Florida: From East to West

I’ve lost count of how many road trips I’ve done with my kids, but what I can say is that the state of Florida never ceases to amaze me. 

I have heard one too many times that driving through Florida is boring and flat, but I disagree. Starting from Miami on the east coast, it’s always refreshing to cross over the state of Florida to the West side.

I truly find driving through Big Cypress National Preserve quiet and peaceful.  We were captivated by the vibrant scenery, as an array of bird species flew overhead, bringing the landscape to life.

Big Cypress is home to a rich mix of swamps, prairies, hardwood hammocks, and pinelands. The preserve is a haven for wildlife, including alligators, wading birds like egrets and herons, turtles, and even panthers. You’ll often spot animals right from the roadside or pull-off areas.

For this trip, most of my driving was done off of the main highways-not on I95, the turnpike, or I75. We drove through farmland, rolling hills (yes we have those in Florida,) and more! 

FROM FARM TO TABLE

Dakin Dairy Farms - Located in Myakka City, this dairy processing plant has been around since 2009. They are  5th generation farmers focused on honoring the traditional American way of life. Today, they are the only family dairy farm in Florida open to the public that produces and bottles their own milk right on the farm. The cows graze on local grasses making the milk highly nutritious.

For my kids, seeing the cows grazing, then being milked, and then the homogenization and pasteurization process, followed by watching the gallons of milk be packaged for shipping, really brought an everyday product full circle for them. They learned so much, and it was all about something most of us never take the time to think about but use almost daily! The chocolate milk we tried on the tour was also the best I’ve ever had. 

Fun Fact: Dakin Farm can have the milk straight from the cow, to a bottle for processing and onto a truck in just about one hour!

FROM DADE COUNTY TO DADE CITY

Giraffe Ranch - Located way up north in Dade City, this unique ranch allows you to interact with exotic animals in an up close and personal way. Just as soon as we walked in, we heard the sound of the lemurs. We pet a tortoise, stood near cavies, and soon boarded our safari vehicle tour. We saw zebras, including one that was just a few days old. We spotted oryx, and deer too.

The biggest attraction here was feeding and petting the giraffes in a super up close and personal way.

There is so much to see here including Cassowaries (flightless birds that come from dinosaurs), Tapir (that live on land, but poop in water), Hippos (which live in the water, but poop on land), Axus, Oryx, Zebra and more!

They also offer a camel safari tour, a segway tour, and the world’s first cybertruck safari tour.

Fun Fact: We learned and saw that giraffe tongues can be black, dark blue, or dark purple. Incredibly, their tongues can be up to 20 inches long!   

FROM A BERRY TO AN INSTITUTION

Parkesdale Market - Did you know that strawberry shortcake is Florida’s official dessert? Most people will think of Florida oranges (Florida’s official fruit), or key lime pie (Florida’s official pie). This market is decorated like a huge giant strawberry. Their strawberry shortcake and milkshakes are unbeatable in flavor, and will have you thinking about strawberries in a whole new way— and it will leave you wanting more and more of their delicious strawberry shortcake!

Fun fact: This is the largest family-operated strawberry and citrus market in the state. They even hosted Queen Elizabeth II in 1991!   

FROM A TOY BRICK TO AN AMUSEMENT PARK, HOTEL, & BEYOND

What makes a visit to Legoland even more magical and immersive, is staying in their on-property hotel. For the kids, this is just so exciting- having a room completely decorated to your Lego preference (we picked a Lego Movie theme). The stay starts with a special scavenger hunt in the room to crack the code on the in-room safe, which is filled with prizes for them, and of course, their own Lego gift to build and keep.

The visit to Legoland was a day perfectly well spent. The Miniland is a huge display of miniature Lego versions of landmarks that kids might recognize- from the U.S. Capitol to the Vegas Strip, to the Kennedy Space Center. The level of excitement Legoland brings out is just amazing. The top favorites were the Safari Trek and Lego Driving School. If you have a thrill seeker in your crew, the Coastersaurus is a great rollercoaster.

FROM THAILAND AND AFRICA TO MYAKKA

Myakka Elephant Ranch - Did you feed an elephant today? That's what my daughter asked my father when we called after the experience. Here, we had the opportunity to learn about and interact with some elephants, even petting them. The trunk of an elephant is truly fascinating – petting it felt like a tough, calloused fabric, covered in thick, coarse hairs. It's such a unique experience. Being so close to animals of this size is incredible, and even the size of their feet is astonishing. These elephants are brought in as part of rescue and conservation efforts.

Fun facts: Elephants’ trunks have 40,000 muscles enabling them to pick up anywhere from 300-700 pounds, drink about 50 gallons of water a day, and shovel about 200 pounds of hay into their mouth per day.

FROM NATURE TO ART AND BLENDING IN BETWEEN 

Peace River Sculpture Garden - Set along the Peace River, and located in Punta Gorda, this is a cool place to explore. Walk the gardens, partake in the art, have fun posing with the sculptures, and enjoy the tranquility of it all.  Here visitors will find a perfect balance of gardens and sculptures. It was the perfect stop before officially starting the trek back home. 

FROM I WANNA GO TO LET’S GO

Don’t be afraid to get out there and explore- you will be blown away by all the amazing sites and stops our state of Florida has to offer.

Get out of your comfort zone, go a little further, and explore a little deeper. What your kids learn and how they grow from all these experiences will always surprise you. Also, wherever you go, most likely there's a Dairy Queen not too far off the road….

How far are you willing to drive before it becomes an overnight destination? At what point does it become a road trip? I love road trips, because we stop at places we would have never visited otherwise and once in the car, driving a bit out of the way is no big deal. I hope these fun spots inspire you to pack your favorite snacks, gather the people you like most and hit the road!!!

Is this still a bit too overwhelming? Piecing small cute places together is “Camp Lisa's” specialty. Customizing the stops along the way or creating an itinerary just for you is what Camp Lisa’s all about.

Have you been somewhere in Florida that is totally out of the ordinary? I’d love to hear about it!

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