Florida With The Family: Around The Coast (And Not A Theme Park In Sight)
Some parents shy away from extended breaks with the family, instead opting for weekend vacations to make the experience more worthwhile, as a result, parents tend to cram in loads of different activities and places, which can leave everybody exhausted. Instead, if you want to get to plenty of places, you need to take the time to make a modestly epic journey. Florida is one of those places that is family friendly, so how can you do it properly? Very simply, head south, and follow the coast around!
Tampa
Tampa Bay is such an amazing place for the whole family, but it's wonderfully kid-friendly also. And if you are focused on making sure the kids enjoyed themselves, there are many different places to keep them interested. The Adventure Island Water Park is wet and wild enough to keep them interested, or if you are looking for something a little more low key, you can take the kids to Big Cat Rescue, the largest cat sanctuary in the world. Or if you've got really young kids, the Largo Central Railroad is full of miniature trains for your kids to ride to their heart's content!
Fort Myers
Head a little further south to Fort Myers, and you've got more natural opportunities to explore the place. You could go for a bicycle ride with the whole family, and use a firm like Billy's Bike Rentals, or just head to the Shell Factory & Nature Park to marvel the exotic animals. And if your kids are feeling adventurous, there's a zip line going across the lake, or if you want something a little more relaxed, miniature golf always delivers the goods!
Miami
Head around the south coast and back up the east side, and you've got Miami! Miami isn't just a hotbed of beaches and bars, you've got a lot for the kids. You could spend a bit more time here, and check into one of the various family friendly hotels, the Marriott Vacation Club Pulse provides an authentic tourist friendly stay right in the heart of south beach. Head further into Miami, and you’ve got the Miami Children's Museum, the Wynwood Walls - a collection of murals created by street artists, or go to the Monkey Jungle, where you can see all manner of monkeys, gorillas, capuchins and even parrots roaming around the 30-acre park.
Orlando
And naturally, for the whole family, Orlando marks the end of your journey around the coast. Of course, you can hit the theme parks, but there are so many other things you can do. You can head to the Tree Trek Adventure Park and swing on the zip lines, or learn how to paddle board at the Orlando Watersports Complex or get on the go-karts at Fun Spot. For those a bit more left of center, you could head to the Ripley's Believe It Or Not Odditorium!
If you're looking for a fun packed Florida vacation, this is the tip of the iceberg! Family vacations don't have to be taxing because if you find enough for them to do, you've got a vacation full of adventure.
