OT-Any Floridians? Planning vacation...

[Jewel]

My husband and I are planning our one-week summer vacation this year. We were in Florida nearly two years ago on our honeymoon, and stayed 6 nights in Orlando and did five amusement parks...never again. We were there in October the week between hurricanes, but it was still raining. Did DisneyWorld and Universal in rain ponchos. Should have planned better, right? Our last two nights were in Daytona Beach, and it was actually sunny. We fell in love with the warm water, the laid back style.

We've got lots of airline miles and want to go back in July. I'm going to be booking it next week. We don't want to get near anything with Mickey Ears, but we want to land in Orlando and spend half our time in the Daytona Beach area and the other half on the Gulf Coast. Hubby has been to the gulf coast area and says it's calmer, but I like waves! I'm also going to be 6 weeks Post-Op with a brand new waist and a flat tummy for the first time in 20 years!!! (Still gonna have Thunder Thighs and Guided Missle Boobs, but who cares?? I'll have a waist!)

I know this board reaches the world. I would like to know if anyone thinks we're crazy for going to Florida in July? July 7 through 14 actually. I know about the humidity, in October it was icky, but it was also raining. A friend of mine only gave me one bit of advice about Florida before my honeymoon: "If you try to hit a Florida bug with a brick, all you've done is give the bug a weapon". He was right, I've never seen Mutant Mosquitos before! Anyway, anyone have any advice? We like to play on the beach and sightsee during the day, and like simple pleasures in the evening, like moderate restaurants and clubs. We even did the Sterling Casino Cruise when we were in Daytona last time, which was fun. Anyone have a preference between Atlantic Coast and Gulf Coast? Any advice on activities or hotels? Since we're getting free airline tickets we can go 'nice' on the hotel without getting outlandish. Thanks everyone! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[mb]

as a south floridian, i can say that it is definitely hot in the summers! most probably, everyday will reach the 90 degree mark. if you're on the beach, it's still hot, but the breeze & water make it a little more bearable.

we live in south florida (palm beach county), and i could probably give you more info on this area, plus the miami area (an hour south, we used to live there too). i've heard daytona is pretty touristy (but then again, you'll be a tourist, right?!?)

the gulf coast is nice. there is a place called long boat key that was fairly quiet and relaxing when i was there several years ago. i don't know if it's still so quiet... also, sarasota is a growing tourist area.

you can order a florida tourist guide. the website is www.flausa.com. (http://www.flausa.com.) it gives you info about the different parts of the state plus some hotel & siteseeing info. also, when i'm planning a trip, i usually go to www.fodors.com (http://www.fodors.com) - there is a bulletin board (i think it's called 'forums') where you can get a lot of feedback very quickly.

good luck planning your trip. florida is a great vacation spot. my vote is to head further south and explore miami, ft lauderdale, the palm beaches, and/or the keys. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

let us know what you decide to do. if you have any questions, feel free to email me!

Marisa

[wyopatti]

I can definitely recommend the Keys in Florida. My husband and I have taken many vacations to Key West and the upper Keys and they are wonderful! You can fly from Miami to Key West or drive. It's about a 3-1/2 to 4 hour drive. The Keys are definitely different from any other part of Florida. The Keys are very laid back and you don't have to deal with all the tourists that you have in the other parts of Florida.

Have a great Florida vacation. Wish I were going. We're still having winter in Wyoming!

[foodiedelite]

Hi Jewel,
Congratulations on your weight loss (read from another posting on this BB) and best of luck on your upcoming surgery.

Have you considered Sanibel Island? We were there in June 1999. We experienced rain 3 days of our trip. However, it would pour for an hour or so and then okay to hit the beach afterwards. We primarily went to Sanibel for the shelling. There's not a lot of sightseeing, but nice quiet relaxation on the beach (walks, several good restaurants, museums, lighthouse and Ft. Myers nearby).

[mb]

ooooh, sanibel is nice! great suggestion! another popular place near there is naples and/or marco island. my family used to vacation in marco island every summer...it's much more built up now, but many people still find it relaxing and laid back. (i just know what it was like 20 years ago, so i'm spoiled!)

and just so you know, it's getting to be that season where it will rain every afternoon... i.e. it's hot all day, then around 4pm the clouds roll in & there's a big thunderstorm...after about 30minutes, all's clear again. HOWEVER, here on the southeast coast we've been having a huge drought lately - great for tourists, bad for our lawns!

[phantomcg]

Jewel:
We go to Florida every July. We stay in St. Augustine, which is 30 - 45 minutes north of Daytona Beach. I absolutely love it!!! I would not give up the sunshine for anything. You always seem to have the breeze of the ocean to cool things off. We own a timeshare at The Beach Club in St. Augustine. Every unit has it's own kitchen. It sits right on the ocean, which is the biggest draw for us. It's clean and the staff is wonderful. It is a "t-shirt and shorts" kind of place. The only "dress code" I've ever seen is "no wet swimsuits in the lobby". I've always been told by people that I was crazy for going to Florida in July, but I love it. I'm sure that Daytona Beach can't be much different. We are going to miss you by about a week. I think that we leave Grand Rapids on the 14th. I'm sure that you will have a great time. The coast (either coast) is much, much different than Orlando. I think Orlando is a world of it's own.

Cheryl

[crc77]

Hi!
I grew up going to Long Boat Key and because I was in school we went in July and August. My mom is a native Floridian and my Grandparents lived in Lakeland- not far from Orlando. My parents have since retired to Sarasota so I still go down AND since I'm an elementary teacher, I still go in the summer! I love it even in July. Go to Long Boat Key- there is a Holiday in that's reasonable or selection of other places. (Eat at the Columbia and Hemmingways on St Armands Circle and be prepared to shop!!) Lido Beach is also nice. A day trip to Venice would be fun- lots of sharks teeth can be found on the shoreline. Email me if you go and have any more questions!
Cheryl

[beacooker]

Hi Jewel - I've lived in Orlando for a year. I definitely second the opinion on St. Augustine - it is a very beautiful place, very different from other places in FL, (but it has been 15 years since I have been, so it may have changed!). The Keys are also awesome. Those two would be my picks. If you've had enough of the theme park thing (and personally, that takes me about an hour!), I can't say that Orlando has too much else to offer for tourists.