower Gardens, a 250-acre garden and bird sanctuary in Lake Wales, Florida, the scent of citrus trees growing on both sides of the road envelops you. Designed by New York Central Park architect Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. in the 1920s, the main attraction is the neo-Gothic and art deco Singing Tower that houses a carillon made of 60 bronze bells ranging in weight from 16 pounds to nearly 12 tons. The instrument was designed and built in 1928 by John Taylor Bell Foundry, Ltd. Sit on one of the benches next to the Reflection Pool teeming with koi fish or set up a picnic on the grassy knoll with goodies from the Blue Palmetto Café. Either one is a perfect spot to take in the free bell concerts that play twice daily. A 1930s Mediterranean-style mansion known as the Pinewood Estate is open for tours, and a children’s garden called Hammock Hollow, with cool water features and a jungle gym, is perfect for families.

41 miles by car

Decades before the English colonized Jamestown and the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth, Spanish explorers founded St. Augustine, the oldest continuously occupied settlement of European and African American origin in the United States. Spend a day strolling the charming brick lanes of the historic district, where courtyard cafes like the Columbia are known for fresh, local seafood and Spanish-influenced cuisine. Visit quirky shops and galleries where you can see artisans making Spanish tiles by hand. Stop to explore Ponce de Leon's "Fountain of Youth" and the Oldest Wooden School House, then walk over to the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument. Standing proud between Matanzas Bay and the St. Augustine Inlet, this 17th-century Spanish fortress is the oldest masonry fort in the country.

For more information on planning your own family vacation, check out VISITFLORIDA.com.