Florida – Maria Does Things

Southwest Florida Getaway

My heart has always been drawn to the west coast of Florida. Since my first visit when I was 10, I knew there was something special about the west coast. When our plans fell through to travel to Aruba in January, I knew exactly where we needed to go! We were able to plan a stellar vacation to Southwest Florida in about 5 days!

The group flew into Fort Meyers airport and rented a car to explore the area for a week. We were able to find an Airbnb in Cape Coral last minute with a screened-in pool and hot tub, a dock, a full kitchen, and plenty of sleeping and hang-out space. Cape Coral ended up being an unexpectedly delightful location to spend the week. It was full of conveniences like grocery stores, local coffee places (my fav haha), and restaurants. What is neat about Cape Coral is all the canals! Many houses are located on the canals, so we had a stunning view from the screened-in patio/pool/ hot tub area.

The only downfall to the location was the distance from the beach. We were about a 40 – 60 minute drive to the beach due to traffic. Since the drive was not too bad to the beaches, we spent 4 days relaxing on beaches. We went to the Sanibel Lighthouse Beach, Bowman’s beach on Sanibel, and Fort Myers beach.

The Sanibel Lighthouse beach had convenient and clean bathrooms, was not too crowded, and the water was excellent for swimming. There was a fee to park, but you could pay with a credit card. This is a place where many people park their boats on the shoreline and spend time on the beach; it’s really cool to see!

Bowman’s Beach is further down on Sanibel, and it felt very uninhibited. The more rural vibe to this beach quickly made it one of my favorites. The walk to the beach is a little further than other beaches, but it is a stunning walk. You walk through nature and pass nice bathrooms and changing facilities. There was a fee to park, but you could pay with a credit card. We went to Southwest Florida in the high season, so there were a good amount of people on the beach, but it was not terribly crowded. The water was wonderful for swimming, and the beach had beautiful seashells!

Fort Myers Beach and the surrounding area felt more like a beach town. There was a good amount of traffic coming into Fort Myers, the parking was harder to find, and many places were cash only. The sand on the beach felt like powdered sugar, and the seashells were terrific! Some in our group were able to parasail right from the beach! This beach was pretty crowded; however, the two days we went, we could still find a place to set up our chairs!

We had two other days that we decided not to go to the beach!
One of the days, some of us in the group got pedicures in the morning, and then we went to Naples for the evening! We choose to go to Ocean Prime for their Early Bird dinner special. It was an incredible restaurant with incredible food! They even had excellent gluten-free food options and gluten-free bread!! We spent the evening walking around Naples and popping in and out of the cute local shops.

The other day we chose not to spend at the beach, we decided to go on a wild adventure! There is a ferry that goes from Fort Meyers to Key West, so we decided to plan a day trip down to Key West! The boat ride took about 4 hours one way, and we had about 4-5 hours in Key West to explore. The boat was nice and not too rocky. They had decent bathrooms, food, and even played a movie. We rented bikes to explore Duvall Street and Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park. There are even golf carts you could rent for a few hours too. If you want to see a lot in a short period of time, I highly recommend renting a bike or golf cart! We had lunch at the famous Sloppy Joe’s, saw the Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park, and got Key Lime Pie at The Original Key Lime Pie Bakery. The time in Key West was short but sweet. I think taking the boat was a great idea but in the future, I would love to stay for a night or two to make the long boat ride more worth it!

Overall, our trip was a relaxing yet adventurous getaway! I loved escaping the cooler weather in the Northeast for a week! If you’re looking for a beach getaway, especially in the cooler months in the north, check out Southwest Florida!

Coffee in Southwest Florida

I kicked off my 2022 by spending a week in Cape Coral, Florida, and adventuring around Southwest Florida! I had some delicious coffee while I was there and wanted to share some of my favorites!

Penny’s Coffee Bar in Cape Coral

Penny’s ended up being a new favorite coffee spot! I wish it weren’t so far away from home. Not only did they have a wide variety of coffee options, but they also had neat tea and tea refresher options! I got their cold brew twice, and woah was I impressed. It quickly became one of my favorite cold brews of all time. They had baked goods there, too, and gluten-free chocolate chip cookies! I highly recommend Penny’s if you’re looking for a cold brew, a refresher, an iced latte, and gluten-free chocolate chip cookies!

Urban Buzz Coffee Company in Cape Coral

Urban Buzz was funky in the best way possible! The coffee shop was a walk-up window/drive-through. They had lots of coffee options and tea refresher options! I tried something brand new there, white coffee. I had never even heard of white coffee, but it’s coffee roasted at a lower temperature, and the beans turn white. The drink I got with the white coffee was soo delicious. Even if it did blow my mind that it was all white, haha!

Funky Rooster Coffee House & Wine Bar in Key West

This coffee shop had such a neat Kerry West vibe! The coffee was great, and they had delicious pastries! It looked like they also sold wine, so if you’re looking for a place to hang out I. In the evening this cafe could be an excellent choice! I wish I had more time to hang out in this coffee shop; the vibes were so cool!

The French Press in Cape Coral

This coffee shop also has gelato, and that’s what sold me! I got gelato twice at The French Press, and it was amazing! Each day they had different flavors! I tried key lime the one day, and it was stellar!! Their coffee was good, and they had a variety of pastry and food options there too. If you’re looking for coffee and gelato, this is the place to go!

I hope this helps on your next trip to southwest Florida! Let me know if you’ve been to southwest Florida and some of your favorite coffee shops there!

Winter Refresh: Travel Edition

I find it that the holidays are perceived to be relaxing due to the time you have off of work and that you get to spend time with family and friends. I believe the holidays are some of the most unrelaxing and stressful times of the year. Don’t get me wrong, the days off of work and sleeping in can help to recharge a bit but at the end of the day, I don’t get to just relax. Between late nights filled with fun family activities, completing tasks and errands that are hard to do while at work, and traveling from place to place to celebrate, the holidays can leave you tired and dreading January.

I think it can be important to prioritize self-care for the first 2 weeks of January. Go to bed early, do a relaxing activity, go for a walk, whatever self-care is for you do it! I find that mid-January is when winter gets tough. Usually, the cold weather gets colder ( at least where I am from) and the hype from the holidays has fully dissipated. This is the time where I recommend a winter refresh!

A winter refresh is where you plan an activity, go somewhere, or do something to excite you and increase your moral at a rather gloomy time of year. Here are some ways to do a winter refresh:

Travel somewhere that has the opposite temperature/ climate of where you live.
If the temperature where you live is hot, go somewhere cold. If where you live is cold, go somewhere warm. This breaks up the monotony of January and makes you feel like you’re experiencing something new. This also lets you indulge in activities that you may not be able to do in your area at this time of year. How cool would it be to lay on a beach during the winter when you are from a cold area and are used to frigid temperatures? How fun would it be to ski the slopes of mountains for a week if you’re from a warmer climate?
In 2017, I traveled to a warm place in January and a cold place in August. The temperature change was an amazing aspect of both trips. That winter did not feel so long and cold and that summer wasn’t too humid and hot.
If you are able to, getaway for a week and travel to somewhere new with a different climate than your home has right now!
Try an activity that you can only do at this time of year.
Whatever season you are experiencing, there are activities around your area that can only be done in this season. For me, it’s winter and cold right now. Living in the mountains, common activities near me are skiing, snowboarding, snow tubing, ice skating, etc. These activities have a timestamp and end whenever the temperature and precipitation decided it in late winter/ early spring. It is also a good time to try cozy indoor activities like getting a hot beverage at a coffee shop!
If you are in a rainy season is there a hiking trail that has an awesome waterfall that you can only see in the rainy season? Is it super hot where you are? Head to a cool indoor activity you have always wanted to try or dive into water sports!
I challenge you to plan a fun activity for the end of January that has you taking advantage of the current season you are in.
Visit a location you love in its offseason.
The beach is an awesome place to visit when its warm and you can lay in the sun all day but have you ever been to the beach when it’s cold?
I highly suggest visiting a place that you love where January is its offseason. You already love the location and it will be fun to see it in a new light. Traveling to a place in its offseason gives you a new perspective of that location and you may notice new and exciting things!
I try to do this whenever I can! Just the other day I visited the lake that I kayak on during the summer. With the trees bare and lake frozen, I noticed new things about the area that I don’t see in the summer. I also love visiting the beach in the offseason. There is something about a vacant beach with loud, crashing, winter waves that excites me in a unique way.

Don’t let January get you down this year and plan something fun! Whether it’s a half-day activity or a week-long vacation, do something this month for YOU!

What do you plan on doing to spice up your January?

A Few of My Favorite Beaches

With winter (hopefully) winding down, I wanted to highlight some of my favorite beaches on the east coast!

Since I was old enough for my parents to take me to the beach, I have been soaking in the sun and playing in the sand. The beach has been a place of relaxation for me my entire life. I take any opportunity to go to the beach.

If you are planning a short day trip to the beach or want ideas for a week or two vacations, I hope this helps you plan!

(Note these beaches are not in order of my favorite to least favorite. I am going to just begin at the top of the east coast and make my way down)

Narragansett, Rhode Island

I went to the beach in Narragansett almost 9 years ago and it still stands out as one of my favorites. The little town around the beach is adorable and there are mesmerizing rocks and rock structures near and on the beach. Not only is this a great beach to spend the day, but it is also close to Newport which is one of my favorite towns! In Newport, you can hop on a sailboat and take a relaxing cruise to see beautiful homes along the shore.

Sea Bright, New Jersey

I just went here for the first time this past September and fell in love. This whole area is charming and quaint but the beach area was definitely stunning. There were cute shops and restaurants along the beach. The beach itself was lovely and there were restrooms near the parking area and beach area.

Wildwood Crest, New Jersey

This Beach really has it all! It’s a FREE New Jersey beach. Yes, you read that correctly! There are many hotels, motels, and rentals in the Wildwood Crest area. I have always lucked out and have gotten places about a block away from the beach! The reason why I love this location so much is that the beach is beautiful, not too crowded, and it’s close to all of my favorite evening beach hang out places! I love the Wildwood boardwalk and the vintage arcade there. I also love going to Stone Harbor and Cape May for dinner and shopping!

Cape May, New Jersey

Since I brought up Cape May, this beach is near and dear to my heart. I have grown up on this beach. Cape May is a beautiful old beach town with history, gorgeous beach vibes, and fun all in one place. I love the carriage ride you can take on a warm evening where you learn the history of Cape May. The Cape May beach is beautiful and the Washington Street Mall is the perfect place to hang out in the evening.

Lewes, Delaware

This is an area that I just recently visited. On the drive to the beach, there is a little street in Lewes that has the most delightful shops and restaurants. The Notting Hill Coffee Roastery has a really cool coffee shop vibes and is a great place to refuel. If you are really into coffee, this is definitely the place to go. They roast their own coffee and have a whole wall of bags of coffee to buy! This main street in Lewes has an old church, a unique book store, and a lighthouse boat nearby! In the Cape Henlopen State Park, there is a great beach for swimming and shelling in the summer!

Outer Banks, North Carolina

I’ve only been to the Outer Bank once but it was one of my most adored beach experiences! I stayed in one of those large beach houses that have great beachy vibes. It was walking distance to the beach and also to the little town of Duck. One of my favorite parts of this beach vacation was taking an open-air jeep tour. The jeep took us miles down the beach and saw wild horses near houses that were only accessible by driving on the beach! The Outer Banks is very unique and stunning.

St Augustine, Florida

This is by far my most treasured beaches on the east coast of Florida. The beach is beautiful and quiet. The town of St Augustine is beautiful, old, and historic. There are fun restaurants and shops. There is even the Fountain of Youth you can visit! I haven’t gotten to the Fountain of Youth but I cannot wait until I visit again! Also, Flagler College is in the town of St Augustine. I defeintely recommend stopping by to look around the campus. It is an impressive and historic campus.

Dunedin/ Honeymoon Island, Florida

Dunedin and Honeymoon Island are my favorite!!! Dunedin is a cute town! They have hip restaurants and coffee shops. Off the coast of Dunedin is Honeymoon Island State Park. This park is wonderful. It’s the perfect combination of wilderness and the beach. The ocean is clear and calm. There are walking trails which are fun and give you the opportunity to see Florida wildlife.

Siesta Key, Florida

Below the Tampa area is a rare beach with quartz sand. The sand stays cool even in the hot sun! The really cool part of lounging on the beach was during sunset when multiple weddings happened. I swear there must have been 4-5 weddings that happened at sunset. It was the perfect way to end a relaxing few hours at the beach.

Sanibel Island, Florida

Ah, Sanibel. This is the best beach on this list. Though I loved each one of the beaches I listed before, Sanibel and the area around Sanibel really impacted me. The beaches are so natural. Sea creatures are in their natural habitat and nature just exists that way its suppose to. There are so many opportunities to see wildlife there. I went to take a boat to Cabbage Key and there were a few manatees swimming around the harbor. Another time, I stopped at a beach right off the roadway and there was a dolphin showing off for the people on the beach. The shelling in the area is amazing as well. Full, remarkable, and unique shells are everywhere! Even though I have only vacationed here once, I plan on traveling here many more times throughout my life.

There are so many beaches on the east coast that I haven’t visited yet and that I am eager to get to. If you have a beach I should add to my list let me know and I’ll visit is ASAP!!
Hope this helps you plan your beach adventures in the future!

When Trips Do Not Go According to Plan

You never know what to expect when you’re traveling. You could have smooth traveling days and even smoother days at your location. Other trips can lead you to new and unexpected places. And other trips could leave you wanting to never return to the area.

I have had some trips that have moved smoothly. Every day goes according to plan and every activity meets all my expectations. Other trips though, do not follow this formula. I have had trips where there just isn’t enough time to see it all or some plans fall through. Trips like my most recent trip to Florida, nothing goes according to plan at all. I find these trips exciting and character building. These types trips make or break travelers.

I hope they make more then they break.

I have learned that with each trip that does not go according to plan, you just need to go with the flow. Seriously, do not resist where the trip is trying to take you. You may miss out on something great because you are disappointed. I am a natural planner and I admit, I definitely start feeling discouraged when every plan falls through or changes. IT’S OKAY TO FEEL THIS WAY! Just don’t let this feeling linger. Embrace the path that the universe is putting you on and go with it!

Like I said, this happened with my most recent trip to Florida. Looking back on the trip, it was so unique and eye-opening because I went with where the trip was trying to take me.

The best example would be that wherever I travel, I always need to go to a new coffee shop. I need to try a new, single origin coffee. I look for coffee shops that roast their own coffee and have a certain vibe. I found these two coffee shops that meet my criteria near downtown Orlando. Luckily, our plans had us driving by downtown Orlando a few times, which means we could stop! Every day, every time, our plans would fall through on our way to the coffee shops. We would have plans, leave early for these plans, and we would just happen to hit 30 minutes of traffic on the way. That would have been the 30 minutes we would have had to get coffee! I even tried looking at coffee shops along the routes we would be driving and one after another, our plans to stop would fall through.

On the 3rd day of the trip, plans fell through again to visit one of the coffee shops. I decided right there and then that I was done planning. This trip clearly had other plans for me. Later on the 3rd day, we visited a cute little town and we stumbled upon this tea shop called The Rosie Lee Co. They had loose teas lining the wall and a bar where you could order them. To the right of the bar, you could smell and buy the loose teas to brew on your own. I am obsessed with loose teas and love trying new ones. This place had a cool vibe and was like heaven! I was smelling the different loose teas and the barista started telling me about some of their specialty drinks. One was a turmeric latte with coconut milk and honey.

Fun fact about me: I love turmeric tea and I make lattes at home with turmeric tea.

I was dazzled about how amazing that sounded. I ordered one right away.

Honestly, it was one of the best turmeric lattes I have ever had!

If I had coffee earlier in the day, I might have not given that shop much of a glance. And if I did go in, I might have ended up passing on the turmeric latte. But since I just let the trip take me where I needed to be, I ended up with an amazing turmeric latte and some loose teas I could bring home.

So please please please don’t get discouraged if your trip does a 180 last minute. Go with the flow! It’s a part of the journey.