BuffettNews.com

Hey Parrotheads-
After getting a short reprieve from winter here in the U.P. the forecast is for the cold weather and some snow to return this weekend. I need a break from this so we're heading south. Most of our family would like to go to the Outer Banks area but our 12 year old daughter keeps giving us the puppy eyes and reminding us that she's never been to Disney World yet. We won't be going till the beginning of May since we're also taking our two college-age boys with us. Could I get some suggestions about where to stay? Here's the plan:
I think we'll fly into Tampa and stay somewhere between there and Orlando for a night or two, get Disney out of the way and also hit Margaritaville before we leave.
We'd like to spend the remainder of the trip (6-7 days) somewhere on the Gulf Coast where it won't take us all day to drive there from Orlando. Our boys are 16, 19 & 21 and very active but relatively quiet. We'd like a place on a beach for walking, running, shelling and swimming - none of us are into sunning. We hope to find an area that isn't too built-up and crowded and would like to do some biking, kayaking, mini golf and maybe a little shopping. I've read a little on Sanibel/Captiva and Anna Maria Islands. Are they as good as they sound?
Please help - if I couldn't laugh I would go insane!!!
Fins Up ~^~ and THANKS!

We're going to Sanibel for the first time in April. I found this thread very helpful:

viewtopic.php?f=38&t=81373

You might want to scroll through the "Changes in Latitudes" section and see if there are other threads that might help in your quest. I'm really excited to go......haven't been west coast before.

If your looking for some of the most pristine Gulf of Mexico beaches, try Caladesi Island State Park‎ located in Dunedin, Florida. Its an easy drive. Its a little north of Tampa and south of Tarpon Springs. Plenty of condos, hotels and motels in Dunedin. Here's a link:

http://www.floridastateparks.org/Calade ... efault.cfm

Have phun!

Sanibel is the only place Tom and I have been (and we travel a lot) that we would never consider going back to. We were there for a three or four day weekend, slept in every day and still ran out of stuff to do. It felt like an enormous retirement community- lots of houses packed in, but you never see the people, and the streets rolled up at 6. I think I misunderstood what they meant by "Old Florida" on the brochures.

Just an FYI- From the SW end of Tampa to the far, far East Orlando suburbs (AKA the coast) of FL is only 2 hours.

You might like the Indian Rocks Beach area- it's about an hour from downtown Tampa.

Ha, ha, Coconuts - I loved the "Old Florida" pun! I checked out the thread that Carolina gave me and got a little worried when someone on there referred to Sanibel as a "little finger up place" (or something like that) and that's definately not what we're looking for. We're very casual people who just want to relax and have some fun with our kids since this will probably be the last trip we can talk our oldest into coming along on.
Thanks for the link on Caladesi, Catsway. It looks good - I'm going to check out the condos and also the Indian Rocks Beach Area that Coconuts gave me when I log out of here.
You're all great - I knew I could count on the Parrotheads to help! Thanks!

Oops - I forgot to ask: Has anyone been to Anna Maria Island?

I talked with a co-worker today who owns a house in Sarasota. He said hands down best beach is on Siesta Key.....since we have our days for beach and sun during MOTW......will have to do a study of the sand on that island......

Carolinadreamin' wrote:I talked with a co-worker today who owns a house in Sarasota. He said hands down best beach is on Siesta Key.....since we have our days for beach and sun during MOTW......will have to do a study of the sand on that island......

You all are awesome for helping! Thanks again.