I Took A 10-Day Road Trip Across Florida With My Mom — Here Are 8 Things I Wish We Had Done Differently

Last month, Mom and I packed our bags for an epic Florida adventure, zigzagging from Miami to Pensacola over ten sun-soaked days. While we made amazing memories swimming with manatees and hunting for shells on Sanibel Island, we definitely learned some lessons the hard way.

Looking back, these simple changes would have transformed our good vacation into an absolutely fantastic one.

1. Planning Shorter Driving Days

Four-hour driving limits would have saved our sanity! The long stretches behind the wheel left us cranky and missing roadside gems like the quirky Shell Factory near Fort Myers.

Florida’s highways offer plenty to see, but we couldn’t stop when fatigue set in. Breaking up the journey into smaller chunks would have given us time to stretch our legs at places like Weeki Wachee Springs or random fruit stands selling fresh oranges.

2. Booking Accommodations Earlier

Panic-booking motel rooms at 8 PM isn’t fun! Our spontaneous approach backfired when a fishing tournament filled every decent hotel in Destin.

We ended up paying premium rates for mediocre rooms throughout our Florida journey. With advance planning, we could have secured beachfront properties or charming B&Bs for less money. Plus, we would have avoided that one place with the questionable shower cleanliness in Panama City.

3. Packing Smarter For Florida’s Weather

Rain ponchos would have been lifesavers during those surprise afternoon downpours! The Sunshine State has a sneaky way of drenching unprepared tourists. We packed mostly for heat but forgot about Florida’s infamous humidity and sudden storms.

A compact umbrella, quick-dry clothes, and extra shoes would have prevented those soggy afternoons. And sunscreen—we went through three bottles but still came home with embarrassing tan lines from our rushed application.

4. Adding More Downtime Between Stops

Rushing from attraction to attraction left us exhausted! Our ambitious itinerary had us swimming with dolphins in the morning and exploring the Everglades by afternoon.

The constant go-go-go schedule meant we never fully appreciated each location. Building in recovery days would have given us time to actually enjoy our hotel pools or read books on the beach. Mom still mentions how she wished we’d spent an extra day in St. Augustine.

5. Researching Local Dining Ahead Of Time

Hunger-induced restaurant choices rarely end well! We wasted precious vacation dollars on mediocre tourist traps when amazing local spots were just blocks away.

The seafood in coastal towns deserved better planning on our part. A little pre-trip research would have led us to that hidden Cuban restaurant in Tampa everyone raves about. Instead, we settled for overpriced chain restaurants when our stomachs started growling after long drives.

6. Bringing A Cooler With Healthy Snacks

Gas station cuisine gets old fast! Our road trip diet consisted mainly of chips, candy bars, and whatever looked least questionable at convenience stores.

A small cooler would have revolutionized our driving days across the peninsula. We could have packed fresh fruit, sandwiches, and cold drinks instead of those regrettable hot dogs at the Turnpike rest stop. Mom’s blood sugar would have stayed more stable too, preventing those hangry moments.

7. Downloading Offline Maps And Playlists

Cell service disappears at the worst possible moments! We learned this painful truth while lost in the Ocala National Forest with no signal and dwindling daylight.

Pre-downloading Google Maps would have prevented that two-hour detour. The same goes for music—driving through rural areas between destinations often meant radio static was our only soundtrack. Next time, we’ll prepare offline entertainment for those long stretches of Highway 27.

8. Prioritizing One Or Two Must-See Stops Per Day

Quality beats quantity every time! Trying to cram three major attractions into each day left us too rushed to truly enjoy any of them.

Remembering our lightning-fast tour of the Kennedy Space Center still makes me cringe. We barely scratched the surface before racing off to our next destination. Focusing on fewer experiences would have allowed us to actually absorb the magic of special places like Dry Tortugas National Park.