Where would you spend a month in the southern US?
 

I would like to spend 4 weeks starting mid March somewhere "warm" in the US and am looking for some suggestions.
I am a 51 year old woman used to traveling by myself. I will rent a furnished apartment and a car I am looking for a city with a lot of culture/arts, good restaurants, outdoor activities and beautiful surroundings - either at my doorstep or within easy driving distance. To give you an idea I lived in Santa Monica for a few months and loved it.
I am thinking about the east coast of Florida (I have spent time on the west coast and, although lovely, a bit too quiet for me), or perhaps Arizona or elsewhere in California.
Any thoughts would be much appreciated!

San Antonio might be good for you.

Miami Beach is great too.

Charleston, SC

Spring should have sprung by then with beautiful flowers everywhere. It has everything on your list.

If you want to take a daytrip or a weekend away there are many options too.

Florida or California

St. Augustine (FL) appears to meet all your criteria.

culture/arts
good restaurants,
outdoor activities
beautiful surroundings

To that list, let me add:

history
good shopping.

Oh yes, it is <u>warm</u> too!

Charleston, SC...Savannah GA...you can buzz all over if you have a car

I'd fly into Charleston &amp; make my way down the Coast to Key West. Savannah - Amelia Island - St. Augustine - Miami - Key Largo - Key West.

Savannah gets my vote. Lot's of history, culture, great food, beautiful walking city. You can also spoke off to visit coastal islands north and south.

I wonder if Santa Fe, New Mexico, would be warm enough for you in mid-March? It has all the things you're looking for.
:)&gt;-

Charleston!

I'd vote for Charleston!

and not far from Charleston is a great place called Kiahwah Island-
beautiful beaches and resorts

I could stay there for a long time with trips into Charleston for some city life

Although I live an hour away from Charleston, which I absolutely love, weather in March can be a crapshoot.

Cold and rainy or 85 and sunny.

So, my first choice would be Fort Lauderdale. Not as crazy hectic as Miami (which I also love) and more of a local feel.

You also can take great day trips to Miami, Palm Beach, the keys, etc.

Ft. Lauderdale was my first thought as well.
You can walk the beach and boardwalk for miles and the many shops and outdoor eating areas.
The weather should be starting to get nicer (warmer) in March. Also you'll be in driving distance to more outdoor activities and cultural events.

Isn't Ft. Lauderdale a mob scene of college kids? We see it on the news every spring break, strewn with beer bottles and drunken undergraduates.
:)&gt;-

No. Fort Lauderdale is too expensive for college kids and they got rid of Spring Break 20 years ago.

Thank you everyone for your input. You have given me lots to think about!

Palm Desert or Palm Springs. Gives you close proximity to LA, San Diego also. It's beautiful in the desert in the Spring. They have the McCallum Theater, weekend street fairs, Pacific Life Open Tennis Tournament, Joshua Tree Nat'l Forest, (not for me-but a Casino), fun restaurants, great SPAs, plenty of golf, etc. :)

They got rid of spring break 20 years ago? I don't think so.

Cocoa Beach is a nice place to go in the spring. We once went there, to avoid the spring break crowds in Ft. Lauderdale ane elsewhere. This was 4 years ago, and Lauderdale had more than its share of drunken revelers at that time. I know the town was really trying to put a lid on it, though, not too successfully that year anyway.
:)&gt;-

Maureen,
You and I must be seeing different parts of Ft. Lauderdale, as I don't recall seeing any large groups of carousing college kids.
Beach blanket bingo, it ain't.

Lauderdale successfully made a huge effort years ago to upscale the environment.