After some surprising news last month, my husband and I decided we needed a change of scenery. He lost his job, so we suddenly had a lot more free time. I jokingly suggested a road trip, and my husband instantly replied, “YES”! So… I planned an 8-night road trip down to Orlando, Florida, and back. Read on for the full Family Road Trip: Nashville to Orlando Part One Trip Report!
Trip Goals
For obvious reasons, this trip had to be on a budget. Now, I am not the best budget trip planner; I tend to lean toward the fancier things in life, so this was a fun challenge! We decided to NOT go into a Disney park, but spend time at Disney Springs instead. We love food and tend to miss out on all the good food at Disney Springs when we are focusing on theme parks.
I found free military tickets to Sea World, Orlando. They have a Sesame Street area that I knew our two-year-old would love. We also decided to check off a bucket-list item which was to go to the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta. I booked Airbnbs and inexpensive/free (with points) hotels. We would eat PB&J lunches in the car on our driving days, and save money where we could so we could also have splurge meals! I sprinkled little stops along the way to make the trip even more fun! =)
Stop One: Atlanta, GA.
Our first stop was Atlanta, Georgia. I found it difficult to find a nice, reasonably-priced hotel in Atlanta, so I opted for an Airbnb. I prefer to have two rooms or suites when we travel, so we found a two-bedroom house near Zoo Atlanta/ Grant Park. We loved the area, it was so close to the park and there were plenty of food and coffee shops around. I wish we had been able to check out Grant Park! Next time!
We went out to breakfast the first day and picked up some groceries for breakfast the following day. After a nap at the Airbnb, we headed to the Georiga Aquarium!
Georgia Aquarium Trip
We purchased our tickets online before we went to the aquarium (we got a few dollars off per ticket). When we got to the aquarium it was PACKED. I felt very overwhelmed, and I love me some Disney parks with all the folks that it attracts. But this was a lot since it was all indoors and the main center area of the aquarium was very loud and chaotic. We ducked into the tropical fish area and enjoyed some neat tanks. I especially loved the area with the “waves” coming overhead.
We checked out all the other areas of the aquarium. The design of the space is interesting, they have one main lobby with all the attractions coming off that one center lobby. Thus, the center can feel crazy when it’s busy. The attractions themselves did not feel horribly overcrowded. There were certainly other people there, but you could see the animals and it didn’t feel like you were sacrificing anything.
We loved the shark area (my son especially liked it!), the beluga whales, the puffins and otters (they did a special feeding when we were there), and the pièce de résistance, the whale shark! My husband had been to the aquarium before, so he kept the largest tank for last. It was by far my favorite part of the trip. There is a viewing area with seating where we sat and gave our kiddo a snack while watching all the creatures swim by. The whale sharks, manta rays, and sea turtles are amazing!
When we left later in the day, around 5 pm, it was MUCH quieter. The gift shop attendees said they always suggest people visit first thing in the morning when it’s much less crowded. Good thing to know for next time!
Stop Two: Gainesville, FL. & Silver Springs State Park
After we left Atlanta, we headed south to Florida! We decided to break the drive up into two days to make it easier for us and our little one. I’m glad we did since everyone was very ready to be done driving when we arrived at our hotel, the Drusy Inn and Suites Gainesville!
Hotel Review
I chose to stay at the Drury Inn and Suites because it had rave reviews online, and the price was VERY reasonable. I had stayed in a Drury Inn once before and remembered the dinner service being impressive, along with the breakfast (all free for guests).
Once we arrived we unpacked and headed to the pool. My son loved swimming and asked throughout the rest of the trip to swim! The room was very clean and well laid out. We got a one-bedroom suite on a high floor. It was quiet, and the bed was very comfortable! We ate our meals at the hotel and were completely satisfied. I didn’t feel like we were lacking anything. Honestly, I don’t know how often we will be traveling through Gainesville, but I would definitely stay at the Drury again! We had a wonderful stay, and it was so reasonably priced!
Silver Springs State Park
After we left Gainesville, we headed to Silver Springs State Park (about a 45-minute drive). This is a natural spring with crystal clear water. You can rent boats to use by the hour. They seem to have a lot to do there, but we had limited time as we were heading down to Orlando. We rented a canoe and paddled out and back for an hour. It was GORGEOUS. The reviews and pictures can’t quite capture the beauty that was Silver Springs. I would love to go back and explore more. It was such a peaceful experience (minus the complaining two-year-old at the end 
).
We paddled back and headed down to Orlando! It was only a few hours’ drive, so luckily our Airbnb let us check in early. We got to our new digs and were ready to explore some of the parts of Orlando we don’t usually get to see! Check back soon for the rest of our adventure!
Check back for part two of the family road trip: Nashville to Orlando!
Please follow us on Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest! Don’t forget to share “Family Road Trip: Nashville to Orlando Part One ” on Pinterest!
