Florida is a Great State If You Want to Do This

Florida is a great state in many ways. We have a great opportunities to do things outdoors, and it doesn't get too cold here in the winter compared to other areas. But, as it turns out, Florida is an exceptionally great state if you want to do one particular thing.

The experts at CNBC.com have a new story about about the top states for starting a business. As for methodology, they explain that, "to rank America's Top States for Business in 2024, CNBC scored all 50 states on 128 metrics in 10 broad categories of competitiveness. Each category is weighted based on how frequently states use them as a selling point in economic development marketing materials." By doing it this way, they made sure the study ranks "the states based on the attributes they use to sell themselves." They also created specific criteria and metrics by working with a wide variety of business and policy experts, as well as the states. They point out that this isn't an opinion survey. CNBC.com actually used data and research from various sources to measure the states' performances. Using their methodology, states were able to earn a maximum of 2,500 points. The states that performed the best based on this criteria were named America's Top States for Business. Looking at this study, CNBC.com included criteria such as infrastructure, workforce, economy, the cost of doing business, technology, innovation and business friendliness. So, the states with the highest total marks with all of these things combined came out on top of their tally.

So, what's the best state in America to start a business? According to their research, it's Virginia. The state got especially high marks when it came to the cost of doing business and technology and innovation. However, the state didn't get high marks in every area. For example, they only got a three on infrastructure and five on business friendliness. No. 2 on the tally of the best states to start a business is North Carolina, followed by Texas, Georgia and Florida. It's so great to see Florida No. 5 on the roster. So, if you want to start a business, just know Florida is a great state to do so. CNBC.com also listed the rest of the states and where they fall when it comes to ease of starting a new business. At the bottom of the pack is actually Hawaii, which is a bit surprising, since Hawaii often falls at the top of best-of lists. Also towards the bottom are Mississippi, Alaska, Louisiana and Montana.

Florida is known for its beautiful beaches and resorts. After all, Florida is the Sunshine State. But, if you're looking for some more underrated, and less busy, Florida beaches, then you also have some options. The major beaches are often filled with tourists, so finding some of the more underrated Florida beaches may be just what you need for a quiet getaway.

Before we get to the most underrated Florida beaches to visit, let's talk about the amazing water areas that Florida has to offer. Florida is one of the boating and fishing capitals of the world. As VisitFlorida.com points out, the state has more than 7,700 lakes, 11,000 miles of rivers, 2,276 miles of tidal shoreline and has been home to more than 900 world fishing records. That tops any other state or even country. How wild is to to think that Florida has created more fishing records than even any other country? It shows just how rich the state is when it comes to our water.

Florida also has more than 700 freshwater springs, and 27 are classified as first-magnitude springs, which is more than any other state. A few other special things about Florida is that John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park on Key Largo was America's very first underwater state park. Also, the fishing village of Cedar Key is known for having the best clam chowder in America. So, if you have a craving for clam chowder, that's the place to go.

A separate article from VisitFlorida.com notes that Florida beaches are known for being very clear, but "it varies from week to week, and even from day to day depending on the amount of sunlight, the temperature, the amount of rainfall, the wind speed and direction, water currents and surf." They add that Florida has some very clear and beautiful beaches on the Gulf of Mexico and on the Atlantic Ocean. For clear water ost days, try "northwest Florida beaches in and around Panama City Beach, Destin, Fort Walton Beach, and Pensacola; southwest Florida beaches on Anna Maria Island, Longboat Key and Siesta Key."

I love that fact that you can enjoy Florida beaches any time of the year. I mean, contrary to what people outside of the state think, it can get cold here in the winter. But, it's rarely too cold to sit on the beach with a sweatshirt on and watch the sunset. Read on for underrated Florida beaches to get on your radar.

Fort Myers Beach still has a good amount of damage from the hurricane, but Margaritaville is open, so you'll find plenty to do there. Situated on Estero Island, Fort Myers Beach is one of the state's most underrated beaches. At Fort Myers Beach, you'll find beautiful, white-sand beaches and gorgeous sunsets.

Make sure to visit Siesta Key here, as well as Sarasota Gay Beach and Crescent Beach. Just south of Tampa Bay, Sarasota is a lovely beach town that is especially popular during the holidays. You'll find lots of local shopping opportunities here.

St. George Island State Park is located on a barrier island fronting the legendary Apalachicola Bay. It's a great place to gaze at the stars. Note that starting March 1, 2025, the campground at Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park will be closed for an expansion project.

If you head to Santa Rosa Beach and want to find some really special, and secret, beaches, try Blue Mountain Beach and Grayton Beach State Park. This beach town is less crowded than most, which makes it a low-key getaway.

Pensacola Beach is located on a 40-mile barrier island, Pensacola Beach, and has beautiful, translucent waters. It's a really small town, so it's much less crowded than other beaches. It's a hidden gem.

If you don't want to go too far, do some digging and visit one of the closest beaches to you, that you haven't visited yet. This is one of my favorite things to do. Maybe you'll find a new favorite beach super close to home.