Hontoon Island State Park floats serenely in the St. Johns River near DeLand, offering a pristine wilderness experience that feels worlds away from Florida’s crowded beaches and frenetic theme parks.

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, just a short drive from downtown, offers 28,000 acres of wetlands and forests that serve as a critical stopover for migratory birds and a year-round paradise for ...

"Cabins toward the center of the ship on lower decks are the best if you can get them," Captain Alessandro Genzo, who is ...