If you are travelling to Florida for a week or two you might want to discover other areas outside Miami and Orlando to discover the history of the state.
In my opinion the best place to visit in Florida for a historical and educational journey is St Augustine, in the north of the peninsula.
Car Hire in Florida, US
Car hire in Florida is quite simple and low cost in comparison to Europe so in effect there really is nothing to stop you from discovering Florida properly, taking in the historic sites.
If you cannot drive for whatever reason, you can also try and use public transport although you will need to pre-plan properly because taking the bus is longer as well as more arduous. Anyhow, you are in luck because I’ve prepared an article about using public transport in Florida!
Since February this year I cannot drive because of my brain tumour diagnosis, so for the last couple of times I’ve had to use public transport in Florida. It’s not as bad as it sounds, but you will need more time and planning for sure.
Truth be told, Florida in general is not exactly “historic”, given its short life, but there are some truly amazing places where you can spend several days learning about the foundations of the state.
One of those is St Augustine, an old Spanish fortress town which was founded several hundred years ago, earning it the name of the oldest European settlement in North America!
Visiting Florida in the US
I’ve been to Florida many times and I will visit another three times this year, so I am almost like a regular in this sunny Paradise!
The first time I visited Florida was back in 2008 when I was backpacking through North and South America.
I spent six months in Missouri as an exchange student and criss-crossed the USA while there. On my way to South American I decided to visit Washington DC by train and then fly to Fort Lauderdale and Miami for two weeks before taking off to Lima.
Back then I spent two weeks in Miami on a shoestring, hardly spending anything as I was on a student budget.
Recommended: If you are interested in a low budget stay in Miami and South Beach, then read my separate post about it.
For my second visit to Florida I flew to Tampa airport for a phosphate fertilizer conference and rented a car for a week to drive down to Key West.
Driving to Key West in Florida
I picked up the car on Saturday and spent Sunday driving around Tampa, visiting Sarasota, Siesta Key, Fort Myers and the Edison-Ford Estate.
Later that week I drove to Naples for a couple of nights and then two nights in Marathon and Key West in the South with my friend who lives in Miami.
Recommended: I have written a detailed post about my drive from Tampa to Everglades City on the Tamiami Trail, so please read that post for more information.
My third time in Florida was just a short layover in Orlando Airport on my way from Atlanta to London on a Delta and Virgin operated airline.
Now, the fourth trip was to Miami to speak at a conference and this time I decided to rent a car again for a week and drive up north to St Augustine and back down to Miami via Orlando.
This post will combine my experiences during these trips, so please read and learn what are the best ways to discover the eastern coast of Florida during a road trip!
Stop One: The Overseas Highway to Key West
The Tamiami Trail is essentially Highway 41 from Tampa to Miami and an extension of this is the Overseas Highway to Key West.
I took the Tamiami Trail from Tampa all the way to Miami and then drove down the Overseas Highway to Key West. The road trip detailed in this post below will take you through the following places:
• Islamorada in the Keys
• A day trip to Key West
• Sunset in Marathon
• A few days in Miami and South Beach
• A peek into President Trump’s Palace in Mar-O-Lago
Key West Day Trip in March
Key West is where Hemingway lived and it is also the end of the Overseas Highway. Most people visit these two places, as these tend to be the most important sights in town.
There are also various museums and some amazing beaches as well as the port area and the old town of Key West to see.
Driving to St Augustine from Miami
The drive up to St Augustine from Miami takes about five hours on I-95 on the free lanes. You can also upgrade and pay the toll to cut down on the time, but you will generally only save like 25-30 minutes so I think it’s not worth the effort.
My British Airways operated plane landed at 3PM in Miami International Airport and as soon as it landed I headed out to pick up the car.
I rented the car from Alamo through Netflights again which is probably the most hassle-free way to do it. Netflights books all car hire with zero excess insurance included so there is nothing to worry about in case you are in an accident or you scratch your car.
I used to always rent from Holiday Autos with no insurance but then I had a terrible experience in Marrakesh with Thrifty which completely changed my mind.
When I rented from Holiday Autos or Argus Car Hire I always bought third party insurance, but after Marrakesh the insurance company did not want to pay so I nearly had to cover the £1,250 excess myself!
Read my nightmare car hire experience in Marrakesh with Thrifty here!
On the other hand, with Netflights it is really easy and costs almost the same as Holiday Autos or Argus Car Hire – but it includes zero excess!
Anyhow, my recommendation is to get the car hire with zero excess, that way you worry nought!
Driving to St Augustine
Once I hit the road it was a bit of a torture given that I was driving mostly in the dark as the sun sets around 5PM in Florida in December!
I basically put the pedal to the metal and drove almost non-stop to St Augustine with only one stop at the Popeye’s.
If you drive during the day, then I would recommend the following, which is what I did a couple of years before this trip driving back to Tampa from Miami.
Places to Stop North of Miami during a Road Trip
Coming out of Miami and driving up north the first nice place to stop is Fort Lauderdale. Even if you don’t have a car you can come up here by train from Miami on the double-decker direct railroad service.
If you drive you will have the opportunity to see the amazing bridges that can be lifted up every time a ship passes underneath.
Port Everglades and the Drawbridge
Port Everglades is a fascinating sight as you come across the bridge towards Fort Lauderdale beach.
I was fortunate enough to cross the large bridge leading into Fort Lauderdale before they lifted it and I parked up under it to get the best view.
The A1A road hugs the beach after this bridge so if you are driving up this road on the east coast you won’t miss it. As you drive across the bridge the big ships will be on your right.
The airport is right next to it so you will see planes landing just behind the ships. The bridge is a draw bridge so you might find that traffic builds up at times.
For the best photo opportunities, park up underneath the bridge and walk up to the viewpoint.
Basically, the port is on the right of the bridge when you are facing it with your back towards Fort Lauderdale. Every time a ship wants to come out of the port, they need to raise the bridge.
I was standing underneath the bridge and took the below shot you can see on the video. It literally took maybe less than two minutes for this huge structure to lift up and then even less to go back down!
It was quite fascinating to see it, so if you have the time I would definitely stop here.
Fort Lauderdale has a nice beach and a pretty downtown area, so I would recommend driving through it and taking in the sights.
Here you can join the A1A, which is a main road going up north towards Palm Beach and St Augustine. In fact, my hotel in St Augustine was right on A1A!
President Trump’s House in Mar-a-Lago on A1A
On my way up north from Key West I decided to drive past Palm Beach to check out what Trump’s house looks like. There was already a big crowd when I arrived, all supporting Trump.
Driving up north on the A1A, you will see some huge villas and mega mansions. When I was there two years ago President Trump was also staying there for a weekend, so the entire area was under strict CIA surveillance.
It wasn’t strong enough though and they could not stop me from having a piss under a palm tree near President Trumps mansion!
There were groups like Blacks for Trump, the Proud Deplorables and a campaigner of Defend Jerusalem. I must admit Trump has a really nice house, with a private beach, right next to the golf club.
I found it quite amazing how many people were willing to give up their free time and come here to show their support, even on a Sunday afternoon!
I wasn’t invited in for dinner with Trump but I still had good fun talking to Bob from Shalom International in Fort Lauderdale. He says they stand outside their synagogue every day in show of support of Israel, waving the Israeli flag.
Driving Towards St Augustine from Palm Beach
From Trump’s house I drove up north towards St Augustine, during my fourth journey, but the first time I went on a road trip I set my GPS to Tampa Airport and ended my journey in style.
In case you don’t have enough time to drive up north, you can end your road trip here.
If you have more time, you can carry on directly to St Augustine then back to Orlando on your way down to your respective airports.
As you carry on up towards St Augustine, you might want to stop at Cape Canaveral to check out the beaches and the space launch station. It comes with a hefty price tag so I ended up not visiting it yet, but if you are interested and have the time you can spend all day here.
Daytona Beach and the Palm Coast are also very nice places to stop on the way up north to St Augustine from Miami. So, if you feel like stretching out this trip then you can spend a night or two in each place to break up the journey.
Chances are you will arrive in the afternoon or late evening in St Augustine, so you might want to just eat something quick before going to bed or resting by the pool.
I would recommend the local Bojangles by the Interstate which opened in 2018 and so it’s brand new! The food menu is amazing and the portions are very generous, plus the biscuits are just unbelievable!
From here I will skip a little bit because I have already written another article about things to do in St Augustine, so please read that post for more information.
But once you’ve finished in St Augustine and you are ready to return to Miami, then head towards Hastings and Palatka.
Angel’s Dining in Palatka, FL
My recommendation would be to leave nice and early in the morning and to have breakfast in Palatka at Angel’s Dining Car in the historic district.
Angel’s dining car has been serving food since 1932 and has been a favourite of the locals ever since! It’s become pretty well-known over the years but when I was there I stopped there by chance, without and prior planning!
The Visit Florida website writes that Angel’s Dining Car is almost an institution, with it being an evergreen talking point when Palatka comes up in conversation.
In the end I picked their French toast and a cup of gold old American coffee that really set me up for the day ahead!
When you roll into Palatka on Highway 17, Angel’s Diner will be on your left with a large parking lot around it. You will literally have to be blind to miss it!
I spent about an hour in Palatka walking around the historic district then turned left onto Highway 19 towards the Ocala National Forest.
The Ocala National Forest, FL
The Ocala National Forest is a massive nature reserve where you can see Manatees, alligators and various birds sitting by the lake waiting to meet their prey!
What I did was drive to the lake and park up the car, then I went for a long walk down the trail to the lakeside.
Lake George is just off Highway 19 and has crystal clear waters in which you can even swim during the winter and summer.
I tried to go in the water but it was pretty cold outside so I only went in until waist depth. The water itself wasn’t that cold and some warm water feeds into it from underground, but it was too windy for me to go in further.
The water was such deep turquoise blue it seemed almost unreal and at the bottom of the lake I could see about a dozen manatees taking it easy, enjoying the warm temperatures.
I decided to walk to the larger lake on the main trail to take some more photos and videos. I absolutely loved this trail which took me across the palm and pine forest and also down to a small river that bubbled up from underground.
This whole area is actually fed by the aquifers of Georgia, and you will be able to read about it more detail on the interpretive signs displayed throughout the park.
It took about an hour to walk to the lake shore where I could see several dozen large birds waiting to catch their lunch in the water. It looked a bit eerie as the large, long-necked birds were sitting there, a bit like out of a Hitchcock movie!
Dinner at Bojangle’s
I spent quite a long time hanging out in Ocala National Forest then decided to head to actual Ocala where I located a Bojangles for lunch.
I had the same menu again: chicken strips and green beans, macaroni and cheese plus the un-missable biscuits!
By this time it was getting a bit late, so I decided to drive straight towards Orlando and from there take Highway 27 and Highway 441 down south towards Miami.
Clearly, Orlando in Florida should be a stop in itself which I was fortunate enough to visit in March 2019 and May 2019 for two conferences, so please make sure to check out my article about Orlando off the beaten track with a bicycle, using public transport!
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