Don’t know where to begin to take a family vacation? Visit some of Florida’s popular cities to take the family for some fun in the sun. There are many cities in Florida that a family should check out. These cities are listed in parts 1 and 2 of Florida Family Vacation Destinations. Orlando is a great vacation in Florida because of its many theme parks and resorts. The Roze Team enjoyed visiting different cities and places in Florida with family and friends, such as visiting Cape Canaveral and aerospace activities. We hope that you and your family will enjoy Florida too!
Part 1:
For a variety of reasons, many people often visit Florida. The Sunshine State has sunny weather all year, magnificent beaches on both coastlines, and award-winning amusement parks. Combine that with cities and villages rich in history and culture, as well as beautiful natural sights, and you have a great family vacation destination.
The options for individuals planning their next family trip in Florida can undoubtedly be daunting. We’ve compiled a list of eight destinations (with hotels) based on the type of trip your family is looking for. Whether you want to spend the day relaxing on the beach with the kids, seeing museums, or riding dozens of thrilling roller coasters, Florida has something for everyone.
Miami
Why Did We Choose It?
Miami is a global city where families can learn about many cultures through food, art, and museums.
What to Do?
Miami is regarded as a party destination, but it is also a family-friendly city with many cultural attractions. Most visitors to Miami never leave South Beach, yet there’s much more to Miami than its magnificent beaches. Children’s museums abound in Miami, including the Miami Children’s Museum, Jungle Island, an eco-adventure park, and Zoo Miami, a nearly 750-acre tropical zoo with over 300 species of animals.
On weekends, families can visit the Little Haiti Cultural Center for drum lessons or take a stroll around Little Havana to sample empanadas and delectable pastelitos. Kids will also enjoy exploring Wynwood Walls, a graffiti district with continuously changing paintings. Families could also visit Vizcaya, a huge Italian Renaissance house, which has a museum and a vast area for visitors. As one of Miami’s oldest neighborhoods, Coral Gables, and families should stop by Versailles Restaurant, one of the city’s oldest Cuban eateries, before proceeding to the Venetian Pool, a unique outdoor pool carved out of a coral rock quarry.
Where to Stay?
The Gabriel Miami South Beach is a beautiful hotel on South Beach that is within a two-minute walk from the beach. The Art Deco-styled hotel includes two pool areas for relaxing and a convenient shuttle service to several of Miami’s attractions, including the Philip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science and the Perez Art Museum Miami. The hotel also provides complimentary entrance to the Bass Museum of Art on Wednesdays and a weekend shuttle service to Wynwood Walls.
Orlando
Why Did We Choose It?
Orlando boasts numerous theme parks and water parks that cater to family members of all ages.
What to Do?
Orlando attracts millions of visitors who flock to the city’s theme parks and other family entertainment activities. The biggest attraction is Disney World, which includes four major theme parks: Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. Orlando is also the location of Universal Studios, which includes the famed Universal Studios’ Island of Adventures.
For the younger members of the family, there is the Legoland Florida Resort and a Peppa Pig Theme Park that will open in February 2022. The warm weather in Florida also allows visitors to enjoy water parks almost all year. To beat the heat, visit Universal Studios’ Volcano Bay, SeaWorld’s Aquatica Adventure, or Disney World’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park. There are additional smaller theme parks in the Orlando area, such as Fun Spot Orlando, Gatorland, and ICON park, that feature rides, carnival cuisine, and arcade games.
Where to Stay?
The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes is adjacent to the major theme parks and provides a complimentary kids’ program called Ritz Kids, which offers supervised activities for children aged 4 to 12 from 12 to 3 p.m. Families can also join falconry workshops for up-close interactions with hawks and go on sunrise safaris to see the property’s native creatures such as whitetail deer, bobcats, alligators, and owls. There is a lazy river at the J.W. Marriott Orlando, the second hotel on the Grande Lakes Orlando site, in addition to three pools across the resort. During the summer, the resort hosts outdoor movies and a weekly firework display at 9 p.m. on Saturdays.
Clearwater
Why Did We Choose It?
Clearwater beach is 3 miles and is frequently ranked one of the greatest beaches in Florida because of its clean, clear water and soft sand.
What to Do?
Clearwater boasts some of the nicest beaches in Florida, and as the name implies, you’ll find beaches with crystal clear waters. Clearwater, Florida, is a barrier island with a 3-mile stretch of gorgeous coastline, and the shallow water and pure white sand make this beach a popular choice for visitors. The majority of visitors spend most of their time on the beach, and Pier 60 is the activity heart of Clearwater Beach. The 1,000-foot-long pier offers a sandbox and playground for children at its entrance, and it’s also an excellent fishing spot.
Sand Key Park, a private 95-acre park beach with picnic tables, cabanas, and a playground, is also a fantastic area to catch some waves. Clearwater’s location on the Gulf of Mexico gives it an ideal site for watching the sunset over the water. Book a sunset boat, such as Captain Memo’s Pirate Trip, which includes face painting, pirate stories, and treasure hunts during the two-hour cruise.
Where to Stay?
The Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach is a beachfront hotel located near Pier 60 and across from the Clearwater Beach Marina. Book one of the resort’s 343 guest rooms or suites, which include 12 special Dolphin-Tale-themed accommodations inspired by the films Dolphin Tale and Dolphin Tale 2, which were filmed in Clearwater. The resort includes three restaurants: a sit-down Asian fusion restaurant, a poolside bar and grill, and a lobby bar serving coffee and grab-and-go snacks.
Key West
Why Did We Choose It?
Key West is a tropical tourist destination featuring state parks, natural conservatories, and animal encounters.
What to Do?
Key West has beautiful weather all year, and there are many outdoor activities for the family to enjoy. The Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory, located in Old Town, houses almost 60 kinds of live butterflies in a climate-controlled conservatory, as well as a study center and art gallery. The Key West Aquarium started in 1935, and the one-story aquarium is exactly the right size to spend an afternoon feeding sharks or holding sea stars and big hermit crabs in the touch tank.
Key West also has some fantastic state parks. Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park is 54 acres in size and offers a tranquil beach excellent for swimming and snorkeling. The park also contains forested trails for birdwatching and riding. The Dry Tortugas National Park is Key West’s most spectacular park. The park is actually seven small islands located about 70 miles off the coast of Key West. The largest is Garden Key, which is home to Fort Jefferson, an 18th-century fort. Garden Key is only accessible by boat or seaplane, and make reservations in advance to take tours to Dry Tortugas National Park. Once on land, you can camp overnight, or you can go snorkeling or diving to explore marine life and the coral reefs that surround the park.
Where to Stay?
Southernmost Beach Hotel Resort is a strategically placed resort with a variety of activities for families. The seaside resort features three pools, as well as daily events and competitions such as corn hole tournaments and hula hooping championships. On the peaceful end of Duval Street, the resort is in Old Town and tourists can explore the area with the free trolley or one of the hotel’s rental bicycles. Every day at 12 p.m., the hotel also conducts ice cream socials, Snow Cone Sundays, and live poolside entertainment. Parents will like the spa facilities offered by the resort, such as aromatherapy and hot stone and oceanside massages. There are more cities in Florida that you and your family might want to visit in article 2 of Florida Family Vacation Destinations.