Road Trip!

By PJ Goetz

Dust off your sense of adventure off and put the kids in the car.  We are going on a road trip! 

This is a great time of year to explore Florida while the kids are out of school and time is a little easier to come by.   DVD players in the car are great but too much T.V. can make kids car sick.  Ways to help the miles fly by and  great “don’t forget it” items are: 

Books on Tape:  Stop by the library the week before you go and check out some books on tapes/CDs to make the miles fly by.  Introduce them to a classic or maybe a story about the place you are visiting.  (The Tale of Despereaux and Bunnicula are two of my personal favorites and seem to keep kids of ages entertained.)  Or stop by Cracker Barrel and rent a book on CD/tape.  Now you can get your chicken and dumplings plus a great story!  Here is how it works:  You pay the full purchase price then when you are done return it to any Cracker Barrel restaurant and receive a credit back less a small rental fee. 

Travel Trays: Make sure to bring desktop trays and fill then with crayons and coloring books keep little hands busy while listening to the books on tape.   Model Magic clay is another great desktop activity.   

Leap Pads:  They won’t even realize they are learning.  Great games and stories keep the kids busy. Make sure to pack a pair of headphones for each Leap Pad.   

Pack a cooler.  Too much fried food can ruin anyone’s fun.  I made this mistake once and after three days of chicken fingers my little boy’s body began to revolt.  We spent the next day in the hotel room with a bottle of the pink stuff.  Some great things to throw in the cooler are apples, string cheese, grapes, and mini water bottles.   Cold cuts and crackers are also great for lunch instead of the drive thru. 

So get up early and head out for a day away that you and your kids will always remember.

South:

Gasparilla Island State Park.  2 Hours from Tampa 

I always seem to breath a little deeper when I am at Gasparilla Island State Park.  Located on the southern tip of Gasparilla Island this is a great escape for the day.  Crystal clear waters and the rolling surf give this a feel of being in the islands.  If the wind is out of the east, laying the gulf waters flat, the snorkeling is great for kids.  The sharks teeth and shells you’ll find are better than any souvenir you can buy in a store.  3 miles of beach are yours to explore.  Sit on the beach and smile as you watch you kids play in the surf.  Watch the wild iguanas run through the sea grass.  Or Visit the museum at the light house.   This is why we live in Florida.  Bring a picnic or head to downtown Boca Grande for lunch.  Entrance Fee to the park is $2.  You also have to pay a $4 toll on the Boca Grande Toll.  I know it seems a long way to go to get to the beach but once you are there you’ll understand why it is worth the drive from Tampa. 

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North

Crystal River: 1 hour from Tampa

 How does getting nose to nose with a manatee sound?  I always wanted to and swim with the Manatees but was worried about spending a lot of money and ending up not seeing any manatees.  I worried in vain as turned out.  We loved our guide and saw lots of manatees.  They swam up to us and rolled on their bellies wanting a belly rub and we happily obliged.  You got to do this at least once.  The manatees still are present in the summer.  Instead of seeing 400 you more likely to see 40 which might be better for younger ones.   The blue sapphire waters of Three Sisters Springs have swimmer and canoe access only making it the perfect place to see manatees.  Capt. Tracy Wood (866) Go-Native.  

Yellow Jacket Campground : 2 hours:  Let the kids be kids at Yellow Jacket Campground.  This wonderful campground is tucked into the woods beside the historic Suwannee River.  Campfires are almost a requirement every night.  Sitting fireside making S’mores and listening to ghost stories should be a part of everyone’s childhood.  Rent a pontoon boat and meander down river about 3 miles to Manatee Springs State Park.  Swim in the cool clear water of the springs just as visitors to the springs have been doing for hundreds of years.   This is old Florida at it’s best.   www.yellowjacketcampground.com (352) 542-8365. 

East: 

Cocoa Beach 2.5 Hours from Tampa

For about 15 years now, ever now and again, we get up really early and make our way to Coca Beach to Boogie Board and ride the waves of the Atlantic Ocean for the day.  Once in town stop by Ron Jon’s surf shop to rent or buy anything you didn’t bring from home.  We like to spend the day just south of town at the beach before Patrick’s Air Force base.  Make sure to have the kids wear t-shits or they will end up with belly rash from riding the waves all day.  And if the waves are no good or it is raining you have a back up plan of the Kennedy Space Center.   Kennedy Space Center is an amazing place.  If you have not been in a while it is time to go again.   The kids will always remember a trip to where the rockets are lunched into outer space.  From lunch with an astronaut to full day simulated mission training camps you can make your visit uniquely yours.   And there is a bunch more to do in Cocoa Beach.  Spend a day or a week.   

Amelia Island Plantation:   The Atlantic Ocean has a feeling all it's own, especially the part of the Atlantic Ocean that touches North Florida.    Ever so often we head north and stay at Amelia Island Plantation.  It is perfect.  During our trip we can visit Talbot Island State Park, Fort Clinch, the Jacksonville Zoo ,  the Museum of Science and History or hand out at the ocean side pool at the resort.   The Amelia Island Plantation has a great kid’s program if Mom and Dad need a little Mom and Dad time.   One trip here and you’ll fall in love with Amelia Island and all it has to offer.