Hey Folks,Looks for some ideas. Had some great suggestions in past so thought I would throw it out there and see what we can come up with!We are based in the Toronto area and have a small 18' tt. Kids are 8 and 10. March break for us lands 10th - 19th. Ideally home early on the 19th to unpack and settle before school/work starts again.Despite me asking for some skiing I have been veto'ed to somewhere warm. Last year we went to Alabama and hit the Gulf Shores State Park for a few days. This year I am pondering some The Keys or Maybe Gulf coast into Texas somewhere. My Daughter is a Turtle lizard nut. So she has requested somewhere with Lizards that she can observe in the wild. Even just little geckos or Anoles . Sea turtles would be a huge bonus. Thoughts? A lot of places are booked up in the Keys. The KOA down near Key West seems to have some sites but is over $100USD a night. We like the Space and science Museums. If there was a launch at the Cape I would be in my Glory!From Home to Key West is around 27 hours. We could push to about 12 hours a day so we would still be 2-3 days getting there/home. Is it worth heading right down to the Keys or should we look at maybe the Everglades? We have done Orlando on a fly in but never drove around much. So any ideas suggestions are welcome!Many many thanks in advance!Mike

Florida in general will be pretty busy. 27 hours to Key West with a travel trailer form Toronto sounds a little optimistic to me, but I could also be wrong.If you haven't been to the Kennedy Space Center, that would be worth a day even if there is no launch. Some of it is a little touristy for my taste these days (it's become more touristy and less sciency over the years), but there are plenty of excellent exhibits as well. The Apollo/Saturn V building in particular is exceptionally well done.Fort De Soto (St Petersburg) is a lovely place to camp, and you might find some wildlife there. The Ringling museum complex (in Sarasota) is a fun place to see.(There are indeed a lot of very big, very toothy, vaguely lizard-like critters in the everglades...and other areas of Florida.)

Sounds like it will be busy. So many of the sites are booked up. 27 hours is do-able. We will plan on 2.5 days of driving. Its a little trailer and the truck does not notice its there except the fuel gauge. That is if stick to the Keys.. Maybe staying a little further north is not a bad idea.. We did a west coast trip a couple summers ago. Other then booking Yellowstone we just stopped where we stopped with no reservations. Much nicer way of travelling. Kennedy Space Center sounds great. Just spent some time looking at it.. THe Apollo Saturn Would be interesting as well. Any idea how different it is from the Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville? We were there last March Break.It Appears For De Soto is full.. Maybe a couple nights down in the Everglades then up to the Cape for a few nights.. And a slow drive home.Any other ideas? DrewE wrote:Florida in general will be pretty busy. 27 hours to Key West with a travel trailer form Toronto sounds a little optimistic to me, but I could also be wrong.If you haven't been to the Kennedy Space Center, that would be worth a day even if there is no launch. Some of it is a little touristy for my taste these days (it's become more touristy and less sciency over the years), but there are plenty of excellent exhibits as well. The Apollo/Saturn V building in particular is exceptionally well done.Fort De Soto (St Petersburg) is a lovely place to camp, and you might find some wildlife there. The Ringling museum complex (in Sarasota) is a fun place to see.(There are indeed a lot of very big, very toothy, vaguely lizard-like critters in the everglades...and other areas of Florida.)

Well struck up a family conference last night... Kids want a day or two on the beach, hopefully with some snorkeling. They would love to see some sea Turtles and lizards. Gators would be cool to..Turtles will likely just be at Loggerhead Marine life center in Juno Beach.Lizards I think are anywhere in most of Florida... So ideas for Snorkeling and beach? Ideals less busy out of the urban centers would be great!Many thanks!

Please keep in mind that Florida is a really looong state. It's about 400 miles from the Georgia border on I-95 to the top of the Keys. I-75 is almost 500 miles long, partly because it also goes E/W over to Miami. And you're still short of the Keys.The Keys highway is 100 miles long itself and traffic can move really slow, especially during Spring/Easter break. If you go there, try not to hit it on a Saturday or travel back north on a Sunday.My suggestion would be to find a CG/RV Park somewhere up around Homestead/Florida City and use that as a base for Keys exploration. Florida City is just a hop, skip, and a jump from the upper Keys. Then go to my favorite Florida state park - John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park and take one of their snorkel trips. The park is at the northern end of the Keys so would be quickly accesible. You can rent all needed snorkel gear, including wet suits, at the park. Just reserve EARLY and be on time (1 hour prior to departure) or you don't get to go ! Also, best to head into the park early in the day because they close it when they reach capacity. I have snorkeled there during the latter part of Feb and water temps were fine, although I was in a shorty wet suit. And . . I have seen Iguanas walking around that park. The little Geico lizards (brown or green) are all over Florida - more so during hotter weather.If in the Florida City area, you are actually closer to John Pennekamp then if you were staying in the middle Keys for example, especially if you consider driving times.You would also be right next door to Everglades National Park, which has more gators then you can count. Don't forget rule #1 - You must pop in the Jimmy Buffett CD when you start down into the Keys.*** Turtles - Visit the Turtle Hospital in Marathon. Google it.

Kennedy Space Center is WAY different (and better, imho) then the Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville.

Canadian March Break Ideas - Warm, lizards..... Ideas?

13 Replies

bedpan
Explorer
Feb 17, 2017
Well struck up a family conference last night...

Kids want a day or two on the beach, hopefully with some snorkeling. They would love to see some sea Turtles and lizards. Gators would be cool to..

Turtles will likely just be at Loggerhead Marine life center in Juno Beach.

Lizards I think are anywhere in most of Florida...

So ideas for Snorkeling and beach? Ideals less busy out of the urban centers would be great!

Many thanks!
bedpan
Explorer
Feb 16, 2017
Sounds like it will be busy. So many of the sites are booked up.

27 hours is do-able. We will plan on 2.5 days of driving. Its a little trailer and the truck does not notice its there except the fuel gauge. That is if stick to the Keys.. Maybe staying a little further north is not a bad idea.. We did a west coast trip a couple summers ago. Other then booking Yellowstone we just stopped where we stopped with no reservations. Much nicer way of travelling.

Kennedy Space Center sounds great. Just spent some time looking at it.. THe Apollo Saturn Would be interesting as well. Any idea how different it is from the Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville? We were there last March Break.

It Appears For De Soto is full..

Maybe a couple nights down in the Everglades then up to the Cape for a few nights.. And a slow drive home.

Any other ideas?

DrewE wrote:
Florida in general will be pretty busy. 27 hours to Key West with a travel trailer form Toronto sounds a little optimistic to me, but I could also be wrong.

If you haven't been to the Kennedy Space Center, that would be worth a day even if there is no launch. Some of it is a little touristy for my taste these days (it's become more touristy and less sciency over the years), but there are plenty of excellent exhibits as well. The Apollo/Saturn V building in particular is exceptionally well done.

Fort De Soto (St Petersburg) is a lovely place to camp, and you might find some wildlife there. The Ringling museum complex (in Sarasota) is a fun place to see.

(There are indeed a lot of very big, very toothy, vaguely lizard-like critters in the everglades...and other areas of Florida.)
DrewE
Explorer II
Feb 16, 2017
Florida in general will be pretty busy. 27 hours to Key West with a travel trailer form Toronto sounds a little optimistic to me, but I could also be wrong.

If you haven't been to the Kennedy Space Center, that would be worth a day even if there is no launch. Some of it is a little touristy for my taste these days (it's become more touristy and less sciency over the years), but there are plenty of excellent exhibits as well. The Apollo/Saturn V building in particular is exceptionally well done.

Fort De Soto (St Petersburg) is a lovely place to camp, and you might find some wildlife there. The Ringling museum complex (in Sarasota) is a fun place to see.

(There are indeed a lot of very big, very toothy, vaguely lizard-like critters in the everglades...and other areas of Florida.)

Forum Discussion

Canadian March Break Ideas - Warm, lizards..... Ideas?

13 Replies

About Bucket List Trips

Related Content

Canadian Campground Pics

Canadian Snowbird Future

Used “Canadian” trucks

Canadian Exodus?

Canadian Border