One of our favorite family rituals was packing and heading to Miami Beach. After a short flight, we'd emerge into blissfully warm weather and the familiar sight of palm trees. This annual rite is familiar to thousands of families with young children.

This annual migration of repeat visitors helps make Florida one of the most-visited states in the U.S.
But it's not sunshine alone that draws them. Florida is practically a universe unto itself: a landscape of beaches and big cities, parallel worlds of nature and make-believe and the twin cultures of the Old South and the New Salsa. Even eastern Florida's glitzy and admittedly tacky aspects are fun, and they're nicely balanced by some of the most imaginative contemporary architecture in the U.S. Miami, the Keys, baseball's spring-training camps, Disney World (with the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT Center and Disney/MGM Studios), Universal Studios, the Everglades and the Kennedy Space Center are just some of the well-known attractions in Florida. So find your beach spot and stay put, or take in as much or as a little of the state as you have the inclination and time for. (Don't try to see and do it all in one trip--Orlando will still be there next time.)

When to Go
Sun, warmth and water are Florida's selling points. No location in the state is more than 70 mi/120 km from saltwater, and there are also lots of inland lakes, so accompanying the warm temperatures everywhere is high humidity, which can be uncomfortable in the dog days of summer. In fact, the southern third of Florida has a subtropical climate. The sun is intense at these latitudes, even in winter, so don't spoil your visit by getting too much. Winters are mild and generally drier, but with occasional cold snaps even as far south as Miami. Some winter mornings in the southern part of the state may see near-freezing temperatures, but by midday the warmth returns. In the northern quarter, however, it can be downright cold for days at a time, with temperatures dipping below freezing at night.

Winter is the prime season in southern Florida, where temperatures range ordinarily from 50-60 F/10-16 C at night to 71-77 F/22-25 C in the day. The Panhandle tends to be cooler, though, so expect daytime temperatures in the mid-60s F/high teens C in winter. Elsewhere, the winter daytime temperatures should be in the high 60s-low 70s F/high teens-low 20s C.

If you're traveling to Florida during your summer vacation, you'll find that the heat and humidity are tempered by sea breezes along the coast or by afternoon/early-evening thunderstorms. Rainfall can be intense, but is usually short-lived. Nonetheless, those who aren't used to it may find 90 F/32 C and 50-65 percent humidity a strain. Careful pacing, loose light clothing and a hat with a brim will help. Be particularly careful where long waits in line occur; some of the theme-park attractions can have you standing in the sun longer than you might prefer.

Of course, you can usually cool off in the water--swimming at the beach is comfortable year round (although the waters off the northern coast may be a bit chilly for some travelers in the winter months and summertime water temperatures, especially at the southern beaches, can be too tepid to be refreshing. Along the Gulf Coast, water temperatures average 70 F/21 C in February and 84 F/28 C in August.