Florida Road Trip!

On the first day, we packed up the van and left Kalamazoo, Michigan. We drove South until nighttime and parked in a National Forest somewhere to sleep in the van for the evening.

The next morning, we drove to Mammoth Caves in Kentucky, a vast system of underground caves in the area. We went on a tour and it was a very interesting experience. As you can expect being underground, it was somewhat dark and damp, but there were lights which showed massive cave formations and stalactites and stalagmites. I'd definitely recommend going on this tour, especially if you haven't spent time exploring an underground cave before (I hadn't!)

After that, we stopped in Nashville, Tennessee to explore Broadway Street. In the iconic music city, Broadway street is lined with boot dealers and honky tonk bars. We walked up and down the street and popped in to listen to some tunes, before driving off into the night and finding another National Forest to sleep in.

The next day we woke up and drove to Amicalola Falls State Park in Georgia for some hiking and waterfall adventures (my favorite). From there, we drove down to Sarasota Florida, where my boyfriend's father lived (the excuse for taking our road trip!) and stayed for the next few days.

For the next few days, we visited with his father and had some adventures of our own as well.

One day, the three of us went to Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium, which rehabilitates injured wildlife. There were sharks, jellyfish, fish, and even a giant squid!

Another day, my boyfriend and I visited the Ringling Museum, of the famous Ringling Circus. At the museum there are costumes, old box cars, lots of history, and even the Ringling's elaborately decorated home is available for tour.

Most of the days we spent at least a little time visiting the beautiful white-quartz sand beaches that Sarasota is known for, namely Siesta Beach. What is so amazing about these beaches is that the sand stays cool, so no matter how hot and sunny it is, you never burn your feet!

We also visited the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida as well. While we were there, they also had an M.C. Escher exhibit, an artist known for his gravity and reality bending architectural drawings, so we were in for a real treat.

After our time in Florida, we started making our way north again. We drove to Asheville and stayed the night at a house full of friends and travelers. We all threw in on a potluck style dinner and had an evening of wholesome food and conversation. The next day, we explored the Great Smoky Mountain National Park for some hiking before continuing on the road home.