Let me know if you ever decide to come to North Florida. My parents have a great condo right on Pensacola Beach (Gulf front). They don't even advertise as everyone who stays there just seems to come back year after year. Feb/March can definitely be cold here though. My favorite months are May/June and October/November.

yes, unlike south Florida, Pensecola Beach is a strictly a summer resort area.

Patrick, Add spring and fall to that. Summer is most popular with the tourist but the best weather is in spring and fall. Not as hot and less humidity. I would migrate away from here every summer if I could!

OK, I guess that is true. My one time there was staying at Pensacola Beach for two nights at the end of October -- driving back from out West. Many restaurants and most activities were closed down by then. It seemed like a total ghost town.

Patrick, how I wish it still was a ghost town in October! Those were the days...now everything stays open year round, high rise condos are popping up everywhere, and they're talking about four-laning the main road!

I have family in the Panhandle at an older beach community west of Panama City called Sunnyside, about 30 minutes from the incredible Seaside. Living in Tampa, we sometimes get together with them for Thanksgiving. I've often wanted to rent a house at Seaside at this time of the year because the rents were low. And this is also the time to escape the huge crowds of raucous teenagers that visit Panama City during spring break. Luckily, the "resorts" like Seaside cater to a higher clientele, and are seldom crowded. High on my list of to-do's is to rent one of those interesting houses during the off-season.

I'm not sure I understand the concept of "activities" being closed in October in the Panhandle. It's true that goofy golf and water slides don't have a winter shelf life -- but these are only for families. The big attraction -- the beach -- is always there. These beaches, unlike many beaches throughout South Florida, are still unspoiled and natural -- and no beach renourishment on a major scale.

There are many advantages to being places when the hordes of tourists aren't.