orlando to Siesta Key then sarasota then to clearwater advise needed ?

[LOATES123]

thinking of traveling to siesta key( heard beach is the best) in the morning from orlando how far will this be

then in the after noon go to Sarasota --Helmsley Sandcastle as u cant check in till 4pm
out far away is this from siesta key
stay there one night

then go to clearwater and stay in the marriot( not sure as it on the quiet sand part) or more likey the hilton( as more to do in this area plus we have a 10 year old with us and it closer to the scremer where u can see the dolphins am i right?) for one night then back to oranldo the next day . is this a long drive north from sarasota?

also is there any good cheap shopping areas on our travels or should we just stick to the prem outlets back in orlando



what do u think

or would i be better just staying in clearwater for 2 nights, one night at marriot and one night at hilton. and forgetting about going to sarasota????????????????????

 

[JohnnySharp2]

Orlando to Siesta Key will be probably 2 to 2 and a half hour drive.

SK is very close to Sarasota , so won't take you more than 10-15 minutes I wouldn't have thought.

Sarasota to Clearwater about an hour.

You are better off sticking to malls for your shopping, I have checked on my 'mall list' for the area and best one's are below....

Westfield Mall Sarasota:
8201 South Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34238, 941-926-4890, The largest shopping mall within a 40 mile radius of Tampa, this exciting mall is anchored by JC Penney, Sears, Dillard's, and Macy's plus features over 140 specialty stores, a food court, and an AMC movie theater

DeSoto Square mall Bradenton: (half way between Sarasota and Clearwater).
303 301 Blvd W
Bradenton, FL 34205
The mall is located at the intersection of U.S. 301 West and U.S. 41 in Bradenton.
offers a wide variety of shopping experiences with some of the favorites stores, such as JCPenney's, Sears, Dillards, and Macy's. DeSoto Mall also offers over 100 specialty stores for your added convenience and shopping pleasure. The Mall features a wide variety of food court selections to satisfy anyone's tastebuds.

Tampa International Plaza:
International Plaza & Bay Street
2223 N. West Shore Blvd.
Tampa, FL 33607
813-342-3780
International Plaza, adjacent to Tampa International Airport, is the most distinctive shopping & dining destination of Florida's West Coast. Four fashionable department stores, over 200 specialty shops and Bay Street at the Plaze...an open-air village of fine restaurants & small boutiques.

St Petes Tyrone Square Mall:
6901 22nd Avenue N.
St. Petersburg, FL 33710
727-347-3889
Tyrone Square is anchored by Macy's, Dillard's, JC Penney and Sears, & features a large Food Court, a 6-cinema movieplex & more than 170 specialty shops, including Ann Taylor Loft, Charlotte Russe, The Disney Store, American Eagle Outfitters, Victoria's Secret and Victoria's Secret Beauty.

Clearwater Countryside Mall:
27001 U.S. Hwy. 19 N.
Clearwater, FL 33761
727-796-1070
Featuring Burdines, Dillards, JC Penney, Sears and more than 170 specialty shops. And since shopping should be fun, they also feature one of Florida's only in-mall ice skating rinks, full-service restaurants, a food court and movie theaters.

As for whether you are better off staying in Clearwater I would say yes, the beach is fabulous there - to be perfectly honest we went to Sarasota several years ago and found it a bit dull to be honest.
If you stay at Clearwater you still have St.Petes and Tampa to explore.

 

[susan1]

now you really are going to be confused

 

[wdwprincess03]

DeSoto Square mall BradentonDo NOT go there....it's not very nice at all. It's run down, old, and a lot of crime goes on there. Just FYI.

 

[LOATES123]

SIESTA KEY i fancy going here just for the beach

how does clearwater beach compare

dont know if to stay in the marroit in clearwater for one night and then the hilton in clearwater for one night

 

[JohnnySharp2]

SIESTA KEY i fancy going here just for the beach

how does clearwater beach compare

dont know if to stay in the marroit in clearwater for one night and then the hilton in clearwater for one night

Siesta Key is smaller and quieter, to be honest when we stayed at Sarasota we were on Lido Key.
Clearwater beach is much wider, both have pure white sand but there is more going on at CW.

 

[LOATES123]

is clearwater beach just as nice

 

[JohnnySharp2]

is clearwater beach just as nice

I think so yes, many years since we have been but it's always been a favourite of ours.
Personally I prefer a bigger/wider beach than the smaller one's such as Sarasota and Naples.