Florida US1 From Jacksonville To Key West

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 seaside highway journey.

U.S. Route 1 runs alongside the japanese coast of the USA for greater than 2,000 miles between Key West, Florida and Fort Kent, Maine. Designed within the 1920’s to cowl a route much like that of the outdated Atlantic Freeway, it connects the most important east coast cities in a direct manner that the extra fashionable I-95, which parallels it, doesn’t.

A New York to Florida summer time highway journey (actually a low-cost seaside getaway) occupied two or three weeks in my youth. At present, time-pressed households usually discover a shorter stretch of US 1. Deal with the fantastic mixture of Route 1 and Route A1A that snakes alongside the Atlantic coast of Florida from Jacksonville to Key West. The southernmost finish, maybe probably the most enjoyable drive of all, was constructed because the two-lane Abroad Freeway from Miami to Key West within the mid-Nineteen Thirties and was annexed to US 1 quickly afterward.

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From the Georgia border south, driving US1 will take your loved ones by Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Palm Coast, Daytona Seaside, Titusville, Melbourne, Fort Pierce, West Palm Seaside, Fort Lauderdale, Miami and all the best way to Key West.

Notice the factors the place US 1 separates from the seaside by the Intracoastal Waterway (Florida’s marine freeway). To the east you’ll discover Route A1A, additionally seen as SRA1A (State Street). This smaller coastal highway veers off into the charming little (and large) seaside cities for which Florida is legendary.

A Household Favourite Florida Seaside Street Journey, Particularly for East Coast Households

This route can also be the federally-designated A1A Scenic and Historic Coastal Freeway in addition to a Nationwide Scenic Byway. Whereas it modifications names because it programs by cities and alongside somewhat 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. Nonetheless, as a result of a lot of A1A runs alongside Florida’s Barrier Islands, the highway is topic to flooding or different storm harm and could also be closed in elements, particularly when you’re touring through the summer time hurricane season.

You’ll be able to 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’d like at every one. In case you’ve rented a automobile, you’ll be able to go away it at Key West and fly dwelling, or else backtrack alongside the Abroad Freeway to Miami, then leap on I-95 for the lengthy journey north. A superb useful resource for lodging alongside this route is the reserving.com app since many family-owned properties — some with kitchens, swimming pools, out of doors play areas and household facilities — use it to succeed in a broader viewers.

Our advised 8-day Florida Seaside Street Journey itinerary follows:

Day 1: Jacksonville
Day 2: Jacksonville to St. Augustine
Day 3: St. Augustine to Daytona Seaside
Day 4: Daytona Seaside to Cocoa Seaside
Day 5: Cocoa Seaside to Palm Seaside
Day 6: Palm Seaside to Fort Lauderdale
Day 7: Fort Lauderdale to Miami Seaside
Days 8-10: Miami to Key West

Day 1: Jacksonville

Starting in Jacksonville on US 1, households who wish 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’s River meets the Atlantic Ocean, town of Jacksonville has two riverwalks filled with eating places and retailers, nice museums and a number of other galleries, loads of out of doors recreation house, and a full of life waterfront that may be toured by watertaxi.

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Households with youthful youngsters shouldn’t miss the Jacksonville Zoological Gardens, the place greater than 1, 000 animals dwell in pure habitats. Metropolitan Park, town’s downtown park, affords many free live shows in summer time. In case you’ve been driving for awhile and wish one thing much more energetic, take the household to Journey Touchdown for its amusement rides, waterpark, go-kart racing and teddy bear manufacturing unit. A free trolley circles most of the foremost points of interest. For extra details about the realm, contact the Go to Jacksonville workplace.

Day 2: Jacksonville to St. Augustine – 41 miles

From Jacksonville Seaside, you’ll be able to drive US 1 south to St. Augustine, the oldest constantly occupied European settlement within the continental United States. Make time to drive the 72-mile A1A Scenic & Historic Coastal Byway. Observe the two-lane blacktop surrounded by water on a journey greater than 500 years outdated.

By the early 1600’s, the village of St. Augustine had its personal fort, church, hospital and greater than 100 homes and retailers. The Fountain of Youth, a pure spring stated to be found by Ponce de Leon in 1513, is town’s most well-known attraction. Park the automobile on the Fountain of Youth Archeological Park to see reveals in regards to the indigenous Timucua tribes, a Christian Burial Floor, drink from the fountain and extra. Do you’re feeling eternally youthful?

Stroll round St. Augustine’s small historic district to see Spanish missions. To modify modes of transport, you may as well hail a horse-drawn carriage, be a part of a sightseeing prepare or hop aboard a guided, sightseeing trolley.

Dad and mom might wish to cease in St. Augustine’s Oldest Home (the Gonzalez-Alvarez Home) relationship again to 1727. The youngsters will most likely benefit from the recreation of the Sixteenth-century St. Augustine Previous Metropolis, the place costumed interpreters are likely to restored houses and a rustic retailer. Between Thanksgiving and New Years, households can benefit from the annual Evening of Lights illumination of the historic metropolis middle. To hitch a ghost tour of the outdated district or perhaps a haunted boat journey, you’ll need to spend the evening. For extra details about St. Augustine and the area’s historical past, go to Florida’s Historic Coast.

Day 3: St. Augustine to Daytona Seaside – 59 miles

Simply an hour south, and proper on A1A, is Daytona Seaside, a bustling seaside city identified for its Nineteen Sixties Spring Break crowds and the Daytona Speedway. Right here, you’ll be able to neglect about navigating US 1 or A1A and proceed your highway journey proper on Daytona’s 17-mile stretch of seaside. Right here’s your seaside getaway. Permit time to pause and admire the numerous colourful dune buggies out on the sand. In case you don’t 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; you’ll want to take a helmet for every rider. Afterwards, hire a chaise and umbrella, or select a secure place to place down your seaside towels and benefit from the heat Atlantic surf.

If you’re in Daytona Seaside on a Sunday, take a look at the Drive-In Church.  Established in 1957 when the First Christian Church bought the Neptune Drive-In Theater.  They organized the primary drive-in church service, and now the Drive-In Church welcomes everybody.  You’ll be able to even put on your seaside apparel to church since you get to remain within the automobile and tune in in your radio or pay attention by the audio system.  On the finish of the service the reverend will come by to shake your fingers, after which you’ll be able to hop throughout the road to the seaside or carry on driving.

Search Daytona Seaside for vacationer data.

Day 4: The Area Coast — Extraterrestrial Florida Seaside Street Journey from Daytona Seaside to Cocoa Seaside – 95 miles

Then comes the well-known Area Coast, a 95-mile stretch of Florida coast that’s dwelling to the Kennedy Area Heart and cities of Titusville, Cocoa Seaside, Melbourne, and Palm Bay. In case you’re becoming a member of our highway journey after a theme park go to, you’ll see that Orlando is simply 35 miles to the west. This space is a cheap base for a number of days of enjoyable and sand. Relying on the time of 12 months, select between watching shuttle and rocket launches, browsing or studying the game. Plan on chook watching, golf, recent and saltwater fishing in addition to airboat rides.

The primary attraction for school-age youngsters and oldsters who longed to be astronauts is the Kennedy Area Heart at Cape Canaveral. Permit a full day right here to catch shuttle buses and tour the non-public U.S. Astronaut Corridor of Fame. (Ebook forward to dine with one. ) KSC is dwelling to the Florida department of Area Camp and coaching applications. Reside the lifetime of an astronaut with the costly however distinctive half-day Household Astronaut Coaching Expertise. It’s designed for adults and youngsters ages 8 and older to encourage budding astronauts and rocket scientists. Households can even benefit from the Area Shuttle Atlantis exhibition, which provides guests an opportunity to get nose-to-nose with the ultimate shuttle orbiter to fly a NASA mission, Atlantis. 

Area Coast Has Extra Than Outer Area Sights

Again on earth on the surprisingly attention-grabbing Brevard Zoo, the children can feed giraffes or kayak alongside the zoo’s river.

A star alongside A1A, Cocoa Seaside is a well-liked and good worth city to spend a number of days on your loved ones seaside getaway. There are a selection of attention-grabbing eating places and enjoyable spots, together with the well-known Ron Jon’s Surf Store — the biggest on the earth — the place youngsters can admire the newest surfboard kinds 24/7/365. From the Cocoa Seaside 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 preserved Victorian-era city constructed alongside the Indian River lagoon that’s a part of the scenic Intracoastal Waterway. Nonetheless retaining the mainland in your proper and the slender seaside strip and Atlantic in your left, head south alongside US 1 to considered one of America’s finest identified resort areas, toney Palm Seaside.

Day 5: Cocoa Seaside to Palm Seaside – 138 miles

In the course of the 2.5-hour-long drive between Cocoa Seaside and Palm Seaside, you’ll cross a number of family-oriented landmarks. At Vero Seaside, the gem of Florida’s so-called Treasure Coast, search for the traditional Cracker homes relationship to the mid-Nineteenth century. Usually white, cedar-or cypress-plank, peak-roofed cottages, the houses of poor plantation farmers at the moment are thought-about energy-efficient marvels. Hallmarks of the Florida Crackers embody: oyster shell and lime foundations (to supply shade for chickens and canine who ate the mosquitoes); broad cracks between the floorboards to flow into air; deep porches and infrequently a middle walkway to create shade; and a number of other home windows to enhance the cross breezes. The Indian River Citrus Museum devoted to the Florida orange-growing enterprise. McKee Botanical Backyard options historic sub-tropical plant specimens that improve the genuine outdated Florida really feel; each are closed Mondays.

About 30 miles south and never a lot to take a look at, the city of Port St. Lucie is finest identified to household vacationers as the location of the previous Membership Med Sandpiper resort. Not far-off in Jupiter, the non-touristy Busch Wildlife Sanctuary offers rehabilitative care to over 4,000 sick, injured and orphaned wild animals annually and is the kind of hospital that youngsters will wish to tour.

Whether or not you’re an E.F. Hutton inheritor, descendant of European royalty, or identical to to comply with Donald Trump, it’s value a cease in Palm Seaside, particularly throughout “The Season” when the wealthy and well-known flee chilly climate to assemble at their yachts and mansions. Guests should make do with a room on the legendary Breakers, 4 Seasons or Ritz-Carlton resorts, or one of many many different accommodations in all worth ranges that cater to households.

West Palm Seaside’s Enjoyable Actions to Add to your Florida Seaside Street Journey

Whereas bustling West Palm Seaside, inland on US 1, attracts a youthful crowd, this engaging Mediterranean type metropolis on Route 1 has loads of swimming swimming pools, a protracted sand seaside, and pure points of interest that give households somewhat little bit of that south Florida, tropical really feel.

Begin on the 500-acre John D. MacArthur Seaside State Park on Singer Island. Right here, a secluded seaside affords alternatives for beachcombing, swimming or watching nesting turtles between Could and August. Ask for a brochure from the character middle so you’ll be able to hunt for gumbo-limbo, strangler figs and three forms of mangrove bushes, in addition to butterflies, toxic vegetation and large spiders.

The Cox Science Heart and Aquarium additionally affords out of doors nature trails in addition to a planetarium, aquarium, observatory and miniature golf course. In case you’re staying a number of days and touring with youthful youngsters, they’ll get pleasure from time on the Palm Seaside Zoo at Dreher Park in addition to the extra industrial Lion Nation Safari, a drive-through “recreation park” that’s most enjoyable through the morning lion feeding classes. For extra data from the Palm Seaside Vacationer Workplace, go to their web site.

Day 6: Palm Seaside to Fort Lauderdale – 47 miles

On the best way south to Fort Lauderdale, pause for conch fritters at any of the seafood shacks alongside the Intracoastal Waterway or make a detour to Hollywood Seaside to stretch your legs or bike alongside the 2½-mile oceanfront Boardwalk. This space is full with out of doors cafes and quite a lot of up to date condos and old-style motel lodging. The 3½-mile-long Pompano Seaside, with play areas and ongoing household festivities, is all the time energetic too. Most households heading into Lauderdale will have already got their resort picked out, as that is considered one of Florida’s hottest household resorts and advance reservations are really helpful.

The palm-fringed, gold sand Fort Lauderdale Seaside is a very long time favourite. Discover the mangrove-lined shoreline, countless rivers, canals, lakes and ponds the place households can discover dolphins, manatees, ospreys and pelicans. It’s an excellent seaside trip vacation spot if your loved ones is curious about deep sea fishing or watersports, as a result of services are plentiful and well-priced for many who wish to water or jet ski, parasail, be a part of a canoe or kayak tour, scuba dive or snorkel — even study a more recent sport comparable to kite browsing or paddleboarding (stand-up paddling on longboards).

That is additionally a spot to go to The Everglades, a various natural world ecosystem that covers 750,000 acres of southern Florida. From Everglades Vacation Park, your loved ones can be a part of a guided airboat skimming throughout the highest of the water by the “River of Grass.” After probably viewing alligators and child crocodiles, waterfowl and eagles of their pure habitat, you’ll be able to catch the wonderful alligator present again on the park.

Enjoyable and academic shows of wildlife could be discovered on the industrial Butterfly World/Tradewinds Park and at Flamingo Gardens. Or, you could choose the character trails at Hugh Taylor Birch State Recreation Space, or wish to attempt mountain biking in Fort Lauderdale’s Markham Park. On this massive metropolis, there are fixed leisure choices, too, from buying at a myriad of malls, to out of doors cultural performances, summertime youngsters’s camps, and wonderful artwork museums, together with the Museum of Science and Discovery, a youngsters’s museum and kids’s theatre. In case you’ve acquired a Michael Phelps within the household, take a look at the Worldwide Swimming Corridor of Fame.  Get extra journey details about Fort Lauderdale on the Go to Fort Lauderdale web site.

Day 7:  Fort Lauderdale to Miami Seaside – 28 miles

The transient drive south from Lauderdale to Miami alongside US 1 presents a colourful array of outdated and new Florida sights, with slow-moving visitors, key lime pie retailers, Jewish delis, Cuban cafes and all the time, sun shades and bathing go well with retailers. Town of Miami is a superb household vacation spot as a result of its particular mix of Latin and European influences makes for an thrilling multi-cultural panorama, nice museums and eating places, and fantastic buying.

For many road-trippers, although, that is the time to open the sunroof and cruise east throughout the MacArthur Causeway, that lengthy, low bridge that connects the mainland to the well-known barrier island of Miami Seaside. Driving previous the pastel-colored Artwork Deco resort towers and beach-bums in flipflops on the sidewalks of Collins Avenue (additionally A1A) is as shut as you will get to the seaside at this level, however at 1st Avenue — the south finish of the well-known South Seaside (or SoBe strip) — you’ll be able to flip east towards the seaside and drive north on Ocean Drive. This two-lane highway is a part of A1A and is town’s most well-known half-mile stretch, the place everybody will benefit from the people-watching. It’s possible you’ll spot a mannequin being photographed on the sands of Lummus Park, a rock star out for a stroll, or an infinite cruise ship leaving the Port of Miami. This busy stretch of gold sand (and the wild curler rink in MacArthur Park) are fairly “the scene.” In the course of the winter excessive season or any weekend night, we advocate that you just park on Washington, one road inland, after which stroll alongside Ocean Drive. Or you’ll be able to park at one of many Deco accommodations and make this your loved ones seaside getaway.

The must-see is the Artwork Deco District of South Seaside, an entire neighborhood comprised of untamed and colourful Nineteen Twenties and ’30s structure. Begin your strolling tour of the registered Nationwide Historic Landmark district on the Miami Design Preservation League (1200 Ocean Drive; 305/672-2014), the place maps, guided excursions and souvenirs can be found. These are the blocks that come alive at sundown, when the world’s lovely individuals and those that get pleasure from watching them take up their seats at each sidewalk cafe and resort bar. The FIU Wolfsonian Museum close by homes a rare design assortment, from early twentieth century to Artwork Deco and past, that older youngsters will get pleasure from seeing.

Plan a meal or a buying spree on the Deco thoroughfare that runs perpendicular to the seaside, now the pedestrian-only, seven-block-long Lincoln Street Mall. All ages will benefit from the sidewalk cafes, retailers, galleries, road performers and public fountains – once more an awesome individuals watching spot to be. A worthwhile detour even for many who aren’t stopping in Miami is the Venetian Pool in Coral Gables, a spectacular 820,000-gallon pool fashioned from a rock quarry in 1923. With two waterfalls, coral caves, grottos and stone bridges, the spring-fed Venetian Pool sees practically 100,000 guests yearly.

From a base in South Seaside or the neighboring, family-freindly neighborhoods of Miami, Coral Gables or Coconut Grove, your loved ones will get pleasure from a few of Miami’s south Florida traditional points of interest. Permit time to see Jungle Island, Zoo Miami, Butterfly World, the attractive Vizcaya Museum and Gardens on Biscayne Bay, and the Miami Seaquarium marine exhibits. Work together with the cool reveals on the new Frost Science Museum and Planetarium.

Pause for some croquettas and cafe con leche to arrange youngsters for a go to to Calle Ocho. The neighborhood is Miami’s “Little Havana” the place the delicacies and tradition of the pre-Castro Cuba nonetheless prospers. Extra data and particulars could be discovered at MiamiAndBeaches.com.

Days 8-10: Miami to Key West – 160 miles

Regardless of how a lot or how little time your loved ones spends in SoBe, you gained’t have accomplished the US 1-A1A journey till you’ve ridden it to the southernmost level in the USA: Key West. The Florida Keys prolong south of Miami in a string of slender limestone and mangrove islands bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. You’ll be able to rush down this Nationwide Scenic Byway to Key West in about 3.5 hours or take per week and savor it slowly. Notice that almost all addresses are written as MM; the “mile marker” indicators start close to Florida Metropolis at round MM 127 and descend to MM 0, web site of the Inexperienced Parrot Bar (“The first and Final Bar on US 1” their signal proclaims) in Key West. Whoever invented this technique anticipated that backseat passengers would sometime ask, “Are we there but?” and oldsters might inform them to see for themselves.

In fact, you don’t need to drive all the best way to Key West to understand the bohemian appeal of most of the Keys communities. The primary main key you’ll attain after Key Biscayne (virtually an extension of Miami Seaside) is Key Largo, dwelling to John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park a famous diving spot, the Nationwide Marine Sanctuary, Molasses Reef, and the underwater caves of French Reef. Every space is understood for its wrecks and the plush coral reef formations and marine habitats which have developed among the many ship’s ruins.

The signage turns into denser and the seashores develop into leaner as you attain Islamorada, the self-styled “Sport Fishing Capital of the World”. You’ll be able to’t miss the large brown lobster exterior the Treasure Village present store or the fountains crashing over the illuminated signal of Theatre of the Sea, a marine amusement park with animal exhibits and items galore, on little Windley Key. Decelerate and revel in a few of the glitziest points of interest within the Keys, in addition to Cheeca Lodge & Spa with ith its elegantly furnished household condos or The Moorings Village and Spa.

A bit south on Duck Key, Hawk’s Cay Resort is a vacation spot for a lot of Florida households, who like its setting between the bay and the Atlantic, with docks and seashores on each side. This property is bisected by artifical canals, the primary swimming pool has a pirate-themed waterplay space, visitors can swim with dolphins, and the household cottages are standard with bigger household teams.

Driving south from the very industrial and developed Marathon Key is Grassy Key, the place you’ll be able to see a statue of what seems to be like Flipper. Certainly, that is the place the unique pet dolphin movie “Flipper” was shot within the Nineteen Fifties. It’s stated the bones of the late star are buried beneath the sculpture. Nearly any turnoff alongside A1A has a narrative.

The Florida Keys owe their years of prosperity to Henry Flagler, the visionary railroad magnate who determined in 1912 he would prolong his Floridian Abroad Railroad to the tip of the nation. To the west you’ll be able to see the unique roadbed for the railroad (destroyed way back by a hurricane) and the well-known Seven Mile Bridge (really 6.9 miles), which has been damaged in locations to permit taller ships to cross by. You’ll be able to stroll or jog down the northern finish from Marathon reaching out to Pigeon Key, an islet to the west of the lately constructed freeway that could be a Florida Heritage landmark due to its authentic conch homes.

See Extra on Your Florida Seaside Street Journey within the Decrease Keys

At about 128 miles south of Miami are the Decrease Keys, the area finest identified for scuba diving and snorkeling spots. The MS Looe, which ran aground in 1744, is the centerpiece of the Looe Key Nationwide Marine Sanctuary and a magnet for tropical fish.

An uncommon cease is on the Nationwide Key Deer Refuge about 30 miles north on Massive Pine Key, the one official North American dwelling of the tiny Virginia white-tailed deer. You’ll additionally see many automobiles pulled over the shoulder of the slender highway in order that kayakers and canoers can unload their boats and discover the dense mangrove hugging the roadway. A lot of the Keys’ shoreline is damaged coral however there’s a lovely sand seaside on the 500+ acre Bahia Honda State Park the place you’ll be able to snorkel, kayak, fish, camp, hike and bike.

And, immediately, fashionable suburban malls seem and also you’re approaching the outskirts of Key West, itself a well-preserved enclave of two-story Victorian homes and conch cottages clustered alongside Duvall Avenue. Permit not less than a day when you’ve pushed this far, to style key lime pie, present the children the enjoyable retailers, colourful locals, deep sea fishers who spend their days ingesting and pirate museums. You’ll wish to be a part of the road performers and artisans who flip the well-known sundown celebration at Mallory Pier right into a carnival, simply since you’ve come this far.