Today is the 12 day of 12 Days of giveaways of Christmas. Such an exciting time & meet such…read moreinteresting ppl. All the gifts were so amazing & useful. Thanks to all the people, volunteers, sponsors for this amazing event.

recently discovered this place I loved it. Attention the different events they do. Clean bathrooms…read moreand sooo mild hand soap. Be careful there is a playground and sometimes you can see a snake.

Originally, we road-tripped north almost 2 hours to experience a rare opportunity to swim amongst…read moremanatees in a natural setting. When we arrived we found out that the manatees had migrated away from the springs about 2.5 weeks ago. Disappointed we drove about 6 miles south and happened upon Homosassa Springs State Park, where they have 3 resident manatees that live in the springs year round. This small state park, was devastated by the hurricane several years ago. They have photos showing how high the waters were and many buildings are still closed. We had to wait for the tram to take us across the way to the park, they also have a boat to get there in a unique way. However, the water was too low to enjoy the boat ride. The park has about 3-4 manatees during the off season and you just have to look for them as they live in a natural setting. Eventually we found them a bit down river from the springs. Once in a while you'd see their nose pop up for air. They are such beautiful creatures. There is also a small zoo with a black bear, flamingoes, a white tailed deer, reptile case, an array of birds, and a variety of wild cats. They used to have a hippo but she died about 10 months ago. Definitely worth the $13 entry fee. It's a cute and well maintained park that is about at 75% of its operating capacity due to closed buildings that have not yet been renovated following Hurricane Milton. Although, we were disappointed to miss out on a once in a lifetime experience to *actually* swim amongst manatees, being able to see them in their natural habitat was truly special.

Even though Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park is still recovering from the…read moreimpacts of Hurricane Helene, our visit was outstanding and absolutely worth the stop. The staff and volunteers clearly care deeply about the park and its mission, and their dedication really shows. While a few areas are still in the process of being repaired, the park remains beautiful and full of life. The wildlife viewing opportunities are excellent, and the park does a wonderful job showcasing Florida's native species in a natural and respectful setting. Seeing the manatees up close was a highlight, and the underwater observatory provides a truly unique perspective you won't find in many places. What impressed us most was how well the park is being maintained despite the storm damage. Paths are clean, signage is clear, and the staff members we encountered were friendly, knowledgeable, and happy to answer questions. It's obvious that a lot of hard work is going into restoring everything while still making sure visitors have a great experience. If anything, visiting during this recovery period gives you an even greater appreciation for the park and the people who take care of it. Their resilience and commitment to conservation are inspiring. If you're traveling through the Homosassa area, this park is absolutely worth your time. It's a special place that celebrates Florida's wildlife and natural beauty, and we're already looking forward to coming back once the final restoration work is complete.

Be sure to make the Chamber of Commerce Visitors Center one of your first stops after finding…read moreparking on Dodecanese Blvd. The visitor center is small, with a maximum occupancy of about 6-guests. Yet, here you will find all the discounts, coupons, and information you need to make the best out of your time in Tarpon Springs. Traffic can get hectic by the afternoon, so definitely take the opportunity to use the restrooms before moving along. During our visit, we were lucky enough to meet Carol, a volunteer at the visitor center. Carol took the time to decipher the area map and lead us in the right direction for lunch (Thank you, Carol!). If you happen to be in the area, stop into the visitor center to take a break from the crowd. Inside, you will find friendly staff, valuable information, coupons and discounts for local businesses, and an area map to make the most of your time in Tarpon Springs!

This location is shaded by trees with lots of benches. It is great for people watching, though…read moredoesn't have traditional park play equipment. It reminds me more of a town square, versus park. The benches are old and could be refurbished. Despite that, it is still a great place to relax while shopping the Mount Dora Marketplace.

Christmas Lights Hopping is a must in Mt. Dora…read more Sunset Park is another must stop spot for this. This is where they put their huge Xmas tree. It's pretty nice. It's a block or two away from the Main Street Donnelly. It's also a block away from Lakeside Inn which is the historical inn with Lake Views for days. We go there for the sunset bc they have beach chairs right next to the water. Across the street is also a beautiful house with candy cane lights. I took a pic of tj at one too because u just can't miss it. This is a great central area! Check it out. There are also restrooms here for your convenience. Parking can be a challenge. Be patient or walkover. It's street and lot parking nearby. There are also cute shops around the corner as well!

Tried buying tickets to Disney and Universal through them. It's been 7 weeks, multiple phone calls,…read moreand multiple emails, where they either don't respond or promise to issue them in a few days or the following week. Weeks later and still no tickets. I'm reporting them for the fraud and scam that they are.

I had the pleasure of meeting Erika and Amanda at their booth this week at the Orange County…read moreConvention Center. I have attended trade shows for years here and have never taken advantage if this service, for sure "my bad"! These ladies rocked it, provided me a LOT of info and insight into Disney as well as making a great off-site lunch recommendation, The Hampton Social where we were pleasantly pleased with the food and service, spot on! I appreciated them, they loved what they do and here to help in any way they can - THANK YOU LADIES!

I'm thankful to have gone through the Visit Jax Tourism Ambassador training and the Visit Jax…read moreVolunteer training. Visit Jax is the main tourism agency marketing Jax. You can see them with a table set up at Yelp Events, SEYMOUR (the Visit Jax Van) can be found at Sip and Stroll, and the Visit Jax office is always open with some activities during Art Walk. I have completed a few Jax Ale Trail Passports and started the Coffee one. If you have any questions the Visit Jax app is extremely helpful. It even has the option to map out an itinerary for your trip.

I've lived here for over 10 years and my first time actually going to our visitor center was this…read moreyear. I did the coffee and donut trail on the Visit Jax app and went to collect my gifts for completion! I walked in and was in awe by all the information available, I already loved the app but actually seeing the center in person gave me a new appreciation for it!

This environmental center is a educational outreach project of the Florida Springs Institute. The…read moreenvironmental center features a manatee skeleton, a large case of fossils and artifacts found on the Santa Fe River, a fish tank featuring fish from area springs, a educational display from the Smithsonian's Waterways exhibit, a video library of springs films, a interactive map of Florida's Springs, and a small store featuring Florida Springs Institute Executive Director Bob Knight's book, shirts, cups, and springs art.

Small and friendly, has a good deal of displays and information in a small space. It's not going to…read moretake a great deal of time so do stop in. We are in the area for a week, mostly on account of the springs and didn't know the institute was here until we saw the big picture painted on the side of the building! We're glad we found it. Water is so crucial to Florida and it's good to know that people are working so hard to protect and preserve our most precious resource.

A place for…read more information. Most visitor center are pretty cool places. Usually very friendly and knowledgeable people and lots of maps and useful stuff. The New Smyrna Beach is no exception. A great place to find out just about anything you could possible want to know about the area. Lots of cool maps, zillions of brochures about the local attractions and tourist traps and even some books with coupons for the local restaurants. The folks working here were great. Very friendly, they acted like they were actually happy to see us walk in the door. They knew everything we could possible want to know and gave us useful information and not just official propaganda. We ended up staying longer than we expected because we were having such a great time talking to them. They even have a clean bathroom and some large screen TVs with the news and weather. Just about the perfect visitor center for anyone that wants some info about New Smyrna.

All visitor centers should model themselves after this one. To be so greeted so warmly and have…read morethe kind lady take the time to personalize an itinerary based on our interest was fantastic. Our "day trip" turned into 4 day trip. Thank you for helping us discover what makes New Smyrna so special! We will see you again in September.