Weekend break from Miami

[Stevie77]

Trying here as someone might have an idea...

We're going to visit my dad in Miami in a couple of days and we hope to go away for a night or two. We have DD5 and DS who's 14mo. We're looking at a 3hrs drive distance, or thereabouts because with stops for food, toilet, stretching legs it becomes a longer trip. We thought Daytona, but there are no races on at the moment. I read about Sanibel island on the gulf coast but wasn't sure if there was anything to do there. I think we're going to avoid the parks for another year, until DD is older. Been to the Keys pre DC, not sure there's anything for them there anyway.

I'm just hoping someone might have a trip idea...?

I would look at Fort Lauderdale; its a nice city to visit and has nice beaches as well. Its not that far north of Miami either.

Seminol reservation, Kayaking on the Caloosahatchee, Sanibel is very nice don't know what there is for kids though but a great beach, Manatee rescue centre (I think it's in fort Myers), there's a panther one somewhere around there too, Everglades National Park, Clearwater Beach (it's a long drive though). I lived in Florida for four years, there's so much to do! You're so lucky.

How about a mini cruise to the Bahamas, if the dates fit. No driving, food all included, some lovely beaches, and kids club for DD5 (not sure about DS).

tomato do you mean the Manatee park in Fort Myers?

We go to the Everglades every time we visit but usually go in via Ernest Coe entrance and visit the various stops around that end. It looked at going to the Gulf Coast entrance but all I could find was that at that end people mainly do independent canoe trips and such like, maybe I misunderstood.

A mini cruise might be a good idea! I'll look into that, thanks!

Yes probably the Manatee Park. We used to go to a canoe center somewhere along the river with a group of Miami gang teens (I worked in a reform school and a young offenders institution), as far as I remember you could rent the canoes by the hour. Although try to avoid the times the reform school are there as those kids have some colourful language when they get stuck in the middle of the river It was near a mangrove area, close to the coast. Sorry not much help as it has been many years. A cruise sounds good too!

The Keys.

Either one of the middle Keys or Key West (Not key largo)