Author: Hayden Dunsel

Hayden Dunsel is a Florida-based travel writer, editor and photojournalist. Hayden's work is often featured in leading publications, including national and international news organizations.
Winter Haven, Florida

Winter Haven

Winter Haven is a medium-sized community in Central Florida. Winter Haven is a part of Polk County. It is well-known for its desirable winter climate and a chain of lakes, which are linked via canals. Location Winter Haven is centrally located between two of the largest cities in Florida, Orlando and Tampa. Both Tampa and…

Driving on the beach in Florida, Ormond Beach, Volusia County

Ormond Beach

Ormond Beach is a relaxed, coastal town on Florida’s east coast. It sits in the northern section of Florida’s peninsula, in a region called the Palm Coast. It’s located in Volusia County. It’s located 6 miles north of Daytona Beach, and 50 miles south of St. Augustine. It is 71 miles east of Ocala, and…

Ichetucknee Springs Campground provides the best camping near Ichetucknee Springs State Park

Ichetucknee Springs Campground

We just got back from camping at Ichetucknee Springs Campground, and had such a great time! We were very happily surprised by our experience. We usually try to avoid private campgrounds because we prefer state parks, national forests, free camping and boondocking whenever possible. But, this campground was different. It’s one of the best we’ve…

The Singing Tower in Bok Tower Gardens

Bok Tower and Gardens

Bok Tower and Gardens is one of the best things to do in central Florida. Most visitors absolutely love it, you should definitely consider visiting. Bok Tower and Gardens is a botanical garden, nature preserve and the site of a beautiful, world-famous bell tower, called a carillon. A carillon is a series of musical bells…

The Centennial Plaza in Winter Garden, Florida

Winter Garden

Winter Garden, Florida is a small, charming city located on the outskirts of Orlando. It sits on the southeast shore of Lake Apopka, and is often considered to be the easternmost suburb of Orlando. It’s home to just over 46,000 residents. Winter Garden is located inside Orange County, Florida, and is part of the greater…

Downtown St. Cloud, Florida

St. Cloud

St. Cloud is a small town in central Florida, 28 miles south of Orlando. Saint Cloud is often considered to be part of the Greater Orlando metro area, and is part of the large Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford metropolitan statistical area. St. Cloud is one of two incorporated cities in Osceola County. The only other city is the…

Orlando

Orlando is Florida’s fourth largest city. Florida’s cities, ranked from largest to smallest population:  Jacksonville Miami Tampa Orlando The City of Orlando is relatively small, and occupies about 114 square miles. But, the greater Orlando Metro area is much larger. It includes several suburbs and surrounding communities.  Combined, the greater Orlando metropolitan area covers more…

An underwater submersible Florida

Blue Holes in Florida

Note: This article is about underwater blue holes in Florida’s oceans. Here is the link to Blue Hole Spring in Ichetucknee Springs State Park, if you were looking for that instead. I first learned about blue holes in Florida while doing research for freediving and scuba diving. Over time I’ve become obsessed. I’ve spent months…

Heathrow Florida

Heathrow

Heathrow is a small town in Seminole County. It’s a popular suburb of Orlando, and often ranks well on lists of the best places to live in Florida. The population of Heathrow is 6,987 according to the most recent 2019 U.S. census. The zip code for Heathrow, Florida is 32746. Quality of Life People enjoy…

Downtown Mount Dora, Florida

Mount Dora

Mount Dora is a quaint little town in Central Florida’s Lake County. It’s part of the Orlando-Kissimmee metro area, about an hour away from Orlando and its major theme parks. Mount Dora has approximately 15,000 residents, according to the 2019 Census population estimate. Lake Dora Mount Dora sits on the northeast corner of beautiful Lake…

Clear water inside Buford Springs in the Chassahowitzka WMA, Florida

Buford Springs

Buford Springs is one of the best springs in Florida. It’s an incredible SCUBA diving and freediving site; many divers rank it as one of the most beautiful SCUBA sites in Florida. It’s located in Hernando County, inside the Chassahowitzka Wildlife Management Area. Because it’s so beautiful, Buford has been a popular cave diving site…

Boyd Hill Nature Preserve

Where is Boyd Hill Preserve? The Boyd Hill Nature Preserve is located south of Saint Petersburg. It borders the shores of Lake Maggiore. There are two entrances to the park. The North entrance includes a historical Pioneer Settlement Area and will be the site of the Tomalin Campground, which will provide urban camping inside the…

Sawgrass Lake Park

Sawgrass Lake Park in St. Petersburg is a hidden gem. Many agree it’s one of the best things to do in Tampa Bay. It’s a perfect spot to enjoy Florida’s nature without having to spend any money, or drive very far. The park spans 400 acres in the heart of Pinellas County. There’s an extensive…

RVing in Florida

For RVing, Florida is one of the most popular destinations in the world. People travel from all over to escape cold winters, relax on beautiful beaches, camp in the Florida Keys and explore Florida’s beautiful nature. If you stay in a hotel, or rent a house or condo, you’ll be comfortably insulated from the killer…

Florida RVing with Dogs

Florida RV travel with dogs is a magical experience. Like exploring with a camera in your hand, road trips with your dog will open your eyes to the world in a completely different way. While growing up, every single family vacation was spent traveling in our class C motorhome. Of course, we always had our…

A wave crashing on a Florida beach

Surfing in Florida

Is there good surfing in Florida? Florida can have excellent surf, but only during specific conditions. Sadly, Florida’s marine geography is not well suited for good, consistent waves. Florida’s surf conditions are exceptionally location-specific. Because of many different factors, wind, wave and swell conditions don’t affect the coastline consistently. Certain spots on Florida’s east coast…