Need a beach recommendation...
 

Ok, I am going to Florida early July for two weeks. I need someone to recommend a beach to me that is beautiful, but not overcrowded by tourists. I don't really want complete isolation either. My fiancee like to eat out at restaurants ALOT :/ . I'd prefer not to go as far south as Miami, but I am willing to try almost anywhere (PS - We do not have kids).

Early July is very warm and you will not be elbow to elbow with lots of tourists then. You'll need to find a place that is in a city with some things to do because you will not be hanging out on the beach all day. And you most likely will have brief afternoon showers that will cool things down and make your evening pleasant but will force you to head inside. I suggest Treasure Island or St. Pete Beach or Passe-A-Grill. If you don't have kids and want something high-end, gorgeous, great food, historic, try the Don CeSar. At Treasure Island, try the Thunderbird or the Best Western Sea Castle (make sure you're booking beach not bay side). As for Passe-a-grill, there's a place that I'm constantly forgetting the name of -- maybe someone else will remember. It's a grouping of a few buildings on the south side of the island. A smaller place on St. Pete Beach is the Bon Aire -- the Alden has more resort amenities.

You also might try the ClearwaterBeachHotel.com. This is a nice location and a great hotel with many selections for room accomodations.

If you're up for it, Busch Gardens Adventure Island water theme park is a great way to spend a warm summer day.

It's Island's End TG! Hey that's the easy stuff--place at the end of the island. :)

Flagler is south of St Augustine and North of Ormond Beach. Just a few hotels and restaurants, very quiet, but a short drive to the action of Daytona.

www.flaglerbeachmotel.com

Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, FL - 5 miles north of Ft. L. (inexpensive quality lodging, small beachtown feel, beaches are pretty and lined with palm trees and not too crowded. Plenty of stores for food shopping and restaurants within easy walking distance.

Olive O., not Land's End, although that's a good rec for fast200. Land's End is a great condo. I rarely recommend condo's because I don't care for them but it appears many people like them alot.

Olive, that place at the south end of Passe-A-grill is what I'm referring to. They are little cottages, maybe it's a bed and breakfast, I'm not sure. I've never stayed there myself but I want to. Hmmmm. Mother's Day is right around the corner -- I might just give it a try. So what's it called, OO?

TG, lol! Look back. I said <b>Island's</b> End, not Land's End. :) Too funny. Eyes see one thing, mind sees the other. Island's End is at the tip of Pass-a-Grille, Land's End at the tip of TI. It does make it easier to remember though...both of them are &quot;Ends&quot;. You just need to remember which is Island and which is Land...and I'm now going to probably confuse the two from here on out.

Ok, I think we narrowed it down to the coast near Clearwater like you recommended (ie St Pete, Treasure Island, etc). Can you recommend a specific really clean general area and condo? My fiancee likes semi-upscale (we are not rich though).

There is a place called Sunset Chateau that is on Sunset Beach (which is the southern end of Treasure Island) that I'd recommend (I think it only has one-bedroom units). It is a short walk down the beach to Caddy's, which has better than usual beach food, and also a short walk to the Ka'Tiki, a rowdy tiki hut outdoor bar with live music (some good, some bad). There are a number of other restaurants within 5-10 minutes walk, and lots of places if you venture out in your car. As you know, each unit is different so you need to pick carefully.

Also, check this board for posts about the Island Inn Resort (oh, my -- not to be confused with Islands' Inn or Land's End!!!). It also has one and two bedroom condos. I think they are similar to Sunset Chateau, and very close to the Sunset Beach action.

I think that Land's End would be total isolation -- although it has a nice beach layout and more amenities than either Sunset Chateau or Island's Inn. So I won't suggest that. Why don't you peruse VRBO.com and see what's there? Or vacationrentals.com? See what looks good to you and maybe we can give you a heads up on it. There aren't a lot of condos on TI but there are many on St. Pete Beach. OO and Joan might have some ideas for you.

There are many condos in Clearwater and Sand Key, which is next to it. But bear in mind, this is sort of like a canyon of condos, all lined up on the beach like dominoes. If you are OK with that, then check it out. If not, steer clear.