Clearwater Beach/St. Pete's ?
 

Family of 4 adults and 3 small children have "free" airline tickets to Orlando. We DON'T want to "do" Disney this time and prefer and ocean/beach vacation. We will rent a van and head for the nearest "family" style beach accomodations. Dislike highrises. Are we headed in the right direction? Any tips/advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

<BR>Judy, <BR> <BR>You're headed in the right direction. St. Pete/Maderia Beach area is a good choice. I grew up in St. Pete. With that being said, I would probably venture a bit south to Sarasota/Bradenton instead. The Sand is powdery and the water is clear. More so than on the north side of the Skyway Bridge(aka St Pete/Clearwater). It's about 30 minutes south of St. Pete beach. Have fun.

I spent my first 18 years living in St. Pete as well and return at least once a year. Pass-a-grill section of the beach is really nice with white sand, no big waves for the kids and there is much to do with the Pier downtown and touristy spots. I however would venture down south to Sanibel Island. It is a couple of hours from Orlando south of St. Pete. Real tropical, quiet, tons of shells, great sunsets, laid back and slow. Ride bikes, rent a boat, go to the Bubble Room with the kids in neighboring Captiva. So much wildlife and you can watch dolphins. Really nice and family friendly. It screams vacation and not a Mickey Mouse to be seen....nothing against Mickey. They also have no high rises and there are so many Mom and Pop motels. Hope this helps.

FYI <BR> <BR>The Passa-grille area is known for a hang out for those with an alternative lifestyle, to be politically correct. I'd have no problem bringing young ones there, but some folks do. I forgot to mention in my last post that you shouldn't miss the Dali museum or the science and industry museum next door to it. Both are close to the pier. There is a restaraunt on the top floor of the Pier called Columbia's which has great views and even better food. <BR> <BR>And if you want to venture into the Tampa area, 30 minutes north of St. Pete, check out MOSI (Museum of Science and Industry) and if you're have theme park withdrawel by the end of the week, visit Busch Gardens. In addition to the rides it is very educational. <BR> <BR>Troy

Funny, I lived in St. Pete for 4 yrs. and I don't recall Pass-a-Grille being a "known" gay hangout. What I remember is that it was a great place for anyone who wanted to be there to hangout -- singles, families and anyone else, which I guess would include "alternative" lifestyles. St. Pete Beach/Pass-a-Grille is a good choice for your vacation. I wouldn't let the previous post deter me. <BR> <BR>If you go there, definitely go to The Pier (and the Spanish restaurant Columbia), Dali Museum, and head over the bridge to Tampa. <BR> <BR>BUT if you were interested in making a 3-hr drive in the other direction I'd suggest Boca Raton or Fort Lauderdale. Ft. Laud in particular has a great beach and great activities for families.

Funny, I lived in St. Pete for 4 yrs. and I don't recall Pass-a-Grille being a "known" gay hangout. What I remember is that it was a great place for anyone who wanted to be there to hangout -- singles, families and anyone else, which I guess would include "alternative" lifestyles. St. Pete Beach/Pass-a-Grille is a good choice for your vacation. I wouldn't let the previous post deter me. <BR> <BR>If you go there, definitely go to The Pier (and the Spanish restaurant Columbia), Dali Museum, and head over the bridge to Tampa. <BR> <BR>BUT if you were interested in making a 3-hr drive in the other direction I'd suggest Boca Raton or Fort Lauderdale. Ft. Laud in particular has a great beach and great activities for families.

I would highly recommend Clearwater Beach. It has one of the most beautiful beaches in the U.S. See for yourself. Visit http://www.beachtourism.com

Judy: <BR> <BR>I have to agree that Pass a Grille is not known for being a gay spot, but it's an easy place to get a questionable parking ticket (the meters are unreliable, to say the least) or a summons for quietly drinking a beer on the beach (it happened to me). The cops there are out of control and uppity---watch out. <BR>

No drinking on any of the beaches from Clearwater on down to Pass-a-Grille. Zero. Patrols will even ask, families included, to open coolers...then (pain) if found, pour it out. The only place I know of where you can get away with drinks on the beach is the "Redneck Riviera", a small stretch of beach in Clearwater but on the Tampa Bay side along the Courtney Campbell Causeway. It's pretty grim. <BR> <BR>This is not all bad, however and there are plenty of beachside bars where you can have a drink while sitting on a porch overlooking the beach. Just can't leave there with drink in hand. Makes for a far cleaner beach!! <BR> <BR>

Judy, <BR> <BR>Two summers ago my older brother, his two kids and the babysitter (legit) stayed at the Best Western Sirata on St. Pete Beach. I came over and stayed for a couple of nights. What a wonderful hotel! The grounds are immaculate and the staff is very courteous. They got a deal on a beach front suite- actually... I got it for them :-). I highly recommend this hotel and it's beach! <BR>The brochure is very accurate with the pics of the rooms and the grounds. If you would like a scan of the brochure, please feel free to email me. <BR> <BR>Kittie <BR> <BR>Kittie