Page 20 - Travel Guide to Florida 2020

HISTORY

its own historical park for a peek back in Space Center Visitor Complex allows guests WEST CENTRAL
time, as well as an ancient Native American to experience the glory years of the U.S. Located in Tampa’s Channelside District, the
attraction, the Madira Bickel Mound State space program. Tampa Bay History Center houses 60,000
Archaeological Site. Located on the U.S. Air Force Base is the square feet of exhibits that link the region’s
Farther north in Sarasota, The Ringling is historic Cape Canaveral Lighthouse; be sure modern culture with sports legends, railroad
a standing legacy to the rich history of the to check tour information before planning tycoons, cattle drives, pioneers, Spanish
American circus and houses a wealth of your trip. conquistadors and Florida’s first Native
circus artifacts, including the world’s To the north, the Ponce de Leon Inlet inhabitants. From the museum, it’s a short
largest miniature circus. Surrounding Lighthouse & Museum, Florida’s tallest, drive to Ybor City, known as Tampa’s Latin
gardens feature an extensive variety of guards the waterway at the southern end of Quarter for more than a century. Visitors can
native and exotic trees, as well as the oldest the Daytona Beach area. enjoy Cuban coffee and cigars and dance to
rose garden in Florida, founded by Mable Latin rhythms.
Ringling. Next door, the historic Asolo CENTRAL To the west in St. Petersburg Beach, the
Repertory Theatre is an active performance For a survey of Central Florida’s fascinating Don CeSar Hotel is known as “Florida’s Pink
space, presenting the best in theater, music, past, visit the Orange County Regional Castle” since it opened in 1928. Another
dance and film. History Center in Orlando to view exhibits Florida treasure is Tarpon Springs, where
such as a “cracker cabin,” a typical pioneer visitors can tour the historical sponge diving
CENTRAL EAST home from the 1800s. docks and sample Greek food at numerous
In 1949, Cape Canaveral became a test site One of Florida’s leading African Ameri- restaurants.
for the U.S. missile program. A decade later, cans was Zora Neale Hurston, a prominent
th
the Cocoa Beach-Titusville area was the 20 -century author whose works influen- NORTHWEST
heart of the nation’s space program, ced such writers as Toni Morrison and Ralph One of the nation’s oldest cities on the Gulf
including Apollo 11, the 1969 mission that Ellison. An annual festival in Eatonville Coast, Pensacola has flourished under
carried astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz celebrates her life and recognizes her contri- Spanish, French, British, Confederate and
Aldrin to the moon. Now, the Kennedy butions to literature. U.S. rule, and today is known as the “city of

BRADLEY’S COUNTRY STORE, TALLAHASSEE • VISIT TALLAHASSEE

18 2020 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA