ImHere

Key Largo is gorgeous...but not during a tropical storm. Bradenton and Sarasota are nice (we were over there last weekend) and the run over the Sunshine Skyway to St Petes is worth a drive. Go inland about 30 mins and its deepest darkest redneck country round Arcadia. Only trouble with the Gulf coast at the moment is all the beaches keep getting closed until they can sort the shark problems out. Apparently Ivan made a hole in the sand bar last year and thats where they are getting in from.

Anyway, theres certainly plenty of places to go down here for a Beach holiday.

emmals

wouldn't effect me....I don't do sea....only go in up to my ankles........can't be doing with fish swimming around me......but if your going to the coast it has to be the Gulf side.......better beaches

ImHere

I have to debate that...Miami South Beach is an experience but then the Gulf beaches aren't crowded out by ancient Noo Yoikers. Although I actually prefer the Atlantic for surfing, and it tends to be warmer than the Gulf.

emmals

yeh the Atlantic is cool for surfing I agree....I havn't been to Miami so I can't comment...although I would love to go.......have you been to Anna Maria?........the place I showed Manc......it's beautiful
www.thebeachinn.com

TouristTrap

Anna Maria is great. Quiet. Gulf beaches win hands down IMO, especially if you have kids. Driving over the Skyway is a sublime experience; one that never gets old, no matter how many hundreds of times I've gone over it over the years, and reminds me of why I live where I do.

ImHere

No not been to Anna Maria, want to go sometime as I've heard good things....still so many places to explore down here.

I'm not a massive fan of Miami as its so crowded and full of plastic people, but its well worth a trip to South Beach just for the experience, and the night life off the beach is next to none. Its only a couple of hours from your parent's place straight down the I75 so you could do a day trip.

Thydney

Miami is full of the type of people everyone thinks Florida is full of. Not the true Florida full of lard dressed in lycra stressed beyond the manufacturers intentions.

I live inland (in the redneck areas as I'm told) it is beautiful and I love it.

Manc you're visiting us? I thought I saw Ray polishing his RPG

anotherlimey

I would be inclined to agree. You wouldn't want to take your kids swimming off the east coast, not in the Atlantic.

And, Miami is nice, but again, don't take your kids there.

ImHere

Why not?

anotherlimey

It always seems a bit rough, for young kids (<10) anyway. It also seems to get deep pretty quickly in places, oh and the rip tide.

TouristTrap

How bloody true

callé

Manc, i live on the east coast of florida and the water here seems so much mirkier and dirtier (maybe just around Jacksonville)? The Gulf has beautiful clear water. I took my daughter down to Clearwater beach few weeks back and it was great. the marina there has loads to do so after lounging on the beach you can cross over the road to marina and try fun boating activities. We went parasailing. but jet skies and speed boats available too as well as a pirate ship that's loads of fun.

ladyofthelake

So true. We more often hear someone has died in the sea after being dragged under by the rip tide than by sharks. One only happened this weekend

anotherlimey

More people die in riptides in the US than any other natural hazard except heat. Even wading up to your waist is risky in some places.

ImHere

Makes men (or women) or 'em! Actually the gulf is more kiddie friendly but the atlantic is better for adult surf types.