By Phyllis W. Zeno

Remember the old-fashioned kaleidoscope you had as a child? You’d twist the cylinder and tiny bits of colored glass would reflect endless varieties of patterns and designs to delight your imagination. If you could confine Florida to a like cylinder, you would find an equal number of variegated colors and scenes to fill infinite hours of pleasure.

Where else could you discover the world’s most exciting theme parks and attractions...Walt Disney World, Universal Studios and Busch Gardens?

And what other state can boast the white powder sand that you’ll find throughout Florida? Look no further for nine of the top ten beaches in the United States!

From the Gulf Coast to the Atlantic Coast, you can enjoy every type of water sport imaginable...sailing, surfing, yachting, swimming. Or just plain lying in the sun and turning a golden tan.

When it comes to cultural activities, what community can match Sarasota’s Ringling Museum or Coconut Grove’s Vizcaya Museum and Gardens? And of course, there’s St. Petersburg’s Dali Museum and St. Augustine’s Lightner Museum.

Aquariums? There’s the Florida Aquarium in Tampa...the Seaquarium

Zoos? MetroZoo in Miami...Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa...Lion Country Safari in West Palm Beach.

From the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral to the Museum of Discovery and Science in Ft. Lauderdale to MOSI in Tampa, Florida is a leader in science and industry.

And festivals? There’s the Gasparilla Pirate Fest in Tampa, the Strawberry Festival in Plant City, the Antique Boat Festival in Mount Dora and the Sweet Corn Festival in Zellwood. And that’s just for starters.

On the following pages,you’ll find a kaleidoscope of Florida’s attractions, from its hotel packages to its island inns to its historical lighthouses to its fun-in-the-sun resorts. They all add up to a colorful collage of summer holidays.