OT: Gulf Coast beaches

[Prose]

I thought I might ask this question here, because I know there are a lot of FL residents and experienced travelers on this board. DH, DD and I are thinking of a short trip to the Gulf Coast in late Oct. for fall break. We are looking for some place with soft sand, clear waters, and nice hotels. Convenience to an airport would be great, since we'd like to avoid renting a car if possible. We're thinking possibly Clearwater, Destin or Tampa. Activities away from the beach such as aquariums or tours would be great but not essential. I guess we are looking for a tour to thaw us out from our amazing Alaska trip on the Wonder! We have never been to the Gulf Coast, so are hoping for some opinions.... thanks!

 

[Joshua_me]

Come and join us on beautiful Siesta Key, in Sarasota, FL

http://www.simplysiestakey.com/

Quick shuttles are available from our airport, and many hotels are in easy walking distance from 'Siesta Key Village" that holds many restaurants and bars and shops and even a grocery store. In short, everything that you could need on vacation.

But a warning: Our beach and it's sand will spoil you for *any* other coastal town in the world. !

P.S. Oh yes... Did I mention we were voted BEST BEACH IN THE NATION ? http://www.simplysiestakey.com/Nations-Best-Beach.html

 

[WaltD4Me]

Well, I can telll you my sister and nieces totally agree about Siesta Key, they have been to alot of beaches, but they went to Siesta Key last year on vacation and they just raved about it. They absolutely loved it.

 

[Shanna-like-Banana]

I gew up on Siesta Key beachs so I can only say the best beach ever

Think of pure white powdered sugar. It's so soft and fine

If you do go to Siesta Key, you have to go to the Siesta Key Oyster Bar and get a Village Idiot.

Also, another place to check out could be St. Armands Circle. oohhh man, just thinking about the 1905 Salad from Columbia, or the half Cuban/half 1905. And ice cream from Kilwins.

 

[Prose]

Wow, looks like I need to check out Siesta Key!

 

[nickymaria]

We have a rental house west of Panama City Beach by here - It's beautiful, convenient to the airport and you can walk to restaurants, the beach, shops, etc. It's a very pretty area!

 

[hildarumpole]

We're planning on going to Sarasota after our Disney trip next May. Siesta Key looks wonderful. Thanks for the link, Joshua. DH would like us to relocate to Florida in the next couple years. We've been checking out different communities. His main thing is having a really good beach nearby. The Sarasota area looks promising.

 

[mjperry]

Destin has the beaches in the north Florida area, sugar sand beach and clear blue water.

 

[Joshua_me]

Wow, looks like I need to check out Siesta Key!

http://drumcircles.net/sarasota.html

And of course, our weekly drum circles are an unforgettable experience for folks of all ages... Sometimes hundreds at a time

I've taken many people who went in skeptical, with their eyes rolling, and then left saying they couldn't wait to do it again and considered it a highlight of their trip.

Admission is always free, and the sunsets unforgettable.

 

[JoeyC]

Clearwater Beach has an award winning beach, soft white powder sand! There are plenty of awesome hotels to stay at right on the beach. Add some exciting activities such as jet skis and para-sailing with great sunshine.... it doesn't bet much better than Clearwater Beach.

 

[itsmuggsie]

Clearwater beach has a lot of attractions in close proximity. There is Clearwater Aquarium, home of Winter the Dolphin. There are numerous Dolphin sighting adventures you can do. It's also not far from Busch Gardens and The Florida Aquarium in Tampa, about 45 minutes away.

Here's a link to the Chamber of Commerce website

http://www.beachchamber.com/quick-facts-faqs.html

There is also the Clearwater Beach Trolly, which runs from Clearwater Beach to Tarpon Springs. In Tarpon Springs it's fun to visit the sponge docks and great Greek Restaurants in the area.

Here's the Trolly's website
http://www.clearwaterjolleytrolley.com/index.html

It's also not far from St Petersburg which has numerous museums including the Dali Museum and the Holocaust Museum

 

[Allison]

Thanks for the information. I am interested in this also.

Any recommendations for a resort in Siesta Key for a family with 3 teenagers?

 

[kydisfan]

We go to Destin/Ft Walton Beach once a year and stay at a place called Waterscape. Great for kids with lots of pools and fun activities. Sand is white and soft and the water is blue.

We go in the off season and save a bundle. I played a round of golf with cart for $25 last year and rented a pontoon for less than half of summer rate.