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Florida 2024

A Travel Diary

Florida 2024

Miami, Wynwood, and the Orlando parks — December 2024

34Photographs
11Days
4Places
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Murals, safari & the parks

The holidays back in Florida — Miami Beach and the Atlantic sunsets, the spray-painted walls of Wynwood and Little Havana, and then Orlando: the safari giraffes and elephants of Disney's Animal Kingdom, Spaceship Earth glowing at Epcot, and the dragon over Diagon Alley at Universal. Tap any photo to enlarge it, or open the map.

Another Florida holiday, this time leaning into color and the parks. Miami gave us the Atlantic at sunset and the spray-painted walls of Wynwood and Little Havana — whole blocks turned into open-air galleries.

Then inland to Orlando, where the days belonged to the theme parks: the giraffes and elephants of Disney's Animal Kingdom safari, Spaceship Earth glowing over Epcot after dark, and a dragon breathing fire over Diagon Alley at Universal. Murals in the morning, a safari by afternoon, fireworks to close it out — Florida doing a little of everything.

This trip ran 11 days, December 24, 2024 – January 5, 2025. Along the way we spent time at Disney's Animal Kingdom, Miami — beaches, Wynwood & Little Havana, Epcot, and Universal & the food. The gallery below tells it day by day, in 34 photographs.

Day 1

Tue 24 Dec

Miami — beaches, Wynwood & Little Havana

Miami — beaches, Wynwood & Little Havana
Miami — beaches, Wynwood & Little HavanaA man o' war washed up on Miami Beach.

Day 2

Wed 25 Dec

Miami — beaches, Wynwood & Little Havana

Miami — beaches, Wynwood & Little Havana
Miami — beaches, Wynwood & Little HavanaGulls working the shoreline at South Beach.
Miami — beaches, Wynwood & Little Havana
Miami — beaches, Wynwood & Little HavanaSunset over the Atlantic.
Miami — beaches, Wynwood & Little Havana
Miami — beaches, Wynwood & Little HavanaThe murals of the Wynwood Walls.

Day 3

Thu 26 Dec

Miami — beaches, Wynwood & Little Havana

Miami — beaches, Wynwood & Little Havana
Miami — beaches, Wynwood & Little HavanaLittle Havana, painted top to bottom.

Day 4

Fri 27 Dec

Miami — beaches, Wynwood & Little Havana

Miami — beaches, Wynwood & Little Havana
Miami — beaches, Wynwood & Little HavanaA milkshake worth every calorie.
Miami — beaches, Wynwood & Little Havana
Miami — beaches, Wynwood & Little HavanaA man o' war washed up on Miami Beach.

Day 5

Sat 28 Dec

Miami — beaches, Wynwood & Little Havana · Disney's Animal Kingdom

Miami — beaches, Wynwood & Little Havana
Miami — beaches, Wynwood & Little HavanaGulls working the shoreline at South Beach.
Disney's Animal Kingdom
Disney's Animal KingdomGiraffes out on Disney's safari savanna.
Disney's Animal Kingdom
Disney's Animal KingdomElephants down at the watering hole.

Day 6

Mon 30 Dec

Disney's Animal Kingdom

Disney's Animal Kingdom
Disney's Animal KingdomFlamingos crowding the water in pink.
Disney's Animal Kingdom
Disney's Animal KingdomA rhino grazing in the morning.
Disney's Animal Kingdom
Disney's Animal KingdomThe great carved Tree of Life.

Day 7

Tue 31 Dec

Disney's Animal Kingdom

Disney's Animal Kingdom
Disney's Animal KingdomA quiet green corner of Animal Kingdom.
Disney's Animal Kingdom
Disney's Animal KingdomGiraffes out on Disney's safari savanna.
Disney's Animal Kingdom
Disney's Animal KingdomElephants down at the watering hole.
Disney's Animal Kingdom
Disney's Animal KingdomFlamingos crowding the water in pink.
Disney's Animal Kingdom
Disney's Animal KingdomA rhino grazing in the morning.
Disney's Animal Kingdom
Disney's Animal KingdomThe great carved Tree of Life.
Disney's Animal Kingdom
Disney's Animal KingdomA quiet green corner of Animal Kingdom.
Disney's Animal Kingdom
Disney's Animal KingdomGiraffes out on Disney's safari savanna.
Disney's Animal Kingdom
Disney's Animal KingdomElephants down at the watering hole.
Disney's Animal Kingdom
Disney's Animal KingdomFlamingos crowding the water in pink.

Day 8

Wed 1 Jan

Epcot

Epcot
EpcotSpaceship Earth glowing at dusk.
Epcot
EpcotEpcot's great silver geodesic sphere lit up at night.
Epcot
EpcotBruce the shark, hanging in the Seas.
Epcot
EpcotA fancy cocktail and a slice to match.
Epcot
EpcotSpaceship Earth glowing at dusk.
Epcot
EpcotEpcot's great silver geodesic sphere lit up at night.

Day 9

Thu 2 Jan

Epcot

Epcot
EpcotBruce the shark, hanging in the Seas.
Epcot
EpcotA fancy cocktail and a slice to match.

Day 10

Sat 4 Jan

Universal & the food

Universal & the food
Universal & the foodThe dragon over Gringotts in Diagon Alley.

Day 11

Sun 5 Jan

Universal & the food

Universal & the food
Universal & the foodUniversal's spinning globe.
Universal & the food
Universal & the foodSomething sweet at the end of a long park day.

Where we wandered