Florida - The Keys or St Petes?

[super1971]

Anyine know the areas outside of florida orlando we are looking to book a restful beach holiday in November for us and a one year looking for beach and shopping and touring type break anyone been and reccomend it for Novemeber?

Haven't been but my manager goes to St Pete's every year - she loves it, she dosen't have kids though - seems to spend alot of her time there playing golf.. hmm, prob not to helpful.

Hi,
We stayed on Anna Maria Island, it was great for the kids, woderful sugar white sand, free trolley to take you round, just bliss...........wish I was there now.........ahhhhhhhh

sounds fab what resort hotel was it?, did your kids like it too?, just hoping ds will like it and not get sunburnt

2001 we went to Clearwater for a week (after a week at Disney etc) I think we drove to St Petes too, but I didn't think that much of either of them. Probably best to go to the Keys - but according to friends, don't drive as it takes HOURS.

2003 We went to Miami for our honeymoon. Much better - great shopping (easy bus to outlet stores,just go to the Premium one though), great restuarants, great beaches - CAT me if you want more details

The Florida Keys does not have masses of beaches and has very little in the way of shopping. It is probably more suitable for older children as there is dockage and water literally everywhere. It's a blissfull place for a 'get away from it all' kind of holiday. Maybe you should consider Fort Lauderdale. The Lago Mar hotel is right on the beach and you can take a water taxi to the shops. Rooms are very spacious and often have a kitchen too.

And you've got Sawgrass Mills near Fort Lauderdale too if you want to go shopping. It's one of the biggest outlet malls in the States and it's only just up the road, at Sunrise.

If you're staying at Fort Lauderdale, don't miss a visit to the Rustic Inn restaurant. Their garlic crabs are superb. Wish I was there!

How about combining the two places. You can fly from Lauderdale to Marthon (half way down the keys and one of the bigger keys) or drive in just over 3 hours. If you stay on Key colony beach or the Sombrero area you will have a beach. You could also look at Hawks cay resort which would be easy with a child and has it's own paddling water area with a min sandy beach.

The weather should be hotter than a UK Summer but not too bad.

Have a look at www.floridakeys.com

wow just got back from showering and loads of replies thanks will look onto all of these thanks, didnt realise the keys whereso big thought we could dribe easily betwen islands whoops![GRIN]

You can drive through the Keys. Its about 2hrs to Marathon and 3hrs to Key West from Miami. It is one long road linking the keys with bridges and a very pretty drive.

the hawks cay resort looks fab been eyeing it up on the net have you been?,

We used to rent a house on Key Colony beach in Marathon with a boat and Hawks Cay was a great place to go for lunch (by boat or road). There are others things on the small key besides the resort but not much. Hawks Cay is pretty big, has dolphins on site and is well geared up to children. Have been going for years as the children love it there.

We stayed at one of the Tradewinds hotels on St Petes (Island Grand I think). Fantastic beach. I prefer Naples which we've been to a couple of times - we've stayed at the Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club and link{http://www.registryresort.com/\the Registry} - NG had the better beach, Registry had a fantastic pool with sloping "beach" entrance and a waterslide. Not too far from an outlet mall, lovely shops in the Waterside complex and a bog standard American shopping mall (bliss!!).

Sanibel Island is drop dead gorgeous.
We enjoyed the Keys but did this before children. Drove from Miami to Amy Slate's on Key Largo for 2 nights and then drove down to Key West for a few more days. No beaches really - not compared tothe Gulf Coast anyway. Key West was full of life though, we loved it.

Oh, I love Florida.... sigh.

the Registry

Missing link

Word of warning about the Tradwinds Island Grand - even with the safety netting they put up, the balconys are NOT safe for young children.

Its an hour to Cocoa Beach - we checked into a Time share 2 bed apartment when we arrived - next door to the Best Western - out of this world! Own indoor softland for kids and cinema for example - jacuzzi in ensuite, really really plush. Fab pool and on the beach. Best bit was it was low season (first week of Dec) and there was about one other couple in the whole complex.

Can't remember its name though You may be able to find out from their Tourist Information, Cape Canaveral is nearby for a good day out if you have any energy left after Disney

Key Largo is CRAP - hated every minute of it!

Spent a night in Key West and it was SO much better.... all pre-kids though

We got married in Marathon in The Keys in November great place but I would take children. We have also been to Clearwater pre kids and that is great I would take DS there (21mths).

We stayed in a villa in Orlando when DS was 11mths.

Not sure about the 'shopping' apart from Orlando, how about Cocoa Beach as you could them go to Orlando to shop.

The Resort at Cocoa Beach is where we stayed

www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g34145-d240908-Reviews-Resort_On_Cocoa_Beach-Cocoa_Beach_Florida.html

Lots of good reviews of it on this site and booking links

Or Sanibel and Captiva Islands, as already recommended - both blissfully peaceful and totally beautiful - sigh.......

We stayed a Hawkes Cay two years ago and it is fantastic, especially for the children.

There is a wonderful spa there too

If you stay there be sure to book one of the villas rather than the hotel as the villas are much nicer and better than hotel rooms with children. We stayed in a Conch Villa. It was lovely with two bedrooms and two bathrooms upstairs and fully equiped kitchen and sitting room downstairs - the veranda has chairs/loungers and big dining table and BBQ.

There are several pools, the children loved the pirate boat one. The sunset pool was lovely and hidden away, every time we used it we were the only family there!

We did Hawks Cay and then onto Orlando for a week. Was a wonderful holiday and I would definately return!

If you cant wait a few weeks, we are off to Sebastian, FL which is on the space coast. A kind of last minute booking so we didnt have the best choice of where to go, we are going with a 3 year old and an 18 month old, dont want to go to Disney yet as I think they are too young. Watch this space and I'll let you know what I think in a couple of weeks.

Super1971, sorry haven`t been on here for a few days. We rented a fab house, great garden for the kids, and a minutes walk to the most beautiful white sugary sandy beach, it was heaven. My trio loved every minute of it, oh I wish we were going back soon...............

triplets, thanks it did look divine, anyhow after much research we have decided on FL - Lago mar and islamorada key - checca lodge for 4 night - booking it on firday and then the countdown begins, HOorau

Try and manage a trip down to Key West, although not much there for kids it's quite unique and has a great atmosphere.

Also my little brother works behind the bar in Sloppy Joes!