Profile: Brits, Gulf Coast virgins. We've 7 nights in October. Have been lurking for a while and liked the sound of the Starfish Motel (Longboat Key) so have booked that for 2 nights.

Holiday Which? (a UK consumer travel mag) recommend a few places and St Pete's Great Explorations sounds interesting as does the science museum in Tampa. Plus Caribbean Gardens near Naples. We're not planning on Universal or Disney but will probably do Sea World as we fly through Orlando.

So there's a few spare days and 5 hotel nights to sort out. Any good ideas would be most welcome!

Our west coast is great and October is about the perfect weather. Still warm, even hot, but finally cooling off a bit. The beaches are great for all ages. Longboat key is nice but not much entertainment for th kids. Can travel over to Clearwater Beach for a few more activities or down to St Petersburg Beach. Lots to do in area. Here is the Tampa Bay Online web site hor some ideas: http://www.TBO.com/

I agree with Larry that you may have more kid-friendly activities if you're staying on St.Pete or Clearwater beaches. If you are going to Naples solely for the Caribbean gardens, skip it and try Sunken Gardens in St. Petersburg instead (check with them in advance since I believe ownership has changed). Even from Longboat Key, Naples is a long, uninteresting drive (even more so on your way back).

Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo should be fun for young children -- not so large and crowded that it is overpowering. It's not too far from MOSI (Museum of Science and Industry) which has a lot of fun activities for kids.

Closer to the beaches, you might want to spend a couple quite hours at Heritage Village in Largo (between St. Pete & Clearwater). It is a historical park with about two dozen (or more) restored structures moved there from around the area. It's a unique look at Florida's past, and the kids can run around outside without bothering anyone.

For an offbeat attraction, venture north to Weekie Watchie springs ("Home of Live Mermaids") where they put on underwater "ballet" shows inthe springs, and you can see some of the natural beauty of Florida.

Thanks for the advice guys; this is just what we need!

Cheers
Katy

If have a rainy day on Longboat, visit the GWIZ museum for kids in Sarasota near the Hyatt. It's all hands on. Try to get over to Mote Marine and see Hugh and Buffet the manatees and many, many other aquatic exhibits, including a touch tank with live sea critters. Great explorations is much smaller than MOSI, but nice to visit, esp. if you combine it with a visit to The Pier, a St. Pete water landmark. the Florida Aquarium is very nice (downtown tampa). Check with the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center to see if they'll have any children's productions while you're in town. they often have special matinees on Sat. for families.