Florida & Canada 2024 Trip report

Sorry it took a while but here is the review for Florida & Canada 2024

Flying out of Brisbane on the 23rd of April 2024 we elected to stay in a LAX hotel to make our transition to a Miami flight easy.

The hotel was basic and well overpriced but what took the cake was the meal that evening;

1 x Hamburger and Fries with 2 beers
1 x Ceasar Salad with chicken and 2 soft drinks.....

$200AUD later......

Anyway picked up the flight the next day for the 5 hour hop to Miami and a short Uber ride to our very basic but good value and very well located hotel.

I would describe Miami Beach as clean, safe and awesome. Thanks to the jet lag I got up the first couple of mornings to grab a coffee and have a look at the beach. Give it a 7 on the Aussie beach scale. Very nice.

Ive added the Panorama I took to the file as I can't get it to upload but it really does the location justice.

Take the time to walk along the beach and view the Lifesaver towers they are amazing in their own right

From Cuban coffee and empanadas for breakfast to the music and amazing architecture of the strip it's a great location. I recommend the Art Deco walking tour as a must.

The night time is an assault on the senses as the locations try to outdo each other with the amazing lighting and events.

After a few nights it was time to pick up the Tesla and head south to Key West........

 

So on to Key West and the the Florida Keys. Unfortunately for us I got a bout of food poisoning whilst in Key West and basically spend the whole couple of days in bed in the hotel room. This doesn't allow me to give a fairer review but there were some definite highlights.

The Distillery at Key West was a beautiful building and I got a bottle of Pita Rum and my picture with Papa.........

From there we moved on to Islamorada.

A lovely stay at a waterfront resort where I got the opportunity to relax and regain my strength for the trip.

Great fun feeding the Tarpons....

And amazing sunsets......

On to little Havana.........

 

A highlight of Southern Florida for us and a must do.

From the history, art and music...

to the amazing stores and incredible food this area is simply one of the most vibrant local communities Ive ever soon

2 very good lookin' roosters

The guided walking tour was worth every cent particularly with the tasting.......

And I bought home some freshly rolled ones.......


What an amazing spot.
Lets head up to Fort Lauderdale and the Space Coast..........

 

So north we go through Fort Lauderdale onward to the space coast Cocoa Beach and the amazing Kennedy Space Centre.

Managed a quick drive past Mar El Lago, didn't plan it but saw a massive US Flag and suddenly realised where it was. Didn't stop as it looked a little too expensive to breath let alone park there.

We headed to our accommodation on the beach at Cocoa beach with a view of the ocean which was just what we needed for 3 nights to chill out.

There is plenty to do in Cocoa Beach with shops and restaurants along with the obvious trip to the Space Centre that Ill get too.

A niece pier and seating.....

With an early wakeup to head up to the Space Centre for a full day.
Kennedy Space Centre is an amazing day out with the exhibits and artefacts excellent.

I recommend the ticket that also gets you meal voucher.

New exhibits include SpaceX and Blue Horizon.

Some of the most engaging are the artefacts located from the Shuttle tragedies which are tastefully presented in a moving and appropriate memorial.

As well as this its the simple space artefacts I found the most interesting.

All missions are represented from Mercury to the current day........

And to cap it all off.......standing on the beach in front of the unit with a beer in hand........

SpaceX satellite launch..........

NEXT on to Daytona beach and Orlando............

 

We added Daytona Beach to give us some space and locations to travel too before heading through to Orlando.

What we didn't realise was how much we would enjoy the Daytona Beach Speedway tour despite not being huge Nascar fans.

The museum is excellent and the speedway tour well organised and well worth the visit.

I didn't realise until then how truly mad you yanks were with the angle of that turn.

And I found out that the Hudson Hornet wasn't just a Disney creation.......

We also took the time to duck over too New Smyrna beach for lunch and to watch the cars drive on the beach...... Something we can do in Australia but without the ice cream trucks and tesla's

We do it a bit different here in Australia.......

I highly recommend this part of the Florida coast for its easy going lifestyle and amazing locations. There are markets at Daytona that are huge and have all sorts of amazing items.

On to Orlando.....

 

So...... how do I feel about Orlando........

We spent, for 2 adults on a 2 day multi park pass nearly $3000 AUD. Was it worth it...... I still can't answer that question. At the time the Australian dollar was at around .64 cents to the USD so it definitely hurt.

We stayed at the Rosen brand of hotels on International drive and I can't fault them for the simple quality and excellent location.

For some stupid reason, and I am a Star Wars Fan, I didn't realise that the day we attended was May the 4th 2024 (May the 4th be with you). This was a chore but also an amazing experience.

Tracey did the behind the scenes tour whilst I needed out at Star Wars Galaxy's edge.

And we enjoyed Disney Animal Kingdom the most as a couple with Epcot a close second......I loved Star Wars world it was a true nerd fest......

The flower festival at Epcot was beautiful

In summary its amazing, its sensory overload, its crowded, its tiring.......

Its something you have to do at least once in your life......

Lets head off to Pensacola Beach

 

WOW!!! You missed your calling Jason!!! You shoulda been a travel writer and professional photographer!!! Great pictures and commentary!!! Sorry to hear about your bout with food poisoning but glad it didn't ruin your trip. DisneyWorld is not only the happiest place on earth, it's also become one of the most expensive places on earth. And with the economy here in the U.S. as it currently is it's costly to travel anywhere without it costing a bloody fortune. Anyway, great to hear from you and see all the great places you've visited so far. Hope the rest of your trip is as amazing and wonderful as it's been so far. Exception being of course that food poisoning experience. Again, thanks for taking the rest of us along with you. Safe and great trails ahead to you and your "boss"...

Terry.......(aka BankShot)

 

I agree, your photos and naritive is very interesting and enjoyable. Thanks for letting us be part of your trip.

 

I swear I posted to this thread after the first round of photos. I said it looked like you had a great time (except for the food poisoning), and I even mentioned that I liked your shirt with the flamingos and unicorns, but now the post has disappeared, and I'm not sure why. Oh well. The next bunch of photos are great, too. The photo of the castle is fantastic. Thanks for sharing.

 

Thanks Mate didn't see that post either but I can tell you got stopped in the street A LOT asking where I got that shirt........

 

So, even after reading your hopes, we hit another big hurdle.

Background is that as an aviation buff one of my bucket list places to visit is the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola Florida.

After assistance from you guys, a number of emails and combined $700 in air fares and excess luggage costs we arrived in the very lovely city of Pensacola excited to attend the museum the following day.

On arrival at the gate and with the required clearances we were advised that the museum was closed for the following 3 days for an Admirals Conference. This information had been posted on the Facebook site 5 days into our trip so we didn't see it...........

Disappointment doesn't even begin to address this.

Let's talk about Pensacola and Pensacola beach. Pensacola is old, clean and quaint with beautiful old buildings and an amazing downtown that includes a minor league baseball stadium housing the Blue Wahoo's. They have a bagel restaurant close to the bridge to Pensacola Beach that is simply amazing.

We decided that morning, due to the disappointment, to see pensacola beach and then drive to Atlanta early to spend the night before flying to Canada for the second half of the trip.

Pensacola Beach is sun, fun and Blue Angels. Across the bridge takes you too a beachside paradise with silica white sand, awesome restaurants, great looking accomodation and if you drive down to the state park the opportunity to sit in the cool clear water and get your own airshow.

We loved this place so much it's already on the list for a return journey. Water Pig BBQ was awesome.

It's not possible to give you a great shot of the free airshow that happens above you but needless to say it was awesome. Check in at any of the tourism places they will give you the dates and times for the Blue Angel practice sessions. From there you drive down to the national park, walk through to the beach then sit in the water and wait for the puff of smoke on the mainland that signifies the beginning of the practice session........it's brilliant

Problem is we couldn't get the disappointment out of our mind so drove through the 5 hours to Atlanta.

Staying in what was the nicest hotel of our trip, and across the road from the Atlanta Falcons Stadium we got a great meal and sleep then got up the next morning to do the Coca Cola experience and the college football hall of fame..........

Coca Cola experience was very well done and the tasting area is very cool but you can do this sort of thing in Orlando and Las Vegas.

In line with our existing luck the College Football Hall of Fame was closed for school groups.

Off to one of the busiest airports Ive even been too and another $350 in excess baggage lets move to the second part of the adventure as we head off to Canada.

 

Jason - - - I hereby proclaim you to be known on this forum as the DUW ("Down Under Wonder"). Your travel pics and commentary are first rate and IMHO by far the very best of the entire forum. Following your travel posts is like being there with you, without of course, the costs of your trips and all those excess baggage fees... Once again thanks for taking us along and not asking us to chip in with donations to help defray those costs. Sorry to hear about you missing out on those couple of places you had counted on seeing but there is always another trip there that will have them open to visit. Continued enjoyment for you both on what lies ahead. If by chance you happen by some spot that offers a beer named Modela "Negra". Try a pint or three, I think you might enjoy it...

All the very best to you mate, Terry....(aka BanKshot)

 

Out of Atlanta and in to sunny and cool Calgary we overnighted at a lovely little hotel just outside the airport before heading north west to Banff.

The drives are epic and the scenery mind numbing. I can say that Canada has some of the most amazing highway views I have even seen.

We rolled into Banff with scenery on our minds and discovered along the way Tim Hortons which is now our favourite for breakfast and coffee. With a much better exchange rate it made that a bit easier as well.

I suggest just walking around town enjoying the breathtaking views from all angles and locations. There are plenty of fine restaurants with 3 Bears Brewing a must for its sample paddle and balcony views.

You may even see a Bear Arse..........

If you get the opportunity head up to the Fairmont in Banff for its balcony and amazing views. There is also a short drive to a very nice outlook below the hotel and adjacent to its gold course.

Outside of Banff is the incredible Icefields Parkway that takes you north to Lake Louise and eventually Jasper.

Lake Louise was having major construction work at the time of our visit so noise and the location of the work does take away a bit from the hotels beauty.

During the drive we did feel a bit like we were being watched.......

Coming next Icefield Parkway, Jasper & glaciers.....

 

Following Lake Louise you spend a couple of hours simply driving through beautiful scenery.

The trip takes longer simply for the times you stop to see wildlife and incredible vistas.

Athabasca Fall is, I'm my view, a must stop with a short walk to multiple photo opportunities and can be a little busy but well worth the stop.

We managed a number of bear and elk sightings along the way prior to arrival in Jasper.

I honestly don't think the photos can do these locations justice

On a personal note we truly hope the AirBnB owners are OK and their property still standing after the terrible bushfires we have now witnessed from home. Jasper can be described as a location to return too after experiencing many of the adventure based and scenery based locations if you haven't gone there to Ski.

Its also the stop of the Rocky Mountaineer and there is a significant rail presence in the town with excellent gift shops, the important Tim Hortons and good restaurants as well.

A day trip from Jasper takes you out to the Columbia glacier and ice fields.

Well worth the day trip and can include the Skywalk for those not completely freaked by heights.

Brink a jacket or 6 for the glacier walk and don't miss the icefield buses

On to Vancouver Island and Victoria

 

More incredible photos along with enjoyable commentary. I was born and raised in Vancouver and have dual citizenship. Not the same city as it was when I lived there but still a great place to visit and see all sights and the beauty it still offers. Victoria is a great "walking" city with the Empress Hotel to enjoy an afternoon spot of tea. We spent 4 days there a few years ago and will hopefully return if age doesn't stop us. Oh, and don't forget when in Vancouver to take the tram up to the top of Grouse Mtn and drink in the views of the city and the entire harbor that are spread out below. While sipping on a few cold ones, of course, that go down quite nicely at that elevation....

Keep on Keeping on, Terry........(aka BankShot)

 

It sadden

It saddens me now that I don't visit this forum as often as I used to, Our Home base is Canmore, about 10 miles east of Banff, You would have driven past on your way from Calgary. I would have been wonderful to have shared a brew or two with you as we have been off of the road for the last five months now. (We will be back full timing again once I have completed my eye surgery).

Darrell