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Shark

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People hire fishing guides simply because these seasoned fishermen know where the fish are biting. And so when Captain Ricky Stanczyk, who grew up on Islamorada, offered to take me into the backcountry—25 miles into the Florida Bay—to fish I put on my vented shirt with a tarpon embroidered over the pocket and polarized sunglasses and met him at the crack of dawn at Bud  N’ Mary’s Marina.

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Tags: fishing | fishing guides | Florida Keys | Islamorada | Ricky Stanczyk

Expedition Florida 500

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One man. One board. One year. Expedition Florida 500 is real-life survival mixed in with ocean adventures and Florida history.

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Tags: Atlantic Coast | beach | Everglades | Gulf Coast | paddle boarding | Viva Florida 500

Kristie Thomas, shows off her Key lime truffles
at Key Largo Chocolates in the Florida Keys.
Photo by Claudia Miller

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Chocolate nirvana is hidden in a small pastel building on Highway U.S. 1 at the top of the Florida Keys. As a serious chocophile, I felt like I had won the golden ticket when I opened the door to Key Largo Chocolates and inhaled the intoxicating aromas emanating from their kitchen.

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Tags: chocolate | Christmas | Florida Keys | food | Holidays | Key Largo | Key Largo Chocolates | Shopping

Dade's Battle Reenactment

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Photo by: Florida State Parks

The Dade's Battle Reenactment returns to Bushnell on Jan. 5 and 6. The event marks the Second Seminole War battle, where Seminole Indians fought U.S. soldiers under the command of Maj. Francis L. Dade on Dec. 28, 1835. But the state park that hosts the event is a great place for nature fans to visit any time of the year. Find out why.

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Tags: Bushnell | Florida History | Sumter County | Viva Florida 500