Page 14 - Travel Guide to Florida 2020

WELCOME TO FLORIDA

YOUR ADVENTURE STARTS HERE

BY JEN KARETNICK

RULES OF THE ROAD

Florida is easy to explore by vehicle.
Bring your own or, if you’re at least
25, rent one. Visitors ages 16 and up
holding licenses from other states
or countries may drive in Florida.
Cash is no longer accepted on some
Florida toll roads. Purchase a
SunPass Mini Sticker transponder at
one of the more than 3,100 retail
locations for US$4.99 plus tax. A BISCAYNE BAY • VISIT FLORIDA/CARLTON WARD
minimum opening balance of
US$10 is required. Most rental cars lorida has exerted a magnetic pull on A BOUNTIFUL LAND
come with a SunPass. visitors for the past 500 years— The state flower is orange blossom, which is
Drivers and front-seat passen- F beginning with Juan Ponce de León. considered an exotic, albeit one that became
gers must wear seat belts. All St. Augustine, where he landed in 1513, extremely important to the region’s economy.
children under 18 are required to educates visitors and residents alike through Native to Southeast Asia, the orange tree is an
wear seat belts, regardless of where attractions, museums and festivals where re- evergreen shrub brought to the colony of
they are sitting. Children, three and enactors dress in historic garb and tell tales. In St. Augustine in 1565. The orange and its
younger, must be secured in a this charming town, it’s not unusual to have aromatic blossom, which connotes fertility
federally approved child-restraint breakfast in a café seated next to a "pirate." and good fortune, quickly became representa-
seat in the back seat; children, ages Ponce de León named what he saw "La tive of the area. Many towns such as Davie have
four and five, also must be in the Florida," or "place of flowers," because of the Orange Blossom Festivals. Today, Florida is the
back seat and secured by a child- lush landscape. Indeed, Florida has 300 largest producer of oranges in the U.S. As well,
restraint seat or a safety belt. native plants, ranging from the thorny sweet it is the third largest producer of honey which
Florida has strict drunk driving acacia to the wild azalea. is made by the bees that sip pollen from the
laws and texting while driving is The state lists an additional 1,300-plus fragrant blossoms.
illegal. Pedestrians always have the introduced exotics, many of them considered In fact, Florida depends on export crops as
right of way at crosswalks. And invasive. Others are housed in botanical diverse as sugar cane and tomatoes to survive,
remember, hot pavement acts like ice gardens, such as the renowned Fairchild while still leaving plenty of sweet corn and
when rain first hits it, so be cautious Tropical Botanic Garden in Coral Gables and green beans available for passersby to
driving during rain showers. the Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens purchase. Visitors are often amazed to find
in Sanford. farm stands and U-pick farms offering

12 2020 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA