I aged in reverse immediately after drinking a small sip. It tastes terrible but the experience was…read moreworth more than 5 stars!

This gets five stars for being one of the strangest finds on my travels. Ever since Ponce de Leon…read moreset out to find the fabled Fountain of Youth 500 years ago, Florida has been awash in dozens of bodies of water that claim to be the fabled waters. The people of Punta Gorda think they have the right artesian well. In 1926 the residents raised enough money to build a fountain to tap into the aquifer below it. The green tiled fountain has tiles of ships on all four sides in honor of Ponce de Leon. For years people drank from the fountain and regaled each other with tales of the waters healing properties. In its prime the tap on the fountain had to be replaced every six months because it kept wearing out. The same water was used to fill the pool at the Hotel Punta Gorda. In 1974 Congress passed the Clean Water Act. In the 1980's the EPA finally got around to testing the fountain and found that the water was contaminated. Artesian water is low oxygen which brings out the radon. After determining that the water was radioactive officials tried to shut the fountain down but were stymied by the resistance of local residents. The radium limit on water is 5 picoCuries per liter and the water in the fountain was almost twice that, clocking in at 9.2 picoCuries per liter. The water is also high in magnesium which is good for your health and is a mineral many people are deficient in and in sulfur which makes it smell like rotten eggs. The health department slapped a warning on the side of the fountain and things have been pretty quiet for the past 15 years although some people still show up with empty gallon jugs to take the water with them. The radioactivity and smell was enough to deter me from trying the water.

Continuing on with the mural tour is another favorite, Slice of Happiness. It is the newest mural…read moreto downtown and it was commissioned by the Lake Wales Main Street, Inc. and sponsored by Florida Natural's Growers and its Members, and The Ellis Family. The mural is 25 feet x 97 feet. It is the work of native Lakeland artist Gillian Fazio. Fazio received her Bachelors' Degree in Fine Art from the University of Florida in the Spring of 2017. About the mural Fazio has said "the butterflies reference a re-birth and new life. The mural is a nice indicator of what is happening in downtown Lake Wales. Kudos to Lake Wales Main Street and the community leaders for investing in downtown. The mural is an indicator that there are awesome things coming to Lake Wales." Slice of Happiness features Florida oranges and Fazio's signature butterflies. The mural fits in with Lake Wales theme, a city in a garden. I love the subject and bright colors. It makes the perfect backdrop for photos.

Beautiful mural that you can't miss if you're visiting Lake Wales. It really captures the Florida…read morevibes and makes for a great Insta shot. We had bookmarked it and were in the process of looking around for it, when we just walked right by. It's hard to miss if you just wander around the small downtown area for a bit. I love seeing public art like this all over Florida!

Nothing special. I thought it was going to be slightly more exciting, your car just rolls…read moredownward... because you're on a hill. That's pretty much it. It's quick and a bit underwhelming, but the town's backstory is kind of cool and it's free, so why not check it out if you're already nearby

Found this randomly whilst looking at the historical part near and it thought it was such a cool…read morespot for a picture. The whole theme behind this hill is also pretty cool. We obviously did what the sign told us to do which was let the car go backwards on its own and it was super fun!

Ok, it is very small. I'd say about 10 booths total. There were 2 food /bev trucks. Parking is free…read moreand i felt it was worth the trip to check it out. There was live music there that was nice. If you like kitschy retro stuff, you will enjoy this. They had damn good avocado toast for $4... boba horchata drink was $5 ( I'd say it was 32oz. Huge). Outside the booths were nicely priced. There is a bldg next door that sold cute retro old stuff ... pricy af. But the fair had a unite a friendly cheerful group of vendors. Someone selling cute art stationary, Honey booth , The Darling Market sold some attractive clothing (new/modern) . A gentleman there sold lovely wooden kitchen spoons. The retro booths had the best nicest retro clothes . Such colors and styles. Very cool. Also sold retro basket handbags, retro sugar/flower containers, precious little vases that made me giddy. (Pardon me!) generally speaking there wasn't much for guys here except some grub & bevs & music. 35 minutes well spent.

If you watched the ABC Christmas Light Fight competition, this one just at the Bay Area. You can…read morecheck yourself about their light show. It is combination of the neighborhood to put up the entire neighborhood. I would said it it is a three houses combination to show that much of light. Even the music is synchronized among the three houses. The show said two house combine light. I think this is three house job. The light extended to the roof. I hope one day they can convince the entire neighborhood to do it. I like the music play and light are dancing. The dance with sequence with three houses combine are amazing. I have seen nothing like this. The light extended to the trees, roof and the ground cover. They have laser light shooting to the floor. Make this a party place.

Truly spectacular! As soon as I found out about these houses in Riverview, I knew I had to go. It…read moreis two houses next door to each other. They started their lights in the Fall, but as soon as the hurricane started coming. They had to take them down and start again. There is so many lights and so much action and music. It's amazing and a must see! Glad I was able to check it out!

Barrier Island Sanctuary is located inside the Archie Carr National Refuge which was established by…read moreCongress in 1989 to protect sea turtles that are threatened with extinction throughout the world. Archie Carr was a graduate professor of ecology and an award winning author of natural history books and articles. In 1959 Dr. Carr founded the nonprofit Caribbean Conservation Corporation to study and protect sea turtles and their habitats. In honor of his contributions to the study of sea turtles, this refuge was named in his honor. The refuge includes 20.5 miles of beach that is home to the most important sea turtle nesting habitat in the United States. More loggerheads nest within the Carr Refuge than anywhere else in the Western Hemisphere. There has also been a significant increase in green turtle and leatherback nesting. The protection that this beach provides is essential to the survival and recovery of these three species. Barrier Island Sanctuary is 34 acres of the Archie Carr National Refuge. In April of 2005 it was renamed Doc Ehrhart Sanctuary in honor of Dr. LLewellyn "Doc" Ehrhart. Doc Ehrhart and his team were instrumental in collecting sea turtle nesting data for the designation of nesting beaches in the Archie Carr Refuge. One if the highlights for visitors to Barrier Island Sanctuary is the Barrier Island Center which is the primary visitor and education center for the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge. The center has interactive exhibits, an auditorium, gift shop, classroom, and observation deck. Some of the programs held here include summer camps, turtle walks, and special events. Barrier Island Sanctuary also has a nature trail and beach access. This park is a stop on the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail, a network of more than 500 premier wildlife viewing sites across the state. The coolest thing happened as I was leaving. A bobcat ran out from this park and crossed the street before disappearing into the undergrowth. A boardwalk connects Barrier Island Sanctuary to Bonsteel Park. Even if the gate to the parking at Barrier Island Sanctuary is closed you can still walk over from Bonsteel Park and see the outdoor exhibits as I did or possibly even catch sight of a sea turtle.

Small sanctuary, but some nice, educational displays. They do have a boardwalk walkway, and very…read moreshort hiking trail. Unfortunately, we didn't see any wildlife the day we went, but we still had a good time. It's free to wander, but I bought some things for my grandbabies at the gift shop (hoping to support the cause a bit) It's worth a stop if you're in the area.

The Bowling Ball House in Safety Harbor is one of the wildest, most chaotic, and unforgettable…read morethings you'll ever come across hands down a five-star experience just for the sheer creativity and madness of it. This place is packed with personality from every angle. Bowling balls are everywhere stacked, lined, and worked into the yard in ways that make you stop and stare. It feels like someone took a simple idea and just ran completely wild with it in the best way possible. Then you start noticing all the unexpected details: random statues scattered throughout the property, SpongeBob characters popping up in places you wouldn't expect, and CDs hanging from strings that catch the light and move with the breeze. It's like stepping into a fully DIY art installation where anything goes and more is more. What makes it so great is that nothing about it feels normal or restrained. It's loud, weird, colorful, and totally unique. Every time you look around, you notice something you didn't see before, which makes it feel like the house keeps changing as you explore it. Overall, the Bowling Ball House is pure creative chaos in the best way possible. It's fun, bizarre, and completely unforgettable a true local landmark that proves art doesn't have to make sense to be amazing.

Like stepping back in time. Being in the Hippy era. Cool house and decorations. Bowling balls,…read moremermaid, lots of decorations on the trees. Great for taking pictures. We didn't know you could go inside but someone later told us you could. Not sure but I bet it would be cool.

During my travels I have visited a lot of Veteran Memorials but this is the first war dog memorial…read morethat I have found. This memorial is located in front of the Avon Park Community Center and it was dedicated on November 9, 2018. It was donated to the City of Avon Park by the Battle of the Bands and the Loyal Order of the Moose. The Battle of the Bands is an organization created on February 15, 2005 in order to create an annual display that honors veterans on Main Street every holiday season. The monument features a 5 foot tall soldier, German shepherds, collies, and other breeds of dogs. At night the memorial is lit up. As a huge dog lover this memorial instantly caught my attention. It not only recognizes how dogs have served in combat but also how they have offered emotional therapy and support to our soldiers. I love this touching tribute to mans best friend.

I am so ashamed and triple embarrassed! OMG Steven B, what did you do?…read more I've lived in this teeny tiny town for five years and I'm a lifelong dog lover and I've been a member of the Loyal Order of Moose for many years. I've driven by this wonderful memorial maybe a thousand times and for some strange reason it's never "clicked!" Along comes my good Yelp friend https://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=lvthTfCQGD0qaEk6jCdRdQ from considerably out of town and she writes the very first review! I am so ashamed! Thank you, Ariel W., for bringing me to my senses. This is an awesome and well-deserved memorial for our four-legged friends that is co-sponsored by the local Moose Lodge. War Dogs have helped humans for hundreds of years, saved countless lives and provided much needed emotional support to our soldiers. The memorial is very nicely done in bronze. I've stopped by twice now and I'm not ashamed to say that I've shed a tear or two!

The River District in downtown Fort Myers has an old southern town comfort feel. Kinda like a one…read morecop town with a heavy artsy historic influence. My visit to this area (on First Street) I came here with a buddy and went to the Ford's Garage restaurant which was a perfect addition to the district with it's 1920s theme. This River District is an easy walkable area with corporate businesses, arts & cultural and restaurants.

We love Fort Myers. It is where you go when you want to live a college lifestyle again. Great…read moremusic, friendly people, reasonable parking rates. Constant events especially by the waterfront.

Historic Cocoa Village is a fantastic place to spend a wonderful day and evening for everyone in…read morethe entire family. At Cocoa Village they have several places to shop and also several places enjoy a nice meal. They have a lovely park, collectors shops, and antique shops, coffee shops and ice cream parlors. At times they have live music playing at Cocoa Village, and you can even enjoy a nice rooftop dinner with a view of the water here at Ryan's Village Pizza & Pub.

If you're visiting the cape, this area is a must. They have a lot of quaint antique shops, a…read morebeautiful park on the water, tons of mom and pop restaurants. We spent the day bar hoping on foot and even got tattoos. Such a nice/safe area for a day date.