Ft. Myers does have a sort of downtown center. If you really tried you could stretch out a visit there to maybe 10 or 15 minutes.

Christina we don't mind walking a mile or so but will have a look at hotels etc.

Starrs Have had a google map look at Seaside. It looks a lovely place so will definitely consider there.

Wondered if we could have done Seaside and Sarasota but quite a drive between them. Will see how many days we have left on our trip. We (or rather I) don't like to waste a day travelling in the car but sometimes you have to do it to get from A to B on occasions.

amarone, I can't think of a place on the "peninsula" part of FL that replicates what you are looking for. I'd give serious consideration to OO's comments about St. Pete.

The panhandle of Florida has gorgeous, white "sugar sand" beaches. Pensacola Beach is nice. Panama City Beach is called the "redneck Riviera". Avoid. Destin and Sandestin have high rises like PCB. A couple of decades ago there wasn't much in between, other than sleepy Seagrove beach with family cottages on stilts. Then this guy had the land and the opportunity to create something new. One of the first (if not the first) New Urbanism community built in the country. A teacher I know drove past when there were two short sections of paved road and bought a lot on the corner. We thought she was crazy. We were the crazy ones.

Seaside, Florida, the first fully New Urbanist town, began development in 1981 on eighty acres (324,000 m²) of Florida Panhandle coastline. It was featured on the cover of the Atlantic Monthly in 1988, when only a few streets were completed, and has become internationally famous for its architecture, and the quality of its streets and public spaces.[citation needed]

Seaside is now a tourist destination and appeared in the 1998 movie The Truman Show. Lots sold for $15,000 in the early 1980s, and slightly over a decade later, the price had escalated to about $200,000. Today, most lots sell for more than a million dollars, and some houses top $5 million.[citation

Other planned communities have been built on either side of Seaside with some original communities interspersed. But the beauty of that stretch of 30a is that 1) the beaches are gorgeous 2) there are no high rises 3) there are quaint "downtowns" with shops and restaurants 4) you don't need your car and if you get bored with your village you can get on a bike and ride to the next. Seaside is the priciest, but it's exactly what you are looking for.

All of the villages along 30a offer gorgeous beaches from Blue Mountain to Rosemary Beach, 14 miles of easy driving and lots of options. If you want to, you can bike from one to the next - or drive your car. But if you want to park your car, walk to a downtown with shops and restaurants and concerts next to a gorgeous beach, you can't do better in Florida than Seaside.

It would be a good option if you wanted to visit for a few days and then drive closer to Orlando before your flight.

Starrs, we first saw Seaside before it had gotten a start too, undoubtedly its first year, 30 or so years ago. The Post Office was there, the tented shopping area, and perhaps 3 or 4 of the Victorians. We hadn't known it existed even, were just driving along the highway and suddenly, there it was. It was like walking into someone's dream with the white tents housing little shops, and the few softly colored Victorians. It was almost unbelievable.

It would be great to have rental property there, but now I wouldn't want to live there full time (and probably not many do). IMHO, the quaint Victorians became too much of a good thing. It's a bit reminiscent of Celebration now, but oh those first days. Truly dreamlike! And I'd still like it, but only for short stays now, or vacation property that I went to a few times a year. Those beaches and the water are the best in FL.

"It was almost unbelievable."
It was unbelievable!

That was my territory and it looked like a mirage as you drove down the little country road through the scrubland. We really did think the teacher friend had made a big mistake. Duh! I admit to scheduling work trips to the panhandle to synch with Coastal Living and Southern Living Idea House open houses as Watercolor, etc. were being built. It had been a while since I'd been there and Alys Beach was a big surprise. I remember when there were only a few shops in old sharecropper type cottages at Grayton. It's been a wild thing to watch. A co-worker had one of the family cottages on stilts at Seagrove and she was more shocked than I. The pretentious boss* I couldn't stand would show up at meetings with Seaside monogrammed polo shirts, and I knew full well he didn't pay Seaside prices - and this was in the early 90s. Sure enough, he had bought a condo (the only high rise in miles) at the curve at Seagrove. Other co-workers had condos at Sandestin and they pooh-poohed the Seaside "copycats". As much as I love Indian Pass/Cape San Blas, I have to admit that the 30a folks (marketing and developers) have done a very nice job. It could have easily gone bad, but it's very nice.

I liked Celebration when it was new too. We (my boss and I) would go down and stay in the hotel when we were hiring for Florida. It may be gimmicky and Disneyesque, but it was nice just strolling to good restaurants. We were at the Columbia on every trip.

Who knew those were the good old days?
Man, does that make me feel old.

*the one who hosted our events at your hotel, and put us up for the spring months at the Holiday Inn Westshore, with all the bowling teams visiting from northern states. It was a hoot - four women to a room, with doors open and parties in the hall. It was like living in a dorm for three months.

St. Augustine would be perfect for what you want to do.

I wish there was a like button here starrs. We once saw a boy in rolled up jeans riding his bike down the main street in Celebration as he held his fishing pole in one had. DH wondered if he'd been hired to do that job, day in day out. LOL

LOL! Perfect!
Sounds like he could have been a "cast member"

There was a seafood restaurant there (don't see it on a current list) that was our other go-to restaurant. A rep, originally from Boston, said she hadn't had littlenecks better since she was "home".

It makes me want to come back down for a visit. I also want to see the changes you've described at St. Pete. My parents honeymooned at Treasure Island and I've never made it to Caladesi State Park. Hmmm.... I need to start a list.

New Smyrna Beach,http://hamptoninn3.hilton.com/en/hot...SHX/index.html

I list this hotel because it is on Flagler ave and still walkable to the beach. Grreat places to eat and shop, very funky, laid back and my fav.

close enough to Daytona to take look.

You should look into Flagler Beach. This town has received all sorts of awards for being a great small town and has great restaurants, tons of beach activities and is generally just a beautiful and fun place to be. The funky pelican restaurant at the pier is the perfect place to grab breakfast before heading to the beach. Only an hour and 10 minutes away from Orlando.

Thanks everyone. Glad you mentioned two places to avoid starrs as going by all the advice from everyone we will have to extend our holiday to visit all these great sounding places!!!

Most times we book our hotels etc in advance but on occasion we just travel along until we see somewhere we fancy and stay. We usually are armed with information on hotels etc in advance so we don't spend all the time looking for the accommodation. Because of all the positive advice this is something we may do along the panhandle. As we are going to be there end April beginning of May we may be okay to book last minute.