Unlike living up north, where a day trip can potentially take you to other states to explore on a budget, we don't have that luxury of living deep in the bowels of Florida. So, to explore, we have to resort to taking day trips from Orlando. It's a fantastic way to enrich your travel experience and deepen your appreciation for the state's diverse offerings. While Orlando is considered the entertainment capital of the state, the surrounding cities provide a variety of cultural, historical, and natural attractions that I find more exciting and often easier on the wallet. From the arts scene in St. Petersburg to the charming cobblestone streets of St. Augustine, each city offers unique experiences. By stepping out of Orlando, you can see how other cities in our swampy playland support their local business community and with locals and visitors. Some cities are friendlier than others, and some are exploding with their identities and culinary scenes! You get to engage with local communities, discover the all-important "hidden gems," and create memorable experiences beyond the typical tourist itinerary.

I've grown very fond of these day trips, and no matter how many times I've visited a city, there is always something new on the next trip. Below is my rotating roster of ten cities, all within 1-2 hours of driving (since we still haven't mastered the art of public transportation in this vast state, have we now) and all the places I would hit up on my trip.

Lakeland

Things to do + local shops:

• Lloyd’s of Lakeland

• Lakeland Antique Mall

• Bonnet Springs Park

• Scout + Tag

• Dixieland Relics

• 360 Unlimited

• Little Bus Books

• Inkling Book Shoppe

• Pressed Books and Coffee

• Cyber Sage Video Games

• Game Attic

• Intergalactic Plastic - Toys, Comics, Games

Eats + Drinks

• Born and Bread

• Love Bird

• The Joinery

• Sweet Cup Cafe

• Black & Brew

• Cafe Zuppina

• Revival

• The Peach House

Gainesville

Things to do + local shops:

• Harn Museum of Art

• Kanapaha Botanical Gardens

• Wormhole Book + Music

• Repurpose Project

• Serpentine Plants + Provisions

• Florida Museum of Natural History

• Flashbacks Recycled

• Haven Thrift

• Reuse Planet

• 108 Vine

• Punkouter Games

Eats + Drinks:

• Afternoon

• Satchel’s

• Cry Baby’s Bar

• Wyatt Coffee

Melbourne

Eats + Drinks

• Oh Biscuit

• Backwater

• Apocalypse Coffee

• Cerrato's Italian Market and Deli

• Intracoastal Brewing Company

• Hell 'n Blazes Brewing Company

• Crush XI

Things to do + local shops:

• America's Antique Mall

• Antiques & Uniques Vintage Market

• Village Thrift

• Frida’s Plants + Vintage

• Famous Faces & Funnies

LAKE WALES + WINTER HAVEN

Eats + Drinks:

• Grove Roots Brewing

• Honeycomb Bakery

• The Donut Man

• N+1 Coffee

• Ovation Bistro & Bar

• Lucille's American Cafe

Things to do + local shops:

• Bok Tower

• Treasure House Antiques

• Sherman Antiques

• Franklin & Rose

• Central Avenue Antiques

• Biggar Antiques

• 80s Arcade

• Artcade

St. Augustine

Eats + Drinks:

• Sunday Gathering Table

• Llama Restaurant

• GAS Full Service Restaurant

• Spinster Abbott’s

• St. Augustine Distillery/Ice Plant

• Mojo Tacos

• THE KOOKABURRA

• Peace Pie

• Key Lime Shop

Things to do + local shops:

• Red Tree Antiques

• Cool and Collected Vintage

• All Books & Comics

• Mythical Mountain

• Antiques and Things

• Cool and Collected Vintage & Antiques

St. Petersburg

Eats + Drinks

• Bandit Coffee

• Mazzaro's Italian Market

• Bodega on Central

• Flatbread + Butter

• Uptown Eats

• Casita Taqueria

• Buya Ramen

• Good Intentions

Things to do + local shops:

• St. Pete Pier

• Fort De Soto Park/Battery Bigelow

• Museum of the American Arts and Crafts Movement

• The Dalí Museum

• Bohemian Rêves

• Janet’s Antiques

• Tombolo Books

• Book + Bottle

• Bananas Records

• Daddy Kool Records

Tampa

Eats + Drinks

• King State Coffee

• Lucky Tigre

• Rooster and the Till

• Flan Factory

• Willa Provisions

• Elevation Coffee

• Psomi

• Muchachas (inside Armature Works)

• Elevenses Co

• The Revolution Ice Cream Co.

• Chill Bros Scoop Shop

• Armature Works

• Tacos Las Californias

Things to do + local shops:

• Mojo Books & Records

• Microgroove

• Big Redhead Vintage Toys

• Chewmies Comics & Collectibles

• The Florida Aquarium

• Tampa Museum of Art

Ocala

Eats + Drinks:

• OLA Drive Thru

• Symmetry Coffee

• Haeorum Foods Korean BBQ

• Big Lee's

• Pearl Country Store & Barbecue (Micanopy)

Things to do + local shops:

• Silver Springs State Park

• Ocala Antique Mall and Estates

• Ole Cracker House Antique Mall

• Diggers Antique Mall

• The Antique Emporium (Reddick)

• Wildwood Antique Mall of Wildwood (Wildwood)

• Antique City Mall (Micanopy)

• Vintage Toy Universe

• Vintage Toy King

• Bearded Browncoat Comics & Games

Titusville + Cocoa Village

Eats + Drinks

• The Daley Trade

• Playalinda Brewing Company

• Vine & Olive

• Black Cat Coffee

• Sunrise Bread Co.

• BB Rad's Coastal BBQ

• P & K Food Mart

• Indian Sizzler

• Moonlight Drive-In

• Crydermans Barbecue (Cocoa Village)

• Hello Again Books (Cocoa Village)

• River Road Coffee and Popsicles (Cocoa Village)

THINGS TO DO + LOCAL SHOPS

• Titusville Antique Mall

• Dusty Rose Antique Mall

• Hope For North Brevard Thrift

• The Infinite Mushroom Comic & Game Shop

• Brevard County Enchanted Forest Sanctuary

• Rocket City Retro Luxury Vintage Furniture And Home Decor (Cocoa Village) - weekend hours only

• Hello Again Books (Cocoa Village)

• Parrot's Cove Mall (Cocoa Village)

• Antiques & Collectibles Too (Cocoa Village)

Daytona

Things to Do + Local Shops

• Beehive Antiques (Holly Hill)

• Magnolia House Antique Village

• Nicole's Beach Street Mall

• Our Old Stuff Antique Mall (Holly Hill)

• THREADS VINTAGE EMPORIUM (Holly Hill)

• Video Game Dungeon

• Blue Dragon Video Games (Ormond Beach)

• Omega Video Games

• Museum of Arts & Sciences

• Southeast Museum of Photography

• Rainbow Records

• Atlantic Sounds

Drinks + Eats

• Zen Bistro

• Tia’s Tacos

• Third Wave (New Smyrna)

• Dancing Avocado Kitchen

• Mama Foo Foo

• Casual Bird (good for coffee too)

• Copperline Coffee

• Gold Leaf Coffee Co. (Ormond Beach)

I always urge to you do research and look for new places before you visit, and make sure any places listed are still open for your trip.