Traveling Florida

My husband and I are flying into Orlando Saturday, January 21st. We have a rental car and want to see and do as much as possible while we are here in Florida. We definetly want to book a Deep Sea Fishing trip, but are not sure from where or who has the best charters. We would like to see the Everglades and make it down to Key West. We need to be back in Orlando by Thursday, but don't have anything planned other than that. Would like to drive the coastlines both east and west. Please give suggestions regarding routes and things to see along the way. We are not much for the big attractions but like the out of way things that are not necessarily tourist traps. Thank you for any help you can send out way. Larry and Julie

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

Four or five days, might seem like a lot of time and south Florida may seem wonderfully compact, but when you start actually trying to fit your wish list into your constraints, it soon becomes apparent that something has to give. Deep sea fishing is pretty much an all day affair, even if you just sign up for a half day excursion. By the same token, just the drive from Miami down to Key West and back would take a full day with no real time for strolling the streets of Margaritaville. Remember, the Overseas Highway is mostly two lanes, carries a lot of tourist traffic, and there are no alternatives to using it. Add a day for the Everglades and a half day for just the attendant driving in just getting from Orlando to Miami and you've pretty much accounted for all the time you have. So, since you already have the highlights of south Florida included in your itinerary, just concentrate on making those as relaxing and as enjoyable as you can, and not try to add anything else. To that end, I think you'd do best to book your fishing out of either Miami or Key West.

AZBuck

Thank you very much for replying. We are still trying to figure out the best way to start out of Orlando, either going West or East. You seem to have alot of good information and we would appreciate any suggestions. We will probably stay in Key West for 2 nights...just not sure exactly which ones.

If seeing both the Gulf and Atlantic coasts is a priority, then you really only have one choice and that is to head west (southwest) from Orlando. I'd actually bypass the Tampa Bay area and head directly for Port Charlotte and then follow the coast south, taking US-41 rather than I-75 from Naples onward. Even though the main entrance into Everglades National Park is from Homestead, there is a less utilized entrance on the north side, Shark Valley, off US-41 and I'd recommend that you try them both on your way down to Key West. You'd then get the Atlantic coast in Miami.

AZBuck