#florida-oranges

#florida-oranges

The city of Orlando happens to have the most green space per resident than any other major city, according to a new analysis from travel platform BookRetreats. The city, known as The City Beautiful, offers roughly 2,777 square feet of greenery per person. That translates to more than 148 parks, gardens, and recreation areas, according to the study, with plenty of lakes, trails, and botanical gardens to explore.

Located within Walt Disney World, this shopping, dining, and entertainment district is worth checking out during your next trip to the resort. Even though it's on Disney property, Disney Springs is one of several attractions that don't require park tickets and self-parking is complimentary. With around 100 shops, 80 eateries, and 20 other attractions, there's so much to see here.

Where multi-story apartment buildings are now being constructed once stood the Butcher family orchard. The farm had been in the family since 1881, when Rolla and Emma Butcher bought 160 acres of land. After Rolla's early death, Emma ran the farm by herself, planting fruit trees while raising her young children.

The weather this week looks ideal, with sunny to modestly sunny skies each day, temperatures in the mid-70s to low-80s. Evening temperatures should drop to around the 60s throughout the workweek. Winds should be relatively calm, and humidity will be moderate. Things could change a bit over the coming weekend, with chances of showers increasing Saturday night into Sunday. Conditions also will remain dry.

Every morning I join a group of friends for coffee and conversation at a cafe in my neighborhood. We call ourselves the "coffee klatch." This time of year, one of the key klatchers, Michael Soriano, often comes bearing a bag of Meyer lemons, picked from his tree. Last year he even did a drive-by in front of my apartment, delivering a bag of those fragrant golden orbs just for me. Such luxury! And free. It felt like a heist.

On Saturday, United States military forces carried out a dramatic strike in Venezuela that resulted in the capture and forcible removal of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. They were flown to New York and are now in federal custody. Maduro appeared in federal court on drug and weapons charges and pleaded not guilty. Several governments, international legal experts and United Nations officials have described the military operation as an illegal kidnapping and a breach of international law.

With a population of about 200,000 residents, this eastern Florida city is known for its quieter beaches, walkable downtown, and vibrant stores and restaurants. It's also famous for having hundreds of miles of canals that curl in and around the city - a feature that's earned it the nickname "Venice of America." Just like in Italy's Venice, these winding waterways are very much a part of daily life in this Florida city.

U-Haul ranked Florida as the No. 2 growth state for 2025, second only to Texas, according to its proprietary growth index that analyzed one-way customer moves from the past calendar year. The company said Florida climbed two spots from No. 4 in 2024. It was ranked No. 2 from 2021-23 and was the leading growth state in 2019. The year 2025 marked "11 consecutive years that Florida has been among the top four U-Haul growth states," the company said in a statement.