In November we spent eleven days driving across Florida: four theme parks, a water park, a water rocket or two, several beaches, an airboat through the Everglades, an NFL game and somehow an afternoon in a gun range. Here is how it went, day by day, along with the practical bits I wish I had known before we set off.
Saturday 1st November: Landing in Miami
We arrived at Miami airport in the afternoon and had a Chipotle and a Wendy’s while my brother drove us up to Melbourne, where we stayed in a Super 8 by Wyndham. The rooms looked dated but were large and clean.
Breakfast in the morning was in the reception area with four tables, and there was a big selection of food: fruit, oats, cereals, coffee, even black tea. There was also a fridge with microwavable sausage muffins, which I ate.
Sunday 2nd November: Kennedy Space Center
We drove up from Melbourne to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in the morning. Parking cost $15 and tickets were $100 each. Once you pass the turnstiles there are many full-size rockets on display outside, from all sorts of missions.
There are several buildings with different activities inside. Usually these take the form of a documentary in a full theatre, followed by a museum of different artefacts. One of the main artefacts is the Space Shuttle Atlantis, suspended from the ceiling and revealed after a five-minute, propaganda-like clip of the USA’s space achievements – a very moving production!
Another activity was the Shuttle Launch Experience, which was excellent. It is a closed room with around 30 seats where you watch a screen and the motion is simulated. It begins with a full 90-degree turn so that you are lying on your back, then takes you through the stages of a launch, from take-off all the way into orbit. There is a long pre-show with interviews with former astronauts who hype up the ride as “the most realistic experience”, along with other information about the launch.
The main activity we did was an extended bus tour of the compound, which lasted three hours. The coach went to various launch pads, including the one used for the moon landings, past the SpaceX and Blue Origin buildings, viewing platforms and unmanned camera positions, before finally ending at the Apollo/Saturn V Center, which houses a full-size Saturn V rocket well away from the main entrance.
In this building you first enter a standing theatre for a five-minute introductory film, then move into a theatre overlooking the original firing room consoles used for the Apollo 11 launch. Above is a projection showing the 24 hours before the launch, with a countdown. At the end of the countdown the video cuts to different angles of the lift-off, and the special effects kick in: the whole theatre glows red and the window clatters, as if the rocket were going up just outside.
After all that excitement the doors open onto a giant hall with the Saturn V rocket, a lunar landing module, a gift shop, a room displaying moon rocks and a café. Every 15 minutes or so there is a call to the theatre at the end of the hall, where a film plays about the development of the Apollo missions, complete with a stage built to look like the lunar surface, a landing module dropping from the ceiling, and lighting effects and astronauts lighting up as if you were on the Moon. The coach then took us back to the main complex, and we left just before closing and headed to Orlando.
In Orlando we ate dinner at a nice Indian restaurant on International Drive, near our hotel, the Ramada Plaza by Wyndham Orlando. The rooms here were lovely and parking was free. Breakfast was included but simple, with little to no protein (pancakes, waffles, toast, jam, syrups and cereals).
Disney parks: a bit of preparation
Since we were only doing two Disney parks and two Universal parks in four days, we chose to pay the $20–30 each for Disney’s Lightning Lane Multi Pass. These are very useful. Here is how it works:
- Through the app you book up to three slots before the park opens, to “jump the queue” on three rides. The rides are tiered, so you can only pick one from the group of most in-demand attractions, and the single most popular ride in each park is excluded entirely; that one is sold separately as a Lightning Lane Single Pass.
- At each ride you enter the express lane by tapping your RFID entry ticket.
- Each use of the express lane opens up another slot for another ride, so it works like a rolling three-ride pass.
Almost every ride at EPCOT and Hollywood Studios lets you take a bag on board (there are no compulsory lockers the way there are at Universal) so don’t feel shy about taking your camera. Even on the fast rides!
Monday 3rd November: Disney’s Hollywood Studios
An Uber from our hotel was around $15 this morning. The park opens at 9am, so we aimed to leave at 8am. All the tickets are RFID, which means you tap your phone or watch to make the turnstile spin. We had read online that ID would be required for UK visitors, but this is only if you are collecting tickets, not if you already have them on your phone.
On entering the park you are greeted by a mock-up boulevard of themed shops, a lot of it in the art deco style. Around 100m in it opens up into a vast square. Turning right onto another boulevard feels like walking into a theatre district, with shop signs styled like theatre marquees, old-fashioned lamps on each side of the road and restaurants and bars with outdoor seating on the left. A three-minute walk down here gets you to the Aerosmith-themed ride and the Tower of Terror, and later in the evening a new section opens up to lead you to the amphitheatre for the night-time show.
We started our day at the Aerosmith ride, which broke down after we had queued for 20 minutes. We were given a Lightning Lane pass for it and rode it later once it reopened.
Here is a bit about each attraction we experienced.
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
A slow ride, but with lots of cartoons brought to life in 3D.
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
A motion simulator where up to six people share the controls. You fly the Millennium Falcon and shoot your way to getting a package back to the home planet. The queue is themed like a cave complex.
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
A fast indoor coaster with two rollover loops and a corkscrew. The plot is that you are getting to a gig on time in a stretch limousine, taking short cuts. The ride throws you through different areas of the city, with intersections where cars come close to hitting you.
Note for anyone planning a trip now: the Aerosmith version closed in March 2026 and the same coaster reopened in May 2026 as Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets. The track layout is unchanged.
Slinky Dog Dash
A Toy Story outdoor coaster. The queue theming is so cool; you feel like one of the toys, with even the structure looking as though it has been built from K’NEX. There are giant pencils, clipboards, crayons, drawings and huge boxes for a rollercoaster toy set. The ride itself is fast and has lots of moments of airtime, with the carriages made to look like Slinky Dog. Just before pulling into the exit there is a giant penguin toy singing “You’ve Got a Friend in Me”, which is a lovely finishing touch.
Star Tours
A motion simulator that fits around 30 people. It takes you to different planets in the Star Wars universe with C-3PO at the controls. The ride has a lot of jolts, since C-3PO was never programmed to fly, but it is a great ride overall.
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
I skipped this one, as I hate sharp vertical drops and this ride has several, even if I was told “it isn’t that bad”. I did go and see the pre-show, and that alone sets the stage. Again, the theming in the queue is excellent; a decaying 1930s Hollywood hotel, right down to the dust on the furniture.
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
Arguably the best ride in the park. It has the longest queue, but we managed to get on it twice because later in the day the wait dropped to 20 minutes. The whole experience begins in the queue, which takes you through the corridors of a First Order Star Destroyer. At one point it opens up into a hangar with a squad of stormtroopers lined up, a TIE fighter, and staff in character as First Order officers telling you to move along.
Then the pre-show begins, with a 3D clip of Kylo Ren and General Hux telling you that you cannot escape, followed by boarding the actual ride vehicle, which is a trackless autonomous car.
The ride itself has you in that vehicle as it tries to escape the ship, with special effects like laser fire, animatronics, Kylo Ren chasing you, motion simulation and 3D screens acting as windows looking out into space. It is truly amazing since you really do feel like you are inside the film.
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
A show with live stunts. It is epic, and has you clenching as spikes pop out of the floor next to the stuntman. Amazing to watch although unfortunately there was a technical problem a third of the way through our showing, so we did not see much of it.
Fantasmic!
An evening show in an amphitheatre next to an artificial mountain and moat, near the Aerosmith ride. The gates open around 20:30. You get music, pyrotechnics, stunts, boats, dancing, singing, cartoons projected onto water, fire on water and much more. Go early to get a good seat. It is so spectacular it may make some people shed a happy tear.
Tuesday 4th November: Disney’s EPCOT
I would recommend this park to anyone of any age. We got there early so we could get to Guardians of the Galaxy first, as it is a very popular ride, and again we bought the Lightning Lane pass for the day.
As you enter you see a giant ball about the size of a small skyscraper, which is the trademark of the park.
The back half of the park is arranged around a large man-made lake, with each section themed to a different country. Walking around the lagoon without stopping takes roughly 25 minutes (it is a 1.2-mile loop). There are eleven pavilions in total. Going anticlockwise from the International Gateway they run: United Kingdom, France, Morocco, Japan, The American Adventure, Italy, Germany, China, Norway, Mexico and finally Canada. Each section may have a ride (Ratatouille is in France, Frozen in Norway) but generally the focus is food and drink relating to that country. The buildings are in the style of the country and the staff speak the native language, which we found very immersive.
The best thing about EPCOT is that it isn’t just about fast rides. There are multiple theatres, slow rides that play out like a documentary, and plenty of food options. Theme parks are usually expensive places to eat and EPCOT is no exception if you decide to (in my opinion) waste time on a sit-down meal. But there are affordable street-food options in each section, which let you try bites from around the world.
These are the attractions we experienced.
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
You sit in a trackless cart on a flat floor, much like Rise of the Resistance, wearing 3D glasses. You journey around a kitchen as if you were a rat, past oversized containers full of food, with 3D screens showing action sequences from the film and motion simulation from the cart. The 3D works well, although the ride keeps stopping as I think people keep dropping their glasses.
Frozen Ever After
A slow ride, but the animatronics and visuals are excellent.
The American Adventure
A hidden gem in the America section. It’s a theatre with a film about the history of the USA, but on the stage in front of the screen, sets rise up with animatronics delivering the dialogue. It lasts around 30 minutes and is a relaxing thing to do, especially if you have been on your feet all day. Theatre attractions generally don’t have queues, so you can leave them until later in the day.
Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival
Another theatre attraction. Sit back and watch some short Pixar films in 3D. Again, relaxing, and no wait.
Eat to the Beat Concert
I believe the line-up changes depending on the time of year, but it generally offers live music from around 5:30pm near the America section. You can hear it as you walk past, so there is no need to plan around it.
Gran Fiesta Tour
A slow boat ride in the Mexico section, which is again relaxing. You just float round watching animatronics of Disney’s Mexican-themed characters singing and dancing.
Living with the Land
Another relaxing boat ride, this one with a strong environmental theme, taking you through Disney’s own greenhouses. It talks a lot about sustainable farming and Disney’s own food growing. Next to some of the crops there are signs pointing you to locations in EPCOT where you can buy food made with that very crop.
Journey Into Imagination With Figment
Another slow ride, this one a tour of the Imagination Institute’s laboratories with Figment hijacking proceedings as your guide through the senses.
Luminous: The Symphony of Us
At the end of the day, around 9pm, a great fireworks and music display on the lake lasting around 16 minutes. The best view is from the main entrance side, close to the water’s edge.
Reflections of China
A standing theatre with a 360-degree film, mainly about the geographic diversity of China. Leave this until the end, as there is no queue.
The Seas with Nemo & Friends
A slow ride with screens and a nice story. It feels like you’re swimming along with the fish.
Soarin’ Around the World
An immersive film where you are suspended in seats high in the air, a bit like being in a low-flying aeroplane with an open roof. There is gentle motion along with weather and scent effects as the film takes you across the landscapes of the world. I can still remember the smell of green grass as we passed elephants in Africa.
Test Track
A reasonably fast, flat, mostly indoor coaster. The theming begins in the queue with a futuristic showroom full of concept vehicles. The indoor section feels like racing around a multi-storey car park, with scene changes from the great outdoors to the inner city and finally a race track, which takes the ride outside at around 65mph. Afterwards you walk out through a real showroom with vehicles actually on sale.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
Arguably the best ride in the whole of Disney World, and I must admit I was impressed. The queue is themed to the films, naturally, with videos playing and holograms, and then there is a pre-show with the main characters setting the scene.
The ride is entirely indoors and very immersive, simulating travel through space. It is almost completely dark, with stars sparkling and planets sliding past. Some video does play in places, but on the whole it feels like you are flying through space, because you can barely see the track. The cart you sit in also twists left and right. Although I wouldn’t call it intense, anyone prone to motion sickness may struggle, precisely because you can’t see where the track is going.
Wednesday 5th November: Universal Epic Universe
Epic Universe was only about six months old when we visited, having opened in May 2025. It is essentially a brand new Universal park with some state-of-the-art rides. It opens slightly later than the other parks, at 10am, and closes at 10pm. Unlike the Disney parks there was no closing show.
Be aware that all but a few rides require you to take everything off your person. Fortunately there are lockers at each ride that open and close using facial recognition, but they won’t fit large bags.
Beyond the rides there is some great theming, evening music, and lighting and fountains after dark. But make no mistake, this park is about the rides.
There are five themed lands: Celestial Park, Super Nintendo World, Dark Universe, How to Train Your Dragon (Isle of Berk), and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Ministry of Magic).
Other than Stardust Racers, I was becoming frustrated, because the queue times were much longer than at the Disney parks (some nearing two hours) which makes you feel like you’ve been in line for an eternity. Even the food venues had queues to sit down, rubbing salt in the wound.
Stardust Racers
The most intense coaster in the park, in Celestial Park, the closest land to the main entrance. It is a fast outdoor coaster reaching 62mph, with a signature inversion called the Celestial Spin, in which the two trains twist over one another, plus a lot of upward acceleration and airtime.
The queue time hovered around 20 minutes all day thanks to efficient loading and high capacity (two trains of 20 riders launch together, one after another, in quick succession. The removal of personal items (watch, phone, coins and so on) is strict here, with airport-style security after you have put everything in a locker. We managed to ride it three times because the queue was so short, and it was an excellent ride. The two symmetrical tracks operate at the same time, so you genuinely race the people in the other train, which is an amazing feeling.
Super Nintendo World
This area has breath-taking theming. it really is as if you are inside the game.
Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge
An indoor kart ride with augmented reality, where you race to collect coins. The theming of the queue is excellent, as if you are inside Bowser’s castle, and there are plenty of photo opportunities. The ride itself is a bit jolty, with frequent starting and stopping, but the AR visors are very impressive, provided you have seated yours correctly. This ride does allow you to bring bags on board.
Donkey Kong Mine-Cart Madness
A medium-speed outdoor coaster that simulates a mine cart. There is a lack of theming in the queue, so the wait feels even longer. The ride itself is great fun, as you follow a fake mine cart track with gaps in it. At each gap you either simulate a jump or appear to fall onto another track. Don’t worry though, the actual rail sits about two metres below the mine cart track, which is what creates the illusion of coming off. Another clever piece of ride design.
Yoshi’s Adventure
The slowest ride in the park. Relaxing, but there isn’t much to see beyond more Mario characters and props. You won’t miss much if you skip it.
Dark Universe
This area is spooky.
Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment
A gentle screen-and-jump-scare hybrid indoor ride which I think is a hidden gem. You stay sitting or leaning back while the ride takes you through the story of Dr Victoria Frankenstein’s attempt to control the monsters. Don’t be put off by the pre-show, which rather exaggerates the movements. The jump scares are about what you’d expect, but what this ride really excels at is its multi-depth screens and weather effects; 3D screens layered along the ride combine with real animatronics, and the result is genuinely immersive.
How to Train Your Dragon: Isle of Berk
Hiccup’s Wing Gliders
A fast family coaster with no inversions that takes you around the dragon park, though there is minimal theming in the queue.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Ministry of Magic
This area has a French feel to it, since it is built around 1920s wizarding Paris from Fantastic Beasts.
Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry
A motion simulator with multi-depth screens and mixed-reality effects. It is honestly so immersive; akin to Monsters Unchained, but I think better. You sit in a lift that moves between different rooms and simulates motion as the battle from the last book plays out around you.
The queue held at three hours all day until around 8pm, when it dropped and we ran for it. The queue line is spectacular, set in the main atrium seen in the film and winding through corridors and rooms full of Harry Potter magic, including posters with moving images.
Thursday 6th November: Universal’s Volcano Bay
Another Universal park, but this time a water park. Water shoes are highly recommended, as there are so many places that can cut you.
Being off-season there were small queues for the slides, but some food outlets and locker areas were closed.
Krakatau Aqua Coaster
One of the most impressive rides in the park. It uses linear induction motors (essentially magnets) to propel the canoe uphill as well as down, so it climbs against gravity rather than relying on the flow of water. Really fast, with quick drops. The loading area runs on a conveyor belt system so the queue moves well. The one problem is that the water was cold, and the seats you sit in are often submerged in it.
Taniwha Tubes (Tonga & Raki)
My favourite slides in the park; a group of four tube slides with the same mechanics, seating one or two people. The turns are intense enough that you really feel the lateral Gs, and the water and air inside the tube were warm. Best of all, the exit is right next to the entrance.
Ko’okiri Body Plunge
The trap-door slide, a 125ft drop at a near-vertical 70 degrees. You honestly don’t feel it in your stomach (it isn’t free-fall, only nearly upright) it is just very, very fast. It feels like you’re dropping faster than the water is flowing. At times it feels like your body is being tenderised, though that depends on the rhythm of the water when you drop. You need to be reasonably fit to ride it, since it is around 200 steps just to get to the top.
Waturi Beach and the winding river
If you want to relax, head to the wave village, which is a proper beach with real sand and sunbeds. The wave machine switches on at intervals, signalled by a bell. There is also the Kopiko Wai Winding River, where you can sit in a ring and drift along. For something less relaxing but still not a slide, try TeAwa The Fearless River, where you strap on a life vest and move a lot faster.
Honu ika Moana
A party of five can share a single raft on this one, and we went on it twice. It is frightening though, because there are multiple open sections where you feel certain you’re about to go over the edge of the slide.
The park closed around 5pm, so we left straight for our hotel, the Courtyard by Marriott Clearwater Beach. On the way we stopped at Costco for petrol (and of course we went into the warehouse and had some hot food while we were there). Their turkey sandwich in particular was excellent, and like all Costco food, cheap.
When we reached the hotel we got a free upgrade, and our room was enormous; you could have fitted two more queen-size beds in there. It also had a pool-level balcony, where we ate breakfast the next morning (blueberry muffins from Costco the night before).
Friday 7th November: Clearwater, a gun range and a Sanibel sunset
We left early and parked near Clearwater Beach, at Pier 60. Parking was $5 an hour nearby, and we discovered here (and at the other beaches we visited later) that there are amenities like showers, foot washes and toilets near the sand.
After this we headed towards Sanibel, and in the car we got onto the subject of whether we could fire some guns. So we looked up ranges on Google, found a gun shop on our route, and went in. It was the most surreal experience: you walk into what looks like a regular shop and are greeted by countless rifles hanging on the walls, more elite weapons in glass cabinets, and attachments; much like a camera shop.
I simply said to one of the staff, “We’re from the UK and we want to try out some guns.” No ID, no questions, just sign this waiver form.
We rented a lane on the range for $25, a rifle for $25 and a pistol for $25. Ballistic glasses and ear defenders were around $5 for the four of us. We bought rifle and pistol ammunition on top, and the total came to about $318. The staff member gave us some minimal instruction on how to use the weapons in the range, and that was it. Good luck!
It was worth the money: we spent a good two hours in the range. Having never fired a gun with gunpowder ammunition before, I was surprised not to feel recoil pushing back at me; instead each shot kicked the gun upwards. I also finally got to see what a smoking gun really means, because these things get hot and start smoking. The smell of gunpowder, however, is awful.
For dinner we ate at Taco Bell. I think this was my first time in one and I was spoilt for choice as the menu was overwhelming. What I did like was that the meals aren’t just a wrap, chips and a drink. It’s usually a large main wrap, like a burrito, then a smaller item such as a taco, and then another small side. Definite value for money.
Sunset was approaching and we wanted to see a good one, so we drove to Bowman’s Beach on Sanibel. The sunset was beautiful and I got a lot of pictures. However, we had forgotten to put on insect repellent and were eaten alive by small insects.
Saturday 8th November: Naples, Marco Island and the Everglades
Today’s journey would take us to Everglades City, but on the way we stopped in Naples. Not Italy but Florida. We started at Naples Pier, dipped our feet in the sea and walked across the white sand, spending about an hour there, then took a detour around the mansions of Marco Island to see how the other half live.
We reached the Everglades Adventures Hotel Suites by Ivey House in Everglades City just after lunchtime, having booked an airboat tour through the Everglades for 4pm. With time to spare, we relaxed in the hotel swimming pool.
The airboat tour was an amazing experience. We only saw one alligator, right at the end and in an unusual spot near the docking area. Even so, the experience of zooming through narrow Everglades passages, with the constant sense that you might fall off and the simple feeling of wind in your hair, was exhilarating.
Having skipped lunch, and after all that excitement, we found a pizza place in Everglades City that was quintessentially American, with huge portion sizes. To end the night we went to a local outdoor bar, drinking cocktails while we listened to an impressive one-man band (singing while simultaneously playing harmonica, drum and guitar) perform country songs about stereotypical Everglades alligators and Florida storms.
Sunday 9th November: Miami and the Dolphins
Breakfast was not included at the hotel in Everglades City, but we had pizza left over from the night before, and the room had a kitchenette with a sink, plates, microwave and coffee machine.
With Everglades City sitting near the Gulf coast, we set off early to reach Miami, where we would be watching the Miami Dolphins play the Buffalo Bills. On the way we passed signs to the much-discussed “Alligator Alcatraz” detention facility, but we had no time to detour.
After parking and taking a shuttle bus to Hard Rock Stadium, we headed to the fan area. The Americans make such an event out of a sports match. The on-site car park was full of stalls selling food and people running private barbecues, like a car boot sale, while the fan park had games and challenges, and freebies if you signed up to marketing lists from various companies. You could even get your picture taken with some of the cheerleaders.
As kick-off approached I went to the concessions inside the stadium to buy a hot dog. Being in America, I was expecting an American-sized hot dog. Instead it seemed to be British-sized, and I paid full price. The one time I decide to splash out on food, and I get ripped off!
The game started, and the two of us who were new to American football kept asking the other two what was happening at various points. On the long car journeys they had explained the rules to us in depth, but there were edge cases in the match that prompted a fresh round of questions. There was good entertainment during the intervals, and in the end the Dolphins won 30–13. It was a great experience seeing how the fans reacted to different moments in the match, and how civilised it all was compared to a football match in the UK.
After the game it took around two hours to reach our next hotel, the Hotel Riu Plaza Miami Beach, thanks to a long wait for the park-and-ride shuttle coaches back to the car park.
We paid for the buffet dinner at the hotel for $36, and it was fantastic. Every dish looked as though it had been produced by a proper chef, and if you wanted something other than what was on the hot plates you could walk over and have a burger cooked in front of you, or a cut of freshly roasted turkey, or some pasta. One thing I did notice was that the chefs were speaking French to each other, so perhaps they were the real deal?
We had a short stroll along the paved beach path behind the hotel before retiring.
Monday 10th November: Downtown Miami and Miami Beach
There was no specific event or activity today. Breakfast was included and, like the evening buffet, was genuinely good quality. We did have to ask staff for black tea and milk, as it wasn’t self-service. Omelettes were available at the made-to-order counter, alongside the prepared self-serve areas.
One of our group was feeling unwell and stayed at the hotel all day. After breakfast the rest of us ventured out to downtown Miami for a wander. We took a bus, which took around 40 minutes from our hotel and cost just $2.25.
Downtown we visited a market leading off an outdoor shopping mall, of which both were uninspiring. We did, however, make the obligatory visit to the Hard Rock Cafe, where my brother bought some merchandise, and the shop sits next to a yacht yard, which made for some excellent photos. We walked around past some very expensive-looking hotels. For lunch I had a $5 deal from 7-Eleven (two slices of pizza and a Pepsi) while my friend had a Chipotle. We took an Uber back to the hotel.
Back at the hotel, our fourth was already sunning himself on the beach behind it, so the three of us got into our trunks and headed down too. We spent a good two hours on the beach and swimming in the sea, then another half hour in the hotel pool before washing off for the evening.
For dinner we walked to the Cheesecake Factory. I was very impressed, having never been before: good prices, an extensive menu, large portions, free refills and no tipping necessary (it says so in the menu). The main was so large that I had no room for dessert. The food quality was also excellent, on a par with a smart restaurant. I had a katsu curry; my friend had rice with deep-fried sticky cauliflower, which strongly resembled pork.
The weather was changing, with a drop of 10°C overnight. On the walk back to the hotel we spotted a reporter from the local news asking people how they felt about the temperature drop, said to be the biggest since the early 1900s. At first he didn’t want to interview us once he learnt we were tourists, but I mentioned that it’s good to add balance in journalism, and he asked us a few questions. I said it was just like UK weather, while my brother went on camera to talk about being an American football fan and having watched the Dolphins the previous day.
I checked the local news website that day and the next but never did find us on camera.
Tuesday 11th November: Veterans Day and the flight home
After breakfast we walked to Ocean Drive, where a Veterans Day parade was scheduled. The public lined up on both sides of the road and the parade began: first the Miami Police, then the fire service, then local officials, then a series of high schools marching and chanting. Afterwards there were speeches on an outdoor stage. Despite the falling temperature, the sun meant it still felt like 20–30°C by lunchtime.
The speeches dragged on a bit, so we walked back to the hotel, stopping on the way for some falafel.
Back at the hotel we collected our cases from the others’ room, settled our restaurant bill at reception, and took the bus (again, $2.25) to the airport, where we had some mini Dunkin’ Donuts and a Burger King.