After a New England camping trip in fall, we took our trailer south along the East Coast the following spring. The recipe remained the same: enjoying stunning nature to the fullest by setting up camp right in the middle of it. Spring in Florida is the perfect time to end the winter blues and start dreaming of summer.

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Day 1: Road to the South

Our home base of Norfolk, Virginia is conveniently located in the middle of the East Coast. Both Northern Maine and Southern Florida are within driving reach, at just below 1000 miles one-way. With countless beautiful places along the East Coast, a trip can easily be turned into a road trip.

We split up the drive to Florida with a night on Tybee Island halfway. This barrier island in Georgia is a popular vacation spot with beach-goers from Northern states. Our beach bar was set higher: we quickly realized our beach desires would have to be satisfied further down south. We did enjoy lunch in The Crab Shack, a Tybee Island staple and unique outdoor spot for seafood boils.

Stay: Rivers End Campground, Tybee Island

We usually stay away from private campgrounds, but we didn’t have a choice on Tybee Island. Rivers End Campground is located at walking distance from the beach. The live oaks draped with Spanish moss give a true Georgia feel to the campground.

Day 2: Florida’s Route A1A

From northern Georgia, it took us about three hours to reach the Florida border. Passing Jacksonville, we entered Florida’s A1A Highway. The A1A runs for 338 miles along the Atlantic, from northern Florida all the way to Key West. In return for countless traffic lights and pedestrian crossings, you can cruise windows down with scenic ocean views all around.

The 72-mile stretch between Jacksonville and Flagler Beach is designated as A1A Scenic & Historic Coastal Byway. This is the most undeveloped part of the A1A, allowing you to pull off on the side of the road and have a picnic on the beach. Which is exactly what we did at Beverly Beach.

From Flagler Beach south to famous Daytona, the A1A becomes crowded and parking with a trailer almost impossible. We continued on the I-95 for the last four hours to Miami. Bulow Creek State Park offers a scenic drive from the A1A back to the interstate.

Stay: Gamble Rogers State Park, Flagler Beach

Gamble Rogers State Park is located right on the A1A in Flagler Beach. There is a beachside and riverside to the state park. The beachside is fully reserved months in advance, with oceanfront sites steps away from the beach. The riverside is just across the street from the A1A and is where we ended up staying. It is a peaceful oasis that should not yield to its oceanfront neighbor.

Day 3: Miami

Miami is hard to skip on a road trip through Florida, although my husband would be happy to. I always like returning to Florida’s colorful metropolis, albeit for a quick visit. Miami is a unique mix of beautiful beaches, trendy restaurants, cocktails with a view and art deco masterworks, all with a touch of glitz and glam. My guide to Miami packs ten favorites in a trip for first-timers.

Our time in Miami was limited, as we were just stopping by to visit family. Looking for a good family beach, we spent the day at Crandon Park on Key Biscayne. Key Biscayne houses some of the best beaches in Miami, without the crowds of Miami Beach. Unfortunately, we were reminded of Miami’s flip side when heading back home after the beach: we discovered that our car was broken into in plain daylight. Next time, we’ll stick to the crowds of Miami Beach.

Day 4 & 5: The Florida Keys

The Florida Keys are an archipelago off the Southern Florida Coast, stretching into the Gulf of Mexico for 120 scenic miles. The group of small islands is connected by the iconic Overseas Highway, where the road is the destination. I captured ten favorite stops on the Overseas Highway in this post from my first visit to the Keys in 2018. Lunch on the beach at Islamorada’s Lazy Days sets the tone for two days of island vibes.

This time around, we were exploring the camping side of the Keys. To my surprise, the Florida Keys are dotted with campgrounds, the majority of them private and very expensive. The exceptions to this rule are the state park campgrounds, which are therefore in high demand. There are three state parks with camping facilities in the Keys: John Pennekamp Coral Reef, Curry Hammock and Bahia Honda. The latter is by far the most popular and fills up as soon as reservations open, 11 months in advance. With campsites practically on the beach, it’s not hard to see why.

After checking the park’s website for a couple of weeks, an oceanfront site at Bahia Honda State Park opened up. The park is named after the Bahia Honda Rail Bridge, which was used as a railroad before it served as part of the Overseas Highway. The bridge was put out of use in the seventies and is now open to pedestrians. A short climb reveals the stunning shades of blue of the ocean below.

Bahia Honda State Park is flanked by several beaches, but the best one is at the south side of the bridge. The water is calm, shallow and warm even at the start of April. The tropical waters of the Keys come with treasures of the sea: our favorite find was a sea biscuit, part of the sand dollar family.

A beautiful sunset the first night turned into a crazy thunderstorm on our second night at Bahia Honda. We saw tent campers arrive and turn back around, happy to be sheltering in our trailer but wishing it was heavier for once. Nonetheless, it passed the tropical storm test with flying colors.

No trip to the Keys would be complete without visiting Key West. One of Hemingway’s tropical homes and favorite watering holes, the little town receives more daily visitors than it has residents. The colorful streets are perfect for wandering around without a goal, island-style.

Stay: Bahia Honda State Park, Florida Keys

We stayed in the Sandspur Campground at oceanfront site 71. The sites in this loop are hard to come by if you don’t reserve months in advance, but it’s worth keeping an eye on the website for cancellations.

Day 6 & 7: Fort de Soto

Our next destination took us to Florida’s Gulf Coast, home to the best beaches in the state. There are plenty of beach towns with clear and shallow waters on this side of the Sunshine State. Fort de Soto came out as the clear winner for campers like us. The county park is spread out over five interconnected keys off the Tampa coast.

Just like Bahia Honda in the Keys, the campground makes up the destination. Fort de Soto is a tropical camping enclave right on the water. The 238 sites are tucked away in what feels like a tropical forest. The undeniable sign of civilization are bold raccoons, sneaking around for food.

The best part about Fort de Soto are the beaches. We parked at North Beach and walked all around the northern tip of the key looking for the best spot. Because of the storm the previous day, North Beach was less calm than usual. We settled on the inside of the bay, where the water resembled a kiddy pool.

Camping at Fort de Soto comes with another surprise: a stunning golden hour to end a perfect beach day. Fort de Soto is one of our favorite campgrounds we have stayed at. If it wasn’t a twelve-hour drive from Norfolk, we would be regulars.

Stay: Fort de Soto Park, Pinellas County

We stayed in loop 1, reserved for tents and small campers only. The waterfront sites are fully booked months in advance, but in Fort de Soto there really is no bad site.

Day 8: Central Florida

On our way back north, we made one last stop in Florida. The Central Florida area is known to house numerous natural springs. The temperate waters of the springs attract hundreds of manatees in winter. In spring and summer, the springs open up for kayaking and swimming.

We rented kayaks at King’s Landing, a privately operated spring just north of Orlando. We opted for the four-hour day paddle, which lets you explore the spring at your own pace. The spring has two very different sides to it. To the right side of the kayak launch lies Emerald Cut, a one-mile stretch with crystal clear waters. We were in complete awe of our tropical surroundings.

To the left side of the launch awaits Florida’s wildlife. The water is much deeper here and covered with plants and water lilies. We saw turtles, big fish and even an alligator, which was our sign to turn around and start our upstream paddle back to the launch.

Stay: Lu Mil Vineyard, Harvest Host

We often stay at a Harvest Host along the way to break up longer drives. Harvest Hosts is a membership program for RV-owners, allowing you to stay the night for free at wineries, breweries and farms across the nation. In return, you make a purchase of the products offered at the location. On our return trip from Florida to Virginia, we set up camp at Lu Mil Vineyard. Tucked away in North Carolina’s countryside, this family vineyard with beautiful grounds is a hidden gem.