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Katie And Joe On The Go

The Email That Sent Us to Florida’s National Parks ✈️ 🐊 🌴

Published 6 months ago • 3 min read

Hey friends,
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In the second week of January 2025, we were sitting in our local public library doing what we always do at the start of a new year — mapping out travel plans and setting priorities for the months ahead.
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Then an email came through.
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We’d been awarded a camping permit for Dry Tortugas National Park, a former military fort sitting 70 miles west of Key West, stranded in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico — a notoriously difficult permit to secure because there are only a handful of campsites.
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Everything else stopped. Laptops closed. Notes forgotten. Within minutes, we scrapped our original plans and started building an entirely new trip — a 10-day adventure to visit all three of Florida’s U.S. National Parks: Everglades, Biscayne, and Dry Tortugas.
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Fast forward to today, and while the circumstances aren’t exactly the same, the feeling was familiar.
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An incredible flight deal to Florida just popped up in our inbox from Thrifty Traveler (we got the same flight update from Daily Drop as well) — with fares from cities across the country as low as $106 — and it immediately caught our attention. Not just because it’s cheap, but because January through April is the best time to visit Florida’s National Parks.
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That’s when we went. January and February brought cooler weather, fewer bugs, better wildlife viewing, and perfect conditions for kayaking Biscayne’s mangroves, cycling Shark Valley, and catching sunrise at Dry Tortugas. It’s one of those trips that fully exceeded expectations.
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While we’re still working through our Florida content backlog, here’s what you can explore right now if this trip is on your radar:

Joey walking along one of the many boardwalks in Everglades NP

Katie photographing the River of Grass in Everglades NP

Katie and Joe standing in front of the Biscayne National Park sign

Joey getting ready to kayak through the mangrove forest in Biscayne NP

Watching sunrise over Dry Tortugas NP

Watching sunset over Dry Tortugas NP

If you’re starting to plan your own Florida National Parks trip, here are a few experiences in the area that are genuinely worth booking — especially if it’s your first time visiting.

If you’re curious where we find deals like this, we personally use Thrifty Traveler and Daily Drop to keep an eye on flight prices. They’re the reason deals like this actually hit our inbox — and why we’re able to jump on trips when timing aligns.

Sometimes the best trips don’t start with months of planning. They start with one unexpected email — or one great deal — that makes you stop and rethink everything.
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If Florida’s been on your list, this might be your sign.
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Cheers,

Joey and Katie

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How To Plan The BEST Trip:

Planning a great trip comes down to a few key pieces: staying flexible, booking smart, and having the right tools along the way. These are the travel resources we personally use to plan our own trips and make travel smoother from start to finish.

  • 🛡️ SafetyWing: Travel Insurance for the peace of mind
  • ✈️ DailyDrop: Maximize your credit card travel rewards
  • 🌍 Going: Score unbelievable flight deals
  • 🎟️ GetYourGuide: Unforgettable experiences
  • 📸 Viator: Top rated tours and activities
  • 🧳 Booking.com: Stays for every style
  • 🛍️ Amazon: Our favorite gear, all in one place

This email may include affiliate links. If you purchase through them, we may earn a small commission—at no extra cost to you. We only share what we truly use and love.

Katie And Joe On The Go

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