Fort De Soto State Park, St. Petersburg, Florida

Fort De Soto Park near St. Petersburg and Clearwater, Florida is a good beach day trip from Orlando. It took us about 2 hours to drive from near Disney until we stepped onto the beach. A good plus to this drive is even though it is a longer drive then it is to the Atlantic Beaches like Cocoa, there were definitely less tolls. We paid a 50 cent toll, a 75 cent toll and then a $5 entrance fee to the park. So fees were cheap. We even brought our own lunch and snacks to save. There was a convenient snack bar as well as beach chair,umbrella,kayak and bike rentals in case you are traveling from further away.


When we pulled in we decided to first head to North Beach. There was a snack bar located here as well as chair and umbrella rentals which was nice. Umbrellas were $12 ,chairs $6, and a combo with an umbrella and two chairs was $19.95. We ate our packed hoagies from wawa at the convenient picnic tables in the shade by the snack bar. Nearby bathrooms and showers was also a great amenity.

As we made our way closer to the beach, there were informational signs about all the wildlife in the area. There was information on whales, sea turtles, dolphins,birds and more! We had been warned about there being stingrays in the area when we arrived, so we made sure to do the 'sting ray shuffle' and shuffled our feet across the sand as we walked in the ocean. We didn't see any, but better safe then sorry.















After we swam in the ocean and took a walk up the beach, we ran into an area where we could not walk any further due to there being trees and roots right on the water. At this point, we turned around and went back to our chairs to relax for a while. After we had enough of the sun, we packed up and headed back to the car to check out the fort. There was another snack bar, a gift shop, and some picnic tables here as well. The Fort did not have much, but did have a great view of the beach and water from the top! By this point in the day the humidity was rising and the sun was getting hotter so we wanted to go swimming again. This time we headed to the east beach. When we pulled up we noticed less cars were at this beach which seemed like a good sign, until we saw the water. On the day we went this beach had rockier shores and a lot of seaweed floating on the water and on the shore. There were bathrooms, grills and shaded picnic tables here as well, so maybe depending on the day check out this spot.

We were still wanting to swim so we headed back to North Beach, this time to another little area on the other side of the trees on the shore we could not walk around. We went straight in the water to cool off, then went for a walk to the end of the beach to look at the boats heading off to the nearby sandbar.

When we were finished with our day, we changed into dry clothes and cleaned off in the nearby showers.

Honeymoon Island State Park: Dunedin,Florida

Honeymoon Island State Park is a beachy state park and is located about a 20 minute drive north of Clearwater. This barrier island in Dunedin, Florida serves as a nice romantic getaway or calm beach day for a change of scenery. With its clear, turquoise and green water, snorkeling is a great activity to enjoy!

The entrance fees are as follows:

$8/vehicle with 2-8 people
$4/vehicle for single occupant
$2 pedestrians/bicyles/extra passengers
$4 per vehicle starting one hour prior to sunset for sunset fee

There are also umbrella,chair and picnic pavilion rentals for a fee. Some other amenities at Honeymoon Island State Park are restrooms,changing areas,a restaurant,a nature center as well as a ferry to the neighboring secluded Caladesi Island.

Cocoa Beach Highlights

Cocoa Beach, only about a 50 minute drive from nearby Walt Disney World and Orlando, is a great day trip to get away from the busy theme parks. There are some tolls along the way so be prepared and have quarters or a Sunpass ready!

Once you arrive, there are many different areas you could park. There is street parking with meters, the Cocoa Beach Pier with meters or pay cash to park in a lot, or there are a few hidden free spots including Ron John Surf Shop or Lori Wilson Park; any of these have quick beach access.

The Atlantic Ocean is quite a contrast to the warmer Gulf Coast beaches in that it offers both colder water and bigger waves for surfing and other water sports. The nearby pier includes a restaurant, stores,fishing and restrooms, while the beach right outside has volleyball courts, chair and umbrella rentals and many photo opportunities!

Another spot I recommend checking out is Lori Wilson Park. This park hosts many varieties of flora and fauna. During my time there I spotted a turtle and a raccoon. There is a nice boardwalk nature walkway through the trees that leads up to a nice overlook of the ocean. Lori Wilson Park also is also a well known pop culture stop for those “I dream of Jeannie” fans. This show, set in and around Cocoa Beach has its on roadway in Lori Wilson Park named after it: I Dream of Jeannie Lane. So stop by for a quick photo op!

Whether you prefer water sports or just lounging on the beach with toes in the sand. Cocoa Beach has it all for a quick trip away from the city!