Recommendations for Florida roadtrips (Miami Beach / Orlando / Key West).

[Rasmus Jensen]

Greetings from Denmark!

In late January 2015 I'll be heading to Florida with a couple of friends.

After staying a couple of days in Miami Beach, we're going to Orlando by way of a rental car. We're going to take the route that runs by the coastline and at some point we'll be stopping for lunch.
So what I was wondering is if there is any recommended location for us to enjoy our lunch? Some interesting city or area or maybe a particular restaurant?


A few days later the rental car will take us from Orlando to Key West. For this trip, lunch recommendations are much appreciated as well.


The last leg of our roadtrip will take us from Key West to Miami. For this part of our journey, our schedule will allow us to stop for something more than just lunch. This means we'll have time to stop for sightseeing, activities or to experience interesting places/cities. Any recommendations as far as this goes?


Best regards Rasmus!

[Mark Sedenquist]

Howdy back from Las Vegas! Welcome to the Great American RoadTrip Forum -- I'm late to a meeting, so can't share too much -- but you might look at these suggestions of road trips we've liked in the Florida area as a way of getting started. (Not all are southern Florida -- but there are some in there).

Other members will be along soon with more personal suggestions.

A quick edit. This road is the best place to see alligators

One more edit: Here are some of the attractions that our merry band of contributors have penned found in the Florida area. Not posted in road trip sequence -- but I bet there are suggestions in this list you've not heard of before...

Mark

[Rasmus Jensen]

Thanks a bunch for your quick response! Looking at your links right now :)

Rasmus.

[AZBuck]

On your run up from Miami to Orlando, you can take either I-95 (free but gets crowded) or the Florida Turnpike (far less traffic, but a toll road). Assuming you get a relatively early morning start, Melbourne would be about where you'd be getting hungry and you might want to try the Nomad Cafe for lunch (note, however, that children are NOT welcome - could be either a plus or minus). Then you'd be in perfect position to do a tour of the Kennedy Space Center in the afternoon before continuing on to Orlando.

From Orlando to Key West, you should look at coming down the Gulf Coast via I-75 to see as much of Florida as possible, and to go through the Everglades. Again assuming a relatively early morning start out of Orlando, that would put you in the Naples area around lunch time. There are a couple of fairly unique restaurants there that are worth looking into, the Rumba Cuban Cafe and the Maria D'Anna Cafe (Polish).

AZBuck

[Lifemagician]

We're going to take the route that runs by the coastline and at some point we'll be stopping for lunch.

There are two routes you may like to consider. US-1, which south of Palm Beach can get busy and A1A which runs between the intercoastal canal and the Atlantic Ocean. The latter is an incredibly scenic route with access to the coastal beaches in places. It is of course, much slower than the routes quoted by Buck, which are super highways without anything much interesting along the way.

It is quite easy to swap between US-1 and A1A, in fact, in places it is essential, as A1A is not continuous. All along these routes fishing and boating is the main activity, and you will find many great restaurants which specialise in seafood.

Ft Pierce is a nice place to stop. The Arcade Building on US1 with its murals is a highlight. The town also has many other murals.

Before you get to Cape Canarveral A1A heads back to US-1, over a bridge. It is that very bridge where the crowds would watch the launch of the space shuttles. I was fortunate to be there for a launch in August 2009.

Enjoy

Lifey

[Lifemagician]

This road is the best place to see alligators

The three times I have driven the trail, I have to admit I have not seen a single alligator, though you might see some if you go on one of the commercial tours.

However, when I drove Alligator Alley (Everglades Parkway - I-75) with its viewing platforms at rest areas, there were alligators playing in the waters below us. But that is a toll road.

Big Pine is the only place you will have a chance of seeing the Florida Panther.... but you have to be lucky.

Lifey