Bok Tower Gardens

Steve’s take

A 205-foot art deco tower sitting on top of the highest point in peninsular Florida — which is 298 feet, because Florida's idea of a mountain is adorable. The gardens are gorgeous, the carillon bell concerts are genuinely magical, and the whole place feels like you stepped into a storybook. It's about forty minutes south of I-4. This is the 'before the chaos' stop — one quiet afternoon in a garden before Disney turns your life upside down for a week.