1. Arnold Palmer Invitational

• Best For: Diehard PGA Tour fans. Arnie's place, the Bay Hill Club & Lodge, hosts the spring tournament and will debut new course renovations in 2010.
• Tickets: You can buy one-day tickets or the King's Club package that allows you to rub shoulders with PGA's finest at the Palmer Pavilion, Clubhouse and MasterCard Club, plus a round of golf.
• Don't Miss: Tiger Woods is a regular at the invitational and will be defending champion, so chances of seeing the record-setting dynamo are pretty good.
• Sleep: The Loews Portofino Bay Hotel is just a short drive from the course. arnoldpalmerinvitational.com

2. Camp Mack's River Resort

• Best For: Folks who just want to fish. Far from city lights, this fish camp on the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes is where anglers come to relax and ? yep ? catch the big one. Rent a boat or bring your own because the largemouth bass definitely bite. Tournaments are held almost every week, and under the shade of twisted live oaks, anglers weigh their catch and mark it on the big board.
• Breakfast: Steps from the boat ramp, pick up the $5 fisherman's special ? bacon, eggs, grits and biscuits ? from Rosie's home- style kitchen stand and eat at nearby picnic tables.
• After Dark: The usual lies are told about the size of the catch around a 24-hour campfire or at the Liar's Lair Saloon, where cold beer and camaraderie go hand in hand.
• Sleep: A fashion statement of its own, the camp's Liar's Lodge recently renovated by the owners' wives has rustic hewn-wood dressers, beds and rocking chairs. Plaid quilts with fish-pattern patches add a splash of color. campmack.com

3. Crystal River

• Best For: Rekindling a love affair with nature. In one of the few Florida stretches void of urban spin, Citrus County on the Gulf of Mexico is ripe for outdoor activity.
• Best Time: Winter is when slews of the West Indian manatee return to the warmer waters of King's Bay. Dive in and frolic with rotund sea cows. On a Birds Underwater Manatee Tour, guests are filmed swimming and playing with the gentle creatures ? the CD wraps your memories.
• Best Eats: Riverside Crab House on the Homosassa River boasts a view of Monkey Island, where primates swing to their heart's content as diners chuckle at their antics. Share the captain's combo of fish dip, clam strips and grouper fingers.
• Fishing: The unique mineral content of the spring waters of the Homosassa River, which resembles minerals found in salt water, makes it home to both saltwater and freshwater fish.
• Sleep: For Southern hospitality in an antebellum-inspired hotel, book a room at the Plantation Inn & Golf Resort; then lounge on the water's edge as boat traffic glides by en route to the Crystal River. visitcitrus.com

4. Daytona Beach

• Best For: Music lovers who can't resist the sound of crashing waves. Peel away its reputation as a one-time party central. The area now attracts more refined visitors with its springtime biennial Daytona Beach International Festival (next festival is 2011). Here you'll score a chance to hear everything from jazz to bluegrass to classical, including performances by the London Symphony Orchestra.
• Sleep: Stay across the street from the music venues at the Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort. Reserve an oversized cabana suite with a private porch right on the sand.
• Best Eats: The resort's Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse has a seaside patio, serving warm ocean breezes with its filet mignon for a casual dining experience. daytonabeach.com

5. Downtown St. Petersburg

• Best For: Nostalgics who want to be close to the beach. The reborn Central Avenue strip buzzes with new galleries, home stores, antiques treasure troves and every kind of quaint little shop, but it's Friday night's hot spot ? the St. Pete Shuffleboard Club ? that draws the crowds with rousing games and a social spin.
• Don't Miss: The waterfront Salvador Dalí Museum, next door to USF-St. Petersburg, showcases 1,000-plus oils, watercolors, drawings, photos and sculptures crafted from the hands and mind of the famed Spanish surrealist. The hour-long free docent tour is peppered with details (Dalí painted his famous clock-melting picture in two hours).
• Sleep: Nestled in the historic Old Northeast neighborhood, the Dickens House Bed & Breakfast mixes Cracker-style ambience with a restored craftsman-like look. Proprietor Ed Caldwell surprises with his gourmet eggs Benedict. stpete.org, dickenshouse.com

6. Epcot International Food & Wine Festival

• Best For: Curious cultural foodies. With food and wine from 27 cities around the world, you could circle the festival twice and still miss something at this fall extravaganza.
• Learn: A Moët & Chandon seminar provides authentic tastings of the famous champagne while you trace the history of bubbles and socialize with guests.
• Sleep: Sail from Epcot aboard the Friendship II to the Swan and Dolphin hotel, where recently renovated rooms feature designer Michael Graves' contemporary touch. The hotel is also home to the seafood-centric Bluezoo. Order the signature Zooberry martini, made with blueberry-infused vodka, the clam-chowder appetizer and Chilean sea bass. waltdisneyworld.com

7. Flagler Beach

• Best For: An unhurried beach escape. Scenic and historic A1A Coastal Highway cuts right through this throwback to a midcentury beach town without condos or strip malls ? a rarity in Florida.
• Don't Miss: The tranquil six-mile beach (a mere three blocks from the Intracoastal Waterway) is where carefree romantics stroll while fishermen cast a line from the shore or pier, reeling in kings and jacks.
• Best Eats: The popular Golden Lion Cafe for fish and chips with Key-lime tartar sauce. Sit on the top deck for a spectacular view of the Atlantic Ocean.
• Sleep: White Orchid Inn & Spa, an exquisite art deco oceanfront B&B. flagleronline.com, whiteorchidinn.com

8. Spring Training Weekend

• Best For: Getting a jump-start on baseball season. The 150-mile sweep of I-75 between Tampa/Clearwater and Fort Myers becomes the Major League super highway when the boys of summer arrive in March. This is spring-training central, with seven major-league baseball teams playing in the sunshine. Smaller venues mean minor-league ticket prices; plus, you can take a dip in the Gulf after the game.
• Insider Tip: The closer the team gets to the series, the harder tickets are to come by, but many stadiums manage to release a handful on game day.
• Sports: Although teams may change, you can expect the Twins and Red Sox (Fort Myers), the Cincinnati Reds (Sarasota), the Rays (Charlotte County), the Pirates (Bradenton), the Yankees (Tampa) and the Phillies (Clearwater). floridaspringtraining.com

9. Lakeland

• Best For: Architecture buffs. No doubt this historic town's claim to fame is its Florida Southern College, the largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture in the world. Visit in late afternoon when the setting sun casts the buildings aglow and the eves and trellises scatter graphic shadows across the property. Downtown enjoys a quirky mix of locally owned shops featuring mostly antiques and collectibles.
• Sleep: The Terrace Hotel boasts exquisite plantation-style furnishings; its Terrace Grill is home to fresh, daily selections of quiche that lure locals on their lunch break. flsouthern.edu, terracehotel.com

10. Ocala

• Best For: Country-loving sophisticates. Undoubtedly, Ocala is horse country, but quaint B&Bs and Victorian homes surrounded by moss-draped live oaks attract weekenders who love all facets of country life.
• Play: Take a morning carriage ride past sprawling horse farms with Ocala Carriage & Tours. As you cover acres of verdant hills, thoroughbreds, quarter horses and even miniatures amble toward fences, inviting you to reach out and say hello. Make plans to visit during the equine event of the year, Horses in the Sun, a premier jumping competition held in winter.
• Don't Miss: The travertine-clad Appleton Museum contains some of the world's finest artwork: Le Jour des Morts by Pierre-Auguste Cot and the bronze Bodhisattva from the Ming Dynasty.
• Sleep: Seven Sisters, a 13-room gingerbread Victorian B&B, has a whimsical, cotton-candy ambience and surprisingly themed rooms. Africa, for example, features leopard-print drapes and tribal masks. Stay includes breakfast, afternoon tea and complimentary bikes.
• Best Eats: Horse & Hounds' tomato-dill soup and pecan-crusted grouper are scrumptious. ocalafl.org

11. Tampa's Cultural Arts District

• Best For: Artsy types. Take an all-in-one look at the Gulf coast's best contemporary art, musical performances and historic museums.
• Don't Miss: The Tampa Museum of Art unveils a fresh face and 66,000 additional square feet in April. It anchors an expanding art scene along the Hillsborough River that includes the new Glazer Children's Museum and the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, the South's busiest.
• Sleep: The InterContinental Hotel is right next door to Tampa's famed Westshore shopping mecca. Its rooftop pool offers a unique view of downtown, the bay and setting sun.
• Best Eats: Meat-and-potatoes types should check out Don Shula's Steakhouse. It holds open tryouts for its 48-ounce porterhouse club daily. tampamuseum.org, tampagov.net, intercontampa.com

12. Waldorf-Astoria, Orlando

• Best For: Park Avenue wannabes. The famed hotel makes its foray into Disney territory, though it's proximity to the parks is about the only thing the two have in common. From the signature Cartier clock to the eateries that have helped make it synonymous with gourmet cuisine ? Bull & Bear Steakhouse and Peacock Alley ? this sprawling property is one of the largest and finest here (Nov. 2009 opening).
• Don't Miss: Even the championship golf course and full-service spa have designer names attached (Rees Jones and Guerlain, respectively). waldorfastoriaorlando.com