I went down for the first time back in 2017, during the last week of June/first week of July. My parents had bought a place in Hernando County and I went down to help them get some stuff fixed and do a little fishing and exploring.
As someone else mentioned, go down there this time of year and you'll understand. The heat was unbearable after 10am, and the humidity was, indescribable. It's so freaking hot in the summer, the fish don't even bite.
The town they live in seemed nice to be honest, I guess, if you have to live in town, but their street alone represents 90% of world cultures. It was culture shock for this backwoods homebody. Though admittedly, everyone kinda kept to themselves.
As someone else mentioned, the bugs are enormous compared to home. I seen grasshoppers the size of two of my fingers, and there was some sort of very large wasp/hornet flying around that I was concerned may end my life if I got stung, it was the size of a damn hummingbird. Come to think of it, the place is alive with all sorts of strange and dangerous wildlife... fire ants, alligators, coastal crocs and pythons (further south), aggressive cottonmouths, bull sharks.. you name it.
On the other hand, my daughter had a blast catching these cool little brown anole lizards running around my parents house and crabs at the various little "beaches". I got to see some kind of huge tortoise that called my parents back yard home. I seen alot of birds and waterfowl that I never knew existed. The beaches to the south are nice, and as I later discovered, spring, fall and "winter" fishing is pretty good. I haven't had the chance yet, but I've been wanting to do a hog hunt down that was as well.
All in all, I wouldn't live there, but it's not a bad place to visit. Just not in the summer. Holy schit is it hot.
"Ignorance is acceptable, because you can remedy it with knowledge and research. Stupidity is when you guard your ignorance." Ted Nugent
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