Where was your best week away from the parks?

[cornishfrogboy]

Originally Posted by Kidd McFluff

That sounds like quite a trip! We are up for a bit of driving if need be but that looks like a non Disney trip to me. Maybe one for us to do without the kids sometime. I've just spent half an hour looking at the route... it looks like a great journey!

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The total mileage for that vacation over 14 days was 1120.
That included a return trip to Mobile, Alabama and all journeys within Orlando.
People think nothing of a 3 hour drive to a beach and back in a day (260 miles or more). Our longest day took up well over a third of our total. Destin to Tampa was over 420 miles!

We weighed this off against the fact that when in Orlando we..
1. Always visit BG (145 miles return)
2. Always visit at least 1 decent beach, often Casperson (270 miles return).
3. Part of the miles was to visit Daytona beach for the day (we only had to drive out and not return).

Suddenly the mileage looks very reasonable.. and with no Tolls away from Orlando as I seem to remember.

Highlights..
USS Alabama State Park.
A day at Pensacola Naval Aviation Museum.
2 nights at Margaritaville, Pensacola Beach. Awesome beach.
2 nights in Destin next to Henderson State Park. Awesome beach.
Elgin AFB Armaments museum.
The long drive.
A meal in a Casino (Hardrock Tampa)
Busch Gardens at Rope drop with no return journey from Orlando.
10 nights in Orlando.
A day at the very interesting Daytona Beach prior to an evening flight.

It was certainly a great departure from the standard Orlando vacation.