Have you considered going to Florida for a family vacation? There’s so much more to do beyond the theme parks!
Our family recently visited one of our favorite states-Florida. We love Florida and have even discussed moving there in the future. There’s so much to see and do in Florida that I can’t imagine ever being bored.
I know most families visit Florida for the popular amusement parks. I completely understand since our family also loves the Disney World and Universal Studios theme parks.
However, it’s always nice to explore beyond the theme parks and discover all that Florida has to offer.
We stayed near the Orlando area, but we weren’t centrally located. Since we were a bit closer to the Gulf Coast we decided to check out some beaches there.
One of the beaches we stopped at was Clearwater Beach. Clearwater Beach is a wonderful family-friendly beach that offers a break from the busy park hopping days.
Seriously, you can’t beat this gorgeous view. I took a book along and soaked up the sunshine. It was just what I needed after a crazy busy month!
We didn’t get to explore the area as much as we wanted, but there’s a ton you can do there. You can choose to try out the water sports, fishing or boat tours. Or you can check out the various restaurants and long pier that offers gorgeous views.
We also took a trip a bit further south to Anna Maria Island during our stay in Florida. Anna Maria Island is located near Sarasota. All I can say about this island is wow.
I fell in love with this island and can’t wait to visit again. We visited Manatee Beach which has volleyball nets, restrooms, picnic tables, free parking and a playground for little ones.
The island reminded me of Puerto Rico. Even some of the homes were similar to the homes in the area where I grew up. I loved driving around the island and house “shopping”.
The island is small but has cute shops and restaurants throughout including the popular spot Rod & Reel Pier. White sandy beaches and amazing views? Yes, please!
During our stay in Florida, we also stopped by I-Drive 360 which has tons of restaurants, stores, and attractions including the Orlando Eye.
You’ll find lots to do here, but if you have little ones be prepared with a budget since some of the attractions will set you back a few dollars. 
This is also where I had my first Shake Shack experience and it was amazing! I wish we had one of these locally, but I would probably get myself in trouble in the process.
We kept this trip pretty low key and tried to play things by ear. We also visited Universal theme parks which I’ll share in a separate post.
Honestly, we had no real solid plans for this trip and it was great because it also allowed us to relax. We also took advantage of our resort’s pool.
We stayed at *Tuscana Resort Orlando by Aston and it was a great experience. The location, customer service, and accommodations truly made us feel at home.
We were only 10-15 minutes from Disney parks and about 25 minutes from Universal parks. The gulf coast is about an hour and a half away and worth the drive.
We also had a Publix closeby which was very convenient since we stocked up on groceries on the first day.
The kid’s bedrooms were also spacious and offered more than we expected. Here’s the bedroom where my girls stayed. Isn’t it lovely?!
What are some of your favorite things to do in Florida? I would love to hear your recommendations and experiences!
*I was provided with discounted accommodations to help facilitate this post, but all opinions expressed are 100% my own.
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