Does anyone have suggestions for spring break. We will have two 14 year old boys and four adults. The boys want to be around other teenagers. We thought of "Beaches" in Turks and Caicos but were there two years ago and thought it was very expensive for what the accomodations were. We also thought of a cruise but some of us get motion sickness. Have done a catamaran trip in the BVI's when the boys were younger ( not interested in girls then) but we don't think they would want to go from one island to the next. The boys suggested California so they could learn to surf.

Any suggestions?

Depends on the dates of your spring break...early March can be a little rainy in California. A flight into San Diego or Santa Ana is nice followed by a couple days around Laguna Beach, a couple days in L.A./Hollywood Malibu, and a drive up the coast with your return flight from San Francisco. Or the other way around.

Siesta Key (near Sarasota) in Florida is a great place for families with teenagers. We have been there the past 3 years for spring break. There are tons of families with teenagers. The beach is beautiful, with the nicest sand I've seen on American beaches.

If you consider Florida then my top suggestion for boys that age is St. Pete Beach, which my 16 y.o. still likes although he's now more focused on Clearwater (we live in Tampa). Look into the Alden resort. The kids also like the Tradewinds. Unfortunately, there's no surfing there unless a hurricane's knocking at the door. But once they see all the kids their age, they won't care. There are plenty of options for the adults while the boys spend their time on the beaches.

We usually do Siesta Key, Lido, or Anna Maria Island but they are all pretty slow teen-wise. Since it's my son's senior year we're doing the whole fleshfest thing....sort of.

We're staying at Indian Shores, between St. Pete and Clearwater where it is relatively quiet. During the day the boys can hop on and off the trolleys that run between St. Pete and Clearwater to visit their friends and to gawk at girls they wish were friends.

I have to respectfully disagree with amwosu relative to teen activity on Siesta Key. I'm not sure when you've been there, but the weeks that many high schools have off for spring break, the weeks before and after Easter Sunday, Siesta Key is loaded with teens.

Thanks for all the suggestions. First: What place would you recommend to stay on Siesta Key. I've never been there but it sounds nice.

Are we discussing Spring of 2006 or 2007? There has been a rash of people believing that April of 2007 is the next Spring Break. Have you seen this?

I'm talking about March of 06.

Could luck, I'm in the same boat. I have to say that cruises are great for teens, they love them, and with the size of the ships, you won't get seasick. We've done a cruise annually for the last 6 years so this year we're looking for a change, but cruises are great for families. I would look into it and get the motion patch. Honestly, I got severely seasick on a deep sea fishing boat once, but a cruise never bothered me in the least.

We are going to Hawaii for spring break 2006. We have a 13 year old and a 12 year old. I thought this would be a great age for the girls to visit Hawaii and enjoy all it has to offer(including surf lessons).

feggadabout:If you read my post, Iwas talking about spring break 2007. As you can see, we have already planned our 2006 vacation...get a life.

We're also taking our spring break on a cruise this year, first time ever. I'm not real keen on the idea but my son has been bugging us forever to do it. The idea of a cruise with a gazillion teenagers sounds horrible to me but I'm hoping to have a nice room with a view and lots of alcohol to help get me through it.

Hey KathyK, I'm sure your right about Siesta Key. We never go to the public beach area, always rent a house in a more secluded part and are kind of alone there. Near the public beach area I do remember lots of local and visiting teens.

ydoc, Almost all of the accomodations are condos, most right on the beach. There are only a few hotels. We have stayed at Sarasota Surf and Racquet Club, which is very nice but they just raised their prices quite a bit for 2006. There are many other choices, but I don't recall the names of the other places. There must be a website to go to. I'm sorry I can't be of more help. Maybe you could post a new question specifically asking for Siesta Key condo recommendations.

Check into vrbo.com, vacationrentals.com and gulfcoastrentals.com.

Tandori- what cruise line. You mentioned a lot of teenagers. Are the cruises at spring break very popular with teenagers? I am not interested in a cruise because I can't stand going to an island for vacation and being invaded by the cruise ships. Not to mention the lines the passengers wait in to get back on board. But...if it would be a wonderful trip for the boys with teenagers everywhere, well maybe it could be an option.

My husband's in charge of this but from what I can tell it's Carnival 4-day to the western caribbean called Inspiration (Mar. 18-23). It leaves from Tampa where we live and includes stops in Grand Cayman and Cozumel, I think. It is $2472 for 4 (my son's bringing a friend). I think that for spring break (March) all the ships are packed with kids, from what I hear from my son and husband.

Thanks Tandoori

I'll look into the cruise options. If you need suggestions regarding what to do in Grand Cayman, let me know, we've been going there for 20+ years.

Many of my neighbors do the cruise thing with their families (altogether on the same boat every year) because it is so kid friendly regardless of age.