Flying to FL, suggestions?

PilotAlan

PilotAlan

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PilotAlan
Hi all,
Wife and I are flying to TPF (Peter O Knight, Tampa), visiting family for Thanksgiving.
I would appreciate any suggestions, I haven't been back and outside of Tampa in 15 years.

Schedule looks like:
Start Nov 23rd: Fly down Sat and Sun, RON in Meridian MS Sat night.
Mon: Tampa
Tues-Weds: Day trips from TPF (thinking Cedar Key and Cape Canaveral (KTIX).
Thur-Sun AM: Thanksgiving weekend with family
Sun (Dec 1st) - Tues AM: Key West, spend a couple of days.
Tues and Weds - Open
Weds PM - Fri AM in Orlando (KISM)
Fri to either Pensacola or Panama City, RON
Sat enroute back to DEN.

Cedar Key used to be a nice day trip. Is it still? Anyplace better? Don't know what Marco Island is like anymore.

Wife wants to go to an alligator farm. She's from north Texas, never seen alligator in real life. Any suggestions, especially near current destinations?
 
All the golf courses have alligators, and you can get REAL close to them!!:D:D Actually, we are flying down to Tampa on Saturday and going on a 5 day cruise, coming home Thanksgiving Day.
 
Alligator world on South Orange Blossom trail Kissimmee, more alligators than you can shake a stick at...lol

Did Cedar Key back in April, still worth a day out, Judy with the taxi still comes on the radio and asks if you need a ride into town..
 
Looks. Like you have a good plan worked out. Cedar key is still well worth a stop,love key west. If you do ism don't forget fantasy of flight.i also like Pensacola and the navy air museum. Have a great time.
 
We flew into Whitted, KSPG, cool little airport on the bay, very convienent to the beaches. I'll go back someday.
 
Xscaliber said:
Alligator world on South Orange Blossom trail Kissimmee, more alligators than you can shake a stick at...lol
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Great, thanks! I spent the first 30 years of my life in FL, seen more alligators than blades of grass. But it'll be a cool thing for her.
 
Bill Jennings said:
We flew into Whitted, KSPG, cool little airport on the bay, very convienent to the beaches. I'll go back someday.
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I love Whitted. Not convenient to northern Tampa though.
I learned to fly at Vandenburg (before they added the second runway, and it was still X16). I really wanted to go there (you know, nostalgia), but the fees and fuel prices were crazy!
 
Xscaliber said:
Did Cedar Key back in April, still worth a day out, Judy with the taxi still comes on the radio and asks if you need a ride into town..
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frfly172 said:
Looks. Like you have a good plan worked out. Cedar key is still well worth a stop,love key west. If you do ism don't forget fantasy of flight.i also like Pensacola and the navy air museum. Have a great time.
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I can probably get her to Fantasy of Flight -OR- Pensacola Air Museum, probably not both.
She likes planes and loves going to OSH, but she's never really had the chance to see and chill in FL. This trips is about beaches, waves, and a side trip to Orlando.

As an aside, we looked at Disney ticket prices... :hairraise: $391 for two adults, two days.
Our honeymoon was at Disney, we both wanted to go back for a couple of days, and BOTH agreed that it was not worth the cash....
 
PilotAlan said:
I love Whitted. Not convenient to northern Tampa though.
I learned to fly at Vandenburg (before they added the second runway, and it was still X16). I really wanted to go there (you know, nostalgia), but the fees and fuel prices were crazy!
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Interesting on the "crazy" fees at Vandenburg. I haven't been there for a few years. They used to be quite reasonable on the fees.
 
My wife is not very fond of Airplane displays, but really enjoyed the visit at the Naval Air Museum. We spent about 6 hours there. Pensacola Beach is nice too. Can stay at the Margaritaville Beach Hotel.
 
PilotAlan said:
Hi all,
Wife and I are flying to TPF (Peter O Knight, Tampa), visiting family for Thanksgiving.
I would appreciate any suggestions, I haven't been back and outside of Tampa in 15 years.

Schedule looks like:
Start Nov 23rd: Fly down Sat and Sun, RON in Meridian MS Sat night.
Mon: Tampa
Tues-Weds: Day trips from TPF (thinking Cedar Key and Cape Canaveral (KTIX).
Thur-Sun AM: Thanksgiving weekend with family
Sun (Dec 1st) - Tues AM: Key West, spend a couple of days.
Tues and Weds - Open
Weds PM - Fri AM in Orlando (KISM)
Fri to either Pensacola or Panama City, RON
Sat enroute back to DEN.

Cedar Key used to be a nice day trip. Is it still? Anyplace better? Don't know what Marco Island is like anymore.

Wife wants to go to an alligator farm. She's from north Texas, never seen alligator in real life. Any suggestions, especially near current destinations?
Click to expand...

One of the best aviation a museums in the world is in Lakeland about an hour outside of Tampa towards Orlando. I'm not sure if you can land at the museum of not as its all privately owned but you could sure call or just get a cab from the main airport.
 
Cedar Key-sea food & just a cool town.
Pensacola-Naval Aviation Museum. Good sea food too at Atlas.
 
I'm in Clearwater just across the bay. Some ideas:

Albert Whitted - KSPG:

Land and catch an early lunch at The Hangar Restaurant. Walk a minute and a half north and spend the afternoon at the Salvador Dali Museum (really cool museum if you've never been.)​

Clearwater Airpark - KCLW:

Land and catch a ride down to Clearwater Beach. Visit Winter the Dolphin at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. Continue to Clearwater beach and have a fantastic grouper sandwich at Frenchy's on Clearwater Beach.​

Venice - KVNC:

Land and head to Sharky's on the Pier. I think they might pick you up at the airport? Can't recall.​

--

Cedar Key is also a good one, as you mentioned. Judy the taxi lady will pick you up, but if you'd like a bit more freedom, there's a golf-cart rental place that will also meet you at the airport and take you to your for-the-day rental. "One of the best ways to get around in Cedar Key is by golf cart. They are allowed all over town and may cross Highway 24 but may not operate on it unless they are street legal."

Have fun.
 
How recently have you been to the Panama City airport?

They closed the one downtown and have opened a new one out in the middle of nowhere north of town. Very nice facilities, 10,000 foot runway and all but in the boonies. Its less than an hour to Pensacola. Go along the beach at 1,000 feet.
 
Seanaldinho said:
How recently have you been to the Panama City airport?
They closed the one downtown and have opened a new one out in the middle of nowhere north of town.
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OK, Pensacola it is!
asechrest said:
Land and catch a ride down to Clearwater Beach. Visit Winter the Dolphin at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. Continue to Clearwater beach and have a fantastic grouper sandwich at Frenchy's on Clearwater Beach.​
pilot_dude said:
+1 Great place to watch a sunset with the Mrs. Plus, there's a decent amount of parking adjacent to the restaurant. Expect a bit of a wait for a seat but not obnoxiously long.
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We'll have a car in Tampa. I had forgotten about Clearwater Marine.
Frenchy's is great. I moved away 18 years ago, so I remember images in my head of the cool places, but not necessarily the names and exactly where there are....
Venice - KVNC:
Land and head to Sharky's on the Pier. I think they might pick you up at the airport? Can't recall.​
Sharkeys in on the list. Last time I was there, you could park on the west side of the airport and walk over. I hear it's all fenced now.
--

Cedar Key is also a good one, as you mentioned. Judy the taxi lady will pick you up, but if you'd like a bit more freedom, there's a golf-cart rental place that will also meet you at the airport and take you to your for-the-day rental. "One of the best ways to get around in Cedar Key is by golf cart. They are allowed all over town and may cross Highway 24 but may not operate on it unless they are street legal."
Awesome! Had no idea the golf cart place would bring them there.
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There are two open days in the schedule. Thinking about St Augustine. Any other suggestions? I don't know the east coast of FL well at all.
 
PilotAlan said:
OK, Pensacola it is!

There are two open days in the schedule. Thinking about St Augustine. Any other suggestions? I don't know the east coast of FL well at all.
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I've only generally been to the east coast by car so far. Best I could offer is:

Ft. Lauderdale Executive - KFXE:

Land and eat at the quite nice Jet Runway Cafe. Visit the Banyan pilot shop, which is one of the larger pilot shops I've heard of at over 5k square feet.

This might actually be better as a stop on the way to KEYW rather than a destination, unless you plan to venture into the more fun parts of Ft. Lauderdale (and there are plenty).​

St. Augustine sounds fun to me.
 
Art VanDelay said:
Southwest would be cheaper Alan and give you an extra day on each end of the trip.
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Heresy!
Plus, if we had to drive a rental car around, we'd never make it to 3/4ths of the places we're going. FL was made for light aircraft.

This'll be the 2nd time I've flown to FL, plus a trip to DC, one to MO, and several to Texas. I fly commercial for work, because I have to.
 
Cedar Key rocks!

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A friend of mine flew into Cedar Key recently and told me of a security change there. Per Homeland Security requirements, the airport is fenced off and has a code-locked gate to access it. The field is unmanned though, which could be a problem for those that don't have the gate code, so apparently it's on a placard there -- be sure to read that lest you be locked out due to airport security! :rofl:
 
I don't know if you are into long hikes. Payne's Prairie State Park has a 1.5 mile each way trail at the north end of the park where you can walk and get really close to the alligators. If you flew to KGNV Gainesville, FL you would need to get a car to get to the La Chua Trail.

http://www.floridastateparks.org/lib/img/park/parkmap/ppp-map.jpg

If you aren't excited about ramp fees at VDF you will like the fees to look at alligators at Payne's Prairie. I believe the La Chua trail is 2 dollars a person.
 
On your way to key west check out x01 everglades city. They have bikes you can ride into town which is about 1 mile. Great sea food!
 
It's been a great week. We didn't get out of Tampa due to low and windy weather. Flew down to the Keys this past Sunday, been here since. Added a day in the Keys, it's wonderful.
The keys are weird. The guy in a tutu with suspenders (and nothing else) didn't really surprise me.
Darth Vader wearing a Santa hat and playing the banjo(!) did, however.

Leaving tomorrow for Titusville (2.5hr flight), doing the Megatour at Kennedy Space Center on Thursday. Hit an alligator farm on the area for the wife.
Friday go to New Orleans for two days, then Sunday head back to Denver with an overnight in OKC.

Sorry, no pics of Darth Vader, I was riding a bike.
 
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