My yearly trip to Florida always involves going to Spring Training. The Minnesota Twins play their Spring Training games at the CenturyLink Sports Complex, which is also the home of two of their minor league teams. Prior to the game, we checked out Rick Stelmaszek Field, a practice baseball diamond named after our friend, former major league catcher and long-time coach with the Twins who died in 2017. The Twins lost the game, but an afternoon of spring baseball is always a great time.

Having origins dating back to 1936, the Everglades Wonder Gardens is a nonprofit cultural icon. Known for its flock of pink flamingos, the botanic jungle is filled with rescued birds and reptiles as well as beautiful trees, plants and flowers. One of the highlights was feeding the alligators with a fishing pole bated with food.

Any trip to Florida must include a day at the beach. This year we spent a day lounging on one of the Marco Island beaches. The Gulf of Mexico water was warm and the shoreline was beautiful.

Early one morning we watched as my sister played pickleball. The fast-growing sport is huge in Florida, and I must get on the court one of these days. I did get on a bocce ball court, but my sister and I lost to our dad and her husband.

My Florida trips are always a perfect blend of activity and relaxation. I returned to Chicago feeling refreshed and with great new memories.

— John Wroblewski, online writer