I’ve always viewed Florida as my second home. It’s my favorite state to visit and was the first (and only) place Nori flew to before the pandemic hit. With it being over a year since our last vacation, I decided to plan a family trip for my upcoming birthday. I knew I wanted to travel to Florida, but where in Florida was the difficult part. We spent a lot of time sifting through vacation home rentals in various cities looking for homes that met the following criteria: (1) a pool, (2) close proximity to a beach, (3) a city we could safely travel into and social distance in. I initially had my heart set on Orlando, but given how busy it is during this time of year, I decided to pass. We ended up finding the perfect house in Cape Coral, Florida that met everything we were looking for.. and more!
Below, I’m sharing all the details on our road trip, where we stayed, and what we did for the seven days we were there.
The 13-hour drive:
I know what you’re thinking. How the heck did you travel in a car for 13 hours with a toddler? The answer – Target dollar spot.
- Above, I linked several of the items that we packed for Nori. I’m not able to link Target dollar bin items, but be sure to check out your local Target for all of the dollar spot goodies.
Seriously – besides her Amazon tablet and books, the bulk of what kept Nori entertained was the goodies I found in the dollar section of Target. I grabbed crayons, coloring books, stickers, games, you name it! I packed it all in a tote and kept it next to her carseat. Throughout the trip, I would rotate time between her tablet (so that she wasn’t getting screen time the entire drive) and would grab something new from the bag. This surprisingly kept her entertained the entire trip to Florida and back!
Also – the biggest tip I can give for making a long road trip with a toddler is to leave during their bedtime. Nori typically goes to bed at 8:00 pm, so the day of the trip, we followed our normal routine – dinner, bath, pajamas and got on the road at 8. Shortly into the drive, Nori fell asleep and stayed asleep until around 5-6 am the next morning. By then, the bulk of the drive was over and we only needed to keep her entertained for a short period of time.
The trip itself wasn’t too bad as there were multiple adults taking turn driving. Once we made it into Florida, we stopped in Tampa to stretch our legs. We swung by Tampa Premium Outlets for a little shopping and grabbed lunch at Columbia. Listen – if there’s one thing you take away from this blog post, let it be to eat at Columbia next time you visit Florida. My dish recommendations are: Mahi Mahi Cubana, Scallops Casimiro and the Cannelloni de Langosta (seriously – nothing else on the menu matters besides this).
2117 E 7th Ave Tampa, FL 33605
Where we stayed:
We knew we wanted to stay in a vacation home that was large enough for our family, but also one with a pool and within close proximity to a beach.
MY AIRBNB HOME CHECKLIST:
- minimum 4 bedrooms
- pool
- modern home
- large kitchen
- close proximity to a beach
- located in a non-touristy city
When I found an amazing villa in Cape Coral that met all my criteria, I immediately knew it was the one. We stayed at the Villa Carpe Diem, which is located directly on the water. The property management was extremely accommodating from the moment we booked and we were even greeted with a bottle of champagne upon arrival!
Our villa had 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, a home office, 42-ft salt water infinity pool, jacuzzi, tiki-hut, and even a boat docked on the property that could be rented.
What we did:
During our trip, we opted for low-key things that would allow us to socially distance. Below, I’ve included a list of places we dined (or ordered takeout from) and things we did. The list isn’t extensive since we spent the majority of our trip lounging by the pool, fixing dinner at the house and enjoying the villa.
Food:
- Yellowfin Sushi & Saké Bar – 1306 Cape Coral Pkwy E # A, Cape Coral, FL 33904
- J&P Asian Fusion – 1715 Cape Coral Pkwy West Unit 28, Cape Coral, FL 33914
- Nice Guys Pizza – 1404 Cape Coral Pkwy E, Cape Coral, FL 33904 (TJ swears by their wings. Pretty sure he ordered them at least 3 times during the trip)
- 10 Twenty Five – 1025 Santa Barbara Blvd Cape Coral, FL 33991 (Amazing salads!)
- Taqueria San Julian – 11601 S Cleveland Ave Ste 4 Fort Myers, FL 33907 (Delicious authentic Mexican tacos! So upset that I discovered this gem on our last night!)
- Boathouse Fort Myers – 17101 State Rd 31 Fort Myers, FL 33905 (This restaurant is located on the water with a beautiful view and live music, but I wouldn’t recommend the food.)
Places we visted:
- Sanibel Island – This beach is about a 30-minute drive from Cape Coral. It’s a beautiful location, not overly crowded, and covered in sea shells. The only downside is hourly parking was pretty pricey (I believe it was $5/hour).
- Springtime Farms – This is a 4-acre petting zoo with over 300 animals, from goats to even bunnies. While Nori enjoyed every moment of her visit and the staff was very friendly, I doubt I’d return again. The animals weren’t housed in the cleanest conditions, there was no supervision of the animals (meaning you could enter in and out of the cages and no one is there to ensure the animals don’t harm you and/or you don’t harm them) and many of the animals (especially those located in the back of the farm) appeared to be malnourished. Save your time and money and pass on this location.
- Siesta Key Beach – Hands down the most beautiful beach I’ve ever visited in Florida. The water is clear and the sand is super soft (literally feels like you’re walking on powder). The free parking is also a perk.
- Pop Stroke – Fun fact – every time TJ and I visit Florida, we make it a point to do mini golf at least once. It’s sort of become a tradition now. This was our first time visiting Pop Stroke and it did not disappoint. The Fort Myers location has 2 mini golf courses, a full service restaurant, outdoor gaming, playground and an outdoor jumbotron which is perfect for watching a game while playing mini-golf. You can even order beer, wine or a cocktail via the Pop Stroke app and have it delivered right to your spot on the course. I thought it was pretty cool that Tiger Woods designed the putting courses!
Here’s a few additional places that we had on our list to check out, but didn’t get a chance to visit:
- Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples – 15080 Livingston Rd Naples, FL 34109
- Octagon Wildlife Sanctuary – 41660 Horseshoe Rd Punta Gorda, FL 33982
- Manatee Park – 10901 Palm Beach Blvd Fort Myers, FL 33916
- The Wonder Gardens – 27180 Old 41 Rd Bonita Springs, FL 34135
- Banana Boat Dolphin Eco Boat Tour – 5781 Cape Harbour Dr #112, Cape Coral, FL 33914
- Jungle Bird Tiki Bar – 1520 Lafayette St, Cape Coral, FL 33904
- Marco Island – 870 County Rd 951, Marco Island, FL 34145
For my birthday, TJ and I did a quick 24-hour trip to Miami. Thankfully we had family with us, so we were able to leave Nori behind for a little parents overnight trip.
We stayed at Lennox Miami Beach which I absolutely loved. It was in a prime location (within walking distance of the beach), the hotel itself was beautiful, and our stay came with complimentary beach chairs and an umbrella.
TJ and I didn’t have much time to sight see before dinner, but we did finally get to visit KITH Miami + KITH Treats Miami which were located directly across from our hotel.
We had my birthday dinner at STK Steakhouse which was amazing. I loved the atmosphere and the food was delicious. I wore a white corset gown paired with gold heels and a red lip. It was probably one of my favorite birthday looks to date.
After checking out, we took I-75 on our way back to Cape Coral which runs right through the Everglades. You can actually see it from both sides of the highway which is pretty cool.
For those that aren’t aware (including myself – I literally learned this during our drive back):
The Everglades is a 1.5-million-acre wetlands preserve made up of coastal mangroves, sawgrass marshes and pine flatwood. It’s home to hundreds of animal species such as alligators, the leatherback turtle, Florida panther and West Indian manatee.
Google
TJ enjoys fishing and I learned that fishing in the Everglades is a bucket list moment for most anglers because of the hundreds of species that inhabit the water. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to fish during our a drive back, but we did pull over at an overlook pier to see if we could spot any gators. Within ten minutes, we actually spotted one!
We ended our trip relaxing around the home, enjoying the pool and the amazing view. On our last night, I had my mom snap a few family photos of TJ, Nori and I. Once she was done, I captured a few shots of her and Nori that I’ll cherish forever. ♡
That sums up our seven day trip! A week was honestly the perfect amount of time for us to get away and I’m so happy that we decided with Cape Coral. If you’re looking to travel to Florida and want to be near the beaches, (but away from a touristy city), I cannot recommend the Cape Coral/Fort Myers area enough. You won’t be disappointed.
Xo,
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