Which area has the nicer beaches and things for the family to do? Any suggestions on hidden gem lodgings on the beach. THANKS!

For pure aesthetics, Fort Lauderdale Beach is more beautiful. The strip there rivals Miami Beach's except FtL is more laid-back and far more family oriented. There are plenty of good hotels in which to lodge, like the Sheraton Yankee Clipper and Sheraton Yankee Trader. You will have a blast hanging out at Beach Place, which has great stores and restaurants. The strip along A1A is outstanding (Evangeline's for Sunday brunch is tops). Plus, Fort Lauderdale has the Riverwalk area and the museum campus with the IMAX theater and the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. Fort Lauderdale also has swanky Las Olas Boulevard with lots of great shops and restaurants. The Riverside Hotel on Las Olas is a great place to stay.

All that being said, I like Hollywood Beach too. Its biggest advantage over Fort Lauderdale is that it's less expensive and it's closer to Miami. If you stayed in Hollywood Beach you'd be very close to Aventura Mall, which is a great mall. Hollywood Beach is heavily French-Canadian and very, very old. There are some decent restaurants to be had. The beach itself is very nice. Not spectacular, but nice. And you can rollerblade, rent bikes, etc., just like FtL. Can't say that I could recommend a single outstanding place to stay. There is a huge hotel being renovated (the name escapes me) that will be the jewel of Hollywood when it's finished. There are several small inns and hotels that are fairly inexpensive. In terms of nightlife, Hollywood is a little more low-key (although both Holly and Ft. Laud are low-key compared to Miami). There are some great restaurants about 3 mins. from the beach on Hollywood Blvd., anchored by O'Hara's Jazz Pub. A GREAT hangout. There is a not-to-be-missed Thai restaurant called Try My Thai around the corner on Harrison Street, as well as a great little Irish pub called Kelly's. There are street festivals there almost every Friday night on Harrison St. and Hollywood Blvd.

I lived there for three years (in Hollywood) and indulged in both places. Both have strong merits and lots of charm. It really just depends on what you're looking for. If you want a lot of the perks but want to save more money, stay in Hollywood Beach. If you want a little more flash, a little more choice and can spend more money, stay in FtL.

Hope this helps.

Mario, the advice the other poster gave was great. However, if you are youngish & planning on this trip soon (ie- before the end of April), I would stay in Ft. Lauderdale. Many, many snow birds here this time of year (translates seniors) & they seem even more concentrated in the Hollywood beach area (not that there's anything wrong with that!... but you may be happier in FTL). If you go to Ft. Laud, try "Carlos & Pepes" for Mexican, "Joe Belair" (50s diner), there used to be a "Planet Hollywood" (I was not impressed) that may still be there, "Pier 66" is at the top of a hotel that slowly spins around while you eat (if you want a nice evening out), "15th St Fishery" is also very nice. These are all on 17th St Causeway (except 15 St Fishery) which leads into the strip. The "strip" will have lots of other places to eat/shop. While in the area, you can take a cruise down the intracoastal on a sightseeing boat (touristy, but's that what you are right?). If you scuba dive, there are shops in the area that will take you out for dives. Sawgrass Mills is a huge discount mall about 40 minutes West of Ft. Lauderdale. You can easily spend a day there if you are into that. It is the 2nd largest attraction (behind Disney) in Florida! It has a movie theater, some decent places to eat. Have fun wherever you stay!