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State park series #3: State Park Summer Mini-Series-Bahia Honda State Park: Calm and gorgeous beaches in the Florida Keys
2 Plays2 minutes ago
“Some of the best beach days happen when families stop trying to pack every moment with activity and finally have space to slow down, reset, and simply enjoy being together.”
In this episode, I continue our summer state park miniseries with a visit to Bahia Honda State Park in the Florida Keys. This conversation explores why slower, lower-pressure travel can feel especially supportive for families raising children with ADHD, autism, anxiety, and other behavioral differences. I share how calmer environments, flexible plans, and simpler travel days helped us feel more connected and less overwhelmed.
You’ll also hear practical insights on how water-based activities can be regulated for some children in the right environment.
Topics Covered:
- 00:00:00 - Introduction
- 00:00:10 – Welcome to Family Travel that Supports ADHD, Autism, and Anxiety
- 00:01:15 – Introduction to Bahia Honda State Park
- 00:03:59 – Reason #2: Calm water and snorkelling experience
- 00:04:51 – Why water can feel regulating for some children
- 00:05:06 – Reason #3: Beautiful scenery without overplanning
- 00:05:46 – Who Bahia Honda is best suited for
- 00:06:07 – Letting go of packed itineraries and FOMO
- 00:06:40 – Closing Thoughts
About Your Host:
Dr. Josette Bianchi is a board-certified pediatrician, mom of three, and a travel lover who believes families should feel confident exploring the world together. Through Family Travel that Supports ADHD, Autism, and Anxiety, she shares practical tips, real-life experiences, and encouragement for families raising children with big feelings, sensory needs, or behavioral differences.
Combining her medical background with her perspective as a parent, Dr. Bianchi helps families plan flexible, sensory-friendly trips. Each episode offers simple ideas, honest stories, and helpful tools to make travel more manageable and more meaningful for neurodiverse families.
Connect with Dr. Josette Bianchi:
- Email: familytravelsupport@gmail.com; josettemarie@gmail.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josette-bianchi-40902943/
- Instagram: @familytravelthatsupports
Resources:
- State Park website: https://www.floridastateparks.org/BahiaHonda
- Snorkeling information: https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/bahia-honda-state-park/snorkeling-bahia-honda
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Transcript
The Exhaustion of Beach Days
00:00:00
Speaker
If you're like me, you've probably had beach days that felt exhausting before they even started.
Introducing the Podcast: Family Travel and Special Needs
00:00:05
Speaker
I can promise you that Bahia Honda State Park will not be one of those days. Welcome to Family Travel that supports ADHD, autism, and anxiety, the podcast for families who love to travel and have children with big feelings and challenging moments.
Purpose: Supporting Families with Special Needs
00:00:21
Speaker
I'm Josette Bianchi, a mom to three children, a board-certified pediatrician, and a travel lover. If you're raising children with ADHD, autism, anxiety, or other behavioral differences, and the idea of travel feels both exciting and overwhelming, this podcast is for you.
Summer State Park Mini-Series
00:00:38
Speaker
Today we're back with another episode in our summer state park mini series. These are shorter episodes featuring state parks located throughout the United States that have worked really well for our family while traveling.
00:00:51
Speaker
Again, these are really great for planning last minute, no nonsense trips when advanced summer planning fell to the bottom of the to-do list, which honestly happens to me every year. Or you could even add them onto to an itinerary wherever you may already be going, maybe a big trip you have planned and you're looking for something to add.
Exploring Bahia Honda State Park
00:01:08
Speaker
Whatever it is grab your crew, your luggage, and your love of adventure, and let's hit the road together. Today we're heading to the Florida Keys to talk about Bahia Honda State Park, located on Big Pine Key.
00:01:22
Speaker
Honestly, we were in awe of the scenery at this park. I expected beautiful beaches because it's the Keys, but I really didn't expect one of the most peaceful, visually stunning, and just relaxing beach experiences we've had on a family vacation.
00:01:39
Speaker
It was awesome. Bahia Honda is in the lower Florida Keys. It's known for its clear water, calmer beaches, its snorkeling, and its iconic old bridge views, which are great for backdrops for photography, family pictures.
Activities at Bahia Honda: A Relaxing Approach
00:01:54
Speaker
This is totally like holiday card mode. It's only $8 per vehicle to get into the park.
00:02:01
Speaker
And when you think about everything there is to do there, that's a fantastic deal. you pretty much can't get a better deal on the keys. For us, what really stood out was just how easy it was to spend an entire day there without needing a complicated plan.
00:02:15
Speaker
You just need a little bit of snorkel equipment, some beach toys, some packed lunches, and you are set for the day. Can you do more? Definitely yes. If you go to their website, there's a list of about two dozen activities.
00:02:29
Speaker
Of all the state parks I've looked at while preparing for these episodes, of all the websites, this probably had the most activities to do. But you could also just pick one to two things and leave completely satisfied. That's what we did.
00:02:42
Speaker
We picked snorkeling and swimming, and we were totally satisfied when we left. So why does this park work? The first reason is the built-in slower pace.
00:02:53
Speaker
Immediately, you just feel like everyone slows down when you're there. There's no pressure to rush between attractions or move from one thing to the next. A lot of the experience of Bahia Honda is just being there, swimming, snorkeling, walking the beach, looking at the water, climbing the rocks, or just taking some breaks in the shade.
00:03:12
Speaker
And honestly, for families like mine, who sometimes get exhausted by highly scheduled vacations, this slower rhythm or slower reset day really was nice for us.
Navigating Crowds and Parking
00:03:24
Speaker
While there's usually a slower pace at Beheah Honda, I do want to be completely transparent that this is one park, i think of all the parks we're covering, that's in this mini series where there can be issues with parking during busier times. So it's slow, it's nice, you do not feel overcrowded when you're there, but you can have issues with parking if you're not mindful of the season, the time of day, whether it's a weekend, weekday, or a school
Snorkeling Adventures
00:03:51
Speaker
break. So just wanna keep that in mind when you go, that sometimes it can be challenging to find parking if you're going during high season or on a weekend.
00:03:59
Speaker
Okay, why else does it work? The water exploration and the snorkeling for us was huge. Snorkeling was one of the bigger highlights for our family while we were there.
00:04:10
Speaker
We did the shore snorkeling, but you can do boat snorkeling if you're interested. There's a company called Coral Reef Park Company that offers a snorkel boat tours, but we just did the shore snorkeling, and that was great for my kids. They were perfectly happy with that.
00:04:24
Speaker
You can also bring your equipment or you can rent it there. We flew and we were trying to travel light, so we just rented equipment at an additional cost, but it was a low cost and it was worth it to not have to worry about lugging equipment.
00:04:38
Speaker
The water was very calm, especially for our younger kids. It was shallow enough in many areas, so we felt like everyone was safe, it was approachable, and everyone could just have a good time and enjoy themselves. For kids who really like sensory input through water and exploration in water, this could be really engaging without feeling overstimulating because the water is calm, it's not a super crowded attraction, and water can be very regulating for a lot of children.
00:05:06
Speaker
The third reason why this park really worked well for us is just... The visually stunning beauty without overcomplication. It's beautiful, but it doesn't require an intense itinerary to see multiple overlooks or special views. You don't have to get a pass to go to a certain mountaintop or a certain overlook. You're not navigating huge crowds. The beauty is just all around and you can appreciate it really anywhere and on all the beaches that are there.
00:05:33
Speaker
So for us, that was much simpler, a lot less logistical planning, and we could just enjoy ourself without feeling like we had to run from one thing to the next or book a lot of things in advance.
Embracing Simple Travel Days
00:05:45
Speaker
I think Bahia Honda is the best fit for families who enjoy calmer beach environments and Kids who love water and regulate well with water. That was really something that I felt with my children while we were here.
00:05:59
Speaker
Families who want a little bit of a slower paced Florida Keys experience and families looking for that lower pressure nature focused beach day. Bahia Honda was one of those places that reminded me that some of our best travel days just happen when we stop trying to do so much.
00:06:15
Speaker
And also about how much my kids just love and feel regulated around water. We didn't do much here. There wasn't a packed itinerary or a huge checklist. It was mostly water, sun, time together, and just swimming and snorkeling.
00:06:30
Speaker
And that was enough for us.
Connecting with the Podcast
00:06:32
Speaker
Lahia Honda reminds me that you can really find beautiful scenery and cool trips without fighting crowds or feeling FOMO. Thanks for listening to another episode in our summer state park miniseries.
00:06:44
Speaker
Remember, travel doesn't have to look like anyone else's version to be meaningful. Meet your family where they are and keep wandering without limits. You've got this. This episode resonated with you. Please follow or subscribe to the show and share it with another parent or caregiver who might benefit.
00:07:00
Speaker
We'd also love to hear from you. Feedback, questions, places that you'd like us to cover on the show. Email me a show suggestion or review us on Apple, Spotify, or Amazon.
00:07:10
Speaker
And you can find us on Instagram at Family Travel That Supports. There we share tips, info on upcoming episodes, and we also ask for listener input. And remember, this podcast is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not to be considered medical advice for any patient.
00:07:28
Speaker
Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next time.