lanejohann

Hi all!
This is the last leg of our post Olympics travel

We will have a 4 day stop in Miami in late August ...Monday through to Thursday ...flying back to Sydney on Friday
Is it very popular during August? I know that because of the Olympics it may be that Miami will also score a number of visitors on their way through

Basically husband is keen to have a look at the marinas to do some research on a catamaran we will be booking for Greece next year..I'll hand over a couple of hours for that one but I'm sure it will be longer
I'm sure the beaches are fine but we won't be lazing or swimming..maybe a walk along one or two
I'm more interested in seeing wildlife..so the Everglades is where I'd be heading if it's possible to fit in...
I do understand that it's not a day trip from Miami but we will be hiring a car upon arrival from rio

So...
Starting from the airport what would be the best way to set out? Straight to Everglades ? ..how much time? Is there tons to do? Anything a must- see along the way or close by?
Not so much into art museums on this trip but anything of historical worth might be interesting ...parks/ gardens...easy walks..great scenery..that kind of thing

Or should we start in Miami...do Miami things and head to key west returning to airport on Friday morning? I'm thinking it would be more sensible to start off and head out to the furthest point from the airport on that first day but I'm not sure of the lay of the land so please advise!
Thanks
Oh and any advice re accommodation in Miami or the Everglades area would be so appreciated...
I think I'd like an ocean view

$ say around $ 300 used per night? Could I get something nice-ish for that? Or am I dreaming? ��
Thanks for any tips!

lanejohann

Oh boy, decisions! What was I thinking? So much to see it seems on the drive from Miami to key west!is it doable in a three day loop?
That would leave one day and night in Miami ...

So key west...
Old town looks interesting..
Wouldn't go snorkelling or dolphin watchingl

Hemingway house? Not a huge fan
So probably explore the old town...maybe get to listen to some live music...

Head to the Everglades on the way back to Miami?
Can't see us getting a base..looks like we wil just have to do a loop




Ok

lanejohann

Ok so that's all I've nutted out lol

lanejohann

Good thing is that the flight from rio gets in at 6am so we can have all of Monday on the road

Florencefiona

you asked, you replied, nice to here.

Ackislander

If you are functional at 6AM, you might as well head west toward Naples on US 41.

It runs through the northern edge of the Everglades National Park, and there information centers at Shark Valley and elsewhere where you can learn about the area and take excursions, notably a water tour through the Ten Thousand Islands from Chokoluskee. Alligators more or less line your route, with big populations where the highway crosses the Turner River a few miles before the turnoff to Everglades City, well worth a visit.

West of Everglades City, you will pass through Fakahatchee Strand, part of the Everglades in all but name and setting for the book and film "The Orchid Thief." It is also the home of the last remaining Florida panthers, though you would be very lucky to see one. There are wooden walkways back into the ooze.

This is not a road I can recommend driving at night because there is wildlife, and it does like to come out on the highway at night. You don't see dead raccoons, possums, and armadillos because the alligators eat them, but if you hit one, you will know it, and hitting a deer is a disaster.

Naples is an upscale town with good restaurants, lots of shopping, and amazing houses, especially in the Gordon Drive area south of 5th. Go west until you meet the Gulf at Naples Pier, then turn left until you reach the end of the road. You should be able to overnight in Naples in August for $300 a night.

There is a lot to see in Miami, but someone else will have to write that part.

lanejohann

Thanks so much! I'll start looking at Naples today

Just wonder if we can really fit in the Everglades and key west and still have Thursday back in Miami ... Sounds like it's going to be no

Ackislander

You can't, no, not really.

AustinTraveler

If your choice is between the Everglades and Key West, definitely go with Key West!

Hobbert

On our last trip to Miami, we went to Shark Valley in the Everglades (about an hour or so drive from South Beach) and did the tram tour which was really fascinating. It's a 15 mile loop through the Everglades. You can also ride a bike on the loop but I personally wouldn't do so in August.

We also went to John Pennekamp State Park in Key Largo and took a boat tour of the coral reef. I think it's the only underwater state park in the US. Really informative and lovely scenery.

Orlando_Vic

I would also vote for Key West. In August, the Everglades are very "buggy".

_______________________________________________
Vic's travels: http://my.flightmemory.com/vogilvie

lanejohann

Thanks all for your advice!
Would be disappointing if the wildlife was hiding
Could probs cope with rain and bugs and heat...
But...
Maybe the keys after all is all we will manage

I do so want to see wildlife in the wild! But if it's not gonna appear then I'd be bummed ..alaska was a bit like that last
July august....go figure..I thought alaska would be teeming with animals ..but no.. They saw us coming every time lol

Ok..
I've looked at shark valley... You reckon that's the go? A day trip?

Or still just focus on key west and give it another shot later ? We r travelling from Australia so it's not an easy trip


One day I want to explore the east coast at leisure ..hire a car and just take the time
This trip isn't even firm yet..all depends on the Olympic selections ...so everything is up in the air til June even July maybe
All this is just tacked on days if we do go to rio to watch the Olympics so I'm not that invested in the research yet but feel I must do something
Haven't allowed mysel to get excited yet.. For obvious reasons

Really weird planning all of this lol

Ackislander

Trust me, the critters don't mind the weather or the bugs, but the climate is like Cairns, since you are from Australia, with the seasons reversed.

Would you go there to see crocs in January?

lanejohann

Thanks ackislander...gotcha!
Yep cairns is pretty yuk in the wet season but I did live in Northern Territory and we lived through dry and wet
Didn't go outside much during the wet but if it were my only chance then I'd put up with a day or two of awful humidity to experience something unique
If it were a two week holiday...no... I'd choose the dry season..the wet season brings deadly stingers so you can't swim

Anyway...all good input...my mind will be whirring...

Dukey1

You said upthread that you are not familiar with "the lay of the land" so if you haven't already, I think you really need to consult something like Googlemaps so you can actually see what you (and others) may be proposing.

Somehow I do not think you need to worry too much about all those visitors you think are going to be hanging around in Miami due to the Olympics. OTOH you need to realize that Miami is a major, MAJOR cruise ship port, especially on Saturday and Sunday and there definitely will be a bunch of people who fly in early to spend a day or two before leaving on a cruise and perhaps just as many will hang around after their cruise is over, too.

Key West can be a mob scene in the Old Town area if one or more cruise ships are docked on the day(s) you are planning to visit.

lanejohann

Right dukes..will look at Google maps
Just wanted to know how dense is the scenery and photo stops from Miami to say keys or Miami to Everglades
Sometimes u can whizz through and just enjoy...other times you can't drive without stopping from time to time to detour to a must see lookout or whatever...you know wha I mean and that all costs time
Given we have do little time, I really need to pick out the best bits and be prepared

Trying to figure out what would be the best to see given that we live in Australia and would prefer to have a very different experience if possible

IMDonehere

We just visited the Keys last month and I would recommend the Everglades.

dcd

This past December, we visited the Everglades on a day trip from Miami Beach. Very, very doable. Be prepared for lots of tolls on the interstates, but they did away with the toll booths and take a picture of your license plate for billing purposes after you return the rental car.

I did a fair amount of research into where to go and what to do, which I'll post below. There are 2 entrances to the Everglades. You'd need to pick one. And yes, the mosquitoes can be horrific in Aug....

We went to the southern entrance at Homestead and walked the Anhinga Trail (easy and we did see some birds here). We then drove all the way to Flamingo, which we wouldn't do again. Not much to see en route or when we got there.

We were fairly underwhelmed with the Everglades, to tell you the truth. Weather was good, and no bugs, but not too many birds or crocs, either. And the drive is pretty darn boring. Make sure you have a GPS.

If you go to the Homestead entrance, you must stop at this funky, fun and very popular fruit stand which is in the middle of nowhere, but on the route:

https://robertishere.com/

These links will get you up to speed on the Everglades in a hurry:

http://www.frommers.com/destinations....kuq1FsKr.dpbs

http://www.frommers.com/destinations....x2DzocJt.dpbs

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractio...k_Florida.html

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic...k_Florida.html

Some other odds and ends for you from other threads:

Distance from Miami and how to get there:

"The part of Everglades Nat park on US -41 is just a taste. If you want to see the main park you take the Main entrance southwest of Homestead. It is an all - day deal. It's about 1.5 hrs from South Beach to the entrance via Turnpike. Take 195 or 395 west to the Turnpike & the T-pike to the end where it merges with US-1. The first intersection is Palm Dr. Make a right & follow the signs to the Nat Park. Go as early in the am as possible. The Park reception center opens about 7am.

Take bottled water & mosquito repellent, sunglasses & a hat. Don't wear sandals or shorts. There's no food except at the marina store at Flamingo which has snacks & microwave sandwiches. So if you have kids, take snacks & drinks."


Key West is somewhere we thought about, but it's a long, long drive from Miami. We decided to have lunch at Key Largo instead. Sounded romantic. But after 45 minutes of not getting very far south of Miami due to all the traffic and stop lights, we turned around.

As to where to stay in Miami, I'd suggest airbnb or VRBO.

Hope you find some fun things to do. Can't go wrong with walking the beach, which goes on forever.

BigRuss

If you're going to rent a car (and you will), then be sure to hit a toll comparison. You can't swing a dead cat without hitting a toll road in South Florida and the two highways that lead right to MIA require tolls. This means the various rental agencies will charge fees and will tack the tolls onto your credit card.

Luckily, Florida has an easy one-stop comparison for its highway pass charges: https://www.sunpass.com/rentalcar. Based on that chart, I changed from a Dollar to an Enterprise rental for my trip there last weekend.

And for this: > - don't. Figure out where you want to be and there's plenty of lodging. If you want an ocean view, you basically need to be in Miami Beach because Miami itself primarily gets you just a Bay view (Bay of Biscayne).

dcd

BigRuss: "And for this: > - don't."

Not sure why you said "don't". We stayed in a very reasonably priced airbnb property/condo on mid beach with an ocean view last December which was about half the cost of the hotels. I found lots of ocean front vrbo and airbnb properties available depending on how much one wants to spend.