I also recommend the ICW/OWW/GICW combo. Coming across the state instead of around it is a cool experience to have. Lots of wildlife, gators, manatees, otters. Lake Okeechobee is a little boring, but you are across it in less than a day at 5.5 knots.
A little research is needed ahead of time. Check the hours that the locks are in operation, and plan the distances in between accordingly. There are dolphins (the tie up kind, not the Flipper kind) on either side of all the locks, so you can tie up just outside if you arrive late, and spend the night with no marina expense.
Roland Martin Marina in the southwest corner of the lake is an experience everyone should have once, though I don't know what marinas are like in Covid times.