Florida
The Sunshine State
Florida has 1,350 miles of coastland along both the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Home to attractions like the Kennedy Space Center, ecosystems like the Everglades, Key West, theme parks like Universal Studios, and Walt Disney World (including Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom), it also hold a place in my heart from all of the fun family memories we had in Florida.
We visited Walt Disney World as a family once, and then Julie and I had the fortune of going there for a business trip. We stayed at one of the park hotels, The Swan, which meant that transportation was provided to Disney World and to Epcot.
Our family also vacationed on both the Atlantic and the Gulf sides of Florida. They are very different settings, and we recommend you visit both bodies of water. We loved being in the ocean with warm water, clear water and smooth sand. I spent much time shelling, and came home with hundreds of uniquely shaped and colored seashells. As beaches go, I have to say that our favorite beach is Clearwater Beach, which has pristine white sand and clear turquoise water.
Other beaches we love are Treasure Island, St Pete beach and Fort Desoto Park Beach. All of these beaches are near St. Petersburg where you can find all the restaurants you can imagine. Speaking of which, this was my first time to eat alligator. Fort DeSoto Park is preserved and nothing can be built on it, so you have miles of pristine beaches that extend out 100 yards into the Gulf. While wading out I encountered sting rays, but as long as you don’t step on them or aggravate them, they should be harmless.
When you are in Florida, make sure to check out these things to do in Key West, Miami, and Orlando.