Puff's Florida trip

[puff]

I probably foresee to prepare a Florida trip for next March.
If you have any good tips about interesting things to see in Florida, please let me know. I want to go to the UDT Museum in Fort Pierce but I'm not sure we go to visit Orlando or Miami. With my wife we prefer to visit national parks and natural landscapes than cities. But if there are some places we don't have to miss, please just let us know.
Do you know if it's possible to dive in this period? What is the T° of the water in the Gulf of Mexico on this period? Where is the better place to dive? It's a lot of questions but even some of you are residents of Florida I'm sure you can have more pertinents answers than the Lonely Planet guide! :wink:

This is a list of stuffs that could interesting us:
- Parks and natural landscapes,
- Good place to dive,
- Interesting history and military places,
- Unusual and "strange" places (not bizarre, please!) :lol:,
- Beautiful place / nice museums / Paint galleries / Architecture...

So you now much better what we are looking for. If someone could help us on this forum it will be glad. Many many thanks to you! :wink:

PS: Of course I will be very happy to meet some of you guys if your are on my road in Florida, drink a beer with you and talk about vintage diving for sure! ;D

[duckbill]

If you can make it about half way down the keys, Molasses reef in the John Pennekamp State Park is an excellent dive site. Google to find a current operator there.

My favorite place in the world is Gatorland Zoo just south of Orlando.....if you like alligators and crocodiles.
www.gatorland.com/

Everglades Alligator Farm in Homestead is probably the best and closest to Miami for an airboat ride into the everglades to see the wildlife.
www.everglades.com/

Then there is always the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral.

Florida is my favorite state. I would be there if it weren't for my family ties here in California. Too many people there now already (I keep telling myself that to feel better!).

[scubadiverbob]

I've only dove in Pensacola, FL; so, can't be of much help. I was on the USS Coral Sea CVA-43 when the USS Oriskany CVA-34 were both homeported in Alameda, CA and would like to dive it. She was only about 3/4th the size of the Coral Sea. Having been on a carrier, I'd really like to dive it. Nothing much to see beach diving in Pensacola; but, check this out:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Oriskany_(CV-34)

If you are limited on time the Florida Keys would be your best bet (except during Hurricane Season).