My wife, 3 daughters and I will be visiting from Australia and will be in the Orlando area for 2 weeks from 8 July. Whilst a lot of the time will be at Disney (everyone can stop laughing !!) I would really appreciate any ideas anyone may have about day trips we should consider. It would be nice to see as much of the area as possible and I have thought about hiring a car to go down to Miami or the Keys area. I would also like to see the coast and beach areas. We are open to other suggestions or ideas - Many thanks - Ian

You may want to take a day trip to St. Augustine, America's oldest city.

What ages are they and what interests do you have?

Is it possible for you to spend a few nights away from Orlando? Florida is a big state and you'll spend more time driving than seeing. Miami and the Keys would warrant at least 2 nights. You could go to the west coast of Florida for a great beach experience. What kind of activities interest you? HOw old are the girls?

The girls are 13, 10 and 6 and very experienced travellers. Obviously they and my wife LOVE the shops. We find the US such good value. Big malls, big shops are always high on the list. We would also like to see the city of Miami (all the tourist bits) and don't mind doing lots of walking. I thought Florida with its coastline might be like a lot of Australia and have some great little towns near the beach which would be fun to explore along with some beach-side restaurants where we could sample the cullinary delights. A night or two away from Orlando could be arranged if we could get a recommendation - Thanks - Ian.

G'day Ian-

You will find a lot of similarity in Florida's coastline, compared with your Queensland beaches, particularly in January.

St. Augustine is an excellent suggestion and an easy 2-hour drive from the greater Orlando area. It offers 400+ years of history to enjoy, good shopping, many moderately priced and excellent restaurants plus good beaches.

There is additional information about the city and surrounding area at <http://www.getaway4florida.com/> and <http://www.st.augustine.com/>.

If you have any specific questions about the area such as restaurants, attractions, shopping or accommodation, please let me know. We know the area quite well.

-Vic

I also think St. Augustine would be a nice day trip. There is lots of history there and also great outlet shopping for the girls!!

As far as "Florida's coastline being like Australia"...I hope you aren't going to be too disappointed. I grew up in Florida (just south of St. Augustine) and have been to Australia, and Florida doesn't even compare to the beautiful coastlines I saw in Australia (in my opinion)!

One other thought..you could also visit Kennedy Space Center in Titusville which is an easy drive straight East from Orlando.

Greetings Ian!

I hope you and your family have a wonderful time here in Florida. I second Sessa's idea of visiting Kennedy Space Center. It will take you approximately 60 minutes to get there from the Disney area. If you leave early in the morning, you can go from there to Playlinda Beach, which is one of the few undeveloped coastal areas left in Florida. Follow the signs to Manatee Hammock (SR # North) on the way out to look for manatees. From there, head north to New Symrna or Daytona Beach for the night. Next, you can head up to St. Augustine for sightseeing, history, and shopping. There are several good bed and breakfasts in the area. From there, it will be a few hours drive back to Orlando.

Another option would be to go to the west side of the state, in and around Tampa. The girls would probably enjoy Busch Gardens, there is good shopping in Hyde Park, and many nice beaches a short drive away.

If you do drive to Miami, plan about 4 hours travel time, and at least 8 hours to the Keys. If heading to either one, the "girls" will love you if you make a bit of a detour to the Sawgrass area west of Ft. Lauderdale-it has one of the largest outlet malls in the state!

Opps, that's S.R. 3 North to Haulover Canal to look for manatees....

Clearwater Beach is a beautiful beach and Sunset at Pier 60 is fun.
Clearwater Beach information:

http://www.visitclearwaterflorida.com/

Sunsets at Pier 60: http://www.sunsetsatpier60.com/

Do you have touring plans for Disney? You'll be visiting during peak season and a good touring plan can save a lot of time wasted in lines.

There are some excellent resources out there that will help you with a touring plan that will drastically cut the time in lines, especially when coupled with "Best Days" information. The parks are not equally crowded on any given day and going to the least crowded park is a distinct advantage.
Here are the three I've used and recommend:

www.tourguidemike.com - this is a subscription site (about $24, I think) that has tons of great information. It can be overwelming at first but just go all the way through the Express Planner once with out clicking to any other links and you'll get a great overview. After you have the big picture, go ahead and click on every article link that strikes your fancy. Great "Best Days" info. Very good touring plans. The only downside is that some people misunderstand and think that you just plug in your interests and a custom plan pops out. The site provides the information you need to create your own plan.

The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World - a book...a very, very thick book. Again, great information and touring plans. The only downside is that the touring plans are more of a "plan of attack" for getting the most in, even with backtrackign involved - sometimes forgetting that you are on vacation. The plans work great if you are one type of family - those with teens, those with toddlers etc. Not as great for multi-generational trip or families with kids in varying age brackets.

www.buildabettermousetrip.com - this is the easiest option because you do just fill out a form letting them know your preferences and they do produce a custom touring plan for you. They're great about answering questions and the touring plans are easy to carry with you. The downside is that they are more expensive than the other "do-it-yourself" options. They do credit any commission from hotel reservations and ticket sales towards the planning services but it sounds like you already have your reservations.

You could easily visit Tampa. Also, check out Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge for great animal viewing. http://www.fws.gov/merrittisland/

I would also suggest Blue Spring State Park to see manatees up close and personal. They are relatives of your dugongs in Australia!
http://www.floridastateparks.org/bluespring/default.cfm

The manatees only come in when the ocean is cold - winter time. It is fastinating!!

I traveled the InterCoastal Waterway from SC to Miami one winter and never saw a manatee!

I believe they are more comfortable coming into the rivers then into protected places like Blue Springs Park.

I also recommend Blue Spring State Park. We have been there and seen alligators. I also recommend driving to the Kennedy Space Center and spending the day, they have IMAX theater, bus tour of the center, fun stuff for kids. Spend some time driving off the interstate. If you take the Beeline expressway to Daytona, then you can go south on the A1A highway to space center, or north on A1A to St Augustine. The Washington Oaks Gardens and State Park will be on your left as you drive north thru Palm Coast, Florida on the way to St. Augustine and is also lovely, park admission also gets you admission to the Atlantic Coast beach across the road from the gardens. Tell us more about where you are staying, what plans you already have, we can give more tips. Also go to www.allears.net for lots of specific Walt Disney World info and tips!

Once I saw shopping, I also thought of Sawgrass Mills www.simon.com/mall
That would be about a 3.5 hour drive from Orlando. You could then spend some time in Ft. Lauderdale or Miami.

Florida Mall in Orlando along Rte 528 is a fine mall. The couple of outlet malls in Orlando are not as large as Sawgrass, but I would not drive 3.5 hrs each way for the difference.

We can't have Ian and his family getting lost, so I am making a correction to JoyinVirginia's posting. The "Beeline" (S.R. 528) has been renamed the "Beachline". They've changed all the signs, so he'd never find the Beeline if he went looking for it. Also, the highway runs east-west, from I-4 just east of Disney, to the town of Cape Canaveral, where it turns into A1A. Joy, you may have been thinking of I-4, which starts near Tampa, runs through Orlando, and ends up at Daytona. From there, Ian can take US-1 south towards the Space Center, or A1A north to St. Augustine.

Sure missed hearing the sonic booms, since the Space Shuttle landed in CA. Oh well, it's also neat seeing it come in atop the 747!

Thanks for the correction, Rascat. Yes, when we stay in orlando, we usually take I-4 to Daytona then get on A1A to go to Kennedy or go north. I just LOVE the Washington Oaks state park off the A1A and like to stop there going or coming to Orlando.

If you are going to Miami/the Keys, I would highly recommend a stop in the Everglades. You can stop at "Robert is Here" - a fantastic shake/smoothie shop - on the way down, and then enter the park. Make sure you stop at Anhinga Trail - you will see so much wildlife on a short little loop. The Everglades are truly a sight to behold - really, rivers of grass. There's no other ecosystem like it in the world. You don't have to spend a lot of time there, but I would definitely recommend a few hours at least.

The Gulf Coast is quite different from the East Coast - the beaches are a beautiful, pure white sand. I haven't been to Australia (unfortunately - hopefully, that will be fixed in the next few years) so I don't know how similiar that is to your beaches. But I really prefer the Gulf Coast because it is quieter, more relaxed and prettier (in my opinion, of course). Sanibel Island is stunning and the Ding Darling Nature Preserve is outstanding - but this is more than a day trip as well.