This is not crazytown

Somehow, Melbourne is geographically 3.5 hours from many other places of interest like JAX, Tampa, The Parks, even Miami. Sarasota down to Marco Island or South Beach are 4 hours most days. Key West is a solid 7.5, not due to distance but the traffic.

My advice is to get out there and learn about the natural Florida first; Saint John’s River, the Panther/wildlife corridor, Great Cypress Preserve, the springs, the Glades. Mount Dora boat excursions cover a lot of natural Florida on a non peak tourist day. The tour guides have extensive knowledge and makes for a nice day trip. The Disney Wilderness Preserve is very pure, natural Florida that is a quiet, peaceful place protected to showcase the fragile ecosystems at risk of urban sprawl.

Air Bnb’s in some areas are easier than booking hotels. This past weekend, we took a chance on a “casita” in the keys instead of our usual hotel group. With it came a kayak experience, full kitchen, parking, and the kind of peace and quiet we were seeking.

On the flip side, we spent a weekend at the Continental in downtown Miami in the thick of it all using Ubers instead of driving and parking, (cost effective and safer in that traffic!) On that trip we booked tickets for a charter boat out to Boca Chita Key through the National Park Service. Boca Chita Key has quite the history and even had an elephant for awhile! If the day is nice and the Captain is kind, he will take a little longer on the way back through Islandia which is an other-worldly experience.  So pristine and remote.

Another boat tour to hop aboard is the west coast Sponge boats out of Tarpon Springs. Fascinating place and delicious too! There are so many ways to enjoy Tarpon Springs down to Honeymoon Island. One weekend will amass so many memories.

Sanibel and Captiva were hit incredibly hard during Hurricanes Ian and Nicole. I know there is a documentary on Netflix about them. I know they’ve reopened. I know what they were before and will be again in time.

Marco Island needs atleast 4 full days. It isn’t large, it is the pace and the beauty of it that you absolutely will want to stay longer. We airBnb’d a condo, took a seaplane charter, sunset cruise, and snorkled. I would live here if I could afford it. Stunning sunsets,  eagles, and the burrowing owls complete this excursion. The museum and the gift shop remind you that it is real because it’s so dreamy down there!

Going northwards to Jax and St. Augustine have their charms. New Smyrna beach is the shark bite capital of the world. Daytona can be fun. There are angel oaks just to the west of St. Augustine that hold world records for their age and size! Fernandina beach which is a few yards south of Georgia really show low country in the landscape and dining choices. Pastoral drives by century old plantation style houses and their angel oaks make for a nice quick weekend.

The springs will blow your mind. Nowhere on this planet can the water be like that inside of a murky tannin filled swamp. I do not understand how the Florida decides where the pretty blue water bubbles up and where the murky scary alligator water is required to stop. I do not understand how the entire place does not cave into a massive sink hole while holding up bazillions of pounds of trees and duff layer. Water is heavy, Florida is porous and the springs are an amazingly balanced demonstration of physics, fluid dynamics, biodiversity, and human impacts. (Shaking my head wandering off into the woods…)