I took a 10-day road trip up and down Florida with my mom — these 6 things could've made our trip even better
After spending 10 days taking a road trip up and down Florida while making stops in places like Key West, Miami, and Orlando, I have a few regrets,
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Chris Carra
- I took a 10-day Florida road trip with my mom and stepdad, and I wish we'd made more stops.
- We visited places like Key West, Orlando, and St. Augustine, and I wish we spent more time in Miami.
- Next time, I'd take a longer trip, drive more scenic roads, and avoid traveling around Thanksgiving.
As a teenager, taking a road trip with my mom would have been the last thing on my mind — but in my late 30s, spending time with her and my stepdad on a 10-day road trip through Florida made for an unforgettable journey.
After arriving in Miami in mid-November, we drove more than 1,200 miles in total. We traveled south to Key West, then back up to Orlando, further up to St. Augustine, and then back down to Miami (via Hollywood), spending around two nights in each area.
Although covering so much ground gave us an excellent taste of Florida's diversity, it was also a bit of a pain point.
We all agreed that, with a few tweaks, the nice vacation could've been even better.
Chris Carra
We all have lives, careers, and finite funds and, as such, it's difficult to spend more than 10 days away from home.
Yet in an ideal world, I think the trip would have been better extended to at least 14 days.
Checking in and out of hotels every three days, and then spending hours on the road became a bit of a slog. Having an extra day or two in certain locations would have made our trip feel more relaxed.
Chris Carra
We flew in and out of Miami, which meant that after our final stay in St. Augustine, we had to take a 315-mile drive back south.
Truth be told, we all could have done without this long drive at the very end of a trip dominated by the car.
If we redid the trip, we'd still fly into Miami, although would return to the UK from Orlando's airport — which is closer to St. Augustine by around 200 miles.
Chris Carra
To save time on the trip, we stuck mostly to the I-95. However, the expressway road was a little dull and, ironically, not as quick as we'd have liked due to increased traffic around Thanksgiving.
If we redid this trip, we'd have spent more time taking the scenic coastal roads, such as the Florida State Road A1A. I've since seen photos of its tropical scenery and ocean vistas, and feel we missed out by not seeing it in real life.
Plus, following this scenic route may have also given us more opportunity to spend the night in a cool small town — which brings me to my next point …
Chris Carra
I may be contradicting myself a little with regard to my point about not wanting to check in and out of as many hotels, but I wish we'd added another stop while driving north.
After spending three nights in Key West, we drove to Orlando in a single day. Covering close to 400 miles and spending almost nine hours in the car meant we arrived tired, grumpy, and in dire need of a beer.
Spending a night somewhere along the way — perhaps Fort Lauderdale or Boca Raton — would have allowed for more exploration and less time on the road in a single go.
Chris Carra
As a Brit, it was really interesting to be in the US over the Thanksgiving season.
I enjoyed the holiday vibe and fun decorations, and even got to try some traditional seasonal food served by the host of our rental — who could turn down free green-bean casserole and pumpkin pie?
However, much of Key West closed down on Thanksgiving day, meaning I couldn't do everything I wanted.
Having done Thanksgiving now, I'd avoid this holiday next time.
Chris Carra
We spent two nights in Miami Beach at the start of the road trip, which allowed me to see the iconic Ocean Drive, visit the glorious beach, and meet up with some friends who live in the area.
Looking back, it would have been nice to spend a little more time here, as I didn't have the opportunity to explore Downtown Miami or Little Havana.
If we'd had more time, we also could've seen a Dolphins or Marlins game or used Miami as a base from which to see South Florida's Everglades National Park.
