How To Spend 9 Days In Florida: ULTIMATE Road Trip Guide
[ AD | This post was sponsored by Visit Florida ]
Planning a trip to Florida? I've got your ultimate road trip route planned, including where to stay, eat and what to do!
When you think of Florida, I'm guessing a few words that spring to mind are sunshine state, golf, Miami, Disney and Crocodiles.. amirite?!
Well, it's time to see Florida in an ENTIRELY new light! Myself and my beautiful bestie / photographer Kat just returned from an EPIC 9-day road trip around Florida and it was absolutely incredible!
Florida probably isn't the typical place you'd think to do a classic road trip in the USA (we've all dreamed of the deep south / west coast), BUT this was genuinely one of the best road trips I've ever taken!
I'm about to show you exactly why you should consider Florida for your next road trip!...
Let's go!...
Day 1-3: Miami
To begin our trip we flew into Fort Lauderdale with Norwegian then took the short 40 minutes drive to Miami, where we spent three nights at The Plymouth Hotel. I visited Miami a couple of years back, and whilst I had fun, I wasn't blown away so I have to say I was super excited to get back and explore more / see if my opinions had changed, safe to say, they had!... I absolutely LOVED it!!
We spent some time shooting at Wynwood, exploring South beach and finding some really cool spots to eat - it was super fun and everything I'd hoped for! I'd highly recommend fitting in a few days checking out Miami to your road trip!
What to expect from Miami? Cool, laid back, cultural and fun!
Where to stay? Plymouth Hotel, 336 21st Miami Beach, FL 33139
Where to eat?
Coyo-Taco (2300 NW 2nd Ave Miami, FL): Coyo-Taco was the first place we stopped off at in Miami, we were shooting around Wynwood Walls and were craving tacos so we stopped by and the food was DELICIOUS! (Try the fish Tacos - they're so good!!)
DIRT Miami (1834 Bay Road, Miami Beach): Oh my GOD - DIRT is seriously a must try if you're visiting Miami! They pride themselves on being deliciously healthy. Here you'll find; Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-Free and more - if you're looking for a good hearty meal to fill you up, but is also super healthy, then DIRT is the place for you. I'd highly recommend!
Under The Mango Tree (737 5th St, Miami Beach, FL 33139): Eating healthy in Miami is so easy - everyone wants to be outside in the sunshine, living healthy and eating healthy. Under the Mango Tree was no exception, a cute cafe kindly recommended by a member of staff at The Plymouth Hotel, we stopped off for an Acai bowl & a coffee and loved it!
Dreamer Miami (1201 20th St, Suite 1, Miami Beach, FL 33139): Dreamer Miami, again is another delicious and healthy option for you to try! We stopped here on our first morning and ate our yummy Açai bowls in the sunshine - the food was delicious and they have super cute decor too - great for an Instagram snap or too ;).
What to do?
Visit Wynwood Walls: One of my favourite things to do in Miami is to visit Wynwood Walls - it's SUCH a cool area! Packed full of yummy restaurants, hip bars and loads of incredible murals to walk around - a MUST!
Day 3: Drive to The Keys
Drive time: Miami > Marathon - 2 and a half hours
On our last day in Miami we decided to drive down to Marathon in the keys, it was a five hour round trip but oh my GOD it was SO worth it! if you're thinking of driving down to the Keys - I genuinely couldn't recommend it anymore, it was hands down the most beautiful drive I've ever done!!
We decided not to stay in the Keys but if you'd like to add an extra day onto your trip then a night or two in Marathon / Key West would be DIVINE! If you're not looking to stay over then the drive is DEFINITELY doable in one day!
We then stopped off in Miami before taking the two hour drive north to Martin County, so this day for us had a fair bit of driving, but it was still one of my favourite days of the trip by far - it was such a scenic drive!
Day 3-5: Martin County
Drive time: Miami > Martin County - 2 hours
I LOVED Martin County, we stopped off for two nights between Miami and Orlando, and to be honest - it was the PERFECT place for a few relaxing days between two slightly more full-on destinations!
From the beautiful white sand beaches, to the Blowing Rocks Preserve and eating fresh fish tacos in the sunshine - Martin County is a GREAT place to stop on your road trip!
We spent two nights at the Hutchinson Shores Resort & Spa, and oh my GOD the hotel was stunning!! Located on the beach, this hotel was the perfect spot to wind down, from the gorgeous swimming pool to the lush ocean inspired decor, we loved our stay here!
What to expect from Martin County? Beautiful beaches and nature reserves - a great place for some R&R!
Where to stay? Hutchinson Shores Beach & Spa, 3793 NE OCEAN BOULEVARD, JENSEN BEACH, FL 34957
Where to eat?
Drift Kitchen Bar (3793 NE Ocean Boulevard, Jensen Beach, FL, 34957): The Hutchinson Shore Resort & Spa had a lovely restaurant called Drift Kitchen Bar - so if you're staying at the hotel then definitely check it out! (Even if you're not the food was delicious so well worth a visit if you're heading to Martin County!!).
Tommy Bahama (126 Soundings Ave, Jupiter, FL, 33477): Kat and I first visited Tommy Bahama during our trip to Palm Springs and absolutely LOVED it (their fish bowls and tacos are to die for!), and we noticed there was one in Jupiter, just a 45 minute drive from our hotel, so we decided to check it out for lunch one day - I'd recommend a visit, the food is divine!
What to do?
Visit the idyllic beaches in Hobe Sound: We took a drive down to Hobe Sound on our first day in Martin County and fell in LOVE with the beautiful white sand beaches, take your shoes off and take a stroll along the beach, have a dip in the sea or sunbath - it's the perfect place to spend and afternoon (or day, depending on your schedule and how much time you have!).
Spot the colourful murals in Hobe Sound: Whilst you're driving through Hobe Sound, keep your eye out for their colourful murals, you'll find them on the side of shops and houses - lots of them with beautiful ocean scenes!
Check out the Blowing Rocks Preserve: We spent an hour or two wandering around the Blowing Rocks Preserve and it was stunning, from the nature walks to the dreamy beaches and watches the waves crash against the rocks - another great spot to spend your morning / afternoon!
For more things to do in Martin County, take a look at the tourism board website HERE!
Day 5-8: Orlando
Drive time: Martin County > Orlando - 2 hours 10 minutes
I've dreamed of visiting Orlando since I was a little girl and I'm SO happy to say that I've ticket it off my bucket list - Walt Disney World in particular has always been a dream of mine, and the three days we spent in Orlando were exactly that; DREAMY!
From two full days at Walt Disney World, to shopping at the Simon Orlando Vineland Premium Outlet and riding the ICON Orlando 360 wheel, Orlando was everything I'd hoped for and so, so much more!
We spent three nights at the Disney's Beach Club Resort during our time in Orlando and loved it! Our Magic Bands allowed us to access the parks and also purchase food during our time at the parks - they were super handy! All of the hotels within Disney operate a free shuttle bus service to all of the parks and Disney Springs too, which was great as we didn't need to worry about driving!
What to expect from Orlando? Fun, Youthful and adventure!
Where to stay? Disney's Beach Club Resort, 1800 Epcot Resorts Boulevard, Lake Buena Vista, Florida
Where to eat?
During our three days in Orlando, we mainly ate at Disney Springs, it was so easy to pop there on a bus and they had tonnes of really great restaurants (and shops too if you're looking for a little retail therapy!).
Blaze Fast-Fire'd Pizza (Disney Springs): On both of our park days we stopped off at Blaze Fast Fire'd Pizza for some DELICIOUS fired pizza (it was super affordable too!), it was a great pit-stop for lunch and didn't take long to serve which was great as we could get back to the parks and enjoy our day running around Animal / Disney Kingdom!
Morimoto Asia (Disney Springs): One evening we were craving Sushi so decided to check out Morimoto Asia and were NOT disappointed! We shared some Sushi and noodles, both were SO good! If you're a fan of Sushi / Asian food then this is a MUST!
Greenbeat (Orlando Vineland Premium Outlets): On the day that Kat and I visited the Orlando Vineland Premium Outlet, we opted to have lunch at Greenbeat and it was bloody lovely! You can build your own salad, it was delicious, healthy and super filling - great fuel for an afternoon of shopping ;). If you're heading to the outlet, this is a must!
What to do?
Visit the Walt Disney World parks: As I mentioned, we spent two full days in the Walt Disney World parks, on our first day we did Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom on the second day! We had SO much fun going on all the rides (well it was mainly me riding solo as Kat doesn't love roller coasters haha), and wandering around - I had NO idea what to expect from Disney as I'd wanted to visit for so long, but I loved every second - I can't wait to return one day!
Go shopping a a designer outlet: We spent our last afternoon in Florida wandering around the Orlando Vineland Premium Outlet - I picked up a couple of pairs of Vans (my favourite trainers EVER), and a Michael Kors bag which had over 80% discount... crazy!! If you're a fan of a bargain and love to shop - then this outlet is for you!
Ride the ICON Orlando 360 wheel: Our last night in Orlando was spent riding the ICON Orlando 360 wheel, drinking prosecco and watching the sunset - it was every bit as amazing as it sounds and the PERFECT way to end our evening in Florida! (They offer romance packages too if you're looking to book something special for your trip, you can check those out HERE!).
Dine at Disney Springs: We visited Disney Springs several times as they had a huge host of incredible restaurants for us to dine at! If you're heading to Walt Disney World then I'd highly recommend checking out Disney Springs for food or shopping - it's a great place to dine and chill during your time in the parks!
Take a trip to the Kennedy Space Center: We actually visited the Kennedy Space Center on the day we drove up to Orlando from Martin County. The Kennedy Space Center is around an hour away from Walt Disney World and EVERY BIT worth the trip - it was such a magical day and I'd love to go back one day!
If you're looking for more things to do in Orlando, then you can check out the tourism board website HERE!
Day 8-9: Crystal River
Drive time: Orlando > Crystal River - 1 hour and a half
After three days of fun in Orlando we took the hour and a half drive across to Crystal River to spend the day swimming with Manatees and it was INCREDIBLE (and worth the drive just for the experience alone!).
We spent the last night of our road trip at the Plantation on Crystal River hotel which was lovely! A colonial style property, this hotel was the perfect spot to enjoy our last full day and evening in Crystal River!
What to expect from Crystal River? Nature and Manatees!
Where to stay? Plantation on Crystal River, 9301 W Fort Island TrailCrystal River,Florida34429
Where to eat?
West 82 Bar & Grill (Plantation on Crystal River): We dined at the hotel's West Bar & Grill on our first evening and loved it! We both opted for blackened Salmon with rice and vegetables which was delicious. The restaurant had a lovely atmosphere and is the perfect spot for some dinner if you're planning to stay at the hotel or stay in Crystal River!
19th Hole Sports Bar & Grill (Plantation on Crystal River): Before we departed for the airport we stopped of at the 19th Hole Sports Bar & Grill for some lunch - we ordered the grilled fish sandwiches and it was a yummy pre-flight meal!
What to do?
Swim with Manatees: I absolutely LOVED swimming with the Manatees (just a heads up if you do this in February the water isn't exactly warm haha!). We spent a few hours swimming with Manatees in their natural habitat and it was such a beautiful experience! Our tour was booked with the Plantation Adventure Center and I'd HIGHLY recommend them!
Visit the Three Sisters Springs: If you'd love to see the Manatees but don't fancy swimming with them, then this is for you! Take a walk around the Three Sisters Springs board walk and watch the Manatees lazing around in their natural environment (we spotted SO many!). Even if you have swam with the Manatees then I'd highly recommend doing this too, as both were so great for different reasons!
If you're looking for more tips on your visit to Crystal River then take a look at the tourism board website HERE!
From Crystal River we took the hour and a half drive down to Tampa to fly home with Norwegian! A HUGE thank you to Norwegian for supporting our flights during this trip - they are an airline that I use regularly and spend my own money on as I love the service!
· Norwegian operates a daily year service direct from London Gatwick to Orlando
· All flights are operated by a fleet of brand new Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft with two cabins – Premium and economy.
· Fares start from £150 one-way and £270 return in LowFare economy and £415 one-way and £750 return in Premium including all taxes and charges and subject to availability.
To book visit www.norwegian.com/uk or call 0330 828 0854
Lastly - a HUGE shout out to our main guys at Hertz for hooking us up with this beauty; our Chevrolet Equinox which we LOVED driving during our road trip around Florida! It was the perfect road trip car - lots of boot space for shopping too girls! ;)
YOU CAN BOOK YOUR ROAD TRIP CAR HIRE WITH HERTZ HERE!
There we have it my loves - my EPIC 9-day road trip guide to Florida!! I'd love to know if you're ever been to Florida before? Or if you're planning to visit? If you are then I REALLY hope this guide comes in handy for you and you save down lots of tips & inspiration!
*This blog post was sponsored by Visit Florida but all opinions and images are my own and Kat's.
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