OT: Kid-friendly vacation spot in S. Florida?

[molly2004]

DH wants to go to the Florida Keys winter. Many things I've seen about the Keys are couples oriented. Am I just searching the wrong places? Please tell me about the Keys and whether there's anything kid-friendly to do there. The boys will be almost 4 next winter.

And if the Keys aren't appropriate, any other thoughts? We're looking for someplace tropical, but do not want to go to the Caribbean.

Thanks!

 

[JacobsMommy11002]

DH wants to go to the Florida Keys winter. Many things I've seen about the Keys are couples oriented. Am I just searching the wrong places? Please tell me about the Keys and whether there's anything kid-friendly to do there. The boys will be almost 4 next winter.

And if the Keys aren't appropriate, any other thoughts? We're looking for someplace tropical, but do not want to go to the Caribbean.

Thanks!

We went to Sanibel/Captiva when we went this past year, and it was gorgeous. I see you are from New England, we are too, and the beaches are nothing like here. The kids had a blast! Also, if you go in March, itsonly about 30 minutes to Fort Myers, so you can always catch a Red Sox spring training game...if you can get tickets. We did, it was so much fun...totally unlike Fenway, nice and intimate, like a minor league ball club.

 

[momx2]

Hawks Cay Resort on Duck Key. It's about mid-way down, right before Marathon. I have been there twice, once with kids. They loved the kids club, a little pricey, but they loved the counselors there. They also have several pools and a fresh water lagoon and dolphins on-site. They dolphins down the road a bit a the Dolphin Research place is cheaper though. They also have snorkeling trips, my 4 year-old went snorkeling the first time there. I love it there. FYI, the Keys are the most expensive in the winter.

 

[PlutoPony]

We also stayed at Hawk's Cay, but it was several years ago when DS was in Kindergarten. We went at the end of January, when the schools had essentially a 5 day weekend and virtually every family we met were from the DC area with a similar school calendar! DS spent a night in the kids club there and had a ball, think there were only 3 kids total with 2 counselors and they spent time actually playing with the kids which DS liked. Key West is fun for a day or two with kids, try the Conch Train tour and consider Mel Fisher's museum (altho I hear it's pricey). And definitely stay for sunset at Mallory Square - in the winter it's a fairly tame scene. One thing you'll find however is the beaches in the Keys are only so-so, so if that's a high priority you might want to consider other locations. Weather in late January was OK but not warm enough for swimming several days, even in the heated pools. Be forewarned that it's a drive down from Miami Airport, so allow sufficient time coming and going.

We spent Spring Break at Captiva one year (before the hurricane ) and had a great time. Beautiful beaches and other things to do there and in Ft. Meyers. However I don't know what changes the hurricane brought to that area....

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

Another vote for Hawk's Cay - everyone had a great time! You can stay in a villa, so you can have a bit more space, have breakfast in your room, etc. Also check in Cheeca Lodge in Islamorada - another great family friendly place!

If you have a big budget, check out Sunset Key at Key West. It is part of the Hilton resort, but on an island accessible by boat. We stayed there two years ago - it was incredible!

Edited to add: Looks like Sunset Key is now part of the Westin Resort. Guess it has changed ownership!

http://www.starwoodhotels.com/westi...ndex.html?propertyID=1781&EM=VTY_WI_sunsetkey

 

[molly2004]

Wow! Thanks you guys! I'll definitely check out Hawks Cay. Glad to see that there are potentially some things that would be fun for the under 5 set.

One other question. Is Hawks Cay meant to be "all-inclusive" or are there worthwhile day trips to take from there? And how long a drive from Miami is it?

Thanks again!

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

Wow! Thanks you guys! I'll definitely check out Hawks Cay. Glad to see that there are potentially some things that would be fun for the under 5 set.

One other question. Is Hawks Cay meant to be "all-inclusive" or are there worthwhile day trips to take from there? And how long a drive from Miami is it?

Thanks again!

Here is the link for Hawk's Cay:

http://www.hawkscay.com/hcr.aspx

It is about two hours from Miami. There is plenty to do there, but you could easily do day trips to Marathon (Dolphin Research Center) or to Key West. It is pretty much out there by itself!

 

[NeverBeen2DW]

I am also looking for a great florida vacation to do in mid Feb. Is it warm enough to swim in they keys in Feb? I just checked reservations and there is no availibility there. Any other suggestions?

 

[NeverBeen2DW]

bummer I just checked all of those hotels for Feb and they are booked pretty much the whole month. What costal parts of florida are warm enough to do a beach vacation in FEB? I really would like to go to Mexico but I am waiting on my son's passport so we can travel. Not sure how long it takes. I just applied before the holiday.

 

[NotSoNewMommy]

Hawk's Cay, Sanibel Island, Islamorada - they are all kid friendly and great vacation spots for families! Even Ft. Lauderdale or Miami Beach would be nice. Not quite as nice as the keys, but still lots to do for families.

 

[PlutoPony]

bummer I just checked all of those hotels for Feb and they are booked pretty much the whole month..

Double check Hawk's Cay - I see openings the whole month in at least one category of accomodations.... not inexpensive but not as bad as I expected given what we paid 5+years ago. We had a 2 level townhouse with kitchen that was wonderful, screened in porch on the 2nd floor overlooking a "quiet pool" that was unfortunately not heated so really too cold to use. There were several other heated pools over by the main building, one of which was perfect for young kids with a "pirate ship" to climb on and slide down, etc.

The drive from Miami International was a good 2 1/2 hours for us, and once you hit the Keys you're on 2 lane road with lots of potential for delays (drawbridge up, accidents, deer in the road, etc.). From there down to Key West was under 2 hours I think.

We had a wonderful experience with the dolphins at Hawks Cay.... Half hour with just the 3 of us, a dolphin and trainer on the dock (DS was too small to get in the water with them). We threw a football for the dolphin to catch, "taught" her to walk backward on her tail, etc. - really neat stuff that we'll remember for quite a while.

Even tho you're pretty far south, weather can still be cool in Jan./Feb. The year we were there was cooler than normal and we didn't see anyone swimming in the ocean while we were there (and wet suits were used for water sports). They were also feeding the dolphins more than usual as they were burning more calories trying to stay warm in the cooler water. If you want to be assured of really warm weather/water at that time of year your best bet is probably somewhere in the Caribbean from our experience... but you can still have a very enjoyable vacation in Florida in the winter!

 

[NeverBeen2DW]

I would like to go to the Caribbean but with the whole new passport issue for children I am do not want to book something out of the US until I have a passport in had for my son and I. I was unaware of it until the week before christmas. I had thought it was going into place but my friend just went to mexico and she said she checked into and did not need one so I forgot about it to be honest. But it does go into effect jan5th I believe.

 

[NotUrsula]

Just so you know, if beach play is what you have in mind, the Keys may not be the best choice. Thanks to the reef, there really are no real beaches in the Keys, though there are a few little man-made coves here and there. The shoreline of most of the islands is covered by mangrove stands or seagrass flats. Key West may be dominated by nightlife, but in the rest of the Keys visitor activities focus on fishing, boating and diving.

The most kid-friendly destination in the Keys, IMO, is Pennekamp State Park on Key Largo. Unfortunately, toddlers are going to be a bit young for most of the activities offered, which mostly require an ability to understand and follow safety rules -- things like snorkeling, sea kayaking, fishing, and nature hikes. Pennekamp is an absolute wonderland for school-aged kids, though -- nature exploration at its finest. www.pennekamp.com The only living coral reef in the US is 3 miles off the shore of the park.

If you want warm and beachy, you might try Marco Island, near Ft. Myers. The Gulf water temp today is 75F -- too cold for a native Floridian to want to swim, but if you're the hardy sort you might find it comfortable.

PS: For the poster waiting on passports -- passports will not be needed for travel to Puerto Rico or the US Virgin Islands. Resorts in both of those destinations are offering a lot of specials for this winter to attract US mainland visitors who do not have passports yet.