Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park

Steve’s take

Manatees. In the wild. Well, semi-wild — this is a state park with a spring where manatees come to hang out like they pay rent. There's also a hippo named Lu who has been here since the 1960s and was granted honorary Florida citizenship by the governor. I'm not making that up. The underwater observatory lets your kids watch manatees swim by at eye level. About 40 minutes off I-75, but this is the kind of Florida your kids will never forget.