The Best Parts of the Trip to Florida - Essay Example

            My friend and I wanted to go somewhere warm where there were lots of things to do.  Florida seemed like the natural solution.  Who hasn’t heard of famous resorts such as Disney World, Epcot Center, and MGM Studios that are centered near Orlando?  Miami is also a world-class city with beautiful architecture and great nightlife, or so I had been told.  Besides all of these attractions, there was the legendary Florida sunshine and beaches.  We decided we wanted our change of scenery to be a trip to Florida, specifically the Orlando and Miami areas.

            We flew directly from Denver to Orlando.  We were so excited to get out of Denver the flight seemed only to take an hour instead of the four it took.  After arriving, we rented a car at the airport and were on our way.  Renting a car proved to be a bit of an adventure.  We were under 21 so that led to some extra paperwork and several suspicious looks from the person working the desk, but our charm (and good driving records) paid off in the end.  I recommend renting a car when you travel anywhere.  There is something very exciting about driving around in a city you have never been to in a car you have never driven before.  We headed straight for our hotel and then on to the resorts.

            We wanted to see as much as we could because we were only staying nine days for the whole trip.  We bought passes to the Disney World complex which gave us a lot of freedom.  We could go wherever we wanted with just one pass.  We had a great time doing the typical tourist stuff.  The rides at the different parks were fun.  I am now a devoted fan of roller coasters!  But after two or three days, everything started to look the same.  That’s when I began to notice how some of the people acted toward one another in the amusement parks.  I started to notice how parents interacted with their children that were misbehaving.  Some were yelling and impatient.  Some were attentive and tried to keep their tired children happy.  Others ignored them while they talked on their cell phones.  I had fun in the different amusement parks, but I think what I might remember most is observing how these parents acted toward their children.  They say travel broadens your perspective and understanding.  Observing people in an amusement park has really done this for me.

            Next was my favorite part of the trip.  We headed east from Orlando and drove all the way down the coast to Miami.  We saw so many beautiful beaches I can’t even remember their names.  We also stopped at Cape Canaveral where the space shuttle is launched.  Being there really showed me how flat Florida is.  There were no mountains or rolling hills to be seen anywhere along the coast, especially in the southern part of the state.  Rolling down the highway, seeing all the signs for places I have never been and just enjoying the sunny weather was great.  The drive to Miami was much more relaxing than being in the amusement parks, even though they were fun.

            Finally, we arrived in Miami.  I was not prepared for the mix of cultures that Miami had to offer.  I have never been in a place where so many people come from Latin America or have family members that emigrated from that part of the world.  I must say that I was excited but overwhelmed.  I learned that Cuban food is delicious and Miami definitely has the best nightclubs.  There is nothing like them in Denver.  While in Miami, I learned about the history of relations between the United States and Cuba and made some friends that still have family that lives in Cuba.  I don’t fully understand all of the problems between the two countries but the people in Miami were so fun, I hope any differences can be fixed soon.  Someday, I think I would like to visit Cuba.

            Fun amusement parks, a trip down the coastal highway, and making new friends in Miami were the best parts of my trip to Florida.  If you have a chance to take a trip like this, I highly recommend doing all the things we did on our trip.