Driving to florida

Im going to be driving down to florida on my spring break with some friends. we havent narrowed down a region yet, most likely tampa or orlando. Anyone have and recommendations and tips?

any interesting places/sights to stop on the way there?

Can i bring canadian beer across the border into the U.S? ( im not 21 yet, few more months)

Get lots drivers and don't bother stopping along the way other than to break the seal and get gas .. you can't go wrong in FL.

Originally Posted by Binden

Im going to be driving down to florida on my spring break with some friends. we havent narrowed down a region yet, most likely tampa or orlando. Anyone have and recommendations and tips?

any interesting places/sights to stop on the way there?

Can i bring canadian beer across the border into the U.S? ( im not 21 yet, few more months)

Hmmm.. you guys might get stopped by customs if you're unlucky and they might confiscate your beer. It's gonna be a bit of a bummer since you're under 21 and that's the legal age down south. But there are always house parties you can hold in your hotel room. Anyways, if you guys want the easiest drive south, take the 401 to Detroit and then follow the I-75 all the way to Florida. I recommend Tampa over Orlando since Tampa has some nice beaches and Orlando has... Disney World? Orlando is definitely more for families intent on visiting Mickey and friends. If you're in the Tampa area, best beaches are Clearwater Beach (#1), and then St. Pete's Beach (#2). I remember passing by some dog racing tracks (greyhounds) which I thought might be interesting to watch. There's also Busch Gardens (sp?) which I gave a pass. Nothing much to do in downtown Tampa (too bad the NHL is still on strike or you else could catch a game), I think everyone visiting ends up going to the beach.

If you intend to drive through Buffalo and through eastern Ohio and then south on the I-77, the weather might get bad as you pass through the Appalachians in West Virginia and Virginia (although the scenery is pretty spectacular). There are a lot of mountains going up and down so make sure you change your oil before leaving on your trip. The mountains through Tennessee aren't nearly as bad since it's further south and the weather is warmer than in Virginia.

If you guys have enough time, it's worth the visit to South Beach in Miami, although it might be pricey getting a place near the ocean. Cheaper accommodation can be found further inland or closer to the airport. Finally, for the ultimate in road trips, take a day to drive from Miami over to Key West. The drive down through the Florida Keys is one of the most spectacular drives you will ever find in North America. Of course, it won't be as fun as if you were over 21 - but you will definitely feel like you are in the tropics!

As for things to see and do along the way - if you're driving along the I-75, check out Warner Robbins Air Force Base near Macon, Georgia. They have a cool museum stocked with fighter jets and bombers including the SR-71 Blackbird, B-52 bomber (man she's a big mofo!) as well as a whole bunch of other famous planes. I can't really think of anything else that's exciting since most of the time we were driving down, we were trying to get to Florida as fast as possible.

Watch out for speedtraps along the way, the cops usually hide on the median after you pass over a ridge (so that you can't see what's ahead), or around corner bends in the road. As long as you stick to about 70 or 75 mph in those areas, you should be okay - hopefully someone else is driving at least as fast as you are or even faster. I would only consider doing 80 on straight aways so that you can see everything ahead of you. Also make sure to occasionally check your six so that Rosco or Cletus doesn't sneak up on you from behind.

Have fun and stay awake driving down!

awesome reply...thanks for the info. touched on a lot of other questions i was thinking about.

Originally Posted by Binden

awesome reply...thanks for the info. touched on a lot of other questions i was thinking about.

No prob.. let us know what you end up deciding on and which route you're taking.

depending on when your break is you might be able to see some baseball. . .. in a couple of weeks spring training for baseball starts and its always cheap and fun in Florida

Tampa Bay + Ybor City!!!!!!!