Our family is planning a trip to Florida over Christmas vacation. We want to make stops in Clearwater/Tampa area, Sarasota, Miami and the Keys. We have about 11 days in Florida before we head back to the midwest, leaving two days for driving time each way. I would appreciate your suggestions for other destinations on route and any recommended places to stay-moderate priced beach locations. Have thought about Sanibel and Marco Island also. More interested in great places to explore. No Orlando this trip, going in March.

I would definitely plan a day for St. Augustine either on your way in or going home if you've never been there. So much to see and a great fun city to explore. Also, for beaches try Siesta Key in the Sarasota area. More layed back than other resort areas and the prettiest beaches anywhere!

I'd suggest Sanibel Island over Marco Island. It's more quaint than Marco and nice beaches for shelling. There are loads of places to stay on Sanibel Island, you just need to do your homework and find a place you like.

Do you have kids? Your ages? What is moderate priced for you?

Anna Maria Island is good for a night.

Sarasota is great in March, except, of course, for traffic. Which beach depends on what you like, but Siesta Key is always a safe bet. For exploring, you may want to check out Mote Marine Aquarium, Selby Gardens, the Ringling Museums, the beaches.

Sanibel Island is very nice. Key West is fun. Don't know the Miami area.

ttt

Florida is a very big state and traffic is....well, we've driven all over the state over the course of 15 years or so and traffic can be really really really bad. You may want to maximize your relaxation time, so I would suggest you concentrate on either the east coast or the west coast. The best beaches are on the West Coast. We've loved Anna Maria Island, Bradenton, and Siesta Beach. At Tampa Bay, there's a Florida Power and Light station where the manatees congregate in the warmer waters at Christmas time. It's a nice little side trip to make. It is a long state -- so remember as you drive south, you're going to have to head back north again. There's only a couple of places where you can go from east to west and vice versa, because of the everglades. Those are going to be two loooooong days down and back (we used to split it up into two days and we were only driving from the DC area). The more I think about it, the more I beg you to consider limiting your trip to one coast or the other. The west coast is super for family stuff, particularly if your kids are young. If your kids are young adults (like mine are -- and we have great trips together) you might enjoy the east coast more -- St Augustine, then head on done to Cape Canaveral, Ft Lauderdale, South Beach (way more fun than Miami), the Keys...I think the last two are really more fun for adults than kids, but that's just my opinion. You've got lots of planning to do! Head to the library and get some Florida guides. And have a wonderful trip!