‘Tis the season to spend time outdoors, at least if you live in or visit sunny Florida. The temperatures may be dropping into the 50s and 60s, but that’s a great time to embark on a hike or head out on a camping trip.
From Florida State parks to an adrenaline-pumping attraction and a coffee table art book, there are Florida-centric gifts suitable for the explorer in your life. Here are a few ideas.
Florida State Parks annual pass
For the experienced or aspiring outdoorsman or woman in your life, give the gift of a Florida State Parks annual pass. An individual pass costs $60 per year plus tax, while a family membership costs $120 plus tax and grants day-use entry for up to eight people. With such an all-access pass, Florida is your oyster.
With 175 destinations to visit from the Panhandle down to the Florida Keys, the Florida State Parks system contains myriad natural wonders of all kinds.
Visit a historic make-your-own-pancake restaurant at De Leon Springs State Park. On chilly mornings, gaze in awe at manatees congregating in the waters of Blue Spring State Park. Venture out on a glass-bottom boat tour at Silver Springs State Park or take in the majestic night sky at Kissimmee Prairie Preserve, a certified dark sky park. In the Panhandle, one state park features a cascading waterfall while another holds caves that can be explored on a tour.
More information: floridastateparks.org
Tank America gift card
There’s a place in Orlando you can drive a tank — as in the kind that would be used by the military in war zones. Read that again. I repeat: This is not a drill.
Tank America aims to give visitors the experience of a lifetime or help tourists cross off what they might consider a bucket-list item. Visitors can get behind the controls of a 17-ton FV433 Abbot tank and take two laps around a half-mile trail. Upgrades include a mud hole add-on, a chance to drive a tank from inside “locked up” and the opportunity to crush a car.
Experiences start at $299, but gift cards are also available. It’s possible to support a family member or friend with their tank-driving dreams without completely draining your own wallet.
More information: tankamerica.com
The Great American Paint In book
Amid the trials and tribulations presented by the COVID-19 pandemic felt worldwide, American artists found themselves with time to paint, space to focus and perspective to share when looking inward and outward.
The viewpoints of nearly 200 creators from all 50 states are shared in visual works culled together in one large coffee-table art book, “The Great American Paint In.” The project was conceived and curated by Wekiva Island owner Bill Weinaug and his daughter, Ashley.
Each of the book’s chapters focuses on a different theme, such as “people,” “beaches,” “flowers,” “still life” and “architecture.” Some works comment on the strange times we all lived through, but many works convey a feeling of calm despite global turmoil as painters sought solace in natural scenes.
The book retails for $50 and is available from sellers including Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Due to demand upon the book’s release, it may be available from some but not other retailers.
More information: accartbooks.com or gallerycero.com
