Hi!

We are thinking about going to Florida sometime in Feb/Mar. We have two kids - 5 yr and 1 yr. What beach destinations would you recommend? We prefer quiter locations as compared with beack party towns. Pls could you also recommend on accomodations

--N

Try Sanibel Island. Beautiful, laid back, family oriented. Check out www.sanibel-captiva.com

Be aware that March is a month many high school and/or college kids have spring break, what is an otherwise "family oriented" beach may be less so during that time.
A.M.

Look into the Lago Mar Resort in Ft. Lauderdale. It is on a quiet stretch of ocean-you won't find any spring breakers here. They have lots of suites-we got a AAA rate of $292 for 1 bdrm suite.Regular rooms around $200. They have 2 pools and a great playground for the kids. Lagomar.com.

I would strongly recommend the Sarasota area - quiet Venice Beach where you can search for prehistoric shark's teeth, Siesta Key with the whitest sand beach in the U.S., upscale Longboat Key or enjoy Lido Beach where you can walk to St. Armands Circle for your nightly ice cream cone. Our area is busy at spring break - but it is families with children, not college kids. The college kids we do have are our children coming home with a carful of their friends!

Columbiaman:

Again, I have to recommend Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, FL (5 miles north of Fort Lauderdale). It is a small beachtown (quaint) where no motel can be over 3 stories so it has a feeling of being completely on the ocean. There is a small mall, with a Publix grocery store, not too far from El Mar Drive (a road that is parellel to the ocean and many motels are on this spot. Many of the motels have complete kitchens so the mall comes in handy. I would recommend Blue Seas Courtyard (1 bedroom suites are huge and can fit a big family) or Coral Key Inn (1 bedroom suite - full kitchen also w/king bed and pull out sofa for children. If you want to go to busy Ft. Lauderdale, drive up to Commerce and take the bridge over to Fort Lauderdale. I thought this place would be bogus when I first went but it is a surprising cute place to stay.

I can understand u too my family and i are going to Miami in March and I am needing this sunshine I am n Missouri and it is cold here. I would like to know the best beaches I heard that all the clubs are the bomb there the party never stop.