Here are some of the locals you will meet during Guy Harvey Outpost’s guided people-to-people expedition to Cuba December 13-18: –The son of Fidel Castro’s official photographer; –the …
Best Florida state parks: Our 8 favorites
8 Jun 20202:55 PM
Florida State Parks have been recognized as the best in the nation four times, a record no other state has achieved, so it’s not easy picking the best Florida State parks from 175 terrific contenders.
We haven’t visited them all, but between the two Florida Rambler publishers/writers, we’ve hiked, camped, kayaked, cabined and enjoyed the vast majority. Honestly, not one park disappoints us.
Which are the best Florida state parks? We wanted to identify parks where there’s something extra special and with a variety of activities. Also: We looked to recognize parks from every region of Florida. We list them here in no particular order. Visit Florida Rambler to see the top 8 Parks!
Pro team Member
Related Articles
-
Redfish in Florida is “Red Hot” !
26 Feb 2018 -
Cuba Un-canned: See It With the Locals
22 Aug 2017 -
The Gator Awakes! Summer fun at Camp Mack, a Guy Harvey Lodge, Marina & RV Resort
23 Jun 2020 -
Celebrate Independence Day by Looking after your Environment
26 Jun 2020
Pro Team
Connect & Follow
Connect & Follow
General
Bon Appetit
Conservation corner
Dive In
Got Photo
Get Hooked
Outdoor Adventure
SURF-UP
Travel Tips
![](mailto:?subject=Cuba Un-canned: See It With the Locals&body=Here are some of the locals you will meet during <a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/">Guy Harvey Outpost's</a> guided people-to-people expedition to Cuba December 13-18:
--The son of Fidel Castro's official photographer;
--the director of the Cuba's Masonic museum;
--a rural tobacco farmer;
--a mixologist who will teach you how to make the perfect Mojito.
And the locales you will visit will combine mainstream stops (Floridita --creator of the daiquiri-- and Museo de la Revolucion, stone walls with 1950s bullet holes) with way un-trodden destinations (Cueva El Palmarito --the largest cave system in Latin America, and a fishing cooperative in Cojimar, where Ernest Hemingway's captain spent most of his life).
Your hosts will be Justin White-- operator of <a href="https://www.docfordscubaexpeditions.com/">Doc Ford's Cuba Expeditions</a> and nephew of best-selling novelist Randy Wayne White--and Sports Illustrated photographer Ron Modra.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/MG_1480.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4874" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/MG_1480.jpg" alt="" width="2100" height="1400" /></a>
"The people we are going to meet are incredible-- interesting, intelligent, diverse age groups," White said. "You'll see the monumental places but the targeted people and events introduce you to real people living their daily lives. The most valuable experience you can have is to be with the people and ask them questions. There are no airs put on."
With new U.S.-to-Cuba travel restrictions set to take effect in mid-September, White is taking special care to stay on the right side of the law: staying only in private lodgings, taking meals in private restaurants; interacting one-on-one with Cuban people; and travelling in a 12-member group.
"We will abide by all the policies and restrictions put in place," White said. "We focus on people-to-people exchanges."
The six-day, five-night itinerary is packed with authentic experiences: poring over photo albums with Raul Corrales, whose father shot reams of images of late Cuban leader Fidel Castro and his friend author Ernest Hemingway; walking the docks at Cojimar, the small fishing village where Hemingway's "Old Man and the Sea" was set and where the author's captain Gregorio Fuentes lived to be 104; visiting Finca Vijia where Hemingway's boat, Pilar, still sits; touring a tobacco farm and coffee plantation; and hiking to a huge cave in the countryside. It also hits some of the typical tourist spots such as the Tropicana nightclub and Old Havana. And there will be multiple opportunities to ogle (and photograph) all the old cars, with Modra coaching on the finer points of capturing images.
If you <a href="https://guyharveyoutpost.com/expeditions/cuba/">book your expedition</a> by Aug. 31, you'll receive free airfare from Fort Lauderdale to Havana. For more information, visit <a href="https://www.guyharveyoutpost.com">www.guyharveyoutpost.com</a> or call the Outpost Travel Desk at 800-513-5257. https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/cuba-un-canned-see-it-with-the-locals/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Follow the Yellow Brick Road&body=<img class=" size-medium wp-image-3226 alignleft" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/p1010298.jpg?w=225" alt="P1010298" width="225" height="300" />By Sue Cocking, Guy Harvey Outpost staff writer
scocking@guyharveyoutpost.com
I can't think of too many outings more fun in winter than going patch fishing off Islamorada.
While you are almost certain to catch big numbers of yellowtail snapper, plenty of other species either hang out or pass through these miniature ecosystems at the same time.
On a late December outing with captain Greg Eklund and mate Cory Nelson on the charterboat Cloud Nine out of Bud n' Mary's Marina, our group of four anglers boated nearly 40 yellowtail and gray snapper, a handful of cero mackerel, and the broad head of a big red grouper that got cut in half by a suspected shark. We also released about dozen and half undersized mutton snapper. We couldn't lower our baits into the current without getting a hit.
"Yellowtail is one of the most important species we have," said Eklund, a 21-year veteran captain. "They're delicious. abundant, and fun to catch."
Check, check and check.
The fishing grounds Eklund chose was a sandy plain in the ocean off Islamorada about 20 feet deep with scattered patches of coral reefs to the north and south. He dropped the Cloud Nine's anchor in the sand up-current of the live bottom.
"You don't want to damage the reef by anchoring on it," Eklund explained. "You don't want to damage your tackle on the bottom and lose fish on the reef. You bring the fish to you."
Nelson deployed a chum bag on the transom and prepared a bucket full of raw oats mixed with the oily fish parts. For bait, Cloud Nine had brought live shrimp threaded on 1/4-ounce knock-off Hook Up jigs.
"Live shrimp is a very effective bait in wintertime because a lot of shrimp are going under the bridges," Eklund said, referring to the spans dotting U.S. 1 that separate the ocean from shallow Florida Bay waters.
The captain said fishing for yellowtail with live shrimp on the main reef tract further offshore doesn't work as well as it does on the patches because the fish aren't used to seeing them in wintertime. Most of those migrating crustaceans get picked off by predators long before they make it to the open ocean. Live pilchards, he said, are the preferred bait in deeper waters.
The captain tossed out a cloud of oats and chum from the stern of the boat, waited a few beats, then sent out another one. Within a few minutes, he pronounced, " I can see them; they're swarming."
Flashes of dingy yellow appeared in the green chum slick as Eklund baited my jig with a live shrimp. I lowered it into the water, watching for the line to start zipping through the rod guides. It didn't take long.
"You're on," Eklund said.
I slammed the bail of the reel closed, and came up tight on a feisty fish. It even made the drag sing a little. Within a minute or two, I swung a 14-inch yellowtail over the transom.
My fishing companions--Bud n' Mary's owner captain Richard Stanczyk, tackle shop manager Stephen Byrd, and North Carolina charterboat captain Dave Peck--all joined the action, which was constant and frenzied for several hours. Mixed in with the tails was a handful of mangrove snapper; quite a few muttons too small to keep; and several ceros. A heavy bottom outfit yielded the partial grouper.
The weather was bumpy the day we fished, so we pretty much had the area to ourselves. No commercial boats plied the area for yellowtail because NOAA Fisheries had closed that fishery Oct. 31, projecting that the total annual catch limit of about 1.6 million pounds would be reached. Commercial fishing re-opened on Jan. 1.
Yellowtail is considered a success story by both fishers and fisheries managers. Unlike some grouper/snapper species, the stock is not in trouble from overfishing.
Eklund said part of the reason is all the chumming that goes on in the area.
"It's like a small farm," he said. "[Yellowtail] will gorge themselves on chum, then go to the rocks and regurgitate and it feeds other fish."
We scored a cooler full before noon, and I went home with plenty of five-star entree fare to serve at holiday feasts.
******************
Sue Cocking chronicles the Guy Harvey Outpost travel and adventure experience in regular blog posts on GuyHarveyOutpostNews.com/. For 21 years, Cocking covered the full spectrum of outdoors adventure opportunities in South Florida and beyond for the Miami Herald, including fishing, diving, hunting, paddling camping, sailing and powerboat racing. She is a certified scuba diver and holder of an IGFA women's world fly fishing record for a 29-pound permit.
**********
Share your photos, videos and experiences with Guy Harvey Outpost by hash tagging #OutpostAttitude to all of your social media posts. https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/follow-the-yellow-brick-road/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Build your own Guy Harvey Facemask or Donate to someone in Need&body=Learn how to create your own face mask some <a class="_58cn" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/outpostattitude?source=feed_text&epa=HASHTAG&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARAlDLw37UeD4BbbmKKZ5Cg_IFb9G3TKZQoQ05Hw90M8ouvDdUNoQPewc9r7MUHOqvE9CS3qRXHg3G3oVtK9RZZUzEnPIZyAoocM_tikQUdBuvT_fLI_caUzarC0Z6MJ2IcbWdBl7KvDgc_T7SRdz8FlpYa6WV-qAi-EENULOQbNFajLT-9gyi8KJngGSWTIXiAj5eWJBYamLJ9sotGYADTxh8CpWWDY7ij1JagVdWD_dxoG1yDOmzzyLrQ422FYSo_eLz2WtWh3IClGTQIBAvPHx0ObBVQB7s3dwP5NIZ26q29vtfW3Cq3SkSCHQZeSM6lbUA-39Wjb5HwtJgfAjd8MIHkRB0fwHmwegQ&__tn__=%2ANK-R" data-ft="{"type":104,"tn":"*N"}">#OutpostAttitude</a> flare. As the CDC is now recommending wearing a cloth face mask in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies)Watch our DIY video on how to make your own <a class="profileLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/DrGuyHarvey/?__tn__=K-R&eid=ARDhYeZkrdiDDg0jh1q0nwm4oVc27vJiao0bPuWnswkyQQQRpqPeVkHmFbbDeDsE428ngPQg2avGVeDf&fref=mentions&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARAlDLw37UeD4BbbmKKZ5Cg_IFb9G3TKZQoQ05Hw90M8ouvDdUNoQPewc9r7MUHOqvE9CS3qRXHg3G3oVtK9RZZUzEnPIZyAoocM_tikQUdBuvT_fLI_caUzarC0Z6MJ2IcbWdBl7KvDgc_T7SRdz8FlpYa6WV-qAi-EENULOQbNFajLT-9gyi8KJngGSWTIXiAj5eWJBYamLJ9sotGYADTxh8CpWWDY7ij1JagVdWD_dxoG1yDOmzzyLrQ422FYSo_eLz2WtWh3IClGTQIBAvPHx0ObBVQB7s3dwP5NIZ26q29vtfW3Cq3SkSCHQZeSM6lbUA-39Wjb5HwtJgfAjd8MIHkRB0fwHmwegQ" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=120398390965&extragetparams=%7B%22__tn__%22%3A%22%2CdK-R-R%22%2C%22eid%22%3A%22ARDhYeZkrdiDDg0jh1q0nwm4oVc27vJiao0bPuWnswkyQQQRpqPeVkHmFbbDeDsE428ngPQg2avGVeDf%22%2C%22fref%22%3A%22mentions%22%7D" data-hovercard-prefer-more-content-show="1">Guy Harvey</a> face mask 😷using your upcycled t-shirts!
If you have an old Guy Harvey shirt the crew at the Guy Harvey Outpost Resorts Corporate office and <a class="profileLink" href="https://www.facebook.com/GuyHarveyCampMack/?__tn__=K-R&eid=ARA4a21bcNElZFnzM1H_vZlrdCkLyfi_KOLEKCPs9HJ29sTFNeP6N8q6qpx4gofTVMjwJjuEpVln2fW-&fref=mentions&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARC-O7dKcMFYB8SOf9Y5S5AQ693IRW__FE0PP7jMQwsLX5UOP2frKjuocN6-RQ_vtOOGOlz44jig_7ovd5K-xOnb_yAk-ncXGYL6guRh-ybg6wYirqryTT4x2JAoduQBieTVL7HHsf4qHas491HGn_q7DG7sUP_iKnaHnZP0DnE-h2vAmnaEMc6BZo2jXC0F8xN3kz8jdIvuy76lTv56L2AE5bYxkGh1_NynZV8Fr7EAaWwviTx2c3u2e3jTpfRrG-E-KUzaafc_IqUurX2-C0tiSoITIwt_HoL3WUZPKRjXmA-Kp1yjwcDZq1C5Y2tVw9Ofv9-CjuS4pyDXQ5gZyvppaQ" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=165506710213188&extragetparams=%7B%22__tn__%22%3A%22%2CdK-R-R%22%2C%22eid%22%3A%22ARA4a21bcNElZFnzM1H_vZlrdCkLyfi_KOLEKCPs9HJ29sTFNeP6N8q6qpx4gofTVMjwJjuEpVln2fW-%22%2C%22fref%22%3A%22mentions%22%7D" data-hovercard-prefer-more-content-show="1">Camp Mack, a Guy Harvey Lodge, Marina & RV Resort</a> are ready to receive your shirts and sew them into face masks to be donated to local charitable organizations. Together we can make a positive impact on our communities and do our part to keep our families, friends and health care workers safe!
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/01a83c875021cb1b95ed62e45e75d458db8050ec25.jpg"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-5511" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/01a83c875021cb1b95ed62e45e75d458db8050ec25.jpg" alt="" width="437" height="583" /></a><a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/01d87371ebcbec0017c26d586b36ab0a5f434f2127.jpg"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-5513" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/01d87371ebcbec0017c26d586b36ab0a5f434f2127.jpg" alt="" width="551" height="980" /></a><a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/01c7e6f7735c37e6e9386a71e33d527691e8b9d9ba.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-5510" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/01c7e6f7735c37e6e9386a71e33d527691e8b9d9ba.jpg" alt="" width="1536" height="2048" /></a>
Please mail your donations to either:
1. Attn: Guy Harvey Face Mask
Guy Harvey Outpost, LTD.
1500 West Cypress Creek Road
Suite 108
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309
Or
2. Attn: Guy Harvey Face Mask
Camp Mack, a Guy Harvey Lodge, Marina & RV Resort
14900 Camp Mack Rd.
Lake Wales, FL 33898
*Please note: These cloth face masks (like the one shown in the photo below) are not medical grade, surgical masks or have N-95 respirators.
https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/build-your-own-guy-harvey-facemask-or-donate-to-someone-in-need/){kind=link}
TRAVEL DESK : 800.513.5257
Connect & Follow