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Published: April 2nd 2009
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We have certainly been busy since landing in Miami! Our first day started with an early morning 'stroll' along Miami Beach, from our hotel up in North Beach all the way down to the famous art deco district on South Beach - we didn't realise until we were about half way down that it was infact quite a long stretch of beach front (10 miles to be exact). However, it's a good way to see the Miami sun come up and get an appetite for the infamous pancake and unlimited coffee breakfasts. Spent the rest of the day wandering round South Beach and checking out the cool art deco buildings and then later on the Miami nightlife.
After a hectic couple of days in Miami it was time to hit the road and head south to the Florida Keys. We did intend to drive all the way down and camp at Key West (which is right at the bottom and 90 miles from Cuba), however, after being told the cost (about 60 quid a pitch) we decided to try places further up and found an absolute gem at the Long Key State Park. For just $10 we got to pitch
up on a wooden boardwalk over the mangroves right on the Atlantic Ocean. Not only were the views good, the wildlife was pretty good to and you even had to make sure you didn't leave toothpaste in your tent overnight to ensure you didn't get an unwelcome wake up call from the raccoons. The next day we took the drive down to Key West - there was only one main road that runs right down the Keys and for a lot of the way all you can see is ocean either side - pretty spectacular. Key West was a pretty cool place with loads of bars and old wooden buildings so we'll certainly be back for a night out when we have more time. On the way back to the campsite we stopped off at Bahia State Park to check out the beaches and to cool off with a swim in the Gulf of Mexico.
The next day we had another early start to get to the Everglades. For some reason we had the impression (probably from watching Gentle Ben on TV) that it was just one big, flat grassy swampland. However, as you'll see from the photos it
was pretty diverse. There was one road that winds its way along the park and from this you take various hiking trails off to see the different ecosystems and 1,000's of alligators that roam the park - thankfully none came to visit us in the campsite that night!
The next morning it was time to start heading northwards towards Orlando. We stopped off for an airboat tour along the way - these are advertised as nature tours however given the noise of the thing most wildlife was scared off long before it came in camera shot. However, it's still good fun to hover across the Everglades at high speed. We paid a flying visit to Lake Louisa before reaching Orlando and going out for a few beers. Went to Disney World (Magic Kingdom) the next day, which certainly lived up to expectations - cracking rides, shows and fireworks, which were not just for 5 year olds (although i'm sure they had a good time too)! This was followed by a day at the Kennedy Space Centre which was also an impressive place, especially the simulators where you can experience what it is meant to be like in a shuttle
launch and also the G force trainer which spins you round until you reach 4 G's! - certainly not something to try with a hangover...
After a hectic week taking in the main sights of southern and central Florida we headed up to Daytona Beach for a night on the beers with the spring breakers, followed by a day at the beach to sleep off the hangover. We then headed further up the coast and spent the night camping at Faver Dykes State Park, this time sharing a pitch with a tortoise, armadillo and plenty of thieving squirrels - luckily none were quick enough to get the steak!
Our final stop in Florida was St Augustine which claims to be 'the oldest permanent settlement in the US' - it's an old Spanish colonial city so had a mediterranian feel about it, this was probably helped by the fact it was about the only place we have been so far without seeing a McDonalds or Wendys all day!
After a cracking week soaking up the Florida sun it was time to head across the 'panhandle' and over to New Orleans - the drive over wasn't helped by a
tornado and flash flood warning on route which meant an unscheduled stop in a tiny town off the interstate, however luckily this passed and we have now made it to New Orleans which is a wonderful place and we're now off to explore some more Jazz Bars!
Bye for now,
Neil & Lou
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