August 21, 2010

Dry Tortugas, Fla.

Why go? It's the seventh least-visited national park, with only about 52,000 visitors in 2009. Best-known for its birding colonies and rich marine life, it's one of the best day trips out of the Florida Keys you can find.

Dry Tortugas is a cluster of seven islands located about 70 miles west of the Florida Keys. Of course, one of the reasons for its low visitorship is that it's only accessible by boat or seaplane.

More importantly, the waters around Dry Tortugas have NOT been affected by the Gulf oil spill, and is currently under 1 percent threat for impacts. So don't let fear dictate where you travel -- go enjoy the beauty.