|
Date |
Tour Details |
Accommodation (Personal Rating: 5 points “very good” to 1 point “poor”) |
| 09th Apr. 05 Saturday
|
Distance: 4750 miles air travel, 21 miles by road Weather: 26 °C, sunshine but partly cloudy LTU flight from Düsseldorf to Ft. Myers,
|
Mariner's Lodge (3), Ft. Myers Beach, reserved via hotel.de for $75 instead of the regular $100 per night, 2 beds, no fridge, small pool, 1 mile from beach: could have been better for the price but okay for 2 nights and a good price for the location |
| 10th Apr. 05 Sunday
|
Distance: 58 miles Weather: 27 °C, sunny Sanibel and Captiva Islands Highlights: Wildlife Drive on Sanibel |
Mariner's
Lodge,
Ft. Myers Beach
|
| 11th Apr. 05 Monday
|
Distance: 72 miles Weather: 29 °C, sunny Lovers Key State Park, Naples, Marco Island Highlights: Watching the pelicans at Lovers Key and Naples pier |
The
Boat House (4), Marco Island, $104,
large room, 1 king bed, fridge, quiet, right by the water, small
heated pool: good but expensive |
| 12th Apr. 05 Tuesday
|
Distance: 153 miles Weather: 29 °C, partly cloudy Everglades (Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk, Shark Valley) Highlights: Cycling tour with wildlife-watching opportunities in Shark Valley |
Travelodge
(5), Florida City, $68,
2 queen beds, fridge, quiet, nice heated pool, in commercial center,
but right next to restaurants, good continental breakfast: good value for money |
| 13th Apr. 05 Wednesday
|
Distance: 78 miles Weather: 30 °C, a.m. sunny, p.m. partly cloudy Everglades (Anhinga Trail, Canoeing at Flamingo) Highlights: Anhinga Trail with lots of wildlife |
Travelodge, Florida City
|
| 14th Apr. 05 Thursday
|
Distance: 135 miles Weather: approx. 26 °C, a.m. cloudy, p.m. sunny Florida Keys, Dolphin Research Center, Key West Highlights: Watching the dolphins in
Grassy Key and watching the tall ships sail into the sunset in Key
West |
Days Inn (3), Key West, €58/$74 (via FTI), 2 queen beds, no fridge, quiet, nice pool, not in walking distance of Key West's old town, very good price for Key West: we were disappointed that they put us in a smelly smoking room, but otherwise the rooms were fine |
| 15th Apr. 05 Friday
|
Distance: 70 miles Weather: approx. 24 °C, a.m. partly cloudy, p.m. sunny Florida Keys, Snorkelling at Big Pine Key, Key West Highlights: Snorkelling Looe Key Reef and meeting up with my pen pal Ellen |
Days Inn, Key West
|
| 16th Apr. 05 Saturday
|
Distance: 160 miles Weather: 22 °C, a.m. sunny, p.m. partly cloudy, very windy Florida Keys, Miami Beach Highlights: Driving along Overseas Highway and strolling along Ocean Drive |
Hotel Atlantica
(4), Miami Beach, $78 (via hrs.de), 1 queen bed, fridge, small room, no
pool, central but quiet location, good
continental breakfast: good price for the location |
| 17th Apr. 05 Sunday
|
Distance: 70 miles Weather: a.m. sunny (25 °C), p.m. cloudy and windy with a bit of rain (20 °C) Key Biscayne, Fort Lauderdale Highlights: Lighthouse tour at Key Biscayne |
Tropic
Cay Beach Hotel (1), Fort Lauderdale, $50, 2 queen beds, ocean view,
fridge, not very clean, dirty pool, quite noisy due to beach road traffic |
| 18th Apr. 05 Monday
|
Distance: 190 miles Weather: 22 °C, partly cloudy, windy Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Cocoa Beach Highlights: Cruise along the canals
of Fort Lauderdale |
Motel 6 (3), Cocoa Beach, $83.50, 2 queen beds, no fridge, nice pool (but not heated), 2 min. walking distance to beach and fastfood restaurants, clean but no extras: bit expensive for what was offered |
| 19th Apr. 05 Tuesday
|
Distance: 45 miles Weather: 25 °C, sunny Kennedy Space Center, Cocoa Beach Highlights: KSC bus tour |
Motel 6, Cocoa Beach
|
| 20th Apr. 05 Wednesday
|
Distance: 165 miles Weather: approx. 26 °C, a.m. cloudy, p.m. sunny Daytona Beach, St. Augustine Highlights: Watching people drive their cars on the beach in Daytona Beach, strolling around St. Augustine's old town |
Ramada
Inn (4), St. Augustine, $55.50 (with coupon), pool, 2 beds,
no fridge, quiet location, 10 min. walking distance to old town
|
| 21th Apr. 05 Thursday
|
Distance: 148 miles Weather: 28 °C, sunny, partly cloudy Ocala National Forest (Alexander Springs) Highlights: Snorkelling in crystal-clear spring water and watching the squirrels in the park |
Travelodge
(2), Ocala, $46 (with coupon, otherwise $55 plus tax), 2 beds, pool, no
fridge,
continental breakfast, very noisy because of adjoining traffic
junction |
| 22nd Apr. 05 Friday
|
Distance: 105 miles Weather: 28 °C, a.m. sunny, p.m. partly cloudy Ocala National Forest (Juniper Springs) Highlights: Juniper Springs Canoe
Run |
Budget Inn (2), Gainesville, $49, suite with kitchenette, rooms were a bit old and smelly, no pool, quiet: you can do better with a discount coupon at one of the larger hotel chains for the same price |
| 23rd Apr. 05 Saturday
|
Distance: 80 miles Weather: 22 °C, a.m. heavy rain, p.m. partly cloudy Cedar Key Highlights: Watching the pelicans at Cedar Key pier |
Beach
Front Motel (4), Cedar Key, $98, 1 queen bed, fridge, nice pool,
ocean view available, quiet: not cheap, but very nice
|
| 24th Apr. 05 Sunday
|
Distance: 75 miles Weather: 16 °C (record low), sunny Homossassa Springs Wildlife State Park Highlights: Watching the manatees |
Park Inn (5), Homossassa Springs, $60 incl. tax with discount coupon (regular price would have been $63 plus tax), nice big room, 2 beds, no fridge, heated pool, everything was great: location, price, cleanliness |
| 25th Apr. 05 Monday
|
Distance: 110 miles Weather: 24 °C, sunny Tarpon Springs, St. Pete Beach Highlights: North Beach in Fort de Soto Park |
Best Western Beachfront Resort (5), St. Pete Beach, $68 (with coupon), 2 beds, fridge, 2 pools, beach access, beach bar with live entertainment, quiet location |
| 26th Apr. 05 Tuesday
|
Distance: 154 miles Weather: 27 °C, a.m. sunny, p.m. cloudy, from 4 p.m. rain and thunderstorm Myakka River State Park, Gulf Beaches Sarasota Area Highlights: Canopy Walkway and Siesta Key Beach |
Best Western, St. Pete
Beach
|
| 27th Apr. 05 Wednesday
|
Distance: 70 miles Weather: 28 °C, a.m. cloudy, p.m. partly cloudy Tampa Bay Beaches, Honeymoon Island Highlights: Ospreys and armadillos on Honeymoon Island |
Best Western, St. Pete
Beach
|
| 28th Apr. 05 Thursday |
Distance: 128 miles Weather: 27 °C, sunny Ellenton Prime Outlets Highlights: Good shopping |
LTU aircraft
|