Have you ever gotten in the car and hit the back roads just to see what’s out there? I have!

Tens of thousands of miles later (I kid you not, with 75,000 miles on my Jeep after the first two years of in-state research), I can report that there are still wonderful pockets of pre-theme park, undeveloped Florida that shouldn’t be missed, from the heartfelt artists colonies in Apalachicola, Cedar Key, Sopchoppy, and Matlacha to the step-back-in-time towns of Fernandina, Micanopy, Chokoluskee, and Arcadia.

I’ve always loved old-time Florida, savoring places like St. Augustine and Micanopy, Cedar Key and Pensacola, so it was a delight while researching these guidebooks to discover more treasures within a day trip of home—walking the hills of Mount Dora for the first time, marveling at the antique shops in Sanford, falling in love with the fishing village of Apalachicola, and finding out that Lakeland, once you get past the stuff around its edges, has an incredibly beautiful downtown. And as for Orlando—for all the years I worked and played there, I never saw it through a local’s eyes quite the way I did while researching this guide. I knew about the art scene and the theme parks, but never made the deep connection with its history and architecture before. It just goes to prove that you can be a tourist in your own backyard!

To find out more about what to see, visit my website Genuine Florida ... and buy my books!