South Florida Road Trip Report

 

South Florida Road Trip Report

IMO, late April and early May is the best time to visit.  Though the water temp never drops below 70 in Miami, you can expect about 6 days every winter in which air temps will not make it out of the 60s and maybe 1-2 in the 50s.  On the Gulf side, water temps may not climb above 70 until the end of March and cold fronts are more likely to reach Tampa than Miami.  This time of year, you don’t have to worry about cold fronts or rowdy Spring Break parties and rain chances remain low.  Perhaps most importantly, the water color is more beautiful in the Spring and Summer.

4/20-

I don’t smoke pot, but I was flying high on this day.  I got a smokin’ deal too.  It was just $79 for a one- way ticket to Tampa.  The flight landed on time just after 6 PM but it was almost 7:30 by the time I got checked in to my hotel.  I wanted to make it down to the Riverwalk before sunset and just made it.  However, I found that the Tampa skyline was especially impressive at night.  I stopped for a drink on the way back then settled into bed for the night. 

4/21-

Got up for a junk run down at the Riverwalk, got cleaned up then hit the road to Fort Lauderdale at Hollywood Beach.  There is plenty to do on that boardwalk and prices are more reasonable compared to Miami.  I found that the beaches are just as nice too.  Though palm trees are ubiquitous throughout Florida, the tropical coconut variety just won’t survive north of Tampa.  I opted for I-75, which runs south to Naples before cutting east through the Everglades to Lauderdale.  It was a 4-hour drive and not very exciting but that’s okay.

  I have sampled just about every beach on the Atlantic coast from Miami to Jacksonville.  In general, the further south you go in FLA, you will find bluer and clearer water as well as the more tropical vibe but the negative for me is that it often gets deep quickly, which makes for short rides on the board.  To me, the best of both worlds is between Vero and Melbourne.  The beach was indeed beautiful in Hollywood, but my only gripe was there was quite a bit of seaweed.  I arrived at mid afternoon and stayed in the water until about 6:00.

4/22-

Full day in Hollywood.  I found that surf conditions were pretty good each day.  I caught many good waves and the rides to the shore were fairly long as well.  With the exception of a brief rain shower in the morning, it was partly sunny with air temps in the low 80s and water temps in the upper 70s.  Most everyone will find those conditions to be comfortable.   

4/23- Left Hollywood and headed down to South Pointe in Miami.  Supposedly, this is the bluest water on the Atlantic coast.  Indeed, it was very nice, but I didn’t notice much difference from Lauderdale.  It wasn’t as blue as Hawaii or Cancun but rather a more aqua tint.  After lunch in Miami, I headed north to Palm Beach. 

This was my favorite spot of the trip.  Less seaweed and longer rides on the board and though the water was a shade darker, it was just as clear and IMO, even more beautiful.  Again, I stayed out until almost 6 then took the rural route back to the Gulf.  The road was flat and straight.  If not for the occasional palm trees, you would think that you were in Illinois or Iowa.  It did become a bit more scenic west of Lake Okeechobee.  I stayed on the south side in the town of Clewiston.  I’ve long been curious about the predominant culture in rural South Florida.  I would not think that there would be many northern transplants, and I was correct.  It’s a good mix of Southern and Latino culture and yes, the southern accent has survived in isolated rural areas of South Florida. 

4/24- Arrived early in Lido Beach on the Gulf just outside of Sarasota.  Good thing I did arrive early because both parking and traffic turned into a nightmare later in the day.  Here, you will find snow white sand with emerald colored water with no seaweed that does not get deep quickly.  Waves were tiny but I was able to catch a few short rides. 

It’s rare to find good surf on this part of the Gulf but strangely, just a few miles up the road in Bradenton, conditions were quite different.  It did get deep quickly but I caught some decent sized waves.  I wanted to be in Bradenton Beach for the evening because it faces due west, and the sun sets directly over the water.  That did not disappoint.  I also met a very nice Puerto Rican girl at dinner.      

4/25- Sunshine Skyway to St. Petersburg and I wanted to catch a sunrise over the water.  I timed it well and arrived early at the beach again.  I chose Treasure Island, just south of Clearwater.  I only had a few hours before I had to get back to Tampa to catch my flight home.  Conditions here were similar to Lido Beach.  Clear emerald water with very little surf.  I was fine with that because my body was tired. 

Final Thought:

I expect to be back to both coasts in South Florida and although I’m glad I hit both coasts on the same trip once, I probably will not do it again.  Instead, I’ll stick to one coast and drive down.