Welcome to Routes 1 and A1A, the dual coastal roads alongside the Atlantic coast between Jacksonville and Key West that lead you on the best Florida seashore highway journey.<\/p>\n
U.S. Route 1 runs alongside the jap coast of the United States for greater than 2,000 miles between Key West, Florida and Fort Kent, Maine. Designed within the 1920\u2019s to cowl a route much like that of the outdated Atlantic Highway, it connects the foremost east coast cities in a direct approach that the extra fashionable I-95, which parallels it, doesn’t.<\/p>\n A New York to Florida summer season highway journey (actually a low-cost seashore getaway) occupied two or three weeks in my youth. Today, time-pressed households sometimes discover a shorter stretch of US 1. Focus on the fantastic mixture of Route 1 and Route A1A that snakes alongside the Atlantic coast of Florida from Jacksonville<\/strong> to Key West.<\/strong> The southernmost finish, maybe essentially the most enjoyable drive of all, was constructed because the two-lane Overseas Highway from Miami to Key West within the mid-Thirties and was annexed to US 1 quickly afterward.<\/p>\n Need a reduction rental automotive on your Florida household trip?<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n From the Georgia border south, driving US1 will take your loved ones by way of Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Palm Coast, Daytona Beach, Titusville, Melbourne, Fort Pierce, West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Miami and all the best way to Key West. <\/p>\n Note the factors the place US 1 separates from the seashore by the Intracoastal Waterway<\/strong> (Florida\u2019s marine freeway). To the east you\u2019ll discover Route A1A, additionally seen as SRA1A (State Road). This smaller coastal highway veers off into the charming little (and large) seashore cities for which Florida is known.<\/p>\n This route can be\u00a0the federally-designated A1A Scenic and Historic Coastal Highway in addition to a National Scenic Byway. While it modifications names because it programs by way of cities and alongside just a little little bit of undeveloped shoreline, the swaying palms, dune grass and sea grapes, gold sand seashores and glowing waves make it a enjoyable highway journey. However, as a result of a lot of A1A runs alongside Florida\u2019s Barrier Islands, the highway is topic to flooding or different storm harm and could also be closed in components, particularly in the event you\u2019re touring in the course of the summer season hurricane season.<\/p>\n You can customise the experience by selecting a number of of the first household locations alongside the best way (or veering west to Orlando), and spending as a lot or as little time as you\u2019d like at each. If you\u2019ve rented a automotive, you’ll be able to go away it at Key West and fly house, or else backtrack alongside the Overseas Highway to Miami, then leap on I-95 for the lengthy journey north. An excellent useful resource for lodging alongside this route is the reserving.com app<\/a> since many family-owned properties \u2014 some with kitchens, swimming pools, outside play areas and household facilities \u2014 use it to achieve a broader viewers.<\/p>\n Day 1: Jacksonville Beginning in Jacksonville on US 1, households who need to keep a number of days have greater than sufficient to maintain them busy. Nestled within the northeast nook of Florida, the place the St. John\u2019s River meets the Atlantic Ocean, town of Jacksonville has two riverwalks<\/strong> full of eating places and retailers, nice museums and a number of other galleries, loads of outside recreation house, and a energetic waterfront that may be toured by watertaxi.<\/p>\n Get a reduction on a family-friendly resort in Florida on your subsequent household trip.<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Families with youthful kids shouldn\u2019t miss the Jacksonville Zoological Gardens<\/a>, the place greater than 1, 000 animals stay in pure habitats. Metropolitan Park<\/strong>, town\u2019s downtown park, provides many free live shows in summer season. If you\u2019ve been driving for awhile and want one thing much more lively, take the household to Adventure Landing <\/strong>for its amusement rides, waterpark, go-kart racing and teddy bear manufacturing unit. A free trolley circles lots of the essential sights. For extra details about the realm, contact the Visit Jacksonville<\/a> workplace.<\/p>\n From Jacksonville Beach<\/strong>, you’ll be able to drive US 1 south to St. Augustine, the oldest repeatedly occupied European settlement within the continental United States. Make time to drive the 72-mile A1A Scenic & Historic Coastal Byway<\/a>. Follow the two-lane blacktop surrounded by water on a journey greater than 500 years outdated. <\/p>\n By the early 1600\u2019s, the village of St. Augustine had its personal fort, church, hospital and greater than 100 homes and retailers. The Fountain of Youth<\/strong>, a pure spring stated to be found by Ponce de Leon in 1513, is town\u2019s most well-known attraction. Park the automotive on the Fountain of Youth Archeological Park to see displays concerning the indigenous Timucua tribes, a Christian Burial Ground, drink from the fountain and extra. Do you’re feeling eternally youthful?<\/p>\n Walk round St. Augustine\u2019s small historic district to see Spanish missions. To change modes of transport, you can too hail a horse-drawn carriage, be part of a sightseeing practice or hop aboard a guided, sightseeing trolley.<\/p>\n Parents might need to cease in St. Augustine\u2019s Oldest House (the Gonzalez-Alvarez House<\/strong>) courting again to 1727. The children will most likely benefit from the recreation of the Sixteenth-century St. Augustine Old City<\/a>, the place costumed interpreters are inclined to restored properties and a rustic retailer. Between Thanksgiving and New Years, households can benefit from the annual Night of Lights illumination of the historic metropolis heart. To be part of a ghost tour of the outdated district or perhaps a haunted boat journey, you\u2019ll should spend the night time. For extra details about St. Augustine and the area\u2019s historical past, go to Florida\u2019s Historic Coast<\/a>. <\/p>\n Just an hour south, and proper on A1A, is Daytona Beach, a bustling seashore city recognized for its Sixties Spring Break crowds and the Daytona Speedway<\/a>. Here, you’ll be able to overlook about navigating US 1 or A1A and proceed your highway journey proper on Daytona\u2019s 17-mile stretch of seashore. Here\u2019s your seashore getaway. Allow time to pause and admire the numerous colourful dune buggies out on the sand. If you don\u2019t have your personal low-rider convertible Corvette, you’ll be able to hire one, or a four-seater ATV or dune buggy, from one of many many native distributors; remember to take a helmet for every rider. Afterwards, hire a chaise and umbrella, or select a secure place to place down your seashore towels and benefit from the heat Atlantic surf.<\/p>\n If you’re in Daytona Beach on a Sunday, take a look at the Drive-In Church<\/a>.\u00a0 Established in 1957 when the First Christian Church bought the Neptune Drive-In Theater.\u00a0 They organized the primary drive-in church service, and now the Drive-In Church welcomes everybody.\u00a0 You may even put on your seashore apparel to church since you get to remain within the automotive and tune in in your radio or hear by way of the audio system.\u00a0 At the tip of the service the reverend will come by to shake your palms, after which you’ll be able to hop throughout the road to the seashore or carry on driving.<\/p>\n Search Daytona Beach<\/a> for vacationer info.<\/p>\n Then comes the well-known Space Coast, a 95-mile stretch of Florida coast that\u2019s house to the Kennedy Space Center and cities of Titusville, Cocoa Beach, Melbourne, and Palm Bay. If you\u2019re becoming a member of our highway journey after a theme park go to, you\u2019ll see that Orlando<\/strong> is simply 35 miles to the west. This space is a cheap base for a number of days of enjoyable and sand. Depending on the time of yr, select between watching shuttle and rocket launches, browsing or studying the game. Plan on hen watching, golf, recent and saltwater fishing in addition to airboat rides.<\/p>\n The essential attraction for school-age children and fogeys who longed to be astronauts is the Kennedy Space Center<\/a> at Cape Canaveral. Allow a full day right here to catch shuttle buses and tour the non-public U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. (Book forward to dine with one. ) KSC is house to the Florida department of Space Camp<\/a> and coaching applications. Live the lifetime of an astronaut with the costly however distinctive half-day\u00a0Family Astronaut Training Experience<\/strong>. It\u2019s designed for adults and children ages 8 and older to encourage budding astronauts and rocket scientists. Families may also benefit from the Space Shuttle Atlantis exhibition<\/strong>,\u00a0which supplies guests an opportunity to get nose-to-nose with the ultimate shuttle orbiter to fly a NASA mission, Atlantis.\u00a0<\/p>\n Back on earth on the surprisingly attention-grabbing Brevard Zoo<\/a>, the youngsters can feed giraffes or kayak alongside the zoo\u2019s river.<\/p>\n A star alongside A1A, Cocoa Beach<\/strong> is a well-liked and good worth city to spend a number of days on your loved ones seashore getaway. There are numerous attention-grabbing eating places and enjoyable spots, together with the well-known Ron Jon\u2019s Surf Shop<\/strong> \u2014 the biggest on the planet \u2014 the place children can admire the newest surfboard kinds 24\/7\/365. From the Cocoa Beach Pier, households can watch native surfers paddle out and glide in, or fish the day away. Have a meal within the Historic Cocoa Village<\/a>, a preserved Victorian-era city constructed alongside the Indian River lagoon that\u2019s a part of the scenic Intracoastal Waterway. Still retaining the mainland in your proper and the slim seashore strip and Atlantic in your left, head south alongside US 1 to considered one of America\u2019s greatest recognized resort areas, toney Palm Beach.<\/p>\n![\"Convertible](\"https:\/\/myfamilytravels.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/florida-summer-roadtrip-by-neils-severin-pixabay-682x1024.png\")
A Family Favorite Florida Beach Road Trip, Especially for East Coast Families<\/h2>\n
Our advised 8-day Florida Beach Road Trip itinerary follows:<\/h2>\n
Day 2: Jacksonville to St. Augustine
Day 3: St. Augustine to Daytona Beach
Day 4: Daytona Beach to Cocoa Beach
Day 5: Cocoa Beach to Palm Beach
Day 6: Palm Beach to Fort Lauderdale
Day 7: Fort Lauderdale to Miami Beach
Days 8-10: Miami to Key West<\/p>\nDay 1: Jacksonville<\/h2>\n
Day 2: Jacksonville to St. Augustine \u2013 41 miles<\/h2>\n
Day 3: St. Augustine to Daytona Beach \u2013 59 miles<\/h2>\n
Day 4: The Space Coast \u2014 Extraterrestrial Florida Beach Road Trip from Daytona Beach to Cocoa Beach \u2013 95 miles<\/h2>\n
Space Coast Has More Than Outer Space Attractions<\/h2>\n
Day 5: Cocoa Beach to Palm Beach \u2013 138 miles<\/h2>\n
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