The Adventure

In mid-August of 2024, I took a couple of days out of my week to visit Florida for the first time. Florida is a state that has a reputation for good beaches and warm weather, and is especially popular among us Canadians as a winter escape. My trip, however, was in the summer, escaping from southern Ontario’s hot weather into Florida’s even hotter weather.

Flying into Fort Lauderdale on the 12th, my main purpose was to visit a friend who was staying a couple of cities north of there. I arrived around noon and had a few hours to explore the beaches before being able to access my hotel room in Deerfield Beach. I enjoyed walking the short distance between the bus stop and the beach, the roads lined with palm trees. I have only once before been far enough south to experience the subtropical climate, and it is unlike anything I have seen closer to home. I quickly learned, however, that it is impossible to walk for more than around fifteen minutes before becoming drenched in sweat. There was a Walgreens by the bus stop, which became a necessary stop to stay hydrated. Once I was at the beach, I found a cool spot in the shade to stay.

I was only at my hotel for a short while before I was picked up for dinner out. After eating, we returned to the beaches, which were cooler and less crowded in the evening. When the sun had set, I returned to my hotel, and we made plans to meet the next day.

On the second day, we met in the early afternoon. It was a long walk to our meeting point, so another stop at Walgreens was necessary to load up on drinks to carry me through the day. Even just the walk to Walgreens had me sweating profusely. We met up on the south side of Boca Raton, and walked from there.

Our primary goal upon meeting was to both visit Dunkin’ Donuts for the first time. Since neither of us is American, this was a fun shared first-time experience for both of us. From there, we started heading toward a nature center on foot. Frequent stops were required under the shade of palm trees to cool down. At one point, we realized we wouldn’t make it to the nature center before it closed, so we headed into the city instead. We walked down roads lined with palm trees, across streams, and past many, many lizards scurrying around. Our day ended in a plaza, where we visited a music store to pick up some matching souvenirs, then ate at a Chick-fil-A before parting ways. Back at my hotel, I tried and failed to get sleep before an early morning flight back to Canada the next morning.

Concluding Thoughts

Florida was so much fun! It was, of course, really nice to meet a friend, and in such a nice place. The colours were so vibrant, and the beaches were so beautiful and picturesque. I also enjoyed seeing the lizards scurrying around, since we don’t see any of that in Canada. The heat is definitely a force to be reckoned with in Florida. I think I went through four bottled drinks on the second afternoon alone, not including what I got from Dunkin’, just to keep cool. I also learned that it doesn’t really get much colder during the winter. Regardless, especially if you’re on the beach, there are always places you can cool down. Whether it’s running into the ocean or finding some shade under a tall tree in a park, there are ways to stay cool while visiting the hottest destination I’ve ever travelled to. Make sure to stay hydrated, too, if you ever visit Florida and its beautiful beaches!