(Stacker) —It goes without saying that the coronavirus pandemic has sparked a wave of uncertainty across myriad industries, and not other market has quite felt its impact like that of real estate.

The pandemic has become a driving force behind the continued real estate boom, with high demand for vacation homes and a limited supply of housing that has prompted buyers and investors to bid up prices for affordable properties, causing home prices to skyrocket. The ability to work remotely played a role in the vacation home demand in mid-2020, as affluent Americans opted to ride out the pandemic with more amenities and space outside dense urban areas.

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#30. Dover, FL

– 1-year price change: +$106,979 (+31.4%)– 5-year price change: +$217,277 (+94.2%)– Typical home value: $447,991 (#24 most expensive city in metro)

#29. Gibsonton, FL

– 1-year price change: +$108,145 (+40.1%)– 5-year price change: +$189,956 (+101.0%)– Typical home value: $377,996 (#45 most expensive city in metro)

#28. Greater Northdale, FL

– 1-year price change: +$108,720 (+30.6%)– 5-year price change: +$216,667 (+87.7%)– Typical home value: $463,759 (#21 most expensive city in metro)

#27. Safety Harbor, FL

– 1-year price change: +$110,396 (+27.9%)– 5-year price change: +$243,693 (+93.0%)– Typical home value: $505,817 (#18 most expensive city in metro)

#26. North Weeki Wachee, FL

– 1-year price change: +$111,078 (+38.6%)– 5-year price change: +$210,124 (+111.3%)– Typical home value: $398,983 (#38 most expensive city in metro)

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#25. Riverview, FL

– 1-year price change: +$111,616 (+36.9%)– 5-year price change: +$197,155 (+90.9%)– Typical home value: $414,124 (#35 most expensive city in metro)

#24. Wesley Chapel, FL

– 1-year price change: +$111,868 (+34.1%)– 5-year price change: +$201,406 (+84.3%)– Typical home value: $440,205 (#26 most expensive city in metro)

#23. Weeki Wachee Gardens, FL

– 1-year price change: +$113,331 (+34.0%)– 5-year price change: +$254,589 (+132.6%)– Typical home value: $446,654 (#25 most expensive city in metro)

#22. Valrico, FL

– 1-year price change: +$113,337 (+33.4%)– 5-year price change: +$212,072 (+88.1%)– Typical home value: $452,725 (#23 most expensive city in metro)

#21. Wimauma, FL

– 1-year price change: +$115,168 (+38.2%)– 5-year price change: +$184,985 (+79.9%)– Typical home value: $416,636 (#33 most expensive city in metro)

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#20. Land O Lakes, FL

– 1-year price change: +$115,721 (+33.9%)– 5-year price change: +$210,555 (+85.5%)– Typical home value: $456,944 (#22 most expensive city in metro)

#19. Lutz, FL

– 1-year price change: +$124,543 (+33.2%)– 5-year price change: +$228,186 (+84.2%)– Typical home value: $499,216 (#19 most expensive city in metro)

#18. Pebble Creek, FL

– 1-year price change: +$131,595 (+36.0%)– 5-year price change: +$233,249 (+88.5%)– Typical home value: $496,669 (#20 most expensive city in metro)

#17. Apollo Beach, FL

– 1-year price change: +$133,101 (+35.5%)– 5-year price change: +$231,406 (+83.5%)– Typical home value: $508,504 (#17 most expensive city in metro)

#16. Westchase, FL

– 1-year price change: +$141,158 (+32.5%)– 5-year price change: +$245,361 (+74.3%)– Typical home value: $575,795 (#16 most expensive city in metro)

#15. Saint Leo, FL

– 1-year price change: +$154,700 (+33.5%)– 5-year price change: +$264,072 (+74.9%)– Typical home value: $616,685 (#15 most expensive city in metro)

#14. Belleair, FL

– 1-year price change: +$162,617 (+31.4%)– 5-year price change: +$306,048 (+81.6%)– Typical home value: $681,039 (#12 most expensive city in metro)

#13. Harbor Bluffs, FL

– 1-year price change: +$165,457 (+30.9%)– 5-year price change: +$324,322 (+86.0%)– Typical home value: $701,259 (#10 most expensive city in metro)

#12. Odessa, FL

– 1-year price change: +$175,364 (+33.6%)– 5-year price change: +$311,529 (+80.6%)– Typical home value: $698,024 (#11 most expensive city in metro)

#11. Treasure Island, FL

– 1-year price change: +$180,586 (+36.6%)– 5-year price change: +$320,811 (+90.7%)– Typical home value: $674,600 (#13 most expensive city in metro)

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#10. Hernando Beach, FL

– 1-year price change: +$187,557 (+41.6%)– 5-year price change: +$338,178 (+112.7%)– Typical home value: $638,230 (#14 most expensive city in metro)

#9. Indian Shores, FL

– 1-year price change: +$188,415 (+35.3%)– 5-year price change: +$338,814 (+88.4%)– Typical home value: $722,001 (#9 most expensive city in metro)

#8. Saint Pete Beach, FL

– 1-year price change: +$190,312 (+34.7%)– 5-year price change: +$346,034 (+88.2%)– Typical home value: $738,472 (#8 most expensive city in metro)

#7. Redington Shores, FL

– 1-year price change: +$214,557 (+32.6%)– 5-year price change: +$394,192 (+82.4%)– Typical home value: $872,628 (#6 most expensive city in metro)

#6. Madeira Beach, FL

– 1-year price change: +$218,545 (+36.2%)– 5-year price change: +$399,328 (+94.3%)– Typical home value: $822,821 (#7 most expensive city in metro)

#5. Indian Rocks Beach, FL

– 1-year price change: +$228,977 (+35.3%)– 5-year price change: +$430,521 (+96.2%)– Typical home value: $877,855 (#5 most expensive city in metro)

#4. Tierra Verde, FL

– 1-year price change: +$235,598 (+34.6%)– 5-year price change: +$430,689 (+88.7%)– Typical home value: $916,055 (#4 most expensive city in metro)

#3. Belleair Beach, FL

– 1-year price change: +$255,856 (+35.1%)– 5-year price change: +$459,506 (+87.4%)– Typical home value: $985,016 (#2 most expensive city in metro)

#2. Redington Beach, FL

– 1-year price change: +$284,869 (+41.0%)– 5-year price change: +$500,551 (+104.3%)– Typical home value: $980,286 (#3 most expensive city in metro)

#1. North Redington Beach, FL

– 1-year price change: +$288,571 (+37.6%)– 5-year price change: +$497,471 (+89.1%)– Typical home value: $1,056,082 (#1 most expensive city in metro)

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Correspondent

ST. PETERSBURG — Back in the day when motorists drove the few roads available through a mostly-undeveloped state of Florida, a series of roadside attractions tempted them to pull off the highway and linger and spend a dollar or two to see oddities that were both natural and entirely unnatural to the state.

This was long before the “mouse” was even conceived by its creator Disney. Those attractions, often family-owned and operated, of the early 1900s were usually small in scale, but big in hyperbole. Gaudy signs with fluorescent lighting and garish colors and graphics announced their presence.

They included attractions like Cypress Gardens (with its antebellum maidens in hoop skirts); the Monkey Jungle; Weeki Wachee (“real mermaids!”); Marineland and a Seaquarium in Miami; Gatorland; St. Augustine's Alligator Farm; the ubiquitous citrus stands that dotted the highways (“Freshly squeezed delicious juice!” and “See the orange grove!”); McKee Jungle Gardens and Sunken Gardens are a few of that era.

Many are gone now, but some are still there, competing today with the likes of more than one “world” of epic manufactured entertainment and amusement. And some of them are better than ever, and are still drawing crowds. Sunken Gardens in St. Petersburg is one of the survivors with almost a century under its green “belt” of lush foliage and flowers still awing visitors.

Sunken Gardens actually dates to about 1903 when local plumber, George Turner Sr., looked to cultivate a tropical garden at a 4-acre site at what was then the center of town. His plumbing skills were put to a test as he excavated the site to drain a small shallow lake which exposed rich peat soils under the surface. Then he began creating a network of pools and waterfalls that would punctuate the meandering pathways through his exotic jungle.

Over the years he added more and more plants, trees and shrubs, and today those specimens are some of the oldest of their kind at any botanical garden in Florida. According to Sunken Gardens’ literature, by 1925 word of those gardens had spread and visitors were paying a quarter to tour them. Many of the plants were imported from tropical regions (St. Petersburg being in a marginal subtropical growing zone) and in some winters citrus grove heaters were employed to protect those tender, cold-sensitive plants as well as huge native royal palms.

In 1998, Sunken Gardens was designated a local historic landmark and the City of St. Petersburg purchased the property in 1999. What followed that was an extensive, years’-long restoration. So from being one of the state’s oldest family-owned roadside attractions, the gardens are now a restored botanical garden still welcoming visitors to enjoy this little gem of an attraction with its color, vibrancy, lush tropical jungle and many water features.

A maze of shaded walkways connect and divide the acreage with a series of plant-specific areas: a palm plaza; an oak pavilion; the orchid arbor; bromeliads; coconut grove; a meditation patio; butterfly garden; and so on. Throughout the gardens are the signature water features with cascading waterfalls, pools swimming with colorful koi fish or floating water lilies and tropical vegetation. In one, a small flock of flamingos struts and preens in a shallow pool.

On a recent sunny Sunday a crowd gathered at the entrance gate, just before noon when the gardens open for the day. As the morning wore on, more and more arrived to experience this tropical oasis in the middle of a bustling Florida city. Families with small children, young couples — people of all ages came to experience the beauty, the color and the tranquility of the lush gardens. It was proof positive that this little gem, Sunken Gardens, can still draw a crowd. Not bad for a few acres of exotic plants and a vision that came into focus more than a century ago. You could say that Mr. Turner had a pretty good idea there, knew what he was doing would endure and be appreciated for years to come.

Sunken Gardens offers educational programs, workshops, special events and tours throughout the year. Weddings, private parties and meetings are a frequent use of the facility with a special wedding lawn area and an indoor banquet facility dubbed The Garden Room, which offers stunning views of the Sunken Gardens from the second floor of restored historic 1926 building adjacent to the gardens.

Sunken Gardens is located at 1825 Fourth St., St. Petersburg, and is open 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and from noon to 4:30 p.m. Sundays. For information, call 727-551-3102 or visit sunkengardens.org.

Lynette L. Walther is the GardenComm Gold medal winner for writing, a five-time recipient of the GardenComm Silver Medal of Achievement, the National Garden Bureau’s Exemplary Journalism Award and she is the author of “Florida Gardening on the Go.” She is a member of GardenComm, the professional organization for garden writers. Her gardens are on the banks of the St. Johns River.

Last month, Weeki Wachee State Park updated its management plan. Soon after, an environmental advocate filed a complaint saying the plan was improperly approved.

WEEKI WACHEE GARDENS, Fla. — Is the Florida Department of Environmental Protection doing enough to preserve the Weeki Wachee State Park portion of the Weeki Wachee River? A recently filed complaint says they're not.

The complaint was made against the recently updated state park management plan. The plan is updated every 10 years and is supposed to go through an approval process with an advisory committee and public input.

Shannon Turbeville sits on the advisory committee.

"The advisory committee is very important because it consists of taxpayers," Turbeville said. "And this is public land that belongs to the taxpayers."

He said steps were skipped in approving the updated plan. A preliminary meeting was held with the advisory committee. Turbeville said his committee was waiting on the findings of the Weeki Wachee Natural System Carry Capacity Study. This study was launched "to collect and analyze data that relates human use to water quality, hydrologic, geomorphic, or ecological degradation of the river. The study area spanned from the headspring at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park to Rogers Park," the updated management plan said.

"The only meeting they ever had was a public meeting," Turbeville said. "My allegation is that they did not, per statute, develop this plan with input from an advisory committee. It would appear the Florida Department of Environmental Protection is merely attempting to check a statutory checkbox."

His concerns go beyond how the plan was passed. The updated management plan repeatedly highlighted how people exit their kayaks or paddleboards in areas they're not supposed negatively impact the shorelines.

There are laws in place that prohibit paddlers from exiting their vessels along the river. Turbeville's complaint against the plan is the laws prohibiting this from happening are not enforced.

He submitted a request with FWC to learn how many citations were issued to people for violating this law in the summer months of 2020.

"There were no citations that appeared to reflect enforcement of 62D of administrative code," he said.

The impact of breaking this rule has on the river? It makes it wider and more shallow.

"What's happening is the organic sedimentation, from people trampling it, is being transported downriver naturally following the stream and it's accumulating," Turbeville explained.

According to the study, some areas of the park suffered as much as an estimated 30 percent vegetation loss in square feet.

Outlined in the updated management plan is how the park will enforce rules to ensure rules are adhered to. Signage is up at the state park now, telling paddlers to not exit their vessels, to not trample on vegetation, and not climb on trees or swing on ropes.

DEP's plan said it will continue to work with FWC to monitor river activity and to consider establishing cameras in known problem areas.

Weeki Wachee State Park limits how many paddlers are allowed to launch each day to 280 vessels. This limitation is included in the updated management plan.

10 Tampa Bay reached out to FL DEP to learn how complaints are handled, if a change to the management plan would be considered, and why advisory board meetings were not held before the new plan was adopted. We are awaiting their response.

WEEKI WACHEE SPRINGS, Fla. — (WFLA) — Our delicate Floridan aquifer is a matrix of tunnels that flow silently under our feet every day. The Karst Underwater Research group –or KUR– works to explore new areas and document the miles of caves that our drinking water is pulled from.

One part of documentation is filming these caves that are hundreds of feet below the surface. Their hope is that if people are able to see what is under the ground and where the water is coming from, they will be more empowered the help protect it.

The group recently made a breakthrough discovery about a mile and a half inside the cave after looking for new leads for two years. They named the area ‘Minas Tirith’ and it consists of three large rooms between 200 and 400 feet deep.

It took a pair of 13 hour dives to do the initial exploration of this area in 2019. They were able to film it in high definition during a 14 hour dive just recently, at the end of January earlier this year.

Brett Hemphill is the director of KUR and is one of the exploration divers who initially discovered this area. He said it takes many hours of planning to carry out this dangerous exploration that takes them miles back into a cave. He said, “I feel like I have a sense of responsibility for other people to see it so that they can turn around and go “you know I may never do that but it’s amazing and that needs to be protected”.”

While the springs are a perfect spot to cool off in the crystal clear waters during the hot summer, the water quality is changing. With a higher concentration of nutrients from fertilizer, algae grows turning the water green. The springs are also slowing down from too much water being pulled from the aquifer.

The ‘recharge zone’ of a caves is an area on the surface where water gets absorbed back into the ground and replenishes the aquifer. It is typically very localized area to each spring. In Weeki Wachee’s case, it is only an area of about 50 square miles in Hernando County making it very important for everyone there to be mindful of water usage and limiting fertilizer on lawns.

As Hurricane Ian made landfall in western Cuba on Tuesday, Floridians were keeping an anxious eye on the storm that is expected to make landfall on Wednesday afternoon in Florida. That included the operators of the state's popular theme parks.

Here's a status report of where things stand as of 8:30 a.m. ET Wednesday with various major theme parks, along with other sites of interest to tourists:

Busch Gardens (Tampa)

Ian's path remains uncertain, but on Tuesday morning, the Tampa Bay Area seemed likely to be in the crosshairs.

As a result, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay said it will be closed on Wednesday and Thursday.

UPDATE: Busch Gardens will now be closed today, September 27 through Thursday, September 29. For additional details, please visit https://t.co/hCv7Wec8Sf pic.twitter.com/XthVh5dItr

%u2014 Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (@BuschGardens) September 27, 2022

"Due to the projected path of Hurricane Ian, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has enacted its Named Storm Policy... Precautions are in place following the parks' comprehensive weather preparedness plan to ensure the safety of our animals and ambassadors during this time," the park announced on its website.

"All admission tickets have been extended through December 31," the park said. Also, "annual Pass members' guest tickets with an expiration date of Sept. 30 will be extended through Oct. 16."

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The International Space Station flew over Hurricane Ian on Monday.

Discovery Cove (Orlando)

The all-inclusive day resort with animal encounters and tropical aquatic settings is also closing on Wednesday and Thursday.

The parks said it "will reschedule or refund reservations booked online or from the call center. We will not apply any cancellation or change fees for this service." You can call +1 407-513-4600 to find out more.

Disney World (Orlando)

The Disney World's theme parks and water parks are set to close Wednesday and Thursday ahead of Hurricane Ian, according to a company statement Tuesday afternoon.

Disney Springs, a shopping, dining and entertainment area, will be closed on Thursday as well.

Walt Disney World Resort Update on Hurricane Ian %u2013 For the latest information, visit: https://t.co/tFCa0Atuj5 pic.twitter.com/2HikYFXRU6

%u2014 Disney Parks (@DisneyParks) September 27, 2022

"We anticipate Disney Springs will be closed on Thursday, Sept. 29, and we will provide updates as we continue to track the storm," Disney said in the statement.

"We are monitoring weather conditions so we can make timely decisions for the safety of our Cast and Guests, including when it's safe for Cast to return to the site to prepare for reopening."

Universal Resort (Orlando)

Universal Orlando Resort, including CityWalk, will close on Wednesday and Thursday, the park said in an email to CNN Travel on Tuesday afternoon.

The park said it expects to reopen on Friday as conditions permit.

"Our hotels are currently at full capacity and will remain operational as they focus on taking care of our guests," Universal said.

Also, the Halloween Horror Nights event at Universal Studios Florida will be canceled Wednesday and Thursday. The also plan to reopen that on Friday, conditions permitting.

Tuesday, 2:24 pm ET: Can clearly see the eye of hurricane #Ian now on the Key West Radar. In the 2 pm update, forward motion was still north at 10 mph. Tonight it will start edging northeast as impacts grow and we watch for a landfall tomorrow. #hurricane #gotime pic.twitter.com/g7tK5HsW98

%u2014 Ginger Zee (@Ginger_Zee) September 27, 2022

LEGOLAND (Winter Haven)

LEGOLAND Florida Resort will be closed Wednesday and Thursday, according to an email sent to CNN Travel around noon ET Tuesday.

This closure includes LEGOLAND Florida Theme Park, LEGOLAND Water Park and Peppa Pig Theme Park.

"During this time the resort's hotels will remain open to guests with existing reservations. The safety of our guests and employees is our top priority as we monitor the impact of the storm in our area," said the resort.

Park tickets for Wednesday, September 28, through Sunday, October 2, will be automatically extended through December 31, 2022, LEGOLAND said.

People can rebook vacation stays without penalty once the park's call center reopens. Guests with questions about the resort's hurricane policy can click here.

SeaWorld (Orlando)

SeaWorld Orlando will be closed Wednesday and Thursday.

"We are taking all necessary precautions -- including the implementation of our comprehensive weather preparedness plan -- to keep guests, employees, and animals safe," SeaWorld spokesperson Carl Hensley told CNN in a statement Tuesday.

Cruise ships

Florida ports have very active cruise schedules. Here's the status of some of those ships' routes as of 8:15 p.m. ET Monday:

Norwegian Cruise Lines: The company changed five ports on the Norwegian Sky, which left Miami on Sunday, the cruise line tells CNN. The ship was scheduled to port in George Town, Grand Cayman; Roatan, Honduras; Harvest Caye, Belize; and Cozumel in the Western Caribbean and will now make stops in San Juan, Puerto Rico; St. Thomas, Virgin Islands; Tortola, British Virgin Islands; and Nassau, Bahamas, to avoid the path of Ian.

"The safety and security of our guests and crew is always our number one priority. Due to the projected path of Hurricane Ian, Norwegian Sky's itinerary has been modified to the below. Guests who booked shore excursions in any of the affected ports through Norwegian Cruise Line will have their excursions refunded to their onboard account," a spokesperson for the cruise line said.

MSC: The company has changed course on at least one of their ships and monitoring the possibility of changing others, a spokesperson tells CNN. The MSC Seashore, which was originally scheduled to be in the Western Caribbean has been rerouted to ports in the Eastern Caribbean.

The cruise line is also monitoring the MSC Divinia, which left Port Canaveral on a four-night sailing to Nassau and the Ocean City Marine Reserve on Sunday. MSC says both cruise ports are outside of Ian's projected path, but advised passengers before leaving that conditions could prevent the ship from returning on Thursday. The cruise line says if there is a delay in their return, the cruise will be extended at no additional cost to guests.

The cruise line does not expect Ian to impact the MSC Seashore, which is set to depart from the Port of Miami on Saturday, October 1.

WATCH: Florida residents prep as Hurricane Ian approaches

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Florida residents brace for Hurricane Ian, lining up for hours in Tampa to collect bags of sand and clearing store shelves of bottled water.

Carnival Cruise Lines: The company has made adjustments to two of its sailings.

The ship Carnival Ecstasy, which departed from Mobile, Alabama, on Monday for a six-day sailing will visit Progresso Mexico on Wednesday before vising Cozumel on Thursday. The change reorders the visits, as the ship was scheduled to visit Cozumel first, the cruise line tells CNN.

The Carnival Glory left New Orleans on Sunday for an eight-day sailing,and will now port in Mahogany Bay, Roatan, Belize; and Cozumel, Mexico. The ship's original itinerary was to visit Key West as well as Freeport and Nassau, Bahamas.

National and state parks

As of 11 a.m. ET Tuesday, Everglades National Park in South Florida remained opened. The National Park Service advised people to monitor the latest weather updates before heading to the park, a wilderness area without many evacuation routes.

As of 9:30 a.m. ET, dozens of Florida state parks were closed:

Check here for updates and camping and cabin closures at other state parks that are currently open otherwise.

Tampa International Airport

Tourists in Florida hoping to use Tampa International Airport need to get there as soon as possible.

The airport will suspend all operations beginning at 5 p.m. Tuesday. The closure will allow the airport to prepare the airfield, terminals and other places for the approaching hurricane.

TPA TO SUSPEND OPERATIONS: In preparation for Hurricane Ian, TPA will suspend all operations on Tuesday, September 27, at 5:00 p.m. The Airport will be closed to all visitors at that time. Read more: https://t.co/RbS1uKuXtf

%u2014 Tampa International Airport %u2708%uFE0F (@FlyTPA) September 27, 2022

The airport issued these reminders:

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