Florida Family Roadtrip - 15 Places You Must Visit!

"You're going to Florida and not going to Disney?!" was a comment that popped up a lot when we told people about our planned holiday. Of course, thousands of tourists visit Florida each year and head for WDW, but we wanted to do something a little different. And it was a trip that due to Covid, was a few years in the making.

We actually booked the holiday back in 2019 and our original plans included motorhome hire and extensively researched campsites along the way. That holiday got canceled in 2020 so we decided to ditch the RV and campsites and book hotels instead. Tried again in 2021 but Covid had other ideas so it was third time lucky in 2022.

We used good old Google Maps to plan our route and booked our flights and accomodation via Ocean Florida. We used an excel spreadsheet to keep track of our itinerary and I'll be honest, the planning is almost as exciting as the actual holiday!

We flew in and out of Tampa and this worked really well as our starting place. Read on for 15 places we visited on our roadtrip that we'd highly recommend visiting.

Universal Orlando

We LOVE this place and it was high on our to-do list! Universal comprises of three parks: Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios and the most recently opened waterpark Volcano Bay. It is possible to visit both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure in one day but I'd highly recommend allocating a day per park as there is SO MUCH TO SEE AND DO!

Universal Studios biggest draw is undoubtably The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley has to be seen to be believed and the attention to detail is second to none. Top tip - look up at Gringotts Bank! The dragon will breathe fire at certain points throughout the day and it's very cool. You can also jump on the Hogwarts Express over to the other park but bear in mind you will need a multi-park ticket for this.

Diagon Alley, Universal Studios Florida

Islands of Adventure is definitely the place to visit if you're a thrill seeker. Here you will find rollercoasters such as the Velocicoaster and Hulk, and a fantastic Marvel area which my kids loved. Top tip - the big rides get very busy so check the app for wait times and consider making these your first port of call as the lines are shorter first thing in the morning.

Elliot regretting his life choices after agreeing to go on the Velocicoaster ;)

It's not all rides and thrills though - there are plenty of brilliant play areas in both parks. My kids loved the Curious George area which had a brilliant soft ball shooting area inside (noisy but cool!) Top Tip - bring a change of clothes and a towel. There is a fantastic splash pad that is just too hard to resist on a hot Florida day!

Where to Stay: We stayed at one of the onsite hotels, the Loews Royal Pacific Resort and although it was pricy, it included express passes for us all which were SO useful on the busy days we visited. Our stay also included early access to the parks which is a great way of hitting those popular rides first.

Disney Springs

If you want a little taster of Disney without going to the parks then a visit to Disney Springs is a must. Here you can find a ton of shops and restaurants including Gideon's Bakehouse where you can pick up one of their famous half-pound cookies. There is a MASSIVE Disney shop which is fun to look around and even a cinema. Top tip - if you need to cool down, head towards the Earl of Sandwich where you will find a splash pad nearby which my kids loved! The sandwiches at the Earl are really good too.

Mickey treats at Disney Springs

Paradise Beach, Melbourne

From Orlando we headed East for the coast and Paradise Beach was an impromtu lunch stop that ended up being a lovely couple hours spent on the beach! As the name suggests, the beach is gorgeous and it makes for a nice stop if you're doing the Orlando - Miami drive. There's a good shaded playarea near the beach plus lots of places to stop for a bite to eat. (We ate lunch at Jake's Crab Shack)

South Beach, Miami

We stayed at the Newport Beachside Resort which was located in North Miami, but we ditched our car and jumped on a bus to take us to South Beach. There didn't seem to be a great deal of parking so public transport made sense!

We started our day by exploring the famous Ocean Drive. Here you can find over 800 beautiful Art Deco buildings and it's a fun spot to have a wander. There are tons of bars and restaurants situated along the road and it gets very lively at night time I've heard. We did find the food places very expensive but there are plenty of cheaper options if you head away from the main thoroughfare. (We had lunch at Fl Cafe on Collins Street)

South Beach is stunning with soft white sand and brilliant blue water. The lifeguard huts are so colourful and made me think of Baywatch!

South Beach, Miami

Wynward, Miami

If you're looking for a bit of culture, head over to the area of Wynward where you will find a hip, colourful neighbourhood best known for it's street art. We just found a parking spot on the road and had a wander, we spotted so many murals and cool art along the way. This is free however you can pay to go inside Wynward Walls, a very cool gallery featuring over 35 hand sprayed murals. An Instagrammers dream!

Wynward Walls, Miami

Wynward is a real up and coming area with lots of great spots to stop for a drink and a bite to eat. We found Zac the Baker via Trip Advisor and had some amazing authentic bagels and sourdough bread.

Little Havana, Miami

For a taste of Cuba, you can't go wrong with a visit to Little Havana. Here you will find an array of Cuban cafes, boutiques and giant rooster statues. You will also find one of Miami's most popular ice-cream shops Azucar. We stopped at Little Havana specifially for the ice-cream and we were not disappointed! They sell every type of flavour you can imagine, plus more including some more unusual ones like bourban and dark cherry and sweet plantain.

Azucar Ice Cream - Little Havana

Bill Baggs State Park, Miami

If you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of Miami, I would highly recommend heading to Bill Baggs State Park. Located just a few minutes drive from downtown Miami, it is the perfect place for some family time. There is a stunning lighthouse which offers guided tours, or you could hike/swim/fish/paddle/wildlife watch. We spotted a family of raccoons which made our holiday!

Bill Baggs Lighthouse 

The Everglades

A roadtrip in Florida isn't complete without a visit to the Everglades and there is so much to explore, 1.5million acres in fact! Make your first stop at one of the 5 visitors centres where you can pick up maps, check weather and learn about the history of the park. There are lots of easy walking trails nearby - we liked the Anhinga Trail which is located near the Ernest Coe Visitors Centre.

Alligator spotting in the Everglades

If you prefer a guided tour then I'd highly recommend the Shark Valley Tram Tour . Located right in the heart of the Everglades, the tram takes passengers on a 15 mile loop where you will see an abundance of wildlife. At the halfway point, you will be able to climb the impressive 45 foot high observation tower which gives you a stunning view of the Everglades. We loved this trip and ended up being one of the highlights of our trip. We learnt so much from the tour guide and the amount of wildlife we spotted was very impressive.

Top Tip: If you're heading into the Everglades from Miami, look out for Robert is Here, a family owned fruit stand and farm where you can find all kinds of tropical and exotic delights. We loved the cherry milkshakes! Nearby is Everglades Gator Grill and this is a great place to try the local delicacy, alligator bites.

The Keys

Driving from the top of The Keys right down to the bottom is a roadtrip in itself and you could easily spend a couple of weeks here exploring. But if you're pushed for time it is possible to see some great bits in a few hours.

From the Everglades, our first stop was Key Largo which was around an hours drive. There is lots to see on the way though, my kids loved spotting the different animal shaped mailboxes! We ate lunch at The Fish House and we tried fried conch for the first time.

Islamorada was our next destination and here we stopped at the famous Robbie's Marina to feed the tarpon fish. The tarpon are massive and as you dangle your fish into the water, there is nothing like seeing a massive mouth coming up to grab it! Careful of the greedy pelicans though, we almost lost a few fish to them. This is a fantastic and unique experience, our kids loved it and I'd definitely add this to your itinerary if you are heading to the Keys.

Taking a drive along the iconic 7 mile bridge is a Florida Keys Roadtrip must do! There are actually two bridges, the newer one for vehicles and the older bridge for pedestrians. The views are pretty stunning but it is also a perfect spot to catch a famous Keys sunset. We parked up next to the Sunset Grill in Marathon - firstly as it gave us a perfect view of the sun going down behind the bridge and secondly so we could grab some Key Lime Pie to take away. It would be rude not to have Key Lime Pie in the Keys right?!

Sunset over Seven Mile Bridge, The Keys

Naples

We spent 4 nights in Naples and it was amazing to kick back and relax after a pretty hectic roadtrip so far. The beaches are stunning and we spent lots of time on Clam Pass Beach - this can be reached by parking in the carpark next to the Naples Grande Beach Resort and heading for the boardwalk. It's a lovely shady walk through the mangroves but if you don't fancy the 3 quarter mile walk then you can jump on the free golf buggies that whizz up and down daily. The beach is clean with calm, warm waters and one of our favourites of the whole trip. 

Naples Pier is a great place to visit at sunset - we loved watching the local kids fishing from the end, one even caught a shark when we were there!

Naples Pier, FL

The restaurant scene is thriving in Naples with plenty of upscale eateries to pick from, but if you fancy a good ol' burger then head from Brooks Burgers which was voted #2 Burger Joint in America on Trip Advisor. 

We stayed at the Hilton in Naples which was a lovely family friendly hotel. Whilst not right in the centre, it was within walking distance to a few restaurants and shops. We enjoyed lots of time in the pool!

Sanibel Island

Sanibel Island* is a shell collectors paradise and you will spoilt for choice with miles of golden sandy beaches to choose from. We went to Gulfside City Park Beach which had toilets/showers/parking and were lucky to get a spot at 9am so bear in mind that the carparking is limited and can get busy. Go early and try and time it with low tide for the best shells! We stopped for lunch at Blue Giraffe Restaurant which was really nice and very welcoming to families.

The rest of the island is beautiful to explore and I'd highly recommend stopping at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge. They have a great free Visitor and Education Centre but for a $10 fee you can drive round the 4 mile Wildlife Drive at your leisure. We spotted lots of wildlife whilst we were there including a snake and it was a very relaxing way to see some stunning scenery and learn more about the area.

Wildlife spotting on Sanibel Island

You can't come to Sanibel and not stay for sunset - you will not be disappointed! We headed for Turner Beach for a spectacular sunset and some more shelling :)

Caspersen Beach, Venice

This rugged beach has been given the nickname of the Shark Tooth Capital on the World and is one of the best places in Florida to find shark teeth. Shark can have up to 35,000 teeth in their lifetime (although not at one time!) so just imagine how many can be found along the shore. We went prepared and picked up specialist sifters from Shark Frenzy in nearby Venice but we also picked up some plastic colanders in the Dollar Store which were easier for the kids to use! Shark Frenzy are super helpful and will identify your finds for free too. You can also rent the sifters for a 24 hour period if you don't want to carry your sifter home! Don't forget to take some small ziplock bags to keep your finds in and wear some decent footwear. Flip flops were useless and didn't stay on!

Top tip - visit at low tide for the best chance and concentrate on the area where the waves are hitting the shore, you'll see the sand being churned up and this is where you want to sift through. We actually visited the beach twice in one day and had much better luck in the evening as the sun was setting and the tide edging out.

Historic Downtown Venice

After a day on the beach looking for shark teeth, Historic Downtown Venice is the perfect place to unwind. Grab a pizza at Trattoria Da Mino and then take a wander where you will find lots of quirky shops to browse. You might also spot a mermaid or seahorse on your travels - these are part of a public art project and my kids loved looking for these, they are so colourful. 

You can find fountains in Centennial Park - a great way to cool down in the hot Florida sun!

(To break up our journey between Venice and Clearwater, we had one night at the Embassy Suites by Hilton in Sarasota. This meant we could have a full day in Anna Maria Island before arriving at our final hotel of the trip)

Anna Maria Island

Quite simply put, stepping onto Anna Maria Island is like stepping into paradise. The beaches are some of the best in the world with powdery white sand and clear turquoise water. The island has a real laidback feel and is a world away from the hustle and bustle of the big cities.

For 5* ice cream, head to Two Scoops Ice Cream Parlour - with over 30 flavours to choose from, one scoop won't be enough!

Clearwater Beach

Clearwater was our last stop on our epic Florida roadtrip and we spent two nights at the Marriot Suites on Sand Key. Not only has Clearwater got some of the loveliest beaches in Florida, but it's also a fantastic place to watch a sunset.

Have you ever done an American Roadtrip?!

*Since our trip last year, parts of Florida were hit by major hurricanes. This included Sanibel Island which suffered massive damage. They are rebuilding but this will take time and I hope one day we will get to return and see the beautiful island back at it's best! 

OUR 2017 HIGHLIGHTS!

I love looking back at all that we've done - I'm always surprised by how much we have squeezed in and this past year was no exception. New babies, days out, holidays, theatre trips...the list goes on! Here's our highlights of 2017..

NEW ARRIVALS

The absolute highlight of January, and actually the whole year was welcoming baby Erin into the world! 9lb on the dot and the spitting image of her big brother, my planned c-section went very smoothly and we were soon home getting used to being a family of 4. She slotted right in and it was hard to remember life without her - and we've been very lucky as she was such a good baby!

It's mad looking back at these photos from when she was a newborn, you do forget how small they are! Elliot has taken to big brother duties like a duck to water - he loves making her laugh and they have a lovely little bond. She's going to be walking soon I think so I might have trouble on my hands once they get up to mischief together!

DAYS OUT

We have had some lovely days out over the year including Gruffalo hunting at our local country park, spotting dinosaur bones on the Isle of Wight, taking in some fantastic scenery here in Dorset, pretending to be knights at Corfe Castle, dinosaur crazy golf, stomping round model villages pretending to be giants, paddling in the sea, climbing trees and so much more.

We are so lucky to live here in Dorset because there is so much to see and do!

LIVE SHOWS

I've always loved going to live shows and concerts and it's brilliant that Elliot enjoys this too, Erin has also demonstrated a love for music and dancing so I'm sure she will be coming along with us in the future!

This year we have been really fortunate to see lots of family friendly shows and these are definitely some of our top moments of 2017. We had the pleasure of seeing Andy Day and his band The Odd Socks twice this year. The first time was at Camp Bestival which despite the mud was a brilliant day out! It was also our first time seeing Andy the Odd Socks live - we've had the songs on repeat for ages now so it was great to experience them live.

Our second live Odd Socks show was in Richmond and was one of two special gigs to launch their album. We managed to nab seats right in the front row so we felt very special and Elliot absolutely loved the show. The highlight for him though was afterwards when we met the band, Andy remembered him and knew him by name and the band said they'd seen him on YouTube!!

Another highlight for Elliot was going to see Justin Fletcher's live show in Southampton. We've seen him before a few times and always had a great time, this was even better though as we had such good seats right near the front. Justin came down to the audience and Elliot was over the moon when he said hello to him! We also got to see Mister Maker in Bournemouth which was another fab show - and who doesn't love dancing to the shape song :)

HOLIDAYS

We had a big holiday this year and the four of us flew to Orlando for two weeks. I was slightly apprehensive about travelling such a long way with a 5 month old baby and at certain points I did wonder if I was crazy but I needn't have worried! Erin was absolutely fine on the 10 hour flight and she had a lovely time throughout the two weeks. Florida is one of our favourite holiday destinations, there is just so much to do, even if you don't visit the theme parks. We just did Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure which are our favourite parks. Elliot was chuffed because he was tall enough for lots of the rides (he was too short last time) and he became a bit of a daredevil!

Florida Memories

We also visited Clearwater Beach which holds fond memories for us - last we went there we didn't have kids so it was abit different this time round! We had a lovely evening strolling along the beach, watching the sunset. We also managed to see a launch at Kennedy Space Center which was a brilliant experience! There's still so much we want to experience in Florida so no doubt we'll visit again soon.

As well as our long haul holiday we also had a mini break to the Isle of Wight which was a bit of a spontaneous last minute idea. Well, as spontaneous as you can get with two children under 5! We only stayed for 2 days but managed to squeeze lots in including the highlight of the trip which was fossil hunting on the beach. Elliot was in his element and we even managed to find the famous dinosaur footprints which was amazing!

FUN WITH FRIENDS

We are very fortunate to have a lovely big group of close friends here where we live. Us Mums met at our local Under One's group when the babies were small and we have all stayed good friends since. Nowadays there are alot more of us with lots of siblings so it's always a crazy time if we all get together!

We've had some fantastic times together this year including the many birthday parties we've hosted. We also put on a mini sports day for the kids in the Summer Holidays which was fun - although it didn't quite go to plan when the weather wasn't on our side! Fortunately we were able to hire a local hall that very morning so we held it inside, everyone took part.....even the mums ;)

There is so much more that I didn't have room to include but needless to say, 2017 was a great one for us and I can't wait to see what 2018 holds!

What was your highlight of 2017?

Florida Holiday 2017 ~ Day 5 - When plans go astray!

We awoke to the sunshine peeking through our curtains at Pier House 60 and were faced with glorious sunshine upon the white sandy shores of Clearwater. It certainly was a room with a view!

We headed down for our breakfast (which was included in our stay) and were greeted with more stunning views, this time of the marina. Breakfast was great with loads to choose from including sausage and eggs, bagels, fruit, pastries etc. I had some amazing whipped strawberry mousse stuff on my bagel - certainly beats a bowl of cornflakes!!

The plan today was explore the coast and we were aiming to get to Weeki Wachee Springs to see the mermaids. We never made it that far in the end but had a great day regardless! We first headed up to the town of Dunedin which is a short drive from Clearwater. I'd heard it was a pretty little town to stop at but we were on the hunt for one thing....the splash park! We'd spotted it on the website and it was right up Elliot's street. We eventually found the park and it was brilliant, loads of undercover seating, a big play park, swimming pool and of course the splash park. Elliot couldn't wait to get his swimmers on and get stuck in!

Unfortunately, about 60 seconds after he started playing we heard an alarm which turned out to be a lightning detection and they had to close the splash park as a precaution! Elliot was gutted and of course there were tears but he soon cheered up once he spotted the shaved ice truck. I've only ever seen shaved ice on telly and it's not something we get in the UK (or am I missing out on something?!). Basically you get a cup of ice flakes and you can add flavoured syrups....it's pretty similar to a slush puppy. Yummy! We went a bit mad with the flavours and ours both ended up a murky purple colour but they were delicious!!

After a quick play on the slides, the splash park reopened so we hot footed it over to get a seat in the shade and Elliot went mad in the water. A little while later the heavens opened and it absolutely poured down - I've never seen rain like it! The park stayed open but we were getting so wet that we decided to call it a day and had to make a mad dash to the undercover area to dry off. Not sure who was wetter, Elliot in his trunks or us holding the towels!

Our next visit was New Port Richey to call in on a bakery (That Little Bakery on Grand) owned by a friend of ours who moved back to the US from Dorset a little while ago. It was great to catch up and a good excuse to stop for a cake!!

Time just flew by today and it was almost 3pm by this point - we did think about driving onto Weeki Wachee Springs but we were already 2 hours from Kissimmee and the kids were getting a bit grumpy about being in the car so we made a quick stop at Walmart for snacks and then started the drive back....which seemed to take forever! Back in Kissimmee and we headed down to the Old Town to check out the car show.

We've not visited the Old Town before and I have no idea why because it was good fun! A bit tacky but I enjoyed the atmosphere - there were lots of cool cars parked up and lots of people out enjoying the live music. We stopped for a drink and some nachos in Southern Breeze and although he'd been complaining he was tired, Elliot was full of beans and dancing around all over the place! (I think it was the sugar in the slushies!)

We watched the cars do a lap of the Old Town and decided to call it a day as it was way past bedtime for the little ones. Paul had had some beers so it was my turn to get behind the wheel - gulp, my first time driving this holiday. Luckily I didn't have to drive far but it wasn't too bad!

Florida Holiday 2017 ~ Day 4 - Roadtrip to Clearwater

We have fond memories of Clearwater Beach after visiting back in 2005 and really wanted to take the kids this time around. As we aren't doing Disney we had quite a few free days so we decided to book a hotel there so we didn't have to rush around!

We were aiming to leave Kissimmee nice and early but that didn't go quite to plan. Having small children can do that! It was about 11am by the time we left - doh! The drive to Clearwater should only take about an hour and a half but we decided to stop en route at a place called Sawgrass Lake Park which was near Tampa. My husband didn't really sell it very well, he said it was a giant swamp we could walk round...sounds...fun?! But actually it was lovely there and so glad we stopped. After a quick bum change for Erin on a bench (she always seem to poo when we're in the car and always the worse kind that leak!!), we followed the wooden boardwalk into the maple swamps. Oh my god it was HOT!!! Lovely walk though, we spotted loads of wildlife including alligators, turtles, birds, dragonflies and the biggest cricket I've ever seen. We also spotted a rather speedy tortoise by our car - who knew they could move so fast?!

Onto Clearwater and Elliot spent the majority of the journey complaining he needed a wee...seems to be a reoccurring theme of the holiday! Our hotel, Pier House 60 was right on the marina and perfectly located for us to explore the shops and beach. Lovely hotel too - they had upgraded our booking to a studio room which was massive and had the best view of the beach!

Wow, what a view from our room!

We were all pretty hungry by this point as we hadn't had lunch (just lots of beef jerky in the car!) so we ventured out in hunt of something good to eat. We didn't get very far because located just by the Marina is Crabby's - Paul was enticed in by the lure of happy hour but I was just looking forward to the air-con!! The food was nice - alligator bites to start (first time trying alligator and it tasted a bit like chicken) and then coconut shrimp and fries for my main. The portions were pretty big too so we were all stuffed and didn't have room for pudding much to Elliot's disgust ;)

We spent the next couple of hours having a wander round the shops and dodging the rain - the sky went ominously black so we knew a shower might be on the way. Luckily we were under cover when it hit!

After a quick look in the Hulk Hogan shop (had to explain to Elliot who he was - made us feel a bit old), we headed over to the beach just in time for sun down. Unfortunately there were a lot of clouds in the sky so the sunset wasn't as spectacular as it could have been but it still made for some pretty stunning pictures. Especially after the sun had set and the sky changed to a gorgeous pinky colour.

Elliot was having so much fun jumping in and out of the water - needless to say, his clothes didn't stay dry for long! Even Erin had a paddle in the sea - it was so warm but she didn't really know what to make of it. Especially as her little feet kept sinking!

Once we'd managed to tear Elliot away from the sea, we wandered up to Pier 60 where there were loads of stalls selling homemade arts and crafts. Not my cup of tea but it was a lovely atmosphere just being there. And it was SO warm still, even at 9pm!

We decided to call it a night as the kids were tired so we headed back to the hotel. Elliot was out like a light after all that splashing!

You can check out my previous holiday posts here