I just got home from 17 days in Hawaii with my husband who was on leave from deployment and I'm already missing the beach! I got some great advice from this forum for Hawaii (still working on my trip report) so I thought I'd look to the wonderful Fodor's people for ideas for our next trip!

My husband will be returning home from Iraq early next year and I would like to do a little reunion get-away with him sometime in February. It will only be 4-5 days. We live in the midwest and somewhere warm will be nice in the middle of winter!

We love snorkeling, beautiful scenery, hiking and exploring, basically anything outdoors! Big cities and resorts are not important, in fact I would love to find a quiet little town with a quiet little cottage/condo on the water. I was thinking somewhere in South Florida, but I know nothing about the area. Any suggestions? I just started planning and I'm open to anything. Thanks for your time!

http://siestakeychamber.com/beaches.php?id_cat=24

or: http://www.stpetebeach.com/

I would have recommended Key West but they don't have beautiful beaches. Have fun deciding!

If you have to fly anyway, just fly to St.Thomas/St John in the US Virgin Islands... world class snorkeling, tropical weather, and it's still part of the US... see your travel agent for a package tour that includes everything and mention that he's serving in the war, many companies are now discounting for AF/Iraq Vets... Have Fun!

I agree with Garyt22. For snorkeling, it is St. John. It has been my experience that snorkeling in South Florida is best in late Spring/Summer. Otherwise, Bahia Honda Key (40 miles N. of Key West) with a few rustic cabins is quite romantic. But it is not the easiest spot to get to plus the weather does not always collaborate. For a mini-vacation in February, Sanibel/Captiva Island on the West Coast would be my pick.

How about St. Augustine?

St Augustine will not be warm enough to snorkel in Feb.

Really, aside from Dry Tortugas and Bahia Honda, there is practically nothing in the line of snorkeling in FL--no reefs, sandy bottom means nothing much to look at. If that is a major interest, then I agree with the suggestion for St John, which has terrific snorkeling and although that was our main focus, I believe you can do some hiking as well. One of our snorkeling spots in fact, you had to hike down a pretty neat trail to reach the remote beach.

If snorkeling isn't that important, Boca Grande, on Gasparilla Island, is quiet and romantic. There might be too little for you to do there though, and it's a bit more difficult to get to. Fly into Ft Myers and drive.

Although Sanibel and Captiva are pretty busy in the winter, they are still quiet areas (unlike, for instance Clearwater Beach area).

Agree with cd, too, about St Augustine being too cold in the winter. You won't want to go in the water at all. You really need to get as far down as Tampa at the very least if you want to swim, (and even then, it'll be only visitors in the water then), and ideally, further south than that. The occasional cold front can come roaring into Tampa even, so the further south you look, the better off you are weather-wise.

Based on your timeframe & time of year, I would suggest the Keys or Puerto Rico.

As a native Floridian, I vote for St Johns in February for snorkeling. Fly into St Thomas, take the ferry over--you're there. Very romantic.

Thank you for all the wonderful advice! I am looking into St. Thomas or St. Johns now, a little more than I had hoped on spending since we just got back from an extravagant trip to Hawaii, but hey, we deserve a little reconnect time after a long deployment, right You only live once...

So any lodging recommendations? Is 4 or 5 nights enough time? I hate traveling to a new place and have to leave feeling like I didn't get to see it all.

I love all you Fodors people, such a wealth of knowledge, and so friendly to boot! Thanks so much!

Since you have plenty of time to plan, see if you can purchase trip insurance or buy from a company with a really good refund policy. Some of our troops here have seen their return days change a couple weeks in either direction of the announced return date.

Thanks palmettoprincess, but we're all too familiar with the military's schedule, in that one usually doesn't exist or is constantly changing! We've had great luck with dates working out in the past but I would never put money down on a trip until I had confirmation that we wouldn't have scheduling conflicts. And I had to plan a vacation for his R&R where set dates are never a guarantee! With the military, you just have to be ready for anything...

You might want to consider the Palm Beach area. It's not crowded like in Miami Beach or Ft Lauderdale and there is plenty to do...the best diving in Florida is actually off Palm Beach Island...but most don't know that. The area also has a quaint historid old Florida feel to it which is still undiscovered by most (except the millionaires who visit the island!). Take a look at the historic B & Bs in West Palm Beach.

Jessmarie,
You ask if 4-5 nights is long enough for St. Thomas or St. John. Well, it depends on your flight connections. I think it will take two days just to travel there and back. Someone suggested Puerto Rico. If easily accessible, I would also consider it.

While Florida is not the best for snorkeling in February, kayaking can be as magic in some areas. I also think that you will have a lovely and romantic vacation no matter where you go. But, I would not exactly choose Punta Gorda. In my view, that area has no energy.

Cancun! specifically the JW Marriott. You won't really want to/need to leave there unless you want to do some snorkeling at Xel Ha or sightseeing