A driving holiday to Florida is a great way to take in the Sunshine State and you can check out the area’s numerous attractions at your leisure. There are a range of routes and highways to explore, so by hiring a car you really will have the freedom of the road!
One route you may want to travel along is the Pensacola Scenic Bluffs Highway. A trip here takes you through Escambia and Pensacola counties and while it is not particularly long – it measures just 11 miles along Highway 90 and should take less than 30 minutes to drive from start to finish – there is plenty to catch your interest.
Some amazing plantlife can be viewed here, from beautiful magnolias to moss-covered oak trees. You can also drive over the bridge spanning the Bayou Texar stretch of water to take in magnificent views of Escambia Bay, the highest point of the Florida coastline.
Afterwards, head to the Green Mountain Scenic Byway. This is a great way to experience some of the state’s mountains and as the road follows the western and southern shores of Lake Apopka’s you slowly ascend, you will be afforded stunning vistas of central Florida, including the Orlando skyline.
This part of the state is also home to Sugarloaf Mountain, which at 312 feet is the highest point in peninsular Florida. Following an afternoon spent behind the wheel, why not stretch your legs and go for a climb?
Exploring the region by foot could also give you the chance to see some amazing wildlife – for example, bald eagles can often be spotted soaring above Lake Apopka as they search for prey.
You should also make sure that the A1A Scenic and Historic Coastal Byway forms part of a driving holiday in Florida. A designated National Scenic Byway, the 72-mile stretch takes in a range of brilliant attractions, including the Washington Oaks Gardens State Park where you can enjoy hiking and cycling.
Driving along the A1A Scenic and Historic Coastal Byway can also give you the chance to stop by the city of St Augustine.
Founded in 1565 by Pedro Menendez de Aviles, it is the oldest continuously-occupied city in the United States and evidence of Spanish colonial buildings can still be seen to this day.
Stop by the St Augustine Alligator Farm where you can see a range of creatures from herons and komodo dragons to monkeys and – of course – to pet an alligator. Yikes!
As you drive along, stop off at the Kennedy Space Center, the base where numerous missions into outer space – including man’s first landing on the moon in 1969 – have taken place.
Visiting the facility can provide an insight into NASA’s previous missions, as well as the work it does today, while you can also go on a simulator that recreates the sights, sounds and sensations of a real-life space shuttle launch!
Once your space mission has ended, take the Florida Keys Scenic Highway and head south. We found this historic view from 1960.
Driving along this route – which stretches for more than 106 miles – across the Florida Keys islands gives you the opportunity to take in stunning ocean views. As you drive, you may be able to catch a glimpse of dolphins swimming in the sea!
Stop by the Everglades National Park, which at 1.5 million acres in size is the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States, but be sure to watch out for the alligators smiles…
Fishing and kayaking are just some of the other activities you can do at the site, which has UNESCO World Heritage status.
The highway ends at Key West, a town famous for being home to iconic writers such as Truman Capote and Tennessee Williams. It is also here where Ernest Hemingway wrote his classic novels For Whom the Bell Tolls and A Farewell to Arms and you can visit the house where the author spent several years working.
The Key West Shipwreck Museum is just one of the many other attractions to be found here and is a mandatory stop for the true ship lover – like us.
With so many cool things to take in during a driving holiday to Florida, you can be sure of finding something for you as well as your whole family.
Lifecruiser ♥ Florida
Fascinating State, but avoid the Hurricane season;-)
For me the most interesting was driving from Miami Beach out to Key West.
Very different from whatvever.
Yes, Tor, I’ll gladly avoid hurricanes…. *giggles*
Key West seen to be an awesome way to go! Yay, hope to be able to see it one day….