Where to Vacation in Florida — Destination Dreamer Diaries

Fun fact: the story of my life actually began in the sunshine state.

I was born in Tampa and lived there until I was six – but even after we left, we still made a point to visit Florida no matter how far across the country we went.

Most people immediately think of Miami, Tampa, and Orlando (where Disney World is) when they’re about to plan a trip to Florida… but did you know that there are other places worth going to?

I’ve been almost everywherein the sunshine state.

Let me break down to you what each city and underrated place is like:

1. Miami

Ah… Miami. The city of beach, nightlife, and…

… absolutely insane drivers?

Driving the streets of Miami; December 2010

It’s no secret that Miami is home to a lot of Cubans who fled there in the midst of Castro; my grandmother being one of them.

Therefore, Miami encompasses a lot of hot-headed-Hispanic personality on the road… as my dad always says in the parking lots of Publix (a grocery store in the south of the States),

“Son animales!”

Which means… they are animals.

What a lot of people don’t realize about Miami is that it’s big. I mean Los Angeles big.

The palm trees, the nice weather, the need for a car to get around the city… and the many suburbs of Miami that are still considered Miami even where they’re an hour away from Miami.

Thus, like I said – it’s a lot like Los Angeles in some ways.

Miami Beach, Miami Shores, Miami Springs, Miami Gardens, Miami Lakes… Miami is big.

If you want to go for beaches and nightlife, you can – but I’ve gone all of my life with my family, and therefore can reassure you that there are a lot of family friendly things to do while you’re there.

For instance, my dad took my brothers to a Miami Heat game while they were there.

When in Florida – think of this as their New York; whatever you want: you can probably find it here.

Pro Tip?

Look for flights into Fort Lauderdale instead of Miami International Airport. Sometimes the prices are dramatically different; and Fort Lauderdale isn’t more than an hour drive away from downtown Miami.

2. Tampa

Ah, the city where my childhood full of vicissitude began…

… Tampa is very much the opposite of Miami, in my opinion.

Miami can be rowdy, whereas Tampa is soft.

It’s quiet. It’s a very simple life there.

When in Tampa, food wise – you must go to La Teresita. Growing up, every time we went back to Tampa – we would visit friends here.

It’s a family owned Cuban place. My parents are tough critics when it comes to restaurants, but they’ve enjoyed this place for years and I could always see why.

It’s great for families and other large parties, and the food tastes pretty damn close to a meal that my own Cuban grandmother would make.

Tourist attraction wise, I can’t help you much here – because I see, remember, and have always visited Tampa as a once-resident.

I will say that in kindergarten, my school took me to the manatee viewing center… and sixteen years later, I can still vaguely remember it.

I remember it being so cool… therefore, I can presume that your five-year-old is likely to think the same.

The most notable nearby beach is Clearwater; but after almost a decade of living in Tampa, my parents found something much better…

3. Sanibel

I know you’ve probably (most definitely) have never heard of this place, and it’s a shame.

When I lived in the DMV area in elementary school, we would still drive back down to Florida almost every summer and vacation here.

We even came back to Sanibel while we were living across the country outside of San Francisco.

As my dad puts it,

“If you can’t relax in Sanibel, then there’s no hope for you.”

It’s true.

Sanibel is a quiet, relaxing, family friendly island in Florida.

Sanibel is a tiny island on the Gulf of Mexico side of Florida.

The Gulf of Mexico in Sanibel; August 2014

If you’re looking for beach during your Floridian adventure – stay on the west coast of Florida. The Atlantic is, evidently by nature, much choppier than the Gulf of Mexico.

Sanibel really is the definition of serenity. It’s gorgeous, peaceful, and the perfect place to take a family on summer vacation.

Other nearby islands include Captiva, but that is much more residential. Still, it makes for a fun drive to look at all of the houses.

In my opinion, the best way to do Sanibel is to rent a condo for the week.

I mentioned earlier that the island is small – twelve miles long and three miles wide at most.

Besides relaxing on the beach and chilling at the pool – one of the best things you can do in Sanibel is rent bikes and drive the island.

My family and I would do this every summer, and then reward ourselves with an ice cream at Sanibel Bean.

Whatever it is you decide to do here, I have no doubt that you’ll feel the tranquility that we all do when we visit this island.

4. Orlando (Disney World)

I went to Disney World a few times as a little girl growing up in Tampa, but I went most recently during my senior year of high school on a school organized trip.

Disney World is fun – but I don’t think you should travel all the way to Florida just to go to this infamous park.

In our three days, my friends and I went to three of the parks: Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom, and Epcot.

Epcot, an exhibit that elicits the feeling of being in various countries around the world, was my favorite… big shocker.

Animal Kingdom has an amazing “African Safari” that is absolutely worth the trip there to do.

Upon Entering Animal Kingdom; January 2016

Magic Kingdom has something for everyone, too.

Cinderella’s castle in Magic Kingdom; January 2016

We visited characters like Mickey Mouse, Ariel, Tinkerbell… but they also have some hardcore rollercoasters for adventure seekers.

Space Mountain?

I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

If rollercoasters aren’t your cup of tea, you can always ride the classic tea cups or Dumbo – but there are other, less intense yet still exhilarating things to do – like the go karting in Tomorrowland.

The famous tea cup ride in Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World; January 2016

You can go see “It’s a Small World”, but I have to admit – even twelve years later (I was terrified of the ride when my mom took me on it at the age of five), I was still slightly disturbed afterwards.

Besides, the line for it is long – and I think other rides like Space Mountain, Expedition Everest, Dumbo, and the Go karting are more worth the wait.

Now, Epcot… Epcot was cool.

Quote a seventeen-year-old Stephanie,

“My family won’t take me to foreign countries… so what do I do? I take myself to foreign countries, at Epcot!”

Now that I’ve travelled to pretty much all of the places I saw at Epcot, I now admit that it’snot exactly the same… but if you’re full of wanderlust like I am, and you’ve been waiting your whole life to see what the world has to offer – this is going to come really close.

Disney does do a great job of making it feel like you’re somewhere else; but many of the attractions are small because they have to fit so many different places into one space.

Nevertheless, you can go from seeing the Eiffel Tower, to spotting the gondolas of Venice, finding the telephone booths of the U.K., to maple syrup shopping in Canada, to eating Bratwurst in Berlin, to eating cobbler in Maine all in a day.

P.S. – the world showcase they put on at night is stellar and you should stay to see it if you can.

All in all, Disney World has something for everyone… but it shouldn’t be the focal point of your Florida trip.

5. Key West

Key West is the most southern part of Florida, and the most southern part of all the States.

The Southern most point of the United States; December 2010

If beach and family fun is your goal – I would stick with Sanibel or another beach on the Gulf of Mexico side of Florida.

There a street performers to peruse as you walk the town, but it’s not too summer-sand oriented.

Still, you can avoid Duval street (where all of the bars are) and walk around Mallory Square.

Walking the streets of Key West at night; December 2010

It isn’t my favorite place in Florida, but to say that I’ve been to the most southern part of the United States is pretty cool.

If you’re looking for other things to do in the U.S., click here.