A Guide for the Traveler Who Likes Quiet More than Crowds

Florida is a fantasy of beautiful scenery, spectacular weather and incredible resort destinations. But it's like an all-you-can-eat buffet filled with gourmet desserts. Once you've been around the table two or three times and feasted on chocolate till your cheeks burn...it's time to move on. Time to leave the rich, artificial, fantasy stuff behind and look for something less sweet and more filling. Time to embrace an experience with substance. Time to get real.

Simply put, this book is more about qualities than quantities. If you're looking for a travel book that covers every tourist spot in Florida--in great detail--from Pensacola to Key West, you should probably look elsewhere.

In The Budget-Romance Traveler: Real Florida, we focus on a dozen very special areas around the state, plus a few carefully considered, must-do sidetrips. Each recommendation has a unique appeal, a singular (or possibly collective) charm, a tangible character that sets it apart from the ordinary places ordinary travelers seek. In some cases, this means Real Florida destinations are out-of-the-way and/or off the well-trod tourist route. Other locations may be overlooked, or for those in the know, deserve a new appreciation.

The Budget-Romance Traveler (we hope that's you) loves an independent adventure apart from the herd. When possible, The Budget-Romance Traveler steers clear of jam-packed freeways, crowded amusement parks, cookie-cutter hotels and chain restaurants. You prefer the open road, less cluttered spaces, a slice of nature, a unique room and an independent eatery. If you can have it all served up with a dash of romance, so much the better.

On any given travel day, you will gladly go out of your way (at least a reasonable distance) to discover genuine style and individuality rather than settle for synthetic luxury and painted-smile pretensions. Luxury and pretension is all too easy to find if you're willing to pay for it.

Most of all, you're an independent thinker. You may or may not be independently wealthy--either way you don't care to let your bank account dictate your travel experience. And just because you choose to travel on a budget doesn't mean you desire a second-class adventure. It's not that you demand perfection. You simply demand value for the price.

So if you decide to splurge on an especially nice meal or overnight stay, you tend to be more selective than the average traveler. Put another way, The Budget-Romance Traveler generally prefers originality and personality over fabricated comforts-- whether you can afford them or not. But then, if you really do decide to be a bit extravagant, you want to be sure the experience is worth the money.

Shouldn't everyone?