Sunshine State Sojourn: Exploring Florida’s Best in One Week

Florida, the Sunshine State, is renowned for its beautiful beaches, thrilling theme parks, and vibrant culture. In this blog post, I will take you through my whirlwind trip to Florida, exploring Orlando and Miami, enjoying mouthwatering cuisine, and making unforgettable memories. My family and I chose to go to Florida this year as there are cheap, affordable direct flights with Flair from Ottawa!

Day 1: Arrival in Orlando

My flight: Depart YOW 6:00 AM | Arrive SBF 9:30 AM

This is the first time I’ve flown to SBF and keep in mind it is a lot further out than the main Orlando airport (MCO), luckily I was picked up by my family in Orlando (FYI I also stayed with my family, so no accomodation was booked in Orlando)! After being picked up we started our food adventure.

Lunch: King Cajun Crawfish – If you’ve been to southern USA, you’ll know that this is the perfect area to get Crawfish! I went to King Cajun Crawfish, savoring the flavors of Cajun cuisine with crawfish, shrimps, chowder and everything else.

Dessert: Dochi – For dessert, I couldn’t resist trying the delectable mochi donuts at Dochi. Go to the Colonial drive location because this is the new up and coming area for all new asian spots including our next coffee stop.

Coffee: Haan Coffee – This is a korean inspired coffee shop, super nice inside and was clearly very good based on the line it had. It was the perfect caffeine boost needed before my next adventure.

Activity: Orlando International Premium Outlets – This is a giant outlet mall, and if you haven’t been to an outlet already in the USA, there’s a lot more deals than Canadian outlets.

Dinner: Pho Huong Lan – For dinner, we went back to Colonial drive and concluded the day with a delightful dinner at Pho Huong Lan, where I indulged in flavorsome Vietnamese cuisine.

Day 2: A Tampa Day Trip

Early Morning: Day Trip to Tampa – The next day I embarked on an early morning day trip to Tampa (this is a 2 hour drive from Orlando) to explore the city’s unique charm and to visit my dad’s old friends.

Lunch: Yummy House China Bistro – When we arrived in Tampa, we had lunch was at Yummy House China Bistro, known for its Dim Sum. It was pretty decent, but if you’re from Toronto, save your meals for somewhere else.

Activity: Explore Sparkman Wharf – After lunch, we spent the afternoon exploring Sparkman Wharf, a vibrant waterfront destination with great food and entertainment showcasing the spirit of Tampa. Overall, Tampa was probably just meant as this day-trip as there was not much to do.

Night Out: The Moderne –

After my Tampa adventure, I returned to Orlando. My night was filled with fun and excitement at The Moderne where we tried innovative cocktails using different techniques on all their drinks such as bubbles, smoked wood and more.

Day 3: Orlando Theme Park Magic

Activity: Universal Studios, Harry Potter World – It wouldn’t be a trip to Orlando without visiting atleast one theme park. Orlando has both Universal Studios and Disneyland. With the limited time that we had, we decided we wanted to revisit Universal Studioes to go back the enchanting world of Harry Potter. If you had to choose one ride, definitely go on Hagrid’s motorbike – it’ll get you zooming. Theme parks will honestly take up your whole day, but so worth it.

Dinner: Gogi Hotpot & BBQ & Sushi – After all the walking and riding. we did at Universal, we relished a delicious dinner at Gogi Hotpot & BBQ & Sushi, an all you can eat restaurant featuring literally hotpot, BBQ and sushi. It was great to have the variety if you can’t decide what you’re craving.

Day 4: From Orlando to Miami

Lunch Before Flying to Miami: Viet-Nomz – Before heading off to Miami, I enjoyed a tasty meal at Viet-Nomz, a modern take on Vietnamese cuisine. Definitely check this place out!

My flight: Depart MCO 3:55 PM | Arrive MIA 5:07 PM (note you can also drive/take the bus from Orlando to Miami but we thought flying would be the easiest since we wouldn’t have to rent a car)

Where we stayed: South Beach – We decided to stay in South Beach since it was near the beach and a lot of the restaurants and stores. We got an Airbnb just a couple minutes walk from the beach which made it easy to go out and rest when we wanted to.

Activity: Walk Along South Beach – Upon arriving in Miami and checking into our Airbnb, my family and I strolled along South Beach, taking in the sun and the sea.

Dinner: Fratelli La Bufala – For dinner, we dined at Fratelli La Bufala, enjoying delectable Italian cuisine. The best dish was definitely the wood fired pizza with the amazing dough.

Activity: South Beach Night Walk – After dinner, we continued my exploration with a nighttime walk around South Beach.

Day 5: Miami’s Beaches and Botanical Beauty

Activity: Walk Around Miami Beach Area and See Miami Beach Botanical Garden – In our first full day in Miami, we spent the day wandering through the Miami Beach area and discovering the beautiful Miami Beach Botanical Garden. There are many “vintage” vibe places that are picture-friendly so I highly recommend just walking around SoBe (South Beach) area!

Lunch: Cubaton and Happy Hour at Havana 1957 Cuban Cuisine – If you didn’t know, there is an enormous amount of Cuban culture in Miami, meaning delicious Cuban food as well. For lunch, I relished Cuban flavors at Cubaton eating a Cubano and enjoyed happy hour at Havana 1957 Cuban Cuisine with empanadas and a Ron & Cola.

Dinner: Cote – For dinner, we went fancier with a delightful dinner at Cote, an exquisite Korean BBQ dining experience. If you’ve been to KBBQ you’ll know that usually you’re the one who cooks, but at Cote, there is a person who cooks for you!

Day 6: Sunrise and Cultural Exploration

Activity: Watch Sunrise – In all my trips, I like to watch atleast 1 sunrise and 1 sunset. This day was chosen as sunrise day, where we saw a breathtaking sunrise view in South Beach Miami.

Lunch: Versailles – After sunrise and swimming, we moved to mainland Miami to explore outside of South Beach. We started with a Cuban breakfast at Versailles to set the perfect tone for the day. This place is probably the most well known Cuban restaurant in Miami and has been said as a must visit when you’re here. I got another Cubano here and it was definitely a proper, delicious Cuban sandwich.

Activity: Explore Little Havana and Bayside Marketplace – After lunch, I immersed myself in the vibrant culture of Little Havana and explored Bayside Marketplace. There’s lots of stores to see and food to try around both areas and is a nice change from the beach scenery.

Dinner: Back to South Beach for Ole Ole – For dinner, we went back to the South Beach area for a taste of Latin American cuisine at Ole Ole – we got steak and the paella – everything was delicious here.

Day 7: Key West Adventure

Car Rental Pick-Up 9 AM On our last day of the trip, we wanted to do a road trip in the Miami area, so we picked up a rental car and headed for the Florida Keys.

Day Trip to Key West Lunch Stop: Square Grouper Bar and Grill – As we headed towards Key West (the last of the Florida Keys), we stopped for lunch at Square Grouper Bar and Grill, savoring seafood with a view.

Activity: Explore Key West and Get Key Lime Desserts – When we got to Key West (~4 hours from Miami) we visited the southernmost point of the continental USA, walked around this quaint and charming beach town and indulged in key lime desserts.

Happy Hour at Alonzo’s Oyster Bar Driving all the way out here, we to end our Key West adventure with a refreshing happy hour at Alonzo’s Oyster Bar, where we got a bunch of different seafood items.

Nighttime: Swizzle Rum Bar & Drinkery – After the drive back from Key West, I had to carpe noctem and explore a little bit of Miami nightlife at Swizzle Rum Bar & Drinkery a speakeasy. That being said though, next time I go to Miami I need to check out the real club scene (Space anyone?) – was definitely harder as this was a family trip.

Day 8: Departure

Car Rental Drop-Off 8:30 AM Since we were flying out of FLL I returned the rental car at Fort Lauderdale International Airport.

My flight: Depart FLL 10:35 AM | Arrive YOW 2:10 PM

Overall, my Florida journey was a captivating mix of theme park magic, cultural exploration, and beachside relaxation. From Orlando to Miami and Key West, the Sunshine State had so much to offer. Each day was a new adventure, filled with delicious food, stunning sights, and unforgettable memories. Florida truly lived up to its reputation as a diverse and exciting travel destination.

VINTURE WITH ME