Wow- glad to have picked Litchfield beach instead of Florida this trip. God speed to all your Floridians..hope you are safe.

counting down the days till we leave for the ocean. :) Thanks for all the replies and suggestions.

any tips on Litchfield beach?

I agree with the person that mentioned Anna Maria Island. It is is quaint and beautiful. Easy driving and laid back. we stayed at Bungalow Beach Resort this summer in which the room was literally approx. 150" from the water. It was not a 5 star hotel by any means, nor the beautiful condo that we usually stay at on Sanibel,which would be out anyway, due to the hurricane. They have nice little porches on them and small kitchens. (Nothing to look at, really, but location is grand). I think it would be perfect for a baby (we have a 5 mo. old grandaughter and I would not hesitate to take her). It is so quiet there that you would be amazed, as long as you get a back oceanview room. The only drawback was the wall air conditioners, but they do block out noise. When we were there, we had a beautiful sunset every night and actually saw a few dolphins in the early AM. There is a small deli just up the street that has gourmet dinners to carry out (and they deliver) and we shared a wonderful dinner with candles and wine right on our porch watching the sunset. Perfect!
website: www.bungalowbeach.com

I would suggest the Monterey/Carmel area of California. It is beautiful, with lots of cool wildlife (like sea otters) and a much more relaxed, small town feel than most other parts of CA.