Florida has been our goto destination any winter. I (Akshata) have been to Florida so many times now, I know the itinerary by heart. And since December is right around the corner and many people have been asking me to share my itinerary I thought this should be the first blog on our page. Like I said before I have been to Florida many times(4 times in 3 years). But I will share two of them for now – My first time in December of 2016 where we took a road trip through major destinations in Florida, and my third – last December planning a more relaxed one in Miami and Key West. The first one whose plan I am going to layout here is a 8 day itinerary (we did it from Dec 25th to Jan 1) but it was too cramped up. I suggest adding an additional day or two if possible to make it more relaxed. So here it goes:
Day 1: Fly in to Orlando and drive to Miami
This was a group trip with friends coming in from California and Austin so we were aiming for cheapest tickets with best routes. We figured Orlando was cheaper for all and since Florida is comparatively smaller state and could be covered in the amount of time we had, we decided to go with it. Some of us flew in a little earlier and visited The Wheel at ICON Park. I did not visit this place so honestly I do not know if it is worth it but my friends said it was a good filler. We picked up the rental car after landing and started driving to Miami. Checked into our airbnb and relaxed (some of us were stressed out) for the next day activities.
Day 2: Wynwood walls and Skydiving
We had already booked our first skydiving session at Miami Skydiving Center for the afternoon. Please check Groupon website before you reserve. You will probably have some offers. (One skydiving tip: Do it in the mornings when the chances of sky being clearer are higher). Morning after breakfast we headed to Wynwood walls to explore the colorful graffiti of the world artists. You can spend as much time as you want here. After spending a couple of hours we headed to skydiving center. They take 4 people in one plane so we were divided into two groups (we were 7 of us) and we had to wait for the other group to be back. The whole thing can take from 2-4 hours depending on the weather and number of people ahead of you. So time accordingly. After an adventurous afternoon we had a late lunch and went back to our airbnb to relax for sometime. At night we went to Ocean drive for some fancy dinner. Ocean drive has great night life with many world renowned clubs/bars/restaurants . I have been to Mango’s Tropical Cafe for their vibrant shows, scrumptious food and great drinks on my latest trip this year – celebrating a friend’s Bachelorette party – we took the Sip, Savor & Salsa experience and it was so much fun. (Might write another blog on Bachelorette in Miami ).
My opinion about skydiving in Miami: We chose Miami for skydiving since we thought it would provide a great view of land and the Atlantic. But I personally did not like the view or the camera work the staff did at the center. After paying 100+ $ extra for videos/photos, I was expecting a better work. Two years later (2018) I did another jump from KeyWest and it was a great one and I highly recommend skydiving from there if KeyWest is on your itinerary. (I will post another blog for my 2018 itinerary).
Day 3: South Beach and Alligator in Everglades
We spent our mornings at the world famous South Beach. Sunny skies, turquoise water, smooth sandy beach. What else do you need for a perfect day! Loved the beach and the vibes although it might get hard to find a good spot since the beach is considerably crowded most of the days. You can rent cabanas, umbrellas, chairs or just soak in all the sun you want for the winter days back home.
After late lunch we headed to visit some Alligators on Airboats in Everglades. I am not sure if we found Groupons for them but we did book them before hand. The tour takes about an hour or more where the guide takes you through the Everglades National Park – The largest subtropical wilderness in the United States. It is a fun ride and you get to meet Alligators in their natural habitat. We also enjoyed the sun setting over these wetlands.
My opinion on Airboats in Everglades: I enjoyed my time on the airboat. Although we booked a regular tour, since we were 7 of us we almost got the whole airboat to ourselves so that was great. The guide was very informative and friendly . However it was expensive (about 60$). In 2018, when I was exploring Everglades, we took the Everglades Safari Park which is cheaper (28$) but takes you on a bigger Airboat (so more people, not at all private). Although the boat tour was average and the guide could not be as up and close as the other ride, I liked this experience as well. We also got to actually hold a baby alligator in hand later ! Based on your preference you can take either one but I think Safari park is more famous and is great for kids since they have some educational shows as well. More about this on my 2018 blog.
Day 4: Drive to Key West and Scuba
Next day morning we checked out of our airbnb and started out to Key West. There are great many places to stop by on the way. We didn’t make as many stops since we had a Scuba session booked for afternoon. We did stop at Seven Miles bridge (towards Keywest side of the bridge). Scuba was new to us and most of us were not great swimmers. So we decided to try how it feels to be underwater at Try Scuba Diving . They give you about 20mins training and then assist you to scuba for a depth of about 15-20meters for about 20-30mins (1 dive). They handle your oxygen cylinders and even move you around so you only concentrate on what is surrounding you. For non-swimmers this is a great way to know how it is to Scuba dive. After this session we checked into our Boat airbnb and then strolled around Duval street after dinner.
My opinions about Try Scuba Diving: Go only if you have absolutely no experience with swimming. Even if you have little exposure to ocean, done snorkeling, then this is a waste of time and money. Their photos and videos are bad quality.
Day 5: Fury Adventures
Our next day was a full day trip in the ocean with Fury Water Adventures Key West. We picked the all-inclusive Ultimate Adventures package which included parasailing, jet skiing, snorkeling and water park on the ocean with breakfast, lunch and few beverages. Tip: The boat fills up. Too many people too many activities. It is good to reach there early so you are earlier in line for all activities and you get enough time on each one of them. The later you go there are chances they will cut down your time for that activity. The rider of jet ski will have to clear the boat drivers license which will be an open book exam when you check-in. So please plan to check-in early. Snorkeling is not guided. They dock the cruise far away from the reefs and ask you to visit the reefs yourselves. There are lifeguards looking out for you but you are on your own to move around the reefs. But they are BEAUTIFUL and worth it! If you dont want to take this whole excursion I still recommend taking the Snokeling tour because there are not many places you get to see this natural wonder.
The tour finished at 4PM and we checked out of our Airbnb and started driving to Orlando the same day which was a little tight. If you are on time and budget crunch (the boat stay was not cheap) like us, you can spend another full day at Key West – Explore Duval street, Malory square, Southern most point, Dry Tortugas and so on.
Day 6: Clearwater Beach
Started the day little late since we reached Airbnb in Orlando after midnight. We first went to see the Sunshine Skyway bridge from one of the fishing piers. After that we reached Clearwater beach which is about 1.5 to 2hours from Orlando. This is one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever been to. The white sands and winter mellow winds made this beautiful beach even more mesmerizing. For dinner we went to Tampa Bay. We had an early next day so we did not explore Tampa’s nightlife but I hear it is worth witnessing.
Day 7 : Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure
This was our last day of 2016 and vacation too. When you are in Orlando – the city of amusement parks, there are very many amusing ways to welcome new year. Since most park hours are extended on new year’s eve we decided to take 2Park – 1Day Universal park tickets which includes Universal Studios and Island of Adventure entry passes (8AM to 1AM ). Arrive early to take full benefit of the 2 park ticket. As day ends the lines get crazier and patience diminishes and exhaustion aggravates. I would recommend taking the 2Park- 2Days ticket instead for a more relaxing and enjoyable year end celebrations. But if you are as crazy as we were I bet you will like all that chaos too 🙂
Day 8: Fly back
Picture Courtesy : Most are from my old phone . But some beautiful ones are taken from my friend Prashanth Shetty. (You will know the difference between his professional DSLR pictures vs my iphone 6s pictures).
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