Q: Here's my annual question: (great advice, by the by) We will be camping in Disney's Fort Wilderness for about 10 days around the 4th of June. We are looking for some diversions that we can go to and relax outside of Disney and are not that far away. I've heard about Blue Springs State Park and its 72-degree water just north of Orlando. Are there any others along with that where we might sightsee, hike a little, swim some and relax a lot? Also, I assume Cape Canaveral is one of them -- can that area be done in one day to include the above activities? Thanks again, Ray from Chicago

A: Hi again, Ray, thanks for asking EcoFlorida yet another question. That shows you value my advice and find EcoFlorida to be a good resource.

As you mentioned, Blue Springs State Park near DeLand is a good bet. Canaveral National Seashore is also a good place for the activities you describe. If you're thinking about Canaveral, you must go to Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and go on the 7-mile Blackpoint Wildlife Drive. But even closer than these 3 areas is Wekiwa Springs State Park in Apopka, where you can hike, swim and relax.

Now for some warnings . . . .

June is hurricane season, so be prepared for the possibility of changing your plans in the event of a hurricane or even a mere tropical depression. If it rains, hiking trails may have standing water. Florida has been experiencing a drought for the past couple years, however, so there's no telling if this coming wet season will be truly wet.

The other warning is about the entrances to Canaveral National Seashore. Canaveral has 2 entrances, just so you know, and their access points are several miles apart by car. The closest one to Orlando (and Disney) is Playalinda Beach, which you access by going through Titusville and Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. You'll see the Playalinda Beach entrance at the end of the road. (There is sometimes nude sunbathing on Playalinda Beach and, from what a reader said, it's at the far end of the beach. In late October 2002, Canaveral National Seashore announced it had used a plainclothes operation to issue citations in the "nude beach" area and to cut down on the number of lewd public acts and public drunkenness that visitors had complained about.)

The other entrance is the main entrance, and you access it by going through the town of New Smyrna Beach. But if you're thinking about going to DeLand, it's not far. And in June, you may be able to see some sea turtles nesting on the beach. (Before you go, ask the rangers if that's a possibility.) There is no camping in Merritt Island NWR, and during sea turtle nesting season, camping is limited at Canaveral. So you may consider making these excursions into day trips.

Hope this time around has been good advice, too! Have fun in central Florida.

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