my sister and i would like to give our parents a vacation for a combination anniversary/christmas gift...money is a bit of an issue, but we wanted to send them somewhere warm, safe and fun in february...can anyone suggest anywhere in florida, near the beach that would be a nice three or four day vacation spot? jetblue flies into orlando, west palm beach, ft lauderdale, ft myers and tampa...somewhere near one of those airports would be good...any suggestions would be appreciated...names of towns or names of hotels...we would just want to know it was a safe area with lots to do...thank you all so much. :0) joanna

Charleston, South Carolina is a lovely place that would be wonderful for your parents. St. Augustine,Florida might be another good place--lots of charm and history.

Saint Augustine. It's one of the few places left on the east coast of Florida that hasn't been brought down by overdevelopment.

Joanna
What a lovely idea! Your parents will love it! I would suggest the Ft Myers area or a cruise out of Tampa or Ft Lauderdale. They are starting at $199.00 pp for a 3-4 day. You might want to check http://www.smarterliving.com for information.

I think Joanna specified that it be somewhere warm.
Charleston's avg daily high in February is 62.
40 is the avg low (brrrr).
You have to stay in southern FL that time of year to get predictably nice temps.

I really like St. Augustine as well but its not warm in february. I live in Jacksonville, FL 40 min. from St. Augustine. In February our temps average 65 in the day and 50 at night. We have had some warm spells in the past but these are pretty unusual. For really warm I agree South florida it is. How about Miami/South Beath area close to Ft. Lauderdale? I think the best bet however is the 3 day cruise leaving from either Ft. Lauderdale or Tampa. If you don't have to stay in the US, my vote is Cozumel, Mexico near Cancun but nota s wild. Beautiful safe, and cheap!

My parents are in their late 60's , and they love taking cruises. They also like spending time in Naples, Fla. There are alot of retired people there.

If you are looking for a great beach I would go with Fll or one of the keys. Key Largo would be nice. The Further south the warmer it will be. St. Petersburg is great but could be cooler that time of year. Sanibel and Captiva are great but very pricey in Feb. This is a nice gift from you and your sister.

I would check out Travelzoo. They always have cruise specials. You should even sign up to receive weekly e-mail specials.
Also check out www.bestpricecruises.com They also have great deals on 4 day cruises. Travelzoo even had some cruises from $199.00.

Very nice idea. I would recommend either the Ritz-Carlton in Naples or the Moorings Village in Islamorada (the Keys). Very safe and tropical.

Send them to Captiva/Sanibel Island. They can fly into Ft. Myers. Keep in mind that airfare and accommodations are much higher during the winter. Also try Naples. There are great resorts in both areas.

thank you everyone for your responses...unfortunately my dad hates cruises, so those wont do... also, the airfare looks like it is just going to be too expensive for us to send them anywhere by plane, so we are back to the drawing board. (were in ny) thank you for all of your suggestions though

Have you asked them what they would like to do?

Not sure what your budget was to begin with, but perhaps an AI in Mexico, PDC or Dominican Republic for 5 days. February is a pricey month that is the problem. Maybe you can still choose the various places, and give the gift but wait till May when prices drop consideraby for Florida.