My husband and I will be vacationing for several days each at Clearwater Beach and Fort Myers Beach, Florida, in mid-February. (We will be also be driving between the two cities.)

We have accommodations, but would be interested in hearing about any points-of-interest, fun restaurants, etc.
We are North Dakotans fleeing winter -- ages 36 & 38, non-drinkers, no children.

Thanks in advance!

Both beaches are similar, great for shelling. MUST SEE: when in Clearwater,
take the ferry to Caladesi State Beach, rated the #5 best beach in the country.
Also, eat at Frenchy's in clearwater.
Otherwise, both cities are boring besides just lazing on the beach (unless you drive to Busch Gardens in Tampa).

I concur with Kevin in that both beaches are very similar (though you will certainly notice a temperature difference). The only place I can remember to recommend is a small greek restaurant in Ft. Myers Beach in the center of town (I think you can see the beach from it). Nothing fancy and probably not authentic, but certainly fun.

If this is your first visit to Ft Myers, please try to see the Thomas Edison Estate. This is in Ft Myers, about 15 miles from the beach. The estate is 14 acres and includes his home, office, laboratory (it looks like he was there 10 mins ago) and a great museum. The whole thing is fascinating and the tour guides are very informative. The grounds have a lot of tropical plants that may be new to you. Henry Ford's winter home is next door - they were good buddies. The admission, $10, includes both places.

BTW, are you familiar with Medora, ND? The man responsible for the preservation of Medora, Harold Schafer, makes his winter home in Naples, FL, 25 miles south of Ft Myers Beach, and is my next door neighbor. He and his wife, Sheila, are wonderful people. In fact, my husband and I and the Schafers are going out together tonight.

You might want to visit Naples while you're here. It's the prettiest town in Florida, IMO.

If you have the time while in Ft. Myers, drive across the 3-mile causeway to Sanibel Island. It has been rated the #3 best shelling beach in the world. Though I've not been there recently, at one time there were no stop lights at all, and walking/biking paths everywhere. The J.N. Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge is a wonderful way to spend a few hours, the restaurants are unique, and the beaches are very unusual. You will not regret the time spent here.

The St Pete Times has a good web site with links to lots of info on the Tampa Bay area: http://www.sptimes.com/
Also, be sure to have a Grouper (fish) sandwich somewhere.

I am planning a trip to Orlando in March.(Disney area). I would like to find a scenic beach on the gulf side. How far is Clearwater? Any recommendations. I have also heard of a place where you can snorkel with the manatees. Has anyone ever done that? Is it ethical? One last question, how is the new Animal Kingdom? Is it wonderful? I am traveling with a 41/2 year old and a 6 month old, and a 33 year old, my husband. Thanks a lot for your insight.

Frenchy's reastaurant in Clearwater is a favorite.
The City of Tarpon Springs just north of Clearwater is famous for it's Greek restaurants and it's sponge diving.
Busch Garden's in Tampa is wonderful! You may get discount tickets from AAA or from local grocery stores ( they have them at the check-outs or on the back of receipts). There may also be discount tickets at your hotel.
If you are into gambling then there are many gambling cruises that include dinner and have live bands etc. onboard. Don't pay more than $10-15 to board. Most offer AAA discounts. Advise: if you make reservations at the gaming tables then boarding is free.
On the way down to Ft. Meyers you may want to stop at the Ringling museum/art museum/botanical gardens. It is a very lovely complex. In Sarasota there also is St. Armand'a Circle. It has shops and restaurants.
Have a great time! We are having wonderful weather down here!
Kittie

Amy,
Clearwater is still one of my favorite beaches. It has developed over the last few years, but it is still very nice. I also like Treasure Island and Pass- A Grille both a little south of Clearwater. Cleatwater is about 1 1/2 hours west of Orlando (with traffic) once you get to the outskits of Orlando on I-4. It takes about 45 minutes to get to I-75 then about another 45 minutes to get to Clearwater Beach.
I don't know about snorkeling with the Manatees, but I do know that TECO (Tampa Electric Company) has a manatee viewing area at their Riverview plant. The manatees go there every winter to swim in the warm water ejected by the plant. I don't know the exact dates that the manatees are there and I believe it is free. The TECO number is (813)223-0800.
I have not been to the Disney Animal Kingdom. I know there there has been quite a bit of press down here about how they had some unexplained deaths of animals and state regulators were wondering if Disney was treating the animals humanely.
I would recommend Busch Garden's in Tampa. It is actually what the Disney park is fashioned after. Busch Garden's has a great track record. Lowrey Park Zoo in Tampa is also quite nice, but not a large as Busch Garden's. It doesn't have the rides.
I hope this helps.
Please feel free to email me with any questions.
Kittie

Amy,
Clearwater is still one of my favorite beaches. It has developed over the last few years, but it is still very nice. I also like Treasure Island and Pass- A Grille both a little south of Clearwater. Cleatwater is about 1 1/2 hours west of Orlando (with traffic) once you get to the outskits of Orlando on I-4. It takes about 45 minutes to get to I-75 then about another 45 minutes to get to Clearwater Beach.
I don't know about snorkeling with the Manatees, but I do know that TECO (Tampa Electric Company) has a manatee viewing area at their Riverview plant. The manatees go there every winter to swim in the warm water ejected by the plant. I don't know the exact dates that the manatees are there and I believe it is free. The TECO number is (813)223-0800.
I have not been to the Disney Animal Kingdom. I know there there has been quite a bit of press down here about how they had some unexplained deaths of animals and state regulators were wondering if Disney was treating the animals humanely.
I would recommend Busch Garden's in Tampa. It is actually what the Disney park is fashioned after. Busch Garden's has a great track record. Lowrey Park Zoo in Tampa is also quite nice, but not a large as Busch Garden's. It doesn't have the rides.
I hope this helps.
Please feel free to email me with any questions.
Kittie

I just got back from Tampa last week, and I can tell you the weather was wonderful. Be sure to go to Ybor City in Tampa and just walk around and enjoy some of the restaurants that serve Cuban food. Also, if you like to party, then definately go to Ybor City. They close off the main drag and it is non-stop party starting at 10:00pm to curfew. blues clubs, discos, restaurants, bars, shops, it is wild!!!
have fun and good luck.

Hi, Kittie. Thanks for all of your advice and information. Do you know where to catch the ferry to Celedesi State park? Is this nice? We are getting really excited about our trip and knowing there are such friendly and helpful people makes it even better.

Thanks for the advice Edward. I am glad that you had nice weather. We are hoping for the same(anything beats the 18 degrees we have here today,though). We will be traveling with two small children so I doubt we'll get to do any partying, but we'll keep Ybor in mind for a future trip. Thanks again.

Amy,
You can take the ferry from the ferry dock near Coachman Park in Clearwater (near Drew St. on the Intracoastal waterway just north of hwy 60). I don't know how much it costs.
The park is beautiful! You should really enjoy yourselves there!
Glad to be helpful!
BTW, if you are going to be in the Tampa area on Saturday Feb. 20th then you my want to catch the night Gasparilla parade in Ybor (pronounced EE-bore) City. Pretty much every weekend in February is committed to something to do with Gasparilla. It's a yearly "pirate" invasion with several of "ye Mystic Crewe's". The actual "invasion" (with a pirate ship and everything) was this past weekend, but the festivities go on all month. Now, the parade does get a bit rowdy, but it is alot of fun. Get there early to get parking and go to the fair.
Enjoy!
Kittie (posting another lengthy reply. And only once this time, I promise

Thanks again for all of your information. I am trying to plan a couple of day trips. There are so many choices which makes it hard to decide and your info helps narrow it down. Unfortunatley we are flying out of Orlando on the 20th so we probably can't make the parade in Ybor. I guess we can't do everything in a week so we'll have to come back another year. Good night.