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Post by heckofagal on Sept 14, 2017 15:58:22 GMT
Hi Peas, Some girlfriends and I are looking for a beach and a place to stay in Florida to celebrate a 50th birthday next March. Looking to NOT spend a fortune, lay on the beach a bit, maybe go on a dolphin rout, eat some good food and DRINK. I prefer a beach where you can watch the sunset directly on the water. Any recommendations? I was thinking Clearwater, Sanibel or the Keys. I know we still need to wait and see how some of these areas look post-Irma. Is Gainesville near a beach  (JK). And GO... |
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freebird
Drama Llama
'cause I'm free as a bird now
Posts: 6,927 
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Post by freebird on Sept 14, 2017 16:03:18 GMT
Sanibel beaches have lots of shells. Some of them are hard to walk on with bare feet. The water might be too cold to swim. I'd plan for low 80's, mid-high 70's.
I'd probably try to go as far south as possible and hit the keys. I'm betting they'll somewhat recover quicker than we expected.
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Post by heckofagal on Sept 14, 2017 16:11:45 GMT
Yes, Freebird, I've been to Sanibel before so I know about all the shells, but my other 2 friends have not. I've also been to Clearwater and remember watching the sunset as we had dinner/drinks at a restaurant on the beach, and a trip to the Keys is always fun!
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Post by pastlifepea on Sept 14, 2017 16:18:26 GMT
Anna Maria Island is one of my favorite beaches around here. A little more low key than Clearwater. I think you will be more likely to be able to get in the water if you stay Gulf side vs Atlantic side.
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keithurbanlovinpea
Pearl Clutcher
Flowing with the go...
Posts: 4,254
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Post by keithurbanlovinpea on Sept 14, 2017 16:49:11 GMT
Not sure if the keys will be ready by March, but know that alot of places in Florida will be expensive and crowded in March because of spring break. So personally I would avoid some places. I'd probably go to Mexico Beach or Port St. Joe if I went
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Post by heckofagal on Jan 16, 2018 19:25:27 GMT
OK, another strange question here. Is there a beach location we can fly into in Southern Florida where we would not have to rent a car? Maybe some sort of shuttle from airport to hotel/resort and then walk or uber to local hotspots & restaurants. Possibly flying into Fort Myers?
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Post by disneypal on Jan 16, 2018 19:28:37 GMT
A friend and I stayed at Panama City Beach for a week last year - it was so nice. We sat on the balcony and watched the sunset every night. We found a nice and reasonable condo to rent through VBRO. Personally, I recommend the Panhandle beaches are anything on the Gulf side - all of Florida is beautiful but the beaches in the Panhandle have the sugary white sand that I love.
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Post by gracieplusthree on Jan 16, 2018 19:59:41 GMT
well I know some people who love Ft Walton beach area, and I have a good friend who lives i Naples and its gorgeous down there(and far enough south that it would be warm).. I tend to love Ft Matanzas beach, its on the Atlantic side just a tad south of St Agustine--which would provide lots of choices for entertainment if you went there... really need to figure out if you want Atlantic Ocean, or if you want Gulf.. Do you want sunrises on the ocean, or sunsets on the gulf? Where every you know just know that I'm insanely jealous. I need a vacation so bad  |
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keithurbanlovinpea
Pearl Clutcher
Flowing with the go...
Posts: 4,254
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Post by keithurbanlovinpea on Jan 16, 2018 19:59:46 GMT
OK, another strange question here. Is there a beach location we can fly into in Southern Florida where we would not have to rent a car? Maybe some sort of shuttle from airport to hotel/resort and then walk or uber to local hotspots & restaurants. Possibly flying into Fort Myers? Northwest Beaches airport into Panama City Beach has shuttles because so many Spring-breakers go there. Stay on the west side of PCB for a quieter vacay. |
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teddyw
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,807
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Post by teddyw on Jan 16, 2018 20:24:32 GMT
If you go to the Atlantic side you can see sunrise on the ocean and sunset on the inter coastal.
The water will be cold on the Atlantic side. I like Naples on the other coast.
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Post by beachbum on Jan 16, 2018 20:52:09 GMT
You can Uber from the airport in Fort Myers to Sanibel, then bike pretty much anywhere you need to go on island. I'm usually in the Gulf by the end of February, and I hate cold water. (I live a few miles from Sanibel)
The Keys have much smaller beaches, although everyone should watch the sunset from Mallory Square at least once in their lifetime. There is a ferry from Ft. Myers to Key West - good for a one night trip down, or even a single day trip - you could watch the sunset from the ferry on the way back.
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Post by Spongemom Scrappants on Jan 16, 2018 22:17:14 GMT
Key West is apparently recovering well enough as far as tourists go. I'll be there in a few weeks on a cruise stop. We were told the restaurants, bars, and tourist activities are mostly up and running. What's lagging behind is accommodations if you want to stay there. Bigger resorts recover faster, but the more mom-and-pop type places are slower.
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Post by freecharlie on Jan 17, 2018 5:55:35 GMT
We enjoyed Indian rocks beach. It is between Clearwater and st Petersburg
Sanibel was beautiful, but I got eaten alive
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(JK).
