Recommend a vacation spot

[Oleg Volk]

My parents could use advice on planning a vacation. They would like to go someplace warm (Alabama, South Carolina, Florida or similar) starting on January 6th or 7th. Recommendations of locations and accommodations would be most appreciated. Their main criteria are:

- quiet and restful, a studio/condo being prefrable to a hotel
- beaches or outdoor pools available for swimming
- ocean beaches, preferably with shade, for strolling

Comments on specific locations would be most helpful.

Thanks in advance.

Oleg

[Jamisjockey]

Probably gonna hafta be Florida to meet those criteria. 

[charby]

My wife and I are planning on going to Italy in March, plan B is the Florida Keys. You might want to have you parents check out the Keys. I also looked at going to Puerto Rico a few years ago for New Years Eve. I have been told the Bahamas are nice too.

-C

[Fly320s]

I'm not so sure that 'bama, Jawja, or SC will be all that warm in January.  Southern FL is more likely to be warm enough for your parent's purpose.  The Keys are nice, just stay away from Key West if they want quiet.

How about fleeing the country?  I can recommend Belize.

[Art Eatman]

Sarasota, Florida, or south of there, for this season of the year.  I'd guess that My-yammi Bitch is all full up, though.  Missus Nussbaum is down from Joisey or Long Gisland.   (Ever seen Miami Beach in winter?  The world's greatest living supply of cellulite!)

Art

 

[DrAmazon]

Sanibel Island, FL

[InfidelSerf]

I highly reccomend the TN/NC border.
Mainly the Asheville to Gattlinburg areas.  I know there is alot of commercial crap around there, but the hills are full of terriffic cabins you can rent for as much or less than your average nice hotel/night.

They would love visiting the Biltmore in Asheville too.
Although none of these are by the ocean... it's not far from the Charlston and Murtle Beach areas.

[Sylvilagus Aquaticus]

The Texas coast is nice. Consider Port Aransas, just off Corpus Christi.  Kinda quiet there, but CC is right down the road about 20 miles, and there's a lot of stuff to do in the little artsy hamlets up the coast form Port Aransas and the surrounding area.

Regards,
Rabbit.

[Jamisjockey]

The Texas coast is nice. Consider Port Aransas, just off Corpus Christi.  Kinda quiet there, but CC is right down the road about 20 miles, and there's a lot of stuff to do in the little artsy hamlets up the coast form Port Aransas and the surrounding area.

Regards,
Rabbit.

I forgot about Texas.  I'm kind of partial to South Padre Island, its a great spot, but even texas can get a little chilly in Jan, but the beach combing on SPI is great this time of year.

[Brad Johnson]

- quiet and restful, a studio/condo being prefrable to a hotel
- beaches or outdoor pools available for swimming
- ocean beaches, preferably with shade, for strolling

Well... my parents have an old trailer house at Lake Kemp, down by Seymour, TX.  Plenty of fresh air (unless the guys two cabins down go too heavy on the beer and brats).  Quiet and secluded.  The folks in the next cabin over even started pulling their shades down before they.. um... 'exercised' (he's about 300 pounds on a good day and she outweighs him by a good 30 or 40). And there's miles of beach to walk on - all you have to do is dodge the rattlesnakes, scorpions, and occasional wild hog.

I'm sure the rent would be very resonable. 

Brad

[Sylvilagus Aquaticus]

Yeah, North Central Texas is just so dreamy this time of year, Brad...

Although it was in the 80's yesterday, the temperature just dropped 20 degrees between 4:30 and 5:15 this afternoon as the first front of two rolled through. I heard Saturday we might have snow for Christmas.

Do your folks like tornadoes and hailstorms, Oleg?

I'm still sticking with the Texas coast, although SPI is going to be warmer than NPI, I think they'll find more to do on the north end. Flights into Corpus are cheap enough on Southwest.

Regards,
Rabbit.

[crt360]

South Padre and other Texas coast locations are all probably nice and quiet this time of year.  It does occasionally get cold there.  IIRC it snowed on SPI around Christmas 2004.  If there's shade on the beach down there, it's new.  I haven't been to the Bahamas since the late 80s, but I think it might still have some spots that would meet their requirements.  I wish I could take a vacation. 

[Bogie]

Puerto Rico.

I also understand that Aruba is now fairly inexpensive.

[Stetson]

Sanibel Island, FL

Maybe they can run into Doc Ford and crew....just a thought.

 

[o-daddy]

Dear Friends,
Thank you for trying to help me to find the right destination.
Contrary to my own plan, we are having a trip to AZ, flying to Phoenix on 12/30. We'll stay with our friends in Scottsdale and plan a side trip to Sedona/Flagstaff. our flight back is on 1/3.
If some of you are in the area, we'll be happy to see you there.
I am saving your advice for future times.
Any New Year celebrations?
Happy holidays,
Ted V.

[jeff-10]

Florida meets all of the criteria. With that being said, and not knowing the age of your parents, IMHO this state isn't the best place for older people to vacation or live. Everything is expensive, ppl are hostile and the drivers are horrible. Almost all vacation type activites revolve around nightlife something I doubt your parents would be into. Only three real reasons to go to the Keys. Fish, SCUBA or get drunk. Don't get me wrong my father used to have a place in Marathon and I spent a lot of time down there but for my father, who was in the late 50s age group, there wasn't much to do other than fish.

Have they considered somewhere overseas? Mexico, Costa Rica or Belize(like a previous poster recommended)? I know people who take cruises to Belize and Mexico and they love it.

[Art Eatman]

The drive up Oak Creek Canyon from Sedona to Flagstaff is beautiful.  Just remember that Flagstaff is the snowfall capital of the western world.

If you don't mind wiggly, squirmy roads, the drive from Prescott to Jerome is beautiful.  A "sundowner" at Jerome while watching the lightshow on the rocks across the Verde Valley to the east is worth the trip.

If you go to the South Rim, be careful.  Those Japanese tourists will run right over you.  They take push'n'shove to a new level!

, Art