Logistics
We prefer to fly from the States and handle customs driving across the border. This is the case for a lot of our trips, not just Florida. So we stay at an airport hotel, typically the Comfort Inn and Suites Metropolitan Airport in Detroit. They do offer Park, Sleep and Fly services but you can also just book your car into the parking lot and pay that way, (Hint CAA members get a discount 😉). The shuttle from the hotel to the airport is very simple to manage and takes about 15 minutes.
We also do carry-ons for all of our flights, yes even with a 3 year old toddler. So we just go straight to security when we arrive at the airport. We are in the process of working on a packing list, so keep an eye out for that!
To get to North Redington Beach, fly into Tampa. Tampa airport is wonderful, there is so much going on, but it is relatively easy to maneuver. When you get off the plane head to the shuttle train that will take you to the main terminal where you can meet your chauffeur (if grandma is picking you up) or make your way to public transport or car rentals. For our most recent trip with Audrey grandma picked us up, meanwhile Jeff picked up our rental car. His experience was the smoothest car rental we have ever experienced. The car we booked was ready and waiting and the staff were actually helpful. He arrived at the hotel about 30 minutes after Audrey and I.
Getting to Redington Shores from the Airport is also relatively simple. Here is a Google Map. There is some construction so be prepared for that. On our last 2 trips, 2018 and 2023, the traffic was worse on our way back to the airport, than the way there.
Where to Stay
To be honest we always stay at the same place when we visit North Redington Beach so I will focus on that hotel. However, there are countless hotels to choose from all along Gulf Blvd.
We stay at The Island House. It is perfect for those traveling with kids.
They recently renovated all of the rooms, so everything is fresh and new. Think apartments, but make it a motel. The rooms are huge! I have yet to see a room with less than 2 beds. Large bathrooms, with tub and shower. They also have a kitchen, with mini fridge, stove top, microwaves, sinks and all the dishes/utensils you will need. There is a small bistro table and chairs in the rooms as well as comfy chairs for the TV.
Outside there are communal BBQ's that you can book a time to use, mostly we just show up and they are available. BBQ utensils are provided. The pool is fantastic, although you cannot bring food and drink into the pool area, Audrey had to eat her gummies outside of the pool fence. They also provide pool and beach toys/supplies that are free for guests to use. On our last visit we borrowed beach chairs, an umbrella and sand toys, loaded them in our wagon (more on this later) and strolled across the street to the beach for the day.
The staff at the Island House are nothing short of amazing. From the front desk to the cleaning staff, it feels like a large family. The Main Office is where you will check in, if you need anything just ask. They will go out of their way to help you out. They also have free coffee in the office all day.
There are also activities planned that you are welcome to join in on, we have participated in their St. Patrick's Day Party and Karaoke. Both of which I highly recommend.
Finally something that is important, especially when traveling with kids, they have coin laundry available. I was able to wash all of Audrey's cloth diapers before we had to pack up for the plane. You do have to use your own laundry detergent, but that is easy to get at any of the variety or grocery stores in the area.
We do recommend stopping at a grocery store to get some things you can make for yourself. Cooking may not be top of mind when on vacation but it certainly is a budget tip and helpful when traveling with the kids, to know you have something they will eat available. I would not call this specific area of Florida a "Foodie Destination". There are a couple of decent places to eat; The Conch (get the Ruby Reds if they are in season), Seabreeze (their patio on the water is beautiful); but for the most part we only eat out when we are sightseeing and have dinners at home. For coffee we walk up to Gypsy Souls Coffeehouse every morning. We enjoy a few sips out back by the marina then stroll along the beach back to the Island House to get ready for our day. For a cold beer and a game of pool check out Sporty's, your typical sports & dive bar. It is good times.
Things to do
The top thing to in Florida is of course going to the beach. The beach is easily accessible all along Gulf Blvd. There are parking lots available, with many having restroom access and food trucks/ice cream shops. We enjoy spending the day on the beach, playing in the sand and walking along the shore. We have never been lucky enough to spot Dolphins playing in the water but friends of ours have seen them.
Take a drive to Treasure Island. This is at the tip of the peninsula. It is neat to see how the building designs, and colours, change as you get closer to the end. This was once, and still is, a large tourist destination in Florida, with different areas appealing to different crowds and ages. It takes all kinds 😂
On our most recent visit we went to George C. McGough Nature Park. I am often hesitant when it comes to animal attractions, but this one seemed to be decent. This park has birds, turtles and a butterfly garden. There were lots of turtles resting by the water. The day we were there, an elementary school was visiting on a field trip so the staff had some of the birds out and were giving mini presentations. It was good timing for us because Audrey loved watching all of the kids. This park is well laid out. You can follow the paths through the trees to see all the sights. There is a boardwalk out to the water to see some mangroves and some beautiful old trees. Audrey's favourite part was the playground with the zipline. It was very hot the day we were there and there is no swimming or splash pad. However, they do have a little museum area at the entrance.
Take a day trip to John's Pass. John's Pass is a touristy marina. You can easily spend the day here shopping, eating, drinking and taking some sort of boat tour. We have enjoyed visits to various restaurants for food and drink over looking the water. On our last visit we took a dolphin boat tour, at Audrey's request. I do not typically opt for animal excursions (as I mentioned previously), but Audrey was determined to see dolphins. I researched reputable companies in the area and came across Sunshine Scenic Tours. I emailed them to ask a few questions and decided it was safe enough to try it out. The tour was exactly what you expect, you ride in the marina and spot dolphins. The crew shared about their research and conservation efforts while we cruised past party boats. We did see a lot of dolphins, well we saw the same dolphin family a lot.
Take a drive into Clearwater. This drive is very scenic and offers more of a glimpse into the residents that reside in the area. We have been told some celebrity homes are visible if you know where to look.
There is a Trolly Bus that will take you up and down Gulf Blvd. This is how we get to John's Pass. The bridge (pictured here) is at John's Pass. This is where the boats leave the marina and enter the Ocean. You would also go over this bridge to get to Treasure Island.
Where to Eat
As I mentioned earlier this is not a high end foodie destination. But there are some good food places, good fun places and good views places.
For good food we recommend The Conch Republic Grill (get the Ruby Reds if there are in season) and Seabreeze Island Grill.
For good fun we recommend Sporty's and John's Pass.
For good views we recommend John's Pass, Seabreeze Island Grill and the beach bar at the Double Tree by Hilton (directly across the road from the Island House 😉)
Tips
On our last trip we rented a wagon through BabyQuip. It was an absolute life saver and very easy to book. BabyQuip is easy to use through their website. Search the area you will be visiting and search the suppliers and what they offer. You can read reviews of the supplier and narrow down who you would like to work with. Then you contact them to book the item. We were interested in the full service as research for your travel business, Sunshine Adventure Travel. So we splurged the extra $10 to have the supplier drop off and pick up the wagon on our chosen dates. It honestly went so smoothly. By chance, we met her in the parking lot when she was dropping off the wagon, she was lovely. Then at the end of our trip we left the wagon in the hotel office and we were on our way. The wagon itself looked pretty new and worked fantastic on the sand. It allowed us to take our morning walks with Audrey and all of our beach gear.
*Affiliate Link: If you wanted to test the BabyQuip service out use my link https://www.babyquip.com?a=trevello1
We also took a day trip to Disney. We had the idea about a week before we left but we were not sure how Audrey would handle the 2 hour drive and full day. In the end we decided to risk it because the only park that wasn't sold out was Epcot, and you know Anna and Elsa folks. We left early, to try to beat traffic. Things were going great until an overly excited Audrey threw up 🤮. A quick pit stop at McD's to get cleaned up and we were back on track. Of course our little rockstar did amazing and had a blast! I loved the feeling of being "back", you know that feeling you get when you finally do things like you did back in the day? It was spur of the moment and made no sense financially, but it was fun and exciting and made a memory we will never forget. Speaking of financially, this one day at Epcot was very expensive. However....it did show me that Disney is attainable.
Quick side note regarding Disney: The idea of planning a whole Disney vacation stresses a lot of people, including us. It is a TON of planning and scheduling, researching and booking. Late nights and early mornings to have the perfect trip. On top of all of this is saving all the $$$$!
What made this one day rendezvous make Disney feel attainable is that we just did it. We didn't plan anything. We booked our park tickets at 8pm and were going through security the next day at 9am. It can be done and it was very worth it!
And as always pack your sunscreen.
Bonus tip...also always pack spare clothes, because overly excited kids puke.
Comments