I used to think Florida was all theme parks and beaches. After spending our first fall and winter exploring the Sunshine State as full-time van lifers, I’ve learned there’s so much beauty here that nobody talks about. From quiet house sits with cats curled in our laps to snorkeling attempts ruined by wind, from BBQ sauce worth driving for to sunset lights strung across historic streets, these three months taught us why Florida works so perfectly as our new home base.
We bought our van in October 2024 and went full-time in January 2025. This stretch from mid-October through late December marked our second real season in Florida, and honestly? We’re kind of obsessed.
Finding Our Rhythm Through House Sitting
House sitting through Trusted Housesitters has become one of our favorite parts of van life, and October kicked off with two back-to-back sits that couldn’t have been more perfect for settling into Florida life.
Crawfordville: Our First Florida Welcome (Mid-October)
Our first two-week sit was in Crawfordville, just south of Tallahassee, where we took care of three cats and one dog. The area surprised us in the best way. Florida has this reputation for being flat and beachy, but this part of the state? It’s rolling, green, and full of natural springs and old oak trees draped in Spanish moss. We spent two weeks just soaking it in, realizing we’d been missing out on a whole side of Florida we didn’t even know existed.
And we found Hamknockers BBQ. Listen, if you’re anywhere near Crawfordville, you need to try their Sweet and Tangy BBQ Sauce. We’re still thinking about it months later.
Ocala Over Thanksgiving: Family Time in the Van Life
Our second sit landed us in Ocala for another two weeks, right over Thanksgiving. We were taking care of another crew of pets, and the timing couldn’t have been better because my dad and brother were flying to Costa Rica from Florida and stopped to spend Thanksgiving with us before their flight.
Hosting Thanksgiving dinner in someone else’s house while living in a van is such a weird, wonderful thing. We got to cook a proper meal, sit around an actual dining table, and just be present with family in a way that’s honestly harder to do when you’re constantly on the move.
Mostly, though, we just stayed in the house and recharged. After months of constant travel, sometimes the best thing you can do is just be still for a minute. No adventures, no must-see spots, just time to breathe and remember that rest is part of the journey too.
Halloween Horror Nights: An Early Birthday Celebration
My birthday is in January, but Ethan decided to celebrate early in November by making one of my wishes come true: Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando. I’d been to Universal during regular hours before, but never for HHN, and I’d been wanting to experience it forever.
The parking lot at Universal has good clearance, so we were able to pay for parking and roll right in with the van. One less thing to worry about when you’re trying to navigate a theme park at night.
Here’s the thing about HHN: the wait times are absolutely unreal. We did one haunted house, Fall Out, and waited two full hours for it. Two hours. After that, we made an executive decision to skip the other houses and focus on the rides that were open. We got to experience both Harry Potter worlds, rode some of our favorite attractions, and yes, we definitely indulged in butterbeer and butterbeer ice cream. So good.
Was it worth it? Absolutely, for the experience of doing it once. Would we do HHN again? Probably not. But we’d 100% go back to Universal during normal hours. The parks are incredible, and we got to experience one of the Harry Potter worlds. They only had one ride open, but honestly, the experience is in the alleys and shops anyway. It’s so fun to walk through and just soak it all in. I’d already been there before, but seeing Ethan there was a treat. If you know him, he loves Harry Potter and absolutely geeked out. So fun to watch!
For any van lifers thinking about hitting the Orlando parks, it’s definitely doable. You’ll need to do some overnight parking lot stays, but for a night or two when you’re focused on park time anyway, it works great. Just plan your logistics ahead and know you won’t have hookups.
Discovering Bushnell: Finding Home in SWFWMD Parks
Somewhere in between house sits and holiday adventures, we discovered Bushnell. It’s actually our official home base now (we even have an address here), and honestly, it works perfectly for us.
One of our favorite Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) parks is nearby, Lake Panasoffkee, and we consider that area home for sure. The trail there is absolutely beautiful, immersing you in real Florida nature, and Rooster loves running it with Ethan. These SWFWMD parks are extremely well-kept, peaceful, and honestly some of the best-kept secrets in Florida for van life camping.
But beyond the camping, Bushnell just works for us logistically. It’s close to everything we need: dentists, groceries, all the boring-but-necessary errands that come with living this lifestyle. Sometimes home isn’t about the most beautiful view or the most Instagram-worthy spot. Sometimes it’s just about finding a place that makes your actual life easier.
We’ll dive deeper into SWFWMD camping in another post, because these parks deserve their own spotlight. But if you’re van lifing in Florida and haven’t discovered these gems yet, you’re missing out.
St. Pete: Reconnecting with Family
One of our favorite parts of van life is getting to reconnect with family members we hadn’t seen since we were kids. It’s something that would be way harder if we weren’t living this life, constantly moving through different states and regions. And our time in St. Pete perfectly captured this.
We got to visit my second cousin Sara and her boys, Brady and Owen (Zach wasn’t able to make it that day), and spend real quality time together, catching up on years of life we’d missed. And then there was Jorge and his family. We happened to arrive right during his annual holiday party, which was packed with competition games (perfect for our competitive drives), and we got to meet so many of his friends. It was such a blast.
Ethan ended up spending way more time with Jorge’s family than I did since I flew out of Tampa to Costa Rica on a Sunday. Jorge was incredibly generous and let Ethan stay in his Airbnb while he waited for me to come back from my trip. Ethan was there almost every day, playing pickleball with Jorge, grabbing lunches together, just hanging out and building that relationship. It’s these kinds of connections that make van life feel less like constant traveling and more like actually living.
The Week Apart: Costa Rica, Solo Van Dad Life, and Coming Home
After being together 24/7 since the start of our relationship, we ‘faced’ our first real separation in mid-December. I flew out of Tampa to Costa Rica for a week to visit family and meet baby Eliana, while Ethan held down the fort with Rooster, Mav, and Goose.
Ethan got to live the single dad life for a week, managing three pets solo in the van. He absolutely crushed it. Meanwhile, I was soaking up Costa Rican sunshine and family time, though I definitely missed my whole crew back in Florida.
We called almost every day when I had signal. The distance was good for us in some ways, reminding us how much we appreciate having each other on this journey. But honestly, the week went by so fast. Before we knew it, Ethan was graciously picking me up from Tampa airport around 1am, my flight having been delayed multiple times thanks to the perfect combo of holiday travel and terrible weather.
There’s something about reuniting after time apart that makes you appreciate the everyday moments even more.
Rooster’s First Beach: Venice Dog Beach
At seven months old, Rooster finally got to experience the ocean for the first time. We took him to Brohard Paw Park, the dog beach in Venice (just south of Sarasota), and he absolutely loved it. He couldn’t get enough of the water, the sand, the smells, all of it.
We spent the afternoon watching him discover what it means to be a beach dog, and honestly, it was perfect. Well, except for one small incident: I accidentally lost his frisbee in the ocean. It went straight out toward the horizon, perfectly framed by the most beautiful sunset, and just kept going. Oops.
But Rooster didn’t seem to mind. He was too busy being a happy beach puppy to care about one lost frisbee.
Into the Everglades: A Quick Taste of Wild Florida
On our drive down to the Keys, we stopped at Everglades National Park for a quick visit. We knew we were on a mission to get to St. Augustine by nightfall later in the trip, but we wanted to grab the park pin and get at least a taste of what the Everglades had to offer.
We hiked the Anhinga Trail as the sun started getting lower in the sky, and even in that short window, we saw so much wildlife. Alligators sunning themselves on the banks, birds everywhere (herons, egrets, anhingas drying their wings), turtles sliding into the water, fish darting through the shallows. The Everglades are teeming with life in a way that feels almost prehistoric.
It was just a small hike, but it left us wanting to come back with more time to really explore. The Everglades deserve more than a quick stop, and we’re already planning a return trip when we can spend a few days really immersing ourselves in this unique ecosystem.
Key West Christmas: Snorkeling Plans and the Best Nachos
We spent a long weekend in the Keys over Christmas, and while the weather didn’t cooperate with all our plans, we still had an incredible time.
John Pennekamp: When Wind Ruins Everything
Our first beach attempt was at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo. Our whole goal for this trip was to snorkel, to get in that crystal-clear water and see the reef up close. But the wind had other plans.
The wind was so high that underwater visibility was basically zero. We couldn’t see a foot in front of us, which pretty much defeats the entire purpose of snorkeling. It was super disappointing, but sometimes nature just doesn’t cooperate with your plans.
Christmas Day at Fort Zachary Taylor
For Christmas Day, we went to Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park and spent the day at the beach. The water was gorgeous, the sand was perfect, and even without the snorkeling we’d hoped for, it was a pretty incredible way to spend Christmas.
We stayed at a Home Depot parking lot in Marathon, about an hour from Key West, which worked perfectly as our base. Not the most glamorous Christmas accommodation, but hey, it’s free and it meant we could spend our money on experiences instead of campground fees.
Jimmy Johnson’s Big Chill: Christmas Dinner Done Right
On Christmas Day, we needed food, and most restaurants were closed. Thankfully, we found Jimmy Johnson’s Big Chill in Key Largo (yes, named after the famous Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins coach), and it was one of the only places open.
We had the best nachos. Seriously, some of the best we’ve ever had. Sometimes the best meals aren’t the ones you plan for; they’re the ones you stumble into out of necessity and end up remembering for months.
The Southernmost Point: Quick Stop, Big Moment
On our way out of the Keys, we stopped at the Southernmost Point marker. It’s one of those touristy must-dos, the kind of thing you see in every Key West photo, but it felt right to grab the photo and mark that we’d made it all the way down.
The Keys are beautiful, and we’re so glad we spent Christmas there, even if the snorkeling didn’t work out. We’ll be back with better weather and calmer seas, that’s for sure.
Biscayne National Park: A Pin and a Promise
On our way back up the east coast, we made a quick stop at Biscayne National Park. We were on a tight timeline to get to St. Augustine by nightfall, but we wanted the park pin since we were literally right there.
We just hit the visitor center, grabbed our pin, and took in the view. But even from that brief stop, we could tell this park deserves way more time. The boat tours looked amazing, the water was this incredible shade of turquoise, and the whole vibe was different from any other national park we’d visited. It’s 95% water, which means most of the park is only accessible by boat.
We’re definitely coming back when we can plan it better and actually get out on the water to experience what makes Biscayne so unique.
Miami: A Taste of Home at La Carreta
On December 26th, we stopped in Miami specifically for lunch at La Carreta. When we first started dating, we took a trip to Miami and ate there, and we fell in love with the food. Everything on the menu felt like home, especially for me missing Costa Rican flavors. When you’re craving that taste of home, Cuban food is the closest hit.
As for van life in Miami? We just drove straight to the restaurant and back out. I can’t imagine trying to navigate van life in that city for more than a quick stop. The traffic, the parking situation, the urban density? Not for us. But for a nostalgic lunch that reminded us of early dating adventures? Totally worth the drive through chaos.
Jacksonville: DUUUVAL!
Ethan has a Madden franchise team that he manages and plays online with his best friend Dan, and his team is the Jacksonville Jaguars. So obviously, when we were driving through Jacksonville, we had to stop at the stadium.
We didn’t do a tour or anything formal, just pulled into the parking lot outside the stadium for photos. Ethan needed to rub it in Dan’s face, because that’s what best friends do, right? It was a quick, fun stop that made Ethan ridiculously happy, and honestly, those spontaneous detours for silly reasons are some of my favorite van life moments.
St. Augustine: History, Lights, and Perfect Timing
We’d been to St. Augustine once before, back in February 2025. We loved it the first time – it’s so small and cute, with great wine and bourbon tastings, charming streets, real history everywhere you look. Our friend Alex had recommended it to us originally, and we have to thank him because it’s become one of our favorite small cities.
Castillo de San Marcos: Living History
On our February visit, we toured Castillo de San Marcos, the old Spanish fort right on the water. It’s incredibly cool to visit a site like this from our country’s history, to walk through the same spaces that people defended centuries ago. The fort dates back to the 1600s, and walking through those thick coquina walls, seeing the cannons positioned toward the water, imagining what it must have been like to live and work there, it puts history into perspective in a way that reading about it never can.
If you love history and you’re in St. Augustine, definitely go inside the fort. And if you have a national park pass, they accept it, which is a nice bonus.
Nights of Lights: A Beautiful Surprise
We had no idea when we rolled into St. Augustine on the evening of December 27th, 2025 that we were about to experience Nights of Lights. The display runs from mid-November through the end of January, but we’d totally forgotten about it.
As we got closer to the historic district, we saw the bridge backed up with cars, a massive line forming. We were in the perfect position to make a quick decision: we parked in a neighborhood just before the bridge and walked in. I bet those cars were stuck for hours.
The lights were absolutely stunning. Millions of white lights strung across every building, tree, and street in the historic district, all glowing against the old Spanish architecture. Seeing it all from the bridge, looking out over the entire lit-up downtown, was breathtaking.
St. Augustine is already charming during the day, but Nights of Lights takes it to another level. It’s very touristy, we won’t pretend it’s not, but we honestly loved it both times we’ve been. If you’re anywhere near northeast Florida between November and January, make the trip. Just park before the bridge and walk in, trust us on that.
Looking Back on Three Magical Months
From mid-October through late December, we packed in so much: two house sits that saved us serious money while giving us time to just be still, theme park thrills and two-hour wait times, family reconnections that felt like coming home, a week apart that reminded us how much we love traveling together, Rooster’s first beach experience, wildlife in the Everglades, failed snorkeling attempts and incredible nachos in the Keys, quick stops at national parks we’ll definitely revisit, nostalgic Cuban food in Miami, and the most beautiful holiday lights we’ve ever seen.
Florida has become home in a way we didn’t expect when we first changed our residency. It’s not just the warm weather or the lack of income tax or the practical benefits of having a home base. It’s the natural beauty nobody talks about, the hidden SWFWMD parks, the quirky small cities, the family nearby, the way we can bounce between peaceful nature and urban adventures within the same week.
Van life isn’t always as glamorous as social media makes it look. We’ve spent Christmas in a Home Depot parking lot, waited two hours for a haunted house we could have skipped, lost frisbees in the ocean, and dealt with weather that ruined our snorkeling plans. But we also got to host Thanksgiving dinner with my dad and brother, reconnect with cousins we hadn’t seen in years, watch our puppy discover the ocean, and see historic streets lit up like something out of a fairy tale.
We’re already planning our return trips: back to the Everglades with more time, back to Biscayne to actually get on the water, back to the Keys when the weather’s better for snorkeling. And we’ll definitely be back to St. Augustine because honestly, we can’t get enough of that little city.
What’s been your favorite unexpected discovery while traveling? Drop a comment below and we’d love to hear about the places that surprised you in the best way.
Wandering with Charlotte 
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