FLORIDAAAAAA. I love Florida, but then again, who doesn’t!? There are sooo many beautiful places in Florida that are top of my list to visit next. But this blog post includes things that I would recommend you do if you visit Orlando, Miami or Key West!
1. MIAMI, MIAMI HEAT GAME – I originally did not want to go to the basketball game as the tickets were so expensive and we were on a budget, but I got persuaded and I am SO glad that I went. It was incredible, the atmosphere is insane. The AAA is massive and holds just under 20,000 people. The actual playing time was only 48 minutes, but the whole game lasted around 2 and a half hours. This is because there was so much stoppage time for time outs, half time, fouls, subs etc. These breaks were filled with tons of entertainment acts like cheerleaders, bands, chants, birthday/wedding announcements, mini competitions, and they even had the Miami Heat Golden Oldies cheerleaders come out and do a cheer! It was such a crazy night and I cannot wait to go back to another game.
2. MIAMI, SOUTH BEACH – We loved South Beach. Almost every morning whilst in Miami we got up super early and dragged ourselves down to the beach so that we could watch the sun come up. We were lucky that our hotel was basically on the beach so it was not a massive trek. As I said previously, I LOVE watching sunrises and sunsets, and there is nothing more perfect than running along the sand as the beautiful sun rises in the distance. Another great thing about South Beach is that the sea is SOOO warm!! I cannot stand cold water which is why I rarely swam in the Pacific. I remember one day in Miami, right before a storm hit, a mini sand bar formed about 300 yards out at sea and everyone was laying on it sunbathing. It was amazing! Even when the storm eventually hit people stayed in the water as it was a lot warmer than being out in the rain haha.
3. MIAMI, BAYSIDE MARKETPLACE – If you are looking for somewhere to hang out for the day, eat and do some shopping, then the Bayside Market Place is perfect. It is located on Biscayne Boulevard, in walking distance from the AAA. There are many well known stores, market stools, tourist shops, and loads of restaurants (i.e. Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, The Hard Rock Cafe, a large food court). You also can enjoy beautiful views of the Marina, or a lovely walk along Bayfront Park Path.
4. MIAMI, FOOD – Cantina 27 is an Italian restaurant located on Collins Av & 27th Street, South Beach. It is a quiet, slightly pricey restaurant with delicious food.
MUST TRY:
Farfalle al Salmon, Smoked Salmon, peas, light pink sauce – $14.95
If you are looking for something less pricey then try out Mom’s New York Pizza on Collins Av & 11th Street, South Beach. I am obsessed with New York Pizzas, and the ones at Mom’s New York Pizza are huge and such a good price! Whilst we were waiting for ours to cook, we were given these cheesey dough balls to try and they were delicious! The people here are so friendly.
MUST TRY:
EVERYTHING!
5. MIAMI, JET SKI – I have hired a Jet Ski in many different places around the world (Hawaii, South Africa, Key West, Miami) and I have to say that Jet Skiing in Miami was the most fun out of them all. The waves were crazy!! It may have been down to the weather but it made it so much fun, and going over the waves really fast was hilarious… we literally went flying in the air! Also, unlike the other places, we were given a huge area of South Beach that we were allowed to Jet Ski in (in the other places it was a lake or a small, cornered off section of the sea). We had to do a free test to get our Jet Ski licence before we were allowed to rent them as we were under 21, but as long as you use common sense it is not that hard to pass. And the licence lasts for a few years and is valid for Jet Ski rentals in other parts of USA!
6. KEY WEST – If you visit Florida you MUST take a drive to Key West. Click here to read my separate blog post on 10 things to do in Key West!!
7. ORLANDO, BONNET CREEK RESORT – As a treat my Mum booked us 8 nights in a suite at Wyndham Bonnet Creek Resort. This hotel is 100% one of my top 5 hotels in the world that I have stayed in. I cannot explain how big and gorgeous it was! The suite we stayed in was insane, I was so shocked when we walked in and saw how massive it was.
The multiple amenities and services offered include: numerous swimming pools and hot tubs, lazy rivers with inner tubes, water slides, BBQ areas, poolside bars, pool tables, table tennis, arcade, vollyball court, video library, playgrounds, mini golf course, an area with an Xbox and Nintendo Wii, a Spa, on site restaurants, free shuttle services to most parks, desks to purchase theme park tickets, a running path and a massive lake.
8. ORLANDO, DISNEY – Out of the four Disney Parks and the two Disney water parks (Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon and Epcot), the three that I would recommend the most are without a doubt Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom and Blizzard Beach. Both the theme parks have loads of rides and attractions that are great for people of all ages, as well as numerous restaurants and shops inside. Animal Kingdom also has a small Safari where you can see lots of African animals, and at Magic Kingdom you are able to meet all of the Disney characters. Blizzard Beach also has restaurants inside, as well as many water slides, river rapids, a huge lazy river surrounding the whole park, a wave pool and tons more! You can purchase tickets as a package which works out cheaper than buying entry to each park separately. It also means that you can visit more than one park on any given day.
9. ORLANDO, DOWNTOWN DISNEY – It is also worth checking out Downtown Disney one afternoon/evening. There are lots of places to eat, great atmosphere, 12 Theaters, fireworks, parades, shows and lots of cool Disney shops.
10. ORLANDO, UNIVERSAL – Universal Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios are two separate parks that are adjacent to each other. Again, these two parks have loads of rides and attractions suitable for all ages, and Universal Studios has its own Harry Potter world for all the Harry Potter fans, with rides, food places (you MUST try Butter Beer) and a replica of Diagon Alley.
Thank you for reading my blog post about Florida! If you know of any other places around Florida that you think are worth a visit, please let me know.
Sophie :)