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What do you imagine when you think of Florida? Is it the 825 miles of sun-kissed beaches or family-filled amusement parks? How about the art deco architecture or contemporary art scene? Or maybe it's the sprawling Everglades teeming with life or stone crab claws enjoyed al fresco by the shore. There's something for just about every visitor to love in the Sunshine State.
10Best enlisted a panel of our Florida Local Experts and travel writers to nominate their favorite state attractions, and our readers have been voting for their favorites for the past four weeks.
The top 10 winners in the category Best Florida Attraction are as follows:
- Gulf Islands National Seashore
- Clearwater Beach - Clearwater
- J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge - Sanibel
- Dry Tortugas National Park
- Crystal River Complex - Crystal River
- St. Augustine Historic District
- Universal Orlando Resort - Orlando
- Walt Disney World Resort - Orlando
- Bahia Honda State Park - Big Pine Key
- Kennedy Space Center - Cape Canaveral
A panel of experts partnered with 10Best editors to picked the initial 20 nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote. Experts Aimee Heckel, Charles McCool (McCoolTravel.com), Claudia Miller (KeysClaudia.com), Skye Rodgers, A.D. Thompson (www.amydrewthompson.com), Chelle Koster Walton and Amy West (amywesttravel.com) were chosen based on their knowledge and experience of travel in Florida.
Congratulations to all these winning attractions.
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About 10Best Readers' Choice Awards
Nominees are submitted by a panel of experts. 10Best editors narrow the field to select the final set of nominees for the Readers’ Choice Awards. Readers can vote once per category, per day. For any questions or comments, please read the FAQ or email USA TODAY 10Best.
The Experts
Aimee Heckel
Aimee Heckel’s passion for storytelling has... Read More
Aimee Heckel’s passion for storytelling has brought her around the world as a journalist, writing award-winning articles about Haiti and Uganda. Aimee studied international journalism at the University of Heidelberg in Germany, and she majored in journalism and German at Colorado State University. When she's not covering Colorado for Fodor’s Travel Guides and writing for SpaTravelGal.com, she travels and volunteers for Think Humanity, her family's nonprofit that helps refugees in Africa. Heckel also blogs for HuffPost Weird News and writes feature stories, a fashion column and fitness column for the Boulder Daily Camera in Colorado.
Aimee Heckel
Aimee Heckel’s passion for storytelling has brought her around the world as a journalist, writing award-winning articles about Haiti and Uganda. Aimee studied international journalism at the University of Heidelberg in Germany, and she majored in journalism and German at Colorado State University. When she's not covering Colorado for Fodor’s Travel Guides and writing for SpaTravelGal.com, she travels and volunteers for Think Humanity, her family's nonprofit that helps refugees in Africa. Heckel also blogs for HuffPost Weird News and writes feature stories, a fashion column and fitness column for the Boulder Daily Camera in Colorado.
Charles McCool
Charles McCool loves to find hidden gems, off the... Read More
Charles McCool loves to find hidden gems, off the beaten path places, and amazing local food and beverages. He runs McCoolTravel.com, which was recognized as the #2 online travel brand for audience engagement. He has taught people how to be happier travelers for over 25 years and is a member of Society of American Travel Writers (SATW). Join the McCool Travel family at Facebook, Flipboard, Instagram and Twitter.
Charles McCool
Charles McCool loves to find hidden gems, off the beaten path places, and amazing local food and beverages. He runs McCoolTravel.com, which was recognized as the #2 online travel brand for audience engagement. He has taught people how to be happier travelers for over 25 years and is a member of Society of American Travel Writers (SATW). Join the McCool Travel family at Facebook, Flipboard, Instagram and Twitter.
Claudia Miller
Claudia Miller has been writing about South... Read More
Claudia Miller has been writing about South Florida for over 17 years--seven from Key Largo. A budding photographer, she can usually be found stalking a sunset. Despite being a tad uncoordinated, she tries new adventures like parasailing for the sake of her readers. Passionate about sharing the Florida Keys, she hosts the monthly #flkeys Twitter chat and was the Keys Contributor for Florida Travel + Life magazine for six years. Other publications include: Keynoter, Key Largo Visitors Guide and Time Out Guide to Miami & the Florida Keys. Join Claudia as she plays tourist in her own backyard at KeysClaudia.com.
Claudia Miller
Claudia Miller has been writing about South Florida for over 17 years--seven from Key Largo. A budding photographer, she can usually be found stalking a sunset. Despite being a tad uncoordinated, she tries new adventures like parasailing for the sake of her readers. Passionate about sharing the Florida Keys, she hosts the monthly #flkeys Twitter chat and was the Keys Contributor for Florida Travel + Life magazine for six years. Other publications include: Keynoter, Key Largo Visitors Guide and Time Out Guide to Miami & the Florida Keys. Join Claudia as she plays tourist in her own backyard at KeysClaudia.com.
Skye Rodgers
Skye is a freelance writer that adopted Tampa as... Read More
Skye is a freelance writer that adopted Tampa as her hometown over a decade ago and never looked back. As a native of Canada, Skye has happily embraced the no snow climate, and in her spare time enjoys nothing more than basking on the white sand beaches of the Gulf with rum runner in hand. Living in such a dynamic and up-and-coming city as Tampa provides plenty to write about, and Skye spends much of her time exploring new attractions and discovering hidden treasures for her readers. You can connect with Skye via her Facebook page @BestofTampa.
Skye Rodgers
Skye is a freelance writer that adopted Tampa as her hometown over a decade ago and never looked back. As a native of Canada, Skye has happily embraced the no snow climate, and in her spare time enjoys nothing more than basking on the white sand beaches of the Gulf with rum runner in hand. Living in such a dynamic and up-and-coming city as Tampa provides plenty to write about, and Skye spends much of her time exploring new attractions and discovering hidden treasures for her readers. You can connect with Skye via her Facebook page @BestofTampa.
A.D. Thompson
Amy Drew has spent nearly three decades as a... Read More
Amy Drew has spent nearly three decades as a professional writer and roughly half her life as a Floridian. The words, she has found, come easier with bare feet and rum. A roller coaster enthusiast, A.D. readily admits there is fun amid the madness of the theme parks, but has found there is magic, as well, in the outer-lying reaches of Mickey’s long shadow. She is delighted to share with you the spoils of her adopted city. Visit her colorful compendium at www.amydrewthompson.com.
A.D. Thompson
Amy Drew has spent nearly three decades as a professional writer and roughly half her life as a Floridian. The words, she has found, come easier with bare feet and rum. A roller coaster enthusiast, A.D. readily admits there is fun amid the madness of the theme parks, but has found there is magic, as well, in the outer-lying reaches of Mickey’s long shadow. She is delighted to share with you the spoils of her adopted city. Visit her colorful compendium at www.amydrewthompson.com.
Chelle Koster Walton
Chelle Koster Walton – the Local Expert for... Read More
Chelle Koster Walton – the Local Expert for Naples, Florida and the Caribbean – has been covering the destination for 30 years. Her top-selling Sarasota, Sanibel Island, and Naples guidebook (Countryman Press) is in its sixth edition. She was contributing editor for Caribbean Travel & Life for 12 years and has written guidebooks on the Bahamas. A veteran travel writer, Chelle has published thousands of articles for Miami Herald, USA TODAY, Latitudes; has written/contributed to a dozen guidebooks, and produces travel shows for the local PBS station.
Chelle Koster Walton
Chelle Koster Walton – the Local Expert for Naples, Florida and the Caribbean – has been covering the destination for 30 years. Her top-selling Sarasota, Sanibel Island, and Naples guidebook (Countryman Press) is in its sixth edition. She was contributing editor for Caribbean Travel & Life for 12 years and has written guidebooks on the Bahamas. A veteran travel writer, Chelle has published thousands of articles for Miami Herald, USA TODAY, Latitudes; has written/contributed to a dozen guidebooks, and produces travel shows for the local PBS station.
Amy West
Jacksonville, FL based Amy West is the creator of Read More
Jacksonville, FL based Amy West is the creator of amywesttravel.com, a travel and lifestyle brand including TV show "Like Love Want Need". New Zealand, China, Malta, Germany, and Brazil all find pins on Amy’s world map amongst other exotic destinations she's visited. Amy regularly appears as a guest on several media outlets including WJXT News 4 Jax, Daytime Talk Show "The Chat", NPR Radio show “First Coast Connect”, and Jax Moms Blog. Look for Amy on "Amy West Travel the Blog" where she posts reviews on her exciting adventures.
Amy West
Jacksonville, FL based Amy West is the creator of amywesttravel.com, a travel and lifestyle brand including TV show "Like Love Want Need". New Zealand, China, Malta, Germany, and Brazil all find pins on Amy’s world map amongst other exotic destinations she's visited. Amy regularly appears as a guest on several media outlets including WJXT News 4 Jax, Daytime Talk Show "The Chat", NPR Radio show “First Coast Connect”, and Jax Moms Blog. Look for Amy on "Amy West Travel the Blog" where she posts reviews on her exciting adventures.