A Week Around Florida: Tampa to Tamiami Day 2

Posted on:

December 11, 2025

Our second day heading south started at our iOverlander trailhead parking lot just outside Inglis, FL. We were up pretty early and left in a deep fog before daylight. We headed over to a Pilot on I-75 to have breakfast and get ready to head towards the Keys along the west coast. We made it to I-75 about an hour north of Tampa-Saint Petersburg, ready for our 5 hours or so drive to our next stop near Homestead.

Breakfast at the Pilot Flying J

Headed into Tampa Bay

Deborah Driving Over the Bay

Traffic through Tampa was going to be a mess no matter which way we went, so we went over to I-275 and across the bay into Saint Petersburg so we could see the water. The causeway bridges are always so amazing to see, and they often have some great places to stop for lunch before going across the bridge. We stopped for lunch at the rest area on the bay just before meeting back up with I-75 to Naples. The temps were around 75° and made for just a beautiful time here for a lunch break.

Lunch Rest Area on the Bay

I love all the diagonals on the bridges. It’s hard to slow down at times and appreciate the things we see all the time, but bridges are one of those things that never disappoints.

Old Highway Fishing Pier

Crossing the Bay in St Pete

Headed South on I-275 in St Pete

Fishing Pier from Old Bay Bridge

Our stop for the night was going to be the Miccosukee Casino & Resort because they have one of the only places just north of the Keys where RV’s and overnight parking is allowed, and they “only” charge $25 to stay the night. To get there we wanted to go through the Florida Everglades and the Tamiami Trail (as opposed to another long drive on I-75). This is always a very scenic way to get from the west coast to the east coast, and on this day we passed dozens of alligators along the way. They were all sunbathing on the side of the canal every few feet.

Big Cypress National Preserve

Bird on a Van Wire

Edgar Waiting on Deborah to Return

Aligator in the Everglades Canal

We made one last stop on the road at the Visitor’s Center where we got to walk along the canal, behind a nice safety fence. The photo above was probably as close as I had ever come to an alligator, but thank goodness he never moved a muscle. The next stop is going to be a drive down the Florida Keys, one of our favorite places in the country.

If you missed the first three days of the trip they are below for you, thanks for stopping by!

A Week Around Florida

Thanks for Visiting!

Deborah on Her Honda Shadow in Florida Keys

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