7-Day Thanksgiving Road Trip

Day 1 Morning: Landed in Miami and picked up the rental car. Afternoon: Wandered around South Beach 🌴🏖️. Evening: Headed to Little Havana and tried Cajun Boil Brickell (recommended on Xiaohongshu)—walked in to find it full of Chinese tourists (you know the vibe 😅). Later in downtown, got slapped with a $60 “parking fine” by someone sketchy—total scam alert! 🚨💸 Finished the night with drinks at a bar back in South Beach 🍹. Day 2 Morning: Drove to Key West 🚗💨. Afternoon: Visited the Southernmost Point, toured the Hemingway Home, grabbed a lobster roll 🦞, and caught the iconic sunset 🌅. Evening: Drove back to Miami and had Peruvian food at Chalan on the Beach. 📌 Miami Takeaway: Feels like the “American Sanya”—great views, tasty food, high prices, and a few tourist traps. If you’re not a beach person (like me 😄), no need to linger. 🍽️ Food Tip: Stick to Google Maps’ top-rated Peruvian/Cuban/Brazilian spots—usually safe and delicious! Day 3 Daytime: Drove to Tampa. Evening: Started at Armature Works market, then strolled along the Tampa Riverwalk into downtown. Rare chance to walk a riverfront at night in the U.S.—so peaceful! Ended with Chinese food at Flaming Mountain 🔥. Day 4 Morning: Drove to Silver Springs. Afternoon: Kayaking with manatees and alligators—totally worth it! 🛶💙 (Rent a clear kayak! Stand-up paddleboards are also fun if you don’t mind getting wet 💦.) Evening: Drove to Orlando. 📌 Tampa & Silver Springs Takeaway: Tampa deserves more time—maybe a dolphin tour in Clearwater 🐬. Silver Springs is a must for manatee lovers! Day 5-6-7 Orlando Universal: Hit both USF and the new Epic park 🎢✨. 📌 Orlando Takeaway: Ridesharing is easy here. USF was surprisingly quiet over Thanksgiving—arrived at opening and finished all rides by 4 PM 🎪. Epic was packed—without Express Pass, get there early and leave late. It’s a stamina game! 💪🔥 📌 Final Thoughts: 🚗 Rent a car—flexibility is key. My route works, but adjust days based on your interests. ⚠️ Miami and Tampa drivers are aggressive—expect quick lane changes, honking, and some stress on the road. Stay alert! 🚦😅 Happy travels and may your road trip be full of sunshine and smooth drives! #US #Florida #Jacksonville