A week-long work trip in 2022, but I still visited a few places on my days off as listed below. More content to come!

1. The Dali (Salvador Dali Museum)
2. Teak restaurant (pier)
3. The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art
4. Yoga at Sunken Gardens
5. Foodies (along the streets of Central Ave)

This trip we were on a mission to visit the 3 national parks of Florida, especially the two non-car accessible parks since it’s an island at least 30 minutes away by boat!

THUR: We took the Amtrak auto train from Lorton, VA down to Sanford, FL. It was a 17hr ride, not including 2-hr wait after checking in the car by 130p and not boarding till 3ish. The waiting to board was dreadful in a crowded train station (too cold to wait outside), especially because we knew we would be sitting on the train for the next 20 hours with strangers.

There is usually a scheduled food truck at each station so a bunch of people bought food to eat on the train. FYI: coach seats no longer include dinner meals (book early to get the cheapest $89/one way). If you paid for a sleeper room, then you have scheduled dinner and a staff prepping your bedroom. You can bring a cooler of food, blanket/pillow and backpack of snacks/headphones, etc. There is nowhere to heat up your food so pack accordingly (we picked up Chipotle to bring with us).

The ride was uneventful, it could be a little rocky at parts, especially when you’re walking through the cars or going to the bathroom. The train was a little dated and even though there was plenty of legroom, the leg rest was short so you have to scrunch up or prop your legs up on the seat “tray”. Since it wasn’t a full train, the empty seats were taken by other people in the car so they could sleep across the two seats. It was interesting to see everyone’s sleep positions while walking through the car to stretch the legs. We loaded up our iPad to watch some of our shows and listen to music, as the train wi-fi is spotty throughout the trip. It is a good idea to at least pack your toothbrush and paste for the ride so you can feel a little freshen up at night and morning.

FRI: A complimentary breakfast was served in morning, cold bagel/cream cheese, juice/coffee, cereal, and some pastry. We got to the Florida station and waited to detrain when they unhooked the auto cars and allowed the “sleepers” to get off first. We still had to wait for our cars to be unloaded, but I was so dry from the filtered train air and decided to stand outside (even though it was still cold out, 60s, in FL). You can pay an extra fee to unload your car as the first 30 cars but we didn’t wait long till we hopped into our truck and headed east to the ocean.

We had a quick bite at a gyro place before checking out the Canaveral Seashore – there was no one in sight, except some road construction. Plenty of sun, but windy so it was still chilly. We hoped to see manatees at their observation deck, but again, the water temperature was cold from a recent storm so they moved south/inland.

We continued our way south to Sebastian Inlet State Park, tried out some surf fishing. We walked, snagged, lost a few spoons, but we caught a baby jack! We walked to the end of the north pier where folks were constantly baiting and within the 5 minute observation, they were pulling up mad fish (e.g. sheephead, pampano, blues, jacks!)

On the way to our first airbnb on a canal, we saw some baller houses on the oceanfront. We met the host and she showed us the living space above her garage. She even offered her kayak if we were interested but the sun was setting and we were ready to find dinner. I yelped the local cuban restaurant, Las Plamas, apparently super busy that fri night with BOGO drinks! We tried their garlic cuban sandwich and a cuban burger (2 patties, deep fried) with fries! We got a whiff of well water when we retired for the night, it was a definite smell to get used to.

SAT: Since the airbnb didn’t have a stove, we decided to make our way to the next destination and have breakfast on the back of the truck.

We ended up stopping by Fort Pierce Farmer’s Market for some fresh apple cider mini donuts in cone, and two croissants to snack on.

We skipped Jupiter (deermeatfordinner, one of our favorite youtubers live there), but we didn’t plan on fishing there so we kept driving south to our 1st FL national park, Biscayne NP, to catch the boat ride at 130p. It was the only way to “visit” Biscayne NP as this park is mostly underwater with some key islands. Check out the Guided Tours available, we went with Biscayne National Park Institute for the 40-person boat ride to Boca Chita Island (3hr).

It did take about an hour to get there (windy and a little wet), walked around, went up to the top of the lighthouse, had lunch by the waters, and gagged by the well water smell in the “bathroom”. There were families with yachts camping out that weekend, an hour boat ride from Miami! It was gorgeous water but the water was a little cold, not even kids were in the water!

View from top of the lighthouse looking over the port (above), gorgeous water front view (below)

We picked up some dinner at Publix (rotisserie chicken with Everglade seasonings, only found in FL stores used by the deermeatfordinner youtube host). The fish and chicken seasoning tastes strangely like Old Bay and the Catus Dust tastes like a UTZ bbq chip flavor! We also discovered everything-seasoned croissants for breakfast/lunch meals – delicious! We then checked in an airbnb (garage converted into a small bedroom, bath and full kitchen space). It’s funny we barely turn on the TV anymore since we got rid of cable. Also, we are so exhausted by the end of the day, we usually relax with our phones and plan out the next day.

SUN: We packed up again and drove 3 hrs to the end of Key West. Driving through the downtown area made me anxious and want to get out as soon as possible. We drove by the “tourist” spots quickly and stated we would return to the southernmost point buoy later that night as there was a 30-person line for pictures with it! We had time to check out the farmer’s market at Higg’s Beach and walked out on the Edward B. Knight concrete pier (too windy for fish). 

We went to check in for our seaplane flight to the 2nd FL national park, Dry Tortugas (only available by boat/plane). We decided to opt for the 10-person seaplane experience (45 min flight) vs. a 100-person ferry (1.5 hr ride) to get to the island. We took so many pictures and videos on the way there, so cold to see the concrete pier and the buoy on the way out. 

It was definitely a unique experience and we had about 2 hours to explore the island with a small beach, Fort Jefferson remains (grabbed my stamps, cash only store), and the other half of the island was off limits for bird nesting.

We decided not to snorkel as the wind made the water turbulent and the water was cold so it was not ideal snorkeling conditions. The water is just amazing to look out at, and the seaplane ride was relatively smooth (although noisy). I would highly recommend the Key West Seaplane Adventures company if you would like to visit this national park one day.

There were no airbnb on land, they were all boat rentals in Key West! So we settled for a Fairfield hotel and unfortunately had to purchase a destination amenity package (that includes 2 drinks by the pool bar, water bottles in the room, parking on site and trolley rides downtown). We yelped our dinner and had hogfish dishes at Hogfish Bar & Grille, very chill and delicious hogfish (fish/chips, and tacos)! We swung by to take an evening picture with the southernmost point bouy (shorter line, but some rude people won’t get out of the way when everyone else waited in line). It was 23 years ago when I first visited as a kid – bouy still stands!

MON: I didn’t sleep well due to roosters hanging around the island, one particular one lives around the pool and was crowing all morning!

We enjoyed breakfast and got ready to go fishing on the famous Key West 7-mile bridge. It was about a mile long as we walked the length and back, we had some nibbles on Hey Skipper squidy-bits but were not able to bring any fish out of the water! We stopped by Bud n’ Mary’s (featured in one of deermeatfordinner episodes), to see the tarpon and more birds waiting for a meal at the gutting station. Check out the video below – they are adorable!

We then drove 2 hours to the 3rd national park, Everglades, and grabbed all of my stamps at three of the southern visitor centers (Ernest F. Coe, Royal Palm and Flamingo) before they closed. At the Flamingo marina, we did see one lone manatee and lots of birds!

We did a quick walk around Mahogany trail and then on the Anhinga trail to see the alligators at sunset. There were enough alligators to last me a lifetime, one was chilling right next to the sidewalk and yawned for us! Luckily it was not too humid so the alligators were just chilling under the boardwalk trail. I can’t believe how close we could get to these birds, I am glad I didn’t have to use zoom too much, but I am always envious of those that carry the nice cameras around at these national parks. We returned to the previous airbnb from Sat night to crash for the night. 

TUES: We left early to check out the northern Everglades Visitor Centers. The first one, Shark Valley, we got there by 9am to catch the first tram ride. But, we decided last minute to bike instead, as we didn’t do much hiking this trip so we wanted to get some cardio/workout in. Even though the staff warned the wind would make the bike ride difficult, we thought it was still the optimal condition to bike 15 miles total. We picked bikes (no helmets), first-come, first-serve, with the Shark Valley Tram Tours company. We took the more difficult, curvy paved road as we saw the tram start that way to the observation tower 7-8 miles away! For the majority of the ride, it was just us and some wildlife by the road. The first few miles were definitely hard work and that wind was not playing. 

But we made it to the tower and enjoyed the 360 degree view with a few others who biked there as well. We decided to take the easy straight road back, it took less time and started to get hot. I was glad we started when we did as there was now a line just to get into the parking lot of the visitor center. 

Onto the next VC, Big Cypress Oasis, where we saw a taxidermy FL panther that was hit by a car, and displays showing the endangerment of these animals. I bought a sticker to support them!

The last VC was at the Gulf Coast, they offered boat rides and the airboat companies were not busy this time of year. We couldn’t even find a beach parking spot as it was mainly miles of hotels and tourist traps at Marco Island. Supposedly, all the gulf coast beaches on the western side of FL had the whitest sand, but I did not confirm this until the last night we were in FL.

We decided to check out Sanibel Island before checking in our airbnb that night, and immediately realized how bad traffic was leaving the island so we tried our luck at Turner Beach/Blind Pass for a few hours. The pelicans kept diving into the water in front of us, thus, scaring the fish. We made a bird friend and tons of bug bites the 5 minutes we got into our beach gear, so back to long sleeves and pants 🙁 Apparently we are delicious, and itched all night while trying to get the Tiny House airbnb at the RV park to cool down for the night.

WED: The one morning we didn’t have to “rush” to another destination, we made our breakfast and packed sandwiches for later. We stopped by Costco for gas and took a while around the shop to see if they had different stock of snacks. Since there was an accident by Skyway pier/bridge that morning, we took a detour to shop at Ellenton Premium Outlets and picked up some Columbia sun shirts on sale. We went to the south Skyway pier but it was so windy, we ate lunch in the car and then made our way to the last Airbnb complex. We grabbed some groceries and met our friend at the north Skyway pier for night fishing. We caught a lot of pin fish, several sea trout and encountered big heron birds waiting for a meal. Other folks were crabbing with long nets and flashlights, that was entertaining to watch.

THUR: We decided to try the south Skyway pier and fished half the day, made some lunch on the hotpot stove in the back of the truck. It was pretty active all day, pin fish, stingray, dolphins, black sea drum, and baby jack. There were even more white heron birds waiting for meals, they are entertaining to watch them watch us. The wind was quite breezy, I hid in the truck toward the end of the afternoon.

One quick peek at sunset on the St. Pete Beach, white sands!! We then turned in for the night and packed up for the next day to ride the train home.

FRI-SAT: Before we checked in, we picked up some Vietnamese baked goods and bubble tea in downtown Orlando. It was pretty run down in the area, maybe that’s how it is in other city streets. We grabbed some lunch at 4 Rivers Smokehouse (local FL BBQ chain), much better than Mission BBQ up in MD. Finally, we boarded the train for the 17-hour ride home, I couldn’t wait to get off the train as the COVID-19 cases started to pop-up on the east coast. It was a unique experience but I would still recommend flying and renting a car as the time-saving route.

Tips:

• Very important to download maps of your next destination on wi-fi so if you lose service, Google Maps will still navigate you through those areas.
• Recommend creating calendar events with an address attached so you can easily tap to navigate to the next destination.
• Book Amtrak tickets early, as the super saver coach price of $89 is limited! I would not consider paying for a sleeper car as the train was pretty outdated.

This trip I went to Florida for the weekend with my friend and her sister to celebrate my friend’s birthday in Orlando, FL. We flew to Orlando, rented a car, settled in for the night to start bright and early at Disney World parks. 

We spent all day hopping on rides throughout Disney World. I really liked walking through the Pixar studio (blue monkeys!) section.

We enjoyed the Monsters Inc. Laugh academy show, along with Buzz Lightyear ride was cool.

We also walked through Star Wars (young Jedi) and the classic Winnie the pooh (younger crowd) and the pirates of the Caribbean ride.

We had pizza dinner and watched the firework show at night around Epcot center.

The next day, we bought an early admission pass with the hotel package, so we were able to see the second park of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Diagon Alley) before the masses. There was also some special event going on but we didn’t know and buy passes to meet cast members!

This park had just opened in July 2014, so I was fortunate to visit both parks within 5 years! Visiting Hogsmeade again was just as awesome as the first time! A train ride connected this park to the original park of Islands of Adventures, that was my favorite ride!

The Escape from Gringrotts ride was pretty sweet, and we went on the twin dragon roller coaster ride about 3 times before the park was opened to the rest of the public and I started to feel my equilibrium was off. 

Window shopping…

Knockturn Alley!

We finished up exploring everywhere and took the Hogswart express back to Hogsmead (it’s a different train scene from earlier when we took it going to Diagon Alley)!

This is just a clip of the ride with audio and visual to make the ride appear you’re going from Diagon Alley to Hogsmead.

We visited the other sections of Universal Studios  (e.g. Simpsons, the Mummy) and chilled outside for a parade.

It was such a fun-filled weekend and with a luggage packed with souvenirs, we flew back just in time for Superbowl.

Tips:

• Book park pass and hotel package if possible. Also, buying Disney passes at Walmart or Costco when you get there is typically cheaper!
• Worth paying extra for the early entry for busy weekends
• Pack water and snacks in your bag when you’re out all day, food isn’t great at the parks, nor is it cheap!
• Make sure to have cash on hand, but I believe they mostly take cards at shops

We took a 7-day cruise (Carnival Pride) from Baltimore down to the Bahamas with 2 other couples. It was our first time on a cruise so we packed our beach gear, dressy wears and some Dramamine for seasickness. We decided to book an internal room toward the middle of the boat and supposedly help with less swaying.

Day 1: It was a pretty smooth process checking in, saying goodbye to cell service as we left port around 430p with drinks in our hands. We were allowed a bottle of wine per person in our luggage to drink whenever. We had to get accustomed to someone delivering our luggage to our room, making our beds and leaving animal towels every day. There was always food available (pizza, burgers, etc) but we attended the late dinner slot.

Days 2-3: It was chilly so no getting in the pool, and it was breezy to stay out too long on the deck. We mostly drank at different bars (no credit card or cash, we got billed to our room via room card) and that helped with the seasickness. We had a dressed up dinner where we took pictures and ate lots at night. We went to a comedy show (Punchliner) later that night, that was a first as well.

Day 4: We landed at Port Canaveral, FL (7a-6p). We really missed the land and having cell service. We were able to walk on “solid” ground for a few hours. We drank at the Shark Pit Bar & Grill for lunch, shopped nearby and hung out on Cocoa Beach for a little bit. Then, back we went on the cruise ship to the next destination.

Day 5: The first port was at Nassau, Bahamas (11a-8p), we got a refund on our Blue Lagoon private island getaway since it was cancelled due to rain. We took a local taxi and checked out the famous Atlantis Resort on a gloomy day. There were a bunch of green sea turtles in tanks and checked out the gorgeous beach when it started to drizzle. We rushed back to the port and drank at Senor Frog’s. We ordered fresh made guacamole and conch salad.

Day 6: The second port was at Freeport, Bahamas (7a-130p) as we booked an island drive with shopping and beach that morning. We soaked in the sun before boarding the ship again for a bumpy ride home. 

Day 7: The last day at sea to get back to Baltimore, MD by 9a was uneventful. Right before we left the boat, I tried to bargain for a cheaper price for one of our fancy dressed up pictures but I guess they recycled the unsold pictures so they don’t care that they jack up the prices to buy one as a souvenir. Overall, I will be willing to try another cruise line but I still rather plan my own itinerary and make my bed (although the towel animals were adorable)!

Tips:

• If you drink a lot, a drink package may be worth it. Definitely bring a bottle of your favorite wine on board as well!
• Do not buy wifi data as they are overpriced, we were able to use the room phones to meet up with friends.
• Make sure you return to the port before departure, I heard they have left folks (not our line).
• The center/no window rooms were quite rocky at nights when the boat was going super fast. The Dramamine helps a little but drinking just makes you stumble around anyways.

This trip we went with friends to a timeshare condo near Miami, FL. We flew down and rented two cars. It was super humid and hot out. We had an oceanfront view which was amazing to step out on the wrap-around balcony. Although it was breezy being at one of the top floors.

I remember dining on the first night in Miami, and had my first monkfish dish (poor man’s lobster – not bad!). Then, we tried to find a bar that would take customers who wore flip flops. We weren’t dressed to go to the nicer bars. One downstairs bar offered huge margaritas for $30/each!! 

One of the days we went to Universal Studios Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Hogsmead) – grand opening a month prior, so the lines were long and HOT! It was still worth it, I enjoyed the rides, food and decor. I loved it! 

When our friends went snorkeling on a boat in Key West, we went to Everglades National Park to see alligators and wildlife. We only saw baby alligators and a few birds – it might be the time of day, it was awfully hot on the trail!!

We also went to an alligator park afterwards to see more alligators and taste some nuggets! Alligator meat does taste like chicken! We also watched a snake show and got to hold one afterwards.

I don’t remember what else we did that trip but I believe we caught a cold by the time we got home.

Till next time…

Tips:

• Back then venmo wasn’t around, but I highly recommend when you split the check with friends, you can now venmo others instead of using physical bills.
• It’s okay to do activities you want to do, but still participate in group activities when possible since it is a friends’ trip, we are supposed to hang out together for the majority of the time. 
• This goes for food choices too, try to accommodate the group preferences but if you do have special dietary needs, please arrange them beforehand on your trip if possible.
• When sharing a room with others, be prepared if others snore or have other habits you are not used to hearing when you are sleeping. If you are a light sleeper, I recommend packing some ear plugs, or use your earphones to listen to some light music to help sleep. If that doesn’t work, drinking heavily may do the trick, but be warned about hangovers in the morning! I’m just kidding.

This trip we went with friends to a timeshare condo in Daytona Beach, FL for spring break. (It was also our first trip together for a full week!) We drove down and stayed a night in Savannah, Georgia, for St Patrick’s day but by the time we got to the streets at 11p, beer were sold out and lines were long at the bars!! But, I really like the Jager tap we found at one of the bars.

Once we got to Daytona Beach, we mainly hung out at the beach (even drove the van on the sand – surprised we didn’t get stuck), went out for drinks/dinner one evening and made food for most of our meals.

We also did putt-putt one day, and went on a half day trip on a casino cruise (a bit rough on the seas), so it wasn’t as pleasant. I honestly don’t remember much else about food that stood out or other things we did.

Till next time…

This trip I went with my family on the auto-train and drove down to Key West, FL. I don’t really remember much of it but the fact that our mini-van came with us on the train. Then, we went to Orlando (Disney World and Universal Studios) and also visited Key West during this trip. I may have gone some other times to FL beforehand but I don’t remember too much.