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! 

Wales Roadtrip in a Motorhome - With Kids!

Back at Easter we were due to fly to Florida to embark on an epic 3 week roadtrip in a motorhome. Sadly due to Covid, our plans were scuppered and our trip got cancelled. Weeks/months passed, lockdown restrictions started to ease and we decided to get away for a UK holiday. We didn't fancy flying anywhere so a UK roadtrip was the obvious choice!

We found a local company who rent motorhomes and we were really lucky to secure a last minute 10 night rental. With only a couple of weeks to wait until our holiday it was full steam ahead to plan plan plan! Being peak season, and especially busy with more people holidaying in the UK it was really important for us to get campsites booked asap.

We decided to head to Wales - there are so many lovely places to visit there and it was a tricky job narrowing down our trips to squeeze them into our 10 days!

The Motorhome

The company we hired from are located less than 6 miles from our house so we were able to collect the motorhome and drive it back home to pack. This definitely worked in our favour because it meant we didn't have to pack the car up/unpack/repack the motorhome etc. It also meant I could do a food shop in the morning and load this straight into the fridge. (Although next time I won't buy so much food, I forget that the fridge/cupboards would be smaller than home so it was a bit of a mission finding homes for everything!) . After loading on what felt like half our house, it was time to leave and head to our first destination....Stonehenge!

We weren't able to collect the motorhome until late afternoon so rather than making the long drive down to Wales and get in late, we decided to stop off in Wiltshire and visit the famous stones. We also had our first experience of "wild camping" - rather than park in a campsite, we parked up in a pub not far from Stonehenge. We found details of this on https://www.searchforsites.co.uk/ - it's important to know that you can't just pull over anywhere for the night but surprisingly, there are lots of places that let you stay in their carparks. I was a bit apprehensive but it felt very safe, and we had a fantastic meal in the pub too. The kids were excited spend the first night in the van and went off to sleep surprisingly quickly!

The next morning we made the short drive to Stonehenge and spent a brilliant few hours exploring the visitors centre and then walking down to the stones. We've never visited before and it was quite cool to see them up close and think about how they came to be there.

We were able to book tickets using our National Trust membership so it made a nice cheap start to the holiday.

From Wiltshire we headed into Wales and parked up at our first campsite of the holiday which was located around 20 miles from Cardiff. It was good to park up and get hooked up to electric for the first time and see how everything in the motorhome worked.

 The next morning we spent a few rainy hours fossil hunting at Llantwit Major Beach before driving to the Gower. South Wales is one of my favourite places and it always brings back fab memories seeing Swansea Bay and the Mumbles in the distance. We didn't stop in Mumbles this time as it was really busy and we struggled to find somewhere to park the motorhome - one of the downsides of having a large vehicle!

Instead we headed straight to our home for the next two nights, Three Cliffs Bay. This lovely campsite is perched high on a cliff looking down at one of the most beautiful beaches in Wales and is very very popular. We were extremely lucky to get a pitch right on the edge of the campsite with perfect views to the beach below and the cliffs in the distance that gives Three Cliffs Bay it's name.

This was a great campsite with a well stocked shop and the cleanest, poshest shower blocks I've ever seen. It's no wonder it's so popular! You can even hire fire pits which came in handy for marshmallow toasting...

We were able to explore the beach the next day and it was just as beautiful down on the sand. The walk down however was quite a steep one and definitely not buggy friendly! The sea is quite dangerous to swim in here with unpredictable riptides but the kids had lots of fun paddling in all the little lagoons that were left as the tide went out.

Our next campsite was located in Cardigan Bay so it was a couple hours of driving. We did plan on exploring the Gower a little more but when we left the campsite the weather was pretty rainy and we decided to just press on to our next stop.

The rain cleared a little on the way so we stretched our legs at Cenarth Falls. It was a bit soggy for any walking but we had some lunch in the cafe and admired the falls. It's a nice little stop but the carpark was £2.50 which is a little expensive if you just wanted to pull over and take some photos!

Our next campsite was located at Cardigan Island Coastal Farm Park - another family friendly site with stunning views. The camping field was located right next to the farm park and we had a lovely afternoon exploring. There were lots of animals for the children to see, plus we walked right up the headland overlooking Cardigan Island and spotted seals!

A massive plus point for this campsite was the play area in the park, probably one of the best ones we have found. The kids didn't want to leave! Even the lure of a slice of cake and a hot chocolate wasn't quite enough for them to stop playing.

The next stop on our Welsh roadtrip was Barmouth - a lovely seaside town in the southern part of Snowdonia. The drive up the coast was stunning with mountains and streams all around us, then the beautiful view of the Barmouth Bridge running over the estuary as we drove towards the town.

We stayed at Hendre Mynach Campsite and we picked this as it was walking distance to the town. As lovely as it is to have a stunning campsite high up on a cliff in the middle of no-where, sometimes it's nice to be able to walk to a pub!

Things have probably changed over the last few weeks but we did notice that it was really quiet around the town and things seemed to close quite early. We had some fish and chips near the beach and there were more seagulls than humans!

I really liked Barmouth though, the beach and harbour were so pretty and there seemed to be a good mix of quirky shops in town. I shall putting this one of the list of places I'd like to return to.

The next morning we left Barmouth and carried on up the coast to Harlech Beach. Overlooked by the impressive Harlech Castle, Harlech Beach is a 4 mile stretch of flat, golden sand that seems to go on forever. It's also one of the cleanest beaches I've ever seen.

The weather wasn't too sunny but this didn't deter the kids, they were straight in the sea despite the temperature! We had a fantastic time playing on the beach and building sandcastles, the kids also loved the surrounding sand dunes. These made good slides!!

One of the great things about traveling in a motorhome is having everything with us - when we got back to the carpark, we just showered all the sand off the kids and it was 100 time easier than getting them clean on the beach.

Venturing deeper into Snowdonia, we headed onto our next campsite Coed-Y-Llwyn where we stayed for two nights. It was a great base to explore the area and there was a brilliant pub just 5 minutes walk away!

We spent a bit of time in Porthmadog and it's a nice little harbour town to stroll around. You can also find the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railway hubs here too. When we visited, the Covid rules were just starting to change and not all attractions were fully open yet so unfortunately we weren't able to experience any of the trains or castles - maybe next time.  Luckily the scenery more than made up for the closed attractions!

Betws-y-Coed is another nice place to visit if you are exploring the area. Known as the gateway to Snowdonia, it's a bustling little village with plenty of outdoor shops to kit you out for your expeditions! We loved walking over the historical Pont-y-Pair bridge and going for a paddle in the river below. Be careful though, the stones are very slippery and the water is icy cold. Very refreshing on a hot day though.

After leaving Snowdonia, it was time to start heading South again as our holiday was almost over. On our way to Brecon we stopped at the Elan Valley Reservoirs which made for some impressive scenery. The reservoirs are a chain of man-made lakes that provide drinking water for Birmingham.

If you are visiting, the Visitors Centre is a good place to start and here you can find bike hire, plenty of walks, a cafe, shop, picnic areas and a fab children's play area. The staff are all very friendly and knowledgeable too, the gentleman we spoke to gave us lots of info about driving around the area to see all the dams and reservoirs, and put our mind at ease with regards to driving down narrow roads!

From Elan Valley, we made the short drive to the town of Brecon where we were booked into a campsite for the next two nights. It was a really clean site, with great showers and within walking distance of the town centre which was handy. We were also able to order a takeaway to be delivered directly to our campsite which are one of the bonuses of being close to town!

The walk into town took us along the canal and it was a really pretty route, the kids enjoyed waving at the barge boats! Brecon is a nice little market town with lots of shops and pubs. It's also a great base for exploring the Brecon Beacons National Park.

On our last full day in Wales we decided to treat to the kids to a day out at Cantref Adventure Farm , not far from our Brecon campsite. With spectacular views over the Brecon Beacons, Cantref was a great day out to end our holiday. The kids had lots of fun in the play areas, seeing and feeding all the animals, whizzing down a giant hill on sledges, going on a tractor ride, we even met a dinosaur!

Of course Elliot was in his element with all the goats to feed too :)

Those views though! 

We had a brief stopover in the Forest of Dean and then it was time to head back to Dorset via our favourite farm shop, White Row Farm in Frome. We always seem to stop here if we are passing through - it's a great place to have some lunch (the fish and chips are lovely) and the kids love the playarea. The farm shop is brilliant too, the yummy home made cakes and pastries are just too tempting!

White Row Farm play area

Spending 10 days in a motorhome with two young children probably isn't for everyone and it was definitely a steep learning curve getting used to the small space! The best thing was to be as organised as possible and keep things tidy, although that was a challenge in itself with the kids and all the bits they had with them. Next time I think we could definitely pack less and I'd make more use of the laundry facilities at campsites rather than packing outfits for everyday.

We really enjoyed covering lots of miles and seeing lots of different places and this is a definite plus point of having the motorhome. However it is a bit restrictive if you want to drive anywhere once you have hooked up a campsite. I can see why a lot of larger motorhomes tow a car on the back now.

Wales has so much to offer and it's a fantastic place to holiday with children. It's a shame we were a bit restricted with days out due to Covid (no castles open and boat trips hard to find) but we made the best of the situation and I think the kids enjoyed themselves!