After months of intense political focus on our “battleground state” of Florida, citizens will cast their vote for our country’s Commander in Chief. Though the President will reside in the White House in Washington D.C., our Sunshine State will continue to embody a rich presidential history. Floridians don’t need to take a trip to the nation’s capital to gain Presidential perspective; we can explore our own state to find political treasures using Visit Florida’s Presidential Trail!

Central Floridians can start their journey in their own backyard at Walt Disney World’s Hall of Presidents in the Magic Kingdom, where all 44 presidents come to life via animatronics, including the oath of office delivered by President Barack Obama. Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush each recorded their own dialogue for this attraction, a great indoor activity during a hot day visit to the Happiest Place on Earth. Displays within the Rotunda pre-show exhibit include decorated Easter eggs from a White House egg hunt (on loan from the Reagan Library), George W. Bush’s inaugural cowboy boots, and dresses worn by former first ladies.

In Lake County, just west of Orlando, the city of Clermont boasts the Presidents Hall of Fame, filled with life-size, wax figures of Presidents and their first ladies; plus a 60-by-20-foot replica of the White House. Also on display are some notable and authentic artifacts, such as Seat H-7 from the Ford Theater where Lincoln was assassinated and a seat from the Oval Office.

In a short day trip, Central Floridians can experience Presidential history on either coast. They can visit the childhood home of President Warren Harding’s wife, later converted into the fine dining restaurant now called The Cellar, located in the Historic District of Daytona Beach. According to Pam Forrester of Visit Florida, Harding once used this home as a winter location for his family to escape Ohio’s bitter weather.

More than 200 years before Tampa hosted this year’s Republican National Convention, this west coast city welcomed then-Col. Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders in 1898 at the Tampa Bay Hotel. This national historic landmark, once called Henry Plant’s “Palace”, is now the Henry B. Plant Museum on the University of Tampa campus. It is filled with artifacts and, oftentimes, Roosevelt himself mesmerizes visitors with tales from his life!

Slightly south on the Trail, in Fort Myers, inventor Thomas Edison and businessman Henry Ford — who lived side-by-side — welcomed several Presidents including Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, who made appearances during camping trips at the Winter Estates. A collection of historic homes, including Edison’s Botanic Research Laboratory, is open daily for tours.

Peanut Island, a tiny key off Palm Beach, held a secret for years: an evacuation bunker for President John F. Kennedy! In 1961, the Navy’s Seabees constructed this underground shelter in case of a nuclear attack during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Considered one of Florida’s hidden treasures, the Kennedy Bunker is now declassified and open for public visitation. Tourists can walk down a long metal tunnel and through a radiation testing station before entering what would have been America’s command center in the event of a nuclear attack. The bunker was built approximately 100 yards away from the U.S. Coast Guard Station, concealed in the woods and underground, but above the water table. It was restored by the Palm Beach Maritime Museum after it had fallen into complete disrepair due to flooding issues.

Head south to explore the wonder of Key West, which holds more than beautiful beaches. The trail of islands hosted multiple leaders at the Truman Little White House, including six Presidents, before becoming a museum. President Harry S. Truman spent the most time there, logging 11 trips and more than 175 days specifically during Cold War threats; while President Kennedy hosted British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan in the 1960s. Presidents William Howard Taft and Dwight Eisenhower also used the site for relaxation, in a similar fashion to which later Presidents utilized Camp David as a retreat. Today, the Truman Little White House is a public, living museum, and place of government business.

While in Key West, take a day trip or even camp on Dry Tortugas, home to Fort Jefferson, located 70 miles off the tip of the Southernmost Point in the United States. Build in the mid-19th century to protect the vital shipping channel, the fort once imprisoned Dr. Samuel Mudd, who set the broken leg of John Wilkes Booth after Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. Mudd was later convicted of conspiracy in the murder. Four years later, in 1869, President Andrew Johnson pardoned Mudd for working tirelessly to save lives during a yellow fever epidemic at the fort. In 1970, Fort Jefferson was added to the National Historic Register, and later designated as a national park. The fort is only accessible via seaplane or ferry.

Back to the north of Florida, the city of Pensacola is where Andrew Jackson, the 7^th U.S. President, seized “La Florida” from Spain. He was sworn in as Florida’s first territorial governor in Plaza Ferdinand VII in July 1821. A bust of Jackson remains in the city’s historic Palafox district. Experience this and other Presidential adventures in Florida with your family!

Kids Presidential App

For up-to-the-minute Presidential Election information for your youngsters, try the Basher Presidents app for iPhone and iPad. The app incorporates fun gaming elements to keep children engaged and educated. Plus, it provides insight into America’s history and the role Presidents have taken. The app is available for $1.99 through the App Store. Visit  www.Basherkidsvote.com.