After ticking off 49 states visited with only Hawaii to complete all 50 of America’s states I decided that 2025 will be a return visit to the Sunshine State of Florida. I found a deal with Virgin Holidays for early September that was too good to miss.

Flights and a resort hotel in Celebration for just over £750! It was like getting the hotel or flight for free. I will be flying into Tampa and collecting a hire car for the 75 mile drive to Celebration. Although arrival will be early evening the return flight will give me almost another full day at the other end. 

I won’t be visiting the parks at all mainly because of the crazy pricing and all the extras on top. I will include a visit to Disney Springs because it is free to park and a great way to spend part of the day and get some of that magic Disney feeling. The other attraction I want to visit is City Walk at Universal Studios. Unfortunately this is a different challenge. To park at Universal is $32 regardless if you are NOT visiting the parks. After much research into Lynx buses from various points to the parking facility at Universal Studios that will cost $2 there just isn’t enough information even after contacting Lynx Bus for help. I could purchase cinema tickets for a matinee viewing and then I can get my $32 refunded. Going to the cinema would definitely be on my holiday list though.

Universal Studios has a whole season in the build up to Halloween called Halloween Horror Nights and research of this event gave me a fright all on its own. A ticket to this series of events starts at nearly $90 an adult plus tax. If you want to attend the premium Scream Night a ticket is only $415 per person plus tax. Oh this will include free parking. There are some offers for early entrance into Universal from 15:00 hrs for an additional $55 plus tax. All of this activity for Halloween is funnelling the date that I can get free parking after 18:00 hrs.

General Parking is free after 18:00 hrs but not for the nights that the Horror Nights are operating. After much searching it seems that a Monday or Tuesday are NOT Halloween nights so long as time it right that I actually arrive to park after 18:00 so no loitering for the magic hour. I just can’t justify $32 for parking a car for a couple of hours. 

I want to revisit St Augustine and instead of returning to Celebration I decided that travelling further north to Jacksonville and spending a night there would be a great idea. Jacksonville really looks like a happening city and there is a monorail that operates for about 2.5 miles through the downtown area of businesses and shops AND it is entirely free. There are river taxis and about 32 miles of beaches, I mean what is there not to like?

The other place I want to re-visit is Homosassa Springs to see the Manatees and before returning to Tampa there is a small town Ybor City that looks really quaint and has a story to tell. 

So Hawaii 50 is going to have to wait for another year.