Thanksgiving 2023 Trip to Florida
Contents
This content was automatically generated by gpt-4-turbo-preview (No human review). The original post is in Chinese.
Itinerary Summary
- Day 0
- 11/17 Spirit Airline LAX to FLL (9:04 PM PST - 4:56 AM EST)
- Day 1
- Kennedy Space Center (KSC)
- Day 2
- Silver Springs State Park
- Silver Springs River: Kayaking
- Rainbow Springs State Park
- Swimming Area: Snorkeling
- Rainbow Springs Yellow Trail Hiking
- Silver Springs State Park
- Day 3
- Driving from Tampa to Everglades City
- Big Cypress Visitor Center
- Board Walk
- Unpaved Road Wildlife Viewing
- Day 4
- Turner River Mangrove Tunnel Kayaking
- Big Cypress National Preserve
- Oasis Visitor Center
- Everglades National Park
- Shark Valley Visitor Center
- Miccosukee Airboat Rides
- Day 5
- Everglades National Park
- Flamingo Visitor Center
- Flamingo: Manatee Habitat Sea Kayaking
- Royal Palm
- Anhinga Trail
- Gumbo Limbo Trail
- Long Pine Key Trail
- Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center
- Everglades National Park
- Day 6
- Key Largo
- John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park Snorkeling Tour
- Key West
- Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park
- Key West Lighthouse
- Mile Marker 0 Sign
- Mallory Square
- Key Largo
- Day 7
- Florida Keys
- Big Pine Key: Key Deer
- Bahia Honda State Park
- Turtle Hospital
- History of Diving Museum
- Dante Fascell Visitor Center
- 11/24 Spirit Airline FLL to LAX (6:48 EST - 9:45 PST)
- Florida Keys
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1 Kennedy Space Center
Kennedy Space Center (KSC)
- The flight was delayed by 2 hours, leading us to arrive in FLL only after 7 AM. We set off from the airport at 8 AM and reached KSC by noon. By the time we entered, it was around 12:30 PM, leaving us only 5 hours to explore.
- KSC tickets are expensive, costing $180 for two people including parking fees. It felt like a bit of a waste for just a half-day visit, although it was indeed fun — just too pricey.
- The place is more like a space-themed amusement park with many spots to visit. With our limited time, we could only see a few places:
- Kennedy Space Center Bus Tour
- Apollo/Saturn V Center
- Space Shuttle Atlantis
- Shuttle Launch Experience (about a 15-20 minute queue)
- Gateway Spaceport KSC (about a 15-20 minute queue)
- Accommodation: Deltona
Day 2 Silver Springs & Rainbow Springs
Our initial plan was to snorkel at Silver Glen Springs. However, forgetting to set an alarm means waking up naturally at 7:30 AM. Considering today’s focus on kayaking at Silver Springs and the flood warning at Silver Glen, we skipped snorkeling there.
-
- Admission is a bargain at $2 per person.
- We spent 4 hours kayaking here, which was incredibly worthwhile. Along the way, we saw a myriad of animals and enjoyed beautiful scenery, making this a highlight of our trip. The biodiversity here is stunning. Within the first two hours, we encountered monkeys, manatees, alligators, birds, turtles, and various fish in utterly clear water.
- Kayak rental: We rented a Tandem Kayak (Sit In) for Silver River Paddle to Ray Wayside Park, full day including shuttle back to the starting point was $70.
- GoPro underwater footage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GGH1v2_1fY
- The highly recommended Glass Bottom Boats Tour, which we didn’t do due to time constraints. Although very affordable (30 minutes for just $13) and despite the clear waters full of fish, snorkeling isn’t allowed, making the glass-bottom boats a kind of substitute. It’s a bit of a pity we missed it since it would have added more to our experience with added commentary.
Rainbow Springs State Park
- Admission is very reasonable, only $2 per person.
- The Rainbow Springs State Park Swimming Area is just a squared-off area, much like a pool, with relatively few underwater plants and rocks. Initially disappointed by the lack of fish, the experience was quite satisfactory after diving in. The water is very clear, and we did see some fish, swimming for about 15 minutes. Including changing clothes, the entire visit took about 45 minutes but was well worth it.
- GoPro swimming video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOeOSKwAkxI
- The Rainbow Springs Yellow Trail was our next stop. After an hour of hiking, the scenery was fairly mundane, but the temperature was pleasant without many mosquitoes, making for an okay experience. It feels like spending this time kayaking for an hour in Rainbow Springs River would have been more worthwhile since the Trail wasn’t much special.
Dinner at Cheers at Rainbow Springs where we ordered a Tuna Melt for only $10.95 — affordable, plentiful, and delicious. Highly recommended.
Accommodation: Near Tampa
Day 3 A Day of Disappointments
A thoroughly disappointing day, arguably the most frustrating day of our journey. The previous night, we stayed near Tampa, planning to cycle at Sanibel Island for 2 hours in the morning, then kayak at Isles of Capri in the afternoon.
Driving from Tampa to Everglades City
Sanibel Island
- The drive from Tampa to Sanibel Island without traffic should take approximately 2 hours and 36 minutes. We left the hotel at 7 AM, intending to head south but ran into morning rush hour traffic near Sarasota. We even considered detouring to Siesta Key’s Siesta Beach but decided against it, which added an extra 15 minutes. On top of that, the construction work on the bridge to Sanibel Island caused significant delays in traffic. By the time we reached the bike rental spot on Sanibel Island, it was already 10:30 AM — a three and a half hour drive. If we had driven directly to Everglades City early in the morning, it would have only taken around 3 hours. Thus, the decision to visit Sanibel Island substantially increased our travel time, adding an additional 2 hours of driving.
- We rented our bikes from Billy’s Rentals, where 1 hour costs $12 and more than 1 hour costs $15 per bike, hence spending $30 for two. The bikes were poorly conditioned, which made riding uncomfortable. We started cycling around 10:50 AM under extreme heat without any shade. The shop recommended cycling towards Sanibel Lighthouse, but the route offered unpleasant views with no sight of the ocean, constructions everywhere, and it was much hotter than locations like San Diego or Irvine where cycling is much more enjoyable. Sweating profusely and irritated by the construction noise, we questioned our decision to cycle here. Eventually, we decided to return the bikes early, hoping to save time for kayaking in the afternoon, considering we had already lost so much time in traffic.
- Deciding to bike on Sanibel Island was the biggest mistake of the day - it cost us extra 2 hours of driving, a disappointing biking experience, and $30.
Isles of Capri
- Leaving Sanibel around 11:45, we headed to Isles of Capri without stopping in Naples and reached Capri Fish House around 1 PM. After having a quick meal, we went on to rent kayaks. The price for a Tandem Kayak for 3 hours was $50, and by the time we had changed and received our kayaks, it was already 1:30 PM. The equipment was in terrible condition - sizesetting on the life jackets was off and they were filthy; more critically, the kayaks lacked proper covers for the compartments which meant they could sink if capsized, presenting a serious safety violation. After discussing with the staff, we decided to cancel our kayak rental due to the unacceptable conditions. We thought of trying another rental place, but either they were not renting out in the afternoon or were fully booked by then. Frustrated and realizing how time-consuming this venture had turned out to be, we returned to Capri Fish House to check if other kayaks were available, only to find they were all in poor shape - broken parts, no seats in some. Disheartened by not being able to kayak after spending 5 hours driving, a staff member tried convincing us to use the unsafe kayaks by assuring us of the calm waters and rarity of capsizing incidents. However, prioritizing our safety, we ultimately decided to leave around 2:30 PM - till then, besides driving, we hadn’t achieved anything substantial, not even a proper lunch.
- Albeit the food at Capri Fish House was decent, it begs the question why we were renting kayaks from a restaurant in the first place. Their kayak rental service was disappointing, but it was partly my fault for not researching reliable kayak rental options earlier, though my intention was to rent in Everglades City initially, before a friend highly recommended Isles of Capri for its supposedly better scenery.
Big Cypress Nathaniel P. Reed Visitor Center
- After leaving Isles of Capri, we drove to the Big Cypress Visitor Center and walked a few Boardwalks, spotting some birds and alligators. While on a call, I got bitten by numerous mosquitoes.
Unpaved Road Wildlife Viewing
- We took a drive on an Unpaved Road for wildlife viewing, which included Turner River Road + Upper Wagonwheel + Birdon Road, taking a little over an hour. This was definitely worth the drive. On Turner River Road, we saw a diversity of birds and alligators just by driving slowly and stopping wherever we saw wildlife. This was arguably the richest wildlife viewing spot of our trip, second only to the Silver Springs River.
Accommodation: Everglades City
Day 4 Mangrove Tunnel Kayaking
- Turner River Mangrove Tunnel Kayaking Tour
- We joined a guided kayak tour by Everglades Adventures Kayak & Eco Tours
- The tour was a pleasant experience, limited to only 5 participants, and the lead was very friendly. We spent about 2 hours on water, paddling less than 3km, and after including tip, it cost $190 for two (our hotel provided a 10% discount). Considering the price, it did not feel worthy. Initially, kayaking through a Mangrove Tunnel seemed like a unique activity, but we later realized that Florida is full of mangroves and similar tunnels - making such an expensive tour unnecessary and regrettable. There are cheaper alternatives for experiencing Mangrove Tunnel Kayaking:
- Biscayne National Park Institute: Kayak the mangroves tour at $39 per person for 1.5 hours
- PADDLING ADVENTURES AT CURRY HAMMOCK Kayak Rental at $21.5 for a double kayak for 2 hours
- In hindsight, self-guided kayaking in Turner River would have been possible and far more cost-effective. However, after the disastrous experience the previous day, we opted for the tour to avoid any more rental troubles, at the cost of spending more money, but the tour ended up being fairly enjoyable.
- Big Cypress National Preserve Oasis Visitor Center
- We walked some of the Visitor Center’s Boardwalks and managed to see some wildlife such as alligators, birds, and fish in the water.
- Everglades National Park Shark Valley Visitor Center
- Shark Valley Visitor Center normally offers various activities like Bike Rentals and Tram tours, but they were all closed due to flooding from the previous week’s rain. Parts of the Tram were supposed to reopen the next day, but unfortunately, we missed out on these activities and continued to explore the Boardwalk.
- Miccosukee Airboat Rides
- A highly recommended activity by a friend. The cost was $25 per person for a 35-minute ride, but realistically, we were on the airboat for about 20 minutes since there’s a 15-minute break at Native Indian Hammock for exploration. Personally, I don’t favor airboat rides due to the loud noise – I wore earplugs and covered my ears for the duration. Despite the noise, gliding over the water was quite exciting, particularly because it seemed like we were navigating through dense water grass easily. We spotted one alligator on the water and another at the Native Indian Hammock boardwalk. Overall, it was an interesting experience, but whether it’s worth the $50 is debatable. It’s worth trying if you have time and nothing else planned.
- Accommodation: Homestead
Day 5 Flamingo Sea Kayaking
Everglades National Park
- Flamingo Visitor Center
- We headed straight to Flamingo early in the morning and arrived around 9 AM. After a brief visit to the Flamingo Visitor Center, which appeared quite deserted, we found the Ranger to be somewhat unwelcoming.
- Flamingo: Manatee Habitat Sea Kayaking
- Kayak rentals were from Flamingo Adventures, with the rates being $25 for a single kayak for 2 hours or $40 for 4 hours. A peculiar policy was that if you rent for 2 hours and exceed the duration, you are charged $50 per hour extra. For those who wish to kayak both the seaside and the Canal, a strict split of 2 hours each way is required, with no flexibility. This unreasonable policy prompted us to rent two single kayaks for 4 hours, costing us over $80.
- Initially, we paddled along the coast, considering spending all four hours there if it proved more interesting. The seawater, murky and brown due to decomposition from the mangrove leaves and microorganisms, offered unimpressive scenery - not even comparable to the coasts of Southern California. The extreme heat and lack of breeze made it an almost unbearable experience. After some exploration, we decided against paddling to the outer Keys due to distance and lack of engaging views, opting instead for an early transition to the Canal. The only alligator we saw near the Harbor was likely an American Crocodile, given the salty conditions.
- Next, we paddled in the Buttonwood Canal towards Coot Bay, covering 3.2 miles. The Canal offered slightly cooler conditions and better scenery than the sea, with occasional sightings of alligators enhancing the experience. However, the intense heat urged us to finish kayaking early. Overall, despite the reasonable rental prices, the experience was marred by the heat and mediocre views. The day’s highlight was spotting several American Crocodiles along with some bird watching.
- Upon reflection, it would have been better to schedule indoor or driving activities during the hottest part of the day, improving the overall kayaking experience.
- Royal Palm
- After kayaking, we explored a few trails around Royal Palm, which proved to be quite short and not as wildlife-rich as Big Cypress, offering a rather average experience.
- Anhinga Trail
- Gumbo Limbo Trail
- Three-in-One Hiking Trail
- After kayaking, we explored a few trails around Royal Palm, which proved to be quite short and not as wildlife-rich as Big Cypress, offering a rather average experience.
- Accommodation: Homestead
Day 6 John Pennekamp Snorkeling Tour
Finally heading to the Florida Keys on the sixth day
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park Snorkeling Tour
- We arrived at John Pennekamp State Park early, at 8 AM, planning to snorkel from shore as the snorkeling tours at convenient times were fully booked. Typically hesitant to spend money on tours, this indecision led to missing initial booking opportunities. Fortunately, we managed to get spots on an 8:30 AM walk-in tour for $38.95 per person, a cost we considered reasonable. We brought our snorkeling masks/tubes and rented fins.
- The snorkeling tour proved highly worthwhile - a 2.5-hour excursion with a 30-minute boat ride each way to a coral reef garden 5 miles off Key Largo. We spent about an hour in the water, swimming for around 50 minutes without wearing a wetsuit and not feeling overly cold. The coral was impressive despite the water visibility not matching the clarity of Silver Springs/Rainbow Springs. Highly recommended on a good-weather day.
- GoPro video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17bRiIPja3g
Key West
- Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park
- After snorkeling, deciding we had had our fill of water activities, we drove directly to Key West, first stopping at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park. The Fort offered impressive scenery and a beach, which many mistook for Dry Tortugas in photos. Despite the sizable crowd and somewhat milky-blue, not-entirely-clear water, it appeared invitingly cool.
- Our next stop was a casual stroll through Key West, visiting the Key West Lighthouse, passing by The Hemingway Home and Museum without entering, and seeing the crowded Mile Marker 0 Sign. Initially intending to witness the sunset at Mallory Square, the overcast sky changed our plans, leading us to dine at Yummy Crab instead, at reasonable prices. Post-meal, we concluded the evening at Mallory Square, catching glimpses of red through the cloud breaks on the sea horizon - a missed sunset opportunity, all because of an untimely dinner decision.
- Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park
Accommodation: Airbnb in Big Pine Key
