Driving In Florida And SatNav

Sat Nav In Florida

 

A great way to deal with navigation in Florida is to use Sat Nav. If you have a sat nav unit in the UK then it should work just as well in Florida IF you have got the US Map pack installed. It may be worth checking on the price of getting and installing the US map pack if you need to purchase it.

Your alternative is to hire a sat nav, most major car hire companies offer the facility to hire a sat nav unit with your car. There are advantages and disadvantages of this such as if you use a Tom Tom normally and the hire company use Navman then you will not be aware of the way to use the unit.

A big advantage of having a sat nav is that they will normally have a ‘Points Of Interest’ section and this will allow you to navigate easily to the major attractions as the highway systems can be a little hard to read sometimes.

Florida Harley Experience

A Harley Davidson In Florida

I have a full bike license and Florida is a great place to have a ‘Harley’ experience.

The first time, we went on a family holiday, and I rented a softail classic for 2 days just to have a bit of a cruise around the Orlando area – it was my first time on a Harley and it certainly takes some getting used to – they are huge & exceptionally heavy – but, they are also comfortable, and great fun. Cruise control on a motorbike – how luxurious !!!! A car stereo with speakers as well. Everywhere you go people notice and look – everywhere you stop, people want to take their photo with or on it !

The second time, my wife & I rented one for a 5 day trip and we rode from Orlando, down to the Florida Keys – a great bike ride, plenty to see, and loads of great motels & hotels to stay at on the way. This time we had a Road King – even bigger – my wife had an comfy leather seat with arm rests.

They aren’t the cheapest things to rent but as a one off, they are a great experience and you won’t be disappointed. Both places we rented from (can’t remember the dealers – sorry) were really friendly dealers – couldn’t have helped us more – even let us take a different bike out for lunch on our first day and then swap it over.

Florida Keys and Key West Experience

Most people know the Florida Keys and Key West as a great getaway. One of the most unique places on earth. Calm. serene, laid back. Just the right setting to recharge your batteries and rejuvenate your spirits. But a getaway to the Florida Keys and Key West is much more than peace and quiet. And not just because of the legendary fishing and the world’s most spectacular dive sites. The Keys mean history. Art, theater, museums, shopping, fine dining,entertainment and much more.

120 miles of perfect balance between natural beauty and extra-ordinary excitement. From some of the best camping spots in the country to luxurious hotels. With charming bed and breakfasts to rustic, family-owned lodgings. In other words, something for everyone.

Whether you drive or fly into Key West, one thing’s for sure: there’s simply no place quite like it. An island city of palm-lined streets, boasting Victorian homes, gingerbread conch houses and mansions on the National Register.

John Audubon and Ernest Hemingway lived here. Continue reading “Florida Keys and Key West Experience” »

Cocoa Beach Florida

Cocoa Beach Florida some may say is not an attraction. I disagree with this statement as it is very much an attraction as much as the next place as it has its definate benefits and well worth looking at. Florida offers some of the best consistent weather as a vacation location and as such, beaches such as Cocoa Beach, offer a great chance for people to have a great day out.

When spending time in Florida people often only think about the parks and main attractions however it is also important to think about having quiet days otherwise people come back exhausted, the advantage of Cocoa Beach  is that it is a great way to have a family beach day in Florida so that you can have some relax time, sunbathing and check out the sea as this is the closest beach to the Orlando area.

In addition to being the closest beach Cocoa Beach is also located close to the Kennedy Space Centre Orlando, therefore if you feel you are not wanting to spend a whole day on the beach then you could go to Kennedy Space centre in the morning (one of my Top 10 Florida Vacation Musts) .

Cocoa Beach also offers other things to do of course, for example this is the location of the first Ron Jon Surf Shop. Ron Jon Surf Shop (if you have not heard of it) is one of the most famous shops for all things surfing, you are able to buy all things surf including swim wear,  Men and womens Surf Apparel, sunglasses and more. The shop is the Ron Jon flagship location with over 52000 sqaure feet making it a massive shop and worth a look.

Getting over to Ron Jon Surf Shop, Cocoa beach and Kennedy Space centre from the main location where most of the villas are located near Orland Florida. To get there depending on where you are you can get the I4 to the 528 which is known as the Florida Expressway but used to be called the Beeline expressway. This is a Toll road and therefore you will have to pay some dollars to use it but it is a direct, straight road that is perfect as traffic is quite light and the journey quick. From memory the speed limit was 70 which is slightly higher then interstates but as it is a long straight smooth road it is a nice drive in your american air conditioned car or van.

I have a strong memory from Cocoa beach as the time we went there is was where I went down on bended knee and proposed to my now wife as we are such Florida Fans. The slight problem I had after planning this for so long was to manage to leave the ring I had taken with me at the villa we were staying in and so had to buy a temporary ring at Ron Jon Surf Shop for the actual proposal and then repeat the moment back at the villa with the correct ring!

Top 10 Things To Include In Your Florida Vacation

Having been to Florida a number of times and staying in villas everytime my family and I have found a number of things that we have done in Florida that may not have been thought of or even heard of and and so I thought we would share them with other to help make the most of your florida vacation holiday

1. Arabian Nights Diner Experience - If you have not heard of this then you should have a look, this is an excelent evening out for families as much as couples. This experience is a meal where all people are seated around a central area where horses and riders play out a story. It is a fantastic experience with 2 seatings a day so that you can eat earlier with the children or later for adults. I have been under both a normal ticket as well as a VIP ticket, the VIP ticket was only about $10 per person more on a late purchase and this gives you a tour of the back stage and all the horse sections as well as front 3 rows seat for the meal/show. The price for the VIP element varies but is not that high and is well worth it if you have the funds.
2. Discovery Cove – I must admit to having not been to Discovery cove but this is  a no nonsense option to get one of the most well though of experiences in the world of swimming with Dolphins in Florida. Only approximately 1000 tickets per day this definately requires pre booking well in advance. One of the main advantages with Discovery Cove for me is the nice idea that the tickets include your food and drink and so pretty much every thing is included and so you can kick back and relax
3. Disney – I was almost going to not add this as it is too obvious but I must make the point (at least to me) that DISNEY IS FLORIDA, Disney was the first park to set up in Florida, get extremely popular and then everyone else followed in and new parks like Seaworld etc set up in Florida also
4. Seaworld – I will admit that the first time we went to Florida when much of my family went to Seaworld I went elsewhere as I did not want to go to a Zoo. SEAWORLD IS NOT A ZOO is something that I want to get across, it is much more. There are some fantastic things to do in SeaWorld like feeding the dolphins which if you have kids is amasing but I must admit that is was fantastic just as 2 adults, ironically after not going the first time we went there I made sure that we went there twice! This park is not a massive roller coaster park and as active as Disney and so when doing your planning whilst this is not a rest day it is a lot calmer. You must of course make sure you go and see Shamu and family as that is a show worth waiting for.
5. Kennedy Space Centre – This is a place well worth a look. I will admit that a child will look at a lot of it, say Wow Thats Big shortly followed by whats next. This is a great attraction to look at and worth going around the bus route they run that stop at locations around the site allowing you to see launch pads and mock up space shuttles. I would say this is  a half day attraction (or a little bit more) personally BUT as you have driven an hour to get there from the main tourist section of Florida you should go over to Ron Jons Surf Shop on Cocoa Beach Florida which was the location of the first Ron Jon surf shop. This is a massive shop and if you need anything for swimming, surfing, snorkelling or more then in Florida there is no better place.
6. Cocoa Beach Florida – Most Florida attractions are based in the centre of the state and although it is a thin state very few people think about going to the Beach. I think this is mostly as people tend to think we are in Florida and MUST DO EVERYTHING that we can. As I mention is a few posts you MUST have a rest day or 2 or you will come back having forgotten what you did and exhausted (albeit in a happy way). One good option for a rest day is going to the beach, lay back have some sun, a swim in the sea and catch up with each other. Cocoa Beach is the place for this, it is the closest beach and will take you about an hour. But as I said in my Top Ten Differences About Driving In America it is a lot easier and more relaxing to drive in the US. This beach is beautiful with soft golden sand, and to let you in on a secret the location where I proposed!
7. Universal Studios Orlando Resort – Universal studios resort Orlando Florida cannot be missed. Over the years this resort is getting better and better, Universal now has 2 parks Universal Studios and Universal Islands Of Adventure.  Universal Studios was the first park and has all the classics, it is centered around a lake making it not feel to cramped in. There are a number of rides and experiences from classics such as Jaws, E.T (still makes my wife cry!) and the Terminator and even the chance to see the Blues Brothers. The newer rides include the Simpsons and Revenge Of The Mummy amongst others. Universal Islands of Adventure theme park is the newer park and offers more high speed rides. There are some fantastic rides such as The Incredible Hulk Coaster , The Amazing Adventures Of Spiderman, and the Duelling Dragons which is one of my favourites. The BIG THING about Islands of Adventure is that this is to be the location of The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter which is due to open in SPRING 2010.  These parks are right next to each other and share a parking complex – So, could you do them both in day? If you arrived very early, left very late and ran everywhere then maybe BUT you would still miss bits. This should really be a 2 day thing, and fortunately they do sell 2 day tickets (often even a 3 day)
8. Blizzard Beach Water Park – As a bit of a water baby I have always been interested in going to the WaterParks in Florida. The first time I watched a promotional video (before DVD’s) for going to Florida I saw the Blizzard Beach Water Park and knew I had to go there. The naem Blizzard Beach is apt as it is a waterpark designed to appear as if a to be a ski resort. It is a wonderful mix of scenery to give the illusion and a great selection of rides to match all people. I have been to this park as a couple and a family and there is the “Summit Plummet” which is one of the worlds highest and fastest water slides, there a more high speed slides, there are slides 6 across so that groups can race each other, there is a lazy river to drift down and there are also raft rides down giant slides. Of the water parks that I have been to I would rate Blizzard Beach as the one to go to, especially if you are only allowing one day in a water park.
9. Orlando Florida Outlet Malls, Florida Premiem Outlets - This encompasses a few things as basically it means shopping. No matter what the exchange rate buying things in America is cheaper. Obviously the better the exchange rate the better the prices, last time I went i was lucky to time it with the $2 to a £1 and so shopping was all the better. In Florida it is the land of vouchers, there is nearly always a discount to be had also as all shops are fighting for your business. Places like Nike and Reebok often offer deals like 3 pairs of trainers for price of 2, last time I went I bought about 10 $10 t shirts and so costing me about £5 rather then what I would imagine to be about £20 in the UK. People often mention the Beltz Outlets in Florida but this was destroyed about 4 years ago I believe and there is a new setup call Premium Outlets. Form my experience the prices and deals are not as good as they used to be and so keep an eye out but malls and shopping must be a tick in your box even for the blokes !!
10. Aquatica – I must admit I have not been to aquatica, this is the new water park that Seaworld have opened and to be honest is a water park should be good then sea world should be in a good position to make one!! There are rides such as slides that go through sharks swimming areas and swimming sections where you can go face to face with a shark (fortunately there is a thick glass sheet between you otherwise it would be Jaws 4 or 5 all over again). i hope to add more details about Aquatica soon once I have a good write up for one and all to help spread the details.

Well, I hope that you have found this interesting. If anyone agrees or disagrees then note it here and we could make a revised version with others people opinion!!!

Top 10 Differences About Driving in Florida

Driving in Florida or indeed America I believe is easier then driving in the UK. As with doing anything in a different land you have to allow for differences. Here is my top 10 list of differences in the driving experience in the US of A from my 6 or 7 times driving in America

1. The roads are wider, smoother and less twisty, this means it is a more relaxing experience to drive in America generally
2. Traffic in Florida can be heavy but most of the time it is not when you are around the main parks, if you have not been to Florida then you will be shocked by Disney having their own road systems. In my opinion the Disney roads are better then any single road in our entire country! (In fact this is true of nearly any road I have driven in America, including upstate New York)
3. 4 Way Stops – This is the biggest single item I think and something most people hear about, afterall we have all watched the police stop videos. Four way stops are the US version of a roundabout, the general rule of thumb is the person that arrived at the four way stop first has right of way. Take them gently and they should all be fine
4. Gas Stations – It is not unusual to have to prepay for petrol in station in the US. If this is the case there will be a not on the pump and you should either use a card in the pump as is increasingly normal even in the UK or go into the cashier
5. Speeding – I have to say that my experience of driving in the US is that there is little speeding that happens. Speed limits are slightly lower then in the UK and nearly all the traffic will go the speed limit unlike the UK. This I suspect in linked to the higher fines there are in the US as well as the use of cruise control!!
6. Cruise Control – This normally in any car that you drive in the US due to the large straight roads, this is a little lost in the UK as you have to brake every 15 yards for traffic, bends or potholes. Basically to use cruise control is quite simple as you get the car to the speed you want (roughly) then you press the cruise control button and you should be able to remove your feet from the peddals and the car continue at the same pace. You then have the option on the steering wheell to add or reduce speed using a button, there is also the option to turn off the cruise control – Also pressing the brake will also turn off the cruise control no matter how hard to press it for obvious reasons
7. Undertaking is illegal in the uk whilst in normal driving conditions, in the US the general definition is that is is normal practice to undertake on the roads UNLESS there is a sign expressly saying you cannot
8. Turning Right on a red light – Those familiar with Jeremy Clarkson (who is not a fan of the US) will have heard him describe this rule as one, if not THE, best thing about America. The rule is generally that you can turn right when faced with a red light unless there is a sign that forbids it, this could be a standard road sign saying no right turns OR if there is a turning traffic light
9. Police stopping – Being stopped by the police in the uk is an annoyance but not something that agitates people unless they are in the wrong. In the US with the greater use of weapons and the police of course being armed, keep it simple. If you are signaled to stop by a marked police car pull to the side of the road where it is safe to do so then stay in the driving position with your hands on the steering wheel. It is not uncommon in the UK to get a wallet from the glove compartment or play with the stereo or get a wallet out your pocket but put yourself in the policemans situation, you could just as easily be getting a weapon. Stay still till he is alongside your window and generally just be sensible
10. Finally – Check the laws. At the end of the day it is your responsibility to know the laws of where you are driving and whilst this list cover the more practical day to day driving there will always be other things that are more relevant to you and your driving situation.

I hope that you find this useful. I prefer driving in the US rather then the UK for lots of reasons but one is probably that you tend to end up with a car that is much nicer then my own, sometimes with a soft top or a 4 x 4.