We absolutely loved our time traveling around the UK and Ireland. It opened our eyes to the world in so many ways. But at the same time, we couldn't wait to get back to the US to travel in our van, Clever Girl. So as soon as we could, we loaded her up and made the long drive down to Florida. We had begun a tradition of staying in Orlando every October. We stayed at Bill Frederick Park: an oasis of life in the city of Orlando. It's less than a ten minute drive from Universal and around 30 minutes from Disney World. We spent the first week of our trip visiting central Florida’s theme parks with family: Alex's mom, Kelley and his stepdad, Joe along with Kayleigh's brother, Jerry.
After an exciting week in Central Florida, we began the long drive south. The scenery alternated between lush green landscapes and sprawling suburbs. Soon, we hit the end of the Florida mainland and took the Overseas Highway, crossing from one key to the next. We drove towards the setting sun and after seven hours, reached our destination: paradise. We camped at Bahia Honda State Park, only 45 minutes from Key West. The island is home to natural sand beaches and hundreds of species of plants and animals. Soaring over the whole island are the remnants of the Bahia Honda Rail Bridge which was once part of the Overseas Railroad.
After a couple of days relaxing at the park, enjoying tropical drinks and wildlife, we met up with Kelley and Joe and picked up Alex's sister, Jessica and his brother-in-law, Ernesto from the airport in Key West. We hit a few quintessential Key West bars, drank our fill, and enjoyed some live music before heading to Sugarloaf Key to spend the night. The weather was rainy and cool the next day as we hung out at the KOA. We had a campfire, spent time in the hot tub, and went to happy hour at the campground's bar. Then we headed back to our home park, Bahia Honda. We were amazed with the sheer variety of animals living around our site. We felt like we were camping in the middle of a jungle! We saw lizards and birds, butterflies and snakes, caterpillars and even an iguana! And as if it couldn’t get better, each night ended with a spectacular sunset.
Up to this point, we had only spent one evening in Key West. So, we were excited to spend an entire day in the contiguous US’s southernmost city. We saw the Southernmost Point Marker, rode bikes to the beach, got drinks next to some Key West chickens, and enjoyed the slow-paced tropical vibes. While the city is relaxing and laid back during the day, the mood changes when the sun goes down. Nobody throws a party like Key West! We happened to be visiting during Fantasy Fest so the nighttime streets were filled with people in all sorts of fun outfits and costumes. We bar-hopped and found some great music to end the night.
The next morning, we came back to Key West for one last excursion. After brunch at The Café and one last drink at The Green Parrot Bar, we had to say farewell to part of our crew. We dropped Jessica and Ernesto off at the airport and headed back to Sugarloaf Key where Kelley and Joe were camping. In the hot tub, we met Lola, a beautiful blue and yellow macaw. We serenaded her as the sunset turned the sky a gorgeous shade of purple. Back to Bahia Honda, we reserved a new campsite right on the shoreline. As beautiful as our jungle-like campsite was, we’d never had a spot right on the water like this. It made for a perfect sunset cookout. That night, Kelley and Joe moved up to the state park too, bringing along their three dogs, Dino, Lilli, and Cisco. The next day, we rented some snorkeling gear and went to Horseshoe Beach, an old flooded quarry that was now the perfect place to swim with tropical marine-life.
Our last night in the Florida Keys was quiet and full of reflection and gratitude. While we had to leave our tropical paradise, we planned some fun stops along the way to break up the drive. We headed to Islamorada first, hitting a brewery and harbor bar. Then we stopped a vegan Cuban spot in Miami for Cubanos and flan. Our last stop was a kava bar in Hollywood. After finishing up the drive to Orlando, we headed back to Universal Studios for Halloween Horror Nights. We enjoyed our last few days at Bill Frederick Park and after a month in sunny Florida, it was time for us to return to our home state. What an amazing trip!
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Intro 0:00
Drive to Florida 0:54
Orlando 3:50
Universal Halloween Events 5:18
Bill Frederick Park 7:02
Overseas Highway 7:59
Bahia Honda 9:10
Key West Night 11:31
Sugarloaf Key 12:54
Bahia Honda 13:36
Key West Day 15:22
Key West and Sugarloaf 17:33
Bahia Honda 19:22
Horseshoe Beach 20:45
Sunset Cookout 22:15
Last Days in the Keys 23:42
Drive North 27:06
HHN 29:38
Last Days in Orlando 33:45
Back to Michigan 35:21