Florida's Gold Coast has some of the most beautiful beaches in the state, and some of the best shopping, too. If you're taking A1A south along the east coast, make sure you go past Jupiter Inlet, one of Florida's lines of demarcation. This one has nothing to do with the sand, and everything to do with the water. North of Jupiter Inlet, the Gulf Stream is 10 to 15 miles off-shore; south, it's only 2 to 3 miles from the beach. Not only does that mean warmer water and weather, it also means clear blue-green water. But where in Palm Beach County should a beach-goer go?

The county bought up a lot of beach, making it free and accessible to the public, and put in amenities like picnic tables, restrooms and lifeguards. If you're too close to the city, you might just get sucked inland - which you'll want to avoid if you hate traffic, because it's a mess here. Try heading down to Juno, where you can enjoy both Juno Beach Park and Loggerhead Park.

Juno Beach has a 300 foot beach with lifeguards, showers and picnic shelters. It also has a 990 foot fishing pier with a bait shop and a snack bar. It's a great place to enjoy warm shallow water, while the fishing is far from the beach. Carry your gear in a beach-to-town tote like the Spree 2 from Element. Dress your feet for the beach in these darling Sandi Thong Sandals from Gabriella Rocha.

If you get tired of Juno Beach, just down the road is Loggerhead Park. Along with a developed 900 foot beach with lifeguards and picnic facilities that include grills, it has nature trails and a marine life center where you can meet the famous loggerhead turtles of the area. If it's possible to have enough beach time, slip into this cute sundress from Hype and head into Palm Beach for some serious shopping.

Palm Beach County has everything from Shakespeare by the Sea to chi-chi boutiques to stretches of soft sand and whatever you're looking for, you'll find it here.

A few years ago, I spent a couple of weeks in Miami with my parents. My parents like to hike so, after a couple of days on the beach, we decided Florida's stellar hiking trails were calling us, and off we set.

Jonathan Dickinson State Park
This park is on the banks of the Loxahatchee River and has some great trails, all mapped out for you by the Florida Trail Association. The trails are all looped trails, so eventually you'll end up back where you started, but meanwhile you'll see some lovely mangroves, swamp land and pine woods. You can also camp here in the designated camping areas. Some of the trails are also board walked, which makes hiking easy. You can concentrate on the beauty around you instead of worrying where you're putting your feet.

South Fork St. Lucie Hiking Trail
This trail is about two and a half miles long, but what makes this trail really cool is it's a hiking-canoe trail that can only be accessed by canoe (at least at the moment, though that's likely to change in the future, so try it out soon). You get to the hiking trail by first paddling your canoe for around three miles, then get out at the trailhead. All along the canoe trail and into the hiking trail you're likely to see turtles and alligators. Make sure you watch where you're stepping though as alligators in Florida have been known to eat people.

Corbett Hiking Trail in Palm Beach County
The Corbett Hiking Trail is a bit further out but well worth going to. It's 16 miles long, which is more than 30 miles if you do the round trip, and goes over flatlands, wetlands and into copious amounts of saw palmetto, the famous Florida fan palm. You'll see a lot of wildlife on the Corbett Hiking Trail. River otters, white-tailed deer, bobcats, woodpeckers, herons and many other species have been spotted from Corbett Trail. The trail also has a 1.2 mile boardwalk, which is a great place to stop, take a rest and check out what might be lurking in the undergrowth. The best time for the most sightings is usually either early morning or late afternoon, when the trail is quieter. Make sure you take your camera too.

Miami doesn't have to be about a flashy lifestyle or a nice tan, it can also be about getting out into nature and trying one of the Miami areas' many hiking trails.