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This 140,000-acre (56,000-ha) wildlife sanctuary (the secondlargest in Florida) has more federally-endangered species than any other refuge in the United States. A six-mile (10-km) driving tour with shaded boardwalks weaves through lush pine and oak hammocks. (see Canaveral National Seashore & Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge)

Just south of Daytona Beach, New Smyrna is a smaller, calmer town that lacks Daytona’s party scene. The white sand beach is picture perfect – but as at Daytona, cars share the space with sunworshipers. For food, the place to go is JB’s Fish Camp, a raucous and friendly shack beside Mosquito Lagoon, which serves some of the state’s tastiest fish, seafood, and key lime pie.

Essentially, this is a tourist-oriented shopping mall filled with around 75 stores covering the usual array of gifts, novelties, and souvenirs – kitsch or otherwise. What sets it apart from other gift shop strips are the numerous entertainment options: a cheerful 18-ride amusement park, Laser Tag, a Haunted House, carousel, live music performances, and a vintage car show every Friday and Saturday night. It’s very much about family fun, and there’s no charge for admission, although the carnival rides are priced separately. On a warm Florida night, the feeling is one of strolling the bustling midway of a state fair.

A guide in 19th-century costume holds a lantern and tries his best to spook his willing participants, while leading this 90-minute walking tour. Groups of up to 25 people hear tales of murder, morbidity, and ghost sightings, and as an added bonus, the guide recounts wonderful anecdotes and information about the architecture and history of Downtown’s most interesting buildings.

The focus of exhibitions in this big, bright museum is American art from the 19th century onward, art from the ancient Americas and Africa, and block-buster traveling shows. On the first Thursday evening of every month, you can also enjoy music, food, and the work of local artists for an inventively themed get-together.

The workings of the natural world, from the infinitesimal to the overwhelming, are on display here. Big interactive fun awaits at the Body Zone, where a huge mouth introduces an exhibit about the digestive system. The vast Cinedome shows movies about topics such as Egyptian treasures and ocean life, and on weekend evenings, stargazers can pick out the planets through a telescope.

This racetrack, 17 miles (30 km) east of Orlando, sees eight divisions of highly modified stock cars race each week. However, the most entertaining evenings are those with destructive, madcap races like Schoolbus Demolition Derbys, and Boat and Trailer Races. The price depends on what’s on, but it’s always a cheap night out.

Here, culture mavens will find anything from theater to music events, and exhibitions.