Thinking of taking my wife to Key West next year. Recommendations from those who've been there?

[CobraBob]

If you can take the time. Why not. Time is my greatest asset.

Talked to my wife this afternoon about maybe taking 10-12 days and visit 2-3 vacation spots in Florida. She's liking the idea so we'll see. Last summer we went to Maine and spent 12 days starting with Acadia (4 nights), followed by Booth Bay (4 nights), and then Ogunquit (3 nights). One of the best vacation we ever had, mainly (pun there) because we never ran out of fun things to do and never got bored. Doing something similar in Florida might be fun. I just want to be sure we don't drive too many miles between stops. Florida is a big state.

Thanks again for all of your tips and recommendations. VERY helpful!

 

[CobraBob]

Not to hijack, but anyone have thoughts on Longboat Key? We were set to go there for a spring vaca right before Covid hit and everything cancelled. Also what about Bonita? My folks have a place in a park down there. Haven’t been but maybe it’s time to visit them there. I assume it’s a value blue haired area (no offense to anyone, lmao)?

Just when I think I have my itinerary settling, I read you post. LOL. I looked up Longboat Key and see it's a great place with a great beach and great eating places. Not far from Siesta Key.

 

[Rb0891]

Just when I think I have my itinerary settling, I read you post. LOL. I looked up Longboat Key and see it's a great place with a great beach and great eating places. Not far from Siesta Key.

Shite. Sorry, didn’t mean to steal your thread and mess up your plans. Unfortunately I don’t know anything about it because we didn’t go.

 

[BrunotheBoxer]

Talked to my wife this afternoon about maybe taking 10-12 days and visit 2-3 vacation spots in Florida. She's liking the idea so we'll see. Last summer we went to Maine and spent 12 days starting with Acadia (4 nights), followed by Booth Bay (4 nights), and then Ogunquit (3 nights). One of the best vacation we ever had, mainly (pun there) because we never ran out of fun things to do and never got bored. Doing something similar in Florida might be fun. I just want to be sure we don't drive too many miles between stops. Florida is a big state.

Thanks again for all of your tips and recommendations. VERY helpful!

What month are you visiting.

 

[specracer]

Tampa to Naples is 170 miles. Not bad.

Destin to Naples is almost 600. In March of this yearwe drove from Naples to Fernandina Beach (Amelia Island Concourse) and it was a long boring drive, not sure we would do that again.

 

[03cobra#694]

Tampa to Naples is 170 miles. Not bad.

Destin to Naples is almost 600. In March of this yearwe drove from Naples to Fernandina Beach (Amelia Island Concourse) and it was a long boring drive, not sure we would do that again.

75 and 95 are boring as hell.

 

[CobraBob]

What month are you visiting.

We normally vacation in July (sometimes June) but since we really don't want extreme heat and humidity, I'm thinking mid-late April.

Tampa to Naples is 170 miles. Not bad.

Destin to Naples is almost 600. In March of this yearwe drove from Naples to Fernandina Beach (Amelia Island Concourse) and it was a long boring drive, not sure we would do that again.

Yeah, Andy, that IS a long haul. Same for Siesta Key to St. Augustine. Tampa Airport to Siesta Key/Long Boat Key to Naples isn't so bad. We have options. I definitely want to do Florida, though.

 

[BrunotheBoxer]

We normally vacation in July (sometimes June) but since we really don't want extreme heat and humidity, I'm thinking mid-late April.


Yeah, Andy, that IS a long haul. Same for Siesta Key to St. Augustine. Tampa Airport to Siesta Key/Long Boat Key to Naples isn't so bad. We have options. I definitely want to do Florida, though.

Just so you know. Go after Easter holiday. Anything before that is busy. Naples is very busy from February school vacation to Easter weekend then the snow birds start to leave and northerners stop traveling down. I feel that May is one of the best months. It’s still fairly dry and the extreme heat doesn’t usually hit until mid June. If you travel down here mid June through the end of September be prepared for high heat humidity and T storms every day. Not sure how much heat yous guys can take. For most northerners May is too hot but for me it’s perfect.

 

[BOOGIE MAN]

75 and 95 are boring as hell.

19's even worse

 

[CobraBob]

My vote goes to Siesta / St. Arman's beach. Just beautiful as descbribed. Been a few times now and love the area. Way Way way less congested than Destin and whole lot more bang for your buck. Think we rented a house last year for a week for about $1100 all in. Destin / 30A area was double that. Wife and I hope to move to Sarasota area someday!

Thank you for that info! My parents used to live in Bradenton, so we've been to Sarasota many times. Every time we have gone, St. Arman's was a must. I personally would love to move to Sarasota for many reasons, but with all of our family here in CT that doesn't look like it will happen. But at least we can vacation there. Thanks again!

 

[CobraBob]

Just so you know. Go after Easter holiday. Anything before that is busy. Naples is very busy from February school vacation to Easter weekend then the snow birds start to leave and northerners stop traveling down. I feel that May is one of the best months. It’s still fairly dry and the extreme heat doesn’t usually hit until mid June. If you travel down here mid June through the end of September be prepared for high heat humidity and T storms every day. Not sure how much heat yous guys can take. For most northerners May is too hot but for me it’s perfect.

I hadn't thought of the Easter holiday. Thanks for that suggestion, Bruno. I had originally planned on mid-May, and will consider that again since it's after Easter, and like you said, its still fairly dry and the extreme heat doesn't usually hit until mid-June.

 

[thomas91169]

We burned a full day of a 6 day vacation driving from Miami to KW and back.

Don't. Do. It.

There's no good sandy beaches, every snorkeling place is booked weeks/months in advance. Drive is nice but everyone makes it out to be dreamy and it's not, especially when you get stuck behind geriatric slowpokeys. The food is OK at best.

Like Bruno said, there's better spots.

 

[BrunotheBoxer]

We burned a full day of a 6 day vacation driving from Miami to KW and back.

Don't. Do. It.

There's no good sandy beaches, every snorkeling place is booked weeks/months in advance. Drive is nice but everyone makes it out to be dreamy and it's not, especially when you get stuck behind geriatric slowpokeys. The food is OK at best.

Like Bruno said, there's better spots.

Well personally I love to visit the keys but I take the ferry from Marco to Key West or drive from Naples to Key Largo and stay up that way.

 

[Ramairgt1]

What's the name of the hotel you stayed at? Sounds nice, location wise.

Coral Reef club, there are more expensive options on each side of it. I'm a cheap skate so I went the cheaper route.

 

[CobraBob]

Thanks for the hotel name. I don't remember seeing that one when I was checking hotels.

 

[CobraBob]

Well personally I love to visit the keys but I take the ferry from Marco to Key West or drive from Naples to Key Largo and stay up that way.

See, we're seeing just how much there is to see in Florida. So many great vacation and weekend destinations. Sigh! I wish we had moved there many years ago when my brother and parents made the move.

 

[BrunotheBoxer]

See, we're seeing just how much there is to see in Florida. So many great vacation and weekend destinations. Sigh! I wish we had moved there many years ago when my brother and parents made the move.

It’s OK Bob I ****ed up to.
At 18 as soon as I finished Brockton high school I should have got in my car and drove to Florida and started a career as a lifeguard.
I just didn’t have the cajones to follow my dreams.
I knew I loved it down there from the first moment I stepped foot off the plane when I was six years old. I knew that’s where I belonged.

 

[CobraBob]

The good news is that you did finally realize your dream of living in Florida, Bruno.

 

[VegasMichael]

It’s OK Bob I ****ed up to.
At 18 as soon as I finished Brockton high school I should have got in my car and drove to Florida and started a career as a lifeguard.
I just didn’t have the cajones to follow my dreams.
I knew I loved it down there from the first moment I stepped foot off the plane when I was six years old. I knew that’s where I belonged.

But as a lifeguard, would you save a liberal that was drowning?

 

[BrunotheBoxer]

But as a lifeguard, would you save a liberal that was drowning?

Don’t be ridiculous.
Liberals can’t go to the beach. They are so pasty White and sickly that they would get a second degree burn after an hour in the sun and get swept to Mexico with a soft currant.