Another sunny day dawns in Florida and today’s itinerary is a mixed bag. We say goodbye to our lovely little motel, complete with the obligatory pink flamingos and head off to explore a little more of the nature on offer. First up the ever present alligator warning signs.. always fun! This time we don’t seeContinue reading “Sanibel island & Fort Myers”
Author Archives: Derbyshire Gal
Beach bums
We’re exploring a few more of the beautiful beaches to be found on the west coast including Siesta Key. Another delightful lifeguard station, my favourite Florida beach attraction! Plus we see up close some of damage created by the devastating category 5 hurricane Ian in 2022. This was the costliest tropical cyclone in Floridian historyContinue reading “Beach bums”
Anna Maria Island
Anna Maria Island is a seven mile barrier island on Florida’s Gulf Coast with a string of stunning beaches. We’ve already visited one of them, but will pop back for more, but now we’ve headed straight to the very tip of the Island to the little resort of Anna Maria city. Full of olde worldContinue reading “Anna Maria Island”
Bridges and beaches
As evening falls we are heading across the Sunshine Skyway Bridge to our Sarasota rest stop at the Surestay Best Western Sarasota Lido Beach. This incredible feat of engineering opened in 1987 and is the second bridge of that name on the site. It spans Tampa Bay and connects St Petersburg to Terra Ceia. TheContinue reading “Bridges and beaches”
Blissful beaches
Moving on from the old time architecture of St Augustines we drive clear across the state to the West coast to start exploring some of the famous Florida beaches for some sand and sun!! Close to Clearwater, strung long a thin strip of land in the Gulf of Mexico you will find some of theContinue reading “Blissful beaches”
St Augustines
Our home for the night is the oldest city in Florida, in fact in the USA – St Augustines. We’re stopping in the delightful Marion Motor Lodge motel just minutes away from the historic heart of the city. St. Augustine was founded in 1565, by Spanish admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, Florida’s first governor. ItContinue reading “St Augustines”
Daytona Beach
Rev heads and speed freaks will all be very aware of the next pitstop on our Florida tour. We’re driving up the east coast and enroute we’re stopping at Daytona Beach. Daytona beach has an impeccable racing pedigree and is home to one of the most famous tracks in the world. It also attracts motorbikers,Continue reading “Daytona Beach”
Surf and sand
Scheduling failed on this post for some reason! So it is out of order (annoying!) After visiting some of Cocoa beach we spot this blue and yellow monstrosity and naturally have to pull in for a closer look. This is Ron Jon’s Surf Shack – the largest surf shop in the world! Clocking in atContinue reading “Surf and sand”
Cocoa village
Sporting a very cute downtown, artsy Cocoa village has a very different feel to many of the anonymous town and strip malls we have seen so far. It feels very much like a perfectly curated ideal of a small town, boho American town that you’d see on a TV show like Ghost Whisperer or SchittsContinue reading “Cocoa village”
The Orlando wetlands
In a complete contrast to the incredible man made achievements of the Kennedy Space Centre and NASA base, to the stunning natural environs of Florida. Today’s explorations take us to the Orlando Wetland national park. Amazingly for Florida, it is free to visit – and to park! With wide expanses of water and sky, andContinue reading “The Orlando wetlands”