While living in Sarasota, we’ve made it a point to explore what Florida has to offer. After three years here, we realize that there’s more to see than beaches and theme parks.

We’ve already seen the big attractions like Disney World and SeaWorld, so now, between trips to other countries, we’re focusing on sights closer to home. Before we eventually leave Florida, we want to visit places that don’t make the top ten lists.

This blog is about some of the small adventures we’ve had in the last three months. Low-key trips and hidden gems proving we don’t have to go far to find something new.

November – Wat Mongkolratanaram Buddhist Temple

Wat Mongkolratanaram Buddhist Temple, often just called the “Thai Temple” by locals, has been in Tampa since 1981. A monk, Phra Mongkolthep Moli, visited and helped bring local Buddhists together.

The Temple started as a place for worship and became a cultural and community hub, where people could practice Buddhism, celebrate Thai traditions, and support one another. Today, it feels like a welcoming place that offers a small glimpse into Thai culture in the middle of Florida.

One of the most intriguing parts of visiting Wat Mongkolratanaram is the open-air Thai brunch. The temple has been hosting its Sunday market for about 30 years, and what started as just two tables has grown into dozens of vendors selling authentic Thai food, orchids, and all kinds of treats. The temple grounds are the perfect location for it all, with hundreds of visitors every Sunday.

Vendors line up along a covered porch, each selling their own specialties. Some of the hot food stands, fried bananas, pad Thai, guiteow (a beef or pork noodle soup), draw long lines, while others offering mango sticky rice, spring rolls, or Thai desserts have no wait at all.

It’s common to see groups split up to tackle different lines, then regroup at one of the picnic tables scattered in the shade of live oak trees. Diners share meals straight from take-out containers passed around like a family-style feast.

The food is tasty, unique, and affordable, but what really makes the experience special is the setting. With its multiple-tiered roofs and ornate gold trim, the temple instantly transports you somewhere else. Even if you’ve never been to Thailand, it feels like you’ve stepped into a place far removed from everyday Florida.

Towering live oak trees cover the grounds, draped in Spanish moss. The temple community has added to the beauty with dozens of orchids, creating a space that feels peaceful and alive at the same time.

December – Glamping in the Everglades

We’ve been to the Everglades a few times before, doing the classic tourist stuff—airboat rides, alligator tours, and the usual highlights. But this time, we wanted something different. We wanted to get deeper into it, to experience the Everglades in a way that felt quieter and a little more immersive.

So, we drove to Everglades National Park, all the way down to the very southern end of the state.

This part of the park feels remote but beautiful. There are campsites, a marina, a small hotel built from stacked cargo containers, a restaurant, and a visitor center—all clustered together in the middle of this vast, wild landscape.

Instead of a traditional campsite, we stayed in an ECO Tent, which felt like a safari tent. It had a wooden floor, real beds, electricity, a fan, and even a couple of small chairs—just enough comfort without losing that “we’re really out here” feeling. The tents sit on raised platforms and are only accessible by wooden boardwalks, which makes the whole place feel tucked into the environment rather than dropped on top of it.

When we stepped onto the boardwalk, it felt like we’d finally reached the heart of the Everglades.

When we weren’t hanging out in the tent, we were out on the water—kayaking into the bay and winding through the quiet backwaters. We hoped to hike too, but learned that most of the trails were flooded and inaccessible.

Cooking our meals turned out to be more effort than we expected. With the soggy ground surrounding our campsite, we had to haul our supplies to dry ground just to prepare food. After one meal, we decided we’d earned a break and shifted to the restaurant for the rest of our stay.

Most visitors and hotel guests were there for fishing, and the marina provided everything they needed. I’m sure there were many tall tales told in the restaurant and marina.

January – Bok Tower Garden and Kennedy Space Center

We planned a two-day trip to the Kennedy Space Center on the east coast of Florida. But first, we headed to the Bok Tower Gardens, which was on the way. We thought we would spend an hour or two and then head to KPS, another 1 ½ hour drive. We didn’t rush into the day, and honestly, Bok Tower Gardens turned out to be the perfect place for that kind of mood. The drive out to Lake Wales felt longer than expected, but once we arrived, everything immediately slowed down, in a good way.

Bok Tower Gardens is a big, peaceful garden and bird sanctuary—about 250 acres—sitting on top of Iron Mountain just north of Lake Wales. Created in the 1920s by Edward W. Bok, and it’s meant to be a place to slow down and take your time.

The main attraction is the Singing Tower with its 60-bell carillon, but there’s plenty more to wander through, like the Pinewood Estate called El Retiro, a mansion built in 1922, the Pine Ridge Trail, and the Visitor Center.

When we arrived, we felt calm wandering along garden paths through towering oaks, palms, pines, and ferns, with pops of color from azaleas, camellias, and magnolias. We took our time strolling, stopping to look around and listen. This spot is part of the Great Florida Birding Trail, and you’ll see (and hear) plenty of birds moving through the trees. It’s the kind of place where you slow your pace without even trying.

Then there’s the Singing Tower, which rises 205 feet above the gardens; it’s striking and soothing. The carillon bells started playing during the daily concert at 1, and the music drifted through the entire property. We sat on a bench and listened to the bells echoing through the gardens. It was a highlight of our visit.

We also toured El Retiro Estate, the former winter home of Bethlehem Steel executive C. Austin Buck. Walking through the house felt like stepping back into another era, elegant but not over-the-top, and full of interesting details showing how wealthy families escaped northern winters to Florida.

Before leaving, we stopped by the Visitor Center to learn more about Edward W. Bok and the history behind the gardens and the tower. We grabbed a bite at the Café before continuing to the Kennedy Space Center.

Overall, Bok Tower Gardens is the kind of place you go expecting a quick visit and end up staying much longer than planned. We spent mid-morning and early afternoon there. It’s peaceful, beautiful, and a perfect reminder that Florida has more to offer beyond beaches and theme parks.

Kennedy Space Center

We must admit, this wasn’t our first visit to Kennedy Space Center. Our first trip was 50 years ago, back in 1976. I was a sophomore and Kathy was a first-year student at Iowa State University, and we flew down to Florida for spring break.

At the time, there honestly wasn’t much happening. The last Apollo mission, Apollo 17, had flown a few years earlier, and the Space Shuttle program was still in its initial stages. As a result, the place felt quiet, quite different from what it has become today.

What stayed with me most from that visit was standing underneath one of the massive Saturn V rocket engines, the F-1. Even then, with little context, it was impossible not to be impressed by its sheer size. You didn’t need an exhibit or a video to explain it. You just stood there, looked up, and thought: How did they ever make something like this work?

Coming back now, after 50 years of space travel, that first visit feels like a lifetime ago.

During this visit, I was looking forward to seeing the latest technology and learning more about recent and future space programs. The visitor center is expansive, with large sections dedicated to the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and Space Shuttle programs.

There were other exhibits, some more hands-on. But each of the exhibits consisted of a film, media, or presentation before entering the exhibit. The videos highlighted the program but had little meaningful context. I was disappointed that I really didn’t learn anything new, but the videos were inspirational.

We also had the opportunity to visit the gantry at Launch Pad 39. From there, you can see most of the launch pads, including Pad 39B, where the Artemis II rocket has recently been moved into position for a February launch.

Standing there, it was easy to see how much had changed over the past fifty years. The Kennedy Space Center provides a clear perspective on NASA’s role, its accomplishments, and its future, and returning after all these years, the decades ahead for NASA and space exploration feel bright.

Up Next

Next month, we are heading to the Spanish Canary Islands and Morocco. Watch for our blog.