Road Trip through Florida - Sunshine, Family Fun and Wildlife

Florida is a perfect blend of excitement, relaxation, and sunshine. In December 2022, we flew from Australia to Tampa Florida and spent a month road tripping around Florida. With two kids in tow (aged 5 and 17), we set out to experience the best the Sunshine State had to offer.

We explored world-famous theme parks and Kennedy Space Centre in Orlando, drove the Florida Keys and discovered the natural beauty of the Everglades. Each destination offered something - from thrilling rides to quiet sunsets - making it an unforgettable trip for the whole family.

Week 1 - Hit the theme parks

After arriving in Tampa, we picked up a car and drove to Orlando. However, you can also fly direct into Orlando if that works better for you. We needed a day to just recover from the long flight from Australia.

Where to stay: Blue Heron Beach Resort. We looked into staying onsite at Disneyworld but the prices were a bit too much for us and we wanted more space. What we loved about Blue Heron Beach Resort was that we had a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment with kitchen and laundry so we could save money on eating and were able to wash each night. It was close to all the theme parks as well as Orlando city itself.

We kicked things off our holiday with the most magical and anticipated part of the trip: Universal Studios and Disneyworld Orlando. It was all about rides, characters, and sugary snacks. I don't think we fully appreciated how exhausting and exhilarating this week would be. But both parents and kids loved this week so much - we can't wait to come back!

Here is a link to our recommendations and experiences at Disneyworld. Disneyworld requires its own blog and here I provide tips on what to expect, best rides and how to plan your days. We spent 4 days visiting each theme park.

Univeral Studios Orlando

We only had 1 day for Universal Studios and it was rushed. If you have the time (and money) then would recommend spreading it out over 2 days. But highly recommend purchasing the 'Park to Park' ticket as this allows you to go between both parks via the Hogwarts's Express train.

Make sure you save time to stop for desserts and milkshakes at Toothsome Chocolate Emporium at the front of Universal.

Tips:

• Get to the parks early to beat the crowds and heat - even in December it was hot!

• Portable fans and refillable water bottles are lifesavers.

• Hire a stroller - even for our 5 year old it was a lifesaver as it meant he didn't get over tired from walking, we could use the basket to carry our goodies and our child could even get some sleep.

• If you have more time, consider also going to SeaWorld. We didn't make it here due to time constraints.

• Wear comfortable shoes - you will do ALOT of walking! I love my Columbia hiking / walking shoes. They are comfortable and waterproof (for those water rides)

• Download the Disney App to make managing tickets and park maps so much easier.

• Try and get tickets to see the Orlando Magic Basketball team. We were lucky to see them play and it was a great night out for the family.

Week 2 - Take a cruise to recover and rest

On our second week we desperately needed to rest and recover after week 1! So we booked a Caribbean cruise with Celebrity. Highly recommend Celebrity - it was not so big and busy, food was fabulous, and staff were friendly. But there are so many cruises to choose from that depart from Tampa or Miami.

Obviously, you could not do a cruise or change the itinerary around to do the cruise at the end of your trip, but we found doing the cruise after the theme parks was just right.

View from our balcony as we leave Tampa on our cruise

Week 3 - Drive from Tampa, to Miami via Naples

Back in Tampa from our cruise it's time to continue the road trip around Florida. After disembarking from our cruise ship and picking up a rental car we headed towards Naples (about 2 1/2 hr drive). In Naples, we found ourselves driving past multi-million dollar homes with wide white sandy beaches. After a lunch break, we continued onto Miami (2 hour drive).

Where to stay: Renzzi Wynwood Apartments. These apartments were tastefully decorated and provided our family with a full kitchen and laundry facilities.

What to do in Miami:

A few days based in Miami allowed us to visit these main attractions:

• The iconic South Beach. The sand was soft, the ocean warm, and the pastel Art Deco buildings gave us major retro vibes.

• Visit the Everglades via the Shark Valley Entrance – 1 hour drive from Miami

  • Arrive early to get a car park – parking opens 8.30am

  • Shark valley tram tours - We booked tickets for the Shark Valley tram tour which provided a guided tour through the National Park and if you are lucky, up-close encounter with the alligators!

  • Everglade Airboat Ride

• Explore Wynwood, Miami’s arts district. As our apartment was in the Wynwood district we were able to easily drive around and see all the amazing artwork on the sides of buildings

• Little Havana. It felt like stepping into Cuba — Latin music on every corner, locals playing dominoes in Maximo Gomez Park

• Shopping - we visited the Dolphin Mall on Boxing Day.

Week 4 - Florida Keys, Kennedy Space Centre and St Augustine

Florida Keys

Stretching over 100 miles from Key Largo to Key West, the Florida Keys are a stunning chain of islands connected by the famous Overseas Highway. We only had a short amount of time to visit the Florida Keys so we left Miami early. The drive from Miami to Key West takes about 3 hrs.

On the way, make sure you stop at Knaus Berry Farm. This place is famous for its milkshakes and homemade cinnamon rolls.

Arriving in Key West for lunch we stopped at First Flight Island Restaurant & Brewery. This beautiful restaurant is well-known as being the birthplace of Pan American World Airways, with Pan-Am’s first tickets sold out of this very building in 1927.

After lunch we visited the Southernmost Point Buoy (expect a short line!) to take the obligatory photo.

We also visited the 'Little White House', which was the holiday home for President Truman and even has his car out the front. Other presidents have also stayed here including William Howard Taft in 1912, Dwight Eisenhower in 1955-56, John Kennedy in 1961 and 1962 and former Presidents Jimmy Carter in 1996 and 2007 and Bill Clinton in 2005.

And we couldn't leave Key West without trying some Key Lime Pie!

Where to stay: Captain Pips Marina & Hideaway. Accommodation in Key West was very expensive so we stayed in Marathon.

The next day was a long drive to Cocoa Beach from Marathon / Florida Keys (6 hours). Ideally, we would have had more time to explore the Floriday Keys.

Where to stay: Country Inn & Suites by Radisson in Cape Canaveral.

We weren't overly excited about visiting the Kennedy Space Centre but once we were there we were blown away by the exhibits. It was not only informative but interactive! We actually spent the entire day there! We bought the 'behind the scenes' tour and highly recommend this extra expense. We boarded a bus, with a tour guide who provided some insights into the operations of NASA and took us out to the Assembly Buildings and Launch sites. You can buy your tickets here.

Daytona (1 1/2 hour drive)

The next day we headed north towards Daytona. The boys are keen car enthusiasts, so it was a mandatory stop at the Daytona Speedway. We bought timed tickets here to do a behind the scenes tour of the speedway.

From Daytona it was another hour drive onto St Augustine, which is known as the oldest continuously inhabited European-established settlement in the U.S., this city blends cobblestone streets, Spanish architecture, haunted legends, and gorgeous coastline in the most magical way.

Must-Sees:

• Castillo de San Marcos: This 17th-century Spanish fortress is the oldest masonry fort in the continental U.S. Walking along its coquina stone walls and peering over the cannons, you can almost hear the echoes of centuries past.

• St. George Street: This pedestrian-only thoroughfare is lined with quaint shops, bakeries, and old taverns. Yes, it's touristy — but irresistibly charming.

• Colonial Quarter: A living history museum where reenactors taught the kids how to use a musket and make candles.

We finished our last week by driving back to Tampa (3 hours from St Augstine) and spending the last few days visiting the beaches of Tampa and St Petersburg.

We even got to see some Manatees at Tampa Electric’s Manatee Viewing Center. Turns out that Manatees like warm water and the local electric power station provides just that! It is free to visit. Location: 6990 Dickman Rd., Apollo Beach, FL 33572 Hours: Open daily from November 1 - April 15, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Trails close at 4 p.m.

If you have any questions or comments, please reach out.

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