5 Road Trip Adventures As Safe From Hurricanes As Possible In Florida

FLORIDA — An early start to the tropical storm season and predictions for a “supercharged hurricane season” in Florida this year don’t have to put the brakes on road trips in the Sunshine State.

Hurricane season typically runs from June through November, which doesn’t always jibe well with vacation and school schedules. No one can say with certainty these destinations will never see extreme weather, but they’re less likely to see hurricanes and tropical storms than places along the Atlantic Coast from the Keys to the Panhandle.

Here are five road trips to consider:

Swim Alongside Manatees

Head inland to central Florida to explore lush forests, wildlife reserves and shimmering lakes including Lakes Harris and Denham. On the west side, you’ll come to Crystal River, which is touted as the manatee capital of the world.

Every winter, upward of 1,000 manatees swim to the spring systems of Crystal River, Homosassa and other waters in Florida’s Citrus County that maintain a constant temperature between 72 and 74 degrees Fahrenheit. About 100 of the sea cows live in the waters year-round.

This critical habitat for manatees is one of the few places in the world to have an in-water experience of swimming alongside the gentle giants in their own natural environment — after a “manatee manners” session. To snorkel with manatees, head to Homoassa.

The final destination, Clearwater, has experienced high storm surge, but you’d have to go back a century to find a hurricane that made landfall in the Tampa Bay area. Clearwater’s beaches are legendary. A must-stop is Honeymoon Island State Park, where the sand dunes reach into the last remaining virgin slash pine forests, which shelter eagles, osprey, great horned owls, gopher tortoises, armadillos and other species.

Incidentally, the park got its name in 1939, when New York developer Clinton Washburn purchased the island and partnered with LIFE magazine in a contest among newlyweds for a two-week honeymoon in thatched bungalows.

A trip to Clearwater can be a typical beach experience was well, with plenty of opportunity for swimming, fishing and shelling.

If you have time, Honeymoon Island State Park offers ferry service to another unspoiled state park, Caladesi Island. Whether walking along the pristine beaches or taking a kayak trip through the bayside mangrove forest, it is an unforgettable experience that will leave visitors with a greater understanding of why homesteader Myrtle Scharrer Betz called this place “paradise” in her memoir of growing up on the barrier island.

Sail By Monkey Island

Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park is teeming with wildlife, including endangered and threatened species such as Florida panthers, red wolves, manatees and whopping cranes. The park also has more common and abundant species such as black bear, bobcat and alligator.

And, take a trip to a resort island on the Homosassa River and you may be able to see a species absolutely uncommon in Florida, spider monkeys — some of the best in the monkey world at climbing and swinging because of their extremely powerful tails. They use their tails as an extra appendage to move from tree to tree at very high speeds.

As the story goes, a scientist trying to perfect the polio vaccine in the mid-1900s brought spider monkeys from Africa and introduced them into a densely forested area near Miami for study. The clever monkeys were hard to control, frequently escaping and harassing tourists by getting in their cars, stealing their candy and biting them. To keep them out of mischief, they were banished to what is now known as Historic Monkey Island on the Homosassa River, which acts as a natural barrier because the monkeys “prefer not to swim.”

The semi-captive enclosures where the three remaining spider monkeys live include a lighthouse, jungle gym, swinging ropes, trees and a wooden house equipped with blankets and a heater. They are owned by the Homosassa Riverside Resort, which provides for their care, including daily meals of fresh green leafy vegetables, bananas, oranges, sweet potatoes and raw peanuts, along with monkey chow.

Plans are underway to make badly needed repairs to the hut where the monkeys shelter at night, along with improvements to the lighthouse and upgrading the island barrier.

The monkeys are visible from a boat or the resort grounds. Monkey Island is also visible from the public boat ramp next to resort properties. If you’re planning to go, take along your binoculars.

Travel Back To The 1950s

Palatka, nestled alongside St. Johns River about 30 miles west of St. Augustine, is a relatively low-risk city for hurricanes. The northeast Florida trail town is full of history, culture, and an abundance of parks and nature preserves for hiking, biking, and paddling.

The small town of about 10,570 boasts a downtown filled with independent shops and restaurants, including Angel’s Dining Car, the oldest diner in Florida. It’s a classic diner that looks a bit like a grounded submarine and has been in continuous operation since 1932. It’s such an icon that the current proprietors see themselves as caretakers more than owners.

The original neon sign that beckoned drivers to the diner, named for original owner Porter Angel, has been refurbished. The diner still employs car hops who will bring the meal to the curb, but table service is also available inside the air-conditioned diner. Visitors don’t enter a complete time machine, though. The jukebox inside isn’t dedicated solely to music from the 1950s diner era but includes records from throughout the decades.

At the picturesque Riverfront Park, visitors can fish from the pier, launch a kayak, stroll the waterfront walking trail, and see the city’s clock tower. The Palatka to St. Augustine State Trail, the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail, the St. Johns River Blueway, and the Bartram Trail offer a variety of recreational opportunities. The Rice Creek Conservation Area, which protects Rice Creek Swamp, offers hiking on the Florida National Scenic Trail, camping, biking, and wildlife viewing.

Visitors can learn more about the wetlands in the river system, pick up maps and catch special events at the St. Johns River Center. At Ravine Gardens State Park, visitors can see a unique geological feature of the area: two natural ravines as deep as 120 feet with a spring-fed creek that runs to the St. Johns River.

Spend The Weekend #Sanfording

Sanford, located about 30 miles north of Orlando at the head of the St. Johns River, is worth a detour for anyone heading to Walt Disney World. Or, skip Disney attractions altogether and dive right into Sanford’s historic downtown, which has a vibrant arts and culture scene and a reputation as an epic destination for foodies. Taking it all in is known as #Sanfording.

The town has attracted an impressive number of well-known chefs who have fallen in love with the area, according to tourism materials. If wine or a craft cocktail is more to your liking, you’re covered in Sanford.

For something out of the ordinary, set sail for lunch or dinner on the Rivership Barbara-Lee, the only authentic sternwheeler sailing the river. The St. Johns Rivership Co. presents fine cuisine and live entertainment as you observe the gorgeous landscape through the large windows in the climate-controlled dining room or on deck with a warm breeze.

Test your wits and have some fun at Escape Artists, a collection of immersive escape game rooms where participants must work together. Other stops include the Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, which has reptiles, amphibians, birds, cheeky monkeys, and giraffes, all in a lush, tropical setting.

The outdoors calls, too. The 1,600-acre Black Bear Wilderness Area offers a mosaic of habitat that supports a variety of wildlife such as the white-tailed deer, swallow-tailed kite and the Florida black bear. The trails are established on levees and stay dry most of the year but may experience significant flooding during the summer months.

Also, be sure to take a stroll along the Sanford RiverWalk, a 5-mile-long multi-use pedestrian trail on the southern shore of Lake Monroe. The project has received many awards, most notably the International Making Cities Livable award in 2009, for urban-designed trails.

Sanctuary In The Wild

If you’re seeking sanctuary, head to Ocala National Forest, one of Florida’s last remaining wild places. It offers a variety of landscapes, within its 383,220 acres, including highlands, coastal lowlands, swamps, springs, lakes and ponds.

With more than 700 lakes and rivers, Ocala National Forest is a travel destination in its own right, attracting visitors from around the world. It is a playground for swimming, fishing, snorkeling, canoeing and boating. A range of camping opportunities are available, from Civilian Conservation Corps cabins to campground and RV camping areas.

Be sure your itinerary includes Silver Glen Springs, a stunning natural treasure with clear, turquoise waters.

This is another place to see manatees, migratory birds and some of the world’s rarest plants, including some woody plant species found nowhere else on Earth.

It’s close to Ocala’s walkable downtown district, which has an array places to shop, eat, drink or see live music within a few square blocks. A gazebo at the downtown square — a large paved octagon with a starburst design surrounded by trees and grass — doubles as a stage for live performances.

As you’re strolling around Ocala’s downtown, take note of the 24 bronze plaques along the Walk of Champions that honor equine champions connected to the area. Known as the Horse Capital of the World, Ocala/Marion County is home to incredible horses and ponies, from thoroughbred champions to Welsh ponies and award-winning miniature horses.

5 FL Road Trips That Aren’t To Disney World

• St. Augustine To Cedar Key
• Key Largo To Key West
• Tallahassee To Pensacola
• See Florida’s Wild Horses
• A Florida Underground Vacation

Traveling outside of Florida? Check our more road trips on Patch.