[joyloo]

Now that the cold weather is upon us here in the northeast I am considering planning a vacation in FL. Can anyone give me any advice on where to stay, when to travel and what to do there? It would just be me, DH & our DS who turned 2 in August. When is a good time to go? We are not restricted to school vacation so we can go anytime. Is it too cold to go to the beach in January? Anyone know of any resorts that are child friendly? I also looked into booking a cruise but I am reconsidering it because of DS's age. Has anyone taken a cruise with their 2 year old?

Sorry for all the questions. I know I can always get good advice here.

Thanks!

Joy

[carolynpep73]

Hi,
I live in SW Florida on the Gulf Coast. There are many beautiful places to visit in Florida. I'm partial to my coast but I know that the east coast is very beautiful as well. This time of year the weather itself may be warm or cold (it varys weekly) but the Gulf temp is generally in the upper 60s and that is uncomfortable to swim in for too long. I actually like the beach in the cooler months because it's so beautiful to just sit out and enjoy the breeze on the beach. The closest vacation area I live near is Ft.Myers Beach and Sanibel. Both are very nice but very different. FMB is a younger crowd and Sanibel is more upscale. You can rent bikes, canoe, shell, and charter boats. There's also nature walks on conservation land and a small zoo. Naples is another very nice place to visit. Of course, there's the Disney area (about 3 hours from me) if you're looking for more of a theme park atmosphere. Our most beautiful time of year is January- April. Keep in mind that FL weather is very hit or miss. If you were here last week it was really hot and humid. This week it was dry, windy, and chilly (for us Floridians anyway). But I suppose by February, you'd take hot and humid over cold and windy anyday, huh? Please let me know if you choose to come to our area. We'd love to meet you and show you around!

[AnaM-H]

I'm in the south eastern coast of Florida just in between Miami and Fort Lauderdale. My favorite time in Fla is ANYTIME! We have tourists in the surf almost 365 days year down here.
Down my way we have...Miami, Miami Beach, South Beach, a it south the Fla. Keys, a bit north Boca Raton & West Palm Beach. If you head further north on the coast you'll find Melbourne, Vero Beach, Daytona Beach, Kennedy Space Center and St. Augustine. The Fla panhandle near Pensacola and Panama City have some awesome beaches.
Yes, there is Orlando with all the parks and Tampa with usch Gardens but Florida has some amaing nature. Be sure to tour the Everglades and some of our springs in Central Florida. Down my way, we have Biscayne National Park and two areas of the Everglades. One of my favorites places is Fairchild Gardens and the Metro-Zoo in Miami.
If you make it down south, let me know!

[wrgamom]

I have lived in Florida most of my life. I grew up in Central Florida and I live on the Emerald Coast (Destin area) now.

With a two year old, I would stay away from the beaches. It would be too cold and uncomfortable and uncomfortable. I would find a hotel/resort with an indoor pool and hit Disney as it is not that busy in January. That is one of our favorite times to go! Two might be a little young to remember it, but he/she would still love it and it would not be as cold as long as you layer and bring a stroller to throw everything into. Our youngest was 9 months the first time we went to Disney in early January a few years ago. Florida can get cold, believe it or not. Last night we hit 22. The Orlando Science Museum is really fun, too, and has a great kids area.

[BobMiami]

Hi. I tend to favor South Florida (Ft. Lauderdale and on down) because it's warmer in the winter. That said, last week was cold for all of us.

As one commentator noted, we do have people in the water year around, although many of us would not consider going into the water before or after August. (Yes, we are that bad!)

I love the idea of a cruise. When my son first came home at two, we were off and away very shortly and have cruised a couple of times a year since then. I find it a wonderful father/son getaway. Most of the cruiselines have kids' activities (even for very young ones), but you would want to check this out in advance. Disney cruiselines, followed, in my opinion by Carnival and then RCL, have fairly good kids' programs, if you want some time on your own.

Make sure you check, re-check and ultimately quadruple-check what papers your child will need to visit the various countries and to get back in to the US.

We all look forward to having your family visit us for a while.
Bob

[spidermanteache]

We go to Marathon in the Keys every March and it is always perfect weather in the 80's, nice, sunny and warm. I would recommend The Keys!!

[Ana01]

I'm paritial to South Florida because I've lived here my whole life. Kid friendly hotels? Well, what's your budget? If you want a quiet beach and nice place, Key Biscayne's Ritz Carlton is nice and has a nice beach (although I think in January too cold to swim in, JMHO). There is the Fountainbleau on Miami Beach as well.

Disney is always a favorite of mine for vacation spots! And a Disney cruise, I've been told, is the way to go with small children.