Hi, I'm Travis. I live in Miami, Florida, with my wife Dana, our kids Maya and Nico, and Pickles, an orange cat who has never once asked to come camping.
I teach high-school PE and help coach our baseball team every spring. Dana is a respiratory therapist who works 12-hour hospital shifts, so our trips get planned around school breaks, shift swaps and a lot of weather apps. We started tent camping in 2023 with a borrowed tent at Long Pine Key in the Everglades, and somewhere between the raccoon that stole our bread and the stars over the pinelands, all four of us were hooked. These days we camp in a secondhand pop-up camper, and the old dome tent still comes out for backyard nights.
This blog is where I write down what we learned: which Florida parks are worth booking 11 months ahead, how muggy is too muggy for a tent, what our road trips really cost and which gear earned its spot in the car.
What you'll find here
- Florida Camping: state parks, the Everglades, the Keys and the springs, season by season.
- Road Trips: summer drives to the mountains and winter breaks up the coast, hotel nights included.
- Camping With Kids: what works with our two, what doesn't and what they remember.
- Gear & Packing: the gear we bought, what was worth it and how we pack the car and the camper.
- Campfire Cooking: simple camp meals, plus a little Cuban cooking from Dana's side of the family.
- Trip Planning & Budgets: reservations, rentals, insurance, roadside help and what every trip actually cost.
A few honest notes
I'm a teacher, not a park ranger, mechanic or licensed insurance agent. When I share what we paid for a rental, a camper policy or trip insurance, it's our experience, not advice for your family. Park rules, fees and closures change often, so please check with the park before you go.
Some posts contain affiliate links. If you book or buy through one, the blog may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. More on the disclosure page.
Say hi any time: mail@littlecampfirenotes.com.