Florida is a state full of adventures. The Sunshine State has sunshine, beaches, and Disney. It also has a clowder of six-toed cats at Ernest Hemingway’s home in Key West, a sinkhole to snorkel in in Williston, and a bar where you can sip something cold on the Florida-Alabama border.

This is the place where the world vacations. Join Floridian and author Kristen Hare to try a new beach, bar, or spot to shop for treasures, and don’t let the tourists have all the fun. Hare will be exploring our beautiful state at Tombolo Books with fellow local author Craig Pittman!

Brunch with mermaids at a historic hotel in Fort Lauderdale. Hunt for ghosts in Saint Augustine. Kayak through bioluminescent waters in a river on the Space Coast. Visit a house that breathes in Bartow. Shop for something special at a place devoted to documenting the legendary skunk ape in Ochopee. Explore the history of the circus in Sarasota and the people who ran it outside of Gibsonton. Sip a cafecito in Miami’s Little Havana and then learn to salsa on South Beach. And ride a school-bus-turned-monster-truck in Clermont after visiting a collection of wax presidents.

Kristen Hare was only supposed to live in Florida for one year. But soon after moving to the Tampa area from Missouri, she and her family knew they’d found home. Kristen is the author of three editions of 100 Things to Do in Tampa Bay Before You Die and Hotels, Motels, and Inns of Florida: Historic and Beloved Places to Stay in the Sunshine State. Kristen works as the director of craft and local news at the Poynter Institute. She’s also the mom of two teenagers who have joined her on many of her adventures, and the wife of an understanding guy who is always ready to try another restaurant.

Craig Pittman is a native Floridian and an award-winning journalist. He wrote for the Tampa Bay Times for 30 years and now writes for the Florida Phoenix. He is the author of several books, including the New York Times bestseller Oh, Florida! How America’s Weirdest State Influences the Rest of the Country; The State You’re In: Florida Men, Florida Women, and Other Wildlife; and The Scent of Scandal: Greed, Betrayal, and the World’s Most Beautiful Orchid. He is cohost of the Welcome to Florida podcast. Pittman was named a Florida Literary Legend by the Florida Heritage Book Festival in 2020.