When I first considered writing a series on family field trips, I considered Florida part of the southern states. But as I wrote more and more about each state and region, I started to realize that Florida really needs its own blog and probably more than one! I moved to Florida right out of college for my first teaching job, so we took the students on lots of awesome field trips without leaving the state. I moved back to Florida just before meeting my husband and we’ve been taking our family all over Florida ever since. Hubby was born in Florida, went to college in Florida and lived his life there until we moved to Colorado five years ago, so he’s a Florida native and can remember when Disney tickets cost $19.99 for a park day! Those days are far behind us, but the Myers have always loved Florida and have a few tips for visitors.
Northwest Florida
Northwest Florida is often referred to as the Panhandle, located north of the Gulf of Mexico and just south of Georgia and Alabama. When living in Florida, there is a saying about the more north you are in Florida, the more like the South it really is and the Panhandle is always what I think of, especially since it connects travelers to New Orleans. It is great for family beach trips, more relaxing of an environment with no shortage of outdoor activities and seafood dining. Destin and Pensacola are some of the most popular beach areas for tourists, year round since the weather is mild the whole year. Leave the Spring Break scene and party cities of South Florida for this northern gem.
On the Emerald coast, a small area called 30A (after the Country Road in this part of the state) is a small collection of unique beach towns near Panama City Beach. This area was relatively unknown until its beautiful beaches and seclusion was discovered during the pandemic. There aren’t many tourist traps, big hotel chains or condo buildings, so book your beach rentals early. Many people like to rent a golf cart to get around easier and leave their cars parked for the whole trip. Each beach town is different and there is lots of friendly competition for the best area to stay. Places like Santa Rosa Beach, Fort Walton Beach, Seaside, Blue Mountain Beach, Grayton Beach or Watercolor are all great choices for a fun family beach trip. This is the only area of Florida that I don’t feel like I know well and have been to many times, so we’ll need to book a trip soon to explore. Florida is a much longer state than anyone ever thinks and it is a long distance from Northwest Florida to South Florida, about 600 miles and will take 9+ hours to drive, so don’t make the mistake of thinking all of Florida is only a few hours away.
Northeast Florida
I am much more familiar with Northeastern Florida, since we have often used areas like Jacksonville and Saint Augustine as stops on our East Coast road trips. Jacksonville is one of the easiest airports to get into North Florida with many tourists headed to America’s First Coast. Jacksonville was named for later President Andrew Jackson, who was Florida’s first governor before it even became a state. Jacksonville is a bustling city, but head east to find its three distinct personalities at Jacksonville Beach, Atlantic Beach and Neptune Beach. Fernandina Beach and Amelia island are both close to Jacksonville for day trips or longer. Fernandina Beach is known for the Victorian homes with signature gingerbread trim. The visitors center was once the railroad depot to the first cross state railroad that went all the way to Cedar Key. Amelia Island is known for its golden sand beaches and impressive coastal birds that birdwatchers are drawn to all year round. Dolphins are often seen off the beach and even the endangered Right Whale can be occasionally spotted. There is also a horseback riding experience on Amelia Island on the beach, where the trail ride includes a walk in the ocean. Visit Kingsley Plantation to explore the grounds including the planter’s house, kitchen house, slave quarters, barn waterfront and interpretive garden. Kingsley Plantation has tons of resources for teachers on its website for both teaching and planning field trips.
Just south of Jacksonville Beach is Ponte Vedra Beach, the PGA headquarters and home to numerous golf resorts. My favorite Marriott of all time is the Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa in Ponte Vedra Beach, we even considered having our wedding at this resort! It is beautiful, with many different classes of rooms including romantic suites and family friendly villas. Everything at the hotel is North Florida perfection from the pool, beach club, spa and restaurants. A little further south is the most historical part of the Sunshine State, Saint Augustine. The Castillo de San Marcos was built in the late 1600’s to guard Matanza Bay and can still be toured today, including cannon fire. Visit Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth, the Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse, Fort Matanzas National Monument, Old Jail Museum and Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine before moving historical periods. Learn more about Henry Flagger’s contributions, his biggest being the building of a Railroad that went from Jacksonville to Key West. We can thank Flagler for putting Florida tourism on the map!
Central Florida
Daytona Beach is the beach you recognize from TV and movie scenes where people are driving on the sand, it’s the only beach in Florida where it’s legal to bring your car on the beach. That might be influenced by its most well known attraction, the Daytona International Speedway and the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America. You can attend a race, enjoy the new upgraded luxury suites or get out on the track yourself at the Richard Petty Driving Experience to reach top speeds of 200 mph. The Daytona 500, spring break and bike week are the most popular times to visit and the newly restored Daytona Beach Pier is one of the most popular attractions. Kids will love the amusement rides and old-school arcade games. They will also enjoy the hands-on exhibits at the Children’s Museum and the Museum of Arts & Sciences with a state-of-the-art planetarium. A close neighboring beach is New Smyrna Beach and check out the Ponce de Leon Inlet & Lighthouse while still traveling the coast.
When visitors dream of a trip to Florida they are envisioning one of two things, either they want a beautiful beach an umbrella drink or they envision DISNEY!!!! It is amazing how many Disney vacations adults are taking, let alone families and multigenerational trips too. Disney can be educational, take it from me, a former teacher who brought kids on annual trips and had to weave curriculum into trips. The two most obvious educational parks are EPCOT and Animal Kingdom, but every park has some kind of scientific, artistic or creative element. With real little kids you can be on a scavenger hunt for Mickey faces all over the park and restaurants or even practice manners, social skills and patience waiting in lines is educational.
I might make a lot of Disney lovers and especially the Disney travel agents mad, but I think the best way to experience Disney is over a week, only going to 1 park a day and planning down days in between. For those who aren’t Florida residents with annual passes, I think you should splurge for one of the top tier hotels like the Wilderness Lodge, Animal Kingdom Lodge or the Polynesian. Another great option (especially for Marriott loyalists) the Swan and Dolphin Hotels that are located a short walk through the Epcot back entrance. Great if you are planning to attend the Food and Wine Festival or run the Disney marathons. Consider a 7 or 8 day Disney itinerary for the occasional Disney visitor with young children, and space out Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, Disney Spring and the water parks. Do Disney all the way or choose to have a more affordable Orlando vacation, our favorite (non-Disney) hotel is Caribe Royal, just outside of the Disney entrance and just do 1 day at Disney and choose from these other engaging and educational activities to explore in Central Florida.
- Discovery Cove
- Legoland
- Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, Volcano Bay, City Walk
- Fun Spot America- old fashioned vibes
- Gatorland
- MOSI (Museum of Science and Industry
- Icon Park- The wheel, Madame Tussauds, Sea Life Aquarium, Museum of illusions
- Orlando Science Center
- Museum of Arts & Science
- Crayola Experience
- Wonderworks
- Our body the Universe Within
The Kennedy Space Center is one of the most educational experiences for children in Florida and many schools have taken trips there during the elementary earth & space curriculum. Visit the heroes and legends of space travel and take the behind the gates bus tour to the launching pads. There are other attractions to see like Shuttle: a ship like no other, Race to the moon- Apollo moon landing and today you can see the deep space launching complex, ‘a visionary design paving the way for space travel.’ There are even opportunities to have lunch with a real astronaut, retired, but have awesome stories to tell and really engage with the children. If you are ever in the area on launch days, be sure to watch this rare occurrence. You can watch from all over the east coast of Central and South Florida.
Central Florida hides its best natural resource away from the crowds at the theme parks, at its beautiful tranquil Springs. These abundant natural springs are both relaxing and allow for outdoor adventures like paddle boarding or kayaking. There are many springs to choose from, some more quiet and removed than others. Blue Spring State Park is a designated manatee refuge with the gentle giants arriving November through March. Weeki Wachee Springs State Park has mermaid shows where they perform live underwater shows with fish tails. Some other top Natural Springs are Ichetucknee Springs, Wekiwa Springs State Park, Rainbow Springs and Silver Springs.
West Coast
Tampa, Clearwater and St. Petersburg are all located in a close triangle and can easily be experienced from a central location. Tampa is the largest city on the west coast of Florida, but is a great place to bring family and children. There is a Tampa Bay CityPass that includes 5 popular attractions in the area for a discounted price. A great deal for visitors and FL residents alike, as long as you can see them all in 9 days. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, The Florida Aquarium, Zoo Tampa, the Glazer Children’s museum, Museum of Science and Industry and the Clearwater Marine Aquarium are all part of the package price. Some of the other favorite spots for children in Tampa are Adventure Island, Ybor City, Dinosaur World and any of the great outdoor water adventures that happen on Tampa Bay.
During the holidays are some of the best times to visit St. Pete, because it transforms into a well lit wonderland called Enchant St. Petersburg. It brings some festive cheer to an otherwise very warm Christmas climate. St. Petersburg has a great arts scene and glass art is one of their specialities. You can view lots of glass art exhibits, but take it one step farther and try making your own blown glass piece at the Zen Glass Studio. If glass blowing isn’t your thing, Salvador Dali’s art is on display at The Dali. Younger children love to spend time at Great Explorations Children’s Museum to get their hands-on experiences. On a more serious note, if you have 5th-high school age kids, spending a bit visiting the The Florida Holocaust Museum is a great way to get out of the heat and into history. This museum is small and will not take a long time, but it is impactful and has traveling exhibits. When I last went, the special exhibit was of art work and cards created by children in a transit camp, before being transported to Auschwitz. Add in the sad sights, it will not damper the trip, but will often be some of your kids most impactful life lessons.
Sarasota is one of the places that has my husband’s heart, because he went to college in Sarasota at the Ringling College of Art and Design for illustration. Today the curriculum has expanded to include graphic design, computer animation and game art to attract the best artists from all over the country. The town has an artistic feeling and a hipster vibe (but beachy) that so many creative towns have, but that also includes the wealthier arts of opera, orchestra and ballet. The nightlife in Sarasota is diverse and includes fine dining and seats at a show or bar hopping and hitting the clubs for the younger crowd. Beer is a big deal in Sarasota and the Sarasota Brewing Company is high on the list of recommendations from the Myers family. Take a beer tour or walking tour of Sarasota to see the hot spots for food, shopping, museums and galleries. The John & Mable Ringling Museum is also a must visit with entrance to the expansive museum collection, gardens, circus museum and seaside mansion Ca’d’Zan. When visiting with kids, make sure to visit Tree Umph!, Shelby Garden and Urfer Family Park for a fun time in Sarasota.
Siesta Key is an award winning island according to Conde Nast Travelers list of top awards for best island, best sand, etc. so it is a must do day trip when visiting Sarasota. Its quartz-sand beaches and waterfront dining scene gain travelers’ reviews too. The free trolly service makes the island easy to navigate and shopping at Siesta Key Village is a popular stop. Longboat Key is known for its championship golf courses and Longboat Key Club. Anna Maria Island is a great place to kayak with dolphins or grab a grouper sandwich at the Ugly Grouper. If you like German food, the Old Hamburg Schnitzelhaus is fantastic and authentic. Visit the MOTE Marine laboratory and aquarium with kids for an informative afternoon and check out the view of the Bay and Skyway Bridge from Anna Maria Bayfront Park.
Southwest Florida
Ft. Myers Beach is easily accessible from Southwest Florida International Airport, a small airport where security is a breeze! The 7 miles of sugar sand beaches and calm Gulf of Mexico waters attract visitors all year round, especially families with young children. Visitors must get out on the water, take your pick of dolphin watching, sunset or pirate cruises. Visit Edison and Ford’s Winter Estates and take day trips to the Gulf Islands of Sanibel Island, Pine Island and Captiva Island.
I lived in Naples one of the many times I moved back to Florida, and was living there when I met my husband. Some of our first memories of falling in love are at restaurants, bars and beaches across Naples. My favorite part of living on the west coast of Florida was the sunset culture. Residents and tourists alike enjoy the nightly splendor from a beach chair, bar or restaurant and many of our date nights started with this tradition on Friday or Saturday nights. Naples is known for its dining scene with waterfront restaurants, seafood specialities and beach bars at all price points. Naples has an old money arts and culture scene, sprinkled throughout the numerous shopping areas in Naples. The high end boutique shopping that 5th Ave and 3rd Street South are known for, but also designer and rack shops at Coastland Center, Waterside Shops and Village Shops on Venetian Bay. Be sure to take children to Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens for a great zoo experience and a special primate expedition cruise. This 15 minute experience will bring out the monkey in the kids and adults. Marco Island is a quick drive from Naples and a great spot for an eco-tour, visit the orchid preserve or learn more about the protected Florida panther.
South Florida
Palm Beach is known for wealthy estates and lots of golf courses, but it also has the most romantic spot for a wedding or anniversary trip, at the Breakers Palm Beach. This is a must see hotel and if you can’t stay overnight, the next best way to get the full ambience is by booking a reservation at the Flagler Steakhouse, Seafood Bar, Italian Restaurant or Sunday Brunch. If you’re visiting with kids on this trip I’d suggest scheduling a few of these child friendly favorites in the greater Palm Beach region:
- Palm Beach Zoo
- Lion Country Safari
- Henry Morrison Flagler Museum
- Loggerhead Marine Life Center
- Busch Wildlife Sanctuary
- Manatee Lagoon
- Cox Science Center and Aquarium
- Jupiter Inlet and Lighthouse
Farther south are Delray Beach and Boca Raton, each with their own vibe and character. Delray Beach is a great place to enjoy the beach, with lots of locals and Florida visitors. Atlantic Avenue is the main street of shops, bars, clubs and restaurants with great local seafood and “sexy” coastal style, especially as the sunsets. Stop by Blue Anchor, one of my favorite pubs for a drink and the cool air conditioning on a hot day. Boca Raton is another wealthy Florida town with tons of indoor and outdoor shopping malls, art galleries, bars and restaurants. Boca Raton gets the reputation of just being for the seniors, but there are more young singles, couples and families living and vacationing in this area of Florida, especially with the ease of going out in Ft. Lauderdale or West Palm Beach.
Fort Lauderdale beach is a great South Florida destination and gives Spring Break vibes most of the year and gets crazy during actual Spring Break. Las Olas Blvd runs along the beach and is full of restaurants, bars and boutique shopping. Ft. Lauderdale has a water taxi that gets you out on the water and around some great patio restaurants like Shooters Waterfront. Since I living in Ft. Lauderdale, one of my favorite towns has been Deerfield Beach, one of the barrier islands just north of Fort Lauderdale. The island is residential and hotels are limited but there is a Choice Hotel right in the center or an Embassy Suites on the south side of the island that can be booked on points. I’ve also always loved the fun vibe at Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, there is a great island restaurant and bar right on the beach and a street full of Florida shopping and restaurants, plus a fishing pier. I often recommend Hallandale Beach to people, either to visit for a beach day or to stay at the Diplomat Resort. The Diplomat is one of my favorite resorts, but it’s not for the faint of wallet. It has numerous restaurants and bars in the main building and along the inter-coastal bridge that is all a part of the property. The pools, hot tubs, bars and beach front access with chairs and umbrellas and full service on the beach can’t be beat…and was a treat when hubby had a client put him up there on a photo shoot. Cassidy was a toddler and it was a perfect beach getaway for us, while Ken worked.
There is more to Fort Lauderdale than just the beach and party atmosphere. Kids love the Museum of Discovery and Science with its IMAX theater and downtown location. West of Ft. Lauderdale is Plantation and the Young at Art Museum took over the old Broward Mall and gave it new life where ‘art meets play’ for the young artist. Another fun activity in Deerfield Beach is Butterfly world or south in Pembroke Pines visit CB Smith Park with both their lake and water park for hours of fun with kids. History Fort Lauderdale’s campus includes three museums to tell its full history. The History museum from prehistoric to present day, the Pioneer House Museum and the 1899 Schoolhouse Museum bring different eras of Florida history to life.
Miami is known for South Beach and nightlife, but also art deco, Coconut Grove and the amazing Cuban food that comes out of “Little Havana.” The culture and history in Miami is more international today, but outside the city the Dade Battlefield can still be visited. Vizcaya Museum & Gardens and the Everglades National Park are Miami experiences not to be missed. Younger children love seeing animals and can do so at Zoo Miami, Jungle Island, Monkey Jungle and the Miami Seaquarium depending on how much time you have in Miami. The Miami Children’s Museum is designed to foster kids creativity and inspire kids through play in the miniature replicas of a TV studio, bank, police and fire truck, etc. and kid’s playground and two-story sandcastle. The Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science is popular with kids because of all the hands-on experiences and the planetarium all in the cool air-conditioning that all Miami visitors seek.
Florida Keys
The Keys are a group of Islands off the southern coast of Florida. They are known for their diving and snorkeling, fishing, seafood restaurants and Caribbean drinks and especially weddings. The Keys continue on a narrow 7 mile bridge through Islamorada, Marathon, an assortment of Lower Keys to the Southernmost point in Key West. Key Largo is just out of Miami and sits next to Biscayne National Park where alligators and swamp animals can be visited. Islamorada has a spot not to miss if you love dolphins, sea lions and sting rays… especially if you want to swim with them! I have enjoyed all three activities and now that we don’t live in Florida anymore, we are waiting for Cassidy to reach the age requirements before we go again. Build a day (or 2) around this experience in Islamorada. Then on to Marathon and the Lower Keys to find the “Old Key’s” lifestyle and fishing heritage to support the seafood restaurants. Continue driving all the way to the Southernmost point of the United States, Key West.
Hubby and I got married in Key West 10 years ago, starting with a Thursday night beach cookout and party at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park, then went on a sunset cruise for our rehearsal dinner (everyone went since it was a small wedding of 35 guests) and finally hosted the ceremony and reception overlooking the ocean at Pier House Hotel. It was beautiful and it was HOT at the end of June! Even though so many weddings happen in the Keys, keep in mind that Key West is not known for their beaches, there is not much direct beach access and there is a lot of seaweed. Be sure to take the little train downtown to see the island and visit the pirate museum, that was my boy’s favorite part of the whole wedding weekend. Then visit the Key West Aquarium, Key West Turtle Museum, Key West Lighthouse Museum, Truman’s Little White House and Hemingway’s House with the 6-toed cats as the main attraction. A full day trip is taking a seaplane to see Ft. Jefferson and Dry Tortugas National Park. There is also a boat option, but a much longer trip. Every night in Key West should be spent watching the sunset and Mallory Square is the place to do it in style since there is a sunset party every night!
Hubby and I may end up living in Florida again one day, closer to retirement when we don’t have the kids’ education to worry about, but we think West Coast. We love the sunset celebrations and relaxed culture the Gulf of Mexico brings to the west. Living in a vacation destination also makes flying or sailing to other vacation destinations much easier for the most part. Visit Florida, but not just Orlando. Florida has so much to offer in each region, both educational and experiential for children of all ages.
Please check out my website at LauraMarieMyers.com/wanderlust to join my email list (newsletter is coming soon), access full travel blog library and get inspiration for your own travel and adventures. Additionally, check out and follow my Travel Agency Facebook Business Page to book your own travel, excursions and tours. Why use a travel agent? We are travel experts who provide the best vacation or travel experience and will continue to problem solve any unforeseen issue on your trip. Travel agents have access to the best rates and upgrades, without any additional cost to you. Let’s book your next trip today!
