The Wilson’s Christmas road trip – Our very own ‘National Lampoon’s Vacation’
Miami Airport & Car Hire Landing in Miami like any USA airport was a lengthy process getting through immigration, so I’d always keep this in mind especially if you have small children then have snacks, water and entertainment to hand. Having booked our car with one of our top suppliers ‘flexible autos’ and taking their advice to use Alamo was worth its weight in gold. We zipped through the pick up process and found it professional and very easy.
Beachwalk Resort, Hallandale Having navigated our way out of Miami airport and onto the fast-paced busy highways, 50 minutes later we arrived at the apart/hotel in Hallandale beach. I’d be lying if I said it was an easy stress free journey!!!
On arrival the valet parking guy met us with a smile and parked our car. Check in was super easy and we made our way to the 30th floor, yes 30th floor. The views over Miami were unreal. I’d booked us a two-bedroom apartment and my word the floor space was bigger than our house making for a perfect 3-night stay.
Locally (as in walking distance) we struggled to find any great places to eat, however a chat to the concierge and a short drive and we found a few nice ones. The weather wasn’t on our side so the beach and pool where merely a quick visit rather than lazing around getting over jet lag. Instead we chose to explore using the Mustang and see as much as we could in and around Miami. I’d highly recommend The Beachwalk Resort if you don’t mind being a 30 minute drive away from the hub of Miami, we stayed out of season and I’m pretty sure in Spring and Summer Hallandale would be vibrant and fun and great for families not wanting to be in the Miami bustle everyday.
Banana Bay Hotel, Marathon – The Keys Next up from Miami we headed out and down to The Florida Keys. School girl error and top tip – DON’T ignore Google Maps!!! We thought that following the actual paper map was better so we could avoid the fast toll roads & as the crow fly’s it was a shorter route, however what it doesn’t show is the 8 miles of traffic lights which I think we counted around 30 sets of them!!
Once we hit the key’s the sun blessed us with it’s presence, the roof was down and life was great. Stopping off in Key Largo for a drink and stretch of the legs, life felt slow & laid back compared to that of Miami. Arriving at our hotel my first thought was ‘cute boutique like’ a small independently owned motel that was the perfect place for our two nights here. A clean, modern but homely family room with a veranda it was spacious and the comfiest beds I’ve ever slept in. A communal pool, hot tub and a tiki bar on the waters edge it was a nice choice. Again being out of season it did feel a little quiet.
During our two days we explored plenty of what Marathon has to offer. Several National Parks, the aquarium, a stunning five star hotel for drinks by the sea. We cycled for breakfast using the hotels free bikes (quite a sight seeing the husband on a ladies style bike) and ate dinner in a locals bar enjoying live music.
As we left Marathon to head to St Pete’s we stopped for breakfast at Robbies in Islamorada. A friend had recommended this place to me and it didn’t disappoint. You can feed the Tarpon fish (if the pelicans don’t snatch it from your hand first) enjoy live music on an evening and watch the fishing boats come & go.
Everglades National Park Our journey to St Pete’s took us through the Everglades, which is pretty much one straight road for 100 or so miles. The whole time we spent gator and croc spotting, and we wasn’t disappointed. Pulling over to take sight of a huge Gator resting on the side of the road (behind fencing that runs the length of the roads in the everglades may I add). Before leaving the Everglades we took an airboat ride (well it would be criminal not too) through the mango groves, the driver was great, spinning the boat around wetting us all although I wasn’t surprised that we DIDN’T see anything other than a few wild birds. The boats are simply too noisy for the wildlife.
Treasure Island, St Pete’s Arriving at our apartment for the next nine nights we weren’t disappointed. A lovely two bedroom condo on a complex just steps away from the beach, a heated communal pool and hot tub, shared BBQ area, tennis courts, table tennis and free wild dolphin shows most days.
A lovely residential area where we felt very safe and relaxed. Enjoying long beach walks, exploring the local area by car (nothing is really local in USA, it’s so huge). Eating in local beach bars, cooking up our own BBQ’s and enjoying late evening swims. A perfect location for teens and we felt more than happy letting them explore locally and leaving them in the condo whilst we enjoyed the hot tub.
I’d highly recommend Kayaking in the local national parks, we had the pleasure of yet another wild dolphin show and one of them swimming so close to the Kayak we heard it’s blow hole. Whilst on the subject of Dolphins, a must is a visit to the rehabilitation center in Clearwater. We spent the most wonderful 4 hours watching the famous ‘Winter’ the dolphin and her friends, learning what fantastic work this charity is doing.
Busch Gardens, Tampa Spending Christmas Day in Busch Gardens was brilliant. A lovely surprise for the girls and their Christmas present. Busier than you’d think and although the sun was shining it did somehow feel incredibly Christmas like, with lots of Christmas themes around us, Christmas music and happy families enjoying their time together. If you love rollercoasters and animals then Busch Gardens is a great family day out.
Would we do it again? This was our first Christmas abroad and our first family visit to Florida. Would we do it again? Absolutely. Not every year admittedly and having visited and experienced lots within a two week period I’d probably focus our stay on The Keys. I felt we barely scratched the surface and two nights just wasn’t long enough, with its laid back vibe, chilled beaches and fresh seafood, it’s a place I’ll look forward to exploring more in the near future.
