Ok, so I thought the title was a fun play on Ford Explorer, don’t @ me.

But anyway! We got back from a fun trip to Florida this past week and I thought I would share my favorite places & experiences with you!

Read on for more fun & excitement.

Day 1: Friday, June 29th

One of the first things we did while in Florida was eat. I mean, who doesn’t love vacation dieting? And by dieting I mean eating pizza and macaroons like it’s nobody’s business. But I digress and because I loved this pizza so much, I didn’t even take a photo of it. (What kind of blogger am I?) All this to say, if you’re in the Venice, FL area and don’t stop at Angelo’s Italian Market (did I mention they have a cute market within the restaurant? IT’S SO CUTE PLUS THERE IS TIRAMISU) you are missing out. Try the Angelo’s Special pizza, you can thank me later.

Day 2: Saturday, June 30th 

Next stop on this grand adventure was to the Everglades & Miami (I’m in Miami trickkk…)

In the morning we went on an adventurous boat tour of the Everglades. It was a neat experience, enjoying the breeze, and seeing the dolphins & manatees. Since it wasn’t peak tourist season, it was just us and another couple on the boat with the guides. Perfect morning activity! Here’s the link if you want to check out the tour we went on.

For lunch, we stopped at a fun little diner in Everglade City called Island Cafe. While I wouldn’t recommend the crab cakes (my mistake, I should know better than to order crab cakes outside of MD), I will give the key lime pie a 10 star rating, if that’s a thing. Definitely worth the stop just for the pie.

Then we headed out to Miami! I dragged the fam to Wynwood Walls (basically an up & coming section of Miami with tons walls with street art which is practically the Instagram holy grail). It was beautiful & I wish we could of spent more time there. Definitely going to go back and explore more. Here’s a website showcasing and describing the walls/artists if you’re interested.

Last, but certainly not least was a visit to Marlins Park! Got to see my Mets play (terribly, I might add) & enjoy a summer evening! A real good day indeed.

KEY LIME PIE. ENOUGH SAID.

The beautiful Everglades tour.

Breezy & awesome.

So many colorful walls!

A personal favorite wall.

Let’s Go Mets!

Day 3: Sunday, July 1st

The in-laws let us borrow their car and drive up to Bronson, FL where the cutest baby & her amazing parents reside. It was a relaxing & wonderful day and I already miss baby snuggles from Lynleigh.

Lynleigh loves her Auntie Andi!

Day 4: Monday, July 2nd

It was Alan’s birthday so we celebrated all day long! We swam in the pool, went and played Top Golf, and ended the day eating cake. It was a blast celebrating my favorite person.

Delicious birthday breakfast.

His new favorite shirt.

The cutest birthday cake for the cutest guy.

Day 5: Tuesday, July 3rd

On Tuesday, we went up to Sarasota for the day & discovered some really cute shops.

A. Parker’s Books, Inc. is a readers paradise and was filled to the brim with all kinds of books, some new, but mostly out of print items. Worth a stop!

We also came across the most wonderful chocolate shop, Noela Chocolate & Confections. I mean, who can resist chocolates?? NOT THIS GIRL. So so good.

SO many books!

HELLO chocolate!

I mean, can you resist this?

Day 6: Wednesday, July 4th

The 4th of July has always been a favorite holiday of mine. To me, it means family, freedom, and it’s the epitome of summer!

We went to the world’s shortest parade (it really only lasted like 15 minutes), but was still cute & small town wonderful. Afterwards we stopped at La Creperie Caffe in Sarasota. It was absolutely delicious. I had their Floridian French Toast (french toast with nutella and seasonal fruits) and it was so good.

We went shopping, spent time in the pool, and hung out. A perfect 4th of July.

Delicious french toast!

Hanging in the pool.

A Yappy 4th of July!

We headed home on July 5th with some great memories. Thank you to my in-laws, Joyce & Jack for hosting us and making our trip so much fun! We love you both!

Family.