Life isn’t meant to be all work; it should include some play too, and Florida has plenty of that. In fact, Florida’s worldwide reputation as a great vacation destination brought 83.6 million visitors to the state in 2008. Many of them will come back — not just to visit, but to live permanently. Why? Because they liked what they saw. And because they want to share in the exceptional quality of life that full-time Floridians enjoy.

? Florida’s Assets

• Great climate: Average annual temperatures between 81 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Outstanding education: A public school system ranked 10th in the nation, plus at least one post-secondary educational institution — public or private university, community college and/or technical training center — within 50 miles of every Floridian.
• Economic value: No personal income tax and affordable housing. (At a median price of $187,800 in 2008, houses cost less in Florida than in many comparable states.)
• Plenty to see and do: More than 1,300 golf courses; 2,300 miles of tidal shoreline; 11,000 miles of rivers, streams and waterways; 161 state parks spanning 700,000 acres; some of the world’s biggest and best theme parks; a thriving arts and culture scene; unique shopping opportunities; world-class sporting events.
• Sophisticated healthcare: More than 300 general medical and surgical hospitals, including the facilities ranked No. 1 in the nation for ophthalmology (Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Miami) and No. 16 for cancer care (H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa) on U.S. News & World Report’s 2009 list of “America’s Best Hospitals.”

? Life’s a Beach

29 lifeguard stations — some clunky, some funky — dot the shoreline along Miami Beach.

No matter where you live in Florida, you’re never more than 60 miles from a beach, and this state is home to some of the nation’s best.

Florida’s Fort DeSoto State Park near St. Petersburg, Bahia Honda State Park in the Florida Keys and St. Andrew’s State Park near Panama City took the Nos. 1, 2 and 3 slots respectively on TripAdvisor’s 2009 list of Best Beaches in the U.S.; Honeymoon Island near Clearwater came in at No. 9.

And with six No. 1 beaches since 1991, Florida is second only to Hawaii for top honors on Dr. Beach’s annual “Top 10 Best Beaches,” a list compiled by the director of Florida International University’s Laboratory for Coastal Research; California has never claimed the top spot. In 2009, Siesta Beach in Sarasota was runner-up for the No. 1 position; Cape Florida State Park in Key Biscayne snagged the No. 8 slot. Criteria for the selections include water and sand quality, facilities and environmental management; once a beach is named No. 1, it’s retired from the competition.

? Only in Florida

Think you know Florida? Think again. We’re not just about sunshine and sand; we also have these unique attractions to boast about:

• The world’s most comprehensive collection of works by Louis Comfort Tiffany — In addition to the famed leaded-glass windows, The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art in Winter Park houses pottery, jewelry, mosaics, lamps and furniture bearing Tiffany’s distinctive style.
• The first national wildlife refuge in the United States — Established by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1903, Pelican Island on Indian River Lagoon between Sebastian and Wabasso along Florida’s central east coast attracts more than 30 species of birds that use it for roosting, feeding or just plain loafing. Humans can’t set foot on the island, but you can see the birds by boat, kayak or hiking along the Centennial Trail.
• The nation’s smallest post office — Located in Ochopee (population: 11) in the Florida Everglades and measuring just 7 x 8 feet.
• Surreal attractions — The Salvador Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg is the permanent home of the world’s most comprehensive collection of the renowned artist’s work.
• An acquisition the Smithsonian Institution vied for — Tucked in a hangar at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport is the largest private collection of memorabilia from Howard Hughes’ personal effects, now part of The Florida Air Museum. The airport is one of the busiest in the world during its Sun ’n Fun Fly-In held each April.

A Great Place to Call Home for 400 Years Those 16th-century Spaniards who sailed into St. Augustine on Florida’s northeast coast sure had an eye for quality of life. Not only is the community they settled in 1565 the longest continually inhabited European-founded city in the United States, it’s on U.S. News & World Report’s 2009 list of “10 Best Places to Live” in America. And no wonder. Modern-day St. Augustine offers an appealing combination of colonial charm, natural beauty, economic stability and cosmopolitan lifestyle that is difficult to match.