An easygoing cruise down the long underbelly of the Florida peninsula hearkens back to an older, simpler Sunshine State. This quieter coast with a slower pace preserves tourism 1950s style and what Floridians consider the "real Florida." Entertainment is as enchanting as a glass-bottom boat ride over crystal-clear springs and rarely more sophisticated than a mermaid performance or trained parrot show.

Overview
Starting in the heart of Florida's Dixie, the 360-mile drive visits the capital of Tallahassee before dropping south to a lovely state park, a 17th-century Spanish fort, and a national wildlife refuge. Then curving southeast, the route explores peaceful wetlands and mangrove-fringed shores. An excursion inland crosses citrus country and the haunt of writer Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings; Ocala offers good museums and one of the area's many natural-springs theme parks. Heading west again, you enter a land of alligators and manatees, pine hammocks and still more springs.

Start in Tallahassee
Tucked into the gentle hills near the Georgia border, Tallahassee was an 1820s compromise location between the former capitals of Pensacola and St. Augustine. Take a look at the land from the 22nd floor of the Florida State Capitol (S. Duval St.; +1 850 488 6167). Beyond the city, nothing but forests stretch as far as the eye can see.

While here, walk to the adjacent Old Capitol (S. Monroe St. and Apalachee Pkwy.; +1 850 487 1902; www.flhistoriccapital.gov), distinguished by its handsome Greek Revival portico and candy-striped awnings that re-create the way it would have appeared in 1902. Inside, restored areas include the rotunda, the governor's private suite, the supreme court, and the house and senate chambers.

Two blocks west, the Museum of Florida History (500 S. Bronough St.; +1 850 245 6400; www.museumoffloridahistory.com) houses an overwhelming hodgepodge of stuff that includes a 12,000-year-old mastodon skeleton found in nearby Wakulla Springs; Spanish galleon booty; and a re-creation of early tourist camps.

State Gardens
North of Tallahassee is the Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park (U.S. 319; +1 850 487 4556; www.floridastateparks.org/maclaygardens), a highly recommended attraction bursting with camellias, azaleas, and more than 300 other species of flowering shrubs. You stroll the wooded and formal areas on pine needle paths and breathe in beauty and serenity. For the best effect, sit on the bench in the walled garden and look through the arched wall and down a long, palm-lined vista to a reflecting pool and distant Lake Hall—you'll almost feel like you're in a landscape painting.