Florida Travel Notes

Notes from weekend trips in 2025. Prices are what we paid at the time.

Miami

You need a car to get downtown; public transport from the suburbs is close to nonexistent.

Stay: Comfort Suites Kendall. Clean, breakfast included, around $130 a night with no extra fees, Publix nearby. Staff speak little English.
Vizcaya Museum & Gardens: use the parking entrance.
Metromover: free. The Inner and Brickell loops have the best city views.
Bayside boat tour: around $35 per person. We took the Island Queen: check in at least an hour early and get to the front of the line for the back seats on the upper deck.
Versailles: the famous Cuban restaurant. Great atmosphere, decent food, about $20 per person, plenty of parking.
Avoid: parking near the Government Center station, and Ocean Drive after sunset.

Lake Eola Park: Orlando's central park. Easy parking, generally safe.
Camping World Stadium events: park at Garland Lot, eat Colombian nearby, and take the free shuttle if the event runs one.
Disney Springs: outdoor mall with live music and free events. Parking is hard when it is busy.
Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive: free, about 1.5 hours by car. Nice but not a must.
Alligators: Jungle Adventures in Christmas, FL (~$35) to see them from a safe distance; Orlando Wetlands (free) to see them from a less safe one, plus roseate spoonbills.

Parking in the historic centre is paid.
Flagler College: a must. Security will tell you where you can and cannot go, so just walk in.
Castillo de San Marcos (~$30) and the Oldest House (~$12, less with a student ID): nice to have.
Food: St. George Street. Pizza Time is rated second-best pizza on TripAdvisor; get the burrata.

Jacksonville Zoo and Botanical Gardens: very large, free parking. Not a must, but the giraffes are great.
Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens: good, especially the riverside gardens. Free for Bank of America customers; free parking across the street.

Florida Aquarium: very large and worth it. Plenty of parking nearby.
University of Tampa: beautiful historic building, with minarets.
Riverwalk: short and overrated, but a pleasant walk.
Food: Oxford Exchange looked very good but needs a reservation. E&S NY Pizza is a safe choice with a European football crowd.