Florida is known for making dreams come true. And while many associate Orlando with vacation magic (Hello, Disney!), a lesser-known destination about an hour and a half northwest brings the same ...

Floridians love manatees. The marine animals, lovingly known as "sea cows" or "gentle giants," spend the winters swimming in rivers, bays, canals, estuaries and coastal areas from Nov. 15 to March 31.

Plus, learn the dos and don'ts of swimming with them before you go. My preferred water temperature for swimming here in Florida hovers around 85°F, but when winter rolls around, I suck it up and suck ...

CRYSTAL RIVER, Fla. -- They are suspended like spacecraft in the clear water, their deliberate movement made buoyant despite their mass. They look a bit like Wilfred Brimley smiling at you. Swimming ...

Swimming with manatees at Plantation on Crystal River, Florida Info: 7:15 a.m. daily, Plantation on Crystal River, 9301 W. Fort Island Trail, Crystal River, $129-$209 hotel rooms, $55 manatee snorkel ...

This isn't the Sunshine State of travel agency brochures. But it's the perfect time and temperature for hanging out with some of Florida's lovable endangered creatures — manatees.

A polar vortex that has hit much of the U.S. with ice and snow has dealt a glancing blow to Florida, dropping coastal temperatures and causing the Sunshine State's manatee population, still recovering ...

Florida is known for making dreams come true. And while many associate Orlando with vacation magic (Hello, Disney!), a lesser-known destination about an hour and a half northwest brings the same ...