Oh the great Sunshine State, you will truly be missed. Your beautiful beaches, breathtaking sunsets, and humid summers…just kidding, I won’t miss those!
My last day in Florida was spent true to form; brunch on Fort Lauderdale beach soaking in the sunshine, gazing at the beautiful horizon, and stuffing my face with a delicious egg sandwich from H20 Café.
Getting Ready for the Big Trip
I spent the remainder of the day, my face covered by the largest sunglasses I own, saying my final goodbyes, running around like a crazy woman finishing last-minute errands and of course…still packing!
My aunt flew in from San Diego that evening to join me on my cross-country adventure. As she arrived to find my life and belongings still in disarray, I assured her that I wasn’t too attached to any of my things and whatever didn’t fit in my car in the morning, wasn’t coming!
Secretly, I was panicking. I had donated bags, I mean bags, of stuff over the past couple months and it still looked like I had a ridiculous amount to take. How the heck was I going to pack all of this shit into my little Nissan Altima Coupe?
Day 1: Fort Lauderdale, FL to Savannah, GA
Miles Driven: 458
States: Florida · Georgia
5am wake-up call for my last Florida sunrise and let me tell you, the skies put on a show! I’m pretty sure this was Fort Lauderdale’s way of saying goodbye to me. I’m so pleased my aunt’s first and only experience of Fort Lauderdale, and Florida was a breathtaking beach sunrise.
We dipped our feet into the Atlantic Ocean…well, that’s an understatement! We may have gotten a little too close to the shoreline. So, when I say we dipped our feet, I mean fully emerged, sneakers included!
Walking down the beach, sneakers completely soaked, we head back to my car only to find a lovely parking ticket on my window! It was later dropped, I had entered the wrong license plate number ::facepalm:: but thank you, Florida, for the last-minute stress!
Time to Hit the Road
My aunt also experienced her first Florida rain shower, which lasted all of 15 minutes, and was the exact 15 minutes I started packing the car. No rush. I waited it out before playing life-sized Tetris to get my luggage into the car.
Three suitcases, a yoga mat, foam roller, medium-sized cooler, a gym bag full of weights and boxing gloves because you never know and 3 duffle bags full of beauty products, books, journals and whatever the hell else I randomly shoved in them at the last minute (I literally have no idea) …oh and my aunt’s suitcase!
Happy to say, not too much was left behind.
As I left my key on the counter and locked my front door for the very last time, a wave of sadness came over me and I just about lost it for the millionth time that week.
The wave of sadness passed as the sheer excitement and adventure filled the car.
The World’s Most Famous Beach
We timed our departure after the rush hour craziness and hit 95 making our way north. Of course, road trips are never without delays and construction, so we ended up sitting in an hour of dead-stop traffic before being detoured along the scenic A1A route to Daytona Beach.
I had heard so many references to the “World’s Most Famous Beach”, though I knew nothing of their claim to fame. This was just the beginning of The Ultimate Road Trip Game.
Leaving our shoes in the car this time, we strolled along the “World’s Most Famous Beach”. Through a light drizzle, stretching our legs, we made the trek down to the pier; watching surfers catch waves, children building sandcastles, and enlightening ourselves with Daytona’s history.
In the 1920s, this beach was named the “World’s Most Famous Beach” for its wide, smooth, hard-packed sands that were used for high-speed automobile testing, and later, for racing. Daytona is a mecca for racing enthusiasts, with the development of the Daytona International Speedway built by NASCAR in the ’50s.
Friendship Fountain
Next, we drove up the coast to Jacksonville, Florida’s largest city and the largest city by area in the United States- pretty impressive. Jacksonville sits in the northeastern region of Florida, where the St. John’s River meets the Atlantic Ocean.
Finding parking at St. Johns River Park, also known as Friendship Fountain Park, was certainly more of a mission than I anticipated. A doe-eyed boy, working his summer job as a parking attendant at the Museum of Science and History, gave us rather poor directions for the parking lot. I ended up driving over the John T. Alsop Jr. Bridge twice, until finally parking in a permit-only parking lot that I was sure was going to land me another parking ticket.
When opened in the ’60s, Friendship Fountain would be the world’s largest and tallest fountain! Recently renovated, the surrounding park and fountain were picturesque.
Mirrored River: Where do you see yourself?
Wandering the park’s path leading underneath the John T. Alsop Jr. Bridge, we came across a public art piece of mosaic mirrors representing a path of the St. Johns River showcasing the figurative and literal reflections.
Yelping My Way Across the United States: BB’s
Making our way back to the car, I was already Yelping dinner. A 4.5-star restaurant only half a mile away from Friendship Fountain Park, BB’s, offers a mix of American continental cuisine. I probably should have checked the attire before arriving, although it says casual, we felt very under-dressed.
I was too hungry to care.
Arriving at BB’s it appeared casual from the outside, with a palm tree-lined patio and an industrial modern vibe. Walking into the restaurant we were greeted with high beamed ceilings, beautiful wood floors, and stainless steel appliances on top of clean white décor. I was thankful we were seated in a booth near the back wall with dimmed lights, as there seemed to be a few large crowds of business professionals partaking in happy hour.
Once settled, I did not care how short my shorts were or that I was wearing my Converse sneakers, as long as my waiter kept my glass full and brought my food out fast, I would be satisfied.
The staff was extremely knowledgeable about the menu, which I always appreciate.
We immediately started with something off the Little B’s section.
When the stuffed mozzarella bruschetta came out topped with pine nuts and basil, we were in heaven.
This was one of the best bruschetta I have ever had.
At this point, I trusted this waiter with my order and my life, so when he strongly encouraged the jambalaya pizza, I didn’t look any further.
Gluten-free, andouille sausage, Cajun shrimp, grilled chicken, bell peppers, mozzarella, and creole tomato sauce. With the rich Cajun seasoning and creole flavors, I felt like I was back in New Orleans, BB’s did a fantastic job putting this pizza together. It was so big and filling; I ate half and took the rest for my road trip snack collection (for the record, it was just as delicious cold the next day).
Unfortunately, I didn’t save room for dessert, however, the women beside us did and from the looks on their faces and the sheer silence at their table, I’m pretty sure it was just as delicious as the appetizers and entrées.
If you’re ever in Jacksonville, make your way into BB’s- there’s free wifi!
Lodging in the Historic District of Savannah
We booked our hotel that afternoon while in Daytona Beach for the Best Western Savannah Historic District. The drive into Savannah took us straight down Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd to our hotel on East Bay Street which backs up to the Savannah River. Arriving after 11 pm, we didn’t get much of a scenic drive and were far too exhausted to care. We had the day ahead of us to explore this quaint, historic Southern city.
Have you driven the coast of Florida? Where are your favorite places to stop?
