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My First Road Trip to Florida from PA During the Pandemic! 🌴☀️
Day 1: PA to Atlanta, GA - A Quick Pit Stop!
- Started in PA, drove about 3 hours to Eden, VA for lunch.
- Then a straight 10-hour shot to Atlanta, GA! Luckily, I had a friend's place to crash for the night. Didn't want to be totally wiped out after a 12-hour drive! 🤣
Day 2: Hello, Destin! 🏖️
- Grabbed breakfast in the Hong Kong area of Atlanta and stocked up on snacks.
- Hit the road towards Florida! First stop: Destin.
- A solid 6-hour drive later, arrived around 5 pm. Checked into the hotel and went for dinner at a beachfront restaurant.
- Skipped the beach that evening to avoid the crowds. Saving the beach for an early morning swim! 😉
Day 3: Destin's Emerald Coast & La Vang Orchard 🥭
- Woke up at 7 am and hit the beach! Even though it was early, the water was so warm!
- The turquoise water and pristine white sand were heavenly! Took some pics and splashed around for an hour. 🤩
- Back to the hotel for breakfast, then checkout. Next stop: Tampa!
- After an 8 hour drive, we arrived at La Vang Orchard, even though it was after 7 PM, the orchard was closed. But the owners were so welcoming and let us stroll through and even played some Vietnamese music to make us feel at home!
- After the Orchard, we grabbed some Chinese food and ate it on the way to Miami/Homestead!
Day 4: Homestead Fruit Picking & Sunset Views 🌅
- Hotel breakfast was a no-go (slept in!). Straight to fruit picking! 🤣
- Planned to hit 3-4 orchards but only made it to 2 that were open.
- First, an Indian-owned orchard. Mangoes were out of season, but got some avocados and sugar apples. Good prices, but no walk-throughs allowed due to COVID (call ahead!).
- Next, Trinh's Orchard! She was super friendly, gave us the full tour! Fresh fruit, great prices, and amazing drinks! The sugarcane juice with kumquat (nước mía tắc) is a MUST-TRY! 💯
- Feeling hungry and tired from the heat, decided to grab lunch around 2-3 pm. HAD to try alligator!
- Chose a spot with outdoor seating. Delicious food, beautiful countryside views, and a cool breeze – perfection! 👌
- Back to the hotel for some relaxation and to devour the freshly picked fruit! 😋
- Then, Homestead Bayfront Park for sunset! Stunning views, a small pool, and a river with ALLIGATORS! 🐊
- Grabbed some takeout for dinner. Most places close early (8-9 pm) and only offer takeout. Better safe than sorry! 😉
- Ended the night with more fresh fruit. So much better than restaurant desserts! 🤣
Must go orchards
- Trinh's Orchard: 27750 Southwest 177th Avenue, Homestead, FL
- Indian Orchard - Serendib Farms- tropical fruits: 25495 SW 197th Ave, Redland, FL 33031
Day 5: More Fruit & Mango Mania? 🥭
- Headed back to Trinh's Orchard! She got more sugar apples (na) in. She was super excited and let me come in the orchard and pick coconuts myself! After picking coconuts, I grabbed some sugarcane juice for the road. It hit the spot.
- Then, a 3-hour drive to Mango Island (Merritt Island)!
- Apparently, every house on the island has mango trees and sells them roadside on honor system. But mango season was over! 😭 Come back in June/July!
- Still, the island views were worth the drive!
- Another hour to Orlando for a seafood buffet!
- The restaurant didn't offer outdoor seating, but it was famous, so I had to try it! 🦞🦀
- The food was decent, not super fresh, but all-you-can-eat lobster and snow crab! Servers dish out the food, and masks are required.
- Checked into the hotel, showered, and headed to Universal CityWalk!
- Free parking after 7 pm! Felt super safe – masks, temperature checks, and security scanners! ✅
- Food, bars, souvenirs – the first nightlife spot in Florida I've seen open past 8-10 pm! 🎉
Mango Island 🌴
- 9880 S Tropical Trl, Merritt Island, Fl (best time to go in June-July)
Day 6: Orlando, Vietnamese Markets & Wild Boar! 🐷
- Checked out of the hotel and visited two local Vietnamese markets: Phước Lộc Thọ and Đông Á. They were small compared to the ones back home.
- Found a Vietnamese restaurant with outdoor seating for breakfast! 🙏
- Stopped by Royal Tea for some bubble tea for the road.
- 7-hour drive back to GA. Stopped by An's place (1 hour from Orlando) to pick up some fresh wild boar.
- Expected a quick pick-up, but An insisted on giving me a tour of his property! Felt like I was back in Vietnam! 🇻🇳
- He has everything: sugar apples, soursop, mangoes, oranges, grapefruits, longans, tangerines, star apples, jackfruit, wild grapes, persimmons, sugar cane, star fruit, limes, Thai lemons, lotus ponds, chicken coops, and fish ponds (with alligators!). 🐊
- Besides fresh wild boar, he sells wild chicken and civet cats! Basically, he can source anything from the wild! He even ships to other states! 👍
- An's Contact: 407-756-5869
Day 7: Florida, I'll Be Back! 👋
- End of a week-long adventure! First time, so a lot to learn, but met some super friendly and helpful people.
- The scenery along the way was breathtaking! I'll definitely be back next year! 😍
Florida Road Trip Tips! 📝
- Stay at larger hotel chains for better hygiene standards. All my hotels were Marriot properties.
- Re-clean your room upon arrival. Lysol everything – door handles, toilets, switches, etc. (especially the bed!). Use Lysol wipes and avoid using the hotel towels.
- Boost your immune system with Vitamin C daily! I take C effervescent tablets in the morning and Zin C in the evening.
- Most people in Destin weren't wearing masks, but I did to protect myself and others. Always had sunglasses and hand sanitizer on me.
- Pack plenty of snacks for the road! Long drives can get boring.
- Even though I was cautious during the trip, I'll get a COVID test when I get home.
- I chose this time of year because it's less crowded than June/July (even though there's less fruit).
P.S. Check out the captions under the photos for more details. Also, Verizon has the best coverage in Florida. T-Mobile and AT&T can lose signal in some areas.
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