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South Florida Vacation Recap

Written in May of 2018, edited and re-posted in May of 2019.

They said I could be anything, so I became a South Florida gal for a week, and boy did I love every second of it.

Okay, I definitely didn’t fit the part because I was as pale as a vampire the entire time I was there, but as always, I enjoyed my trip to the Sunshine State, and figured I’d share the details with you! There are so many hidden gems in South Florida that no one really talks about. Visits to Miami are frequent, but I wanted to mention the spots outside of the hot (metaphorically and literally) city that you’ve gotta check out.

The reason for our trip was for my mother-in-law’s birthday, but we made the most of our time there and visited a bunch of our favorite spots (and some new ones). My husband’s family lives in and around the Fort Lauderdale area. We didn’t trek down to Miami this time, but we found plenty to do close to where we stayed.

Places We Went

The Swap Shop

We hit this spot every time we go to SoFlo. It’s a massive flea market with an arcade inside and a bunch of fruit stands outside!

Sawgrass Mills

Probably the biggest mall I’ve ever been to, and it has all of my favorite stores. Typically I do some serious shopping damage here, but this time we shopped for B – and it was such fun!

The Walk of Coral Springs

This is walking distance from where Brandon lived when we first met. It’s got some ice cream shops, a Barnes & Noble, and some really pretty spots to sit and soak up the sun.

Game Night Arcade

I can’t rave enough about this place. We had the immense privilege of being there for the opening night a couple of years ago, and now it’s just so neat to visit and see how they’ve grown! The old-school video game vibe is the best (and they’ve also added mixed drinks to their menu, so we were pretty excited about that)!

Fort Lauderdale Beach

I feel like you can’t visit South Florida and not go to the beach. We try to make it a habit to go around golden hour.  It’s usually less crowded, and the view is spectacular!

FATVillage

If you can’t make it to Wynwood in Miaimi, this art district in Fort Lauderdale is a great option! Such a cool spot, filled with so much color and life!

Places We Ate

BREW Urban Café

This cafe is in FATVillage and has an airstream shop inside, along with a massive wall of books that reminds me of the library in Beauty & the Beast. They’ve got some seriously delicious cold brew!

Wings Plus

In my vlog, you’ll hear us say that people write full blog posts about their bleu cheese dressing – and we’re not wrong. You can read the post right here. I don’t enjoy bleu cheese dressing, but Wings Plus is an exception – and their wings are also phenomenal!

Taiwan Ice

A totally cute spot at The Walk of Coral Springs that offers rolled ice cream and bubble tea in lightbulbs!

BurgerFi

When B lived in South Florida, he raved about this spot for burgers. I never understood the hype until I tried their “CEO burger.” I think I swooned.

Pollo Tropical

I know this is a chain, but we don’t have them in Richmond, so any time we’re in SoFlo, I try to stop by to get myself a TropiChops. And don’t even get me started on how delicious their cilantro garlic sauce is.

Cherry Smash

I’ll never be able to truly express how much I love Cherry Smash. Not only is their ice cream to die for, but the shop itself is an experience. Walking in, you’re greeted by retro diner vibes and “Happy Days” playing on the TV. There are toys and collectibles from floor to ceiling that transport you to simpler times, and each time you visit, you’ll notice something you didn’t before!

Related Posts
The Pink Party Dress You’ll Never Want to Take Off // Tropical Print Pants You Gotta Wear to the Beach // 60 Gingham Dresses You’ll Love for Summer

Enjoy a little South Florida vacation vlog I put together from our trip!

South Florida is truly filled with hidden gems at every twist and turn. What are your favorite finds?

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Comments

  1. That’s so special you visited to celebrate your future mother-in-law’s birthday! I’ve never been to Florida but the beachy vibes definitely remind me of California 🙂 I’m craving those cute boba drinks though!
    xo Samantha

    Reply

  2. That’s so special you visited to celebrate your future mother-in-law’s birthday! I’ve never been to Florida but the beachy vibes definitely remind me of California 🙂 I’m craving those cute boba drinks though!
    xo Samantha

    Reply

  3. I love all the vibrant colors in your pictures! 🙂 I am sure your MIL was super excited to have you guys there. Definitely book marking this so I can check out all the cool places you visited! Have a great weekend!

    Reply

  5. It looks like you had an amazing vacation! I’ve only ever visited Orlando in Florida, but the south looks like a great place for vacation. I’m loving your pictures! xx

    Reply

  8. I love all the vibrant colors in your pictures! 🙂 I am sure your MIL was super excited to have you guys there. Definitely book marking this so I can check out all the cool places you visited! Have a great weekend!

    Reply

  10. It looks like you had an amazing vacation! I’ve only ever visited Orlando in Florida, but the south looks like a great place for vacation. I’m loving your pictures! xx

    Reply

  18. Oh my gosh you guys are the cutest! This looks like the best vacation ever!! Love these images!

    Reply

  39. awe you’re in my neck of the woods! We live just north of Ft. Lauderdale!! Being a FL girl is my absolute fave! Also the veggie burger at burgerfi is so good next time you go back! I’ll ahve to check out fatvillage!

    Reply

  43. These pics are absolutely beautiful and I love the way you described your trip – it was so informative! I would love to go to Florida!

    Reply

  45. awe you’re in my neck of the woods! We live just north of Ft. Lauderdale!! Being a FL girl is my absolute fave! Also the veggie burger at burgerfi is so good next time you go back! I’ll ahve to check out fatvillage!

    Reply

  51. These pics are absolutely beautiful and I love the way you described your trip – it was so informative! I would love to go to Florida!

    Reply

  56. That lightbulb bubble tea looks so cute! I would love to be able to visit Florida one day with my husband! I’ve gone before when I was younger, but I know I’d experience it much differently as an adult, now. Great post! Sounds like you had a lot of fun!

    Reply

  57. You have me totally longing for the beach right about now! I’ve never been to South Florida, but I’ve been to Florida and loved it. Will have to remember these spots if I ever get there. Oh, and I loved your travel vlog! You guys are the cutest!

    Reply

  62. This looks like it was so much fun! I’ve never really explored this part of Florida but now I definitely want to! Xo

    Reply

  66. I am one of Florida’s biggest fans but I never get down to South Florida as much as I want to! There really are some incredible hidden gems and I absolutely love Ft. Lauderdale Beach. Such a wonderful list!

    Reply

  69. Oh, fun! South Florida is always a fun time – the beaches are fabulous! I think you may have been there at the same time my boyfriend was there for a conference!

    Reply

  70. Florida is like my second home! I usually venture to Orlando but I also LOVE SoFlo – my assistant just moved there I will pass on your rec’s to her too!

    xoxo Sarah

    Reply

  82. I love Florida, sometimes so much I want to move there! I have a special place in my heart for BurgerFi. I was down in Florida and at the time was training for a marathon, and that week I needed to do a 25 mile training run. So I did my run in the morning and BurgerFi is where we ended up for lunch – a burger has never tasted as good as it did after 25 miles of running!

    Reply

  102. Oh, fun! South Florida is always a fun time – the beaches are fabulous! I think you may have been there at the same time my boyfriend was there for a conference!

    Reply

  105. I am one of Florida’s biggest fans but I never get down to South Florida as much as I want to! There really are some incredible hidden gems and I absolutely love Ft. Lauderdale Beach. Such a wonderful list!

    Reply

  106. Florida is like my second home! I usually venture to Orlando but I also LOVE SoFlo – my assistant just moved there I will pass on your rec’s to her too!

    xoxo Sarah

    Reply

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