cindyloo

Hello!

We've been looking into flights to visit my grandfather in Bradenton in April or June. There is a significant price difference in the June fares. I'm assuming because it's quite hot then? Would it be miserable in June for 2 young children (under age 4) from Vermont?

starrsville

It will be hot - but if there is water to splash in the kids won't care!

tcapp

It will be quite hot, but as the above post has mentioned, if you find things to do such as waterparks and indoor activities, they should be fine.

starrsville

A friend and I were talking about this two weeks ago as we walked along the beach. Kids don't care...as long as they have water to splash in. I took tediously long car trips with grandmother and great-grandfather to Florida every summer. But, knowing I would be splashing in the next Holiday Inn pool that afternoon / evening made the long, boring drives in a car WITHOUT AIR-CONDITIONING survivable. My friend's family stayed in Motel 6's and she loved it. Childhood friends went to the same mom-and-pop "no-frills" Panama City hotel for two weeks every summer and they had the time of their lives. A co-worker went along to Disney to serve help out the parents with three young ones. I recommeded she bring the little ones back to the hotel mid-day and spend the rest of the day in the pool. She regretted that her daughter-in-law insisted on dragging the entire family through full days at the parks.

Kids don't know the full menu of activities in the area...and even if they did, they would vote for splashing in a pool or playing at the water's edge of the ocean for hours.

Just don't forget the sunblock!

jd

The only significant difference in June is that it rains (thunderstorms) many afternoons, at least it did both times when we visited then. It only lasts a couple of hours though, and then the sun comes out again.

Tandoori_Girl

Mid-to-late afternoon showers are a sure thing in Florida in the summer. And they are usually a welcome thing, to cool the place down. Summer is the time when Florida goes to the beach. It's the best time to enjoy the sun and water sports. BUT...don't forget your sunscreen, everyday. For the kids, make sure you get Bullfrog or a brand that will last in the water. Have the kids drink gator-ade as they will be dehydrated. Be prepared for sunscreen, although there is little you can do but wait it out. And when it rains, pull the little ones inside. Lightning is a major killer in Florida, and it's usually tourists who don't heed the warnings.

If you're up for the trip, your kids would enjoy Adventure Island, a water park in Tampa near Busch Gardens (40 minutes from Bradenton). Water parks are a good way to beat the heat.

cindyloo

Thanks Everyone for your replies!

We would be staying with my grandfather, not it a hotel and would have no access to an indoor pool. As Tandoori said, it rains every afternoon and it cools down a bit. Is the beach then a better idea than first thing in the morning with our little ones?

Tandoori_Girl

Don't they nap? I'd think you'd go to the beach in the AM, lunch, nap. Then back to the beach around 5P until sunset at 6:30. Sunsets on the Gulf are spectacular. I used to have a hard time dragging my son out of the sun -- so I'd let him stay on the beach if he kept his tee-shirt on, even IN the water. I hope yours enjoy it as much. YOu should buy a beach umbrella and some low-to-the-ground beach chairs. They are very cheap down here, get them at drug stores, grocery stores, anywhere. Take a cooler with water and drinks, snacks, lunch. Bradenton's public beach on Anna
Maria Island is very nice.

It doesn't rain EVERY afternoon, cindy. And June is one of the better months for afternoon showers (they're more frequent in late summer). As for a pool, check into local pools where your grandfather lives through the city parks dept. In Florida, there are many public pools.

cindyloo

Tandoori,

Yes, my children nap- usually until 3 or so.

In the summer here we sometimes go to the beach after their naps.

thanks for the advice on the pools.