This week on the Click&Go Blog, we have a very special guest contributor, Darragh. Darragh is a transition year student who has been working alongside various teams in our business over the past week. Darragh and his family are off to Florida this summer and in this blog post, he is taking us through his amazing bucket list.

This July, my family and I are heading out to the white sands of Florida, a trip that was planned for 2020. I have never been to that part of America before, and I am really looking forward to experiencing what it’s like. We are doing a road trip-style holiday, flying into Orlando, heading to Cape Canaveral, Miami, Naples and Sarasota, creating a three-week long holiday that hopefully will not disappoint. I have heard various recommendations about Florida, things to do and to see. I am going to focus this blog on my bucket list for the holiday, some of the things I hope to see and experience.

Orlando

First stop is Orlando, the most well-known place in Florida for thrilling rides. We will start off the trip strong, with a visit to the Universal parks. My plan is to soak up as many rides as I can before we head to our next destination.

Universal has three different parks:

  • Universal Studios
  • Islands of Adventure
  • Volcano Bay

I’m looking forward to seeing the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and going on Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit and many other famous movie-themed rides while in Universal Studios. I have seen photos and videos which show off the level of creativity and attention to detail in all these themed rides, an aspect which I am very much looking forward to seeing when I’m there.

Islands of Adventure is home to several other famous rides which I am really looking forward to riding including The Hulk, Skull Island and I can’t wait to see Jurassic Park. These rides are thrilling and rapid, an aspect which really attracts me to this park.

Finally, Volcano Bay is a water park, housing many thrilling slides and water rides which I can’t wait to see. The ride I am most looking forward to going on is the Ko’okiri Body plunge, which involves you standing up in the slide, waiting for the trapdoor below you to open, and when it does, it sends you plummeting down through the slide at high speeds.

Cape Canaveral

Cape Canaveral is home to the Kennedy Space Center, where rockets can be launched over the open waters of the Atlantic. While our stay here is a short one, only lasting one night, I think this is something different to what I have ever done before. While we are here, we hope to get a tour of the Kennedy Space Center. Some of the main attractions here include:

  • Rocket Garden
  • US Astronaut Hall of Fame
  • Apollo/Saturn V Centre
  • Space Shuttle Atlantis

I have heard from friends who have gone before that we certainly won’t be bored throughout the day, as there is so much to see and learn. I have also heard that there is a little something for everyone, and there are many activities which is great for us as a family.

Miami

Miami is a place I have always wanted to go and it has always been on my bucket list for sure. There are endless possibilities, activities, beaches to walk, and things to see in Miami. The warm weather mixed with the city skylines, and the sandy coast will add to this great holiday. I am staying on Miami Beach, so I can’t wait to get in for a swim every day in the clear, warm water. I’ve heard it is only a short walk from South Beach, a very famous landmark, and somewhere I would be interested in seeing.

Some activities I’d love to do are:

  • Speedboat tour
  • Everglades Boat trip
  • Day trip to Little Havana
  • Helicopter scenic flight
  • Jet skis

Some of these activities are a little out there, but hopefully most of them can happen. I think this will be one of the highlights of the trip for me, as I love city breaks and beach destinations, and Miami is the mix of the two.

Naples

Our next stop is Naples. Its over 2 hours from Miami to Naples in the car, but I believe that part of the drive is beside the everglades so it might be more of a scenic drive than I thought. Naples is on the west coast of Florida, meaning it is on the Gulf of Mexico. Because of this, the water is meant to be extremely warm and clear, making it appealing for anyone to get in and swim.

We are staying in an Airbnb. In all the other destinations we will be in a hotel, so I think its nice for a bit of a change to be living in a home in the area.

While doing my research I have found various exciting things to do in Naples, such as:

  • Visiting the beaches
  • Visit Naples Pier
  • Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
  • Third Street South – Located in historic Old Naples with shops and restaurants

I am looking forward to this relaxing part of my holiday, going to the beach and seeing what Naples has to offer. It certainly is different to the previous places on the holiday.

Sarasota

Our final stop on this three-week holiday is Sarasota. Like Naples, it is a beach destination and is known for its extreme white sand, and warm water. Sarasota is home to one of America’s top-rated beaches Siesta Key. According to various articles, it is often seen as America’s #1 beach due to the sand being nearly 100% quartz-crystal sand, which gives it its extreme white colour.

Apart from the amazing coasts in Sarasota, there is also a lot for us to do. Here are some of the things that have caught my eye while I was doing my research:

  • Stand up Paddleboarding tour
  • Visit Siesta Key Village
  • Kayak tour
  • Sightseeing trolley tour of Sarasota

After doing my research on my upcoming trip, I have learned that Florida has so much to offer me and my family. I think the trip we have planned is very diverse, fitting theme parks, cities, and beaches into one. I am really looking forward to hopefully doing some of these activities when I go away in July.

After reading Darragh’s wonderful post, I think we are all dreaming of jetting off to Florida too! A huge thank you to Darragh for writing this fantastic piece for our blog. We wish you every success with your final school years. :)