Florida Man Games 2025: A Wild Showcase of Sunshine State Shenanigans Returns to St. Augustine

Florida Man Games 2025: A Wild Showcase of Sunshine State Shenanigans Returns to St. Augustine

Florida Man Games features Hurricane prep competition

The Sunshine State’s most irreverent, politically incorrect, and outrageous celebration of athletic absurdity, the Florida Man Games, is back for its second annual installment on Saturday, March 1, 2025. This competition, dubbed “the most insane athletic showdown on Earth,”…

SS United States Finally Heads To Florida

SS United States Finally Heads To Florida

The SS United States has finally left port on it's final journey. Photo: SS United States Conservancy
The SS United States has finally left port on it’s last journey. Photo: SS United States Conservancy

After months of costly delays, the legendary SS United States, once the fastest ship to cross the Atlantic, finally left its longtime home in Philadelphia on February 19, 2025. Its ultimate destination? The warm waters off Florida’s Gulf Coast.

Moonshine and Rum-Running in Florida: A Legacy of Rebellion and Profit

Moonshine and Rum-Running in Florida: A Legacy of Rebellion and Profit

A rumrunner's fast boat after being captured and converted into a US Coast Guard boat.
A rum-runner’s fast boat after being captured and converted into a US Coast Guard boat.

When one thinks of moonshining — making illegal liquor — more often than not an image of the Appalachian mountains is the first thing that comes to mind. While it’s true that the hollers and hilltops of North Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky were hotbeds of moonshining, there was also a great deal of activity here in the Sunshine State, the effects of which can be felt even today.

Florida’s relationship with moonshine and bootlegging is as rich and complex as the state’s vast, varied landscape. From the early days of the Prohibition era to the modern revival of craft distilleries paying homage to illegal whiskey-making traditions, the Sunshine State has long been home to an underground economy of illicit liquor production. Florida’s dense swamps, rural backroads, and expansive coastline provided the perfect conditions for moonshiners and smugglers to thrive both then and now. While often romanticized in popular culture, the business of illegal alcohol in Florida was fraught with danger, ingenuity, and ongoing battles between outlaws and law enforcement, some of which continues even today.

Diving with manatees

Swim With Manatees in Crystal River

Snorkeling with Florida or West Indian manatee, Crystal River, Florida

From the “Things to Do in Florida” department – Crystal River, Florida, is known as one of the best places in the world to experience an up-close encounter with the gentle giants of the sea—manatees. Every year, thousands of visitors flock to this charming coastal town to witness the slow-moving, curious creatures that have captured the hearts of nature enthusiasts and marine conservationists alike. As the only place in the United States where it is legal to interact with manatees in the water, Crystal River offers a unique and unforgettable wildlife experience, and one suited for the whole family.

Crew-10 Launch Fast-Tracked, Crew-9 Return Set to Follow

Crew-10 Launch Fast-Tracked, Crew-9 Return Set to Follow

The official portrait of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 members with (from left) Mission Specialist Kirill Peskov of Roscosmos; Pilot Nichole Ayers and Commander Anne McClain, both NASA astronauts; and Mission Specialist Takuya Onishi from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency). Photo credit: NASA/Bill Stafford/Helen Arase Vargas
The official portrait of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 members with (from left) Mission Specialist Kirill Peskov of Roscosmos; Pilot Nichole Ayers and Commander Anne McClain, both NASA astronauts; and Mission Specialist Takuya Onishi from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency). Photo credit: NASA/Bill Stafford/Helen Arase Vargas

In a news release Tuesday, NASA and SpaceX announced they are moving forward with adjusted launch and return timelines for the upcoming crew rotation missions to and from the International Space Station (ISS).

Researchers Tag Massive 14-Foot Great White Shark Off Florida Coast

Researchers Tag Massive 14-Foot Great White Shark Off Florida Coast

The OCEARCH team tags A 1600 pond Great White Shark on January 27th. Photo: OCEARCH/Facebook
The OCEARCH team tags a 1600 pound Great White Shark off the southeast coast on January 27th. Photo: OCEARCH/Facebook

Marine researchers from OCEARCH have recently tagged their largest male great white shark yet, Contender, off the Florida-Georgia border. According to OCEARCH, Contender Measures nearly 14 feet in length and weighs approximately 1,653 pounds.

Weekend Fun in Florida: Your Guide to Events on February 8-9, 2025

Weekend Fun in Florida: Your Guide to Events on February 8-9, 2025

Tallahassee Highland Games
Tallyhighlandgames.com

As another beautiful Florida February weekend approaches, there are plenty of things to do catering to both residents and visitors. From art festivals and state fairs to cultural celebrations and conventions, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Here’s a curated list of notable happenings across the Sunshine State:

Disney World’s Star Wars Hotel to Be Repurposed as Office Space

Disney World’s Star Wars Hotel to Be Repurposed as Office Space

Virtual space windows and an AI droid came with every cabin on the Halcyon. 
Matt Stroshane/Disney
Virtual space windows and an AI droid came with every cabin on the Halcyon. 
Matt Stroshane/Disney

Walt Disney World announced last week plans to repurpose its former $400 million Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser resort hotel into office space for Disney’s “Imagineer” employees. After being open for only 18 months, the hotel was closed on September 2023. Since the closure, Star Wars Fans have speculated that the hotel would still be repurposed into some type of Star Wars related attraction, but last week’s announcement put an end to their hopes.