How about sticking to one state? As I did over Christmas- Florida. I spent 4 nights at St Petes Beach then one week in Orlando then a final 3 nights at Miami South Beach. This was the ultimate combination for those (like me) wanting to do a little beach with a bit of Disney/Universal. As pretty much all of my family (including relatives from USA) flew into Tampa or Orlando. This meant I had to be considerate of what other people within the party would like to do. We stayed in a hotel initially, then moved into a villa during our stay in Orlando (something I would definitely recommend for those with a big family!) then finally finished in a hotel in Miami.

At St Petes Beach I always return to the same hotel- The Grand Plaza hotel which has a revolving roof top restaurant called Spinners. I love this hotel as it is on the beach front and the staff always seem to remember you on return- to the point where you are given a loyalty card that gets you money off their restaurant and cocktail bar (Bongo’s). By day, you can lounge by the pool or on the beach and do a little jet skiing. On a night time you can sit in Bongo’s, listen to live music and sip on their fresh cocktails. St Petes is ideal for those wanting to relax for a few days… I’ve stayed here up to a week before and never been bored of things to do! They have lots of shopping malls nearby, plenty of fresh seafood and lots of watersports on offer.

After St Petes I moved onto Orlando to get my fix of Disney and Universal! I purchased a 3 day Disney park ticket and this enabled me to visit three parks of my choice once within a 14 day period. I chose Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot. All of these parks have their own merit and are well worth a visit. Magic Kingdom is perfect for those who have not explored Disney before as it really gives you an insight of what Disney are trying to achieve with their parks. There are parades all day, shops to explore and plenty of meet and greets of your favourite characters. Disney’s Hollywood Studios was good fun for those wanting a more thrilling experience- with both Rock n Roller Coaster with Aerosmith and the Hollywood Tower of Terror. Finally, Epcot- Walt Disney’s personal favourite project is excellent. Although very busy, I found my way around the park very easily. It has both tame rides and those for the more adventurous- one of my favourites being Mission Space (now able to partake on two levels: Green for those wanting less spinning and Orange for those dare devils!)  I also visited Universal Studios where I love! Here there are endless rides (and it’s a little less busy than Disney).

Finally, we finished at Miami Beach. The perfect place to chill for a few nights before the flight back to the UK. I caught the sun here and walked along Ocean Drive and South Beach.

If you’re looking to pair up a few places in America, without changing state… I would definitely recommend an itinerary like this!

Violet

The Andrew Earle Team