Florida

Whether you want to ride a horse on Cape San Blas or sample a cultural buffet on South Beach, Florida's 825 miles of beaches are ranked among the best in the country for beauty, accessibility and facilities.

• The Maritime Heritage Trail in Biscayne National Park—shipwrecks for underwater explorers
• Zipline adventures that swing you over crocodiles, water and wetlands
• Florida Caverns State Park in Marianna
• The Salvador Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg.

Vizcaya, located in Miami, is a European-inspired estate with more than 10 acres of gardens, terraces and fountains overlooking Biscayne Bay. The museum’s 34 rooms are filled with antique furnishings and decorative arts spanning two millennia.

In Miami's South Beach, you can sip a martini under the stars while rubbing elbows with the stars.

Swimming with dolphins. Meeting Shamu (the orca whale) and Mickey Mouse. Channeling their inner wizard at Harry Potter’s Hogwarts. Disney, Universal, Sea World and LEGO LAND are playgrounds for the world’s children (and big kids, too).

The Overseas Highway to Key West is 125 miles of island hopping.

Florida's largest outlet centre, the 350-store Sawgrass Mills, is about 30 miles north of Miami. And Orlando has two huge shopping centres, both called Premium Outlets.

St. Augustine and Pensacola were the first American cities settled by Europeans—almost 500 years ago—but the first people arrived in the state in 12,000 B.C.

Oranges, of course. Visit a Florida Citrus Grove, tour a citrus plant and be sure to taste some Florida orange juice.

Florida's ocean water trickles inland, forming estuaries and coastal hammocks that beckon birders, kayakers and hikers. Swamps and forests greet outdoor enthusiasts with cycling trails, natural springs and campgrounds.