Question for the Florida natives...

[goofy4tink]

In January, my dd (31) and I are spending a week in WDW. Then, on Friday, we are renting a car and driving to Pompano Beach to visit my dad, flying out of Ft. Lauderdale on Sunday. I was going to take the turnpike all the way down, but my dd has asked if we can do a bit of sightseeing on the way. She wants to head east, toward Cocoa Beach and then drive south along the coast!!!! So, any idea just how much longer that will take us? It's going to take over 3 hrs if I take the FL Turnpike, so I can't imagine how long it would take to drive along the coast!!!

 

[DOOM1001]

If you're going to avoid taking any expressways (I-95 or the Turnpike) I would say at least 5 hours,probably more.I would say do it, the Turnpike is a very boring drive,especially between Kissimmee and Ft.Pierce.I-95 has a bit more to see from the highway,but still pretty dull.I've done that drive many,many times and doing the turnpike will take right around 3 hours.

 

[fla4fun]

Well, we tried this after a long weekend in Ft. Lauderdale, coming the other way. It took us as long from Ft. Lauderdale up to Palm Beach as it took from Palm Beach to Orlando (we took the turnpike from Palm Beach). So I would say, depending on traffic, you'll be at least doubling, and probably tripling, your travel time.

You could do what we did, and compromise - half turnpike and half scenic route. The easiest place to switch is around Fort Pierce, where you can take 68 across to the turnpike or I-95, whichever you decide to take (I prefer turnpike, but I-95 is cheaper). If you take the coastal route south to this point, you'll see more small town type places. If you take the coastal route south from this point, it will be more urban. If I had it to do over again, I would probably drive coastal on the northern portion and switch to the interstate for the southern part.

 

[bavaria]

Well, I'm not a Florida native, nor did I sleep at a Holiday Inn Express last night, but I knew the answer!

But since you excluded me from the title, I'm not answering!!!

 

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

The coastal road is SR A1A and it would take a LONG time to follow that road south as it hugs the coastline and criss-crosses back and forth between the barrier islands and the mainland. It would be an all day drive. Lots of scenery, but an all day drive. Best to take Florida's Turnpike and get it over with.

BobK/Orlando

 

[localdriver]

The coastal road is SR A1A and it would take a LONG time to follow that road south as it hugs the coastline and criss-crosses back and forth between the barrier islands and the mainland. It would be an all day drive. Lots of scenery, but an all day drive. Best to take Florida's Turnpike and get it over with.

BobK/Orlando

BobK is right, as to my view, once south of Kissimmee, Fl is flat, really flat, nothing really to see. The highest ground mass you will see is landfill sites. On the coast is the ocean, but the ocean is , well, the ocean, looks pretty much the same in Pompano, (I grew up there) as it does anywhere else. So it depends how much time you wish to spend. Getting off I95 or the Turnpike will cost you lots of extra travel time.

As a direct response to the original poster, I would consider going EAST in the Palm Beach area and then tracking south on A1A and US1, maybe even an exit or two south of the Palm Beach exits. This will give you the sights, but not over and over, and some good ocean views if you go as far as A1A.

Boca Raton is a nice area to travel A1A. Cool inlet. Also Lighthouse Point, another inlet, just before Pompano. Makes we wonder if the Lighthouse is still there. Climbed the spiral stairs there on a field trip in JRHS, hated it....LOL, but what a view from the top. Amazing what you remember from 40 years ago.

 

[goofy4tink]

Well, I'm not a Florida native, nor did I sleep at a Holiday Inn Express last night, but I knew the answer!

But since you excluded me from the title, I'm not answering!!!

Ah, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to exclude anyone...especially you!!!

Okay....so, if I were to go the mix it up, part turnpike, part scenic, am I better off heading east right away, and traveling south along the coast for a bit and then heading to the turnpike, or should I do the turnpike south, and then head east, to the ocean, for the remainder of the drive? Give me some direction here guys.

 

[fla4fun]

It depends on what you are wanting to look at. We found that from Ft. Lauderdale up to Palm Beach, it was nothing but city driving. It wasn't scenic at all. So since it was taking us waaaaay too long, we just cut back to the turnpike, and came home. It's not as built up between Cocoa Beach and say, Vero Beach, so you might see a little more scenery. It's not really a coastal drive like you might think of in say, California, with lots of wild areas and sweeping ocean views. Most of the time the dunes are higher than the road, so you just get fleeting glimpses of the ocean.

Of course, you could always just take the turnpike all the way and enjoy being on the beach instead of driving by one.

 

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

Take the Turnpike south to the PGA Blvd exit in northern Palm Beach County. This is Exit# 109, SR 786, "Palm Beach Gardens".

Follow 786 east past the Gardens Mall until you reach the junction with SR A1A. In fact, I believe SR 786 becomes Ocean Blvd/SR A1A after you cross US 1.

You are now on the coastal road which takes you south through MacArthur Beach State Park and down to Palm Beach Shores where you cross back over to the mainland and connect back to US1. This is very scenic.

Continue south on US1 to downtown WPB where A1A begins again and cross the bridge over to tony Palm Beach and continue south past the famous Breakers resort, the many mansions of the rich and famous and on into the city of Palm Beach itself. (Ritzy shopping)

From here continue south on A1A until you get to Pompano Beach in north Broward County. You'll be out at the beach the whole time. If this starts to get too congested then you can cut back to the mainland at various points and work your way back west to I-95 for the remainder of the drive south.

BobK/Orlando