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Our Really. Big Florida Adventure!

A January 2007 trip to Florida by Travel'in Gal

Daytona Beach, Florida.More Photos

Traveling around Florida, Visiting the kids and other relatives. And just having a good old time.

  • 10 reviews
  • 6 stories/tips
  • 188 photos

Day One

Drive to DetroitBest of IgoUgo

Story/Tip

It's the start of our Big Florida Adventure. We live in Mantua, Ohio, but we drove to Detroit, Michigan so we could save some money on airfare by flying Spirit Airlines. We drove to Detroit and stayed at Howard Johnson. We haven't stayed at Howard Johnson for years, and now I know why, (it's pretty low on the totem pole), that's all I am going to say. Basically Howard Johnson sucked.

Day Two

Our First AdventureBest of IgoUgo

Story/Tip

Tampa Bay Lightenings Game.
Woke-up, went to airport, and flew to Tampa. Spirit Airlines was great, it was cheap and they got us to our destination on time and alive. YEAH! Our son picked us up from the airport and had a wonderful surprise with him-Jill our new daughter-in-law. I was really happy to see her. We went to lunch at the Cheesecake Factory and then onward to a Lightening game (hockey). It was an awesome first day of our Big Florida Adventure, made better by spending it with the kids.

Day Three

The Tampa AdventureBest of IgoUgo

Story/Tip

Tampa, Florida
Today was a kind of take it easy day and we went to explore Tampa. Tampa is a pretty easy city to get around on foot, and so my husband and I explored the downtown area. Tampa is one of the fastest growing cities in Florida, but many old buildings have been destroyed to make way for the modern skyscrapers that dot the Tampa skyline.

Exhausted by our exploring, we decided to go to check out the Marriot Waterside Hotel Marina where our son works. It's pretty swanky. We visited with our son for a minute and decided to wait for him to get off work so we could visit Tampa's old Cuban quarter, Ybor City.

Tampa Marriott WatersideBest of IgoUgo

Hotel

Tampa, Florida
The Marriott Water side is a very beautiful, luxurious and very expensive hotel. The rooms are just lovely and the hotel opens into a lovely riverfront promenade. At least half the rooms have balconies overlooking the Tampa Bay or the city. There is also a marina for boaters, outdoor heated pool, three restaurants and a fully equipped spa. Although this hotel is very expensive it is definately worth it. After all you only live once, and if you do not treat yourself. Who will?
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by Travel'in Gal on October 21, 2008

Tampa Marriott Waterside
700 S FLORIDA AVE Tampa, Florida 33602
813-221-4900

Ybor CityBest of IgoUgo

Attraction

Ybor City, Florida
Ybor City was pretty interesting. A Spaniard named Don Vincente Martinez moved his cigar business from Key West to Tampa in 1886. About 20,000 migrant workers, mostly from Cuba and Spain joined him. The legacy of the cigar boom of the late 1800s and early 1900s is still visible in Ybor City. It's main street, 7th Avenue, with its Spanish-style tiles and wrought-iron balconies, look like it did then. But at night Ybor City comes to life and it is also home to The Columbia Restaurant, which is Florida's oldest restaurant. It takes up a whold block on 7th Avenue. At night they have flamenco dancing and the Latino food makes it a popular place with the tourists.

Well, we've had a really great time staying at Bryan and Jill's house, but as everyone knows, "after three days relatives start to stink like fish", and we wouldn't want to overstay our welcome. So, it's off to Miami in the morning and the hotel life. But we'll be back for another few days next week.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Travel'in Gal on October 21, 2008

Ybor City
Near the Downtown Waterfront Tampa, Florida

Day Four

SeaWorld OrlandoBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Sea World, Orlando, Florida"

Orlando, Florida
After Daytona Beach it was on to Orlando for our spectacular Shamu Seaworld Adventure. Not only is Seaworld Adventure Park the BEST Marine Life Park in the world, they serve you free beer. Can it get any better-I doubt it. Our first stop was Shamu Stadium to watch Shamu in action. I just love that killer whale. We also visited Dolphin Cove to feed the dolphins, Penguin and Shark encounter, Stingray Lagoon, and the Clydesdales among many other attractions. We really visited the Clydesdales 2 or 3 times, or maybe more, since that was the area they were giving away the free beer.

Seaworld also has a Rescue and Rehabilitation Program. They rescue sick or injured sea mammals, birds and turtles. Nurse them back to health and return them to the wild.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Travel'in Gal on October 22, 2008

SeaWorld Orlando
7007 Sea World Drive Orlando, Florida 32821
(800) 327-2424

Day Five

Our Second Big Adventure!Best of IgoUgo

Story/Tip

We had a great breakfast at Bob Evans and then it was off to the drugstore for mom's infamous happy juice, (the kids and my husband know what I mean). Our first stop was The Salvador Dali Museum.

Salvador Dali MuseumBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "The Salvador Dali Museum"

The Salvador Dali Museum was the biggest private collection of Dali's work. The collection belonged to Mr. and Mrs. A. Reynolds Morse, who, as a young engaged couple, visited a Dali exhibit in Cleveland, Ohio in 1942. For their first wedding anniversary they purchased "Daddy Longlegs of the Evening-Hope!" and over the next four decades their collection grew to include 94 oils, more than 100 watercolors and drawings, and some 1,300 graphics. Now, because of their foresight, visitors have the rare opportunity of studying a single, well-known artist in depth.
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by Travel'in Gal on October 21, 2008

Salvador Dali Museum
1000 3rd St N St. Petersburg, Florida 33701
(727) 823-3767

The PierBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "The St. Petersburg Pier"

St. Petersburg, Florida
For some The Pier is for fishing, for others it is a place to shop and dine, or just spend a great day in St. Pete having fun in the sun. The Pier features clothing and speciality shops, and The Pier Acquarium with plenty of tropical fish to look at.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Travel'in Gal on October 21, 2008

The Pier
2nd Ave NE St. Petersburg, Florida 33701

Don Cesar Beach Resort & SpaBest of IgoUgo

Hotel | "A Local Landmark"

St. Petersburg, Florida.
The Don CeSar Hotel and Resort was built by Thomas Rowe and opened in1928. It was designed in the Moorish style with a huge courtyard bedecked with fountains. Rowe died in 1940, and after his death, the hotel was sold to the military and turned into a Veteran's Administration hospital in 1945. Numerous renovations took place after this and the vast lobby and its fountains were destroyed. Finally in 1973, a serious effort to restore the great structure was made and the Don CeSar became an operating resort hotel once more.

It was the renovations in the 1970s that the ghost of Thomas Rowe made his first appearance. He has been sighted in many locations throughout the hotel, including the dinning room, the lobby and the elevator-only to disappear into the crowd. He has frequently been seen talking to the quests and asking them if their dinners were fine and if the accommodations were satisfactory, just as he liked to do in life.
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by Travel'in Gal on October 21, 2008

Don Cesar Beach Resort & Spa
3400 Gulf Blvd St. Petersburg, Florida 33706
(727) 360-1881

Day Six

A Little Shelling and a Drive to MiamiBest of IgoUgo

Story/Tip

Sanibel Island, Florida
Well it's Friday morning and we are leaving Bryan and Jill's house to visit the relatives and the sights on the other coast of Florida. On our way we stopped at Captiva and Sanibell Islands where the shelling is soppose to be the best. After three hours of shelling it was time to visit the Sanibel Island Lighthouse and then head over to Maimi.

Day Seven

The Miami AdventureBest of IgoUgo

Story/Tip

Coral Gables, Florida
Today we woke up and went on a driving tour of Coral Gables. It is a very beautiful and wealthy neighborhood. Some of the sites were the Biltmore Hotel, Another site on the driving tour was The Coral Gables Congregational Church, which was the first church built in Coral Gables. It was built in the Spanish Baroque style, with an elaborate bell tower and portal. We headed further north to visit an Ancient Spanish Monastery, And last but not least is The Venetian Pool.

Biltmore Hotel Coral GablesBest of IgoUgo

Hotel | "The Biltmore Hotel"

Coral Gables, Florida
One of the sites was the Biltmore Hotel, which is one of the most outstanding buildings in Coral Gables. It was completed in 1926, and has hosted some celebrities in its day, such as Al Capone (who had a speakeasy here), Judy Garland, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. The Biltmore served as a military hospital during World War II, when its marble floors were covered in linoleum, and it remained a veteran's hospital until 1968. Following a $55 million restoration in 1986 the hotel went bankrupt in 1990, but then opened its doors two years later. The Biltmore also has the largest hotel swimming pool in the US, and their famous swimming instructor, Johnny Weismuller, known for his role as Tarzan, set a world record there in the 1930's.
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by Travel'in Gal on October 21, 2008

Biltmore Hotel Coral Gables
1200 ANASTASIA AVENUE Coral Gables, Florida 33134
305-445-1926

City of Coral Gables' Venetian PoolBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "The Venetian Pool"

Coral Gables, Florida
And last but not least is The Venetian Pool. This is absolutely the most beautiful public pool I have ever seen. The pool was created from a coral rock quarry in 1923 by Denman Fink and Phineas Paist. It has pink stucco towers, candy-cane Venetian poles, caves, a cobblestone bridge and waterfalls that surround the clear spring-fed waters. The pool was originally one of the most fashionable places to hang out in Coral Gables.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Travel'in Gal on October 21, 2008

City of Coral Gables' Venetian Pool
2701 De Soto Blvd. Coral Gables, Florida 33134
(305) 460-5356

Ancient Spanish MonasteryBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "An Ancient Spanish Monastery Finds a Home in North Maimi"

North Miami, Florida.
We visited the Ancient Spanish Monastery on one of our many visits to Florida and enjoyed it very much. I do not think it is a huge tourist attraction but it is wonderful all the same. The story behind it and the fact that it is the oldest building in the western hemisphere makes it truly unique and special.

The monastery was very interesting because it was built in Spain in 1133-41 in Spain, but in 1925 it was bought by William Randolph Hearst. He has it dismantled, had its 35,000 stones packed into crates and delivered to New York. In New York, an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, led to the crates being unpacked and the hay used for packing in the crates was burned. The stones were repacked incorrectly, and finally in1952 the stones were shipped to North Miami. The monastery was built and resembles the original version but there is still a pile of stones in one of the gardens that have not been used in the building because noone could figure out where they went.


  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Travel'in Gal on October 21, 2008

Ancient Spanish Monastery
16711 W. Dixie Hwy. Miami 33160
(305) 945-1461

Day Eight

Daytona BeachBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "One of the Most Beautiful Beaches in the USA"

Daytona Beach, Florida.
My husband and I feel that Daytona Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in the USA. We always enjoy visiting this little piece of paradise with our family or as a private getaway for two. Beach Street in Historic Downtown Daytona Beach offers everything you need from delicious local restaurants, a quaint bed and breakfast, unique retail stores, and many exciting events. Bike week is a big celebration in Daytona, but my husband and I are not really into that scene.

You may also want to take a drive on the beach in your car. It is a great experience, especially with the windows down. Beach driving is allowed during dayltime hours from one hour after sunrise to one hour before sunset, with the exception of turtle nesting season, which runs from May 1, through October 31, at which time the hours are set from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Beach driving conditions are sometimes poor during high tide and the beach may be closed to vehicles, however it is always open and accessible to pedestrians. The speed limit is 10 mph and is strickly enforced. Avoid soft sandy areas and stay in the traffic lane.

No matter what you do, just walking on the beach and enjoying a beautiful sunset is one of the many simple pleasures derived from a visite to Daytona Beach, Florida. My family has enjoyed many visits to Daytona and yours will too.
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by Travel'in Gal on October 21, 2008

Daytona Beach
Daytona Daytona Beach, Florida

About the Writer

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Travel'in Gal
Mantua, Ohio

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