beaches....

whiterice5

Earning My Ears
Joined
Oct 26, 2005
Messages
44
I want to take my dc to the beach for one day when we are at WDW. I know they will want to look for sea shells, etc. I am thinking of clearwater/st pete. Any other great beaches? thinking the gulf side might be better for my young kids but open to ideas. I see there are some cruises out of St Pete to go looking at dolphins...has anyone done this? My friend told me there is a Sea shell Island but I cannot find it doing an internet search. Has anyone heard of this? any options and ideas are appreciated.
thanks,
Chris
 
Sorry cannot help regarding the Dolphin/shell question but as far as beaches are concerned the West Coast one's are much nicer.

Clearwater is our favourite and is the best we have visited, great white sand beach and very wide too.
Much preferred over Daytona and Cocoa on the opposite coast.
 
Just want to give you a heads up, they are still doing construction on I-4. I drove to Tampa yesterday for an art show, it was pretty smooth sailing until about half a mile before exit 1, then whadda mess!

On the Eastbound side the construction is further up the road, east of the Zephyr Hills exit if I recall.

It wasn't too bad because it was a Sunday (although there was a LOT of traffic around 7:00pm headed back home) but I can see on a weekday it could be an absolute mess.

Anne
 

until the I-4 mess is resolved around Tampa, I'd still come to our side but go south on I-75 either to Fort DeSoto or the Sarasota area like Siesta Key. the Clearwater/St. Pete beaches are great, but the traffic congestion has been a nightmare. I'm not a fan of any of the eastern beaches until you reach Miami and the Keys. I've never done a dolphin cruise, we see them all of time out fishing. you can watch them from the piers at Fort DeSoto, since it's near the shipping channel.
 
There are some great beaches in Naples if you can handle the drive there. It is about 2 hours from WDW, past Tampa.
I used to take my boys when they were younger and they loved it. Somehow there is one beach where you can pick up tons of petrified sharks teeth. They are black and very shiny so they are easy to spot on the white sands of FL. I don't know why they seem to collect on this beach more than any other, but they do. My boys used to get enough to bring to school for each class member. I would go in on a rainy day and we would do a craft of wrapping copper wire on the sharks tooth. I would bring in black cording and the kids would either make a necklace or keyring, depending on what they wanted. The teachers loved that I would take the class for about and hour and the kids loved getting a gift.
I wish I knew the name of this beach, I know the directions myself but could never give them to someone else. sorry. But if you drive to Naples and go toward the beach area I know someone could give you directions either at a gas station or shopping center. I had read about this beach somewhere and got directions myself once at a gas station. It is a State park so there are changing and bathroom facilities and showers to rinse off.
There are quite a few elders who do the beach squat there to pick up the sharks teeth and sell them to the shell stores.
Sanibel Island is a great place to pick up shells, but it is a little farther down south. There is a charge to get onto the causeway to the beach, about $7, and there are no quick type restaraunts that you can use the bathrooms. There are a few hotels and restaraunts but they don't like to let non guests use the facilities so you might have to get in the car and drive to a gas station once you are on the island when nature calls. I haven't been to Sanibel/Captiva for over 10 years though so this might have changed.
Also, if your kids are into shells, make sure you stop into one or two of the shell stores they have scattered around Orlando. My boys bought quite a few when they were younger and made showboxes for them. I still have them up in the attic, even though my boys are now 29, 26, and 22.
Wish I could help you more, sorry. Peggie
 
We have stayed at Naples too and really liked it there, great place to visit but personally if it's really the best beach I still would go for Clearwater.

Naples is only worth the long drive if you are planning on spending a few days there, but the best beaches are Clearwater and St.Petes.
 
Try Treasure Island - just north of St. Petes/Clearwater. Not very crowded and plenty of room to look for shells. Good place to relax then head over to St. Petes. Treasure Island is a little less commercial :sunny:
 
I believe the place the above poster is referring to, about the fossilized shark teeth is Venice. I have been a few times. Nice place. I have not put any serious tooth searching in, but my casual looking showed only 1/4" teeth.

Some say that beach restoration in the area is "killing" the shark tooth business. They are covering up the teeth with new sand.

For a nice beach, not TOO far from WDW, I would recommend Siesta Key. Pretty close to paradise. As long as the traffic is not bad on I-4 and the red tide is not around.

Ted
 
thanks for all of your input!!! I am as confused as ever :rotfl: ...I don't think I can go wrong with any of the beaches you mentioned. If I was thinking I would have given ourselves an extra week in FL after our WDW stay so we could visit all these fabulous beaches. I guess we will just have to go back again soon!

I didn't realize we could see the dolphins fron the pier ... that may be a good option. My children really liked some dophin books we read recently...but truth be told I am actually the one that is fascinated by dolphins.

I am looking forward to the day at the beach almost as much as our time at WDW (can I say that here? :blush: ). That's what happens when you are land-locked in the midwest, I guess.
Chris
 
Another vote for Siesta Key. We have not been there yet (but will be Dec 17-31) , but I read so much about this beach. It sounds amazing. In the official Florida tourism book "Feel the Color of Florida..The official Florida Vacation guide" Siesta Key public beach is voted #1 Florida Beach for children.
I can't wait to see it next month. And I have read that the red tide has pretty much left the area?
Suzy V
 
any traces of red tide are now offshore. Siesta Key was never really affected this summer with any large blooms. the sand at SK has been ranked as #1 on earth. it's our favorite beach on the west side. parking is free, and SK village is a great place to eat, drink, and shop. very laid back. SK and Boca Grande are as good as it gets on our west coast.

dolphin sightings from the shore are common. they school baitfish into shallow waters, stun them, and feed on them. you can also stop in at the TECO observation deck at Apollo Beach and see wild manatees. it's about halfway from the Tampa area to SK.
 
I have never spent any time at the ocean....Are sea shells easy to find no matter where you go??
thanks,
Chris
 
whiterice5 said:
I have never spent any time at the ocean....Are sea shells easy to find no matter where you go??
thanks,
Chris

it depends on the location and the tides. you'll find trillions of the small scallop and kitten paw shells at the edge of the breakers on the beach. the bigger ones are usually out by the sandbars or on the barrier islands. and a lot of them are inhabited. (crabs,snails) :)
 
Still think Clearwater is best, if you visit St.Petes also there is an awesome bridge that spans the bay - Sunshine Skyway - worth the trip just to see and drive over it.
 
Clearwater and Siesta Key. It will probably depend on how the traffic is during Jan. Does anyone know of a great restauant in these areas? We have 3 young kids...so nothing too formal. I love seafood, but it could be any type of restaurant.
Blessings,
Chris
 












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