Visit Goofy Golf, Florida's coolest miniature golf course. Explore Gatorama, home to the state's largest captive croc, Goliath. See Orange World, the 62-foot-tall orange-shaped fruit stand. The author of Roadside New Jersey goes south to explore the outrageous roadside attractions that have come to define the Sunshine State in this fun, full-color book. Experience the best Florida has to offer.

Walt Disney World, the moon landing, shark attacks these are things the average person readily associates with Florida, but geology . . . ? Not so much. Roadside Geology of Florida is fixing to change that. From the panhandle through the Central Lakes District all the way to the Dry Tortugas, authors Bryan, Scott, and Means lead you through a world of cavernous limestone, roiling springheads, and rock strata containing the remains of some of the strangest animals that ever walked the Earth. The latest in this one-of-a-kind series, the Roadside Geology of Florida is divided into five regions, following Florida's roads to its geological wonders. Along the roads you'll encounter a sinkhole that swallowed several buildings in Winter Park; sand dunes stranded high and dry with no shoreline in sight; and Titanis walleri, a 6-foot-tall, predatory flightless bird. With its concise descriptions, clearly written explanations, and voluminous color photographs and illustrations, this book will enthrall readers as they tour the Sunshine State, which, by the way, is the most recent addition to the North American continent.

How often have you been driving, say on a cross-country trip, and have flashed by a sign that says, "Historical Marker, 1 mile?" How often have you stopped to read the sign? How often have you wondered what you would have discovered if you had stopped? Well, if you're like me, the answers are: often, almost never, and almost always. There never seems to be time, the markers, although announced, can be hard to find, and then there's the question of where to park and how to get from the car to the marker and back safely. One doubts that it's worthwhile. But yet there's that nagging feeling that maybe it would be fascinating. This book is a sampling of two hundred eighty four of the thousands of real-life historical markers that exist on our roads and highways. Each is accompanied by detailed location information and by an expansion of the often-brief inscription. Writing it satisfied my curiosity. It's very likely it will satisfy yours too.

Author Heather Leigh guides readers on a spine-tingling tour through Florida's haunted roadside attractions. Florida roadways teem with amusements designed to extract a few bucks from weary travelers passing through. While most visitations are brief, some are eternal. Indeed, many of these Sunshine State amusements are inhabited by spirits who make their presence known. Blue beams ensnare tourists at the UFO Mecca that is Shoreline Park in Gulf Breeze. A bevy of specters can't stop performing for guests at the Ringling Brothers Museum in Sarasota. Visitors to the are advised to be on their best behavior when they happen upon the infamous haunted doll at the East Martello Museum in Key West--the doll, Robert, is known to bring misfortune to those who disrespect him.

Provides an entertaining history of one of Florida's oldest roadside attractions, Weeki Wachee Spring and its performing mermaids, that ranges from its development in 1947 to the present day, bringing together extensive archival research and interviews with dozens of mermaids and other park employees with 250 black-and-white and color photographs.

Hit the open road for fun and wackiness as the Butkos visit offbeat attractions from coast to coast--dinosaur parks, miniature golf courses, populuxe motels, vintage amusement arcades, classic diners illuminated in neon, and even the world's largest ball of twine. More than fifty fellow authors and artists offer stories about their favorite attractions or recall memorable trips. Visitor information is included to help plan quick visits or an entire road trip.

In the 1930s, the Federal Writers' Project paid Stetson Kennedy and Zora Neale Hurston, along with other lesser-known writers, to create driving tours of Florida. The FWP and the State of Florida jointly published the results as Florida: A Guide to the Southernmost State. In Backroads of Paradise, Cathy Salustri retraces the routes these writers traveled, bringing a modern eye to the historic tours.

If you're in Nashville or Austin or Mobile and you have the urge to see something strange, connoisseur of the offbeat Kelly Kazek has you covered. Cruise the South, from Louisville's enormous collection of the world's largest things to Miami's Burger Museum to Odessa's Stonehenge replica. If you're around Hot Springs, Arkansas, you might want to bop into the Alligator Farm and Petting Zoo to see where Babe Ruth's first five-hundred-foot homer came crashing down. And if you're looking to make contact with the unusual, why not visit the UFO Welcome Center in Bowman, South Carolina? Wherever you are in the South, there's something strange or stupendous nearby, and this catalogue of noteworthy curiosities and significant landmarks makes sure you don't miss a thing.