Cruise or fish or relax along Florida’s waterways (1957)
Old Florida fun in 1957
Roads of scenic old Florida in the fifties (1958)
About family vacations in vintage Florida of the fifties (1958)
ALSO SEE: 21 Southern mansions & plantation homes from the Old South
The 9 vacation regions of Florida in 1960
How well do you know the nine vacation regions of Florida?
Have you a dream vacation in mind? Like to know the perfect place to have it happen — real soon and economically? You’ll find the ideal answer in the nine vacation regions of Florida.
Yearning for a lazy bones holiday on a tropic island where the sun is warm and the surf caresses? Get away to the Florida Keys. Or relax on West Coast isles just offshore from Fort Myers, Sarasota, Bradenton, St. Petersburg, Clearwater.
Want a fast-paced frolic where the fun never sets? You’ll love the life at Miami Beach, Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale, Delray Beach, the Palm Beaches — all the other dazzling resorts that adorn the palm-lined Lower East Coast.
Time to take the youngsters on an excursion into history? Show them America’s earliest historic shrines at St. Augustine on the Upper East Coast. Let them learn, firsthand, the Spanish-Colonial heritage of Northwest Florida at Pensacola.
If you’re a fishing fan, dream-size catches await you in all Florida waters. Don’t miss the thrilling strike of big scrappy bass found in hundreds of Central and North Florida lakes. Fact is, there’s much more to tell you than we have room for here…
1. NORTHWEST FLORIDA: Famous for its white beaches on the Gulf of Mexico between Pensacola. Fort Walton Beach, Panama City. Port Si. loc. Fine bathing, boating, fishing. Scenic drives. historic sights.
2. NORTH FLORIDA: Meet spring this winter at Killearn GardernState Park near Tallahassee. Visit Stephen Foster Memorial at White Springs on the Suwannee River. Good fishing in Gulf, lakes and rivers.
3. UPPER EAST COAST: Florida fun starts here along Atlantic Ocean beaches. Gateway to this region is exciting Jacksonville. A stay at popular Daytona Beach is a must. So is a visit to historic St. Augustine.
4. INDIAN RIVER: Water sports are tops here. Sailing and power boating. Deep-sea and tidewater fishing. Uncrowded beaches. See the missiles at Cape Canaveral. Stay in modern resorts at modest cost.
5. CENTRAL FLORIDA: Count on varied pleasures here. Thousands of lakes for water sports and big bass fishing. Golf on a rolling course. See endless orange groves, water-ski shows, crystal springs, rodeo.
6. WEST COAST: Laze in the sun on white-sand beaches that stretch from Clearwater to Naples. Visit St. Petersburg, Tampa, the Ring-ling Museum at Sarasota; Fort Myers’ and Bradenton’s idyllic islands.
7. THE EVERGLADES: The roseate spoonbill is one of many unusual birds seen in this vast wilderness. Visit the rookeries on Audubon tours. Drive through the Glades on Tamiami Trail. See Seminole Indians.
8. LOWER EAST COAST: Luxury living in glamorous resorts and casual family resorts for budget holidays are yours here. Many sights an. spectacular attractions. Miles of boating waterways. Great deep-sea fishing.
Miami Beach in 1960 on the cover of The American Legion magazine
Share unforgettable vacation days along Florida’s middle east coast… at modest cost (1960)
A hundred miles of uncrowded island beaches invite you in the Indian River region of Florida. Bring the family. Soak up sun on the sloping sands. Swim and sail in gentle surf. Go picnicking, shelling.
A great salt-water lagoon backs up this island strand from Titusville to Stuart. It makes a tranquil setting for boating, skiing, other water sports.
And the fishing is sensational. From shore or boat you can tie into mackerel, snook, drum, ladyfish, giant trout. Drop a line from bridges or jetties for unpredictably varied catches. Cast in the surf for whiting, sea bass, pompano, blues. Or try your luck at deep-sea trolling just offshore.
Enjoy sightseeing through this region’s rich farmlands. Taste flavor-famous Indian River oranges. Near Vero Beach visit a tropic garden where orchids grow wild on trees.
Most of the cities you come to offer golf, tennis, shuffleboard. Attractive lodgings are easy to find on the main-land or along the ocean beaches. And rates are comforting to the family budget.
See the natural wonders of old Central Florida (1961)
You are peering into the cypress-canyoned swamps of Highlands Hammock State Park where only the ‘gators seem aware of man.
All else is pristine nature, inexorably unchanging. Ageless hardwoods drench the paths in shadow. Rare resurrection fern sprouts on their creviced bark. Colorful birds flit through the towering branches. Visitors to this sylvan spectacle tell us its trembling silence stirs the soul.
Such thrills are plentiful in Central Florida. In Lake Wales, you see Spook Hill, where cars coast up grade, a bird sanctuary and Singing Tower.
Near Ocala are huge springs sublimely clear to their 50-foot depths. Hundreds of sparkling lakes nestle in the green hills of this Florida heartland. Their shores are dotted with delightful places to stay.
Visit these lakes for exciting big-bass fishing, for water skiing, for wonderful bathing and boating.
Florida: Every day brims with vacation pleasures (1961)
Family fun in particular fills every vacation day in the Indian River Region of Florida. Choose your own strip of beach along sunny island strands that front this middle-east coast from Titusville to Stuart.
The uncrowded sands are a pleasure haven for families with their young “salts” in tow. Go bathing and snorkeling in the transparent surf. Or take a barefooted stance in the sea wash and cast for panfish. They make a savory treat cooked on the beach over driftwood embers.
Spend happy hours boating or fishing on calm Indian River lagoon. Its 100-mile course leads to endless adventures. Small powerboats rent for a pittance. Or trail your own boat down. Launching ramps are plentiful.
Many things to see and do keep vacation days brimming with interesting activities. Places to stay are geared to family needs.
You live in friendly resorts, free of dress-up problems, at a downright sensible cost. For full details send for the free, 1961 Guide to Florida Vacations.
You will find it an invaluable aid in planning a visit to Indian River and all nine vacation regions of Florida. Simply mail the coupon for your copy.
Vintage Orlando Florida (1967)
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Fort Lauderdale vacations in 1967
Old Miami, Florida in 1967
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