Ok, we are wanting to go to Florida for a vacation but have no idea where to stay. I have looked at so many websites, my head is now spinning and I can't remember what I have looked at.
We are thinking Clearwater, FL - we would like the sandy white beaches. We want to stay right on the beach - not across the street from the beach or water view - we want beachfront. We would also like to possibly be in walking distance of restaurants/stores in case we fly - my husband would rather not have to rent a car but that's not a deal breaker. Please send me your suggestions,advice, and good experiences you had in Florida.
BTW, my husband knows Florida like the back of his hand due to his job, he covered every hurricane they have had in the past 7 years - so we are open to off the beaten path too.
Thank you in advance!
My two favorite Gulf beaches are Clearwater and Sanibel Island. I think either one would give you what you are looking for. Have fun!!!
JaneyJ gave you awesome Clearwater advise. I used to live 4 miles from Clw beach for for 26 years although they have changed so many things in the 7 years I have been in Tx. ( I went back last summer). You really shouldn't need to rent a car, everything is in walking distance that you could need...food, drug stores, anything. In addition to Capt. Memo's Pirate Ship, you can parasail, take the dolphin sightseeing boat, they have The Seascreamer (huge cigar boat), dayfishing boats, jet ski rentals... On the weekends, vendors set up on the pier and display their wares for purchase. You see some really cool things and they aren't too $$.
Since I was so close to Clw, a mini vacation for me was to go stay on Treasure Island Beach or St. Petersburg Beach. Those are also very nice beaches but not so full of teenagers. St. Pete has the Don Cesar, one it's finest hotels, also the Alden. Many others, I've been gone a while and can't remember them all. Either way, have a great time. If you want a great Grouper sandwich, go to Keegan's on Indian Rocks beach, not fancy by any means but super good food.
Clearwater Beach is so beautiful. There is a Holiday Inn Sunsplash I think it was called on Gulf to Bay Blvd (south end of the beach) that backs up to the beach. We lived in Tampa for a number of yrs and went to Clearwater Beach pretty often. very fun. I think there is a Hilton or Hyatt too that backs up to Clearwater Beach further north. It is right next to the pier also on Gulf to Bay Blvd. If you want a fun place to take kidsto in Tampa, a short drive frm Clearwater is Busch Gardens Theme Park. There is also great big "pirate ship" you can sign up for going on a boat ride in the ocean just off Clearwater Beach, Kids go crazy over it. I think their staff is dressed like pirates . You sign up for it.near the big fountain on the round-about next to the beach. Not sure what the cost is but it would be If you love fresh seafood there is a great very casual beach bar/restaurant called Frenchies on the north beach of Clearwater. The food there is outstanding and it is on the beach with the nice white sand. If you are taking children I would walk to the north beach of Clearwater, north of the pier, it is more family friendly. The other side of the pier beach is geared more for young people and college kids.One thing I would do is to call the Clearwater Chamber of Commerce 1st though to be sure the beaches there have not been affected by the Gulf Oil spill . I havent heard if they are or not. Hope this helps. Have fun if you go.
If you're going without the kids, try Lovers Key, Ft. Myers - on the beach, you can see dolphins swimming. there's a place to kayak, just really nice.
We just got back from Florida a few weeks ago. Our family goes to a place called Perdido Key, it's at the border of Florida & Alabama and about 20 min or so from Pensacola. We stayed in condos called Perdido Towers and you can either rent directly from the owner or from a realty office. The condo is right on the beach and the beaches are private so they aren't crowded and they are very nice. White sand, emerald waters....absolutley beautiful. This was our 2nd year to go there and I can't imagine staying anywhere else now that we've been there.
We stayed at Tradewinds Resort in St. Pete Beach (near Clearwater) and loved it! It's right on the beach (which is beautiful with white sand and clear water) and because it's a resort, you never have to leave (I think we walked across the street for dinner one night). There are beach umbrellas, 4-5 restaurants, 2 pools with activities, beach trikes, a big water slide on the beach, a pirate show and a waterway that winds through the resort with paddle boats. We loved it!
Sanibel or Captiva are awesome. They are islands so you would need a car for sure to get to the hotel and to naviagte the islands for restaurants. There is no bad place to stay. Even the dives are right on the beach. Look at the Sanibel Inn
We recently spent our vacation in Atlanta, and had a great experience finding a place through Vacation Rentals by Owner (www.vrbo.com). You can find houses/condos to rent just about anywhere in the country. We enjoyed the extra space and kitchen available in a house/condo as compared to a hotel room, especially since we have three kids. A hotel would have been way to crowded for us for a week. Here is an example of what might be available in the Clearwater area, but you can look around for a place that fits your needs/budget, and of course one that is available during your travel dates.
http://www.vrbo.com/254516
Good luck in your search and enjoy your vacation!
Hi. My name is N. Cox I am a Travel Agent from Dallas Texas. There are some good deals to Florida right now. Clearwater is a good choice but my advise is to rent a car because you are flying into Tampa.
You did not say if kids were involved in this vacation? I would also suggest the keys. Get back to me and let me know what you are thinking and I will get you some quotes before your head explodes. It is a lot of information for Florida and with the oil spill some places are not good choices right now.
Feel free to call me ###-###-#### or email me.
Thanks
N. Cox
We always go to Daytona Beach (DB) and stay at the Ocean Walk Resort. It is right on the beach. You can look at the pool and the beach from your balcony. We usually drive as we have lots of kids. But you can do lots of things all within walking distance. You can buy food for your condo as they have a fully stocked kitchen or buy food at the lobby, eat at the resort eatery, or the cafe in the pool area. It has indoor and outdoor mini golf, 2 outdoor pools, a lazy river, and 2 indoor pools as well as 3 hot tubs. The pool area has a big water slide and a dedicated kid water play area. It has an adult only rec room with computers as well as an arcade, and a game room for kids and computers for kids. The DB boardwalk connects to the resort as well as the DB Bandshell. You can eat or play arcade games. The boardwalk has rides too. Connected to the resort is the Ocean Walk Shoppes with restaurants, shops, and a movie theater. Across from the resort is Daytona Lagoon, a water park, arcade, laser tag, go kart place. Everything is reasonably priced. The kids love it and so do we!! When we drive we bring the beach toys and boogie boards. You can fly into DB via Atlanta from Texas, or fly into Orlando. It's about an hour and a half from the airport to Ocean Walk. Their website is www.OceanWalk.com. Best wishes and God bless!
Crystal River is beautiful. My husband says Largo has nice beaches but he doesn't think Clearwater is nice. He said it's a lot of mangrove and natural coast (nature coast). I have had great luck with www.vacationrentals.com for renting properties in Florida.
Blessings and enjoy Florida! It's one of our favorite places to be!
L.
Hi. Check out www.bracktravel.com. Just go to the villas and condos menu. I just saw a beach-front condo that sleeps 6 in Treasure Island for a great price, as well as a condo that sleeps 4 near Clearwater Beach. They both have kitchen units, pools on site, laundty facilities, as well as being on the beach.
With this website, if you register as a preferred customer on the website, which is free to do, you get 30 minutes of Concierge service over the phone, so you could call the service for restaurant recommendations, etc.
Have fun!
Barb
I would highly recommend Siesta Key. We always stay at Casablanca villas, its right on the beach, and we love it! The sands are beautiful, white and soft, its incredible.
This year we decided to try Sanibel Island, and I was very disappointed after hearing so many great reviews. The beach was full of weeds and shells (not all pretty shells), and the water seemed dirty. Maybe it was the time of year (we went in early March), but it just wasn't what I expected.
